What Should I Say?
Growing a Heart for Evangelism • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, Thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: For the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation.
Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, Declare his doings among the people, Make mention that his name is exalted.
Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things: This is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: For great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.
Introduction
Introduction
Our title this morning gives us a question that is often asked in reference to evangelism. Sometimes this is the reason that people don’t speak for Jesus. Perhaps this is something that we can answer this morning.
Throughout the Bible, God uses different motivators for His people to tell others of what He has done. We will see several in our series on Growing a Heart for Evangelism. This morning, we see a motivator from the Old Testament.
Where does evangelism come from? In the Bible, we see Jesus speaking of Himself to those who are like lost sheep. Today, those that Jesus has left behind are to give the Gospel to the world. Evangelism comes from the heart that has experienced the salvation that only Jesus brings. Paul told the Thessalonian church,
For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.
Do you have a heart for evangelism? In our series this fall, ask God to grow your heart to bring the message of salvation to the lost around you. Our hearts are evil, yet God can work through us to see the lost come to Jesus.
Will you let God grow a heart for evangelism in you today?
The book of Isaiah is one of the Old Testament books that are called “Major Prophets”. This shows us how long these books are compared to the “Minor Prophets.” Isaiah is a singularly long book of prophecy. It contains both the foretelling of future events and the forth-telling of the need for a repentance by God’s people. Both are important parts of the office of prophet in the Bible.
Chapter 12 of Isaiah is a song that summarizes the previous chapters of the book and prepares the reader for the following chapters. As such, it is a important turning point in the book. Isaiah centers this turning point on God Himself and particularly one aspect of God’s actions, God saves. In fact, Isaiah’s name means “Jehovah is salvation”.
The closest part of the context of this chapter is seen in chapters 7-11. There, we see introduced both fear and hope introduced. The fear was of the impending invasion of Judah during the reign of King Ahaz. The hope is found in the response of Isaiah to the king. There will one day come a Man, born of a virgin, who will be “Immanuel” or “God with us” in chapter 7:14. The following chapters show us more about this coming Messiah culminating in chapter 11.
And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, Which shall stand for an ensign of the people; To it shall the Gentiles seek: And his rest shall be glorious.
There will be a Messiah who will be seen of all, like a flag flying high, and will draw even the Gentiles to Himself. Isaiah is pulling together the hope of Israel for a Redeemer and the needs of sinful mankind. All those who need salvation will be able to come to this Messiah. And so, we come to chapter 12’s song.
Declaration
Declaration
Isaiah commands us here to say something to the world. God has done something for us as we dwell under His just wrath. Today, we must speak to the world of the great deeds of God for us in our salvation. Three questions are answered in our passage today.
1. Where is God’s Wrath?
1. Where is God’s Wrath?
And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, Thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me.
Isaiah begins his song with a command for the future. He tells the reader what to do “in that day.” There is eschatological or “last days” nature to this song and this command. When the Messiah sets up His kingdom, when He comes born of a virgin and bringing light to the Gentiles, then here is what you will say.
The command is to say something, not to others but to God. He addresses God with His covenant name, “LORD” or Jehovah. God is to be praised though He was angry with the reader.
Why was God angry? God was angry because of the sin of the children of Israel. We see this reasoning in chapter 5 of Isaiah.
Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, And the flame consumeth the chaff, So their root shall be as rottenness, And their blossom shall go up as dust: Because they have cast away the law of the Lord of hosts, And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. Therefore is the anger of the Lord kindled against his people, And he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: And the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, But his hand is stretched out still.
The wrath of God is against sin and the unrepentant sinner. Throughout the Bible we see this problem affecting each and every person because all of us are sinners. Jesus speaks in the Gospel of John,
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
The first question that we see in chapter 12 is Where is God’s wrath? The answer is God’s wrath is on all of us. All of us have the common problem of sin.
In his Divine Comedy, Dante records what he imagines is written over the entrance to hell. The message is a clear warning to those who will spend eternity in punishment for their sins. Perhaps, this is the most famous quotation from his classic.
