Sermon
# 179 Series: Isaiah
Title: We Shall Yet Be Made Fruitful!
Text: Isaiah 54:1-17
Subject: God’s Promised Increase
Date:
Sunday Evening – May 8, 1994
Introduction:
Isaiah 54 is a declaration of
the universal fruitfulness of our Savior’s death and resurrection. It declares that he will have a people to worship,
serve, and enjoy him out of every nation, kindred, people, and tongue. Isaiah 54 would have been impossible without
Isaiah 53. But, since Christ has redeemed a people, a people must and
shall serve him. In these seventeen verses, the
Lord God makes five promises to his people, his church, and
his kingdom, promises based upon both his immutable grace and the efficacy of
his Son’s redemptive work.
5 Promises of Grace:
1. Though the church of God appears to
be small, barren, and unfruitful, she shall be a great multitude, abundantly
fruitful throughout the earth (vv. 1-5).
2. Though sometimes the Lord withholds
from us the tokens of his favor, he never withhold’s his favor and will never
forsake his own (vv. 6-10).
3.Though for a while we are in sorrow and under oppression, the
church and people of God shall be advanced to great honor in God’s time (vv.
11-12).
4. Three things always characterize the
children of God, even in the midst of great trouble – Knowledge, Peace, and
Righteousness (vv. 13-14).
5. No enemy of God’s church can prevail
and no weapon formed against his people shall prosper (vv. 15-17).
Without
question, the things written in this chapter are or were historically
applicable to the nation of Israel after their return out of Babylonian
captivity. But the text is
to be understood in its wider spiritual application. The Apostle Paul tells us that it refers not to literal Jerusalem
but to the gospel Jerusalem (Gal. 4:26-27), which is the church of God (Heb. 12:22-24).
However,
tonight, I want us to apply the promises of this chapter to
ourselves, personally. We will do no
violence at all to the Scriptures, if we take these words from the mouth of our God and
apply them to Grace Baptist Church, of Danville.
The
title of my message tonight is We Shall Yet Be Made
Fruitful! We I say we, I mean us! We shall yet be made fruitful.
Proposition: If our labor is not in vain in the Lord (I
Cor 15:58), two things are certain.
1. God shall be glorified by our
labor; and 2. We shall be made fruitful.
We
shall through our labors in the gospel bring forth children. This local assembly, by the blessing of
God’s grace, shall be made a mother to many sons and daughters spiritually.
So sure is the fruitfulness spoken of
in our text that we are commanded to sing (not croak), but sing and rejoice
before God in anticipation of it. In this chapter the Lord God demands seven things from us.
I. We are commanded to rejoice in
the time of barrenness in anticipation of children promised by God, but
contrary to nature and experience (v. 1).
“The
call is to barren churches, whose members so far have been as fig trees
producing but leaves.” (B.H. Carrell).
When Sarai heard God’s promise, she laughed in derision. But when she believed God she became Sarah, and laughed with the joy of hope, and named he son
Laughter! We shall yet
bring forth sons and daughters!
II. Not only does the Lord command
us to rejoice, but also to make room for the coming increase (v. 2). “Enlarge the place of thy tent.”
Illus: Corey’s text – May 30, 1791
III. In making provisions for this
enlargement, there must be no regard for cost – “Spare Not”
IV. This enlargement, this
increased sphere of ministry, must be made on every side at once (v. 3).
Let us each constantly look for open doors of ministry and seize them. Seize them for the glory of Christ.
A. Our Message!
B. Our Methods!
C. Our Master!
But we must not sit still and do nothing.
NOTE: Church membership is not a cheering squad, but the first-string team.
V. This enlargement must be made without the dread of humiliation and failure (vv. 4-10). Here the Lord gives us six reasons for confidence as we seek to serve him.
A. “Thou shalt not be ashamed.”
B. “Thou shalt not be put to shame.”
C. “Thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth.”
D. “Thy Maker is Thy Husband – Thy Redeemer – The God of The Whole Earth Shall He Be Called.”
E. “The Lord Hath Called Thee.”
F. “My Kindness shall not depart from thee” (vv. 6-10).
VI. We must proceed without the fear and dread of hurt and embarrassment by our future children (vv. 11-13).
We have had some embarrassing, hurtful children in the past. But they were all bastards, not sons – Born without a Father. These children our God shall give us shall be…
A. Precious Stones – Jewels of Grace.
B. Taught of God.
C. Children of God.
D. Established in Righteousness.
VII. This great work must be undertaken in faith, with absolute confidence in God, in utter fearlessness. (vv. 14-17).
Matthew 16:18
Acts 18:9-10
Application: I Corinthians 15:58