Sermon # 187 Series: Isaiah

Title: “Return Unto The Lord”

Text: Isaiah 55:7

Subject: Conversion

Date: Sunday Evening – August 14, 1994

Introduction:

Anyone who is even faintly familiar with the teaching of the Bible knows that salvation is by grace alone, the works of God’s free, sovereign, eternal grace in Christ, in no way dependent upon, determined by, or accomplished by the will, works or worth of man (Eph. 2:8-9; Rom 11:6; II Tim. 1:9). Anyone who has not learned that is totally void of spiritual understanding. I mean to be understood. Every aspect of salvation is, in its entirety, by grace alone.

• Election (Eph. 1:3-6).
• Redemption (Rom. 3:24).
• Justification (Gal. 2:16).
• Regeneration (James 1:18).
• Sanctification (Heb. 10:10, 14).
• Preservation (John 10:27-29).
• Glorification (Jude 24-25).

Anyone who, at any point, makes works of any kind to be the ground, the basis, the cause, or the condition of salvation and acceptance with God has missed Christ altogether (I Cor. 1:30-31; Gal. 5:1-4).

God never saves any sinner because of something he does. But God does not save men like a man might pick up a stone or a piece of wood, and move it from one place to another. We are not made of stone or wood. We are living, emotional, rational creatures, human beings! And God deals with us as such. There is something you must do if you would be saved. If you chose to sit with your arms folded and say, “If I am elected, God will save me. If not, I cannot be saved. It’s all up to the Lord, he is sovereign, “I guarantee you, you will never be saved. You will either seek the Lord or you will die in your sins. I said, “There is something you must do, if you would be saved.” Actually, there are three things you must do. Doing these things does not merit salvation or cause God to save you. But if you refuse to do these three things God will not save you. Wherever God’s saving grace operates in a sinner’s heart it causes him to do these three things.

1. You must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (John 3:14-18; Acts 16:31; Rom. 10:9-13; John 1:12-13). I know that faith is the gift of God. I know that you cannot believe unless God gives you faith. I know that if you trust Christ, God gave you the faith to trust him. Yet, I know that you cannot be saved if you do not believe on the Son of God.
2. You must repent (Luke 13:3,5; 18:13; I John 1:9; Job 40:4; 42:5-6; Ps. 51:1-5). “God commandeth all men everywhere to repent.” Without repentance there is no salvation. Yes, repentance is the gift of God (Acts 5:31). It is the goodness of God that leads sinners to repentance (Rom. 2:4). But you must repent…

• Of your Sin – “What you are!”
• Of Your Sins – “What you do!”
• Of Your Righteousness – “Your good works!”

Repentance is a loathing of self. It is an acknowledgement of God’s righteousness and justice and of your own worthiness of his eternal wrath.

3. You must turn to the Lord (Hos. 6:1-2; 14:1-2; Pro. 1:23). You must be converted by grace. Yet, you must return unto the Lord.” Conversion is more than a mere change of behavior and lifestyle. It is more than a mere change of doctrinal opinions and religious convictions. Like repentance and faith, conversion is a heart work. It is the turning of your heart to God (Isa. 29:13; Ezek. 33:31).

My subject tonight is conversion. I want you to see that you must “return unto the Lord.” (Isa. 55:7). I want, by the power and grace of God the Holy Spirit, to persuade you to do just that – “Return Unto The Lord.”

Proposition: If you would be saved, you must return unto the Lord; with your heart you must return unto the Lord.

Divisions:

1. God graciously invites and encourages sinners to return to him.
2. Without real, heart conversion, there is no salvation.
3. True conversion is the turning of yourself, your whole self, to God.
4. All who return to the Lord obtain mercy, grace, and eternal salvation in Christ.
5. If you would be converted, ask God to turn your heart to him.

I. First, I want you to see that The Lord God Himself Graciously Invites and Encourages Poor Sinners To Return To Him. God Is Gracious!

Imagine that – God invites and encourages you to return to him. You and I turned away from God in the garden. Since the fall of our father, Adam, all men and women by nature turn from and hide from God (Ps. 58:3; Isa. 53:6). Like the prodigal son, you have taken a long journey. You have wasted your substance with riotous living. All your life you have been running from God. Perhaps, now, you have begun to be in want. Are you weary with sin? Do you hunger and thirst for righteousness before God? I hope I am describing you. You do not know what to do, or where to go. I have good news for you. The God of heaven is one who “delighteth in mercy!” He personally invites weary, hungry, thirsty, heavy laden sinners to return to him (Isa. 55:1-6).

The Son of God says to you, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” (Matt. 11:28-29).

“Come home, come home.

Ye who are weary, come home;

Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,

Calling, “O sinner, Come home!”

A. There is in Christ abundant provision for every sinner who thirsts for grace and hungers for mercy.

The gospel I preach presents a God and a Savior whose grace is unlimited, unrestricted, abundant, and free to all who trust the Lord Jesus Christ (vv. 1-2).

1. “Ho” – Here is an open, public, indiscriminate invitation from God himself to sinners. There is no lack of mercy in God’s heart for needy sinners.

2. “Everyone that thirsteth” – The invitation is given to the thirsty. Are you thirsty? (John 4:37).

• For Forgiveness?
• For Righteousness?
• For Christ?
• For Peace?

Note: If you thirst for grace, grace made you thirsty and grace will quench your thirst.

3. “Come ye to the waters.”

a. Christ is the water of Life (John 4:14).

2. The gospel of grace is the fountain in which the waters flow – The Word of God.

4. “He that hath no money; Come ye, buy and eat.”