“All hope abandon, ye who enter in!”
Though we don’t know what, if anything, is written there, we do know that the wrath of God will one day be fulfilled in the final, eternal punishment for sin. Hell represents, not God’s unkindness or lack of love. Instead, Hell is the manifestation of God’s love and justice toward those who have not responded correctly to the reality of His wrath.
Sin is something that God hates. When we chose to go our own way, God calls us wicked. Our hearts are deceitful and are bent toward evil because of our sinful nature that we have received from Adam. The Psalmist reminds us,
God judgeth the righteous, And God is angry with the wicked every day.
Before we can sing of the good news, we must know the bad news. The truth is that God is angry with the sin of mankind. Without a way to put that wrath off of us, there would be no hope for mankind. That brings us to the second question,
2. What Has God Done with His Wrath?
2. What Has God Done with His Wrath?
And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, Thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: For the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
The second question is found in verses 1-3. There is not just bad news here but the greatest news. Isaiah commands the reader to say “in that day” that God’s anger had been turned away and He has instead brought comfort.
An event has occurred in verse 1 that is seen more clearly in verses 2-3. God has turned away His wrath. Instead of being angry, God now has chosen to show grace. This is the nature of God who is both loving and just. He will keep His covenant with His people. The Psalmist tells us,
Shew me a token for good; That they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: Because thou, Lord, hast holpen me, and comforted me.
There is now no longer a reason to quiver with fear. The wrath of God is connected in the book of Revelation with destruction and punishment. People fear the ultimate result of their sin. The fear of death that is present today is a clear indication that this is the case. Yet, the good news is that God has taken away the fear for those who call upon His name! As one writer tells us,
The Prophecy of Isaiah The Epilogue: Individual and Community, Salvation, Joy, and Proclamation
Reconciliation is not our willingness to have God but God’s willingness to have us.
God has “turned away” His wrath as verse 1 tells us. Instead, He is now “salvation”. This is a conscious choice from a loving God that deserves our praise, as Isaiah commands us.
Two words are given here to describe Jehovah: “strength” and “song”. Strength is the location that is secure from attack because God is there to defend it. Song is the “summons to praise” (TDOT) that is required to lift up the name of God. Isaiah is quoting the song of Moses after the crossing of the Red Sea.
The Lord is my strength and song, And he is become my salvation: He is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; My father’s God, and I will exalt him.
Now God is the salvation of the speaker because Gog has found Someone else to take the wrath, namely Jesus. This word “salvation” is used both generally and specifically.
Generally, God will one day give the Israelites all that He has promised them. The coming kingdom is promised throughout the book of Isaiah. There will be a general salvation for the nation of Israel as a whole.
The specific application is that the coming Messiah will save all those who look to His light as we see in chapter 9. The LXX translated this statement as “my Savior” and points directly to the coming salvation in Jesus Himself. The Messiah will be the source of the “propitiation” or the satisfactory payment that turns away God’s wrath.
In God is my salvation and my glory: The rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.
Verse 2 is the testimony of the believer in Christ. He has chosen to trust in the work of God. Will you choose to rely on the salvation of God? Will you “trust” in Him? This is the testimony that those who have believed on Him have. There is security in believing in Him.
Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel.
Verse 3 gives us the central emotion of the believer in Jesus. Joy characterizes the Christian life. Joy comes from the salvation.
Because wells often were unreliable in the ancient world, a common response to a good well was one of joy. We see this in the life of Isaac in the book of Genesis. Here, the believer is joyful to know that God has given propitiation. There is salvation only in God.
The place where the salvation comes from brings joy to those who seek it. That place for all is Calvary. There are some who see in verse 3 a pattern for the carrying of the water from the well up the hill at the end of the Feast of Tabernacles. This tradition is the occasion of Jesus’ proclamation in John 7. Thus Jesus connects this water to Himself, the only way of salvation.
In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.
The second question is answered with the good news of verses 1-3. God has taken His wrath and placed it Somewhere else. So God can be our salvation through the satisfactory sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. One final question brings us to the application of Isaiah to those around us.
