Let's open our Bibles to Isaiah
35. Isaiah 35. The title of the message
this morning is this. It's The Way. The Way. Our brother just read there from
the book of John when Thomas asked this question. He said,
how can we know the way? Moses, he prayed to the Lord. And this was his request. He said, show me now thy way. David prayed in Psalm 27. He said, teach me thy way. But this natural man, that's not what we desire. We desire another way. We desire our own, own way. In Isaiah 53, 6, we read this,
all we like sheep have gone astray. We've turned everyone, not to
his way, but to our own way. Again, that's the desire of this
natural man. That's the desire of this flesh. In Proverbs 14, 12, we read concerning
this way, there's a way. There's a way which seems right
unto man. But the end thereof are the ways
of death, a dark way, a crooked way. The way of our own choosing. It's the way of sin. The way
of Adam. The way of ruin. Like sheep. That's what scripture says. Like
sheep, we've all gone astray. We've turned everyone to what
way? Our own. Our own way. Sheep are subject to going astray. leaving the shepherd. Isn't that,
you just sit there and wonder why? Why would a sheep that has
good pasture, sheep that have a kind and loving shepherd, why
would they stray? Why would they go away? It's their nature. It's who and
what they are. Why would they leave a good pasture
and not return? We sing in this hymn, prone to
wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love. Isn't that us? Isn't that a description
of us by nature? 1 Peter 2, 25, it says, for ye were as sheep
going astray. going astray, not seeking the
way of the shepherd, but seeking their own way. I pray that the Lord, in mercy
and grace, not just this morning, but in all times, would be pleased
to show us his way, that he would give us a desire to know his
way. David, you just read that. Thomas
asked that question, how can we know the way? How can we? How can we know the way? And
the Lord answered him. And this is what he said, Jesus
saith unto him, I am the way. Who was speaking? The Lord Jesus
Christ. I am the way. Jesus Christ is
the way. I am the way, I am the truth,
I am the life, and no man, no man cometh unto the Father but
by one way. No one cometh to the Father but
by me. Christ is the way. Turn with me, again you're there,
to Isaiah 35. I want us to look at just two
or three verses of scripture here this morning. An Old Testament description
of that way, of the way. Look beginning with verse 8 of
Isaiah 35. A highway shall be there and
a way. This road is one. It's just one road, a highway
and a way, not two highways, not two ways, not multiple ways,
but a way, the way. Many roads, oh, many roads lead
to ruin. But only one way leads to salvation. Only one way leads to the Lord
Jesus Christ. And that brings me to my first
point, which is this. There is but one way, and that's Christ. Isn't that what we just read
in John 14, 6? He said, I am the way. He didn't say, I'm a
way. I'm one of many ways. He said,
I am the way. He's the way to God. Jesus Christ
is the way to God. He doesn't just show us the way.
He doesn't just teach us the way. He doesn't just guide us
in the way by strong help. Although He does all those things,
listen, He Himself is the way. He's the way. He's the way from
God to man. He's the way, listen, all divine
blessings, all blessings come from the Father through His Son,
through the Lord Jesus Christ. Scripture declares this, blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed
us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. Where? In
Christ Jesus, according as He has chosen us in Him from before
the foundation of the world. He's the way from man to God. He's our righteousness. He's
our high priest. He's our sin offering. 2 Corinthians
5.19, we read this, God was in Christ reconciling the world
to himself. God revealed this to Jacob. Remember
that dream that Jacob had back there in Genesis 28? Turn there with me just for a
minute. Genesis 28. I'll just read a verse of Scripture. You get time this afternoon,
fine time this afternoon. Read this account. Read this
account, but look at Genesis 28. Look at verse, let's start in
verse 11. He lighted upon a certain place
and tarried there all night, because the sun was set, and
he took the stones of that place and put them there for his pillow,
and he lay down in that place to sleep, and he dreamed. Jacob dreamed, and behold, a
ladder, a ladder set up on earth, and the top of it reached to
heaven, and behold the angels of God ascending and descending
on it." That ladder, it points to the
Lord Jesus Christ. That's an Old Testament picture
of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's Christ the way. Again,
the way from man to God. in the way from God to man. And listen, listen to this promise
to Jacob in verse 15. He says, he says, I'm with thee. Jacob, I'm with thee. He said,
I'll keep thee. I'll bring thee again to this
land. And listen to this promise. He
said, I will not leave thee. He'll never leave us. He'll never
leave or forsake His people. Let me ask you, who's doing all
the work in this picture? Huh? Is it man's effort? Who's doing all the work? Let
me ask you this, who gets the glory? Huh? The Lord Jesus Christ,
He gets the glory. It's all His. By His holy life, He honored
the law of God. By his death, he enabled God
to both be just and justify his people, justify them that believe. All right, back to our text here
in Isaiah 35, verse 8. And in highways shall be there
and away. And it shall be called the way
of holiness. Second point, this way, the way, it requires
holiness. Holiness. Job asked this question. He said, how can a man be just
with God? That's a good question, isn't
it? How can a man, how can sinful man be justified in the sight
of Almighty God? He said, how can he be clean
that's born of a woman? Behold, even the moon and it shineth, not the stars, I think about like the stars
are one of those things that we don't touch, right? I mean
like they're untouched by man. We ruin everything that we grab
a hold of. He said the stars themselves
are not pure in God's sight. How much less man that is a worm. A worthless worm. wiggling around
there on the ground. How much less is a worm in the
son of man, which is a worm. Jason, that's what we are, a
worm. That's probably an insult to
worms. We're a worm. How can you and
I, how can we be clean? How can we be pure? How can we
be justified and accepted in the sight of Almighty God? Turn with me to Romans. Hold
your place there, but turn to Romans 8. Romans 8. Look at verse 33 of Romans 8. Romans 8, 33, Paul writing the
Romans, he asked this question, who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's sheep? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? Read on. He said, it's God that
justifies. Who is he that condemneth? It's Christ that died. Yea, rather, that is risen. who
is even at the right hand of God, who maketh intercession
also for us. Think about the words to this
song. When he sees me, he sees the blood of the lamb.
