House of Prayer For All Nations-2
Notes
Transcript
Text: Isaiah 56:1-8 (Esp. 3-7a)
Inclusivity for all who will respond
God’s Salvation is About to Come
God’s Salvation is About to Come
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Prayer
Last week we read vs. 1 that declares that God’s salvation is about to come.
As we live in a fallen world torn by strife, by war, by poverty, by disease — we long for the salvation of the Lord.
This week, sadly for us, but gloriously for him, Robert Funderburk experienced the fullness of God’s salvation.
He is now in the presence of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
We will:
Miss his keen insights into scripture — but now he is with the God of all knowledge.
Miss his music
He had a great voice. Nearly every year he would sing the Christmas carol, Mary Did You Know? Now he can talk with Mary herself about her experience in giving birth to the Great I Am.
His instruments, guitar, bass — his bass sits, abandoned by its owner for the greater instruments of heaven.
Yes, we will miss Robert, but he is in a far better place — a place for which we long and yearn to be — the place of God’s salvation.
So, our text reminds us, the salvation of Jesus is coming.
Until it does we need to preserve justice, do righteousness, set aside a sabbath for worshipping God and refrain from doing evil — either by commission or by omission.
I believe these are things Robert did.
And so should we.
The God of Promise — To ALL Nations
The God of Promise — To ALL Nations
Not only that but we need to remember that God’s promise of salvation extends to ALL.
They are not just for us in the church.
They are for the foreigners.
The Eunuchs.
In verses 3-7a we read and understand that God calls ALL to Himself:
Jesus said in John 3:16 (AV) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Other translations say: whoever, everyone, anyone, … whosoever believes, who puts their faith in Jesus has eternal life.
As we think about this passage, let us remember that God is a God of promise.
Yes, He made promises to His chosen people — Abraham and his descendents.
But He also made promises to ALL the nations.
God began this promise to all nations when He chose the Father of the Jewish nation, Abraham in:
1 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. 2 “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
God’s plan was always to reconcile ALL peoples to Himself.
We see the fulfilment of that in Jesus.
The promise in:
10 Then in that day The nations will resort to the root of Jesse, Who will stand as a signal for the peoples; And His resting place will be glorious.
The nations will run to the root of Jesse — Jesus is the root of Jesse
And what a glorious sight and sound to behold as those nations turn to Jesus!
Eventually we will hear the praise of God and His Son Jesus in:
9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; 10 and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”
God’s promise is to call all nations and all peoples to Himself.
We see that prophesied in our text in verses 3-7
An Inclusive God
An Inclusive God
We see throughout the OT, but especially in the NT that salvation was NEVER meant to be only for the Jews.
It is Father God’s heart to draw all the lost to Himself.
Our God’s heart is for His people, Israel,
But it also burns for the foreigner as well.
To bring them into the family of God.
Initially anyone not born of Israel’s 12 tribes were excluded from worship.
They were excluded from the worship of Passover
Exodus 12:43-45 (NASB) The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "This is the ordinance of the Passover: no foreigner is to eat of it;
It was a shame for them to be in the temple:
51 “We are ashamed,” the people say. “We are insulted and disgraced because the Lord’s Temple has been defiled by foreigners.”
But here in our text we see God instituting a new covenant with those born outside of Israel.
In Vs. 7 we see that those, even though they are foreign born, if they will:
Voluntarily join themselves to the Lord
Choose to minister TO Him in worship
Love His Name
Choose to minster FOR Him
Sacrificially sets aside time for God, for that is what Sabbath is
The sabbath is about promoting God to the exclusion of all self-promotion
If they will hold to the rest covenant that God established with Israel
These:
God will bring to His holy mountain, to Jerusalem
God will make joyful in His House of Prayer
God will accept their burnt offering and sacrifices
This had to be absolutely mind-blowing to all those to whom Isaiah was prophesying.
They thought God’s salvation was only for the Jews.
But God God went even further.
He told the eunuchs, those who had been castrated, that He was bringing them in, too.
Such individuals were kept outside of God’s people:
1 “No one who is emasculated or has his male organ cut off shall enter the assembly of the Lord.
But God said, I’m changing that.
I’m bringing you in.
As you, along with My original people, and the foreign-born, if you will
Keep my Sabbath
If you choose what pleases me
If you will hold fast to my commands
We An Inclusive People
We An Inclusive People
Yes, God’s desire is to see all who are OUTSIDE brought INSIDE His “house,” inside the family of faith.
So, today we see and we are a part of the fulfillment of what God promised all those centuries ago.
God is calling those who were OUTSIDE, who were NOT a people to be in intimate relationship with Him.
1 Peter 2:9–10 (NLT)
… you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. 10 “Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.”
So many today have been born outside of relationship with Jesus.
God is calling you in.
We are here to welcome you in.
Maybe you don’t know the ins and outs of worshipping God, but we will help you learn.
Maybe you say, “I wasn’t raised in a home that knew God or even talked about Him.
I wasn’t raised going to church, singing praises to God, praying to a God who hears, understands and answers.
That’s alright!
God, through His Holy Spirit is calling you.
Respond to Him!
The Spirit is telling you what to do: humble yourself before your Creator.
Turn from your wicked ways — ask for God’s forgiveness and receive it by faith.
Surrender control of your life to almighty, all-wise, God who loves you so much!
Maybe this morning you say: Pastor, I actually know about God, about His church.
But I have been in rebellion against Him.
I have ruined my life by giving in to sexual temptations.
I listened to Nashville, to LA, to Detroit, to Hollywood.
I was deceived by them concerning what sex is all about.
I was born a man, but I thought I heard an inner voice saying, “NO! I’m a woman.”
Or, I was born a woman, but I thought I heard a voice saying: “NO! I’m a man.”
Or I am just completely confused about my sexually identity.
I have not listened to the righteous council of God’s Word that declares that sexual relations are for one man and one woman united in marriage for life.
I am a sexual refuge.
Is there any help for me?
Yes, yes! A thousand times, “Yes!”
We want to welcome you into relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Turn to Jesus!
Email us: info@NewLifeBlairsville.org
Call or Text us: 706781-6142
For those who ARE a part of God’s household of faith, God wants to commission us for greater things.
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