Good morning, this morning our scripture reading comes from Isaiah 25, 1 through 9. Lord, you are my God, I will exalt you, I will give thanks to your name, for you have worked wonders, plans formed long ago with perfect faithfulness, for you have turned a city into a heap, a fortified city into a ruin, a palace of strangers is no longer a city, it will never be rebuilt, therefore a strong people will glorify you, cities of ruthless nations will revere you, for you have been a stronghold for the helpless, a stronghold for the poor in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat, for the breath of the ruthless is like a rain storm against a wall, like heat in a dry land you subdue the uproar of foreigners, like heat by the shadow of a cloud, the song of the ruthless is silenced, now the Lord of armies will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain, a banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow and refined aged wine, and on this mountain he will destroy the covering which is over all peoples, the veil which is stretched over all nations, he will swallow up death for all time, and the Lord God will wipe tears away from all faces, and he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken, and it will be said on that day, behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that he might save us, this is the Lord for whom we have waited, let's rejoice and be glad in his salvation, may the Lord out of bless him to the reading and the hearing of his word.
As most of you know, I just recently returned from sabbatical, I was away for a few months, and the Lord was gracious, and gave me a time of refreshing and renewal, and I had an opportunity while on sabbatical to also visit some churches in the area, it just so happens that one Sunday, I was visiting the church in which the pastor was retiring, I didn't know that this was going to be his last Sunday, but it was a blessing to be there, the place was packed, I mean it wasn't empty in the place, and I'm like wow, they all come to see you go, pastor Phil.
The place was packed, and he got up and he began to ask the question, what was he going to preach this week? He said he moved over it all week long and decided and raised a question with himself, what would I preach as my final sermon at this church? And he decided that he would preach on what had meant the most of him during his many years of ministry, so he preached on the mighty love of God, he preached on the love of God, he preached on it because he said that this had been his favorite theme over the years. He made a comment that someone had told him that they thought that he should preach more on the wrath and judgment of God, more fire and that brimstone, and yet he had insisted that it was a love of God that had made the difference in his life, and it's a love of God that had been the theme of his ministry, it's a love of God that had kept and sustained him all throughout the years. That was a theme of his ministry that was going to be the theme of his sermon that Sunday. I want to suggest to you also, beloved, that this love and the goodness of God is the major theme of the Bible. Is there judgment? Yes. Do we hear about the wrath of God? Of course we do. We saw that last week as we meditated on Isaiah 24. We are, we were reminded that God has promised to judge sin, that God has promised to bring justice to the world, that God is a righteous judge, the Bible makes this clear, and yet the Bible also reminds us, and Isaiah 28 and 21, that judgment actually is God's strange work. In other words, it is not his first impulse. That was not the first thing God reaches for. Wrath is real and judgment necessary, but the Bible is clear, rebuke and judgment is not God's first response. Rather, he loves being kind. He loves being merciful. In fact, Ezekiel chapter 33 and verse 11 reminds us that God does not take pleasure, nor find the light in the death or the destruction of the wicked. There's no delight, there's no pleasure in God's destruction or death or judgment. The greater and more profound revelation of God throughout the scriptures is his love, it's his mercy, it's his grace, he delights, he delights to show mercy, he delights in being loving, patient and kind. In Micah chapter 7 and verse 18, the Bible says, who is like you, speaking of the Lord, who is like you, pardoning the nicotine, passing over transgressions for the remnant of his and herithes, he does not retain his anger forever because he delights, he delights instead of love. That's who he is, that's who God is, if sin marks out humanity and we saw last week and we see it every day, if sin marks out humanity then it is grace and mercy and love and kindness that defines God. As who God is, when God is giving the self-revelation of himself,
when God is self-describing, you know what he says? He says, Exodus chapter 34, verse 6, that he is the Lord, the Lord, compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in love and faithfulness, that's God. That's who God is, that's the God he desires for his people to know, his compassionate, his gracious, that he is slow to anger but that he abounds in love and faithfulness and this is what we are reminded of and Isaiah chapter 25, this is the God we worship, this is the God to whom we see, this is the God to whom we come this morning. If chapter 24 of Isaiah is a warning of the judgment of God against the world, then chapter 25 of Isaiah is the ever greater, you hear what I said, have a greater display of God's grace, goodness, love and mercy despite the coming judgment. Reminds us, it should remind us, it should remind us that sin is great, for God's grace and God's mercy are greater still, greater still. There are those beloved as we saw last week who will receive the judgment of God when the revelation of God is revealed and yet this morning we are reminded that there also are those who will rejoice because God has come and he is going to show a kindness and a mercy and a grace the likes of which the world has never seen and he's going to lavish this upon the remnant, the remnant and this will cause the remnant to rejoice. Last week we were reminded, we're reminded of the promise of God to bring his people through this judgment so that judgment should be and judgment could be seen as a means of their redemption and Isaiah 24 and verse 6, therefore a curse consumes the earth. This people must bear their guilt, therefore earth inhabitants are burned up and very few are left. There will be a few who remain and those who are left are the remnant of God and they are saved. Beloved, they are saved as it were through the fires, but they are not just saved. This is so important to understand. This is so important to have rested down in your soul that they are not just saved from the judgment but they are also blessed and brought into the Beloved.
