Sermon
# 161 Series: Isaiah
Title: Encouragement
Text: Isaiah 51:2-3
Subject: Encouragement for Those Who
Believe God
Date:
Sunday Evening – September 12, 1993
Introduction:
My
subject tonight is Encouragement. I realize that we are living in dark, dark days of
heresy and apostacy. Never in the
history of the world has their been more religion and less godliness than in
this day. Never have men and women talked
more about God and known less than in our day.
I do not doubt in the least that we are living in a generation under the
judgment of God!
Yet,
in these dark times, the one thing we cannot and must not do is become
indifferent and negligent of our responsibilities before God. And the one cure for discouragement in these
times of darkness and barrenness, the one source of encouragement is to turn
our eyes away from our circumstances and look to God our Savior.
Our
text tonight is addressed to the saints of God in a time of great trouble. Unbelief had brought the nation of Israel
into bondage. The nation, as a whole,
was apostate. They had forsaken
God. Therefore they were under the
judgment of God. To all outward
appearance, it looked as though the nation of Israel was doomed to wither and
die. But there was and elect remnant
who believed God. To that elect remnant
the Lord God spoke these words to encourage their faith in him. Read Isaiah 51:1-2.
Proposition: In these two verses of Scripture The Lord God Encourages Us To Believe His Promise of
Future Blessedness By Reminding Us That His Promises Are Not Dependent Upon or
Determines By Us – The Fulfilment of God’s Promises and Purposes of Grace
Depends Upon Him Alone!
I want us to look at these two verses line by line and seek from God the Holy Spirit the instruction they are meant to convey to our souls.
I. “Look unto Abraham your
father.”
You
and I who trust the Lord Jesus Christ are the Israel of God, the sons and
daughters of Abraham (Gal. 3:6-9, 29).
As Abraham was the father of the Jewish nation physically, so he was the
father of all believers spiritually and symbolically. God’s church and kingdom in this world sprang from one man –
Abraham. Consider that fact for a few
minutes, and learn this lesson – The purpose of God does not
depend upon men! When we set out to do God’s
work we must not calculate by our abilities, but by his!
A. Abraham was a man chosen and
called out of a Heathen, Idolatrous Family – (Jos. 24:2-3).
1. God is able, by almighty grace, to raise up
men to serve him out of the very seat of satan – Illus: Luther for A Monk’s Call.
2. As it was God himself who called Abraham, so
it is God himself who calls men and women today out of darkness into the
glorious light and liberty of the sons of God (Gen. 12:1).
a.
The
Lord has many means of calling out his elect.
Illus:
b.
It
is our job to publish the gospel – It is God’s work to make it effectual.
B. Abraham was just one man.
We often say, “There is no such thing as a one man
ministry.” And that is right. God’s people labor together in the cause of
Christ. But it has always been true and
still is, that he raises up one man behind whom his people rally. In that sense Abraham’s work was a one man
ministry. Don’t belittle a one man
ministry. I rest the hope of my soul
upon the divine ministry of One Man –
God
does not lead his church by committees, counsels, board, and the voice of the
people. God leads his church by one
man, a man raised up, ordained, gifted, and anointed of God for the work he
would have him do.
NOTE: Imagine the power there is in one man filled with the
Spirit of God and committed to Christ! – All the power of fire is in one match!
C. This one man, in order to be
used of God had to be Alone In His Obedience to God – God says, “I called him alone!
·
God’s Sovereign Election!
D. Yet there is more – This One Man Had to Be Stripped of Everything, Even His
Darling Son, That He Might Worship And Serve God Alone (Gen. 22).
E. There is a lesson in all this
– Three Lessons, that we ought to lay to heart.
1.
Our God deserves and requires whole-hearted consecration (Lk.
14:25-33).
The
main characteristic of Abraham’s life was the fact that he believed God. He was not always wise; but he believed
God! He was not always upright in his
behavior; but he believed God. Like
Samson, Abraham saw no obstacles, just opportunities for God to work. His faith made him…
·
Obedient to God!
Faith Honors God!
·
It has a marvellous capacity to Receive – Faith opens
an empty mouth and God fills it!
II. “Look unto Sarah that Bare
You!”
I will not spend much time on this part of my message,
because I hope to talk to you about Sarah next week. But the Lord bids us look to Sarah too. And this message could not be true to the text if Sarah were
ignored. Like her husband, Sarah
believed God (Heb. 11:11). Her faith
showed itself in a proper womanly way.
A. Sarah gave up the comfort and wealth of Ur
for a Nomadi Life with Abraham, because she believed God and obeyed Abraham as
her lord – (I Pet. 3:6).
B. Sara entertained Strangers at odd Hours and
Cooked For Them, because Abraham, her husband asked them into his tent – NOTE: One of those Strangers was the
Son of God!
C. Through faith Sarah conceived and brought
forth a son.
D. When she had finished her course, Sarah died
in faith.
Sarah
believed God! Because she believed God
she…
III. Now look what God says he did
for and with Abraham. Three Things:
A. “I Called Him Alone!”
·
Electing Love!
B. “And Blessed Him!”
The blessing that God gave to Abraham is the very same
blessings that he gives to all believers, the children of Abraham (Gal.
3:13-14).
C. “And Increased Him!”
·
As the sands of the sea – His Physical Seed!
IV. “For the Lord Shall Comfort
Zion!”
All that has been said in verse 2 has been said to prepare
our hearts to believe the promises of God in the third verse. These are promises from our God, promises of
revival and restoration.
A. In times of barrenness God
promises to comfort all the waste places of Zion.
·
With His Presence!
B. He will Revive His Church -
This wilderness shall flourish with life. This desert shall blossom with fragrant
fruit from our God.
C. When God grants His Times of
Refreshing, We Will be Glad And Rejoice in Him.
Application:
Despise not the day of small things! Wait on the Lord! – Be Faithful in this Your
Day!