[0:00] We can turn back to where we read in Isaiah chapter 55.! We're going to look at the beginning of this chapter.! Isaiah 55, reading at verse 1.
[0:13] Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters. And he who has no money, come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price, and so on.
[0:26] When you sit at a meal, maybe it's at home or if you're eating out, one of the things that often takes place is you examine what's on the table.
[0:41] If you're eating at home, you'll make sure that everything that was prepared is out on the table. It's amazing how often it happens where after the meal is done, you find a dish in the oven that had been completely forgotten about.
[0:54] Or if you're eating out for a meal, a waiter will come round and ask you, have you got everything that you need? They make sure that everything that you've got is there to hand.
[1:08] Well, in a few weeks' time, on the weekend of the 15th of February, we'll be coming to sit at a meal here in the church.
[1:18] And a table will be prepared, and everything that we need will be ready at the table. And yet, when you look at this meal as we come to the Lord's Supper, you think to yourself, well, is that it?
[1:36] It looks so little, just wine and bread on a table. It doesn't look enough for us to live by, and yet there is everything that we need there.
[1:51] The table is prepared. There's no need for anybody to come round, and do you need anything else? It's all there prepared for us.
[2:03] It's the symbols that we see that matter. The wine and what it represents. The blood of Jesus Christ shed at the cross. And the bread showing us the body that was given for us.
[2:19] It is all there. And yet, maybe we think so little of it. We don't think about it, maybe, as we should. What do these things mean?
[2:30] What does it matter? Or there can be a fear about it. We think of ourselves and maybe our unworthiness to come and sit at the Lord's table, that I'm not good enough to be there.
[2:46] But what we have to look at is not ourselves, but to the Lord and to what he has done for us. Because the Lord's Supper is a remembrance.
[2:58] When we gather for a meal at home or in a restaurant, we often talk about maybe a variety of different things. There is chat going on. We can cover a lot of different subjects.
[3:10] But the Lord's Supper is only about one thing. And it's often in silence. We do it in remembrance of him. Where our focus is on what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for us at the cross.
[3:25] How he came to give his life. How what we see promised throughout the scriptures is fulfilled in him. And so we are invited.
[3:40] We are invited to this meal. And that's what we're going to think about as we look at Isaiah chapter 55. There is this great invitation that we are given at the beginning of this chapter.
[3:54] An invitation to a meal, to a feast. And we're going to look at it and look at it just in light of where we find it in the book of Isaiah. As you look at Isaiah 55, all you have to do is just step back two chapters to Isaiah 53.
[4:11] And we see how there Isaiah is talking about the very reason why our meal is going to take place. It's a prophecy of the Lord Jesus Christ and what he would suffer on the cross.
[4:24] In Isaiah 53, verse 5, for example, there we read, But he was wounded for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. Upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace.
[4:37] And with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way. And the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
[4:50] So there Isaiah was prophesying the word of God of what was going to take place at the cross. How he was wounded. How he was bruised. How he was crushed.
[5:01] The chastisement that brought us peace was upon him. He did all of this. We have gone astray. We have all turned to our own way.
[5:11] And yet when you come into chapter 54 and chapter 55, What you see is the Lord's gracious way towards his people. Invitations.
[5:24] Assurances in chapter 54 of the Lord's eternal covenant of peace. That he is one who seeks to bring that peace to his people.
[5:35] A peace that brought peace in verse 5 there of Isaiah 53. And then in Isaiah 55 there is this great invitation.
[5:48] Ho, it says in other translations, Listen, come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters. So there is this great invitation.
[5:59] The question is, will you come? Will you come? And so we are going to look at this passage under three headings. The first thing we see is the setting.
[6:12] The kind of setting these words speak about. Then we see the offer that is given. And then we see finally the price that is mentioned.
[6:23] These are three things that when we are thinking of having a meal together, We often think about where are we going to go? What setting? What place are we going to go to?
[6:34] The offer. What are we going to have? And what is often the case is, well, how much is it going to cost? That's what Isaiah is speaking about here.
[6:44] So the first thing we see is the setting. Isaiah's role as a prophet, As with every prophet we read of in the Old Testament, Was never an easy role.
[6:57] The prophet was often met with opposition. He was bringing God's word to the people, But the people were so often rejecting it and rejecting God.
[7:09] And we see it again and again. And Isaiah is no different. When you read from the beginning of Isaiah through to chapter 40, What you find is the prophet giving warning.
