Rsbc
July 14, 2002
Sunday Night
The Book of Isaiah
Subject: “Following the Way of Righteousness”
Intro: The word “ Righteousness is found 4 times in these verses, 3 of the 4 times has to do with the LORD and the other one time has to do with the pursuit of justices or things that are right.
The great appeal of any godly man to his people that GOD has charge him with is to get them to LISTEN and then to OBEY the LORD. The word in the first verse means to “listen”.. In order to obey... to listen intently.
One of the most discouraging things to a pastor is to look out into the faces of his people and see that they are not paying attention to what he is saying. The scripture tells us to listen in a number of ways...
Hebrews 3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
2 Peter 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
I... “ LISTEN IN ORDER THAT THEY MAY FOLLOW AFTER RIGHTEOUSNESS”..VS 1
In order to follow after righteousness a number of things are absolutely necessary..
1st. You must know the LORD:
Hosea 6:3 Then shall we know, [if] we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter [and] former rain unto the earth.
The Lord Jesus Chirst prayed that we might know the Father...
John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
2nd. Following after righteousness means that you seek the LORD: vs 1
Deuteronomy 4:29 But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find [him], if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
1 Chronicles 16:10‑11 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD. 11 Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.
II... HE CALL’S UPON THEM TO REMEMBER AND LOOK: VS 1-2
1st. Look where we come from: “ the rock ye were hewed from and pit he dug you out off”...vs 1
Primarily he is talking about Israel...
Deuteronomy 7:7 The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye [were] the fewest of all people: Deuteronomy 7:8 But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
But it applies to all of the saints of the LORD. Just look where he brought us from just look what he hath done for us...
Ephesians 2:2‑4 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
The appeal then would be to look to the one that brought us out of this horrible pit of sin and corruption... the LORD JESUS CHRIST... Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Page # 3
2nd. Look to the examples of faith and those that follow after righteousness: vs 2
Genesis 12-1-4
a. His call..vs 1
b. What GOD promised him...vs 2-3
c. His obedience...vs 4
Hebrews 11:8‑10 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as [in] a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: 10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker [is] God.
III... “ THE PROMISE AND THE PROVISION OF THE LORD: VS 3-4
1st. The promise of comfort by his word... vs 3
Since GOD is the GOD of all comfort it stands to reason that the source of all comfort will come from him, in fact, he is the comfort of his people. If you recall in ...
Isaiah 2:2‑3 And it shall come to pass in the last days, [that] the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. 3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
You must remember that for 400 yrs when Christ came there was nothing no word from GOD, John the Baptist in the wilderness crying out pointing to the LORD JESUS CHRIST... the wilderness of the waste now is becoming a land of joy and gladness with the proclamation of the gospel of the Kingdom of Christ...Matthew 4:16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
Page # 4
2nd. By his salvation...vs 5-8
What hope, what a promise... righteousness and salvation near.. It is near tonight if you will hear it and have it. It is near at all times, in all places, you need not go far just wherever you are there the LORD is...
You can look at this heaven and this earth and it will pass away like smoke, but the salvation of the LORD is forever... He calls, he imparts, he gives, he moves, he enlightens, he saves, he comforts, he protects, he loves, he providentially takes care of us all his people...
Ecclesiastes 3:14 I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth [it], that [men] should fear before him.