Love His Way, Live His Ways - Isaiah 55:6-11

All right, turn to Isaiah 55. All right, so we've

been on the series of our purpose statement,

love God, love his word, love his ways, love

his things. And you're like, that's a purpose

statement. Yes, it is. It literally is why we

are here. You know, the chief end of man is to

Glorify God and enjoy him forever. Well, how

do we do that? How do we glorify God? We glorify

God by loving God and learning to love God, by

loving his word, by learning to live his word,

by living his ways, and then learning to love

his things by stewarding. All of this is about

stewardship. Whether you're looking at your relationship

with Christ, his word, his ways, and his things,

you have to steward your relationship with Christ.

You have to steward the word of Christ. You have

to steward the ways of Christ. And you have to

steward. The things of Christ. And it's very

important. Like many churches, you know what

their motto is. Love God, love others, reach

the world. Really. I get it. Like I get the greatest

commandments. But we purpose put first things

first. And Christ is first in all things. So

the best way to love God, to love others, is

to love God. So we're on loving his ways. Love

his ways, live his ways. Isaiah 55 is where we're

going to be starting. So I'm going to pray and

then we'll get started. Father, I want to thank

you so much for your word. Thank you that you

are the sovereign king, that you are in control

of all things. And by your providence, you cause,

move, and bring about the results of what you

have set in place by your word so that all things

bring you glory and that you are honored and

glorified. And your name is... preached among

the nations. Lord, we do thank you and praise

you for your word. Help us to understand the

importance of living your ways and loving your

ways. To you be honor and glory forever in Jesus'

name. Amen. Isaiah 55. Isaiah 55. I should have

turned there first. All right. So we're going

to notice some very important things. And you're

going to kind of catch a theme that's going on

here. And it's really about salvation. The ways

of God is the way of salvation. And you're going

to see some very important things I don't think

many people consider. So when you talk about

God's ways, do you really understand what it

means? I think we understand what he commands,

but do we really understand his ways? Isaiah

Isaiah 55:6–11

chapter 55, verse 6 through 11. seek the Lord

seek Yahweh while he may be found call upon him

while he is near let the wicked forsake his way

and the unrighteous man his thoughts let him

return to the Lord that he may have compassion

on him and to our God for he will abundantly

pardon for my thoughts are not your thoughts

Neither are my ways your ways, declares the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts

than your thoughts. For as the rain and the snow

come down from heaven and do not return there

but water the earth, making it bring forth and

sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to

the eater, So shall my word be that goes out

from my mouth. It shall not return to me empty,

but it shall accomplish that which I purpose

and shall succeed in the thing in which I sent

it. So I want you to notice something, what God

is saying here. You don't think like me. Your

mind is not even close to be like my mind. And

you're not even close to doing things the way

I do them. Your ways are so outside of my ways

and your thoughts are so outside of my thoughts.

You have no clue. Be like, well, God, then how

do we get to know you? It's right here. The scripture

he's given us is enough for life and godliness.

There are some things we just don't need to know.

We don't have to know. And I'm kind of glad because

when we start to really dig into what God has

revealed in his word, revealed inspiration through

his word, Okay, divine inspiration. And then

we look at his creation, natural inspiration

that he created. We start to really grasp that

God is far beyond in his thoughts and ways are

far beyond ours. As a matter of fact, we are

in complete contrary in our thoughts and ways

than his. Total opposites. God's ways are seen,

heard, and can only be found in the word of God.

You cannot find any of God's ways outside of

his word. It's right here. You want to know what

God's ways are? Right here. Okay? The word gives

us a clear picture that God's ways are completely

and vastly different than ours. that our ways

are wicked and desperately sinful and that God's

ways are righteous, good, perfect, pure, holy,

and true. Psalm 1830, this God, his way is perfect.

So that kind of stops us pretty quickly, doesn't

it? Because our ways aren't. The word of the

Lord proves true. He is a shield for all those

who take refuge in him. So what do we learn?

God's ways are perfect and his word is true.

Number two, Psalm 77, 13. Your way, O God, is

holy. What God is great like our God. In other

words, your way is not only perfect and true,

but your way is holy. It's a narrow way. It's

not a way that man can contrive. It's not a way

that man has determined. God's way has been determined

by him and him alone. And it is a very narrow

way. Psalm 119 verse 132. Turn to me and be gracious

Psalms 119:132

to me as is your way with those who love your

name. So those who love God's name, God's way

for them is grace. and turning. Turn to me, and

be gracious to me. Why? That is your way for

me, because I love you. Because if I don't turn

to God, turn to Christ, I will not experience

the grace of God, the way he's intended for me

to experience his grace, and I would not really

love his name, would I? So, God's way for the

sinner is beyond our understanding. In John 14,

5 through 6, Thomas said to him, Lord, we do

not know where you're going. How can we know

the way? Jesus said to him, I am the way, the

truth, the life. No one comes to the Father except

through me. And this way is a literal way. It's

not just he's the doorway. He is the way of living.

