8 October 2006: THE GLORIOUS LIFE WE LIVE – How to appreciate the life we’re given!
TOPIC: Newness of life [Gospel; Grace, God’s, Life, Mercies]
TITLE: THE GLORIOUS LIFE WE LIVE – How to appreciate the life we’re given! [Suggested by Spurgeon’s Morning & Evening, “Evening,” July 7]
TEXT: Isaiah 55:3 (1-11)
FOUNDATIONAL INQUIRY: What may we say about the life we live?
CONDENSED OUTLINE:
TRUTH/CONTEXT: Paul suggests this prophetic verse in Acts 13:34 ...
God gave us "new life" and we are being built up into the Temple of the Living God as Living Stones ... not dying stones!
It's understandable that Isaiah would turn to the covenant of Grace in chapter 55, since so much of the 53rd and 54th chapters focused on the Messiah and the church (Israel).
These faithful mercies or sure blessings of David and of Christ are now ours through His resurrection. [Romans 6]
EXPANDED OUTLINE:
I. WE MAY SAY THIS LIFE WE LIVE IS MERCIFULLY ORCHESTRATED!
And we, on the morning of resurrection, on the wings of a dove, hear that same voice reverberate, “Live” … so why do you live as though in fear?
As the saints ascend to heaven, blest forever in the glory of their God, the power of the same throat shouts, therefore … “Live” - “Live” - “Live”!
Do you see your position, a debtor with out funds to pay your debts? Yet another has come and paid them for you and you are now in debt to grace?
Show your gratitude through a Christ-like life … live as Christ lived … live for others!
As God has called you to live, see to it you live [aka: persevere] earnestly [aka: ardently, eagerly, enthusiastically, fervently, passionately].
God took the fires of death and hell from your home and preserved for Himself a family.
It’s sadly strange so many of His children still warm themselves at Satan’s hearth after the fire has been taken captive ... what can they be thinking?
Let me list some examples: the absence of love for God and His word, the absence of a prayer life, an unwillingness to bear the cross daily, resistance to the altar of sacrifice, and little if any concern for others!
Oh, my friends, this is sitting at the hearth of Satan … where will you be when his demons come roaring out of his fiery furnace and take you alive? There are no Living Stones in Hades!
RELATED LINKS: The SHEEP'S CRIB - Sermons
TITLE: THE GLORIOUS LIFE WE LIVE – How to appreciate the life we’re given! [Suggested by Spurgeon’s Morning & Evening, “Evening,” July 7]
TEXT: Isaiah 55:3 (1-11)
Incline your ear and come to Me.
Listen, that you may live;
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
According to the faithful mercies shown to David.
CONDENSED OUTLINE:
I. WE MAY SAY THIS LIFE WE LIVE IS MERCIFULLY ORCHESTRATED!
II. WE MAY SAY THIS LIFE WE LIVE IS PERFECTLY MANIFESTED!
III. WE MAY SAY THIS LIFE WE LIVE IS IRRESISTIBLY PRESENTED!
TRUTH/CONTEXT: Paul suggests this prophetic verse in Acts 13:34 ...
“as for the fact that [God] raised Him up from the dead, no more to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: ‘I WILL GIVE YOU THE HOLY and SURE blessings OF DAVID.’’’
He gave them His Son; His Son gave them His life; they have in turn received newness of life. [Romans 6:4][FIRE] On being asked, “If your house were on fire and you could take only one thing with you, what would you take?” Jean Cocteau, an early 20th century French writer, responded, “I would take the fire.” [Paraphrase of “New Birth” by Mark Sutton, in Proclaim, nd; from Clifton Fadiman, The Little Brown Book of Anecdotes (Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1985)]
The writer, at the time, did not appreciate that God had responded in just that way in a much more serious situation.
After the fall, Satan came to God and demanded, “Now that their lives are mine, what will you do?” Without hesitation, God said, “I will take death!”
God gave us "new life" and we are being built up into the Temple of the Living God as Living Stones ... not dying stones!
It's understandable that Isaiah would turn to the covenant of Grace in chapter 55, since so much of the 53rd and 54th chapters focused on the Messiah and the church (Israel).
These faithful mercies or sure blessings of David and of Christ are now ours through His resurrection. [Romans 6]
FOUNDATIONAL INQUIRY: What may we say about the life we live?
- Here, in Isaiah 55, is the call of God … “Come to Me” … to those current and to those future to hear and respond to the Gospel of Grace.
- Here we hear God’s arguments supporting His invitation to salvation.
- Here a visible finger points to the Gentiles as participants as well.
- Here we hear the condition for pardon: repentance!
- Here we learn of God’s promise that His word is never vain ... ever!
