Sermon # 150            Series: Isaiah

 

Title:  Our Great Savior and His Great Salvation

Text:  Isaiah 49: 8-10

Subject:  Christ and His Salvation

Date:  Sunday Evening – May 16, 1993

 

Introduction:

 

The writer to the Hebrews asked, “How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?”  Tonight at the risk of being repetitious, I want you to once more open you Bibles to Isaiah 49: 8-10.  I want, by the grace of God to show you something of the greatness of his salvation.  Salvation is described by many words in the Bible.  It is called…

 

1.       The Salvation of the Lord - (Ex. 14: 13).  Many, many times.

2.       Eternal Salvation – (Heb. 5: 9).

3.       Everlasting Salvation – (Isa. 45: 17).

4.       Your own Salvation – (Phil. 2: 12).

5.       Common Salvation – (Jude 3).

6.       Great Salvation – (Heb. 2: 3).

 

My purpose in this message is threefold:

 

  1. I want to glorify God my Savior.
  2. I want you who are saved by the grace of God to glorify him and rejoice in his great salvation.
  3. I want to persuade you who are yet without Christ to come to him.  I will entice you to do so by showing you the greatness of his salvation and grace.

 

Proposition:  The Lord Jesus Christ is a great Savior for great sinners, to whom he gives a great salvation.

 

Divisions:

 

1.       A Great Savior.

  1. A Great Salvation.
  2. A Great Promise of Great Grace.

 

I.  First, our text speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ and sets him before us as A Great Savior.

 

The Person speaking is God the Father.  The Person spoken to is God the Son.  The subject of the conversation is the saving work of the Lord Jesus Christ – “Thus saith the Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee; and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people.”

 

There are Four Things in these words to which I Direct your Attention…God the Father speaks to his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ of…

 

A.  An Acceptable Time – “In an acceptable time have I heard thee.”

 

These words might be translated, “in a time of good will.”  The time of Christ’s advent was indeed a time of good will to men (Lk. 2: 14).  God showed his good will toward men –

 

·         By the Person He Sent To Save – His own Son!

·         By Sending Him to Save Sinners!

 

But we will leave the words as they stand in our translation- “In an acceptable time have I heard thee.”   It is called  “an acceptable time” because…

 

1.       It was the time God appointed (Rom. 5:6; Gal. 6:4).

2.       He had found an Acceptable Sacrifice (Job 33: 24).

3.       His gospel is a gospel worthy of all acceptation at all times (I Tim. 1:15).

 

Note:  This acceptable time is not limited to the time that Christ was on the earth.  What he did then is of such infinite worth that anytime sinners trust him is “the acceptable time.”  (I Cor. 6: 1-2).

 

Notice also that the Father promised to hear him during this “acceptable time.”

·         He heard him in the Garden!

·         He heard him on the Cross!

·         He hears him Now!  (John 17:9, 20, 24).

 

B.  The Day Of Salvation- “In the day of salvation have I helped thee.”  (Isa. 42:1; 50:7-9).

 

“This is to be understood of him as man and Mediator and to show the greatness of the work of salvation, and the concern of God in it.  Otherwise, as Christ is the mighty God, he needed no help, and his own arm brought salvation to him.”  (Gill).  (Isa. 59:16; 63:5).

 

C.  A Preserved Redeemer- “I will preserve thee,”

 

Yes, though Jesus Christ is God, as a man, as our Redeemer, as the Mediator, he was preserved by God.

 

This promise is for reaching-

1.       God the Father preserved him from his enemies, until his hour was come.

2.       Though he died, he was preserved in life.

3.       He is now preserved in heaven.

4.       God the Father preserves his seed- (Jude 1).

·         Until They Are Called.

·         While They live in this world.

·         Forever!

 

D.  A Covenant Savior for A Covenant People- “And give thee for a covenant of the people.”

 

1.  The People to whom Christ is given are a Covenant People.

 

·         The People given to Him by the Father in eternity.

·         The People redeemed by him at Calvary.

·         The People brought to Him by his Spirit in Regeneration.

·         The People who believe on him unto life everlasting.

 

2.  Jesus Christ is a Covenant Savior.

 

·         The Surety of the Covenant.

·         The Mediator of the Covenant.

·         The Radifier of The Covenant.

·         The Messenger of the Covenant.

·         The Sum and Substance of all the Blessings of The Covenant (Eph. 1:3; II Tim. 1:9).

 

When the Angel of God announced his birth, he said of Christ, “He shall be great,” and indeed a great Savior.

 

II.  Secondly, our text sets before us A Great Salvation.

 

We could expect nothing less from such a great Savior as Christ is than the great salvation he came here to perform for sinners and in sinners.  The work of salvation is here described as a twofold work.

 

A.  First, His work of Salvation was A Work of Restoration.

 

He was given “to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages.”

 

1.       He established righteousness in the earth.

2.       He redeemed the earth.

3.       He caused the desolate world of the Gentiles to be made to inherit the grace of God.

 

B.  Then, His Work of Salvation is Described in It’s Application, in the Deliverance of His Redeemed Ones From Prison and From Darkness.

 

All who were redeemed by his blood shall be delivered by his grace.

 

1.  “That thou mayest say to the prisoners Go forth!”

a.  We are all by nature prisoners.

·         To The Law and Justice of God.

·         To Sin.

·         To Satan.

b.  When Christ comes in saving grace he sets the captive free- He says, “Go Forth!”

·         From Your Prison House.

·         Into the House of God.

·         Into the Glorious Liberty of the Sons of God.

Illus:  Lazarus!

 

2.  “To them that are in darkness, Show Yourselves!”

a.  As all men by nature are prisoners, so too, all are in darkness.  Bring in the dark, they cannot see:

·         Their Lost Condition!

·         Their Evil Hearts!

·         The Sinfulness of Sin!

·         Christ and His Salvation (John 3:5).

b.  But when the Lord Jesus, by His Spirit, calls sinners out of darkness into light, he says, “Show Yourselves.”

 

Note:  Salvation is experienced in the heart when Christ speaks the word of grace, only when he speaks (Ps. 65:4; 110:3).

 

His salvation is truly a great salvation!  He gives liberty where there was nothing but bondage.  He gives light where there was nothing but darkness.

 

III.  Thirdly, our text makes A Great Promise of Great Grace.

 

Here are four things promised to every sinner saved by grace, four things promised to every sinner who believes in Jesus Christ, the Lord God promises to give you…

A.  Provision for Your Soul- “They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.”

·         He feeds his flock.

·         He feeds his flock in high places.  “They shall not hunger nor thirst.”

 

B.  Protection for Your Life- “Neither shall the heat nor the sun smite them.”

·         The Heat of The Fiery Furnace (I Thess. 5:25).

·         The Sun of Adversity and Persecution (I Cor. 10:13).

 

C.  Direction for Your Feet-  “He that hath mercy on them shall lead them.”

·         By His Word.

·         By His Spirit.

·         By His Providence.

 

D.  Refreshment for Your Heart- “Evenly the springs of water shall he guide them.”

·         His Word.

·         His Spirit  (John 7:37-39).

·         His Salvation (Isa. 12).

 

Application:

 

This grace, here promised to all who believe, is glory begun.  It is the foretaste of heaven- (Rev. 7: 15-17).  Grace is glory begun. Glory is grace complete!