So Will My Word Be | Isaiah 55:10-11

Well, good morning, almost afternoon. Not quite afternoon, but good morning. It is it is my joy to be with you all this morning when Charlie and I visited a couple of months ago and he said I'd love to have you come to preach on a Sunday. And it came sooner than I thought. So we're excited to be here. My family and I drove in yesterday, it took us almost three hours to get from Lexington. To to hear traffic was fantastic. And we're excited to get back. Hoping the traffic's not too bad. As we head on back my wife, Ileana, and I've been married for for 19 years. Someone told me the trick to that is just say the year you were married, and then you're never having to do the math in your in your head. So we were married in 2004, right? 19 years. Why it is, is there on the end, I go this way. Why is 13 Sally is 11 and Manning is 16. And they're excited for school start back and in a few days inland teaches fourth grade school in Columbia. And she goes back on Tuesday. So summer is over for us. This was our last hurrah. And so it's been good. It's been good for us. Charlie and I met years ago. We serve together at First Baptist Church in Columbia. He was the children's pastor I was one of the student pastors there. But Charlie has known my my wife's side of the family for a long time. And and one of the joys of this new work that I'm getting to do is to be able to fill in for friends. Like Charlie Charlie loves you. He's doing a remarkable job here. I know he and Colby are a great team and the others that are working really hard here at the church. My kids asked at the we had a little little break in between the services and what does what does pastor Colby do, right? So he is the student guy right here, students he's leading in worship, he's doing missions. And so I think he does a lot. Whereas Is he gone? He's probably teaching the kids right now, somewhere. But it's a great church. And I told Charlie, if I don't mess it up too bad today, perhaps I can come back and talk about Connie Maxwell and tell you all the good things that are happening there in Greenwood. And across the state. I serve now as the director of church engagement for Connie Maxwell. And my job is to travel the state and meet with pastors and other ministry leaders and talk about foster care. And to see how we can either build or strengthen existing foster care ministries in the south man of churches, I thought forever that I would travel the state as governor of South Carolina. But I married a woman who doesn't want to be in the spotlight. And so this is this is even better. I get to travel the state as the director of church engagement. And see this beautiful state that I've called home my entire life. I was born in Florence, raised in Greenville, went to North Greenville, got my undergrad there, and then went back and got my master's there. So I'm a South Carolinian through and through. So anyway, that's enough about me, let's get to the good stuff. In the text. I know you're finishing up your series in Isaiah, when Charlie told me that I thought wow, what in the world? How am I gonna want me to preach? And he said, Well, here's like, five, six chapters, pick a couple of verses and and, and go right. So I'm going to land in Isaiah chapter 55, verses 10 through 11. The title of the message is so will my word be? We're talking about the sufficiency and the reliability of God's word. But let me ask you this question before we get started. Has anybody in the room ever been let down by someone by that person, not living up to his or her word? Anybody in the room been let down by somebody? Sometimes it's trivial. Sometimes it's really, really serious. I want to tell you, one of the more serious moments in my life where I was let down by the word of an individual. I think I called him a gentleman in the first service. I'm not gonna call him a gentleman. In this service. He was a man that broke my heart. You had to go back to the year 1997. I am in 97. I'm beginning to drive and and I'm driving. I'm a passenger in a car that is passing this house. And on the end, the front yard of the house is a 1974 Bronco. I didn't realize this but that might offend some people right so I've learned as a pastor not to talk about college athletics because you you immediately divide a The congregation and then when you say forward, you're immediately dividing the congregation it was a 1970 Ford Bronco. It was kind of mustard yellow with a cream top is a hard top. And I wanted that car. And as I remember it, my dad was trying to figure out what to do. He was very gracious to buy me my first car. Spoiler alert. It was a 1993 Ford tiempo. It wasn't a 1974 Bronco. So he calls the gentleman who's selling the truck. Is the Truck For Sale. Yes. Fantastic. We're coming to see it. And so we go with the intention to buy the car because the man has said, This truck is for sale. You can come look at it. And I'm assuming that he wants to make money in this exchange. And so we get there we knock on the door we exchange pleasantries. When the gentleman says, Who is this truck for? Remember? He said it's for sale. Right? It's very important. As for him, he points to me. It's for him. The 16 year old standing on the on the Yeah, it's not for sale. It's not for sale. I'm sorry. What are you mean? Right. And so frustration, anger, disappointment. Rage, probably. Confusion overwhelms me. And he says he'll wreck it. He'll flip it is too dangerous. It's not for