I'm going to be speaking to you
today from the book of Isaiah. If you'd like to follow in the
scriptures, I'll speak from Isaiah chapter 55. Isaiah 55, verse
1, 2, and 3. Now, before I bring the message,
I want to say a word to our friends who live in the Wheelersburg,
Ohio area. There's a relatively new congregation
in the Wheelersburg area. It's called the Wheelersburg
Grace Fellowship. Wheelersburg Grace Fellowship.
And their pastor is Brother Charles Pennington. And they built a
beautiful new building on Dogwood Ridge Road. I think the address
is 2536 Dogwood Ridge Road in Wheelersburg, Ohio. The Lord
willing, I'll be preaching there tonight. The service is at 6
o'clock this evening at the Wheelersburg Grace Fellowship, the new building
there on Dogwood Ridge Road. And the service begins at 6 o'clock.
I'll also speak, the Lord willing, I'll preach tonight at 6, and
the Lord willing, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights at 7 p.m. And you're invited to those services. Now, in Isaiah 55, verse 1, I
want you to open your Bibles to the Scripture. You know, people
who believe God, who believe God and who love God, believe
His Word. And they love His Word. And they
love to hear the Bible read. And they like to hear the Word
preached and taught. Because from the Scriptures,
we receive faith. The Scriptures are the foundation
of faith. Christ is the object of faith.
But faith cometh by hearing. and hearing by the Word of God.
We don't get faith from feeling. We get faith from the Word of
God. And people who love God love His Word because their faith
is strengthened by the Word. And not only that, but from the
Scriptures, we get assurance. You know, over in Hebrews, the
writer says, He hath said, I'll never leave you and I'll never
forsake you. So we can boldly say, The Lord
is my helper. How can I say the Lord is my
helper? Because He said it first. He said, I'll never leave you.
I'll never forsake you, no matter the trial or the trouble. I'll
never leave you. Lo, I'm with you always. So I
can say, He's my helper. And I'll not fear what man can
do to me. So from the Scriptures comes
our faith. From the Scriptures comes our
assurance. And from the Scriptures comes
our comfort. Over there in the book of Thessalonians,
Paul said, comfort one another with these words. Comfort one
another with these words. The Word of God is our comfort.
Over in Isaiah 40, God said, comfort my people. Comfort my
people. How shall I comfort thy people?
Say unto them, thus saith the Lord, your sins are pardoned,
your iniquities put away. So, the Word of God is our comfort.
And then, by the Word of God, by the Scriptures, We grow in
grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter
said, desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow
thereby. So to those who believe God,
to those who love God, the scriptures are vital. They're important.
And they love to hear you read the word and preach from the
word. And those who believe the Word of God cherish the writings
of the prophets in the Old Testament and the apostles in the New Testament. Paul said in II Thessalonians
3.16, all Scripture, all Scripture is given by inspiration of God.
Old Testament, New Testament, from Genesis to Malachi to Revelation,
all Scripture is given by inspiration of God. All Scripture is God-breathed,
God-breathed. And all Scripture is profitable
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness. And Peter said this in 2 Peter
1. He said, Holy men spake as they
were moved by the Spirit of God. Holy men wrote the Word. They
spake as they were moved by the Spirit of God. So, believers
love the Word no matter where you turn. from Genesis 1 to Revelation
22. They love the Word. They love
to hear preached, read, taught. They find in the Word their assurance,
their comfort. They find in the Word the growth
of faith and grace. But my text today, Isaiah 55,
is just special. And I'll tell you why it's special. It's because God is not speaking
to us here in Isaiah 55, by the pen of a prophet, or by the words
of an apostle, God is speaking to us Himself. In Isaiah 55,
you open it there and look at verse 1 there, in Isaiah 55,
it's the Lord who speaks. It's the Lord who speaks. And
Charles Spurgeon, I believe England's greatest preacher, and I mean
of all time, England's greatest preacher, for so many years. Charles Spurgeon called this
chapter, Isaiah 55, he called it God's Own Gospel Call. God's Own Gospel Call. And that's what I'm going to
call my message today. I'll just give it that title.
God's Own Gospel Call. And he said this, Spurgeon said
this about this chapter. He said, we need to forget about
Isaiah as we read the Scripture. Just forget about Isaiah, and
think of Jehovah who speaks. Let's look at it. Isaiah 55-1. The Lord says, Ho, ho, everyone
that thirsteth. Now this is the Lord speaking.
Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters. You know,
if you're a careful reader of the Scriptures, and there's some
people who scan the Scriptures zip through the Scriptures and
read them carelessly, there are some people, led of the Spirit
of God, who study the Word of God. Like the Apostle said, study,
study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth
not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth. And you careful
students of the Scriptures, you'll find, listen to me, that every
promise of God, Every promise of God, every call has a condition. That's right. Listen to him.
Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come to the water. What's the
promise? Come to the water and drink.
What's the condition? Thirst. Thirst. Someone says,
well, I'm not thirsty. Then he's not talking to you.
Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come to the waters and drink.
Matthew 11, 28, everybody is familiar with this scripture.
Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, I'll give
you rest. What's the promise? Rest, peace. What's the condition? You need
rest, you're laboring and heavy laden? You're the ones who are
invited. 1 John 1, 9, if we confess our sins, He's faithful and just
to forgive us. If we don't confess our sins,
they won't be forgiven. He that covers his sins shall
not prosper. But if we confess our sins, that's
the condition. The promise is rich and real.
Listen to this, Revelation 22 and 17. This is the Scripture
misquoted, misused, misapplied by more people in this world,
I suppose, than any other verse of Scripture. Everybody says,
well, the Bible says, whosoever will may come. No, it doesn't. Not at all. That's not in the
Word of God. Let me read you that scripture.
Now, I said every promise has a condition. Every promise. Now, listen. Revelation 22, 17.
And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come. And let him that heareth
say, Come. And let him that is thirsty come. Him that is what? A thirst. Thirsty. And whosoever will, let him take
the water of life. If he's thirsty, come and take
it. If he's weary, come for rest. If he's hungry, come for food.
Let him that heareth say, Come, and whosoever is athirst, let
him take the water of life. Oh yes, what did our Lord say?
Oh, everyone that thirsteth, come to the water. What is this
thirst? Well, I believe Paul describes
it in Philippians 3. What is this thirst that's required
for one to come? I believe Paul describes it in
Philippians 3. Paul had been delivered from religion, false
religion, self-righteousness, and all these things. He said,
if any man hath whereof to glow in the flesh, I more. I was circumcised
the eighth day of the tribe of Benjamin. I was a Hebrew of Hebrews. It's all blameless according
to the law and all of these things. But I count these things but
lost. Now watch. That I may win Christ and be
found in Him. Oh, that I may win Christ and
be found in Him. Not having my own righteousness.
Not found in religion. Not found in self-righteousness.
Not found in a system of works. But oh, that when God finds me
and tries me, that I might be found in That's the first. Look at the next verse. Oh, that
I may know Him, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection,
the power of His resurrected life, the resurrected life, that
I might be found in Christ and walk with Christ. Now watch the
next verse. And that I might attain, if by
any means, I might attain eternal life, the resurrection of the
dead. What is this thirst? It's to
win Christ and be found in Him. It's to know Christ and walk
with Him. And it's to be attained unto
eternal life and enjoy glory with Christ throughout eternity. Are you thirsty? Oh, everyone
that's thirsty, come to the water. Come to the water. Blessed are
they that hunger and thirst for righteousness. shall be filled."
What's the condition? Hunger and thirst. What's the
promise? Shall be filled. Oh, everyone that thirsteth,
come to the water. Now note the next words. He that
hath no money. He that hath no money, come.
Come ye and buy wine and milk without money, without price.
What does this mean? The Lord says, Oh, everyone that's
thirsty, that's weary, that's heavy laden, that's bowed down,
that's guilty, come to the water. And don't bring anything with
you. Don't bring any money. Don't bring any merit. Don't
bring any works. You come and drink and buy wine
and milk without money or without price. What does that mean? It
means this. The grace of God is free. Absolutely
free. Salvation is the gift of God.
It's not for sale. It's the gift of God. Ephesians
2, 8 and 9 says, For by grace are you saved through faith,
and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of
works, lest any man should boast. Oh, the wages of sin is death.
