Sermon #61 Series: Isaiah

Title: The Day Of Grace

Text: Isaiah 25:9-11 - Reading Psalm 47

Date: Sunday Evening - November 11, 1990

Tape #

Introduction:

My subject tonight is The Day Of Grace. Now I want you to listen carefully to what I am about to say.

1. There are some men and women in this world who must and will be saved - They are God’s elect.

They must and will be saved, because God chose them unto salvation before the world began, predestinated them unto everlasting glory and adopted them into his family (Eph. 1:3-6; II Thess. 2:13-14; John 15:16). Every elect sinner must be saved, because the purpose of God cannot fail.

2. They must be saved because Christ died for them - And the blood of Christ cannot be shed in vain.

In the fullness of time God sent his Son into the world to redeem, justify and save his own elect. Contrary to popular opinion, the blood of Christ was not a useless waste. He did not die to save all men. Christ did not die to make it possible for all men to be saved. Christ died to secure the everlasting salvation of God’s elect, by the effectual accomplishment of redemption - (Isa. 53:8-10; John 10:9, 11; 19:30; Gal. 3:13; Heb. 9:12).

Note: The gospel has not been preached until the effectual substitutionary work of Christ on the cross has been declared. This is the Gospel - (I Cor. 15:3; Rom. 3:24-26).

This is “H-O-W” Christ died…

· Sovereignty - By his own will.

· Substitution - In the place of his beloved people.

· Satisfaction - To satisfy divine justice.

· Success - And he cannot fail!

3. And there is a day appointed by God from eternity, when every elect, redeemed sinner shall be saved.

There is a day appointed when God the Holy Spirit will, by infallible mercy, irresistible grace and almighty love reveal Christ in his people, call them from death to life and give them faith in Christ (Ezek. 16:6-8; Ps. 65:4; 100:3). God will see to it!

Illus: Paul at Miletus.

Paul at Philippi.

Philemon’s Slave - Onesimus.

This is what we call The Day Of Grace. I want to talk to you about that blessed day. I pray that this may be the day of grace for some of you - My text is Isaiah 25:9-11.

Proposition: At the time appointed by God, in the day of grace, God will save his elect.

Divisions: Let me show you three things in our text -

1. The Believer’s Confession Of Faith (v. 9).

2. The Place Where Mercy Is Dispensed (v. 10).

3. The Success Of Christ and His Gospel (vv. 10-12).

I. First, Isaiah shows us THE BELIEVER’S CONFESSION OF FAITH - (v. 9).

The time spoken of in Scripture as “that day” sometimes refers to one thing and at other times to another. But frequently, as in our text, it comprehends several distinct periods, periods in which the things predicted shall begin to be fulfilled. In other words the fulfillment of the prophecy is progressive, rather than climatic. It is not altogether fulfilled at one time, but is progressively fulfilled in the individual and collective experiences of God’s elect. Without question, that is the case here.

· This prophecy began to be fulfilled with the advent of Christ, his incarnation and redemptive work on earth (Lk. 2:25-40).

· And Isaiah’s prophecy here will have its ultimate fulfillment at the glorious second advent of Christ in the resurrection day (Tit. 2:13; Rom. 8:22-23).

· But this prophecy is fulfilled in the experience of God’s elect now.

A. This is what a sinner experiences and confesses when Christ is revealed in his heart.

1. “Lo, this is our God” - Who is He?

· The Eternal Christ.

· The Incarnate Christ.

· The Redeeming Christ.

· The Reigning Christ.

2. “We have waited for him” (Lam. 3:25-26).

To wait for him is to seek him. To seek him is…

· To feel your need of him.

· To earnestly desire him.

· To search for him in his word, in his house, in prayer.

· To find him.

3. “He will save us!”

· From the Penalty of Sin.

· From the Power of Sin.

· From the Consequences of Sin.

4. “This is the Lord” - Jesus Christ is Jehovah, our God. And we gladly bow to his dominion as Lord.

5. “We have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

Illus: “Let me tell you about the night the Lord

saved me.”

· The Salvation he Has Performed. } (Ps. 40:1-3)

· The Salvation he Has Promised.

B. And this experience of grace is, in a sense, repeated throughout the believer’s life.

1. When God delivers you from some trial.

2. When the Lord restores you from a fall.

Illus: David.

Peter.

3. When God brings a time of revival to your soul - (Song 3:1-5).

II. Secondly, Isaiah speaks of THE PLACE WHERE MERCY IS DISPENSED.

“For in this mountain shall the hand of the Lord rest” (v. 10).

“This mountain,” Mt. Zion was in the Old Testament the peculiar place of God’s residence and favor. That does not mean that God was not everywhere. He was. And that does not mean that God could not be worshipped anywhere else. David worshipped him in the cave. But that mountain in Jerusalem was the place of blessing, the place of God’s favor - And that mountain was symbolic of the church and house of God - This was the true Zion (Heb. 12:22). This is the place of God’s rest. This is the place of blessing.

· His Word is Here.

· His Ordinances are Here.

· His Praise is Here. } (Ps. 137:1; 122:1)

· His people are Here.

· He is Here!

A. The hand of the Lord is stretched out upon this place to bless us - (Num. 6:24-26).

B. The hand of the Lord is stretched out upon us to protect us.

III. Thirdly, Isaiah prophesies here of THE SUCCESS OF CHRIST AND HIS GOSPEL (vv. 10-12).

The destruction of Moab is typical of Christ’s victory over his enemies, of his spoiling the principalities and powers by his death (Col. 2:15), of his pulling down satan’s strongholds by the preaching of the gospel (II Cor. 10:4), and of his reigning ‘til he has made all his foes his footstool (Ps. 110:1).

This is what I am telling you - Christ will be triumphant over you. And he will do so with the greatest ease, like a swimmer parting the water with his hand and rising above it, so Christ and his gospel go through the world, conquering and to conquer. Christ will conquer you

· Either by His Grace.

· Or by His Wrath.

· But you will bow to him. The gospel cannot fail (II Cor. 2:15-17). Christ will reign over all things forever. Then, in the end, he will come in his glory! And we shall say, “Lo, this is our God,” etc.