Scripture: Isaiah 55
I. You should come to God’s party because you will be satisfied.
A. The people of Israel that Isaiah prophesied among were not satisfied. They’re spending their money on that which is not bread (vs. 2). They’re laboring for that which does not satisfy. God gives His dissatisfied people a strange invitation. “He who has no money, come buy and eat!” (vs. 1). God is going to give you some satisfying gifts at His party. We are invited then to buy what we cannot afford because someone else has paid for us to come to the party: Jesus.
B. God’s offer to satisfy His people is like the offer Jesus made to a Samaritan woman at a well in John 4:13-14: “Jesus said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’” “Come to me,” God says in vs. 3. What the world offers cannot satisfy. Only God can satisfy.
II. You should come to God’s party because God wants to forgive you.
A. God’s invitation to the party of heaven is a limited-time offer (vs. 6). God loves you so much. He wants to forgive you. But you have to turn around. You have to leave sin behind (vs. 7). Many think that the way to close the gap between us and a holy God is to do good works. We have to earn God’s favor by some good deeds of our own. But what are God’s thoughts (vs. 8) about closing the gap between Him and us? The way to close the gap is by repentance and faith.
B. When you put your faith in Jesus as the all sufficient sacrifice for your sins, you are saying something about God. You are saying that you know that He is so ready to forgive, He is so generous in forgiveness, that He will forgive. God will accomplish the purpose He has for His Word. Let’s remember what we read in Romans 10:17: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
III. You should come to God’s party because God is creating a whole new world.
A. Revelation 21:3-4: “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” In the new world, the mountains and hills sing, and the trees clap with joy (vs. 12). The curse of thorns is reversed and life is found (vs. 13).
Application:
Come to God’s party in heaven by turning from sin and putting faith in Jesus today.
Sources:
The book of Isaiah
Commentaries by J.A. Motyer, Derek Thomas, Tim Chester, Bob Fyall & David Jackman
Sermon Discussion Questions
- What kinds of people does God invite to His party in heaven? Do you know people like that? Who can you invite to the party this week?
- How are God’s promises to David (vs. 3) fulfilled in Jesus? And how do those promises affect us?
- What are two ways that we need to respond to God’s invitation to come to the party in heaven? Have you turned to God in repentance and faith? What powerful tool does God use to produce faith (see vs. 11)?