Place: I.Hall 29:6:97
Reading: Isaiah 55: 1-13
" SO GREAT SALVATION "
I can recall walking down one of the streets in Scarborough, Yorkshire one day when the cries of the salesmen in the local market rang in my ears, " Ho,"
" Look," " Listen," " Turn hither," " Here is a bargain,"
" Here is something worth your attention." Of course,
always looking for a bargain I stopped in my tracks and listened intently to what they had to say. Now it is this picture, the picture of the salesman at the market place or the fair that Isaiah paints for us in these opening verses of ( Ch 55 ) Here God Himself is depicted as standing behind a booth in an eastern market place, seeking the attention of those who pass by. God condescends, as it were, to cry out to those who are busy with the world's care: the world's business: the world's barter its buying and selling .... God cries out
" Ho," " Ho," " Ho,"" here is something worth your attention."
My .... here we have the Gospel summons: here we have the Trumpet Call from Heaven to Earth inviting folk to partake of the Gospel feast. You see Isaiah whose name means " Salvation of Jehovah," is known as " the evangelical prophet," because so many of his prophecies ring out the gospel message. Isaiah is often quoted in the New Testament: indeed his book is one from which the Lord Jesus quoted frequently. Do you recall that it was from ( Is 53 ) that Philip the Evangelist was able to lead the travelling Ethiopian chancellor to a saving knowledge of Christ ? ( Acts 8:32-33 ) And my .... as long as the message of the gospel is preached, as long as there remains a soul to be saved, the great Book of Isaiah will be needed. Jew and Gentile alike are caught up in its great themes and led with directness and conviction to a consideration of the Person and Work of
God's Beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now again and again in this very chapter Isaiah focuses on the good news of God's full and free salvation. Notice he talks about:
(1) THE FULLNESS OF GOD'S SALVATION
For he sets forth Gods provision for our need using metaphors that come from the east. " Water," " Wine,"
" Milk," and " Bread." Try and place yourself for a moment in the circumstances of Oriental life. Wine, was commonly used in Palestine. Milk is so precious everywhere. Water is so vital, especially in a hot climate. And bread is the stable diet of all. In the NT the Lord Jesus compared salvation to a GREAT FEAST
( Lk 14:16 ) My .... we have been invited by the Lord to attend this wonderful feast. Everything that you need is prepared on the plentiful table of salvation. Here are dishes of forgiveness. There are trays of peace. Bowls of joy abound. All around are sweet layers of love. My .... this is (1) You see what:
(a) THE WORLD OFFERS IS SUPERFICIAL:
In ( 55:2 ) " Wherefore do ye .... not bread." Or we could translate it, " Wherefore do ye spend money for that which has no real value .... which cannot sustain you, which will do you no good." You see what was happening was this. The affections of many of the Israelites were set on things of this world, they were out to enrich themselves. They were out to increase their property: to enlarge their estates ( 5:8 ) They did not care for spiritual things, materialism had sapped their vitality. But my .... the things of this world can never satisfy the cravings of the human heart. Ill: Some one has said, " Man seems as boundless in his desires as God in His being: and therefore nothing but God can satisfy him." We so often say, " Money cannot happiness." But deep down doesn't everyone seem to believe that he or she would be the exception to that rule ? We never seem to learn that nothing in this world truly satisfies.
Centuries ago King Solomon wrote the Book of Ecclesiastes, showing how he learned the truth of that lesson. He had great power and wealth, and yet he felt disappointment. Each road he travelled turned out to be a cul-de-sac .... a dead end in a maze of worldly allures.
(1) Solomon tried the Highway of KNOWLEDGE:
He wrote, " And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven." ( Eccl 1:13 ) But do you know what he said about all of his learning and wisdom ? " All was vanity and vexation of spirit there was no profit under the sun."
( Eccl 2:11 ) My .... have you tried the highway of knowledge only to discover that it does not satisfy the deepest longing of your heart ?
(2) Solomon tried the Avenue of HARD WORK:
He invested, he produced and he built .... and yet on reflection the King said, " I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me." ( Eccl 2:18 )
(3) Solomon tried the Streets of MATERIALISM and PLEASURE:
This King, this so called wise man had 700 wives and 300 concubines ( 1 Kings 11:3 ) He had everything he needed to gratify his flesh. He said, " I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine .... I builded me houses,
I planted me vineyards .... I got me servants and maidservants .... whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them." ( Eccl 2:3 ) My .... like Solomon have you discovered that self-gratification will not satisfy the gnawing in your heart ? ( Eccl 2:11 ) So often people have sought pleasure but found that only their pain was lasting. Ill: The actor Peter Sellers said of his life: " The realisation is less than the expectation. I tell you, straight, all I am trying to do is get through the day. And when I cry I cry for yesterday."
