Go Out in Joy

INTRO

SUNNY D

One thing all human beings have in common is that we are created in God’s image, created to worship and glorify God. The passage we are going to read this afternoon confirms that only God can satisfy our souls. Yet, I run to other things because at the root of all sin, I don’t believe God. I don’t believe he truly can satisfy me, so I run to other things. All sin, all sin, stems from this same fact. We fail to trust that God is good, that God is perfect, and that He alone can satisfy our souls.

We run to:

Affluenza

Materialism

Relationships

Vices: alcohol and drugs

Knowledge

Politics

Money

Indulgence

Fitness

What do they all have in common? They are only capable of numbing the pain temporarily and leave us unsatisfied....

Praise the Lord he invites us to more

Let’s turn to Isaiah 55

Isaiah 55:1 (ESV)

The Compassion of the Lord

55 “Come, everyone who thirsts,

come to the waters;

and he who has no money,

come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk

without money and without price.

Isaiah 55:2 (ESV)

2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,

and your labor for that which does not satisfy?

Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,

and delight yourselves in rich food.

Come to the Lord

WE ALL CAN COME FREELY, WITH NOTHING TO OFFER

our money is no good here, God is interested in you, not what you can do for him

ONLY GOD CAN SATISFY

Delight ourselves in rich food, vs 3 tells us more...

Isaiah 55:3 (ESV)

3 Incline your ear, and come to me;

hear, that your soul may live;

and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,

my steadfast, sure love for David.

“We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

Your Soul May Live

Every human being, of all time, is an eternal being with a soul...

God calls us, invites us to a relationship with him to where our soul can live. Can flourish, can be satisfied in him.

Isaiah 55:6 (ESV)

6 “Seek the Lord while he may be found;

call upon him while he is near;

Seek the Lord

Turn to Him and Seek him

The invitation is for all

“Pastor, you don’t know my past. You don’t know what I’ve done, you don’t know my story.”

I don’t, but Praise God he knows it all and he still wants you…why?

Isaiah 55:7 (ESV)

7 let the wicked forsake his way,

and the unrighteous man his thoughts;

let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,

and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

His Ways are Not our Ways

Isaiah 55:8–9 (ESV)

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

WHAT DOES ISAIAH MEAN?

v7 let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,

and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

God’s ways are not our ways because we are incapable of forgiving the way that God can. God is capable of forgiving his enemies, forgiving people who are opposed to him, forgiving people who speak lies about him, forgiving people who take advantage of him.

His ways are not our ways, the Lord is compassionate to enemies and will abundantly pardon. Forgive all the way.

Still TOO good to be true? Still think He can’t do it?

Isaiah 55:11 (ESV)

11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;

it shall not return to me empty,

but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,

and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

Hebrews 7:25 (ESV)

25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

God can do it because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus came in the form of a man, lived a perfect live, died for our sins, and was raised from the dead for our justification.

God Will Succeed, He has Defeated Sin Death, and the Grave through Christ Jesus.

Satisfaction, Joy, Peace

Isaiah 55:12 (ESV)

12 “For you shall go out in joy

and be led forth in peace;

the mountains and the hills before you

shall break forth into singing,

and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

INVITATION

Bow your heads, I want to talk to a few people in the room

Is there anyone here today, who says, I need the Lord. I know that only He can satisfy and I repent of my sins and confess him as Lord of my life and believe

Romans 10:9 if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Raise your hand if that’s you, no one is looking around

I’m going to lead you in a prayer:

Who would say they are seeking satisfaction in the wrong things that they know will not satisfy?

let me pray for you