Listen Beloved, the great mercies of God this morning is not simply that you're going to miss hell. The greater privilege is that you're going to gain heaven and if you are saved this morning because you are afraid of going to hell then you are saved at the lowest level possible.
God didn't save you simply so that you would not go to hell. God saved you so that you would go to heaven
live not in fear of going to heaven but live in rejoicing that you have been granted all spiritual blessings in the heavens through Christ Jesus. That's what chapter 25 is saying. That's what 25 is saying. The world is promised judgment. The remnant are promised rejoicing, rejoicing, rejoicing, rejoicing. Be glad this morning. Be glad. Not simply because you're missing the judgment but rejoice that you have been brought into the blessed privilege and presence of the Lord our God. rejoice rejoice rejoice and God's people this morning have received these blessed promises here in chapter 25. I want to highlight four of them for you if we might this morning because you have been brought out because you will be amongst the remnant who are saved you will give praise for a personal God. You will give praise for a personal God and not only will you give praise for a personal God you will give praise because you have been granted a storm shelter as you keep you in the midst of the trouble and not only have you been granted a storm shelter but also you have been invited and you will be granted access to a fantastic feast the likes of which no one has ever seen because the Lord your God will have given you eternal life that's it that's it you'll be granted praise of a personal God you've been granted a storm shelter that will shade you and keep you
you will feast in the eat at the blessed table of God because you will have received eternal life eternal life look at this personal God that you'll be praising but a remnant realize that salvation beloved is personal it's personal it's personal God saves his people and he knows each and every one of them and every one of them knows him but the Bible says chapter 25 verses one and two that this is our God this is our God Lord you are my God I will exalt and praise your name because you have done these wonderful marvelous and powerful things you are my God and I will praise you and those who have been saved they know beloved that praise is personal they know that yes yes yes yes yes yes we come together yes yes we gather here together yes we worship together yes we serve together yes we pray together but beloved it is important to always be reminded that as you look around all the people that you know God doesn't save everyone and if you are saved it is because God knows your name he knows you he called you he knows your name out there 43 and verse one those whom God saves are not strangers beloved they are not strangers because salvation is not some random act of kindness God calls and he knows his people by name some 103 reminds us that he is our God it is he who made us and we are his we are his people we are the sheep of his pasture and you know what the Lord has named every one of his sheep and they know his voice and he calls them by name and this is why he cares this is why the Bible says in first Peter chapter 5 of verse 7 that God cares for who he cares for you he cares for you he cares for you because you are his he knows you by name he has numbered every hair upon your head he knows every concern and he cares not cares generally beloved he cares for you get that in your head that in your mind get that down in your spirit God cares for you therefore whatever you need God cares that need individually yours he cares because he is not just our God he is my God and he has done wonderful things for me he has done wonderful things for me that's what you need to say this morning he is my God and he has done wonderful things to me because God is powerful that's what the text reminds us he is powerful and his power is on purpose his power is on purpose your salvation didn't just happen you're not saved by accident but your salvation is wonderfully powerfully planned and on purpose from the beginning look again at verse 1 you have done wonderful things things planned long ago listen beloved God doesn't just do things okay you and I we just do things God does wonderful things marvelous things indescribable things amazing things supernatural things and this becomes a source of his people's praise this becomes a source of personal praise the many wonderful indescribable things that God has done then our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with shouts of joy to psalmist says in Psalm 126 then they said among the nations the Lord has done great things for them the Lord has done great things for us we are glad we are glad we are glad Psalm 86 and 10 says you for you are great and do wondrous things you are God alone he has done great things beloved and he has done no greater thing than that he has saved us this is why Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 3 reminds us that our salvation is called a great salvation a great salvation you know what I fear you know what I fear I fear that we don't marvel at salvation enough that's why our worship is not better than it is because we don't marvel at the fact that we're saved enough we like to debate we like to argue and we like to debate the salvation of other people this is just blows me away people love that do you think he was saved do you think she saved beloved I'm amazing I'm saved that's what amazes me that I'm saved that God had done a marvelous and wonderful thing and saving