Sermon Central
-
God’s Blessings Require Obedience Series
Contributed by T.j. Conwell on Jun 29, 2025 (message contributor)
Summary: God's promise is to bring others to Himself, to welcome them in, to give them a new name, to restore to them as His family! But, in order for this to happen we must live rightly with integrity and obedience.
Isaiah, Part 23
God’s Blessings Require Obedience
Isaiah 56:1-8
Dismiss kids for Children’s Church and Nursery
Introduction
- Welcome to Seasons – intro – we are so glad you’ve come to worship today
- Last week, Isaiah showed us that the invitation to follow God is:
-- Come to Him, repent of our sin, receive His grace while it’s available!
-- The truth is that it will not always be available (reference Isaiah 55:6 …)
- Today: Seek God’s blessings through obedience (discipleship challenge)
- Read Isaiah 56:1-8 – “What do these words mean today?” PRAY
Point 1 – God’s (Urgent) Pleas to Humanity
- Two pleas given by God; the first is simple: Be just and fair to all (v1)
-- Not only simple, but forceful in its application because of what it implies
- BACK: Isaiah saw Israel return to Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity
-- Yet, only a few would be ready – why? Because they had become complacent!
-- Had gotten used to living in their new world; they enjoyed what they established
-- So, God is direct: living just and showing righteousness are the only way!
-- God pleads: Observe the Law, Keep the commandments, Obey His ways
- Why? Please given so that they may be ready because salvation is near (“soon”)
-- APP: Keeping His commands was/is the only way to be rescued! Matthew 5:20
- History tells us the people would continue to sin; even after their rescue
-- Prophetic words of Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai, and Malachi clearly show us this
-- So God is not being subtle here: He is coming soon: Be ready by living right!
-- How? Live in a way that honors Him - so when He returns we are ready!
- The second plea is a reminder of the Law: Keep the Sabbath! (v2b)
-- Ref: Exodus 20:8; God established this day as a purposeful direction to us
-- We are commanded never forget this day: observe it as Holy; set it apart
• Orig. the Sabbath was Saturday (observed as day God rested from creation)
• Following the resurrection it was observed on Sunday (honors God’s work)
-- VERY IMP: The weekday is NOT the focus, the command to observe it is!
- We are reminded not to defile the day given to honor and remember God
-- It is set aside to focus on Him, to worship Him, to spend time with Him
-- CH: Do we do this faithfully? Or only worship Him when the mood is right?
-- This is why this plea is so deliberate: This day reminds us of His work!
Point 2 – Who does God plead with?
- BIG: This is not only for the Israelites (Jews) … BUT foreigners also! (v3)
-- For those who feel excluded; shut out; feel cut off from “God’s promises”
-- Need us to know this: people are people, we all have needs; all want to belong
- Gentiles were considered outcasts; we were shunned / treated as dogs by Jews
-- This created even more division among humans; led by pride of their “name”
-- APP: People were shunned by the religious: Hello 2025 & our Holy Huddles!
-- CH: Do we shun people away from the church because we think we are better?
? Do we demand that people live the way we want them too vs. God’s way?
? Do we cast people out who don’t look like, talk like, live like, we do?
- God even speaks to the lowest: eunuchs were considered the most outcast people
-- These were those handicapped, could not have children (heritage was imp)
-- But God gives a strong warning to Jews and word of encouragement for them
- The assurance is: IF they come, they WILL have a future - HOPE is available!
-- Yet, in order to have hope they must also live by God’s standards (v4)
-- Might refer to these as “conditions”: Keep the Sabbath and live righteously!
-- SEE: The standards are NO different for those apart from God, either! EQUAL
- If they will come, God provides for them a wonderful promise (v5)
-- They’ll be given a place before God and a name; better than a lineage (imp)
-- AND!! Their name will be everlasting in the eyes of the Lord; they will be His!
- TR: Don’t miss our application here … see: this is why this matters today:
Point 3 – God’s Pleas deliver God’s Promises!
- For those outside of His people (Jews), acceptance by God is also conditional!
-- Watch V6: “I will bless the foreigners who …” (HEB: lavah; abide w/, cleave)
1. Commit themselves to the Lord – He must be our priority
2. Serve Him and love His name – living for Him must be priority of life
