Sermon # 87 Series: Isaiah
Title: “Look Upon
Zion.”
Text: Isaiah 33:20-23
Subject: The Security of
God’s Church
Date: Sunday Evening – September 22, 1991
Introduction:
There is one Church to which you must
belong. If you are a member of this
church, all is well, you are saved by the grace of God, saved forever. If you are not a member of this church,
nothing is well, you are lost, lost forever under the wrath of God. To be in this Church is to be in
Christ. For the church that I am talking
about is the body of Christ and the bride of Christ.
Not this church! Not the church of
Rome! Not the Mormon church! Not the church of Christ! Not Jew’s!
Not Baptist!
I am talking about the Church of the Living God, the Family of God, the Kingdom of God, the Temple of God, that Church which…
The only Door of entrance into this
Church is Christ (John 10:9). And the
only way you can get into this church except by the faith in Christ. You can not get into this Church except by
the new birth. You cannot even see it
unless you are born again (John 3:3-5).
It is A Universal Church made
up of all God’s elect, both in heaven and upon the earth (Heb. 12:22-24). It is An Invisible Church.
That is to say, it cannot be seen or
known by the eye of man. We see it only
in parts, and very small parts at that.
It is A Spiritual Church, the
mystical, spiritual body of Christ. But
it is A
Gathered Church. Oh, it could never be gathered in one building. But it is gathered in heaven around the
throne of God right now – (Heb. 12:22-24 – “Ye are come”).
This Church is the City of God, the
New Jerusalem, the Israel of God, the Mother of us All. And this Church is God’s Zion.
Tonight, I am going to talk to you
about the blessedness and safety of God’s Church. My text is Isaiah 33:20-23.
The title of my message is – “Look Upon Zion.” Let’s read these four verses together.
When this prophecy was given
by Isaiah…
It seemed inevitable that Jerusalem would also be consumed by Sennacherib and his army of trained beasts. But God here promises to protect his people. And protect them he did. Sennacherib did not shoot one arrow against Jerusalem. In one night the angel of the Lord killed 140,000 Assyrians. And Sennacherib fled to his house like a whipped pup.
In our text, God’s prophet says,
“Look Upon Zion,” as if to say, “pay no attention to your enemies, but look
upon Zion, the city of God, and believe the promises God has made to her. You know the analogy. Zion is the Church of God. Though we are constantly surrounded by
strong, numerous enemies, the Church of God is not in danger. It is not now in danger. It never has been in danger. And it shall never be in danger.
Proposition: The Church of God is a city protected and defended by the
Lord God himself.
Divisions: Tonight, I want us to “Look Upon Zion” as
she is described in our text.
I.
First, Isaiah declares that Zion, The Church Of God, The
City Of Our Solemnities, shall Endure Forever (v. 21).
The Church of God is not a temporary
institution. It can never be
destroyed. It shall never be
removed. It abides forever. Like the bush that Moses saw, the Church Of
Christ lives continual amidst the fires of persecution, heresies, trials and
temptations, but she is never burnt.
Notice how Isaiah describes the church.
A. It is a City, “The City Of Our Solemnities.”
Here the saints of God are gathered in solemn
assembly to worship God. Here, in the
true Church of Christ…
1.
The
Word of God is solemnly preached.
·
As
the Word of God
·
In
it’s Entirety.
·
Solemnly
Received.
2.
The
Ordinances of Christ are solemnly kept
and administered.
·
Baptism
as Christ Commanded It – Immersion!
·
The
Lord’s Supper as Christ Gave It. Bread
and Wine!
3.
The
Scriptures of Faith are solemnly offered.
·
Pray
to God – (I Tim. 2:1-6).
·
Praise
for Grace – (Heb. 13:15).
·
Gifts
of Gratitude – (I Cor. 16:2; II Cor. 8:12-15; 9:6-8).
1.
Willing
2.
Equality
3.
Purposeth
4.
Cheerful
5.
The
Lord God dwells and makes himself known – (Matt. 18-20; I Cor. 3:16).
