Sermon
Text: Isaiah 12
Worship
Songs Include: All I Have is Christ, My Heart is Filled with Thankfulness, O For a Thousand Tongues
to Sing, God Forevermore
From
beginning to end the gospel is great message of God’s Word. This great gospel is the message of Isaiah,
and that message is summarized in Isaiah 1-12.
As we have worked our way through the first twelve chapters of Isaiah we
have seen:
Ø God is the God of salvation. Not only is salvation from Him, it is found
in Him alone. He is our salvation (Is
12:2).
Ø We need salvation not primarily
because sin ruins us (which it does), but because sin is against God and the
wrath of Holy God is against sin and sinners (Is 5: 24-25).
Ø Through God’s grace this holy
anger has been replaced by His comfort, His salvation by way of a substitute
(Is 6:1-7).
Ø This salvation / comfort is
received by faith alone, by trusting in God alone (Is 12:2).
Ø This grace is a never-ending
fountain/spring always available and always fresh (Is 12:3).
Ø This grace sustains us for the
duration of our journey and gives us joy and peace all along the way (Is
12:3) (adapted
from Isaiah by the Day by A. Motyer, p. 75)
What is
the proper response to such a great salvation?
It is a song of salvation. It is
a song of salvation sung by every person who has been redeemed. It is a song sung by the assembly of God’s
redeemed people. It is a song sung
throughout the nations for the glory of God.
“Give thanks to the
LORD, call upon His name,
make known His deeds
among the peoples,
proclaim that His name is exalted.
“Sing praises to the
LORD, for He has done gloriously;
let this be made known in all the earth.
Is 12:4-5
In Isaiah 6 we saw the account of Isaiah's
conversion: the time and place where he
recognized God for who He is (Holy, Holy,
Holy); recognized himself for who he is (Woe is me for I am lost); and received the forgiveness and
cleansing of God (behold ....your guilt
is taken away and your sin is atoned for).
This Sunday we come to the end of the first
major section of Isaiah as we focus on Isaiah 12. It is a song of testimony and thanksgiving,
both from an individual standpoint (vv1-3)
and from a corporate standpoint (vv4-6).
Isaiah's personal testimony in two sentences is:
“I will give thanks to you,
O LORD,
for though you were angry with me,
your anger turned away, that you
might comfort me.
Behold, God is my
salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid;
for the LORD GOD is my
strength and my song,
and He has become my salvation.” (Is 12:1-2)
What is your personal salvation story? As you prepare for worship I encourage you to
reflect on this. Like Isaiah, when did
you first recognize Jesus for who He is, and see your own need for forgiveness
and salvation? When did you trust Him as
your Savior? What difference has Jesus
made in your life?
What is the 'check-out-line' or 'water-cooler'
(very brief and to the point) version of your salvation story? This Sunday morning I hope we can hear from a
few of God’s people. Would you be
willing to share it with your church family?
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good,
for His steadfast love
endures forever!
Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, (Psalm 107:1-2)
This Sunday we will sing a song that's new to
our congregation. JT and I heard it this
week at a conference and immediately knew it was one we want our church to know
and sing. Here are the lyrics to God
Forevermore, and you can hear it
here:
You are the rock, strong throughout time,
The Cornerstone, glory defined;
Your sacrifice is our richest gain,
now we rest in the power of Your name.
Forevermore You are the God who saves us,
God forevermore;
From the depths of our sin You alone have given life, forevermore;
From our hearts we cry be glorified,
O God forevermore.
Teach us Your ways, Father help us see;
Unveil Your face give us strength
to believe;
You satisfy, You are more than enough,
Grace poured out we are covered by
Your love.
I look
forward seeing you and worshipping with you this Sunday!
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