Okay. Back to our text this evening. Isaiah forty-two. Isaiah chapter
forty-two. Behold my servant. Verse one.
Behold. Behold my servant. God says, my servant, the Lord
Jesus Christ, I uphold. He's my elect in whom my soul
delighteth. God is well pleased with the
Lord Jesus Christ. I put my spirit upon Him. He
shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry,
nor lift up, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. He
did preach publicly. I'll tell you what that means
there in just a moment. Verse 3, a bruised reed shall
He not break? He's a tender-hearted Savior. A smoking flack shall He not
quench? He shall bring forth judgment,
salvation in truth, to truth. Verse 4. Verse 4 is one of my
favorite verses in the book of Isaiah and probably one of my
top ten in all the Word of God. The Lord Jesus Christ the elect
servant of God, the one that God upholds with his power, the
one he has anointed with his spirit, the Lord Jesus Christ
shall not fail. He shall not fail, nor be discouraged,
defeated, till he has set judgment in the earth and the isles. the
far distant places, not only in Jerusalem, but our Lord said,
go into the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
Shall wait for his law or wait for his word, wait for his truth. So I'm entitling the message
from the words that are found in verse four. The Lord Jesus
Christ shall not fail. He can't. The Lord Jesus Christ
cannot fail in any aspect of his redeeming work or in the
salvation of sinners because as God, our Savior, we know that
God cannot fail. In everything that our God undertakes,
write these words in bold letters over it, successful. Our Savior
is the successful Savior. Our Savior is the victorious
Savior. Our Savior is the complete Savior,
doing all the Father's will in all aspects of God's eternal
purpose. And I mean by that His eternal
decrees, His determination, His declaration. shall be accomplished. It shall be done. Done well done. He worketh all
things after the counsel of his own will. Hold your place there
and turn just a few pages to Isaiah 46. Look at verse 9, Isaiah 46 verse
9. Remember the former things of
old, for I am God, there is none else. I am God, there is none
like me, declaring the end from the beginning, from ancient times
to things that are not yet done, saying my counsel shall stand,
I will do all my pleasure. Calling a ravenous bird from
the east, the man that executes my counsel from a far country,
Yea, I've spoken it. I will also bring it to pass.
I purposed it. I will also do it. Our God cannot
fail in everything that he undertakes for us. Now let's go back to
verse one and work our way down to verse Four there, the Lord
tells us here in verse one, behold my servant. He tells us to behold
the righteous servant of God, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ
as a God-man mediator. He is my servant, God said, the
one I uphold. He is my elect. He's the chosen. You know, that's
the first time we read that word in scripture is elect. And it
refers to the Lord Jesus Christ being the chosen Messiah, Son
of God, to accomplish our salvation. He is the elect. We are chosen in Him. That's
what election's all about. Being chosen in Christ Jesus. Don't turn, let me just read
it to you. In Ephesians chapter 1, Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as he chose
us in him. He is the elect, we're chosen
in him, according as he has chosen us in him, before the foundation
of the world, that we should be holy without blame before
him in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children
by Jesus Christ to himself according to his good pleasure, according
to his good pleasure, the good pleasure of his will, and it's
all to the praise of the glory of his grace. Aren't you glad
that God chose to elect the people in the Lord Jesus Christ and
did so from the foundation of the world? He sent the Lord Jesus
Christ as a surety of the covenant as a sacrifice of the covenant,
as a savior of the covenant, and he's anointed of God. Notice
what it says in verse 1. My servant, the one I uphold,
the one that I delight in, and whom my soul delighteth, I put
my spirit upon him. Now as God, he needed no help,
no assistance, but as a God-man mediator, turn over here to Isaiah
61. God said, this is my beloved
son in whom I am well pleased. Isaiah 61, the Lord Jesus Christ
as the Messiah was anointed in all of his office as prophet,
priest, and king. Isaiah 61, the spirit of the
Lord God is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach good
tidings unto the meek. He has sent me to bind up the
brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening
of the prison to them that are bound." Now, if that verse sounds
familiar, it's exactly what the Lord quotes in Luke chapter 4,
verse 18, and applies that again to him. To preach good tidings,
to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives,
Setting the prisoners free, and that's what the Lord Jesus Christ
has done for us. He shall. He shall. God says that he shall. I will and I shall. No ifs or
maybes or could be or perhaps. God speaks in absolute terms. I have put my spirit upon him.