He sees me as worthy and not as I am. He views me in garments
as white as the snow. For the Lamb of God, he's worthy. And he washed me this I know. He's taken away my guilt. He's
taken away my sin. He's taken away my shame. And
he's clothed me. He clothes his people in the
very righteousness of Christ, the righteousness of his dear
son. You, you hath he quickened that
were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works,
yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through
death to present you I can think of many ways that
we could be introduced. I can think of many things that
could be said about us. How does he present us? Holy. Unblameable. Unreprovable in
his sight. Isn't that just a glorious thought? Let's read on, Isaiah 35, verse 8. The unclean, this highway, this
way, the unclean shall not pass over it. But it shall be for
those. Those. He says the wayfaring
men. Third point. This way is for
a particular people. It's for those. That's what he
says. It's for those. It's for the wayfaring men. And
that word wayfaring, it can mean lead. It can mean carried. It can mean cause to walk. Isn't that the work of the shepherd?
To lead his sheep, to carry his sheep, to cause them to walk
in the way that they should go. God has a people. Almighty God
has a people chosen in Christ from before the foundation of
the world. Look back at verse 5 of Isaiah 35. He said, the eyes of the blind
shall be opened. The ears of the deaf shall be
unstopped. The lame man That lame man's
going to leap like a heart. The tongue of the dumb shall
sing. The blind eyes, see that the
blind eyes are opened. Those who are once deaf, they now hear. They now hear
his word. Those who are once lame, they're
going to, he said, leap like a heart. In Matthew 11, 5, I
won't have you turn there, but it says this. The blind receive
their sight. It says the exact same thing
as it said here in the Old Testament. The blind receive their sight.
The lame walk. The lepers are cleansed. The
deaf hear. The dead are raised up. And the poor have the gospel
preached to them. It's for those. Who's it for?
The wayfaring men. Those which the Lord came to
save. Scripture says He came not to
call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. It's for those. It's for the wayfaring men for
whom He prayed in John 17. He said, I pray for them. Pray
not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me, for
they are thine." It's for those. It's for the
wayfaring men for which he died. Our Lord spoke in John 15. He said, as the Father knoweth
me. Even so, know I the father, and
I lay down my life for the sheep. It's for those, the wayfaring
men, of which not one, not one is going to be lost. I was thinking about this this
morning we were driving here. I can't think of anything I don't
lose. I lay down my billfold. I can't
find it. I lay down my keys. I can't find
it. I lay down my glasses. Fortunately,
Abby had an extra set this morning. We lose everything. The Lord Jesus Christ is not
going to lose one. Not one for which he died. He said this, this is the Father's
will which hath sent me of all which he hath given me. I shall
lose nothing. Not one, not one, but I should
raise it up again in the last day. Isaiah 35 verse 8. A highway shall be there, and
a way, and it shall be called the way of holiness. The unclean
shall not pass over it, but it shall be for those, the wayfaring
men, though fools should not err therein. Look at verse nine. No lion shall be there, nor any
ravenous beast shall go up thereon. It shall not be found there. Fourth point, it's a safe way. It's a safe way. Like that path to the city of
refuge that was to be kept clear of all obstructions, this is
a safe way. Think of how many times in scripture
Over and over again. But how many times in scripture
did the Lord deliver the children of Israel? Though they murmured,
though they complained, though they found fault, though they
doubted Him, He continually delivered them. No lion, no ravenous beast shall
be found on this road. Who's going to be found on this
road? His redeemed. his people. Remember at the Red
Sea, remember there at the Red Sea when the Lord delivered his
people? The Lord told Moses in Exodus
14, he said, lift up thy rod and stretch out thy hand over
the sea, and that sea parted. What a sight that must have been. A wall of water on each side,
and the people of God, the children of Israel, they walk through
on dry land. Would you ever imagine that had
been a safe way? And yet he brought them through.
