Sermon #139 Series: Isaiah

Title: STOUTHEARTED SINNERS CALLED TO CHRIST

Text: Isaiah 46:12-13

Office: Auditorium:

Subject: Subject Salvation for the Worst of Sinners

Date: Date Sunday Evening - December 27, 1992

Tape #

Introduction:

Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness: I bring near my righteousness: it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.

 

We who believe see the wisdom, power and glory of God in many, many places. To the eye of faith everything has the stamp of God upon it. We see God's hand in everything. But there are five things which constantly amaze our wondering hearts, as we behold the wondrous works of our God.

1. We cannot fail to see the glory of God's wisdom and power in creation.

 

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork. -- Psa 19:1

Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead. -- Rom 1:19-20

Let infidels babble on as they may regarding their foolish notions of evolution. They cannot help it. Fools think, act and speak as fools. He who has no eyes cannot see. But the believer sees the glory of God in creation. We see the Creator's fingerprints on the heavens, the earth and the sea, in the rays of the sun, on the path of the falling leaf, in the wonders of the snow, and in the paths of fish in the sea.

2. We also see irrefutable demonstrations of God's greatness and glory in this blessed old Book, the Word of our God.

This Book bears the stamp of inspiration upon its every page. Much could be said to demonstrate the truthfulness of Paul's assertion, All scripture is STOUTHEARTED SINNERS CALLED TO CHRIST Page 2

given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. -- 2 Tim 3:16-17. But nothing more fully demonstrates the infallibility of Holy Scripture than the numberless predictions given by God's prophets, which have been accomplished with absolute accuracy.

NOTE The chapter before us, written centuries before Cyrus was born, along with the preceding one, gives a detailed account of how he would accomplish the deliverance of Israel out of Babylon.

3. Believers also see God's hand of grace and his glorious goodness in the mysterious works of providence.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. -- Rom 8:28

We declare with the psalmist, Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain. -- Psa 76:10

4. Above all else we see the glory of our God in the redemption of our souls by Christ.

Redemption, blood redemption, is the revelation of God's glory about which the saints of God shall forever sing. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. -- Rev 5:9-10

5. Once more, the transcendent riches of God's free and infinite grace proclaimed to sinners in Christ by the gospel is in our eyes a most delightful display of our great God's greatness and glory.

This is what we have presented in our text tonight. The title of my message tonight is STOUTHEARTED SINNERS CALLED TO CHRIST. Read with me in Isaiah 46:12-13. Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness: I bring near my righteousness: it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.

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Proposition Here the Lord God assures us of the certain salvation of his people, while proclaiming his saving goodness and grace to the most hardened of sinners.

Divisions

Let me show you three things in these two verses, which I trust will be blessed of God to our hearts, as we endeavor to worship our great God and Savior.

1. The Call of God - "Hearken unto me!"

2. The People Called - "Ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness."

3. The Salvation Promised - "I bring near my righteousness: it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory."

I. First, in the opening words of verse 12, we see THE CALL OF GOD.

He says, "Hearken unto me!" Call it an invitation, a command, or a call. It is all three. The God of all grace, the God of glory, condescends to call poor sinners to hear and obey him.

A. When he says, "hearken unto me," he means, HEAR WHAT   I SAY.

It is both your privilege and your responsibility to hear the Word of God. God has graciously established his gospel in this place. You have the privilege, three times every week, to hear the Word of God faithfully expounded to your soul.

1. This is the means by which the Lord God speaks to, saves and teaches his people. Once more, I want to show you from the Scriptures that, if God Almighty speaks to you, it will be by the voice of a gospel preacher.

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. -- Rom 10:13-17

For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom STOUTHEARTED SINNERS CALLED TO CHRIST Page 4

knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. -- 1 Cor 1:21

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. -- Heb 4:12

Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. -- James 1:18

Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. -- 1 Pet 1:23

2. The gospel ministry is one of the ascension gifts of Christ to his church.

Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: -- Eph 4:8-12

NOTE To ignore and despise the gift God has given you is to ignore and despise your own soul, to court eternal reprobation, to lead your family to hell, and to invoke the judgment of God. Christ does remove the candlestick from one place and establish it in another!

B. This call, "hearken unto me," means not only hear what I say, but also OBEY WHAT YOU HEAR!

 

God does not speak to men for nothing. He does not speak merely to entertain you, or impress you. God almighty is a King that demands obedience, immediate, unhesitating, unqualified obedience. "Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it" (John 2:5).

NOTE When I stand up here to preach, I am not offering you an opinion, some good advice, which you should take under consideration, or a theory for you to study. I have come here with a message from God. I am here to deliver the King's Word. It is your responsibility to obey it.

NOTE God calls upon you and me to believe him, to believe his Word, and, believing, to act upon it.

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-Repent of Your Sin!

-Trust Christ!