sale. That's devastating. And I don't feel like you're as devastated as I was. At in this moment, right? I just didn't hit the way it hits me. It still hits me to this day. Right? I've never quite gotten quite got over that. Here. Here's the thing. He said the man who said this 1974 Bronco is for sale, goes back on his word out. Now certainly there have been moments in my life and obviously moments in your life, as well, where you've had experiences of being let down by the word of an individual. With that in mind, I want to turn our attention to the text, Isaiah 55, verses 10 through 11. As we wrap up your your series in Isaiah, what's happening here in Isaiah is Isaiah is adding to the reasons why people should seek God and repent and of their sins. In the preceding chapters. And even in leading in the verses leading up to this, Isaiah addresses the superiority of God's plans. So it's not like he's presenting a case for people to turn from their sins and turn to God, but it kind of is right. So he's talking about the superiority of God's plans. And now we see Isaiah is adding to the superiority of God's plans by talking about the 100% reliability of God's Word. And so God's plan and God's words are going together, he's never going to back out of a deal, right? He's never going to say this is not for sale, if he says it, it is to be trusted. And Isaiah gives us some imagery to consider as we think about God's word. Look at verse, verses 10, through 11. For as the rain and snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater. So Will my word be, which goes forth from my mouth, it will not return to me empty or void, without accomplishing what I desire and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. Pray with me, Father, God, thank you so much for the opportunity, we now have to consider your word. So God, we ask that you would remove all distractions, Holy Spirit, you would have your way with us here. And these moments, we don't want to take this for granted. And we thank you for the opportunity we've had already to sing of your faithfulness to sing of your goodness to reflect on who you are. And now God we are anxiously entering into these moments as you speak to us yet again through Your Word. Help us to leave here change because of our time here together. This morning is in Jesus name that we pray, Amen. So here we see the prophet Isaiah, providing for us a great illustration the parallel between what the rain does for the earth and what God's Word does for his people. Barns notes that the meaning of these verses is plain, which is good news for me. So in other words, this doesn't take a theologian to figure out what Isaiah is trying to communicate here in the text, right? It's very plain barn says the time of rain is the time after the cause. Coming of the Messiah, barns writes, the hearts of men by nature are what the Earth would be without the reins of heaven. And that is barren and sterile. Barnes continues, he says the rain never descends in vain. Rather, it makes the earth fertile, beautiful, and lovely. So just as the rain comes to bring life to the earth, so too does God's word come to bring life to the center, right to bring life to us as believers. And so with that in mind, I want to consider four truths from the text concerning God's word. Number one, we see that God's word is powerful. God's word is powerful. I just love the way verse 11 reads, so we'll be my word which goes forth from my mouth. So will be my word, which goes forth from my mouth. If Philip Turner is paraphrasing this, it's simply put, because I'm simple minded. And it's this when God speaks, things happen. When God speaks, things happened, and I can't think of a better text to illustrate when God speaks things happen, though there are many, then the creation narrative, all through Genesis one, all through Genesis one we see God said, and then God said, God said, and then God said, God said, and then God said, and then we see it. And then he said, it was good, right? Throughout the entire creation narrative, we read about God speaking, his words coming forth from his mouth, the existence of all that we know to be true, right? And so God's word is powerful. So Will my word which goes forth from my mouth, barns, comments, God's Word, and the truth they're in is as much adapted to produce an effect on the heart and sterile hearts of men, as the rain is on the earth. So just as the rain comes, and waters the brown, so too, does God's word come forth from his mouth, to accomplish that which He wills, as I thought about what the rain does is it brings nourishment to the earth. I thought about my backyard. I take pride in my yard, but not as much pride as my pocketbook would allow for me to take pride in my yard. Because right now in Columbia, South Carolina, my yard is very, very dry, very dry. I'm now to the age of 42 years old, I've got a 16 year old son and 13 year old son, who I now can say as my father said to me, at their age go cut the grass on and I had though, not a self propelled electric lawnmower. And it's not because we're anyway, it I had an old Toro that I had to push by myself now, when my kids are cutting grass or when I'm cutting the grass, especially in the late summer, early fall. It's a dust bowl. It's the Dust Bowl, especially if, as has been the case the summer we haven't had a whole lot of rain of late and so the summer has baked my front yard. My front yard rivals my neighbor's yard for the first