the elect, the servant, the one I delight in, and he shall bring
forth salvation to sinners." That's why the Lord Jesus Christ
came, not only to glorify God, to finish all the work the Father
gave Him to do, but in doing so, He came to seek and to save
the lost. He didn't come to call the righteous.
He came to call sinners to repentance. Now look at verse 2. He shall
not cry, nor lift up, nor cause His voice to be heard in the
street. We see the means the Lord employed to establish His
church. The Lord didn't demand that the
kings of the earth hear His voice, such as the Roman government.
But I tell you who did hear his voice, the Lord went forth publicly
preaching the gospel, and the Pharisees and the kings and the
Romans would not have his word, but I tell you who did, his sheep,
his people, those chosen in him. Our Lord said this in John 8,
he that is of God, heareth God's word. And then he said to those
Pharisees, you hear them not because you're not of God. Those
who are of God, they hear God's word. And of course, we know
the sheep of Christ. He said, my sheep, I know them,
I love them, I've chosen them, and they shall hear my voice.
They shall hear my voice. And I've given them eternal life,
and they shall never perish. Our Lord Jesus Christ does not
seek to build up an earthly kingdom, but a spiritual kingdom. He said,
my kingdom is not of this world. His ministry as a God-man mediator,
as a surety of the covenant was like no other. His ministry was
not to gain the applause and recognition of men, was it? but
to honor and glorify God the Father. The Lord Jesus Christ
did not and does not use and employ means of earthly kings
to gain his goal of salvation for his elect. Our Lord said,
the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through
God to the pulling down of stronghold. His sheep will hear his voice.
Look at verse three, a bruised reed Those bruised and mangled
and ruined by the fall, shall he not break? A smoking or dimly
lit light, smoking flag, shall he not quench? He shall, he shall
bring forth the judgment to truth. He saves sinners in such a way
that his justice is honored. And his holy law is satisfied. But notice in verse 3, the tender
compassion the Lord has to his elect, to those chosen in him. He said, come unto me all ye
that labor heavy laden. I'll give you rest. Remember
that verse over in 2 Peter 3, 19? where the Lord said through
Peter that he's long suffering to usward, not willing that any
should perish, but all should come to repentance. Who's he
talking about? He's talking about those elect
in the Lord Jesus Christ. Make your calling and election
sure. The Lord Jesus Christ came to save broken-hearted sinners,
to strengthen them. A bruised reed shall he not break. This is a faithful saying, worthy
of all acceptation. The Lord Jesus Christ came to
save sinners. He's called, we read it not too
long ago, he's called the friend of sinners. Matthew chapter 11. Those who have been convicted
of their sin, those who know the frailties of their flesh
and the unrighteousness of our human nature, the Lord will bind
up the brokenhearted. That's what he says over here.
You remember from our message last... turn back to Isaiah 40
last week. The message is all flesh is grass. The word of the Lord shall stand
forever. Behold your God. But look at verse 1, Isaiah 40.
Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably
to Jerusalem, and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished. Speak to the heart. Notice on
the word comfortably. Speak to the heart. Cry unto
her. That is those chosen in Christ. That her warfare is accomplished. The Lord has won the victory
for us. That her iniquity is pardoned. For she hath received
of the Lord's hand double, double for all her sins. Fully paid. He fully paid our debt. How did
he pay our debt? With his own blood. taking our
sin, bearing our sin in His own body on the tree. Those who have
been convicted of their sin. You remember the psalmist said
this, The Lord deny them of a broken heart, save us such as be of
a contrite spirit. If God ever breaks your heart,
He'll save you by His grace. Those who have been convicted
of their sin, those who know the frailty of the flesh, the
Lord will bind up the brokenhearted. Those who are convicted by God
the Holy Spirit, He's going to comfort them with His gospel
and show them that Christ is their salvation. Reading and
studying through the gospels that we've done, the gospel I
mean by that, the gospel writers Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John,
I've never read one time of a needy sinner who came to the Lord Jesus
Christ who was turned away. Not one time did any needy sinner
come to the Lord Jesus Christ when the Lord didn't show them
mercy. Blind Bartimaeus, when he cried
out for mercy, Lord have mercy upon me, the Scripture said the
Lord stood still. The leper, who came and worshipped
the Lord and fell down before him and said, Lord, if you will,
you can make me clean. And the Lord said, I will. Be
thou clean. The woman with the issue of blood,
the Lord healed her. The thief on the cross, what
did he cry out? Lord, remember me. And the Lord
said, today, you're going to glory with me. broken, convicted
sinner that's convicted and broken by God the Holy Spirit, the Lord
Jesus Christ will bind up that broken heart and show them mercy. That's why they're convicted,
that they might be comforted. Now look at verse 4. Isaiah 42
verse 4, He shall not fail. He can't because He's God. He cannot be discouraged till
He has completed all our salvation. What a glorious and comforting
statement is given here to us. The Lord cannot fail. He cannot
fail to accomplish all God's purpose in saving His elect. He cannot be frustrated. He cannot
be defeated. You remember from reading Isaiah
53 where it says, shall prosper in His hand. You remember Psalm 135, what
swivels the Lord please, that did He in heaven, earth, sea,
and all deep places. I want us to rest upon God's
promise. and find sweet comfort in the
sure promise of our blessed God and Savior that he shall not
fail. As our substitute, he cannot
fail. As our righteousness before God,
he cannot fail. As our Savior, he cannot fail. He shall not fail. He cannot
fail. He will not fail. He cannot be
defeated. We worship an absolute, conquering,
victorious, successful Lord Jesus Christ. Thanks be unto God who
has given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. You remember
from our study in the Revelation chapter 6, He went forth conquering
and to conquer. We are more than conquerors through
Him that loved us. to him that loved us. Like the
Apostle says, we are more than conquerors, thanks be to God
who has given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now he's victorious. We can't say that about ourselves,
not in and of ourselves. For we're born in sin, shapen
in iniquity. We're born with great failure,
defeated by sin, which brought us to great weakness and total
depravity. All have sinned and come short
of the glory of God. In the flesh no man can please
God. The carnal mind is enmity against God. The natural man
receives but not the things of the flesh. Spirit of God, the
scripture often brings to our remembrance our total lack of
ability to please God or to work up a righteousness to satisfy
God. You remember what he says about
our righteousness? It's right here in Isaiah 64. Turn over
there, Isaiah 64. But we're all, verse 6, Isaiah
64, verse 6, we're all as an unclean thing, All our righteousnesses
are as filthy rags, and we do fade as a leaf. Our iniquities,
like the wind, have taken us away. There is none that calls
upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee.
For thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us because
of our iniquities. But now, O Lord, thou art our
father. We are the clay. Thou art our
potter. We're all the work of thy hand.
He is the potter, we are the clay. So, man in his best state,
altogether vanity. Altogether vanity. The best of
men are only men at best. Sinners. Sinners. We are sinners
saved by the grace of God. When the Lord is pleased to teach
us, all flesh is grass, it will gladden and rejoice our heart
to know that God has provided for us a perfect Savior who cannot
fail. Who cannot fail. Who is able
to save to the uttermost all that come to God by Him. Neither
is there salvation in any other than the Lord Jesus Christ. I
like what Abraham said to Isaac. When they went to Mount Moriah
to worship, Isaac didn't know that he was going to be the sacrifice.
