Today, we'll conclude our service
by observing the Lord's Supper. Exactly what is it that we're
to observe? Our Lord, the night that he instituted
it, told the disciples, do this in remembrance of me. When you
properly observe the Lord's Supper by taking the bread representing
His body broken for us and the wine representing His blood by
which we're redeemed by His precious blood. We're to remember Him. We're to remember Him. Now it's
possible, I know this by painful experience, just to go through
the motions, drink the wine, eat the bread, without remembering
Him. God help us not to do that. Help me not to do that. This
do in remembrance of me. But what exactly, what exactly
is it that we're to remember? I read this to you every time
we observe the Lord's Table. We're to remember what Paul said
in 1 Corinthians 11. For as often as you eat this
bread, and drink this cup, you do show the Lord's death till
he comes. He's not dead anymore until he
comes. And then in chapter 15, Paul
adds this. I'm reading it from 1 Corinthians
15. This is especially what we're to remember. His death. And then Paul says, for I delivered
unto you first of all that which also I received. How? Circle that. Highlight the word
how. How that Christ died. How that
Christ died for our sins according to the scripture. That's what
we're to remember. That's what we're to observe. what Christ accomplished. I'm deliberately pausing. What Christ accomplished by his
death. That's the language of scripture,
Mike. That's the language of scripture. Christ's death was not something
by that he attempted to do something
by. But the Bible speaks of it as
something he accomplished. That's the language of God's
Word. Now we hear religious talk about
he attempted when he died to do something. He hoped to do
something. Even worse, if worse could be,
he tried to do something. That very phrase should be a
caution light. Whoa, you hear anybody, whether
it's me, any preacher that speaks of Christ trying to do something,
especially in what he accomplished in his death, don't listen to
him. Don't listen to him. No, this
is not Bible or rather Baptist talk or religious talk. This
is God's language. This is scriptural language speaking
of what Christ accomplished by his death. It was no vague uncertainty. It wasn't just a shot in the
dark, so to speak. It wasn't an afterthought. by
God to remedy what Adam did in the garden when he fell and we
fell in him. Oh no, this was set up from everlasting
to everlasting. He's the lamb slain from the
foundation of the world in the purpose and mind of our great
and glorious God. And everywhere in scripture when it speaks of the death of
the Lord Jesus Christ And what he accomplished, that's exactly
how it says it. What he obtained, what he accomplished
successfully. I want to read a few verses along
that line, most in Luke's gospel, beginning at chapter 9, and then
we'll go to our text. But listen to this. Luke chapter
9. And it came to pass, verse 28,
about eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John
and James and went up into a mountain to pray. And as he prayed, as
he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered and his
raiment was white and glistering. And behold, there talked with
him two men. which were Moses representing
the law, and Elijah representing the prophets. And what did they
talk about? My soul. Now Moses had experienced
some things in Egypt, didn't he? The lawgiver, Elijah. Elijah, one of the two men that
went to heaven without dying as men normally do. He went to
heaven in a chariot of fire. That's not mentioned because the subject they talked
about were not left in the dark. Verse 31, Moses and Elijah who
appeared in glory and spake of his deceased, that is Jesus Christ,
which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. chapter 12 still in
Luke's gospel chapter 12 our Lord says in verse 50 but
I have a baptism to be baptized with he wasn't referring to water
baptism but what it represented what it represented As he told
John, do this John. Suffer it to be so now that we
fulfill all righteousness. Everything that's pictured by
this. This baptism he speaks of here is that baptism of fire.
