THE REMNANT

THE REMNANT Isaiah 1:1-9 January 29. 2012 Given by: Pastor Rich Bersett [Index of Past Messages] Introduction The first nine verses of Isaiah introduce us to some of God’s deepest emotions. Here we learn a little about God’s heartbreak, His mercy, His judgment and His hope for us. Let’s read the introduction to Isaiah’s prophecy, and hear what God has to say to His people Israel who have all rejected God. Isaiah 1:1-9. God is at pains to explain to His people why it is now inevitable for them that they will face His judgment. The term judgment carries strongly negative overtones for people. But biblically speaking God’s judgment is actually a good thing. It is something to celebrate, long for. In a world of systemic injustice, bullying, violence, arrogance, and oppression, the thought that there might come a day when the wicked are firmly put in their place, and the poor and weak are given their due is the best news there can be. Faced with a world in rebellion, a world full of exploitation and wickedness, a good God must be a God of judgment. So, we may actually celebrate the judgment of God. It is His divine action to put things right. And that’s a comfort, but it can also be scary, because we each know there is reason enough for us to be on the receiving end of justice’s judgment. We know our own sin and shortcoming. That’s what makes the good news of the gospel such good news. God Who is faithful and unchanging does not waiver in His justice, but neither does He change in His mercy and love toward us. Romans 3 summarizes the bad news and the good news: No one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law…But now a righteousness from God apart from the Law has been made known… This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, but they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. So everyone in the world, in all of history, is in line for God’s judgment. But He offers amnesty to everyone who comes to Him through faith in Jesus. That is, there is a remnant of humanity who will be saved and who will enjoy the presence of God for eternity in heaven. Those who trust in Christ will be this remnant. Isaiah referred to the “survivors” of God’s judgment in verse 9. He would later prophesy in Isa. 10:22, Though your people, O Israel, be like the sand by the sea, only a remnant will return. The apostle Paul will turn that phrase in Romans 9 and declare, only a remnant will be saved. The Remnant becomes a very central term in the Bible. It always refers to those who will be saved in the end, after all judgment and punishment is finished. In the Old Testament prophecies, the remnant represented the people who remained strong and faithful to the Lord throughout the periods of exile and punishment under the oppression of other nations. These are the ones who recognized God was purifying His people as He allowed them to be dominated and even enslaved by other nations. Time and again we encounter this truth, though, that not everyone who was in Israel would be saved. In fact, most would not. Only the remnant. Others, who had lapsed in faith and obedience to the Lord, and refused to repent and return, would be lost to God’s kingdom. The New Testament then picks up the terminology of the remnant to refer to the Gentiles who will come to faith in Christ, along with all of the Jews who will eventually be saved by believing in Jesus. The question before us this morning is who those who are included in this remnant? The Faithful. These are the people of God who remain true to Him, serving and worshiping Him even through the trials and difficulties of their lives. I hasten to add—no one does this perfectly (all are sinners). But this group of God-lovers are quick to recognize their shortcomings and, by His grace, repent and correct their lives to conform to His will. Paul said, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day. The Unfaithful. These, too, are sinful people. But even though they have known the Lord and His grace, they allow their faith to starve, they wander from the Lord—sometimes for years—but, if they return by sincere repentance and recommitment of their lives to the Lord, they are included in the remnant. Those of Israel who did not repent and return to the Lord were rejected by the Lord. …because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, I turned away from them (Heb. 8:9, quoting Jeremiah 31:31). The Lost. These are the people who have never known the Lord or His grace. But they are still invited to come to Christ through the gospel. And when they respond in faith, they become part of the saved remnant. Let’s look at bit more closely at these categories. First, there is the group called The Faithful. These are the precious saints of God who love Him and serve His purposes with their lives through the years, constantly committed to becoming more like Christ, sharing the gospel with others and maturing in steady progress. There is a wonderful reference to this faithful brood in Revelation 12:17. Referring to the remnant of the seed of the woman, they are described in this way: …who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus. This is camp#1 – the devoted followers of Christ, including the faithful of the Old Covenant, who follow through consistently to live for Him, albeit imperfectly. But they are driven by a living faith, and each time they fall, they get up and keep moving forward in faith. They have made God’s cause their cause. These are the ones who know and rely on the presence and the power of God’s Spirit living in them to bear the fruit of a life lived fully for the glory of God. There is a second group: The Unfaithful. That may sound strange, but it is a very important distinction. God’s salvation is not kept from anyone who falls away from grace, unless they do not repent and return. But no one, no one, is outside the reach of God’s mercy—even those who reject Him