3. How Would God Have Us to Speak?
3. How Would God Have Us to Speak?
And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, Declare his doings among the people, Make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things: This is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: For great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.
There are two different conversations that Isaiah commands us to have. The first is addressed to God and is found in verses 1-2. We see the emotion of the conversation in verse 3. The second conversation is found in verses 4-6. This is the conversation that we must have with the rest of mankind.
Isaiah gives clear instructions for those who have received the salvation of Jehovah. These show us what we as a church ought to do both inside and outside of our services. What should we say in that day when we have received the light of the Messiah?
“Praise the Lord” - this is a command to bring worship to God for what He has done. Throw upon God the praise that He deserves. We do this in our testimonies of what God has done for us each week.
“Call upon his name” - this is a command to center our eyes, hearts and words on God Himself. The word gives us a clear direction to speak to God.
“Declare his doings among the people” - this is a command to let others into the knowledge of the specifics of what God has done. The same word is used in verse 5 as “known”.
To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, And the glorious majesty of his kingdom.
“Make mention that his name is exalted” - this is a command to remind those around that God is to be lifted up. His name is the only one who ought to receive praise.
Sing - this is a command to put words to music. Sing a song of the salvation of God and what He will do to those who come to Him.
To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.
Cry and Shout - this is a command to cry out audibly for the goodness of God. This is the shout of people who sin is taken away.
And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the people. And there came a fire out from before the Lord, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.
What we see in this commanded conversation is evangelism to the lost world. Evangelism is “giving the good news that salvation has come to those who are yet under God’s wrath.” Isaiah is telling his readers and us today to give this good news to “all the earth”.
1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Evangelism, Commitment To
Once, when walking down a certain street in Chicago, D. L. Moody stepped up to a man, a perfect stranger to him, and said, “Sir, are you a Christian?”
“You mind your own business!” was the reply.
Moody replied, “This is my business.”
The great things that God has done are known to all as we see in verse 5. One dictionary uses the word “majesty” (TWOT) for this word translated “excellent”. God is a God who is great and does great things. The greatest of these is that He would save someone like you or me.
The Lord reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; The Lord is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: The world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved.
Isaiah calls God "the Holy One of Israel" in verse 6. Here, Isaiah uses a female reference to bring together all that have seen the salvation of God in one central reason to praise the Lord. Just as Miriam shouted in Exodus 15 at the end of Moses’ song, Isaiah tells the daughter of Zion, God is the reason for the commands in verses 4-6.
For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
The answer to the third questions is that God wants us to speak salvation to the lost world. The motivation of God’s wrath upon us is balanced by the motivation of God’s greatness. Only God could have devised a plan to move His wrath from sinful man to His perfect Son. Yet, there will come a time that the wrath of God will be permanent on those who have not received His salvation.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Isaiah commands us here to say something to the world. God has done something for us as we dwell under His just wrath. Today, we must speak to the world of the great deeds of God for us in our salvation.
Every human that has ever lived, except for Jesus, has been born in sin. That sin has been passed down through the race from our father Adam. Because he chose to disobey God in the garden, all of us were born in sin.
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
But beyond that inherited sin, we each have disobeyed the Word of God. We are all sinners by our own choice as well. This unites the world as condemned before the Law of God. What has been done about this common sentence?
We find in this passage that God has removed His wrath. The New Testament tells us that this wrath is instead placed on Christ. He died in our place. Now there is rest for the people who believe on Him alone for salvation.
For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
Have you believed in Jesus alone for salvation from God’s wrath? The truth is that we cannot escape our eternal destination of hell without the salvation of God. Only He can give it to us. Have you believed?
What are you doing to tell those around you that God’s wrath has been satisfied by Jesus’s death on the cross? Are you faithful in telling the good news? All of us need to listen to the united testimony that ends the Bible and pulls together the strands of Scripture,
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
What should I say? Come all to the “wells of salvation”! So speak today! Will you choose to speak today?
