Sermon
# 159 Series: Isaiah
Title:
Good News For Dark Times
Text: Isaiah 51:1-23
Subject: Comfort, for those who Fear
God but Walk in Darkness
Date: Sunday Evening – August 15, 1993
Introduction:
The
title of my message tonight is Good News For Dark Times. In chapter 50 verse 10 the prophet tells us that…
1. There are times when the
people of God walk in darkness and have no light, no shining, brilliant light,
no light to give them confidence, assurance, peace, and joy. Dark times are times of trouble, sorrow, and
fear. And we have these
times, when
we walk in darkness and have no light.
NOTE: Isaiah is talking to true believers, men and women
who fear the Lord and obey the voice of his servant. Yet, they walk in darkness and have no light.
a. Individual believers sometimes walk in darkness and
have no light.
b. Local churches have their times of darkness
and no clear, shining light.
c. The Church of God in this world as a whole is
often brought into troubling times of darkness.
2. In these times of darkness,
trouble, and fear, when God appears to have forgotten us, when it seems that he has cast us
off, when our enemies appear to triumph over us, we have only one
course of action. There is only one thing we can
do and one thing we must do – “let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay
upon his God.”
Chapter
51 was written for and addressed to those who fear the Lord and obey the voice
of his servant, but walk in darkness.
Proposition: In this chapter the prophet of God shows us
why we must and should trust in the name of the Lord and lean upon our God in
these dark, dark, trying days – This chapter is designed for the comfort and
encouragement of God’s people in dark times.
It is full of Good News For Dark Times.
How slow we are to believe our
God in dark
times. When the providence of God and
the word of God appear to contradict one another, we tend to doubt his goodness
and question his word. Our unbelief is
horribly evil. And that is the cause of
our greatest trouble in dark times.
Therefore the prophet of God, the messenger of grace calls for us to hearken unto him three times (vv. 1, 4, 7). Then, the last two paragraphs begin with the
words, “Awake, awake!”
In
verses 9-16 God’s people call upon him to awaken and help them.
In
verses 17-23 the Lord God calls upon us to awake and help ourselves.
Tonight,
I want to give you a brief overview of this glorious chapter. In this chapter the prophet Isaiah gives us six words of assurance, six gracious promises from God by which he
encourages us to believe our God in times of darkness and trouble.
I. Here is our first word of assurance – God, who raised us out of the pit of corruption, can and
will preserve us in times of darkness and revive us by his almighty grace (vv. 1-3).
A. First, Isaiah identifies the
people to whom these gracious promises are made – “Hearken unto me, ye that
follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord.”
1. God’s people are a people who pursue
righteousness – (Heb. 12:14).
a.
We
pursue the righteousness of God in Christ (Phil. 3:8-14).
b.
We
pursue the righteousness of God in our lives – we follow the paths of
righteousness.
2. And all God’s Saints seek the Lord.
a.
They
know their need of him.
b.
They
seek him earnestly, with all their hearts.
c.
They
seek him where he is to be found – In His Word – In His House!
d.
They
seek him continually (Phil. 3:13). – “To whom coming!”
B. Next, the prophet of God calls
for us to remember what God has done for us by his grace (vv. 2-3 – “look”)
1. Remember what you were when God saved you
and where you were – (v. 1).
2. Remember how small the household of faith
was in the beginning – (v. 2).
3. Remember what God has done for his chosen –
(v. 2).
C. Then, in verse 3, Isaiah assures us that times of refreshing and revival
shall come to Zion.
1. The Lord will preserve his people.
2. He will revive his church.
3. He will give us days of gladness, rejoicing,
and thanksgiving.
II. Our second promise is found in verses 4-6 – God’s salvation is both sure and everlasting.
A. He will cause his gospel (his law) to go
forth for from Zion into all the world (v. 4; Isa. 2:3).
B. There is a people whom he will save (v. 5).
1. His righteousness is near (Rom. 10:8).
2. His salvation is gone forth.
3. Chosen sinners shall trust his arm – Christ
(Isa. 53).
C. God’s salvation is an everlasting salvation
(v. 6; Eccles. 3:14).
III. God’s third word of assurance to us is this
– Our enemies are weak and perishing (vv. 7-8).
A. Again Isaiah identifies God’s saints.
1.
They know righteousness – Christ!
2.
The
law of God is written in their hearts – The New Birth!
B. Those who trust the living God have no reason
to fear the reproaches and revilings of dying men!
C. God’s salvation is forever! – He repeats his
word to reassure our hearts. He will
not forsake his own!
IV. This fourth assurance ought to quieten our
fearful hearts – The very same power and grace
by which God did wonders for his people long ago is engaged to protect,
deliver, and preserve us today (vv. 9-11).
Our
God who cut off Rahab (Egypt), wounded the dragon (Pharaoh – Ezek, 29:3) –
Satan), and brought Israel across the Red Sea, will save his ransomed people
today- (Isa. 43:1-7).
A. The redeemed of the Lord shall return to
him!
B. His chosen shall inherit gladness forever!
C. All sorrow shall flee away!
V. The fifth thing by which the Lord God
encourages us to trust him is the assurance that – the very purpose
of God in the creation of this world is the everlasting salvation of his elect
– (vv.
12-16).
In
these verses the Lord God chides us for our unbelief.
A. God our Comforter is God our Creator (vv.
12-14).
B. The Lord our Savior is the Lord of Hosts (v.
15).
C. God who preserves us is the God of an
absolute, unalterable purpose; and his purpose is a purpose of grace (v. 16;
Rom. 8:28-30).
VI. Here is the sixth word of assurance for dark
times such as the church of God now faces – Deplorable as
the condition of God’s church now appears to be, our ultimate triumph is sure (vv. 17-23).
A. The Lord God calls us to
Awake- (v. 17).
B. Without question, we are
living in perilous times (vv. 18-20).
4. Those who
should be strong and valiant guides for God’s church have fainted (v. 20). Like a bull caught in a net, rather than
bowing to the will of God, many try to accomplish deliverance rather than wait
for it, and thus only make matters worse.
Illus: “We let her drive!”
(Acts 27:15).
C. Yet, for all this, the Lord God will not
forsake his own – Deliverance will come!
(vv. 21-23).
Application:
What shall we do in the light of these things?
1.
Walk
on with God – Do your duty!
2.
Trust
in the name of the Lord! “Let her
drive!”
3.
“Stand
still, and see the salvation of the Lord!”
“The battle is not yours, but the Lord’s!”