(4) Solomon tried the Turnpike of RICHES:
Some estimate that his annual income was in excess of 20 million dollars, but although he enjoyed great wealth, he concluded that whatever a persons status " As he came forth of his mothers womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand." ( Eccl 5:15 ) My .... what the world offers is SUPERFICIAL ! That's why the Lord Jesus said, " Whosoever shall drink of this water shall thirst again .... " ( Jn 4:13 ) Solomon knew that for he discovered that everything that the world had to offer was a disappointment to him. Have you come to that place ? Have you discovered that each road you've travelled has turned out to be a cul-de-sac ? Can you say with the poet " I've tried the broken cisterns .... waters failed ?" You see what (a) But what:
(b) THE LORD OFFERS IS SUBSTANTIAL:
Do you notice here how the blessings of salvation are described ? There is water that refreshes: wine that cheers: milk that nourishes: bread that sustains. Water has been pronounced as the simplest: purest and fittest drink for all persons of all ages and temperaments. In the wine we may see a symbol of gladness. We read of
" wine that maketh glad the heart of man." ( Ps 104:15 )
Milk, is the symbol of nourishment ( Deut 32:14 ) Bread, is the symbol of sustenance. ( Deut 8:3 ) You see just as water, wine, milk and bread are perfectly suited to the needs of the body so Christ and His salvation are perfectly suited to the deeper needs of the soul. My .... are you thirsting this .... ? What is the cry of your soul ?
Are you crying for light in the midst of the darkness of our time ? Trust Christ ! Are you crying for pardon under the load of your sin ? Trust Christ ! Are you crying for truth in the midst of the allurements of error ?
Trust Christ ! Are you crying for guidance in the midst of your present perplexity ? Trust Christ ! Are you crying for rest from the weariness of failure ? Trust Christ ! " For Thou O Christ, art all I want: more than all in Thee I find." Ill: It was Augustine who said,
" Man was made for God and can find no rest till he finds his rest in him." It was the Lord Jesus who said,
" I am the Bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger: and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." ( Jn 6:35 ) (1) But notice that Isaiah talks about:
(2) THE FREENESS OF GOD'S SALVATION
For God says, " Come ye, buy and eat: yea come, buy wine and milk without money and without price." My .... do you know why God's salvation is free ? Because its been already bought and paid for. The Lord Jesus has purchased salvation with drops of precious blood. When He was on the Cross, He cried, " I thirst." He thirsted physically so that the spiritual thirst of all men and women could be quenched eternally. When He was on the Cross He cried, " It is finished." And all that you have to do is accept the pardon Christ purchased for you. My .... God's provision for your soul is offered to you FREE ! " Without money and without price."Surely this:
(a) EXPLAINS SALVATION:
It does away with the notion that you can earn salvation or that you can buy salvation. My .... this spiritual commodity is free.
Ill: Do you what happens when you go and visit a market and you're looking for a bargain ? The difficulty for the traders is to get you UP to their price, but my difficulty this .... is to get you DOWN to
God's price, for God's salvation is " without money and and without price." Ill: During the Spanish War the late President Roosevelt, then a colonel commanded a regiment of rough-riders in Cuba. He became very attached to his men and was greatly concerned when a number of them fell ill. Hearing that Miss Clara Barton a lady who devoted herself to the work of nursing wounded soldiers had received a supply of delicacies for the invalids under her care, Colonel Roosevelt requested her to sell a portion of them for the sick men of his regiment.
His request was refused. The Colonel was very annoyed, he cared for his men and was willing to pay for supplies out of his own pocket. " How can I getthese things, ?" he asked. " I must have proper food formy sick men. " Just ask for them, Colonel." " Oh, said
Roosevelt, his face breaking into a smile, " thats theway is it ? Then I do ask for them." And he got his supplies at once. My .... are you repeating Roosevelt's mistake ? You see people expect to receive salvation in
exchange for something that they can offer. What are you offering the Lord in order to merit His favour ? Are you coming with your wealth ? With your outward religious ceremonies ? With your feelings ? With your reformed life ? With your resolutions ? Listen again:
Gods provision is " without money and without price."