The wages of sin is death. We earn the death. We earn the
condemnation. We earn the destruction. But
the gift of God is eternal life. 2 Corinthians 9.15 says, Thanks
be unto God. Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable
gift. Christ our Lord. Come without
money. Come without price. Buy wine
and milk without money or without price. It's free. All one needs
to come to God is a need. You understand that? All I need
is a need. The hymn writer said, let not
conscience make you linger, nor a fitness fondly dream. All the
fitness he requires is to feel your need of him. Thirsty people
usually don't have anything with which to buy. If they did, they
wouldn't be thirsty. Oh, everyone that's thirsty,
poor, weary, naked, miserable, blind. The top lady wrote this,
could my tears forever flow? Could my zeal, no respite, no,
these for sin could never atone? Christ must save, Christ alone.
So in my hands no price I bring, simply to the cross of Christ
I cling. That's it. That's what the Lord
is saying. Oh, everyone that's thirsty,
come to the water. He that hath no money, bankrupt,
broke, hungry, homesick, weary, tired, Heavy-laden, naked, miserable,
dying, you can't. It's free. Look at verse 2. Here's a powerful question. God
asked this question. This is the Lord speaking now,
and He asked this question. Why do you spend money for that
which is not bread? Why do you spend your labor for
that which does not satisfy? That's a good question to ask
all the religious ado and commotion and activity of this day, all
the high finance and these folks that are begging for money and
folks that are sending money and giving money, astronomical
sums. And God says, why do you spend
money and time and strength and effort to buy that which is not
bread? False religion is not bread,
it's chaff. False religion cannot give peace and rest. It causes
an unrest. Oh, there's a peace. They say
peace when there is no peace. The Lord speaks to those in false
religion. That's who He's talking to here,
who do not know the Savior, who do not know His redemptive power,
who do not know His grace, who have never experienced His mercy
and His love. Why do you give your money? Why
do you go through the farm? Why do you go through the ceremony
and the rituals? Why do you keep this up when
in your heart you know there's no peace, there's no assurance,
there's no satisfaction, there's no rest? Your soul has no peace,
no knowledge of forgiveness. Isaiah 45, 20 says, why do you
pray to a God that cannot hear? Why do you pray to a God who's
impotent and cannot save? A God who has no hands but your
hands? That's what they tell me. A God who has no feet but
your feet? Who has no ears but your ears
and no eyes but your eyes? You see, false religion is not
bread. It's chaff. It doesn't give peace. It brings unrest and uncertainty. It cannot give a good hope. Only
in Christ do we have a good hope. False religion only makes one
thirst again and again. And again, our Lord said to the
woman at the well, whosoever drinketh of this water, Jacob's
well even, whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again. But whosoever drinketh of the
water that I shall give him will never thirst. That's what he's
talking about. And he says, if you're thirsty,
come to the water. Come to me. Why do you spend
money for that which is not bread? Why do you spend your labor for
that which never satisfies? If you go to the well of the
world and the well of religion, you just keep thirsting. There's
no peace, there's no satisfaction, there's no joy, there's no hope.
But Christ said, if you drink of the water that I give, it's
free. You'll never thirst again. Now
look at verse 2 again. If you hearken diligently unto
Me, And eat that which is good, feed upon the living God, and
let your soul delight in His fullness. The word is fatness
there, but it's His fullness. Hearken unto Me, and feed upon
that which is rich, and good, and gracious, and merciful, and
delight your soul in its fullness. All right. Look down here now
at the next verse. Our God says, oh, I want you
to look at this carefully. He says, incline your ear, incline
your ear, and come unto me. Here and your soul shall live,
and I'll make with you an everlasting covenant, even the sure mercies
of David. This is so rich. Did you hear
that verse? Let me read it again. Two things. Two things twice. Four things.
I want you to look for two precepts and two promises. Now, let me
read the verse again. You watch it carefully. Incline
your ear and come unto me. Hear, and your soul shall live. And I'll make with you an everlasting
covenant, even the sure mercies of David. Now, here are the two
precepts. Did you hear them? First of all,
he said, incline your ear and hear. That's where you begin.
You begin by hearing. Incline your ear and hear. Hear. Is that asking too much
to listen to God? To hearken to His Word? Does
He not merit that attention? He says, listen to me, listen
to me. Now here's the second precept.
And come to me. Listen to me and come to me.
