Sermon – The Believer’s Inheritance
Scripture-Isa 54:1 Let your voice be loud in song, O woman without children; make melody and sounds of joy, you who did not give birth: for the children of her who had no husband are more than those of the married wife, says the Lord. 2 Make wide the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your house be stretched out without limit: make your cords long, and your tent-pins strong. 3 For I will make wide your limits on the right hand and on the left; and your seed will take the nations for a heritage, and make the waste towns full of people. 4 Have no fear; for you will not be shamed or without hope: you will not be put to shame, for the shame of your earlier days will go out of your memory, and you will no longer keep in mind the sorrows of your widowed years. 5 For your Maker is your husband; the Lord of armies is his name: and the Holy One of Israel is he who takes up your cause; he will be named the God of all the earth.
6 For the Lord has made you come back to him, like a wife who has been sent away in grief of spirit; for one may not give up the wife of one's early days. 7 For a short time I gave you up; but with great mercies I will take you back again. 8 In overflowing wrath my face was veiled from you for a minute, but I will have pity on you for ever, says the Lord who takes up your cause. 9 For this is like the days of Noah to me: for as I took an oath that the waters of Noah would never again go over the earth, so have I taken an oath that I will not again be angry with you, or say bitter words to you. 10 For the mountains may be taken away, and the hills be moved out of their places, but my love will not be taken from you, or my agreement of peace broken, says the Lord, who has had mercy on you.
11 O troubled one, storm-crushed, uncomforted! see, your stones will be framed in fair colours, and your bases will be sapphires. 12 I will make your towers of rubies, and your doors of carbuncles, and the wall round you will be of all sorts of beautiful stones. 13 And all your builders will be made wise by the Lord; and great will be the peace of your children. 14 All your rights will be made certain to you: have no fear of evil, and destruction will not come near you. 15 See, they may be moved to war, but not by my authority: all those who come together to make an attack on you, will be broken against you. 16 See, I have made the iron-worker, blowing on the burning coals, and making the instrument of war by his work; and I have made the waster for destruction. 17 No instrument of war which is formed against you will be of any use; and every tongue which says evil against you will be judged false. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness comes from me, says the Lord.”
Introduction: The prophecy now reverts to the joyful assurance for faithful believers. Though Israel trials had been long almost unbearable, we must not doubt the Lord. God’s promises can be trusted and the future of His church is secure. These steadfast signs given by Isaiah should create in us unstaggering confidence in the faithfulness of our immutable God. Only let us make sure that we are exercising true faith in Him. God will not only restore Zion, but will add a large increase. Israel of Old and the church today has long been desolate and dishonored, but is now to be recognized and reclaimed by Jehovah her ‘husband' and 'kinsman-redeemer. The just displeasure of the Lord is entirely and forever appeased. God promises to beautify his people, making them attractive, enlightened, peaceful, secure, and victorious.
This great prophecy looks to the triumphs of the Church purchase by the suffering and sorrows of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. God promises numerical growth for his people, complete reconciliation, a covenant of peace for his people and protection from their future enemies. We are called to adopt a new attitude, a new mindset. We called to shake off the disgrace and barrenness of the past and embrace hope for the future. First we must get ready for multiplication.
1. Get ready for Multiplication - 54:2, 3 “Make wide the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your house be stretched out without limit: make your cords long, and your tent-pins strong. 3 For I will make wide your limits on the right hand and on the left; and your seed will take the nations for a heritage, and make the waste towns full of people.”
A new mindset may be difficult because of former barrenness and disappointment. We must expand our view and our vision for God’s Church. God is calling whosoever will to come. Because of the future increase, God says lengthen your cords and strengthen your tent pins. The idea is to make more room. It’s hard to believe when there are so many empty pews and idle ministries in the church. This is not the Church’s future. Just as God restored and repopulated Israel after their exile, God will restore and repopulate his church. God seeks to restore His Church and accomplish His mission of making Christian disciples. Get ready by a change in our attitude from mourning to joy; from barrenness to fruitfulness, from fear to faith and from disappointment to expectancy. Prepare for increase like a young couple who has discovered they are having a child.
2. Get Ready for Reconciliation - 4 “Have no fear; for you will not be shamed or without hope: you will not be put to shame, for the shame of your earlier days will go out of your memory, and you will no longer keep in mind the sorrows of your widowed years. 5 For your Maker is your husband; the Lord of armies is his name: and the Holy One of Israel is he who takes up your cause; he will be named the God of all the earth. 6 For the Lord has made you come back to him, like a wife who has been sent away in grief of spirit; for one may not give up the wife of one's early days.”
Like a couple separated by differences is now reconciled. The all powerful creator God has rekindle his love, renewed his compassions, with a promise that this will never happen again. All the pain and sorrow experienced by Israel was just for a short while, a brief moment, but never again. Jesus Christ would pay for every sin once and for all time. With everlasting love and compassion God will gather you unto himself. The conflicts and trouble in our past relationship cannot be compared to the blessedness of your future. Get ready for reconciliation.
3. Get Ready for Beautification - 11 “O troubled one, storm-crushed, uncomforted! see, your stones will be framed in fair colours, and your bases will be sapphires. 12 I will make your towers of rubies, and your doors of carbuncles, and the wall round you will be of all sorts of beautiful stones. 13 And all your builders will be made wise by the Lord; and great will be the peace of your children. 14 All your rights will be made certain to you: have no fear of evil, and destruction will not come near you.”
God promises to give His people beauty for ashes. His peace will remove wrinkles and stress. His secure will give His people peace. But more than that, God will beautify his people with nothing missing and nothing lacking. We will experience the fullness of life, the joys of good health, the blessing of prosperity, and a right relationship with God, others and ourselves. I know for Israel and for many in the church, this sounds to good to be true. Yet what began with the advent of Jesus brought Joy to the World now, and greater victory with the second coming of Christ. We can experience the fullness of joy now! Get ready for beautification!
4. Get Ready for Divine Fortification - 13 “And all your builders will be made wise by the Lord; and great will be the peace of your children. 14 All your rights will be made certain to you: have no fear of evil, and destruction will not come near you. 15 See, they may be moved to war, but not by my authority: all those who come together to make an attack on you, will be broken against you. 16 See, I have made the iron-worker, blowing on the burning coals, and making the instrument of war by his work; and I have made the waster for destruction. 17 No instrument of war which is formed against you will be of any use; and every tongue which says evil against you will be judged false. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness comes from me, says the Lord.”
God will place His people in a fortified place secure from hurt harm and danger. Until Christ comes again, our fortification is found in the word of God, empowered by the Holy Spirit and our righteousness conduct. The church is truly glorious when full of the knowledge of God, walking in faith and confidence. This is the heritage of the Lord. We can stand secure because our righteousness is of the Lord. “17 No instrument of war which is formed against you will be of any use; and every tongue which says evil against you will be judged false.”
I know many use this verse as a security blanket from temporal harm and natural disasters, but this text refers to our spiritual fortification. We are living in a world in which many things may prove devastating to our temporal existence: death, sickness, poverty, storms, floods, fires and violence abound. Yet nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.
Ro 8:35 Who will come between us and the love of Christ? Will trouble, or pain, or cruel acts, or the need of food or of clothing, or danger, or the sword? 36 As it is said in the holy Writings, Because of you we are put to death every day; we are like sheep ready for destruction. 37 But we are able to overcome all these things and more through his love. 38 For I am certain that not death, or life, or angels, or rulers, or things present, or things to come, or powers, 39 Or things on high, or things under the earth, or anything which is made, will be able to come between us and the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. “