me I don't know about anybody else it's amazing that I'm saved as the old saying he didn't have to do it but he did I said he didn't have to do it but he did he came and he died and did he rose again he didn't have to do it but guess what he did he did and now I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene and wonder how he can love me a sinner condemned unclean oh how marvelous oh how wonderful that's the song we sing and he saved me the remnant beloved are wonderfully saved but they are not just saved as if the blessing start there as if that was not that that was not enough they are not just saved they are also secure for the remnant are not just saved beloved but they see God and understand that he is not just savior but he is also also shelter he is not just savior he is also shelter shelter in the time of storm a storm shelter that he keeps his people look at verse 4 you have been a refuge for the poor a refuge for the needy in their distress a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat he has been a refuge a refuge a shelter and a shade of the great promises of God in the Bible one of the most wonderful promises beloved is that the Lord keeps his people Jehovah is a keeper so the Bible says Psalm 121 get in the verse 5 the Lord is your keeper the Lord is your shade on your right hand and in verse 7 the Lord will keep you from all evil he will keep your life the Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever more what is the Bible want you to know about that the Lord is a keeper trials come but trials don't consume why because there's always somewhere to go there's always somewhere to go because Proverbs chapter 18 and verse 10 reminds us that the name of the Lord is a strong tower the righteous running to it and what are they they are safe safe in the midst of trials and storms the righteous are safe safe safe like Chad rack been Chad rack me shack and a bend to go in the furnace safe like the host of fact in the middle of the battle realizing that the battle is not his but the battle is the Lord's and if the battle is the Lord guess what safe safe safe so the Lord is the Lord is your safety the Lord is your safety look at verse 4 again refuge refuge for the poor refuge for the needy refuge from the storm refuge from the heat he's a refuge he's a safe place he's a safe harbor he is a place of calm he is a place of comfort Jesus is a rock in a weary land he is a what shelter in a time of storm that's what he is a shelter shelter a storm shelter and I probably don't know about storm shelters but when I grew up out in the country people built storm shelters they built them down in the ground and away from the house and down in the ground and when the storm came you had to get to them you don't remember the Wizard of Oz yeah you do it's like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz why was Dorothy blown away off to Munchkinland because she couldn't get in the shelter she tried to get in the shelter and she couldn't get in the shelter and she was blown away off to Munchkinland beloved Jesus is our shelter that's why you get any that's why you get any he is our shelter that's why we sing Jesus maybe you don't sing but I sing Jesus be a fence all around me every day Jesus be a fence all around me every day Jesus I want you to protect me as I travel along the way I know you can and I know you will fight my battles if I just keep still to Jesus Lord be a fence all around me every day that's what he is beloved he is that fence he is that fence he is that keeper he fights your battles he's a keeper why because God's people are always under attack always the enemy is ever present it's why you have to you need to say every day Lord be a fence all around me why because the enemy is ever present the enemy is ever fierce the enemy is ever busy and the enemy is ever ready notice how he is called in verse four ruthless the ruthless one that's who he is and he is unrelenting beloved always always chirping so he does always chirping always instigating that's how you know it's a devil if they come around if they're always chirping chirping trip trip they always got some trip trip trip they numbered the devil why because this is the devil's means and what the Lord does is the Lord provides shelter and one of that shelter he silences the enemy it's what he does when you get in the shelter he silences the enemy you have to believe me see what the Bible says verse five you silence the uproar of the foreigners this way it does silence silence as the heat is reduced by the shadow of the cloud so the song of the ruthless is still silence still why because revelation chapter 12 and verse 10 reminds us that the enemy is an accuser it's what the devil does all day long accusing accusing reminding you of your sinfulness bringing that accusation to others and to God always chirping this is weapon his weapon is to discourage his weapon is to despair this is his powerful weapon beloved to get you discouraged to get you to despair so that you are listening to these foreign voices about your sin your weakness your capabilities she know what the Bible says in Isaiah 54 and verse 17 no weapon formed against you will prosper now we like to say that and we like to quote that but unfortunately we stop there do you know why it will not prosper listen to what the Bible says because the Lord will refute every tongue that accuses you he will refute every tongue that accuses you like Jesus and Luke chapter 7 chapter 4 verse 35 you know what Jesus said to the demons Jesus yelled at the demons and pardon the expression but he said shut up listen beloved the Lord your God doesn't listen to the devil why do you or your God doesn't listen to his accusations against you why do you your accusations against you the Lord your God says and again pardon the expression shut up Satan