couple of weeks in the spring. But then he turns on his sprinklers and I don't turn on my sprinklers. Thus his yard looks a whole lot better right now than mine does. Because of a lack of water. You get the picture. I think this is exactly how we are to think about this text very, very practically. The grass is not growing in my yard because there hasn't been any rain. It doesn't look as good as it should because there hasn't been any rain. Things the picture we can think of when we think about our our lives, being barren and stable without the rain without the word of God that is so powerful. That is life altering and we'll see here in just a moment life. Giving God's word is powerful. Number two, God's word is life giving the universe 10 watering the earth and making it bear and sprout. So let's take a field trip back to my backyard just for a moment said my yard looks best in the spring. Or when I just decided to throw dollar bills out in my backyard right when I turn on the sprinklers wise simple because the nutrients that it gets from the water right because of what happens right as as water hits the ground and nourishes the soil and then all the preparation that I've done to get ready for that I've detached my lawn I fertilize the lawn and then all of a sudden, the rain comes and does the rest of the rains from above bring life to Earth. The God's word from Heaven brings life to his people. This is one of the truths that is convicting to me every time. I think about it and Is this here's the question, how much do I long for the life giving Word of God? There are moments in my life dare I say, there have been seasons in my life where my life looks like my backyard right now. Dry and buried. There are moments in my life, there have been seasons in my life. My life, my life has looked like my backyard in the spring. When it's beautiful, it's green, and it's growing. Nobody else resonate with that. Right? How much am I relying on? How much do I long for the life giving Word of God? And then then then the question I follow that up with is this, what are the substitutes that I've placed in my life? So life giving Word of God? What are the things that I'm trying to find life in or through? That that is not the word of God? I was convicted by the words of the psalmist And Psalm 119. Listen to these Listen to these words. Sama says this my soul clings to the dust. Give me life, according to your word. When I told of my ways, you answered me, teach me. Your statutes made me understand the way of Your precepts and I will meditate on your wondrous works my soul melts away for sorrow strengthened me according to your word, but false ways away from me and graciously teach me Your law. My chosen the way of faithfulness, I set your rules before me I cling to your testimonies. Oh, Lord, let me not be put to shame. I will run in the way of your commandments. When you enlarge my heart that sounds to me like a man who's figured out where life is. My soul clings to the dust. Give me life, according to your word. Not in all the substitutes not in all the fake things that I put my life, my energy and my efforts into but God, I'm coming to you. And coming to you teach me Your statutes helped me to remember what you've what you've done. I had lunch with a with a pastor in in Greenwood, he's a pastor in Colombia. We were in Greenwood having a meeting this past week. And I was struck by something that he said and I hope that I hope I remember it correctly. He asked the question of our president Danny Nicholson said what's what's a what's a good biography on foster care that you've read? Or what's what's something that that and I thought that was a very strange question to ask. But here's why he asked it. Is it because I have found this as a young man, I have found I'm young man, he's younger than me. I have found that I want to start my morning in God's word. Starting there, right. And I'm, I'm ending my day, with historical biographies or autobiographies of God's people. Lots of very intellectual thing to say, right? Here's why. Because in the morning, I want to be reminded of God's goodness and His faithfulness, and be reminded of the truth of who God is that I see in His Word. And then at night, I'm gonna be reminded of his providence to the lives of his people. So that way, on any day, being a good day or a bad day, I start my day, reminded of God's provision in my day reminded of his providence, if that doesn't speak, to help me to meditate on your wondrous works, I don't know what does. So God's word is life, giving. It brings life it waters it bears and it sprouts, Isaiah says, And then number three, God's word has purpose. God's word has something to accomplish. Think about it this way. God never speaks just to hear himself talk. One of my biggest pet peeves in life is the person who asks a question when the meeting is almost over. And it's because I feel like that person just wants to hear him or herself talk, right? You can catch you can catch the boss on the way out you can catch him at the watercooler. You can take them to lunch, you can you know, whatever you wanna do, but no, no, I just feel like so let me get this clear that you said that. Yes, that's what he said. Right? Or that's what she said. Whatever it is. Anybody else know anybody who just like don't raise your hand who just likes to hear himself or herself talk? One of the beauty and one of the one of the things that's frustrating about that is because rarely do those