GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH

A GIFT, A PROMISE, AND AN EXHORTATION

The Gift, Promise, and Exhortation of God's Grace
Isaiah 55:4-6

Don Fortner

Why are we here? Why have you come to this place of worship? What is the purpose of our gathering in the house of God? Surely, you have not come here merely to hear a man talk for an hour so that you can go away and talk about his talk! I hope not! This is a place of urgent business, a place where something real and vital is to be done. I hope we have come here tonight with the business of heaven in our hearts.

1. To Glorify our God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!
2. To Comfort, Edify, Strengthen, and Assist One Another in Following, Worshipping, and Serving Christ!
3. To Lift Immortal Souls Up to Heaven.

It is my prayer that some of you may this hour receive from God the gifts of life, and faith, and salvation in Jesus Christ the Lord. Oh, may God be pleased tonight to do for you what you cannot and will not do for yourselves. May it please him this very hour to give you his Son!

We ought to be earnest about these things. Time is fleeing! Death is near! Eternity is at hand! Yet, some of you are not saved. You are hovering over hell, hanging by less than a spider's web, hanging by a breath over the pit of eternal ruin. Yet you trifle! I have come here tonight to do what I can to press upon you the necessity of an immediate decision. The title of my message is A Gift, A Promise, and An Exhortation you will find my text in Isaiah 55:4-6.

Proposition: Because God has given his Son and promised to save a people by him, he exhorts sinners to seek him and call upon him, that they might be saved.

• Jesus Christ is the gift of God (II Cor. 9:15).


• Eternal Life is the gift of God (Rom. 3:23).


• Salvation is the gift of God (II Tim. 1:9).


• All the Blessings of Grace are the gifts of God (Eph. 1:3).

The gospel and all that it reveals and brings to sinners must be regarded as a gift. Men rightly say, "There is nothing freer than a gift." And, truly, there is nothing freer than the gift of God.

• In the Covenant of Grace.


• In the Incarnation.


• In the Ransom of our Souls (I John 4:9:10).

• Galatians 2:20


• Hebrews 10:5


• I John 3:16

• "Christ in you, the Hope of Glory." (Col. 1:27).


• "Partakers of the divine nature."

• Of Who God is – Holiness! Love!


• Of What God has done – The Covenant!


• Of How God and man can and must be reconciled – Atonement!

• In Faith.


• In Commitment.


• In Love.


• In Obedience.


• In Humility.

• A Military Commander in Battle.


• A Kingly Commander in the Rule of His Kingdom.


• His Word Alone is Authoritative in His House!

1. Common People!
2. A Great Host of People!
3. All Sorts of People!

There are some people spoken of in this text and spoken of throughout the word of God who shall be saved, who must be saved, because God Almighty purposed to save them.

• "His People" (Matt. 1:21).


• "Other Sheep" (John 10:16).


• God's Elect (John 6:37-45).

Let me direct your attention to four things in this fifth verse, with regard to this divine promise.

Certainly, The Lord Jesus knows his people from eternity, with the special knowledge of everlasting love. But before they are saved…

1. He does not acknowledge them.
2. He does not appear to know them.

B. Secondly, it is promised that nations who do not know Christ shall run unto him.

People who do not know anything about Christ and do not want to know anything about him suddenly hear of him and run unto him.

Note: When such people come to Christ, they usually run!

C. Thirdly, take not of the fact that this is asserted to be a matter of absolute certainty – "They Shall," God says!

Someone may say, "But does man not have a will?" Yes, man has a will. But God also has a will. And when the will of man meets the will of God, the will of God always prevails!

D. Fourthly, that which secures the salvation of these chosen ones is the glorified Christ – "For He hath glorified thee!" The glorified Christ is…

1. Our Assurance of Redemption (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 10:10-14).
2. Our Assurance of Forgiveness (I John 2:1-2).
3. Our Assurance of His Success (John 17:2-4).
4. Our Assurance of Resurrection – "Because I live, ye shall live also."

Be sure you do not miss the connection between verses 5 and 6. "Nations that knew thee not shall turn unto thee." That is the absolute, unconditional promise of God the Father to God the Son as the covenant Surety of his people. Then, the next verse says, "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found." That is a free, unlimited exhortation to men. Three things are clearly established by this verse.

A. First, there is no inconsistency at all between the doctrine of God's absolute sovereignty in grace and the free offer of the gospel, the offer of salvation to all who will believe.

1. Only God's elect will be saved (Rom. 9:11-26).
2. Only those redeemed by Christ will be saved (Heb. 9:22).
3. Only those who are called by the Spirit will be saved (John 3:3)
4. That means all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved (Acts 16:31).
5. The decree of God does not nullify the necessity of your seeking the Lord. It makes it certain that some will seek him!

B. Secondly, There is a time when the Lord maybe found and that time is now, while he is near.

What a blessing! Some may think me hertical for saying so, but I do believe that in this matter of grace and salvation, "The tide must be taken at the flood." "Jesus of Nazareth passed by."

C. But, thirdly, there is a solemn warning in this verse, for there is a time when the Lord may not be found!

• Proverbs 1:23-33


• Proverbs 29:1
Illus: Dixie – "My God, preacher, I can't repent."
      Harold Martin's Brother – "It's too late for me. I've lived like hell. Now I'll die like      Hell.

1. Here is the Gift of God to Sinful Men – (v. 4). –
2. Here is God's Promise to His Son, our Covenant Surety – (v. 5).
3. Here is the Exhortation of God's Servant to you – (v. 6).

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