You have nothing to offer God, what does God need from you? But he invites you to buy without money and without price!

1. The wine of his love is free! – “I will love them freely!”
2. The milk of his grace is free! – “Without cause.”

5. God not only invites you to come to Christ and be saved by him, he even reasons with you (v. 2; Isa. 1:18).

1. Why will you spend your money for the husks of this world?
2. Why will you labor for religion which can never give you peace and satisfaction?
3. Come, eat the Bread of Life and enjoy the fatness of God’s abundant grace in Christ (John 6:53-56).

B. God makes an absolute promise to all who come to him by Christ Jesus (v. 3).

1. “Your soul shall live!”

2. “An everlasting covenant, the sure mercies of David.” (Jer. 31:33-34; 32:38-40).

C. God gave his Son to Save lost, helpless sinners (vv. 4-5).

1. Christ has reveled God and his fulness of grace (John 1:13-18).

2. Christ has fought the battle with sin, satan, death, and hell, and won the victory (Col. 2:12-15).

3. The glorified Christ will save sinners out of every nation, kindred, tribe, and tongue. Why not me? Why not you?

D. “Seek ye the Lord, while he may be found.” (v. 6).

With such a merciful God, with such an all-sufficient Savior, with such an abundance of grace set before you in the gospel, why will you die?

1. Unbelief makes no sense!

2. Be warned – You must seek the Lord while he may be found! You must call upon him while he is near (Pro. 1:23-33; 29:1).

God himself graciously invites you to come to him by faith in Christ and be saved. That is my first point. I want everyone to understand this. God is gracious! But be sure you also get this second point of my message. Give me you undivided attention. Hear now the word of God.

II. Without Real Heart Conversion To God, as He is Revealed In Christ, There Is No Salvation.

“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord.” (v. 7).

A. “Let the wicked forsake his way.”

Proverbs 14:12; 16:25

1. No one is saved who refuses to turn from his own way to The Way (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).

1. The course of ungodliness, rebellion, and sin is your way – (Eph. 2:1-2).
2. The course of self-righteous, works religion is your way.
3. Nothing can turn you from your way to Christ, but God himself (Eph. 2:4).

2. The word “wicked” here means restless, troublesome, fearful.

If God ever deals with you in grace, he will make your way a way of misery to you (Hos. 2).

The wicked man is like a horse with the reins on his neck. He runs in his own way. The converted man is like a horse led in a direct path. Christ holds the reins of his heart and causes him to walk in the way of obedience.

B. The unrighteous man must forsake his thoughts.

The unrighteous man is the self-righteous man – (Rom. 10:1-4).

Illus: Norman – “I Thought!”

It is harder for self-righteous, religious moralists to forsake their thoughts of salvation than it is for a profligate sinner to forsake his way of open wickedness (Matt. 21:31; 9:13; Luke 7:36-50). Works! Ceremonies! Legal Righteousness!

C. May God give you grace to forsake your ways of evil and your thoughts of works religion and return to him.

You must be converted, or you cannot be saved. There must be a turning from your way, from rebellion to submission. There must be a turning from your thoughts, from pride to humility, from works to grace. There must be a turning of your heart! You can change your ways and men can change your thoughts; but only God can change your heart.

III. Thirdly, I want you to see that True Conversion Is A Turning of Your Whole Self To God.

We often hear the expression, “The Lord saved my soul.” But it is not accurate to talk like that. God never saves souls. God saves people: body, soul, and spirit. He does not save part of a person. He saves the whole person. Conversion is the turning of my being to God. It begins in the heart and works its way out.

A. In conversion, our hearts are reconciled to God, reconciled to God as he is revealed in Christ (II Cor. 5:20).

1. To His Holy and Sovereign Character!

2. To His Justice and Truth!

3. To His Way of Saving Sinners – By Grace Through A Substitute!

B. In conversion, the believer is made submissive in his heart to the rule of Christ as his Lord. (Matt. 8:2).

Illus: “I sittin’ down on the outside, but I’m standin’ up on the inside!”

C. Conversion is the commitment of ransomed sinners to the Lord Jesus Christ in heartfelt gratitude and love (Luke 14:23-33).

Illus: The women with an Alabaster Box!

The Prodigal!

Mephibosheth – “Let Ziba have all!”

Mary at His Feet!

I am calling for you. No, God is calling for you to “return unto the Lord.” “Be ye reconciled to God!” Surrender now to the claims of Christ as your rightful Lord. Commit yourself entirely, whole-heartedly to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Illus: “Cheif give himself to Jesus!”

“All to Jesus I surrender,

All to Him I freely give!”

IV. Now, fourthly, if you will now return unto the Lord, the Lord God himself makes this promise to you – All who Return Unto The Lord Shall Obtain Mercy, Grace, and Eternal Salvation In Christ. (Read verse 7).

God has laid out his terms of peace – “Return.” Raise the white flag of surrender in the city of Mansoul! If you do, God promises mercy, complete amnesty, absolute pardon! Come to God by faith in Christ and be assured of three things:

A. God will receive you in mercy (Mic. 7:18-20).

B. God will pardon all your sin (I John 1:9).

C. You shall be saved to the uttermost (Heb. 7:25).

Illus: The Hankerchief.

V. One last thing – If You Would Be Converted, Ask God To Graciously Turn Your Heart To Him.

“Turn thou us unto thee, O Lord, and we shall be turned.” (Lam. 5:21). Psalm 80:3, 7, 19.

Application:

I have said all I can. I know that I can never persuade you to “return unto the Lord.” But, if he is pleased to do so, the Lord God can turn your heart to himself (Ps. 65:4).