That baptism when he would be immersed. That's what baptism
is. It's to be immersed. It's to
be covered up. But the baptism he speaks of
here is that baptism of God's wrath. that would soon after
he spoke these words roll over his head. He would endure wave
after wave after wave of the wrath of the Holy God. He being
made sin for us endured the punishment of sin. And he says concerning
that baptism, how am I straightened? How am I constrained till it
be accomplished? accomplished not attempted not
taken a stab at but accomplished and as that time that he spoke
of there drew nearer and nearer he spoke of it more and more
again in Luke chapter 18 the time is near for that baptism
he spoke of and we read here in Luke 18 verse 31 Then took
unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, behold." Listen
up now, fellas. He says, Behold. Take note. Take note. Pay attention. Behold,
we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the
prophets concerning the Son of Man. It's a history book. his book,
his story. All the prophets he said wrote
of me. All things that are written by
the prophets concerning the Son of Man shall be accomplished,
shall be accomplished. Now remember that when in a little
while we take the bread and take the wine, we're remembering what
Jesus Christ accomplished on behalf of his people. Oh, that's
what gives us joy in observing the Lord's table. We remember
what he did for us. He obtained our eternal redemption. For he shall be delivered unto
the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and
spitted on. and they shall scourge him and
put him to death and the third day he shall rise again and then
on the very night soon after this when he was betrayed on
the very night that he instituted the Lord's supper he told the
disciples this for I say unto you that this that is written
must yet be accomplished." And he quotes a prophecy of Isaiah. And he was reckoned among the
transgressors and for the things concerning me have an end. All those things written concerning
me must yet be accomplished, Christ said, and they were. They were. And then we'll read one more
passage concerning this blessed accomplishment of our glorious
Redeemer and then we'll go to our text. Now I'm reading from
John's Gospel chapter 18. You may have guessed where I
was going. John chapter 18. I'm sorry, chapter 19. Verse 28, our Lord now has been
on the cross for six hours. He has cried out already, my
God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Verse 28, after this, Jesus
knowing, knowing that all things were now accomplished, now accomplished,
that the scripture might be fulfilled. He says, something else to be
accomplished, I thirst. And just as was prophesied in
the 69th Psalm, they did this. And there was set a vessel of
vinegar, and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon
Hissup, and put it to His mouth. That's exactly what David wrote
of in Psalm 69, the very words. Now Jesus, therefore, When Jesus,
therefore, had received the vinegar, he said, knowing that everything
was now accomplished. Everything. Everything. Knowing that he had now brought
in an everlasting righteousness. Knowing that now he had already
satisfied God's law. Knowing now that he had redeemed
his people. So much more we could say, but
concerning all that he accomplished, he said now it is finished. It's finished. It's done. It's complete. It's accomplished. It's over. Now, turn with me
to Isaiah chapter 40. Isaiah chapter 40. Isaiah has been called the fifth
evangelist. Meaning, in addition to the four
gospel writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, Isaiah is so
in line with what they wrote, he could be the fifth gospel
writer, so to speak. Because he speaks of the very
same thing that we just read of in Luke. About the accomplishments
of Christ. What he did for his people. And
God tells him what to do in verse 40. I'm sorry, chapter 40, verse
1. God tells him what to do, commands
the prophet what to do. And then tells him how to do
it. Verse 1, he says, Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith
your God. Speak ye comfortably to my people. And then he tells him how to
do it. Comfort my people. Do you need comforting this morning?
Do you need comforting this morning? God commands me by his grace,
because I can't do it, but if he enables me by his grace to
comfort you with this word, the same word that he gave the prophets
700 years before, remind them, tell them what I've done. Tell
them what I've done. Comfort them by telling them
what the Redeemer shall accomplish and has now already accomplished. Speak comfortably. It means speak
to the heart, John. That's what it means. Speak to
their heart. Oh, how can I do that? Only by
the power an ability that the true comforter gives, God's Holy
Spirit. The Lord said that night to his
disciples, I won't leave you comfortless. I won't leave you
comfortless. The word is like orphans. I know you feel that way now
because I told you I'm going away. And soon the world's going
to rejoice and you'll see me no more. You'll travail while
they rejoice. You'll have sorrow while they
have a party. and you feel like orphans. I'm leaving you now,
and you feel like orphans, but I won't leave you comfortless. I'll come to you, because if
I go away, I'll send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, and he'll take
up the things of mine and show them unto you. Now that's comforting,
is it not? That's what Isaiah was commanded
to do. And now read verse 2. This is
how he was to do it. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem,
and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity
is pardoned." Really? Really? Oh my soul, that is comforting. Her warfare is accomplished?
Her iniquity is pardoned? She had received of the Lord's
hand double for all of her sins. Verse 1, my people, comforting. Say it, your God, comforting. As Bobby just sang to us, heaven
and earth may fade and flee. Firstborn light and gloom decline. But while God and I shall be,
I am His, and He is mine. Comfort from what saith your
God. I believe it was Friday night.