Note: Throughout the Scriptures, both in the Old Testament and in the
New, God’s worship and service was conducted in public assemblies. Men and women together, collectively
worshipped and served God under the direction of God’s appointed prophets,
priests, apostles and preachers (Ps. 121:1; 133:1). The solemnities of worship are more than acts of religious
service. They are acts of divine
worship carried out in God’s appointed way.
B. The Church
of Christ is a “Quiet habitation,” a Habitation of Peace.
The visible church is often disturbed by heresies,
strife, turmoil, division, inward troubles and outward troubles. But the Church of God, the true Church of
God is a quiet habitation.
1.
It
is the habitation of God through the Spirit (Eph. 2:22).
2.
And
it is the habitation of saints.
3.
God’s
saints are a united people, dwelling together in the quietness and peace of
redemption, reconciliation and grace in:
·
God’s
Protection!
·
Spiritual
Unity!
·
Brotherly
Love!
Gill suggests that these words, “quiet habitation,”
might be rendered “sheepfold.”
“Christ is
the Shepherd, the saints are his sheep, the Church is the fold where they are
gathered, fed, and preserved, and lie down in safety and peace.”
Note: Though now we see much trouble and much that
troubles us in the outward, visible church, the promise of our text is “Thine
eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation!”
And so it shall be!
C. Now, look at the Blessed Security Promised
to God’s Church. It is “a tabernacle that
shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed,
neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken.”
1.
The Church of God, in
itself, is but a feeble tabernacle, a tent, without stability or permanence – But a tabernacle that shall not be taken down.”
a.
Our feebleness is no reason
to doubt our preservation and perseverance and success! – Our weakness only drives us
to our God and serves to magnify his power.
And so our weakness becomes our strength.
·
We
have no carnal weapons of warfare.
·
We
have no earthly riches.
·
We
possess no astounding wisdom.
·
But
this tabernacle shall not be taken down.
All the devils of hell have been spitting at
this candle for two thousand years.
Yet, it continues to show forth its light to the glory of God.
b.
This is a tabernacle, which
God has pitched, not man. Therefore it
shall stand forever! These words could not be
strictly applied to:
·
The
literal city, Jerusalem.
·
Any
Denomination- Any local church!
Babylon shall be destroyed. But God’s church shall never be destroyed-
(Rev. 12:13-17; 21:1-3).
2.
“Not one of the stakes” of
this tabernacle “shall ever be removed.”
“The stakes”
I take to refer both to gospel preachers and to all believers. As the church of God stands forever, so
every member of it stands forever, as a stake driven by God in a place of
permanence. God who preserves the whole
church preserves every member of it (John 10:28; Phil. 1:6; I Pet. 1:5). If you are one of the stakes
of God’s tabernacle, you shall never be removed.
·
From
the Heart of God’s Love!
·
From
the covenant of His Grace!
·
From
the Hand of His Power!
·
From
your union with His Son!
·
From
the Lamb’s Book of Life!
Note: Perhaps the stakes refer to the purposes of
God! Not one shall be removed!
Rejoice, believer, for your name is written
in heaven permanently! The gifts and
callings of God are without repentance.
3.
“Neither shall any of the
cords thereof be broken.”
These cords, which hole the stakes and the
tabernacle together shall never stretch and become weak, wear them, or be
broken.
The cords
here, we may safely assume, refer to…
·
God’s
Everlasting Love.
·
Electing
Grace.
·
The
Covenant of Peace.
·
The
Doctrines of the Gospel – The cords of Gospel Doctrine and the things that give
the tabernacle of God stability.
These days a new doctrine is invented everyday. New visions are told everyday. Everyone wants something new. Church councils meet every year to update
their creeds. I contend that any church
whose creed must be updated is not the church of Christ, but the synagogue of
satan. Truth does not change! We are delighted to hold that “form of sound
words which God has given us – (Isa. 8:20).
·
We
will not alter the doctrines of the gospel for anybody, or for any reason.
·
We
will not alter the ordinances of the gospel for anybody, or for any reason.
What the Church of God has been, it is now, and it
always will be. It will endure forever!
II.
Secondly, The Lord God will be to us a
Place of Broad Rivers (v. 21).
In ancient times well defenced cities were cities
surrounded by bread, deep rivers. These
rivers provided protection to the city, fertility to the land, abundance of
produce, and opportunity for commerce.
