Sermon
#112 Series: Isaiah
Title: "Thy
Redeemer"
Text: Isaiah 41:14
Subject: Christ our Redeemer
Date: Sunday Evening - April 19, 1992
Introduction:
Last
week I read a statement by a gospel preacher which is now in glory, that
gripped my heart. I do not know
him. I do not know anything about him
except from a small book of sermons I have by him. They are plain, simple sermons, full of Christ and full of
grace. The preacher’s name was Harm
Rust. He went to glory in 1954. The statement he made, which gripped my
heart was this- “Recently, I was quite a little rebuked when, during a very
congenial visit with a brother in Christ, he said, ‘Please talk to me about
Christ.’ I wondered if I had spent too
much time talking about other matters.”
How I
fear, and loathe the thought of, talking to you too much about other
matters! Long ago I made this solemn
resolve before God- I am determined to know nothing among men, save Jesus
Christ and him crucified! And I pray
that God will give me grace to be obedient to that determination.
“E’er since by faith I saw the
stream
Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my
theme
And shall be till I die!”
“Christ
crucified” is the message of the Bible.
“Christ crucified” is the message I am sent of God to preach. Everything else is wood, hay, and
stubble. The sooner it is learned, the
better. “Christ crucified” is what you
need to hear. No other message will be
blessed of God. No other message will
be of benefit to your soul. No other
message will be of any consequence in eternity. Christ crucified is the
message…
If my name is remembered when I am dead and gone, let it be remembered only as the name of a man who talked to you about Christ. Better yet, forget me altogether, and remember only the Christ I preach to you.
Tonight,
I am going to talk to you about Christ, nothing else. May the Spirit of God show each of us our Redeemer as we open the
Scriptures. We will look at seven texts
of Holy Scripture, all of them in the Book of Isaiah, beginning with Isaiah 41:14. The title of my message is “Thy Redeemer”. How I love those two
words. Seven times in the Book of
Isaiah the Lord God speaks to chosen, ransomed, called men and women, to people
who have been granted faith and life in Christ, and says that Jesus Christ, the
Son of God is “Thy Redeemer!” Imagine that - Christ is “Thy Redeemer!”
Notice: Our texts do not say that Christ is “A Redeemer,” as
though there were other redeemers besides him, or even co-redeemers with
him. There is only one Redeemer for
guilty sinners; and that one Redeemer is the Lord Jesus Christ- (Acts 4:11-12).
Notice Also: Our texts do not call Christ “the redeemer” and say
“The redeemer is thine.” That would be
something else altogether. Had the
texts said, “the redeemer is thine.” The comforts, admonition, instructions,
and promises of these texts would have been empty, meaningless words. To say that Christ is “the redeemer” might
imply that he is “the redeemer” of all men, even of those that perish at
last! That is the doctrine of apostate,
man-centered religion. But that is not
the doctrine of the Bible. If Christ is
the redeemer of all men, and some whom he has “redeemed” are lost, then he is a
useless redeemer. If his blood is shed
in vain, then his promises are vain.
What comfort is there in having him as a redeemer? The theory of universal redemption is a
theory of useless redemption! It robs
Christ of the glory of redemption and robs sinners of the comfort and hope of
redemption.
In
every text we shall look at tonight, the Lord of Glory, the Son of God speaks
to chosen sinners, saved by almighty grace and given faith in him, and calls
himself “Thy Redeemer!”
He is “Thy Redeemer” because he has redeemed you particularly, he has
purchased you and redeemed you “Out of every kindred, and tongue, and people,
and nation” (Rev. 5:9). The texts do
not say, “He is willing to be, or he wants to be, or he might be thy
redeemer.” The texts declare that Christ
is “Thy Redeemer!”
If
you are a believer, if you trust the Lord Jesus Christ as your only,
all-sufficient Savior and Redeemer, he is “Thy Redeemer” in three ways. Christ is Thy Redeemer by…
Now,
I want you to look with me at these seven texts in Isaiah and here what “Thy
Redeemer” has to say to you about himself.
I. Isaiah 41:14 - Thy Redeemer is
Thy Helper!
God is here speaking to his troubled, fearful saints, promising “I will help thee.” Therefore he bids us “fear not.” The assurance of his promise and the basis of our comfort in it is to be found in the One who gave it- The Triune God! The Three Persons of the Holy Trinity are each personally involved in the salvation of God’s elect (Eph. 1:3-14).
And
all three of the Divine Persons say to us, “Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye
men of Israel; I will help thee.”
What more can we want than the help of the Omnipotent Trinity? Helpless worms we are. But we have God our Redeemer to help us! Why should we fear?
II. Isaiah 44:22-24- Thy Redeemer Is
The Almighty, Sovereign God!
A. He who redeemed you will never forget you,
or forget to be gracious to you- (v. 21).
B. He who, by his blood, your Redeemer, is the
Almighty God.
III. Isaiah 48:17- Thy Redeemer is
Thy Teacher!
When
he says, “I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit,” he is not
telling us that he will teach us how to make a profit in business! Our Redeemer is telling us that he will
effectually teach his people profitable things- (John 6:44-45; Tit. 2:11-12).
IV. Isaiah 49:24-26- Thy Redeemer is
Thy Protector!
Look
what your Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ promises in these three verses.
A. He will set the captives free (vv. 24-25).
B. He will contend with those who contend with
you. “The battle is the Lord’s!” (See what he did to satan!)
C. He will save the children of Israel. His Elect (Rom. 11:26).
D. He will be identified with you as, “Thy
Savior and Thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.”
V. Isaiah 54:4-5- Thy Redeemer is
Thy Husband!
A. Christ is a Husband to You- (Eph. 5:25-27).
B. He will never allow you to be put to shame.
C. He will cause you to forget the shame of
your youth!
D. He called you when you were refused. (I Cor. 1:26).
VI. Isaiah 54:7-10- Thy Redeemer
Will Never Forsake Thee!
Though he sometimes hides his face to chasten us “for a small moment, in a little wrath,” his everlasting kindness and covenant mercy are sure.
VII. Isaiah 60:16- Thy Redeemer
Shall Be Known in All His Saving Goodness and Glory!
A. All nations shall soon bow before the church of God (v. 14).
B. Christ will make us an eternal excellency
(Eph. 2:7) (v. 15).
C. Christ shall be perfectly known (v. 16).
D. Christ shall reward his afflicted people
with everlasting salvation and praise- (vv. 17-20).
E. Every chosen, redeemed sinner shall be
completely saved by the work of his hands- (v. 21).
Application: Is this great God, the Lord Jesus Christ, “Thy
Redeemer?”