Man, the wind was howling outside, wasn't it? Oh, I've got a big,
big branch that came out of one of those big pine trees in the
backyard. And they spoke about the wind
chill. It does make a difference, doesn't
it? But as I listened to that wind just whistling through those
pines and swaying those big trees, it made me feel good. Made me
feel good. Really? Really? Yeah. You know
why? I felt good because I wasn't
out in it. I wasn't out in it. I felt good and it made that
blanket that was covering me feel even more cozy and more
warm and more comfortable. I wasn't out in it. And as I
laid there in the wee hours, I thought, Back when I, as a
young man, more than once, more than on one occasion, about every
Friday and Saturday night, would be stumbling, staggering
through the snow to get home. And afterwards, even worse, driving
through it. under the influence of something
or the other, didn't much matter, this appeal or drink. And telling myself, man, had
a good time. Had a good time. How little did I know that really,
really, the truth was, though I didn't know it, but God would
soon teach me, that I was poor and blind and miserable and naked. That's what I really was. That's
what I really was. Not having The world by the tail
on a downhill swing. Oh no, I was on the broad road
to hell. That's what I was. Oh, but now,
but now, I can join with Isaiah. I can sing the same song that
Isaiah sings for the same reason. Listen to it. Isaiah chapter
61. Verse 10, I will greatly rejoice
in the Lord. My soul shall be joyful in my
God, for He hath clothed me. He hath clothed me. Oh, do you
not feel warm, child of God? Listen. He hath clothed me with
the garments of salvation. He's covered me. I'm covered
from head to foot with the robe of righteousness. righteousness
as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments and as a bride
adorneth herself with jewels. I'm not outside anymore John. I'm not outside facing the winds
of God's wrath. No, I'm not under the wrath of
God. I've been brought in by the Son of God, I've been taken
by the hand of my omnipotent Redeemer and brought to the Father's
house. And I'm clothed with the very
best robe. And I'm not cold anymore. I'm not blind and poor and miserable
and naked anymore. Oh no, isn't that amazing? Isn't that amazing? Nothing else,
listen, nothing else can so clothe a sinner, making them stand before
the throne of God without fault. That's scriptural talk too. John
said, I saw them to redeem from the earth, redeem from among
men, without fault before the throne of God. That's amazing. When the wrath of God, like a
mighty wind, like that 30 mile per hour wind that just blew
those pine needles effortlessly. God's wrath, like a mighty wind,
blows away all man's self-righteousness and leaves him exposed with nothing
but big leaves. Because that's all your self-righteousness
is. If you're here this morning and
you don't know Christ, and you're trusting anything other than
Christ, everything you've done, Every good work is a fig leaf
and God one day is going to blow it all away. I pray that he'll
do it before you stand before him, that he'll expose you and
show you what you are before him. Again, here in Isaiah chapter
59, listen to this. Their web shall not become garments. He says, all your righteousness,
all your effort, all your works, all those leaves you turn over
are nothing but a cobweb in which you're dressed. That's all it
is. That's all it is. Their web shall not become garments,
neither shall they cover themselves with their works. It won't do
it. It won't do it. Their works are
the works of iniquity and the act of violence in their hands. And then in chapter 64, you know
the verse, when God sweeps all self-righteousness
away, all fig leaves, but we are as an unclean thing. Without
Christ, this is what we are right now. Without his righteousness,
this is what we are. We are all as an unclean thing
and all our righteousness, not some of them, all of them, all
of our sins, no, all of our righteousnesses do fade as a leaf and our iniquities
like the wind have taken us away, have taken us away. Oh, how blessed
in that day when God does that very thing. How blessed will
those people be standing before God Almighty and with His Son's
holy garments on as holy as the Holy One. Isn't that comforting? Isn't that comforting? Forever
accepted in to be loved. Does that not warm your soul?
Does that not make you feel comfortable? This is what God commanded Isaiah
to remind his people of. Old Top Lady wrote, when I soared
the world's unknown. Did you hear that? Did you hear
that? When I soared the world's unknown, and multitudes are doing it today. Multitudes of people. Multitudes are being ushered into the presence
of God Almighty right now. Right now at this very moment.