Jerusalem had no rivers surrounding her, only the brook Kedron, which
was little more than a small stream.
But God promises his church, the true Zion, that he, “the glorious Lord
will be unto us a place of broad rivers.”
(Ps. 46:1-4).
Note: Christ himself, “The glorious Lord,” The Lord of
glory is our place of broad rivers- “rivers to swim in” (Ezek. 7:4).
A.
Christ
is the Fertility of His Church, causing us to bring forth
fruit unto God.
B.
Christ, like a broad river,
provides for his church all she needs in constant abundance – “Lacked ye anything?”
·
What
can we need that he cannot supply?
·
What
can we ask that he cannot do?
C. Christ is the Security of His Church.
What a defence Christ is! The devil can never cross this Broad River of protection. Between the Church of God and the find of
hell stands Christ, our glorious Lord!
III. Now
look at verse 22 – The Lord Himself, The
Eternal God, is Our Savior. “The church here speaks with
great pleasure of her interest in Christ under ever character, and of her
safety as depending upon the” John Gill.
A.
“The Lord is our Judge.” All judgment is committed to
Christ. He will judge his people. And he will judge for his people.
B. “The Lord is our Lawgiver.”
·
His
Word is our Rule.
·
His
Spirit is Our Teacher.
·
His
Love is Our Motive.
·
His
Example is Our Guide.
C. “The Lord is Our King.”
·
We will bow to his rule.
·
We will trust in his
providence.
·
We will look to him for
protection.
D.
“He
will save us!”
·
From
all sin.
·
From
all enemies.
·
With
everlasting salvation.
IV.
Fourthly, our text gives us this last promise – No Enemy shall ever Harm God’s Church – “No galley with ours,
neither shall any gallant ship pass thereby…Thy tacklings are loosed; they
could not well strengthen their mast, they could not spread the sail: then is the prey of the great spoil divided;
the lame take the prey-“ (vv. 21,13). What does that language mean? Isaiah the prophet here
speaks for the whole Church of God against her enemies, believing God. These words of the prophet
certainly imply four things:
A. First, The Church of God has many
enemies, who would destroy her if they could.
B. But, secondly, to the eye of
faith the church has no enemies at all.
Spurgeon said, “Faith so clearly perceives
the feebleness and frailty of man that, like her Lord, she taketh up the
nations as a very little thing, and counteth all her adversaries to be but as a
drop in the bucket.” (See Isa. 54:17;
Rom. 8:31-39).
Illus: Our
Adversaries are like a spider’s web- A Nusiance but No Hindrance!
C. Thirdly, All Our Adversaries shall be thoroughly confused and their goals
completely frustrated.
“Oh! How glorious it is to see the confusion
of God’s enemies! Some say the devil is
wise, but he is a fool, and he has been a fool from the very beginning. All he has ever done is to throw stones into
the sky which have fallen down upon his own head; he always shoots his arrows
(backwards) the wrong end foremost…When the whole of this world’s drama shall
come to an end, there will be one tremendous laugh from earth and heaven
against the devil, for they will say, Aha! Aha! Aha! He has been God’s drudge
all the while; he has been but God’s drudge, working out God’s glory; he
thought he was having his own way, and doing his own will, and he has been but
a black slave to carry the materials out of which God shall bring forth
triumphs that shall shine throughout eternity.” C. H. Spurgeon
D. And, fourthly, every enemy of
God’s church shall be so thoroughly destroyed that the weakest of his saints
shall completely spoil them.
“I reckon that the sufferings of this present time
are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us.”
(Rom. 8:18).
That which we suffer now from our enemies shall in
heaven redound to our eternal blessedness (II Cor. 4:17; I Pet. 1:5-7).
Application:
1.
To
you who are the citizens of Zion, I say…
·
Let
us trust our great and glorious God (Rom. 8:28).
·
Be
patient in the midst of trial – Being saved, expect every temptation to
minister to your growth. Expect every
trial to make you richer in grace.
Expect every adversary to fall before you.
2.
To
you who are yet in the fold of God’s Church, I implore you to come to Christ –
There is no safety for your soul until you are in his Kingdom of grace.
Hymn# 185