your words have no place here listening to the enemy keeps you beloved from the blessings of Christ I don't think I could say that any any louder listening to the enemy keeps you from the blessings of Christ and one of those blessings this morning as a feast a fantastic feast a wonderful feast
for the grace of God even this morning is not just protection from what is evil he doesn't just silence the enemy does that beloved and as if that was not enough he also and even more so provides what is good the remnant are those who are saved the remnant are those who are secure in the shelter that is Jesus but the remnant are also those who are satisfied who he feels he feels because he invites them to eat at his table to eat this fantastic feast see this in verse 6 on this mountain the Lord almighty will prepare a feast of rich food I have a feast of rich food for all people the banquet of age wine the best of meats and the finest of wines I have a question for you this morning and we better rush on pastor field I got a question this morning for you what is your favorite food now I know I know it's really probably not the best thing I can ask about this time it's the probably the worst thing the pastors could do it's not talking about food Sunday morning doing worship with most of us are already hungry having skipped breakfast of some sort I want your favorite food steak and potatoes shrimp and grits I'm amazed at how many people love mac and cheese that is amazing to me
collard greens and ham hocks and cornbread chocolate cake a banana bread pudding whatever it is beloved the promise of God is all that more the promise of God is all that more he has promised that you will be seated down to a fantastic feast and you got to understand and beloved that when the Bible speaks of feasting feasting is a sign of satisfaction feasting is a sign of God's favor feasting is a sign of fullness in Joel chapter 2 and verse 26 the Bible says you shall eat and printee and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord your God who is dealt wonderfully with you and my people shall never again be put the shame why because he feeds his people and you shall eat printee and be satisfied the Lord doesn't just save you he satisfies you he gives you more than enough he done just forgive you of your sins but now he fills you with his spirit and he overflows you with his joy and his peace and his goodness notice how the Bible puts it it says a wonderful feast rich food God is skipping on the ingredients and the skimp on what he gives to his people notice what it says the best cuts of meat sorry my vegan and vegetarian brothers and sisters the Lord is bringing out the butcher knife the best cuts of meat notice what it says the finest of wines sorry my tea tolling friends but God is pouring the juice the finest of juice the highest quality of vegetables you may not like broccoli now but beloved when you sit down in that feast you're going to eat all the broccoli God yet this is what the Lord has promised the best the best of the best the best of the best better than the steak from Frankies better better than the steak from Frankies better than collard greens from Mary Max better believe it or not it don't get much better but better than strawberry cake and peace cookies from sweet details ain't get better better this is the point beloved it's clear God promises his people salvation but not just salvation he promises them satisfaction satisfaction understand this God didn't save you he didn't save you to starve you no beloved he saved you to satisfy you he didn't bring you out of darkness so that you would die in the light no like Israel beloved he brought you out so that he could bring you in into his presence what a Psalmist says in Psalm 16 in verse 11 that you will be filled with joy and his presence where at his right hand are pledges for evermore this is the promise of God when he saved you he brought you out so that he could now bring you in this is why beloved Christians don't have pity parties stop it we're not pity parties we don't feel sorry for ourselves we don't lament what we don't have at any moment of time why because whatever we don't have now it's nothing compared to the promises that we will have in the end so Paul says first Corinthians chapter 2 and verse 9 who is written I have not seen no ear heard neither have it entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for them that love him we don't lament what we don't have at any moment because eyes have not seen no have ears heard all that the Lord has planned for his people and the greatest plan in purpose so long is that he has planned for you eternal life life eternal life eternal John Newton once wrote the Lord has promised good to me my hope my word his word my hope secures he will my shield and portion be as long as life indoors he will my shield and portion be as long as life indoors how long does life and do how long does it endure beloved the Bible says forever for the remnant forever forever the Lord our God promises to defeat all our enemies including the final one the final one and the most fearful one death notice what it says in verse 7 and 8 Isaiah 25 there will there he will remove the cloud of gloom the shadow of death that hangs over the earth he will swallow up death forever he will swallow up death forever the sovereign law will wipe away all tears he will remove all insults and mockery