It's happening this very moment. When I soar the world's unknown
and behold thee on thy throne. What if today you're one of those
multitudes? What if you're one? What if you're
one? That God Almighty says like He did to the rich fool. Today,
this night, I require your soul of you. And you're ushered in
the presence of God. Not your concept of God. Not
God like you hope He is. Not God that you think winks
at your sin. Not God that turns the other
way. Oh no. But God Almighty who says, I
demand, as John taught this morning, I demand perfection. I demand perfect obedience to
my law. And the soul that doesn't give
it to me must die. That's the God. That's the God. When I stand before thy throne,
what if that happens? What if that happens to you today,
Louie? What if next Sunday you're gone? You don't meet with us,
or me, or any other here? Top lady went on to say, Oh,
rock of ages, cleft for me. Let me hide myself. Let me hide
myself in thee. What did he say to Moses? Moses
said, Show me your glory. Moses, there is a place by me.
There's a rock. I'll put you in the cleft of
that rock. Oh, rock of ages, let me hide myself in thee. Isaiah's very name speaks of
comfort. Do you know that? Because his
name means the salvation of the Lord. That's what Isaiah means.
Or the Lord will save. That's comforting. His name itself
is an indication of that comfort that God intends for his people
to enjoy. The only one that would not enjoy
that, not be comforted by that, that salvation is of the Lord,
is that one who's going about to establish his own righteousness. It's not enough. It's not enough. Look at verse 2 again, here in
Isaiah 40. He says, speak ye comfortably
to Jerusalem and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished. Tell her quit laboring to enter
into rest. Quit working to be accepted by
God. Her warfare is accomplished.
Lay down. Pull up that cover of Christ's
perfect righteousness over you and just rest easy. It's well
with your soul. Tell them Isaiah, it's accomplished.
And her iniquity is pardoned for she had received of the Lord's
hand double for all of her sins. Double. She had received, meaning
that Christ has put away our sin. That's one. And he's also made us perfectly
righteous before God. Double. Double. Where sin abounded,
grace had much more abounded. Her warfare is accomplished.
Well, who did it? Who did it? who accomplished
our warfare, the captain of our salvation. It became him, that
is God. It was necessary for him in bringing
many sons to glory to make the captain of their salvation perfect
through suffering. Who else could do it? Who else
could accomplish this warfare? John wept, wept because in heaven,
none was found worthy to do it until the elder said, John weep
not, behold the lion of the tribe of Judah hath prevailed. He'll accomplish this warfare. Isaiah says concerning the Son
of God that he looked out and there was no man no man to bring
in this righteousness, to accomplish this warfare. Therefore my own
arm, our Redeemer says, my own arm brought salvation unto me
and established righteousness. He has done so. This is what
Moses told the children of Israel at the Red Sea I could just about picture those
hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people. Man, can you see the
fingers being shook in Moses' face? We knew better than this.
We knew better than this. I knew this would happen. Been
better off in Egypt. At least we were alive there.
Why'd we, would you bring, we could have died in Egypt, why'd
you bring us out here to die? I knew better than to listen
to you. And Moses said, this is what God tells you, shut up. Shut up and see the salvation,
be quiet and see the salvation of the Lord. He shall fight for
you today. He'll accomplish this warfare
for you and he did. And they went through the Red
Sea and they sang a song. And the subject of that song
was what God had accomplished. He has prevailed. He's a man
of war. He's mighty. He's glorious in
holiness, fearful in praises. He's done wonders. Who is a god
like unto our God? A man of war. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15, O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and
the strength of sin is the law, but thanks be unto God which
giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. And then he says, After her warfare
is accomplished, tell them this Isaiah, her iniquity is pardoned. Her iniquity is pardoned. You
see, justice satisfied, John taught some of this this morning.
