Sermon
#89 Series: Isaiah
Title: “The Day of the Lord’s Vengeance.”
Text: Isaiah 34:1-17
Scripture Reading: Ps. 11:4-7; Naham
1:2, 3, 4-8
Subject: The Day of Judgment
Date: Sunday Morning – October 13, l991
Introduction:
The subject of this chapter is
judgment. It describes “The Day of The Lord’s Vengeance.” The chapter opens with a call to all nations and people, the
earth and all who are in it, the world and all who come forth from it, to hear
the prophet’s message concerning God’s indignation. The chapter has three sections.
The most dangerous thing in this world that a man can do
is hear the gospel, be convinced of it’s truth, and despise it (Prov. 1:23-33).
When I started to write out this message, the first
words that came to my mind were the words of the Apostle Paul – “Knowing
therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men” (II Cor. 5-11). How I pray that God will now use me to graciously
persuade you to make preparation for “The
Day of the Lord’s Vengeance.”
Proposition:
Throughout this chapter God is speaking to you and me, and saying, “Prepare to meet thy God!”
I am going to do my best to be as brief as I possibly can. I ask you to give me your attention. I am talking about eternity. I am talking about your immortal souls. I am talking to you about the day of judgment. “The Day of the Lord’s Vengeance.” I have six statements that I want to make, that I pray God will cause you to hear.
I. There is a day appointed when God almighty shall judge the world “by that man whom he hath ordained.” (Acts 17:31).
Some of you may laugh, and scoff, and think to yourselves, “Bro Don is going to give us one of those ‘hell-fire and brimstone’ sermons today.” But this is no laughing matter! I am telling you…
· You are going to die! You are going to die at God’s appointed time (Job 14:5).
· As soon as you die you are going into eternity to meet a holy God in judgment!
· And you know it!
A. Christ is coming again.
B. When Christ comes the dead shall be raised.
C. After this, the judgment!
II. In that great and terrible day, God will deal with all men upon the basis of strict justice (Rev. 21:27; 22:11-15).
· None shall be damned who have no sin.
· None shall be saved who are not perfectly righteous (Ps. 24:3-5; Heb. 12:14).
In that great day, “God will judge the secrets of men; not only their secret works, but their secret thoughts, by Jesus Christ. The Lord, the Judge, will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the heart”- (Gill).
A. All the works and deeds of men will be judged (Eccles. 12:14).
B. All the words of man shall be judged (Matt. 12:36-37; Jude 15).
C. Every thought of the heart and every motive shall be brought into judgment (Rom. 2:16).
III. The Basis of Divine Judgment will be these Books which God himself will open and search in that August day ((Dan. 7:9-10; Rev. 20:12).
A. The Book of Creation (Rom. 1:18-20).
B. The Book of Providence (Rom. 2:4-5).
C. The Book of Conscience (Rom. 2:14-15).
D. The Book of Holy Scripture (John 12:48).
· The Law
· The Gospel
E. The Book of God’s Remembrance (Mal. 3:16).
F. The Book of Life (Rev. 21-27).
“This judgment out of the books is designed to show with what accuracy and exactness, with what justice and equity, it will be executed.” (Gill). It is an allusion to statute books in a court of law.
IV. The only hope for my
wretched, sinful soul in that great day is that someone will stand in my stead
before the bar of God as my advocate, who is a suitable Substitute and
Representative, who has not all the requirements of God’s holiness and
righteousness and satisfied all the demands of his offended justice, and who is
able to answer the very character of God for me.
Blessed be God, there is such a Substitute! There is such and advocate for sinners – Jesus Christ the Righteous (I John 2:12).
A. He fulfilled all righteousness in his life of obedience.
B. He satisfied God’s offended justice by his death at Calvary.
C. He is himself God – God in human flesh!
D. He is an advocate whom the Holy God must hear!
V. If I am found in Christ in that great day, when God searches the books, he will find nothing against me, no sin, no fault, no blemish, no trace of sin, but only righteousness (Jer. 50:20; 23:6; 33:16).
A. The book of Creation will declare my compatibility in Christ with my Creator.
B. The book of God’s remembrance will show no record of my sin.
C. The book of God’s law will reveal a record of perfect obedience to God performed in my name.
D. The book of the gospel will echo my right to life by the promise of God – “He that believeth is not condemned!”
E. The book of providence will recount the wonderful works of God for the salvation of my soul.
F. The book of life will reveal my name written from eternity beneath the name of my Lord the Lamb.
G. And the book of my own conscience will declare my worthiness of everlasting glory through the blood of Christ.
In that great day, my Savior, the Lamb, my Advocate, the Judge of all the earth, who must do right, will take me by the hand and say, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world!”
VI. If in that great day,
you hope to be accepted of God, you must be found in Christ.
Come to Christ. Without him, you are lost forever! Come to Christ and live forever. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” Christ is everything you need.
· Life!
· Righteousness!
· Atonement!
· Reconciliation!
· Acceptance with God!