(b) EXCLUDES PRIDE:
For if it be " without money," then the rich have not one iota of advantage over the poor. My .... your station may be very respectable in life but God is no respector of persons. As far as God is concerned the ground at the foot of the Cross is level. The gospel is " without moneyand without price," so that pride of wealth is utterly abolished. Could it be that its your pride that's keeping you back from Christ ? Could it be that you've been so good: charitable: religious: respectable: so everything that you ought to be that you fancy that there must be
some private entrance or reserved door for a person of your quality ? My .... listen: the Bible says: " Strait is the gate and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life," ( Matt 7:14 ) and that means that you must rub shoulders with the prostitute: the drunkard: the drug addict: if ever you are to enter in. " Without .... price."
(c) EXCITES HOPE:
For who in this church need despair ? Are you feeling in your pocket for cash and there is nothing ? My .... you don't need anything for its " without money and without price." Are you searching your heart and finding nothing there ? I tell you don't need anything before coming to Christ.
" Let not conscience make you linger:
Nor of fitness fondly dreamed,
All the fitness Christ requireth:
Is to feel your need of Him."
THE FREENESS OF GOD'S SALVATION ! Ill: Some years ago a speaker at the Moody Bible Institute gave a delightful illustration of what these words mean
" without money and without price." He had come from the other side of Lake Michigan where, just the day before, they had had a heavy snowfall. As he was shovelling off his driveway and footpath, along came two big boys with shovels who offered to help for fifty cents an hour. He hired them on the spot. Behind them came a little fellow, all bundled up, carrying a wooden toy spade. He offered to help too. " Mister," he said,
" I work for free." My .... do you realise that God works for FREE ? His salvation is " without money and without price." (1) (2)
(3) THE FAIRNESS OF GOD'S SALVATION
You see this Salvation is:
(a) FOR EVERYONE:
Its God who standing in the market place and crying,
" Ho, everyone .... " ( 55:1 ) Not the Jews only, but the Gentiles, the poor and the maimed, the halt and the blind, whoever can be picked out of the highways and the hedges. My .... have you ever looked around at the Lord's banquet table to see who the guest's are ? Its a glorious picture. There is an old drunkard made sober. He's sitting at the table. There is a prostitute made pure. She's at the Table of salvation. There is the infidel, made a believer. He is sitting at the table. There is Paul,
the " chief of sinners." He is sitting at the Table. Oh, what a loving God to invite you and me to sit at His table. But then this salvation is (a)
(b) FOR EVERYONE WHO SENSES THEIR NEED:
" Ho .... that thirsteth." ( 55:1 ) Are there here this .... who are thirsting ? My .... have you seen the emptiness of the world and are you reaching forth, even blindly to something better ? Do you desire God's salvation ? Have you an intense yearning to get right with God through Christ ? Do not say, " I am not thirsty enough," my .... if you thirst at all you are included. Here is the invitation, universal in its scope, world-wide in its call .... " If any man thirst," says the Saviour " let him come unto Me." ( Jn 7:37 ) So this salvation is (a) (b)
(c) FOR EVERYONE WHO SENSES THEIR NEED AND COMES:
" Ho .... come ye to the waters .... come ye buy and eat .... come buy wine and milk .... price." ( 55:1 ) My .... come to Christ for He is the fountain opened: come to Christ for He is the Rock smitten: come to Christ for He is the Only way to the Father and to Heaven ! Oh, the simplicity of it. Come. My .... are you stumbling at the simplicity of God's salvation ? Perhaps you want to do: or go: or hope or pay. But God is simply saying " Come,
salvation has been paid for in drops of precious blood, the price has been paid, so come to the table."
Ill: The story is told of a man who once booked his passage on a steamer to Florida. It cost nearly all he had and being, as he thought, a wise man, he spend his money on food. He bought bread and cheese, it was all he could afford, to see him through the journey. It was a meagre fare but beggars cannot be choosers, and he made the best of the situation. But after a few days the bread became stale and the cheese mouldy, and worse still, three times a day he inhaled appetising odours from the kitchen which nearly drove him frantic. Finally, the day before the journey ended he met a waiter carrying a great plate of roast turkey. The very sight of it made him reckless. " See here," he said, " how much will a dinnerlike that cost ?" " Cost, sir," replied the waiter, " whynothing, its all paid for in your passage !" My .... God's salvation has been purchased by God's Son. Its all been paid for at Calvary. All that you have to do is to appropriate it: make it your very own. Will you do that this .... ? Will you say with the hymn-writer,
" Just as I am poor wretched blind,
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea all I need in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God I come."