God Offers the Best for Free
Sunday, July 24, 2011 – AM
By Pastor James May
The Spirit of God is calling out this morning. He is calling out to every man, woman and child in this world. God is reaching out, with open hands that are filled with good things; and it’s all for the taking. Every good gift that God offers is free; just there for us to take and apply to our own lives. Nothing that God has bears a price tag. The price has been paid in full by Jesus’ sacrificial death upon the cross.
But what good are the free gifts of God if we do not accept them for ourselves? If there were 50 $100 bills lying here on this altar and you could have as many as you wanted but you didn’t come to get them; what good would it do to offer them? Even better than that; there are free things offered at this altar that are far more valuable than $100 bills; in fact most of the gifts that God offers here are priceless. No amount of money, personal sacrifice, or payment of personal suffering and penance could ever pay for just one of God’s free gifts.
He offers salvation for the soul, healing for the body, soundness for the mind, joy for the heart, power for the weak, encouragement for the discouraged, happiness for the depressed; victory for the defeated; deliverance for those who are bound up inside and peace in the midst of life’s storms. These are all free gifts from God; free for the taking; free to apply to your own need.
But not one of these gifts will do any of us any good at all until we first learn to pick it up and apply it to our own need; at the moment we need it.
God wants to give his people all the good things in life. Jesus said in John 10:10, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."
Some of us here this morning have had Satan nearly succeed in his attempts to steal, kill and destroy, not just the things in this life, but our eternal souls as well. In fact, I can say this with full assurance of its truth – there is not one person here that Satan has not tried to destroy in every way possible.
He came against your body with diseases, sicknesses, addictions and weakness – but by the grace of God, and because of God’s limiting factor on Satan, you came through it victoriously.
The devil tried to destroy everything good in your life; stealing love for members of your own family, causing an uncaring, and even an attitude of hate sometimes toward the very ones you love the most.
Satan tried to destroy your very life; bringing things into your path that caused you to fall into temptation and sin that nearly killed you.
The devil then stole your joy, because real joy comes in knowing who you are, who you belong to, and where you are going. He stole that joy because you lost your identity with God, lost sight of the person that God intended for you to be, and all you could see was death and destruction in your path.
Satan took away hope; because when sin entered the picture, hope was lost, for there is no hope without Jesus in your heart.
Satan even took away your desire to live because everything that makes life worth living seems to be forever gone.
It’s time we quit swallowing the lies of the devil. It’s time we realize that every negative thought like those I’ve just mentioned, do not come from God, but from the very pits of hell. Satan never quits trying to steal, kill and destroy. But God never quits offering his free gifts of deliverance and salvation either. Satan’s “gifts” all carry a very large price tag; but all of God’s gifts are free. Just pick them up and use them freely!
God spoke through the prophet Isaiah who penned these words under the anointing of the Holy Ghost in Isaiah chapter 55.
Isaiah 55:1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
That word, “Ho” carries the meaning of a general call to attention. God is calling to every one of us right now to just listen to what he has to say.
If you’re thirsty – not for water, or a soda pop, but for something that will quench the feeling of dryness and emptiness in your very heart – then God says its time to come to the waters. No, there’s no bottles of water here that will quench that spiritual thirst; but there is the Word of God that waters the soul; and there is a River of living water flowing from the Throne of God that was paid for at calvary.
Like Jesus told the woman at the well, “if you will just taste of the good water that Jesus offers, you’ll never thirst again.” God’s water is eternally satisfying and life-giving, and it will fill that emptiness in your soul. Taste and see that the Lord is good! It’s a free gift! What do we have to lose except that which we don’t want to begin with?
“HO, EVERYONE”…come taste the water. You don’t need to “buy it”; you couldn’t if you tried for there is no price. Come on, take a bite of the Bread of Life that only comes in knowing Jesus; come and taste of the sweet wine of the Holy Ghost down in your heart; and drink of the milk of God’s Word. All of it is free, but you have to pick it up and apply it to your own life. God gives it; but he’ll never force it on you. The gifts are there; but you have to receive them by choice and then use them by choice.
Religion would try to tell you that you have to obey a set of laws to receive God’s free gifts, but religion is wrong. True life in Christ is free. You don’t have to pay a penance; or beg God; or pay a price in service – just believe and receive – that’s it!
Isaiah 55:2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
Why waste time; and throw away your most valuable asset – life itself- searching for things that satisfy that have no power to satisfy? Satan’s offerings of sex, drugs, money, fame and popularity will not satisfy the hunger in your soul. Why work so hard chasing after the things that this world have to offer when none of those things will provide happiness, peace or eternal life. Everything of this world is dying; perishing; and will soon be gone forever. Only that which comes from God alone will stand for eternity.
