Celebrate Our Savior!

Celebrate Our Savior!

Isaiah 55:1-13

Sermon by Rick Crandall

McClendon Baptist Church October 10, 2010

*We are here today to celebrate the tremendous blessing of our new children’s building. But what if we were still out under the trees like the kids were 80 years ago? Would we still have something to celebrate?

-Of course, the answer is yes!

*In Acts 16, Paul and Silas received a brutal beating at Philippi. Then they were chained deep in the prison. But at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises to God. They celebrated right there in the prison. And in Phil 4:4, Paul would later tell the Philippian Christians to “rejoice in the Lord always!”

*Last year by the grace of God we saw a healthy increase in our baptisms. But what if we only saw one or none? Would we still have something to celebrate?

-The answer is yes.

*Some of the greatest heroes of our faith had to wait years for great things to happen.

-William Carey worked 7 years before the first Hindu convert was won to Jesus in India.

-Adoniram Judson worked for 7 years in Burma before his faithful preaching saw one soul won to Christ.

-In western Africa, it took 14 years of hard work before one convert was received into the Christian church.

-In New Zealand, it took 9 years.

-And in Tahiti, it was 16 years before the first harvest of souls began. (1)

*We have many great blessings to celebrate today! But church, if every other blessing was taken away, we would still have the greatest blessing of all!

-We would still have Jesus!

-And we are here today to celebrate our Savior.

1. First: celebrate the Lord’s invitation.

*God gives us His great invitation starting in vs. 1, and He shouts to get our attention: “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.”

*Church, there is sadness in that shout. That word “Ho” could be translated “Alas!” or “Woe!”

-You see, it breaks God’s heart to know that people are throwing their lives away.

*Many people are throwing their lives away on things that can never bring real life, joy, peace and satisfaction.

-So in vs. 2, God asks: “Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen diligently to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance.”

*This is God’s invitation to the abundant life He wants you to have. And in vs. 3, He invites you again. Thus says the Lord: “Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you the sure mercies of David.”

*God invites us to His everlasting, abundant life.

-And we are here today to celebrate the Lord’s invitation.

2. But also celebrate the Lord’s salvation.

*Over the next few verses God gives us 3 essential elements of His salvation:

-His strong Messiah...

-His spreading message...

-And His sure mercy.

[1] First we see God’s strong Messiah.

*Yes, in vs. 3 God invites us to receive His everlasting life. He invites us to salvation. But God’s eternal life can only come through His Son, the Messiah, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So in vs. 4, God the Father is speaking about His Son as our strong Messiah.

-Here the Father said, “Indeed I have given him as a witness to the people, a leader and commander for the people.”

[2] Next the Heavenly Father speaks to His Son about His spreading message.

*The Good News message of the cross started in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago, and it began to spread. Now people from countries around the world have responded to the good news message of Jesus Christ.

*This was on the Father’s mind in vs. 5, where He told His Son: “Surely you shall call a nation you do not know, and nations who do not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, and the Holy One of Israel; For He has glorified you.”

*God the Father has glorified his Son Jesus Christ...

-Through His countless miracles.

-Through His suffering on the cross for our sins.

-Through His resurrection from the dead.

-Through His ascension back into Heaven.

-And through the coming of His Holy Spirit into the world.

*In all these ways and more, God the Father glorified His Son Jesus Christ.

*And why did the Father glorify His Son?

-The main reason why is because Jesus deserves the glory!

-But the Father also glorified His Son so that we would run to Him.

*Have you run to Jesus?