Sermon #14681 Miscellaneous Sermons

Title: SOMETHING DONE,

SOMETHING DOUBLED,

SOMETHING DELIGHTFUL

Texts: Isaiah 40:1-2

Reading:

Subject: Seeing The Glory Of God

Date: Wednesday Evening – August 15, 2001

Rock Creek Baptist Church – North Wilkesboro, NC

Introduction:

In our assembly, we place great emphasis upon the reading of Holy Scripture. I meet with our men in my office before each service for a time of Scripture reading and prayer. One of them will read a portion before each service and lead us in prayer, seeking God’s blessings upon the service. Another of the men will do the same thing during the service. Frequently, they either say something about a passage, or ask a question that inspires me to bring a specific message. Sometimes, just by reading the text, or by something in their prayer, the Lord gives me direction in my studies and in my preaching.

On two different occasions one of the brethren who is now with the Lord read a passages and asked questions which did just that. I remember both occasions as clearly as if they had happened this morning. I have been mulling over the two texts he asked about for a good bit the past few weeks. Tonight, I want to try to preach to you from them. May God the Holy Spirit speak through his Word to your hearts, for Christ’s sake.

I always like for people to remember what I preach, so I try to speak with clarity and simplicity. I want to show you just three things from these two texts of Holy Scripture. I want to show you…

1. Something Done.

2. Something Doubled.

3. Something Delightful.

One Sunday evening, our brother read just two verse from Isaiah’s prophecy, He read Isaiah 40:1-2. After reading the last sentence of verse two and before leading us in prayer, he looked up at me and said, “I sure would like to know what that means.” The next Sunday I told him what it meant, and he sat in the pew, smiling and weeping. Let me read the text to you.

Isaiah 40:1-2 "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. 2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins."

Here our Lord tells his prophet plainly that it is the responsibility of every preacher, every time he speaks to eternity bound men and women, to preach the gospel to them, to minister comfort to them, speaking to their hearts the word of his grace.

It is my great privilege and august responsibility now to preach the gospel to you who must soon meet God in judgment. Be sure you get this: -- The message of the gospel is described as a word of comfort, a word by which poor, needy, helpless, bankrupt sinners are comforted. God says, “Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people.” If God will give you ears hear it, I have a message that will speak comfort to your heart.

You see, the preaching of the gospel is not good advice, it is good news. If you need grace, I’ve got good news for you. It is the declaration of what God in Christ has already done for sinners.

I. First, the Lord God here requires that every man who speaks to men in his name must declare SOMETHING DONE,

A. An election as been made - “My people.”

B. A warfare has been accomplished - “It is finished!”

Illustration: The End of the Civil War

C. A pardon has been granted - “Her iniquity is pardoned!”

II. Second, the Lord also requires that those who preach to men in his name proclaim the good news of SOMETHING DOUBLED.

Isaiah 40:2 "Speak ye comfortably to (to the heart of) Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins."

This is what my friend was referring to. He said, “I think I understand the first part of that Scripture, but I sure would like to know what this means – “for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.”

What s that double that we have received for all our sins? Are you listening? Every chosen, redeemed sinner, every sinner who trusts the Lord Jesus Christ, if you (at this very moment) look to Christ as your only, all-sufficient God and Savior, if you confess your sins to him, God has given you double for all your sins. This is what that means. Oh, God help you to hear it.

A. God has so thoroughly put away your sins by the sacrifice of his dear Son, that he will not remember them against you again forever!

This is not something God will do for you, if you will do something for him. This is something already done! Our faith in Christ does not cause God to forgive us. Our faith in Christ is the fruit and evidence of forgiveness. We don’t get God to forgive us by believing. By believing in Christ we have received the atonement and the forgiveness of full atonement (Rom 5:11).

[Romans 5:10-11] For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. [11] And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

[Romans 4:25] Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

[Romans 5:1-2] Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: [2] By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

[Psalms 103:12] As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

[Isaiah 43:25] I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.

[Romans 4:8] Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

[1 John 1:9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

But there is more to salvation than forgiveness. If we would be saved, if we would enter into heavenly glory, if we would be accepted of God, we must have something more than the forgiveness of our sins. We must be made perfectly righteous before the holy Lord God (Matt. 5:20). That is the double part of the blessing of grace.

[Matthew 5:20] For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Illustration: The Wordless Book

B. All who are redeemed by the precious blood of Christ are also made to be the very righteousness of God in him.

2 Corinthians 5:21 "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

1 Corinthians 1:30-31 "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."

2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

On another occasion, this same brother read the eleventh chapter of John. When he got to verse 40, he stopped, paused a few seconds, and said with a broken voice and tears streaming down his checks, “I sure would like to know something about that.” Here is the text he read.

III. Here our Lord Jesus Christ speaks to Martha, and to us about SOMETHING Delightful.

John 11:40 "Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?"

How we ought to be consumed with knowing and seeing, and living for the glory of God! We ought to thirst and pant after it, like David of old.

Psalms 63:1-3 “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; 2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. 3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee."

The following Sunday, I preached my message from John 11:40. In that message, told our people just three things. Let me give those three things to you now.

A. Our unbelief is the only thing that keeps us from seeing the glory of God.

B. The only way we can ever see the glory of God is by faith in Christ.

· Faith is the gift of and operation of God’s free grace in us.

· But faith in Christ is our responsibility. God demands it! (See 1 John 3:22-24.)

[1 John 3:22-24] And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. [23] And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. [24] And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

C. If we would believe God, if would believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, we would see the glory of God.

· In Your Own Resurrection from the Dead

· In Creation.

· In Providence.

· In Grace. – I raising dead sinners to life! – In reviving our dead hearts!

· In our Savior’s Face!

[Revelation 22:1-6] And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. [2] In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. [3] And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: [4] And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. [5] And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. [6] And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.

[Revelation 22:20] He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Illustration: The Preacher and The Businessman