God’s call if for us all to listen very closely to his voice. Don’t let Satan steal the free gifts of God from you because you are letting ever other voice in the world silence the voice of God! Jesus is not going to try to shout over the top of the voices of Satan or the things of the world. He speaks in a still, small, quiet voice. You won’t hear him if you don’t listen closely. It’s only his voice that’s going to matter in the end. It’s only his voice that’s calling you to good things and a life filled with abundant blessings. Are you listening? Can you hear him calling? His sheep; his people will hear his voice; and they won’t follow any other! Are you his sheep; and are you listening to his voice?
Isaiah 55:3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
Isaiah 55:4 Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.
Who is God speaking of here? It’s God’s only Son whom He sent to be the leader and commander of God’s people. Jesus Christ came so that we might have life and that more abundantly!
Isaiah 55:6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
The gifts of God are always laid before us in the realm of the spirit. At any moment; in any place, they will be waiting for us to just take them as our own. God is always near; as near as a whisper; as near as prayer; as close as a thought. God has promised that he will always be with us, in the storm, or in the sunny days of life; in the valley and on the mountaintop. You can call on God anytime.
When I get in trouble fighting for the right; I can call Jesus any time
When I feel discouraged he will lead me on; I can call Jesus any time
I can call Jesus anytime. He is always on the line. He is king almighty; Lord God is his name
I can call Jesus anytime
When the storm is raging and the billows over me roll; I can call Jesus any time
When my heart is heavy and my spirit is so low; I can call Jesus any time
Jesus is always as close as the mention of his name. All he is doing is waiting on us to call on him. Call on Him! Seek Him! Receive from Him! Jesus is waiting on you all the time!
Isaiah 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
Turn to Christ, laying aside the sin in your life, giving your heart to him – just return to Jesus. It’s time we all turn back toward home. We’ve wandered far enough. Like the Prodigal Son, we’ve wandered far from God; but now we’re coming home.
One of my favorite songs when I was growing up went like this, “Coming home; coming home; never more to roam. Open wide, thine arms of Love. Lord, I’m coming home.”
God’s great love is always there! Jesus is always standing with open arms just waiting for us to turn to him! God’s heart aches for his wayward children; those who have refused to pick up his free gift of life eternal.
Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
Isaiah 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Don’t let the devil deceive you – God does love you! God does truly care! And God does want you in his family! In our minds we often think that we aren’t good enough; and that we’ve gone too far. God doesn’t want us anymore. But nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus died that we might be able to come to him in repentance at any time. God’s thoughts for us are only for good and not for destruction. He will only consider punishment when we have given him no other choice. God thinks about you; and can see you in a place that is far greater than anything you could ever imagine. His thoughts for you are to see you blessed, sanctified, holy, righteous, and he thinks of how great you will be as a Born Again, Holy Ghost filled, anointed and faithful Child of his own house. He thinks on a higher plane for your good than you could ever imagine for yourself.
Isaiah 55:10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
Isaiah 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
The rain that fell here in the past few days, came for a purpose. It came to water the ground; not just to fall and be immediately vaporized back into the clouds. The snow falls in winter, not just to look pretty on the ground, but to remain until it thaws so that the earth may be nourished. The rain provides what the ground needs to grow the food that we all need to live. That’s God’s purpose in sending it, and it’s purpose will be fulfilled. God’s purpose is that the rain provides for the seed to grow, the crops to come forth, and food for all living things should be the product.
That’s also the purpose in the preaching and teaching of the Word of God. It goes forth to water the soul and feed the spirit of a man. It goes forth to provide nourishment in the heart so that the seed of the eternal things of God will grow.
God says that when any of the Words from his living Word are preached; they will go forth to water the hearts and souls of men; if those hearts and souls will receive it. This too, is a free gift of God. It’s there for the taking. How much of it do you receive is up to you.
Isaiah 55:12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Here is God’s free promise to all who will accept the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. Here is God’s will for your life if you will only be faithful to him.
He promises Joy, Peace, singing, clapping – all motions that come from a heart that is glad and filled with good things. That sure beats the sadness, confusion, and crying that Satan offers.
Isaiah 55:13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
God’s not going to allow Satan’s thorns to overtake you. All of those things in your life that seem to be a constant bother may not go away, but God will give you the peace and power to deal with them and overcome them.
God’s not promising us any of this because we deserve it. He is giving us this free gift of an abundant life because of his own love, mercy and grace. God blesses his people because they are his and he will not fail us.
God’s gifts are free; and they won’t leave you broken and dying by the side of the highway of life. God gives gifts of freedom, life more abundant and life that we can enjoy living. Have you received God’s free gifts this morning?