people bring anything good to the conversation, right? It's just hot air. It's not so with the Lord. When God speaks, we understand that his word has purpose, it is not empty, nor does it ever, as we've already discussed, lack power. One commentator writes this, both rain and God's word are intended to have an impact on the earth, and the people who live there, the rain causes the flowers to bud crops to grow and produce fruit and seeds. But the ultimate purpose of all this activity is to provide food for people to eat. So God's word has the function of producing fruit in people and feeding them on something that is more important than mere bread. When I read that, I was reminded of an Old Testament passage, Deuteronomy, chapter eight, verse three, and he humbled you, they let you hunger, and fed you with manna. What you did not know, nor did your fathers know that he may, he might make you know that man does not live on bread, alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. God's word has purpose. I'd like to spend just a few moments here. Because I asked myself the question, then, if if God's Word does what it's supposed to do, and accomplishes what it's supposed to accomplish, and does not return void, right? What do we know to be true for the purposes of God's word? What are some of the things that God has said, in Scripture? Right? So look at scripture to see what God is doing already mentioned, one of my favorite ones, thinking about the power of God's word, what was God doing in the creation narrative he was creating, right? He was speaking, he spoke everything into existence, we see that he conversed with Adam and Eve. He was given counsel, in George fellowship, he's given instruction. He spoke to Moses and zekiel and David and Solomon, he spoke to Jonah and Elijah, he spoke a job and his friends and all of these instances in some way or another, he's again giving counsel he's giving instruction. He's He's providing fellowship to these individuals. We see in the New Testament that he spoke to Paul, on the road to Damascus, he's he's providing here correction in our rebuke. We said he speaks to Peter, there's affirmation there he talks to the apostles he gives instruction, he talks to Jesus. Again, another beautiful picture of affirmation. When God speaks, we understand that his words have purpose, what is the all the purpose of him speaking to others we can see now we know that the same is true to us. When God speaks to us. He's providing all these things to us and so much more. God speaks to us through His Word. Hebrews 412, the writer of Hebrews says, For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two edged sword, piercing to the division of soul, and of spirit of joints and of marrow, as discerning the thoughts and the intentions of the heart. This is another picture of God's word. I love I love to look at this, these two verses in Isaiah and then this first in Hebrews to see the complexity of God's Word. So we see God's word bringing life. We see God's word being likened to rain, which isn't really that intimidating. And then we see God's word being being likened to a, a two edged sword. It's able to split is able to divide. So we have God's word bringing life. And then we have God's word being sharp. God's word with a different purpose, but an important purpose. None the less. God's word has purpose. Number four, we know that God's word will prosper. The second part of verse 11, without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it, so it's not going to return to Me void. It's not going to return to me empty when I speak. It's going to accomplish everything I want it and need it to accomplish without succeeding in the matter, for which I sent it. Guzik states this that the God's Word always succeeds and always fulfills God's purpose, period. End of story. Wouldn't that be great if every word that came out of our mouth succeeded and our purpose here on Earth, and here's the thing about God's word prospering God's word going and doing exactly what it's supposed to do? I think if we're not careful, then we kind of relinquish a little bit of responsible only for us as as believers, and that obviously is not true. It doesn't give us excuses to study less, or to become complacent with the Word of God or the promises or the precepts we find in His Word. Rather, I think, because it will prosper because it will continue to do what it's supposed to do. It should motivate us all the more. I used to work with students and one of the things that you desperately want students to see, and then I was a pastor. And then the thing that I desperately want adults to see is that we want to be something or be about something or be on board with something or be on mission with something that is bigger than ourselves. Your life needs to count for more than what you want your life to count for. Right. God's word will prosper, should motivate us, His Word will out last each one of us in the work of God's Word doesn't stop. If I get lazy. It will accomplish that which it is supposed to accomplish without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. I love Matthew 2435, Heaven and earth will pass away all things will grow strangely dim, right? Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away. Albert Barnes points out the fact that God's word will prosper, proves to things for the fact that God's word will outlive and outlast each one of us. God's were more accomplished that which he wants it to accomplish, and will continue to do so prosperous right, proves two things. Number one, that God has a design and giving his word to men. He has a distinct an intention in His Word, as as he has in sending down rain upon the earth. God's design, and giving God's word to men has a purpose. Just as he sins, rain to water the earth, so to does he send his word to nourish the hearts and lives of men. And then number two, that whatever is his design and given the gospel, it shall be accomplished. It has never spoken in vain, and never fails to produce the effect which he intends. The gospel is no more preached in vain, and the rain falls in vain. And whatever is his design and giving the gospel, his ultimate word right, shall be accomplished it will prosper. Now I think that we are left to consider what are we doing with God's word? Right? Do we echo the words of the psalmist? Again back to 119? How sweet are your words to my taste sweeter than honey to my mouth. This almost goes on and verses 104 and 105. I gain understanding from your precepts. Therefore I hate every wrong path. Your word is a lamp for my feet, and it's a light on my path. On Tuesday afternoon, march 12 1867 Charles Spurgeon preached a message entitled The sweetness of God's Word. In his introduction, he said, Let us then dear brethren, prize this book of God, be not ambitious as some are of seeking some new revelations or inquire for the whispers of disembodied spirits. But be satisfied with this good household bread which God has prepared for his people. And while others may loathe and dislike it, but let's be thankful for it, and acknowledge with gratitude, the bread which came down from heaven, testifying to us as it does of the Lord, Jesus, the Word of life that liveth and abideth forever. As I read that, this week, I was reminded of the Gospel of John, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning, all things were created through Him and apart from Him, not one thing was created that has been created in Him was life, and that life was the light of men. And that light shines in the darkness and yet, the dark myths did not overcome it, the word that put on flesh and came and dwelt among us. There was any time where this world has seemed like a dark place. I would argue that today. Today, it seems like a really, really dark place. But I don't think that's unique to all of mankind. There have been moments in history where you could argue it feels really, really dark right now, right? But today, it feels dark. And yet we know that no matter how dark it may get, but the darkness cannot overcome the light, that is Christ, the very Word of God. You catch that God's word is powerful. God's word has purpose, God's word will prosper. God's word is life, giving God's word put on flesh, right, and came and dwelt among us. The darkness will not overcome that light. And so we cling to the hope that is found in the light, we acknowledge with gratitude, the the bread that came down from heaven, we acknowledge with gratitude, the rain that comes down from heaven, we acknowledge with gratitude, the voice of God as he speaks, you that bread that came down from heaven, the word of life, as Spurgeon says, that liveth and abideth forever. So what are you going to do with God's Word today? How are you going to apply it to your life this week? Are you going to echo the words of the psalmist that, that I want to cling to your word of life, understanding God that you have given it to me for a purpose. I'm 42 years old, not that old. But I'm becoming increasingly more aware of the fact that I've got a lot of work to do. And there's absolutely nothing I can do. Nor is there anything I can accomplish. If this right here, is not hidden in my heart. If I don't long for this over anything else in my life, if I don't, if I don't look to the heavens, right, as I'm praying for rain, so that my my grass can be green. If I don't look to the heavens, say God, give me your word, so that my life will be green, so that my life can be nourished and that my life can show who you are for your glory. It will not happen, I promise you, I promise you, I promise you it will not happen in my life, nor will it happen in your life if you don't have a deep desire for the Word of God. So Father, God give us all a desire for Your Word. God maybe maybe today maybe maybe in this moment, or is the moment where we decide that we're done trying to do this on our own we're we're finished with with working in our own strength where we're tired of playing by another playbook and today's the day that we say our soul clings to the word of life as the psalmist said that just as we anticipate rain to nourish the earth to bring forth the seed that then produces the fruit that then allows us to eat God that we would to look for your word to do that in our lives. Not so that we can pass a test not so that we can say hey, look at us look at look at me. Okay, so that we can make much of you so got however we need to respond today. Help us in this moment to respond. Whatever we need to do, God give us boldness. Give us courage. Perhaps it is walking down to speak with Pastor Colby. Practice using these these these steps as an altar. God help us to be a courageous church today. And then God give us give us the discipline we need as we leave this place today to continue as we go out into your world this week we love you we thank you for the opportunity to do these things it's in Jesus name we pray amen.