even after they have tasted His kindness. They can come back with impunity through repentance and faith. If you have been away from genuine fellowship with the Lord for decades, even if you’ve shipwrecked your life and scoffed at faith and God, He stands ready to receive you home, if you will come. It doesn’t matter how far or how long you have roamed away from Him, if you are willing and repentant, you can return to the Lord through faith in Jesus. And you will be among the remnant. Never mind then, that you had spent years in rebellion, wasting precious time that could have been given in useful service for the Lord. That is all under the blood of Christ and His forgiveness. God always extends grace and mercy that wipes your dirty old slates clean. I recently read an author who told this story: My father and my uncle were golfing when one of them hit his golf ball into a swampy area close to the fairway. Neither of them were willing to lose that ball. Uncle Roy reached out into the murky water as far as he could, but he could not quite reach the ball. Calling to my Dad for help, he said, “Byron, why don’t you hold onto your club, and hold it out so I can hang on to it and reach the ball?” Bracing himself, my Dad extended his club over the water. Uncle Roy then suspended himself over the water clinging to the golf club blade. I am not sure who made the fatal error, but somehow both my dad and my uncle ended up in the swamp, laughing uproariously as they emerged soaking wet. Up on the hill, the golf pro giving lessons watched the fiasco, shaking his head in disbelief. “What a couple of clowns,” he must have muttered to himself. Since neither my dad or my uncle give up easily, they plucked the ball out of the water, along with several others, and proceeded with their game. What the pro saw next completely astounded him. Stepping up to the wet ball, my uncle hit it toward the flag a good distance away where it sank neatly into the cup. My dad then stepped up and did precisely the same thing. Seeing such a thing happen twice in a row must have been quite a surprise. The clown-like behavior of those two golfers before they accomplished such a feat must have made the sight even more incredible. How many shots like this had the pro ever made? Indeed perhaps he had never made such a shot in his life. And he worked so hard at the game. How could two clowns make such incredible shots when he had not? Let’s not be surprised when those who have rejected the church and the Lord for years come back and begin serving and leading in ways that outshine our years of faithful service. Rather, we should rejoice and welcome them all the more. The Third group is the one we too rarely consider: The Lost. They are today’s pagans, but potentially tomorrow’s believers. Russell Moore recently wrote about a memorable conversation he had with Carl F. H. Henry. As Moore and some of his friends were lamenting the miserable shape of the church, they asked Dr. Henry if he saw any hope in the coming generation of Christians. Dr. Henry replied: “Of course, there is hope for the next generation of Christians. But the leaders of the next generation might not be coming from the current evangelical establishment. They are probably still pagans. Who knew that Saul of Tarsus was to be the great apostle to the Gentiles? Who knew that God would raise up a C. S. Lewis or a G.K. Chesterton or a Charles Colson? They were unbelievers who, once saved, became mighty warriors for the faith.” Moore added: “The next Jonathan Edwards might be driving in front of you with the Darwin Fish bumper decal. The next Charles Wesley might be a misogynist, profanity-spewing hip-hop artist right now. The next Billy Graham might be passed out drunk in a fraternity house right now. The next Charles Spurgeon might be making posters for a Gay Pride March right now. The next Mother Teresa might be managing an abortion clinic right now.” This why our mission is important—to saturate the culture around us with the good news that anyone who is willing to believe may find friendship with God; anyone one wants to can find spiritual and emotional wholeness in Him; and all who come to Him may find purpose for their lives, serving in His eternal kingdom. Max Lucado included this personal anecdote in his book Cure for the Common Life: The bank sent me an overdraft notice on the checking account of one of my daughters. I encourage my college-age girls to monitor their accounts. Even so, they sometimes overspend. What should I do? Send her an angry letter? Admonition might help her later, but it won't satisfy the bank. Phone and tell her to make a deposit? Might as well tell a fish to fly. I know her liquidity. Zero. Transfer the money into her account? Seemed to be the best option. After all, I had $25.37. I could replenish her account and pay the overdraft fee as well. Since she calls me Dad, I did what dads do. I covered my daughter's mistake. When I told her she was overdrawn, she said she was sorry. Still, she offered no deposit. She was broke. She had one option, "Dad, could you…" "Honey," I interrupted, "I already have." I met her need before she knew she had one. Long before you knew you needed grace, your Father did the same. He made an ample deposit. Before you knew you needed a Savior, you had one. And when you ask him for mercy, he answers, "Dear child. I've already given it." While God is the Supreme Judge, what He most longs to be known as is the Forgiving Father. Mercy triumphs over judgment. The New Testament teaches that, at some unforeseeable time in the future, God will bring down the final curtain on history, and there will come a Day on which all our days and all the judgments against us and all our judgments against each other will themselves be judged. The judge will be Jesus the Christ. In other words, the one who judges us most finally will be the same one who loves us most fully.         [ Back to Top]