God Never Gives Up So Let's Never Give Up.

Isaiah 55:1-9 Don’t Give Up God Never Gives Up on Us

1. Consider the commencement address from Winston Churchill

• After enduring a lengthy introduction, Churchill is reported to have risen from his seat, went to the podium and stared fixedly at his audience of new graduates. "Never give up!" he pronounced solemnly. Churchill then turned, walked back to his chair and sat down.

• As the stunned students momentarily sat in silence, Churchill, once again rose from his chair, returned to the podium and again announced, "Never give up!"

• Sure enough, Churchill returned to the podium again, and again and yet again _ five times _ each time delivering his single-minded message, "Never give up!"

2. God speaks through the Prophet Isaiah he says If you thirst if you’re Hungry Don’t Give UP

• Hear, everyone who thirsts; come to the waters; and you who have no money,

come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price (Isaiah 55:1).

• The exiles were hauled off lock, stock and barrel to the far-off city of Babylon.

3. Babylon way of dealing with the defeated enemy

• The king of Babylon takes all his enemies from the conquered lands

• He resettles them in his capital city, in little ghetto neighborhoods. (That old policy, “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer,” could have been invented by the Babylonians.)

• The Judean exiles aren’t in prison, exactly. They’re free to come and go within the walls of the imperial city.

• They’re permitted to set up small businesses or take up a trade. Their senior leaders are even invited, once in a blue moon, to feast with the king himself in his banquet hall.

4. Isaiah’s vision for the exiles was for them to Never give Up

• Exiles are leaving poverty behind and getting back all they’ve lost.

• He is promising them something entirely new way of buying .. Without money! Without price! Abundance for all, by the grace of God!Hear, everyone who thirsts,

come to the waters …”Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price (Isaiah

• God Never Gave Up on Israel because God is Different from the way he Pays. Gods values are different. God says, For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9).

• God’s way is to offer “wine and milk without money and without price.”

5. God Never Gives up on us

- Adam and Eve disobeyed But God never gave up.

- Abraham wandered, and Sarah laughed. But God never gave up.

- Moses hid and shook with fear. But God never gave up.

- David plotted against Uriah. But God never gave up.

- Ahaz sold out to Assyria. But God never gave up.

- Israel fell into pieces. But God never gave up.

- The Jewish people became exiles. But God never gave up.

- John the Baptist was beheaded. But God never gave up.- Peter denied he even knew him. But God never gave up.

- The disciples all ran away. But God never gave up.