And Abraham said, when Isaac asked, where's the lamb for the
sacrifice? You remember what Abraham said?
God will provide. God will provide. Only that which
God provides will God accept. Not our works, not our righteousness,
but Christ, Christ alone. Now, I want to consider for a
moment this statement, he shall not fail. He shall not fail. Three glorious things to think
about. He shall not fail in all that
he has done. He shall not fail in what he
is doing now. And he shall not fail in what
he will yet do. He hasn't failed in all that
he has done. He will not fail in all that
he's doing now. And he will not fail in that
which he has yet to do. shall not fail. What has he done?
Isaiah is looking into the future about the coming of the Messiah
and says he shall not fail. We looking back to the past and
say the Lord Jesus Christ that he did not fail, could not fail. He had not failed to do several
things. Christ did not fail to fulfill
all Scripture. Every type and picture found
in the Old Testament, the Lord Jesus Christ honored it and fulfilled
every type, every picture, every promise, the Lord Jesus Christ
fulfilled completely, totally. Our Lord says this, let me read
it to you in Luke 24. This is the risen Lord, speaking
to his apostles, these are the words which I speak unto you
while I was yet with you. All things must be fulfilled
which are written in the law of Moses and in the prophets
and in the psalms concerning me. Then he opened their understanding
that they might understand the scripture. The Lord has fulfilled
all things The law of God has said, the prophets have declared,
and what David wrote about. He fulfilled all things for us. He is a fulfillment of the Passover
lamb. Christ our Passover is sacrificed
for us. He's a fulfillment of that brazen
serpent lifted up, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,
even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. that whosoever believeth
on him shall not perish, but shall have everlasting life."
He's the fulfillment of that smitten rock in the wilderness
that was smitten and the water came out. The Lord Jesus Christ
was smitten for our sin, bruised for our iniquity, and with His
stripes we are healed. Every prophecy concerning His
death, the time, The manner, the circumstances were all written
in the Old Testament. And in His coming, His living
and His dying, in His resurrection and ascension, He did not fail
to accomplish all things for us, recorded in the Word of the
Lord, according to God's decrees and His eternal purpose. You
remember from 1 Corinthians 15, where Paul said, how Christ died
for our sins according to the Scripture, how He was buried
according to the Scripture, and how He was risen again on the
third day according to the Scripture. So the Lord Jesus Christ did
not fail to fulfill all Scripture promises given to Him. Secondly, Christ did not fail
to satisfy God's holy law and righteous justice. I love this
verse in Isaiah 42, look at it, there you have it in your lap.
Isaiah 42, look at verse 21. The Lord is well pleased for
his righteousness sake. For whose righteousness sake?
This is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased for his righteousness
sake. He will magnify the law and make
it honorable. That's exactly what the Lord
Jesus Christ did for us. The law of God had a claim against
God's people. Guilty, the law says we're guilty,
guilty, guilty. The Lord Jesus Christ came and
took our sin, satisfying God's law and justice for us. Our Lord said, I didn't come
to destroy the law, I came to honor the law of God. In his
life, he obeyed every precept of God's law, and he imputes
his obedience to us as righteousness before God. And in his death,
he satisfied the penalty of that law. He redeemed us from the
curse of the law, being made a curse for us. Thirdly, on this
point, the Lord Jesus Christ did not fail to make complete
definite atonement for the sin of those elect, those chosen. His atonement was complete, satisfying
sacrifice unto God for the sin of his people. Right over here
in Isaiah 53, if you want to turn and read it with me. He
was taken from prison and from judgment. Who shall declare his
generation? He was cut off out of the land
of the living for the transgression of my people was he stricken. Call his name Jesus, the angel
said. He shall save his people from
their sin. The Lord Jesus Christ made complete
definite, particular atonement for the sin of his people. Not
an attempt, but a complete, satisfying sacrifice, satisfying unto God. How satisfying and complete is
the atonement, the bled atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, so
much so that God said, their sin and their iniquity will I
remember no more. To say or imply that Christ died
for all the sins of all men Yet some men might end up in hell
anyway, makes the atonement of Christ a failure. God will not
allow a failed atonement, only a successful one. Failure is not an option. I'm saying the Lord Jesus Christ,
He is the elect, we are chosen in Him, and He took all our sin,
the sin of God's people, laid upon Him, and He fully put their
sin away. Not all the sins of all men.