[7:22] You think everything is okay, he's saying, But disaster is coming upon us. Invasion is coming upon us. Captivity is coming our way, but they were not listening.
[7:33] But then from Isaiah 40 onwards, You see that that has come upon them. But yet there is still God speaking to them.
[7:45] God calling a people back to himself. But this call, as you see, is in the midst of other calls. Many other calls going on.
[7:59] And that's what the setting of Isaiah is here. The imagery of Isaiah 55, When we're seeing this, This ho, as it says in other translations, Or come, and come is often repeated.
[8:14] Hear, listen. Listen, the setting here for Isaiah would be one like a marketplace. When Isaiah is just one voice shouting out to the people In the midst of lots of other voices calling for their attention.
[8:32] Everyone knows what we need. That's not the reality of the world in which we live in. That's what a marketplace is like. Everyone is calling for your attention.
[8:44] I don't know if you've ever been to a large marketplace. Remember when I was in college in Glasgow, My late teens. Going along, was in the Nautical College, Which wasn't far from the Barrowlands.
[8:59] Going along there one Saturday to the market that was the Barrowlands. And it was something to behold when you're seeing All of these people just calling for your attention. All the great bargains they've got.
[9:11] Everything that you need to make your life better. They're calling out for your attention. And it's just one voice after another. This is the kind of setting that Isaiah is talking about here.
[9:25] He is just one voice in the midst of many other voices That are calling out for the people's attention. That's the setting of our own lives as well.
[9:40] Everybody knows what we need. But do you know what you need? Have you thought about, What do I really need in life? What is important?
[9:53] Where will my peace, my joy ultimately be found? Is it in all of these voices that are calling for my attention from the world? Or is it in this voice of God?
[10:06] A voice that is speaking as we hear it here today. Calling for our attention. Who are we listening to? What are we listening to?
[10:17] There was a story of a rich businessman Who was walking down by a harbour one day. Some fishing boats had come in after being out early fishing And had landed their catch.
[10:33] And as this businessman was walking around He saw one fisherman just sitting lazily on his boat. And he decided to ask him a few questions.
[10:44] And he said, Why aren't you still out fishing? And the fisherman replied, Well because I've caught enough for the day. I was out early. Caught and landed my catch.
[10:54] I got enough for the day. And so the businessman asked him, Well why don't you catch more fish than you need? And the fisherman replied by saying, Well what am I going to do with them?
[11:07] Well he said, You could sell them and make more money. And as you make more money You could get a better boat. You could go out further, Catch more fish. You could then buy better equipment That would help you catch even more fish And make even more money.
[11:24] And as you make more money You could buy a fleet of boats. And then the fisherman asked him and said, Then what would I do? Well he said, Then you could sit down and enjoy life.
[11:37] To which the fisherman replied, Well what do you think I'm doing now? Perspective is so often the key. What do we need in life?
[11:48] When the voices are all clamoring in our minds To say this is what you need. That's what you need. This is what you've got to do. Are we seeking just more and more and more?
[11:59] Or are we thinking to ourselves, Am I fulfilled in life right now? Do I have that peace with God? Not the peace of just being, As it were, Lazily sitting around.
[12:13] But the peace of knowing That the Lord is my refuge. The Lord is my redeemer. Because the voices of this world Clamor for us To seek our rest and our peace In everything else Apart from God.
[12:31] We spend our time Making money And all of these things. And this is what Isaiah Is speaking about here In verse 2 you see, Why do you spend your money For that which is not bread And your labor For that which does not satisfy?
[12:47] Why are you purchasing The things that don't matter? The things that aren't Really important in this life. They are not the things That are going to give you satisfaction.
[12:58] They are not the things That are going to give you peace. Or your pursuits. Why do you labor? Why do you work? For that which does not satisfy.
[13:10] When you keep going after everything Thinking this is what is going To give me peace. This is what is going to give me satisfaction. But we are always just chasing After the wrong thing.
[13:23] Do you know that God knows Your heart Better than you know it yourself. And that is why God Speaks to this day. God didn't abandon his people In Isaiah's day And he has not abandoned us today either.
[13:38] He is still speaking to us. And he knows exactly What you need. But what is your heart saying To God? What is your reaction To God's word?
[13:54] When you make phone calls Phoning a big company For example When you start the phone call They will often say Your calls are monitored Recorded for training And monitoring purposes.
[14:08] I always thought This was just a nonsense. Who is going to monitor All of these calls That are coming in Until this week I had to phone One of these companies And explain That something was wrong With an agreement That I had made.