He is the way in every way. He is the way incarnate.

He is the word incarnate. He has lived out for

us to see on display the way of life. And the

only way to get on that way, which is the narrow

way, is through him because he's the only way

to get there. Now, Romans 11, 28 through 36.

As regards the gospel. Now, I want you to notice

something very important. Is as we go through

these verses, look at God's way. Because you'll

be surprised that it's not the way you think.

Because man thinks one way, we think we're right.

Well, this has got to be the way that God does

things because God is love. After all, when we

read this and we see God's way. of his mercy,

which is given to us as we experience and actually

walk in his salvation because of Christ, we really

understand there is only one way, and it's a

very narrow way. This is going to shock you.

As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your

sake. Who are they? Those who have rejected Christ,

the Jews. The Jews are enemies for your sake.

But as regards election, they are beloved for

the sake of their forefathers. In other words,

because of election and God bringing salvation

through the Jews and the forefathers, Abraham,

Isaac, Jacob, we can have salvation. For the

gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

The gift of salvation for the elect is irrevocable.

You cannot stop it. Every elected person will

be saved. This is a problem for many others who

look at some theology differently because they

really have a hard time dealing with chapter

11, actually chapter 9, 10, and 11 of Romans.

Look at what it says. For just as you were at

one time disobedient to God, but now have received

mercy because of their disobedience. Think about

that. Because of their rejection, you, being

disobedient, have received the mercy of God.

Because of their disobedience and the rejection

of Christ, you received mercy of God because

you were disobedient. That's what he means here.

So they too. have now been disobedient in order

that by the mercy shown to you, they also may

now receive mercy. Isn't that interesting? So

this is what happens. So I'm being disobedient

and because of my disobedience, God can now show

me mercy. Because why would he have to show mercy

to someone who's obedient? There's no need for

mercy when you're being obedient. You need mercy

when you're being disobedient, right? So I'm

being disobedient. And the disobedience of someone

else brings mercy to me because of my disobedience.

And then he turns around and says, so they too

have now been disobedient in an order that by

the mercy shown to you, you may also now receive

mercy. Wow. So the disobedience of one is now

giving me an opportunity for God's mercy? Yes.

Now look at this, verse 32. This is an interesting

verse. Look, for God has consigned all to disobedience.

This word consigned means to be shut up on all

sides. So those wonderful little babies, God's

consigned them to disobedience. God has shut

them in, in all sides, so that one may save them.

God has shut us all in to disobedience. God uses

my disobedience, my sinfulness to redeem me.

Isn't that? And now that should shock you. You

know why? Because God's thoughts aren't our thoughts.

Here's the point. If I was never disobedient,

would I ever understand God's mercy? Would we

really understand God's mercy and what it means

to have mercy upon us? and the greatness and

the grandness of God's grace and mercy if we

weren't disobedient. What's the point? That's

important to understand. So I thank God that

he has consigned me to my sinful nature so that

I can experience the grace and the mercy of God,

not because I love my sin, because I do, so that

his mercy would be great upon me. That's the

point. Like, wow. Now, who would even think?

of that. I mean, God could have fixed it, right?

I mean, God could have removed all this. We don't

have to suffer, but we do because if we don't

understand the depth of our sin, we don't understand

the depth of the mercy of God because where sin

increases, grace increases all the more. So what

do we do? Continue sinning so that grace may

increase? By no means. We died to sin. How can

we live in it any longer? We don't continue sinning

because God gives us grace. God gives us grace

because he gives us the power to be obedient.

Isn't that amazing? Now, when we look at this,

look what it says at the end of verse 32. For

God has consigned, for God has shut up all of

us on all sides to disobedience that he may have

mercy on all. Oh, look at this beautiful statement.

Oh, the depth of the riches and the wisdom and

knowledge of God. Oh, the depth of the riches

of God's thoughts who are higher than your thoughts

and my ways higher than your ways. You have no

clue what God has planned for those who he has

adopted and redeemed. It's beyond your imagination.

You can't even think and fathom because your

thoughts don't even compare. Oh, the depth of

the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God.