Justice satisfied demands pardon. Demands pardon. You say, Larry,
that's a pretty strong word. But the same justice of God that
demanded satisfaction to His holy law, that same justice now
demands the full free pardon of all those for whom that satisfaction
was rendered. That's why God is faithful and
just to forgive us because Christ had once suffered for sins, the
just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God. God's justice is now as much
an argument for the salvation of his people as his mercy. Indeed,
mercy only comes to the sinner on the wings of satisfied justice. doesn't come any other way. Mercy and truth are met together. Righteousness and peace have
kissed one another. Mercy, justice reconciled how? At the cross. At the cross. Oh my soul the love that drew
salvation's plan. Oh, the grace that brought it
down to man. Oh, the mighty gulf that God
Almighty did span in His Son at Calvary. Mercy there was great
and grace was free. Pardon. Pardon there was multiplied
for me. If God made Christ to be sin
for us, warfare accomplished, then iniquity must be pardoned.
We must be made the righteousness of God in Him. This is exactly
what Isaiah talks about in chapter 53 of his prophecy. My righteous
servant shall justify many. Why? Because he shall bear their
iniquities. And if he bears their iniquities,
It would be unjust for God to punish them for those same iniquities. They must be pardoned. If their
warfare has been accomplished by the captain of their salvation,
they must be pardoned. You have a beautiful picture
of this, one of my favorites. I think it's one of yours too,
John. Because every time I mention it, you smile. In John chapter
18, when they come to take our Lord, Whom seek ye? The master
of our salvation, the captain of our salvation, our glorious
substitute, the shepherd of his sheep stands out in front of
all of them and says, Whom seek ye? Jesus. You found him. I'm he. If I'm the one you seek,
I'm he. I'm he. Take me. And in doing
so, their warfare was accomplished. Oh, but now, their pardon, their
iniquity must be pardoned. And that's what he says. Take
me, but let these. Glory to His name. Let these
go their way. You can't take me and my sheep
too. If you smite the shepherd, my
God, if you're just in the sword of your righteousness plunging
into the heart of your son, the shepherd, then the sheep have
to go free on the grounds of that satisfied justice. Glory to His name. Do you feel
warm yet? Do you feel comfortable yet in
the righteousness of God's own Son? I heard one of the Republican
candidates, Rubio, I think it was. How many is left? A dozen of them? But he made
this statement. I thought this is about right.
He said if Hillary Clinton becomes president, the first thing she's
going to have to do is pardon herself. for the crimes she's
committed, that she's being investigated for. But even if she would, and
it's been done before, it would be unjust. It would be unjust. Because she would still be guilty. Oh, but when God pardons a sinner,
he does so justly. He does so justly because by
the propitiation set forth in the death of Christ's Son, Paul
tells us in Romans 3 that God is now just when he justifies
a sinner. perfectly just. There is no lowering
of his law. There is no setting it aside.
It's accomplished. It's done. As our substitute
said, it's finished. Now tell them their warfare is
accomplished and her iniquity is pardoned. I read a story Mr. Spurgeon told just the other
evening. He said there was a man that
always carried a little book. Everywhere folks saw him, he
had this little book. And he would take it out, open
the folder, and just laugh, just laugh. Other times, he would
open it and just weep, just weep. Finally, someone asked him, man,
what is in that book? And he opened it, and there's
only three pages. Three pages. And there wasn't
a word written on any page. But the first page was black.
Just black. And he said, when I look at that,
that's a picture of my sin. My sin. And it deserves God's
wrath. It deserves God's wrath. I've
earned God's wrath. And he turned it over and there's
a red page. What's that? Oh, that's the blood
of Jesus Christ. He said, I love to look at that.
Sometimes I laugh, sometimes I cry, I rejoice, and I look
at it again and again. What's that last page? He turned
it. It was perfectly white. He said,
that's me. That's me now. Washed in the
blood of the crucified one without fault before the throne of God.
We mentioned a moment ago about all the snow our northern friends
are getting. And I mentioned, I think, emailing
Don. And I said, Don, how much have
you got? He said, 12 inches and there's going to be probably
that much more. And he said, but you know, Larry,
every time I see the snow it reminds this sinner that the
precious blood of Jesus Christ had made this vile sinner, all
black within and without, whiter than snow. Whiter than snow. Just like the white page of that
man's book. David said, purge me with hyssop. and I shall be clean. Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. That's what I want to remember. Oh precious is the flow that
makes this sinner white as snow. No other fount I know. Nothing
but the blood of Jesus. May he enable us now to remember
him who accomplished eternal redemption for us by his own
precious blood. Amen.