-Surrender Yourself to the Rule of Jesus Christ!

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. -- Prov 3:5-6

II. Next, I want you to notice THE PEOPLE CALLED. "Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness."

 

In their primary meaning, these words refer to those Jews who were unhumbled by the judgments God had inflicted upon them in the Babylonian captivity, and were unaffected by his promises of deliverance from it.

 

A. Men and women destitute of the grace of God are stouthearted, stubborn, impenitent sinners.

Are there any stouthearted sinners here? You will never acknowledge it, unless God breaks your heart. Let me see if I can take your mask off. You may be a profane sinner, or a religious professor, but you are a stouthearted rebel.

1. You have no sense of your inward corruption and no remorse for your sin.

 

"Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return. I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle. Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the LORD. How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain. The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in them?" (Jer 8:5-9).

2. Stouthearted rebels have no concern about their eternal salvation.

You are as unconcerned about the future as you are the past. You have no concern for your immortal soul. Oh, no doubt, you would like to go to heaven when you STOUTHEARTED SINNERS CALLED TO CHRIST Page 6

die; but you do not want to be bothered by Christ. You live for the present, for the immediate gratification of your own lusts, nothing more.

3. It may be that you are an obviously proud rebel against God, who likes to flaunt your blasphemy and contempt of God before others.

Perhaps you cover your contempt a little around your family and the respectable people here, but when you are in other company, you like to flaunt your contempt of God.

-You deride God's saints.

-You mock at righteousness

-You revel in sin and ungodliness.

-You poke fun at religion and the gospel of Christ.

-You may even like to dare death.

4. Your stout heart is a haughty, proud heart

-Proud of Wisdom!

-Proud of Strength!

-Proud of Attainments!

-Proud of Righteousness!

You may be a stouthearted sinner; but God knows how to humble the stout heart. One of these days, your heart will fail you. God will humble your heart!

-By His Grace!

-Or By His Wrath!

B. Stouthearted sinners are "far from righteousness."

-Far from the Righteous Requirements God

-Far from Being Righteous

-Far from Performing Righteousness

-Far from Christ, the Righteousness of God

 

III. In verse 13, I want you to see THE SALVATION PROMISED.

I bring near my righteousness: it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.

Blessed be God, there are some stouthearted rebels who must and shall be saved! Here God declares that he will do it.

A. He says, "I BRING NEAR MY RIGHTEOUSNESS."

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This righteousness is the Lord Jesus Christ himself, who is THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Christ is our righteousness; and he is the righteousness of God. Paul shows that in Romans 10.

Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. -- Rom 10:1-4

1. It is called His Righteousness because it is his work alone.

-He brought it in.

-He imputes it.

-He applies it.

2. This righteousness is revealed in the Gospel.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. -- Rom 1:16-17

3. This righteousness, the righteousness of God in Christ, is applied to sinners by the grace and power of God the Holy Spirit.

-He shows us that we have no righteousness.

-He shows us the sufficiency of Christ's righteousness.

-He gives us faith in Christ as our only, all-sufficient righteousness.

4. This righteousness is very near. It is as near as the Word of God, as near as the Gospel you now hear!

But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. -- Rom 10:6-11

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B. Then the Lord declares, "My salvation shall not tarry!"

I know that these words have many applications, but I want you to see just one thing: AS SOON AS YOU LOOK TO CHRIST ALONE FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS SALVATION IS YOURS! It will not tarry!

C. Now, look at the last line of our text. "I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory."

-Jesus Christ is God's Salvation!

-Zion is the Church of God (Heb 12:22-24).

-God has placed salvation in his Church

The Lord is not here implying that salvation is obtained by the ordinances of the Church, or by Church membership. But he is declaring that Jesus Christ, who is Salvation, is found where his Church is found. He meets with his people. If you hope to meet him, you will be wise to find you place with his people.

-God has placed salvation in Zion for Israel, the Israel of God, all who chosen, redeemed and called in Christ.

-Israel is the glory of God!

What does that mean? God calls his elect, "MY GLORY!" He does so because...

His glory is Revealed in the Saving of His People.

His glory is Wrapped up in the Salvation of His People.

He will Manifest His Glory to all the World in His People. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. -- Eph 2:4-7

Application

Stouthearted sinners, saved by grace are the very glory of God! We deserve his wrath. He gives us both grace and glory! We are not worthy to call upon his STOUTHEARTED SINNERS CALLED TO CHRIST Page 9

name; but he makes the glory of his name to depend upon the salvation of every stouthearted sinner, who...

-Was Chosen in Eternal Love!

-Was Redeemed by the Blood of Christ!

-Has bee Called by the Holy Spirit!

-Believes on The Lord Jesus Christ!

Come, then, glorify God by trusting his Son! Whoever you are, whatever you have done, Christ is a Savior sufficient for you.

 

Don Fortner