It's not come to the church, or come to the front, or come
to the preacher, or come to the priest, it's come to me. You
listen to me and come to me. You listen to me and come to
me. Now here are the promises. If you hear and come to me, your
soul shall live. Your soul shall live. If you
can hear this gospel. You know it says over in Hebrews,
God who spake to our fathers by the prophets hath in these
last days spoken to us by his Son. whom He has appointed heir
of all things, by whom He made the world, who is the exact image
of His person, who is the brightness of His glory, who by Himself
purged our sins, who sat down at the right hand of God. Hear
Him and come to Him, and your soul shall live." Eternal life
is in Christ. You come to Me and your soul
shall live. Here's the second promise, and I'll make with you
an everlasting covenant. Even the sure mercies of David. Even the sure mercies of David.
Let's look at that verse again, just briefly. The precepts. Incline your ear and hear. Lean over and listen. Give the
Word your best attention. This is vital. Hear with your
heart. Hear with attention. Hear as
for eternity. Hear as though you're hearing
for the last time. The music's not important. We're thinking
about going on some more stations, and I got a letter from the people
who are in charge, and they said, your introduction, your lead
into your program, the song, How Great Thou Art, and the picture
of the church, it needs to be spiced up a little bit. It needs
some more lively music, and some movement, and some graphics,
and all this thing. My friends, I don't want you
to listen to the music. Christ said, incline your ear
to me. I don't want you to come to Brother Mahan or listen to
him. I want you to listen to God who speaks through His Word.
Incline your ear, lean over, listen attentively, listen to
the Word, listen to Christ and come to me, you see. Oh, that's
so vital, coming to Him, not physically, not to a place, not
to a profession. You come to Christ without moving
a hair or a hand or a muscle. You come to Christ and hear.
You incline your ears and you listen to what God says about
us and what He says about Himself and what He says about Christ,
what He says about the forgiveness of sin, what He says about the
blood and the righteousness of Christ. Lean over and listen.
Listen. And then come. And I'll tell
you what I'll do. Your soul will live. Your body
will die. The body will return to the dust
from which it came, but the soul that God who gave it Your body
will die, your body will lie in the grave, but you'll live.
Come to me and live, because He is life. A man can't be in
Christ and die. Christ will never die. Come to
me and your soul will live. And now watch this last statement.
And I'll make with you. It's between you and God. Salvation
is not in the church. The preacher doesn't save you
or keep you saved. It's in Christ. It's between you and Him. I'll
make with you, fellow. Christ is your mediator. Christ
is your advocate. Christ is your intercessor. Christ
is your Savior. You don't deal with me or John
Brown or somebody else down the road or Mary or Saint Jude or
Saint Christopher or anybody else. He said, I'll make with
you an everlasting covenant, even the sure mercies of David. You say, who's that David? Is
that King David? No, sir. That's David's son.
That's David's son. That's the Lord Jesus Christ.
That's the Messiah. That's the mercies that David
got from Christ. It's the sure mercies of David,
the son of David, because the next verse says, listen, I've
given him for a witness to the people. Christ is that witness. He's that prophet. This David,
this son of David, David went to the grave. His sepulcher is
with us this day, but the son of David, The body never saw
corruption. He was raised from the dead and
sat at the right. The Lord said to my Lord, sit
at my right hand. And the mercies are in Him. Sure
mercies. Certain mercies. Guaranteed mercies. Absolute mercies of the Son of
David. Because He said in verse 4, I've
given Him as a witness, a prophet, that prophet. I've given Him
as a leader. He's our priest. The Lord's my
shepherd. I shall not want. He leadeth
me beside the still waters. He leadeth me in paths of righteousness. He restores my soul. He's my
leader. He's my leader. He's my priest."
And then he said, I've given him for a witness, for a leader,
and for a commander. He's my king. King of kings and
Lord of lords. Oh, I'll never waltz. I'll never
waltz. Though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death, I fear no evil because He's with Oh,
oh, everyone that thirsteth, ye thirsteth, that I may win
Christ, found in him no Christ, attained to the resurrection
of the dead, come to the water. Don't spend your money and your
time and your effort in the form and ceremony of ritualism that
never satisfies and never gives peace. Incline ye, ye hear, and
your soul will live. Come to me. And I'll make with
you an everlasting covenant, even the sure mercies of David,
certain and sure, as the throne of God. Seek ye the Lord while
he may be found. Call upon him while he's near.
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts.
And let him return unto the Lord, and he'll have mercy, and he
will abundantly pardon.