SAM SPITALI HOMECOMING SERVICE

ISAIAH 55

He had that dry sense of humor. He would be cutting my hair and then take a few steps back, shake his head and then look at it. Of course he knew that I would ask him how it was going, and then he would say for the entire shop to hear, I’m a barber Ray, not a miracle worker.

Sometimes he would tell me to walk out of the shop with my head tilted so that the hairline on the back of my head looked straight.

After he took the razor out of the jar, one time he shook his hand quite noticeably, and I asked him if he was okay, he said that he needed prayer because he was having a problem drinking and he was going cold turkey.

Sam loved it when I would bring in a Scripture for him to meditate on that day.

A few years ago, long before Sam was diagnosed with cancer, I shared a message for a communion service that touched Sam’s heart. He came up to me and asked me to share that same message at his Homecoming Service. And so today I want to honor my dear brothers request. This message was the basis of Sam’s hope, and his prayer for his loved ones and friends. I pray that by the grace of God, it will be the basis of your hope this morning as well. Please turn in your Bible to Isaiah 55.

In the book of Isaiah, chapter 53, reveals the plan of God to atone for the sin of the world by sending His Son Jesus Christ to be the sinless Lamb of God to die on the cross.

As we move on to Isaiah 55, we are given the exhortation and invitation by to come and receive this free gift salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

Since forgiveness of sin and salvation is all by the grace of God apart from any works on our part, it is abundantly clear from Scripture that salvation is something that is impossible for a person to purchase or earn.

Whenever we take The Lord’s Supper, we learn from elements of the bread and wine or juice used during The Lord’s Supper, salvation is not the gift of any church or denomination, it is a gift that only God Himself can give to you. The apostle Peter wrote these words to a very religious group who were relying on their religious traditions to save their souls.

• 1Peter 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot

Isa 55:1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

·      We learn from these verses that the True and Living God is a kind, compassionate, inviting God.  To whom is this invitation for salvation given?

o   Everyone who thirsts - This call is not to a select few here this morning, but to every single one of us. But more specifically, it is given to those who thirstWhat does it mean to thirst? Thirst is used often is Scripture to convey a deep desire that overrides all other. The desire here is the dryness of the soul; it is a spiritual thirst that cannot be met by anything less than God Himself.

o   Come, buy wine and milk - Without money - God's all-encompassing grace is described as being offered without money for the mere fact that salvation isn’t something that we can earn from God. The apostle Paul put it this way:

§  Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

§  We are not accepted in the eyes of God upon the basis of our good works or religious pedigree, but upon the basis of the grace of Christ’s substitutionary death for us on the cross.

·      Why do  you spend your money for that which does not satisfy

o   God exposes the endless pursuit of those who seek to satisfy the hunger of their soul with physical things that money and position can buy.

o   Mark 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

o   In Eccl 1.14, King Solomon described man endless pursuit to satisfy the spiritual and the eternal with the things of this world this way… all is vanity (empty) and vexation (frustration) of spirit.

55.3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

·      In verse 3, God promises those that inline their ear unto Him and come unto Him that they will live (find life). This refers to the life of the spirit that was lost at the fall of man back in the garden of Eden. Apart from a personal relationship with The Lord Jesus Christ, we only have biological, human existence, but we do not have life.

·      Until we come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ as Lord, we seek to fill that hole in our souls with a different job, different city, different car, different house, different spouse, new computer, new boat, new books, new bike, new grill, new season tickets, new diet, new looks—but still no pot at the end of the rainbow.

·      Jesus spoke to a woman that sought to fill that void in her heart with a physical relationship with men. She had been married 5 times and was presently living with a man, but she was empty inside. Listen to what Jesus said to her.

o   John 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. 4:11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? 12  Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? 13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

·      Listen to what Jesus said to a multitude of people who were looking for satisfaction and fulfillment in the things of this world:

• John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David

·      The everlasting covenant from God was made possible when God gave His only begotten Son as the payment for our sins. Anyone who comes to Him in faith can have this gift of eternal life.

·      The sure mercies of David points to Jesus Christ, Who came from the family line of David.

Isa 55:4 Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people. 5 Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.

·      I have given Him to be a witness - This points to God’s gracious provision of His Son Jesus Christ for the sins of the world. Jesus Christ came to be a witness of God’s heart for lost man.

o   John 1.29 Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

o   John 3:16 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. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

·      The Holy One of Israel that hath glorified God points to Jesus. Several times in His priestly prayer in John 17, Jesus said that He came to glorify the Father on earth be revealing His love for humanity by dying for their sins.

Isa 55:6 ¶ Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

·      Seek the Lord …call upon Him while He is near. We must humbly respond to this gracious invitation that God gives to us. There is only one way that we find God.

o   Jer 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

·      Let the wicked forsake his way - Repentance is a prerequisite for the preparation of the heart. Repentance means a change of heart and mind. It means a change of direction. It is a turning from a life of sin and self to a life of love and serving of God and others.

·      God is longsuffering, not willing that any perish, but all come to repentance.  This is how a person becomes born again. Calling upon the Lord, while He may be found. Calling upon Him while He is near, seeking the Lord. Turning from our wickedness, turning our life over to Jesus Christ. The wonderful thing is, He will not just pardon you, He will abundantly pardon!

·      When the apostle Paul was writing his first letter to the church at Thessalonians, he described their repentance this way: 1 Thess 1.9 ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.

·      Let him return - God reveals His love in seeking to restore those who have walked away from Him. When the prodigal Son discovered that the things of this world were like a pigpen in comparison to the grace and love of His Fathers house, we read these precious words, Luke 15. 18 Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. 20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

• If the prayer of your heart this morning is this...Psa 25:11 For thy name's sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great. The Lord’s response will be this.... Jer 33:8 And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me.

In closing the message this morning, the 3 beverages that we read about in verse 1, water, milk and wine, correspond to deep needs that every human being has.

• Water is necessary for life and refreshment... God invites you this a new way off living and refreshment.
• Milk corresponds to the need for ongoing nourishment....God offers to you this morning the spiritual nourishment that you need to sustain you in life.
• Wine in certain places of Scripture is a symbol of great joy. Jesus Christ offers to all who come to Him a kind of joy that the world cannot offer to you.
• Rev 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Sam prayed earnestly for the salvation of all of his family and friends and customers. If you would like to talk to me or one of the other pastors, elders or deacons after the service, we would love to pray with you.