EXPANDED OUTLINE:
I. WE MAY SAY THIS LIFE WE LIVE IS MERCIFULLY ORCHESTRATED!
The whole of the gospel is mercy-full; and like a conductor with a philharmonic orchestra the mercy and its produce are orchestrated beginning to end ... that we might be Living Stones.II. WE MAY SAY THIS LIFE WE LIVE IS PERFECTLY MANIFESTED!
In this section of Isaiah, we sense a man of utter hopelessness (we know him to be dead in his sins), nothing but judgment and wrath ahead.
But the faithful (or sure) mercies (or blessings) shown to David reflect the regal nature of this life we live.
The infinite Lord approaches in His glory; He looks, and commands our grave-stone be removed and He takes away the fire; just as He did with Lazarus, He calls out our name, “John,” “Debbie,” etc.; commanding us, “Come forth!” [John 11ff]
Again, He calls to us! “Come! Live!” His voice reverberates. So the grave gives up its dead. He says, “Unbind them and let them go!” (Just as Daniel’s three companions were set free from the fiery furnace). [Daniel 3:25-27]
All that is God is perfect, all that God does is perfect ... and so when life we lived was brought forth it was perfectly manifested; sin entered through the first Adam and we died ... and so when this new-life we now live was offered as "a gift of God" it was perfectly manifested ... that we might be Living Stones!
This is God speaking. Who but God might venture to deal with death in such a way, to dispense of it with a single exclamation, “Live!”?
Who but Jehovah could tell His prophet to proclaim to all mankind that He has glorified Himself in us! [SPURGEON paraphrased]
When God says “Live,” what does it include?A. This is judicial or new life.All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God [Romans 3:23] and deserve condemnation.B. This is spiritual or sanctified life.Yet Almighty God says, “Live,” and these dead in Christ will rise … pardoned and reconciled.As sheep they are appointed for Sheol; Death shall be their shepherd …Psalms 49:14a
… God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol; for He will receive me. Selah.Psalms 49:15Job said, “I know my Redeemer lives.”We cannot and do not acknowledge Jesus on our own –C. Moreover, this is imperial or regal life.• our eyes are blinded to His image,Those who are dead in trespass and sin are energized, they once more move; those dry bones take on life free from sin and death. Live!
• our ears deaf to His voice,
• our tongue mute to His name - still the Lord says, “Live,” and we’re animated … becoming Living Stones.The sinner is natural, a creature, but God the Creator lifts him up into heavenly places and establishes his rule over nations, to rule with the King of kings. This life is the perfection of spiritual life … to be glorified in due time ... oh, death, do you not see, we are Living Stones.D. What’s more, this is ever lasting or eternal life.
Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years. [Revelation 20:6] [Spurgeon paraphrased]The reign we reign with the King is based on an everlasting covenant. We shall not know for certain till the end; yet by faith we now live and by faith we shall live forever more, without end ... by faith we are truly Living Stones.
III. WE MAY SAY THIS LIFE WE LIVE IS IRRESISTIBLY PRESENTED!
Man cannot resist that which is given without condition if he has the presence of mind to acknowledge it has been offered.APPLICATION/CHALLENGE: God said, “Live” and that word thunders through the ages, till death comes … but even in the midst of that valley of death, God’s voice still echoes, “Live!” … so why do you live as though dead?
Like the bee to pollen, like the moth to the bare bulb, and like boys to girls ... He presents the Good News in such a way we are irresistibly woed to His side ... His precious bleeding side ... and we become Living Stones.
This is a mandate of free grace. When sinners are saved, it’s only and solely because God does it through His free, unbought, unsought grace ...by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of your-selves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.We cannot earn it but those that call upon His name cannot resist it either; because …Ephesians 2:8-9“the sheep follow him because they know his voice.”John 10:4
And we, on the morning of resurrection, on the wings of a dove, hear that same voice reverberate, “Live” … so why do you live as though in fear?
As the saints ascend to heaven, blest forever in the glory of their God, the power of the same throat shouts, therefore … “Live” - “Live” - “Live”!
Do you see your position, a debtor with out funds to pay your debts? Yet another has come and paid them for you and you are now in debt to grace?
Show your gratitude through a Christ-like life … live as Christ lived … live for others!
As God has called you to live, see to it you live [aka: persevere] earnestly [aka: ardently, eagerly, enthusiastically, fervently, passionately].
God took the fires of death and hell from your home and preserved for Himself a family.
It’s sadly strange so many of His children still warm themselves at Satan’s hearth after the fire has been taken captive ... what can they be thinking?
Let me list some examples: the absence of love for God and His word, the absence of a prayer life, an unwillingness to bear the cross daily, resistance to the altar of sacrifice, and little if any concern for others!
Oh, my friends, this is sitting at the hearth of Satan … where will you be when his demons come roaring out of his fiery furnace and take you alive? There are no Living Stones in Hades!
RELATED LINKS: The SHEEP'S CRIB - Sermons
Labels: Sermons
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