Sermon # 161             Series: Isaiah

 

Title:  Encouragement

Text:  Isaiah 51:2-3

Subject:  Encouragement for Those Who Believe God

Date: Sunday Evening – September 12, 1993

 

Introduction:

 

My subject tonight is Encouragement.  I realize that we are living in dark, dark days of heresy and apostacy.  Never in the history of the world has their been more religion and less godliness than in this day.   Never have men and women talked more about God and known less than in our day.  I do not doubt in the least that we are living in a generation under the judgment of God!

 

Yet, in these dark times, the one thing we cannot and must not do is become indifferent and negligent of our responsibilities before God.  And the one cure for discouragement in these times of darkness and barrenness, the one source of encouragement is to turn our eyes away from our circumstances and look to God our Savior.

 

 

Our text tonight is addressed to the saints of God in a time of great trouble.  Unbelief had brought the nation of Israel into bondage.  The nation, as a whole, was apostate.  They had forsaken God.  Therefore they were under the judgment of God.  To all outward appearance, it looked as though the nation of Israel was doomed to wither and die.  But there was and elect remnant who believed God.  To that elect remnant the Lord God spoke these words to encourage their faith in him.  Read Isaiah 51:1-2.

 

Proposition:  In these two verses of Scripture The Lord God Encourages Us To Believe His Promise of Future Blessedness By Reminding Us That His Promises Are Not Dependent Upon or Determines By Us – The Fulfilment of God’s Promises and Purposes of Grace Depends Upon Him Alone!

 

I want us to look at these two verses line by line and seek from God the Holy Spirit the instruction they are meant to convey to our souls.

 

I.  “Look unto Abraham your father.”

 

You and I who trust the Lord Jesus Christ are the Israel of God, the sons and daughters of Abraham (Gal. 3:6-9, 29).  As Abraham was the father of the Jewish nation physically, so he was the father of all believers spiritually and symbolically.  God’s church and kingdom in this world sprang from one man – Abraham.  Consider that fact for a few minutes, and learn this lesson – The purpose of God does not depend upon men!  When we set out to do God’s work we must not calculate by our abilities, but by his!

 

A.  Abraham was a man chosen and called out of a Heathen, Idolatrous Family – (Jos. 24:2-3).

1.  God is able, by almighty grace, to raise up men to serve him out of the very seat of satan – Illus:  Luther for A Monk’s Call.

2.  As it was God himself who called Abraham, so it is God himself who calls men and women today out of darkness into the glorious light and liberty of the sons of God (Gen. 12:1).

a.       The Lord has many means of calling out his elect.

Illus:

b.       It is our job to publish the gospel – It is God’s work to make it effectual.

 

B.  Abraham was just one man.

 

We often say, “There is no such thing as a one man ministry.”  And that is right.  God’s people labor together in the cause of Christ.  But it has always been true and still is, that he raises up one man behind whom his people rally.  In that sense Abraham’s work was a one man ministry.  Don’t belittle a one man ministry.  I rest the hope of my soul upon the divine ministry of One Man –

 

God does not lead his church by committees, counsels, board, and the voice of the people.  God leads his church by one man, a man raised up, ordained, gifted, and anointed of God for the work he would have him do.

  1. Noah
  2. Joseph
  3. Moses
  4. Joshua
  5. Judges
  6. David
  7. Luther
  8. Calvin
  9. Gill
  10. Spurgeon

 

NOTE:  Imagine the power there is in one man filled with the Spirit of God and committed to Christ! – All the power of fire is in one match!

 

C.  This one man, in order to be used of God had to be Alone In His Obedience to God – God says, “I called him alone!

 

·         God’s Sovereign Election!

  1. From the World!
  2. From His Own Family!
  3. From the Benefit and Support of Earthly Riches – (Gen. 14:12-20).

 

D.  Yet there is more – This One Man Had to Be Stripped of Everything, Even His Darling Son, That He Might Worship And Serve God Alone (Gen. 22).

 

  1. For almost thirty years he waited for God to fulfill his promise.
  2. In an hour of weakness and unbelief, Abraham went in to Hagar – What misery Hagar (Mt. Sinai) brought him!
  3. After he had cast out Hagar and Ishmael, God called him to sacrifice Isaac – And Abraham never hesitated.

 

E.  There is a lesson in all this – Three Lessons, that we ought to lay to heart.

 

1.       Our God deserves and requires whole-hearted consecration (Lk. 14:25-33).

  1. God uses nothings and nobodies to do his work – (I Cor. 1:26-30).
    1. Omnipotence needs no help!
    2. What God did with Abraham he can do with anyone, anytime, anywhere!
  2. Learn this too – God always Honors Faith because Faith Honors Him!

 

The main characteristic of Abraham’s life was the fact that he believed God.  He was not always wise; but he believed God!  He was not always upright in his behavior; but he believed God.  Like Samson, Abraham saw no obstacles, just opportunities for God to work.  His faith made him…

·         Obedient to God!

 

Faith Honors God!

·         It has a marvellous capacity to Receive – Faith opens an empty mouth and God fills it!

 

II.  “Look unto Sarah that Bare You!”

 

I will not spend much time on this part of my message, because I hope to talk to you about Sarah next week.  But the Lord bids us look to Sarah too.  And this message could not be true to the text if Sarah were ignored.  Like her husband, Sarah believed God (Heb. 11:11).  Her faith showed itself in a proper womanly way.

 

A.  Sarah gave up the comfort and wealth of Ur for a Nomadi Life with Abraham, because she believed God and obeyed Abraham as her lord – (I Pet. 3:6).

 

B.  Sara entertained Strangers at odd Hours and Cooked For Them, because Abraham, her husband asked them into his tent – NOTE:  One of those Strangers was the Son of God!

 

C.  Through faith Sarah conceived and brought forth a son.

 

D.  When she had finished her course, Sarah died in faith.

 

Sarah believed God!  Because she believed God she…

  1. Behaved as God Required in Her Home.
  2. Reverenced and Obeyed Her Husband.
  3. Did what she could to assist her Husband in Walking with God.
  4. Lived in a tent with Contentment, Never Owning One Piece of Ground!

 

III.  Now look what God says he did for and with Abraham.  Three Things:

 

A.  “I Called Him Alone!”

 

·         Electing Love!

 

B.  “And Blessed Him!”

 

The blessing that God gave to Abraham is the very same blessings that he gives to all believers, the children of Abraham (Gal. 3:13-14).

 

 

C.  “And Increased Him!”

 

·         As the sands of the sea – His Physical Seed!

 

IV.  “For the Lord Shall Comfort Zion!”

 

All that has been said in verse 2 has been said to prepare our hearts to believe the promises of God in the third verse.  These are promises from our God, promises of revival and restoration.

 

A.  In times of barrenness God promises to comfort all the waste places of Zion.

 

·         With His Presence!

 

B.  He will Revive His Church -

 

This wilderness shall flourish with life.  This desert shall blossom with fragrant fruit from our God.

 

C.  When God grants His Times of Refreshing, We Will be Glad And Rejoice in Him.

 

Application:

 

Despise not the day of small things!  Wait on the Lord! – Be Faithful in this Your Day!