against his land and his people the Lord has spoken because God said so that's why it's going to happen death and dying are dead now listen beloved death and dying are enemies the enemies of God's creation death has been an enemy from the beginning yes it is a part of this life is an available part of this life and no one likes it and well we shouldn't because death is a robber death is death is a thief it steals our time it steals and robs us about loved ones it steals our joy it is like the Bible says here a cloud of gloom and a shadow that hangs over the earth and the promise of God and Isaiah's vision here in chapter 25 is that God will come and swallow up death forever forever seems like the most unlikely thing think about it the most unlikely thing and yet beloved it will be the most natural thing the end of death no more no more no more no more death will be no more long forever no more forever this is the promise of the new heavens and the new earth that the Bible gives us a revelation chapter 21 and verse 4 what is the promise of God for its people in the new heavens and the new earth that he will wipe away every tear from their eyes and death shall be no more neither shall there be mourning or crying nor pain anymore for the former things have passed away death is going to be destroyed and everything associated with it everything associated with it was associated with it tears you know what tears are beloved tears are a sign of loss we cry when we lose we cry when we suffer loss no more tears no more crying crying comes from grief and despair and disappointment and grief and despair and disappointment are law and loss you know what those are signs of love it those are a sign of sin that's what sin I should in when sin came so did loss so did despair so did disappointment and ultimately so did death and that's why this crying that's why there's tears because they're sin when Christ came and died on the cross and rose again not only did he accomplish our salvation but also beloved he conquered death and secured the promise that one day we will too so that there will be no more tears no more crying no more suffering no more loss because there will be no more no more he showed that death is not the unconquerable foe he demonstrated that death is not the undefeated enemy when Christ rose from the dead he rose Christus victor Christ the conqueror has what Paul says in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 in verse 15 55 where he says oh death now where is your victory oh death where is your sting the sting of death what isn't it sin and the power sin is the law but thanks be to God who gives us what victory through Jesus Christ our Lord this is the victory we have this is the victory that we have promised this is the security in which we live our lives in Christ these this is the salvation this is the satisfaction we have in Christ why should I worry and why should I fret the promise is death will be no more the promise is the resurrection of the dead the promise is that death is death and all those who come to God through Christ will have eternal life but the Bible says John 3 16 forgot so loved the world yet he gave his only son and whoever believes in him they're not going to perish they're not going to perish and not going to perish in Isaiah 24 but they're going to live out the promises of eternal life in Isaiah 25 for all those who believe in Jesus who come to Jesus this is the promise this is what this is what God promises beloved he is not stuttering he's not hesitating and he says it's over and over again he says it over and over again so that we his people would believe it so that we would come to know and to understand it and believe it it's what he says in Romans 8 it's what a Bible says what shall we say to these things what shall we say to these things beloved if God is for us who can be against us he who did not spare his own son but gave him up for us all how will he not also with him freely give us and graciously give us how many how many all things all things beloved who then who then shall bring a charge against God elect let him chirp let him chirp and him he chirp gonna bring a charge against God's elect and it's God who justifies who's gonna condemn you who's gonna bring condemnation against you Jesus Christ is the one who dies beloved but he didn't just die more than that he is raised and he's seated at the right hand of God and you know what he's doing there he's interceding for you telling the enemy shut up every day all day Christ at the right hand of God interceding for you silently the accuser on your behalf that's the case who shall separate us from the love of Christ who shall separate us from the love of Christ cell tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness not even the sword any danger beloved it as it is written as it is written for your sake we are being killed all the laid off we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered yes beloved trials come yes the attacks come but guess what through it all we are more than conquerors we don't fracked we don't give up and we don't give in because we are more than conquerors through him who has loved us and it says that's the case I am persuaded I'm fully assured beloved that neither death nor life nor angels nor rulers nor things present nor things to come nor powers nor height nor debt nor anything else in all creation you name it is absolutely nothing that can separate us from the love of God that we have in Christ Jesus nothing nothing if you don't believe that I ain't got nothing to tell you can't say it ain't better than that let's pray