He delivered them. How did that work for the Egyptians? Remember when the Egyptians,
they pursued after them and the sea returned to its strength. Those walls of water came crashing
in and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the
sea. How many enemies remained? Scripture
says, not one. There remained not so much as
one of them. And the Lord saved Israel out
of the hand of the Egyptians. And He did it time and time and
time again. His people were kept, not by anything we
do, No effort on our part. We are kept by the power of God
through faith to salvation, ready to be revealed in the last day. We read this in Isaiah 35. The redeemed, who's going to
walk there? The redeemed shall walk there. That's fifth point. Who shall
walk? Who shall walk in that way? the redeemed. Not the unclean, not fools, not
the roaring lion, not the ravenous bird, but he is redeemed. Redeemed, we're redeemed by the
precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. That word redeemed, we hear it,
we see it a lot, don't we? We have redemption through his
blood. We're redeemed through the blood
of Christ. And that word redeemed, it means
ransomed. It means restored. It means bought
back. I remember, I remember Henry
told this story in a, in a message, but he talked about one of those
missionaries used to tell this down in, in Mexico. to describe
what that word redeemed mean. And he said there was a little
boy, little boy, and he said that him and his dad, this boy
and his dad made a kite. And it was a beautiful, a beautiful
kite, a good kite. Flew high. And they put a long
string on it and a tail on it and they took it out and they
were flying that kite and the string broke. And that
little boy's kite just went flying away. And he went, and he looked, and
he looked, and he looked, and they could not find that kite. Then a couple days later, they
were in town, in a village, and as they passed by a little shop,
there was that little boy's kite. in the window of that little
store. And he went inside and he told
the man, he said, that's my kite. And the fellow said, young man,
that's not your kite, that's my kite. And if you want it,
you're going to have to pay for it. You're going to have to pay
the purchase price. He said, you don't understand,
it's my kite. And he said, I don't see your name on it anywhere.
This is my kite. If you want it, three pesos. And that little boy, he found
three pesos and he bought that kite. He bought his kite. And
on the way out, as he held that kite, as he clutched it in his
arms, he said this, you're mine twice now. I made you and I bought
you. You're mine. Isn't that what the Lord Jesus
Christ has done for us, for His people? He made us, and it's
by His strength and power that we live. But He also redeemed
us. There was a price on us. The
law and the justice of God had a price on each and every one
of His people. And the Lord Jesus Christ came
and He paid it. He paid the price. And listen,
He didn't pay it with pesos. He paid it with His own blood. He laid down His life for us.
He redeemed me. He restored me. He bought me
back. And I'm His. Scripture says this, we are redeemed
with the precious blood of Christ. Galatians 3.13, let me just read
it. Christ hath redeemed us from
the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. As it's written, cursed is everyone
that hangeth on a tree. Well, who walks in this way? those that are his, those whom
he purchased, those whom he redeemed. And quickly, let's look at verse
10. Again, back in our text. And
the ransom to the Lord shall return and come to Zion with
songs and everlasting joy upon their heads. They shall obtain
joy and gladness And sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Sixth point. This way is a joyous, it's a
joyous way. Thinking about that eunuch. Remember
when the Lord sent Philip to that eunuch to preach the gospel
to him? He did that. He preached the
gospel to them and as they were driving he saw some water and
he said, see here's water. What doth hinder me to be baptized?
And they stopped the chariot and they went down and he baptized
him there. And then what's the next thing
we read about that eunuch? He went on his way rejoicing. Rejoicing. Christ is the way. It's the way of holiness. He's
made us holy. It's the way for a particular
people, a people chosen in Christ. It's a safe way because we're
kept by Him. It's a way for His redeemed, those who He redeemed. Knowing all these things, How
could it be anything but a joyful, a joyful way? Well, turn with
me to one more scripture. Turn to Psalm 139. Psalm 139. Look at verse 23. This is, again, this is a prayer
of David here. Psalm of David. Look at verse
23. He said, He said, Search me,
O God. Know my heart. Try me and know
my thoughts. and see if there be any wicked
way in me and lead me. Lead me in the way
everlasting. Not that way that comes so natural
to us. Not the way of the wicked. Not
the way that seems right. Not the way of evil men. But
let this be our prayer. Lead me in the way everlasting. The way that leads to everlasting
life. The way that leads to eternal
life. What is that way? Christ. Christ who is the way. Again,
He said, I am the way. I am the truth, I am the life,
and no man, no man cometh to the Father but by me." Teach me of Christ. Teach me
of Him who is the way. All right.