[14:26] And they said Well leave it with us And we will go back And listen to your call Which was about Six weeks ago. And I thought There is no way That they are going To have this recorded But I got a phone call A few days later Saying We have listened to the call We have heard what was said And you are right You did not get What was agreed And we will amend that And I thought to myself How many calls Do they get?
[14:52] And they were able To go back And find my one call Listen to it And change it. But when we think Of God like that We think well He knows everything He knows every thought Every conversation Everything that has come to mind No matter how long ago it was Maybe you were a child And you were thinking I love the Lord And I just want to come And profess my faith in Him But now you are thinking Oh I have gone so far away I can't God knows your heart And maybe God today Is speaking to you In that very situation And reminding you That that heart Is still not so far away From God That He cannot speak That He is speaking To you Everything that we do And say is monitored By God He knows But the key is He knows your heart today And as I say I am speaking to the people Here He is speaking to their heart
[15:53] To see Where is your heart lying In all of these voices That are calling to you What are you doing With them Well the second thing We see here Is the offer The offer that is Is made And I say Here is something You must have Come everyone who thirsts Come to the waters And he who has no money Come buy and eat Come buy wine and milk Without money And without price He is saying Everything that you need Is here for you Come and receive it Every human In this world Has a common need And that is A thirst That needs To be quenched It's a physical thirst So often That we have You know what it's like When you're getting thirsty You just need To get a drink A drink of water To quench That thirst But here I see I was talking about A spiritual thirst
[16:54] A thirst For the things Of God And our thirst In this world Is so often Just like those voices Calling to us They are there To seek to quench That thirst But the more We just listen To the world And everything That's going on Around us That thirst Isn't going Away That thirst Is never Satisfied But God Is saying Here Here is something That can quench Your thirst Here is something That can satisfy You Because in the midst Of everything else Clamoring For our attention When God speaks He gives us A different kind Of thirst When God works By his spirit In our heart He gives us A new desire For something else Something better And we realise That there is Something missing There is something
[17:56] Lacking In our lives That nothing In this world Can satisfy All of these voices That we've been Listening to All the time Are thirst Is still there But Isaiah is saying You've tried All these things Come Come To the waters Come To what can Truly Satisfy you A desire Grows Within us When the Lord Is working In our hearts And we begin To realise That it is only Through him That this thirst Can be satisfied We have this This movement As it is called This quiet revival That people are Talking about Around our nation Where many people Are coming back To church Many people Are enquiring About the Christian Faith Why Because through Everything They are not Getting their Thirst Quenched
[18:56] There is still Something Missing And so It is the same With us When we are Without Christ There is always Going to be Something Missing But here Is the offer Here is something That you must Hear Throughout These verses A phrase Is repeated That is really Saying the same Thing It is about Listening Like I said Earlier That word Come At the very First word Of the chapter It is often Translated Ho It is just This word Grabbing For your Attention Seeking Your attention And so Isaiah Goes on And he speaks About Listen Diligently Hear He uses All these words Incline Your ear It is all About Listen Listen Listen And what Are you Listening To You think About going Out Eating In cities In our
[19:57] Own nation Or in other Parts of the World Very often There is people Out on the Street They are all Calling again For your Attention Come Come to This restaurant Come try This food Everybody says They have got The best Well here I Say in the Midst of all These other Voices They are saying Come Come and see What I have On offer Come to The water Come without Money Come without Price Buy wine And milk Without money And without Price Do you have That thirst In your soul Today Have you been One of these Ones who has Been trying To fulfill Everything in This by Listening to This world This is going To quench That thirst Finally I am Going to have Peace And it is Still not There Well the Lord Speaks To us All And he Asks Well what Is important What is Your priority He says Here is Water Here is What Gives Life
[20:57] To us Here is Wine Here is Milk Here is Everything That we Need For life To the Full When you Think of These three Things Water And bread They were Often just The staple Things for Everybody to Have Wine And milk They were Extravagant But yet Here he is Saying you Can have All of These Things It is All there For you He offers Us all That we Need And that Is true Today As well The offer Of salvation In Jesus Christ Is like What we Have In the Offer Here Come To the Waters Come By wine And milk Everything That was Essential Water In the Scriptures Is often Either seen As the Life Giving Spirit Of God Wine Is seen As something That gives Joy And milk Is often