The Lord didn't die to make salvation a possibility. The Lord died
to make salvation an absolute certainty for those for whom
He died. How complete and effectual is that blood atonement of Christ?
God said, their sin and their iniquity I will remember no more. So we have a successful atonement
in the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, it is finished. The
Lord Jesus Christ did not fail to put away our sin by the sacrifice
of himself. That's our hope of salvation,
is it not? Christ did not fail to bring in an everlasting, justifying
righteousness for His people. And then He freely imputes that
unto them. Blessed is the man whom the Lord
imputes righteousness without works. On the fifth point on
this thought, Christ did not fail to crush, defeat all our
enemies. Sin, put away. Satan, defeated. Our Lord said, I'm a he that
liveth and was dead. Behold, I'm alive forevermore.
Satisfied the law of God that was against us, that was contrary
to us. Let me read this to you, Colossians
chapter 2. Don't turn, let me just read
it to you. And you, being dead in your sin, and the uncircumcision
of your flesh, having quickened together with him, having forgiven
you all trespasses, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances
that was against us, which was contrary to us, took it out of
the way, nailing it to his cross. Having spoiled principalities
and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over
them himself. By himself, with himself, he
put away all our sin. He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also?
freely give us all things. So Christ did not fail in all
that God said he would accomplish, he accomplished. Righteousness,
he brought in everlasting righteousness. He put away our sin by the sacrifice
of himself. Secondly, Christ shall not fail
in what he's doing now. What's he doing now? He is seated
on the throne of glory, actively interceding for us as our mediator
right now. Christ shall not fail to irresistibly,
powerfully call out His elect from the four corners of the
earth, and to make them new creatures in Christ. Look at Isaiah 43,
just across the page, Isaiah 43. Verse five, fear not, for
I am with thee. I'll bring thy seed from the
east, gather thee from the west. I'll say to the north, give up,
to the south, keep not back. Bring my son from far, my daughters
from the ends of the earth. Everyone is called by my name. I've created him for my glory. I formed him, yea, I have made
him. The Lord's gonna call out his
people out of darkness into his marvelous light. And He saves us and calls us
by His purpose and by His grace. He's going to bring us out of
darkness in His marvelous light. Notice verse 6 and 7, Isaiah
42 verse 6 and 7, I the Lord have called thee in righteousness
and will hold thy hand and keep thee and give thee for a covenant
of the people. That's those people of the elect.
For a light of the Gentiles to open blind eyes, to bring out
prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out
of the prison's house. I am the Lord, that's my name.
My glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to any graven
image." We serve an absolute successful Savior. He cannot
fail, and He will not fail to call out His people. Secondly, Christ shall not fail
to meet the need of every sinner redeemed by His grace. My God
shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory through
the Lord Jesus Christ. He meets every need we have because
He is the successful Savior. Christ shall not fail to sustain
our soul and keep us by his grace. He's able to keep us from falling
and present us faultless before the presence of God's glory with
exceeding joy. He shall not fail to supply our
need according to riches in glory. He shall not fail to sustain
our soul and keep us by his grace. God saves us with an everlasting
salvation. He saves us with an everlasting
salvation. But Israel shall be saved, Isaiah
45, 17. Israel shall be saved in the
Lord with an everlasting salvation. God doesn't save sinners by His
grace and then one day lose them again. He saves them with an
everlasting salvation. He says, I give my sheep eternal
life and they'll never perish. You see, the Savior that we serve
cannot fail to keep us, to supply our need. Fourthly, the Lord Jesus Christ
shall not fail to comfort us in our time of need. Our Lord
said, when the Comforter has come, when God the Holy Spirit,
the Comforter has come, He will comfort you. What does God the
Holy Spirit comfort us with? The Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit, our Lord said,
He'll take the things of mine and show them unto you. He'll
comfort us in our time of need. He said, I'll never leave you,
I'll never forsake you. Christ shall not fail to give
us grace for every trial. He sends a trial in our life,
in our heart, in our way. He sends a trial, and then He
sends the grace for the trial. I'm with you always. I'll never
leave you. I'm with you to the end of the
earth. I'll never leave you. I'll never forsake you. Let me
quit with this. The Lord Jesus Christ shall not
fail in what He will yet do for His church. What He has done,
what He is doing, and what He will yet do. He cannot fail. He will not fail to come again
and receive us unto Himself. Remember our Lord said in John
14, I'll go away to prepare a place for you. If I go away, I will
come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there
you may be also. The Lord is coming back. When
is He coming back? I have no idea. But He said,
looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of our
Lord Jesus Christ. We're looking. We're looking. He shall not fail. to make a
new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." I want
you to read this with me. I was looking at this earlier
today and it just blessed me. Turn over to 2 Peter chapter
3. All the environmental people in our day are all up in arms
over global warming, climate change, all these different things. Well, preacher, do you believe
in global warming? Nope, I sure don't. I believe
in global burning. He's going to burn it up. 2 Peter
3. For the day of the Lord will
come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens shall pass
away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with
a fervent heat. The earth also and the works
that are therein shall be burned up. He shall not fail. Seeing then that all these things
shall be resolved, what manner of persons you ought to be, In
our holy conversation, godliness, looking for and hasting unto
the coming of the day of our God, wherein the heavens, being
on fire, shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with
the fervent heat. Nevertheless, We, according to
his promise, look for a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth
righteousness. He shall not fail to make all
things new. You know, it says that in Isaiah
65 also. Isaiah 65, look at verse 17. Isaiah 65, 17. For behold, I
create new heavens and a new earth, and the former shall not
be remembered nor come into mind. He's going to make a new heaven
and a new earth. He shall not fail to come again. He shall not fail to make a new
heaven and a new earth. And he shall not fail to make
all his elect who are redeemed by his blood, justified by his
grace, he shall not fail to make them just like the Lord Jesus
Christ. He's going to populate this new
heaven and the new earth with a people just like himself. Turn
to Romans chapter 8. That's what predestination is
all about. It's about God electing a people
and then predestinating them to be conformed to the image
of Christ. Romans 8, 28, And we know that
all things work together for good to them that love God, to
them who are called according to His purpose. For whom He did
foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image
of His Son. Every believer wants to be predestinated
to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be
the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate,
them he called. He shall not fail to call his
people. Whom he called, them he also justified. He shall not
fail to justify his people. And whom he justified, them he
also glorified. He cannot fail. Notice, that's
all past tense. Called, justified, glorified. Already done. What shall we say
to these things? If God be for us, who can be
against us? He that spared not His own Son,
but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also
freely give us all things? Look at verse 33. Who shall lay
anything to the charge? There's those elect again. You
can't get away from that in the gospel. God's elect, his chosen,
thanks be to God who has given us all things in Christ, who
shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect. It is God that
justify, he shall not fail. Who is he that condemneth? It
is Christ that died, yea, rather it has risen again. who is even
at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. The God we serve, who is God
our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, He cannot fail. Look at verse
4 again. Isaiah 42 verse 4, He shall not
fail. I love that. We serve an absolute
successful, victorious Lord,