[21:57] Described as What we need To sustain Is often Described as The word Of God So here We are Saying that Everything That we Need Is found Here The Lord Has given Us His Spirit He has Given us That joy That is Found in Him He has Given us His word He has Given us Everything That we Need So that As we Look at The table Of the Lord's Set The bread And the Wine It may Look Very Little But it Is Everything It is Everything That we Need He offers It To us So the Offer Is there For us It is There for You Today The final Thing we See here Is What is The price And this Is often The thing That when We go Out to Eat Especially We go Along Maybe a Street And we Are looking At the Menu We don't Look at What the Food Is Very often We look At what The price
[22:58] Is How much Is this Going to Cost Well that's The obvious Question that They would Have in Isaiah's Day as Well What's All this Going to Cost How much Well What does He say Here Come Everyone who Thirst Come To the Waters And he Who has No money Come Buy And eat How How can You possibly Come and Buy and Eat Without Money It Wouldn't Wash If you're Going out To a Restaurant I don't Have Money That's Okay Just Come in And Eat Well I'm Sorry you Wouldn't Get in If you Don't Have Money And yet Here It is All about Coming No price No money Doesn't Matter It's all Taken Care Of The world Makes you Pay For everything And yet What is on Offer for Us Here Today Is without Money Without Price It is Free Free For us God
[23:59] Doesn't Require Money Of us He doesn't Require Ourselves To be Good And Righteous Of Ourselves He doesn't Require Our good Works Or any Other Resource To Come He says Come Without Any Of These Things So how Can he Make such An Offer How can Make such An Offer To Us Surely There Is a Price That Was Paid Well of Course There Is Because That's What the Lord's Supper Is all About It's Do This In Remembrance Of me all. Jesus paid it all. All to him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow.
[25:43] Jesus paid it all. The price has been paid. Is the Lord working in your heart? In all the voices that are going on around us, is his voice being heard in your heart? He is saying, come.
[26:06] He is saying, come. Will you? There was a mission going on many years ago on New Year's Day, 1886. The mission was to take place in a hall. Before the mission was to start, they were out on the streets, a group singing some psalms and hymns and a message being given. And after they had finished singing the last song and a message had been given, they started to make their way back to the hall. Some people had been listening in the passing, but one young woman had listened to the man speak the gospel. And as they were walking back, this woman came up behind the man and called out to him. And she said, I heard you addressing the open air meeting just now. And this is what she said, do you think, sir, that Jesus could save a sinner like me? Is that your question today? Do you think Jesus could save a sinner like me?
[27:17] Well, the answer is, of course he can. And that's what this invitation is for. It's not for the perfect.
[27:29] It's not for those who have everything sorted. It is for sinners such as we are, that we might come and see a Savior who has paid the price. Jesus paid it all. All to him I owe. Will you come?
[27:51] Let us pray. Lord, our gracious God, we do thank you that in Christ Jesus we have one who has done all for his people. Nothing is left short. There is nothing that we can give that would make any difference, but just to see the price is paid and the offer is there before us. So, Lord, may your word bless our hearts today. May it speak to us. May it challenge us. May it direct us to the one who came to save sinners such as we are. And as we even think now of preparing for another communion season, as we think of preparing to come to do this in remembrance of him, may our hearts be stirred up not to look at ourselves, but to look on him who was pierced for our transgressions. Hear our prayers and go before us.
[28:44] We ask all in his precious name. Amen. We'll conclude by singing to God's praise in Psalm 67. Sing Psalm's version. Psalm 67.
[29:05] We'll sing the whole of this Psalm. Page 84 of the Psalm books. God be merciful and bless us. Shine upon us with your face, that the earth may know your actions and all lands your saving grace. We'll stand to sing the whole of this Psalm to God's praise.
[29:22] God be merciful and bless us. Shine upon us with your face, that the earth may know your actions and all and all lands your saving grace. O God, may the peoples praise you. May all peoples sing your praise.
[30:15] For you judge the nations justly, ruling over every race. May they sing with joy and gladness. May they all rejoice as one. O God, may the peoples praise you. As they all unite in song. Then the land will yield its harvest.
[31:11] God will pour his gifts abroad. God, our God, will surely bless us. All the earth will fear our God.
[31:35] After the benediction, I'll go to the main door. We'll close with the benediction. Now may grace, mercy and peace from God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit rest upon and abide with you all now and forevermore. Amen.
[32:05] Amen. Amen.
[33:05] Amen. Amen.
[34:05] Amen. Amen.
[34:37] Amen. Thank you.