How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable

his ways. God's way of mercy is through God.

disobedience. For who has known the mind of the

Lord? And who has been his counselor? Can you

tell him? I mean, Job tried, right? Cursed the

day I was born. He said, where were you, Job,

when I set the foundations of the earth and drew

a line in it? Where were you when I told the

waters to stop here? Were you there? No. That's

because God's thoughts are higher than our thoughts

and his ways are higher than our ways. We can't

even imagine. Verse 35 of Romans 11. Or who has

given a gift to him that he might be repaid?

Could you even repay him for what he has done?

The very thought of God accomplishes whatever

he plans. For from him and through him and to

him are all things. To him be glory forever and

ever. Do you hear that? From him. Through him

and to him are all things. That's called sovereignty.

So for all those who may hear this message, who

don't want to hear about the sovereignty of God,

deal with that. That's a way that is far beyond

my, I can't even comprehend. I do all things

through me, for me, and to me. Why? Because there's

one place that we can understand God's ways.

God's ways have been given to you in a way for

you to live rightly. God's ways are found only

in one place. One place, his word. You can't

get his ways anywhere else. There's no other

place. In all of creation besides his word. You

can't find it in the Quran. You can't find it

in the Hare Krishnas. You can't find it in Jehovah's

Witnesses. You can't find it in the Mormons.

Their ways will kill you. It's not God's ways.

God's ways are clear. It's consistent. He doesn't

shift and he doesn't change. His ways are made

very clear for us to obey. Psalm 25, four through

five. Make me to know your ways, O Lord. Teach

me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach

me for you are the God of my salvation. For you,

I wait all the day long. Your ways, your paths,

your truth, your salvation. Do you see it? Do

you see who, where's the way? Christ is the way.

2 Peter 1. 3 through 11. The very first verse

we're going to read here is the declaration statement

for this particular chapter, to be honest with

you. His divine power has granted to us all things

that pertain to life and godliness. His divine

power has granted us all things, the way to life

and godliness. Through the knowledge of him who

called us to his own glory and excellence. Now,

verse 4. By which he has granted to us his precious

and very great promises. He has granted those

promises, the word, to us. And they are not only

precious, but they are very great. So that through

them, through what? Through the word, you may

become partakers of the divine nature. Through

the word. Faith comes by hearing the word. Hearing

the word of Christ. It's the word of Christ that

we become partakers of the divine nature. What

great promise, the promise of Messiah. What great

promise that we will be with him forever. What

great promise that he has a people that is not

of this world. And if that's true, what way should

his people live? Look at this. So that through

them, you may become partakers of the divine

nature, having escaped from. The corruption that

is in the world because of sinful desires. We

are escaping corruption. That's an amazing thought.

We escape. John has escaped corruption. So when

he's laying in the bed next to his wife and he

looks over to her and says, why am I still here?

I want my escape. What an amazing thing. That's

celebration. We're still here. Escaping, right?

Well, we have in Christ already escaped, but

now for this very reason, because of the truth

that God in his divine power has granted us all

things for life and Godliness, he has given us

a way and the way because of his knowledge and

has granted us these precious and great promises

and that we have, we can now. We now have become

partakers of the divine nature and escaping the

corruption. How should you live the way? For

this very reason, verse 5, make every effort

to supplement your faith. What's a supplement?

I'll give you an example. How many guys like

to go out in the sun? I know. But then the doctors

go, you know, you really can't go out in the

sun because, you know, the ozone layer is thinning

and you're going to get skin cancer. But they

don't tell you that when you don't go out in

the sun and get vitamin D3, you get other cancers.

Because vitamin D3 is absolute necessity for

your immune system. Why? So I supplement. I need

to supplement. The idea is I need to, in addition

to my faith, add something. So add to my faith

virtue and virtue knowledge. And knowledge self

-control. And self -control steadfastness. And

steadfastness with godliness. And godliness with

brotherly affection. And brotherly affection

with love. So timely. So timely. So important.

For if these qualities are yours. And are increasing.

They keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful

in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. What's

the point? Ephesians, we are to grow into mature

manhood, into the knowledge and the stature of

Christ, to know his ways and let him reveal to

us his thoughts because our thoughts don't, in

our ways, they just, it's oil and water. For

whoever lacks these qualities, is so nearsighted

that he is blind. That is the blind leading the

blind. They fall into a pit. Having forgotten,

it continues, having forgotten that he was cleansed

from his former sins. In other words, he didn't

clean himself. Christ cleanses us. It's Christ,

the way. Therefore, brothers, Be all the more

diligent to confirm your calling and election.

In other words, if you want to make sure that

everyone knows you're a believer, live this way.

Confirm it. Prove it. Don't want to hear no talk.

Prove it's what he's saying here. For if you

practice, you see that? These qualities, you

will never fall. Doesn't mean you're not going

to make mistakes. It means that you will not

fall away. Your salvation is sure because you

are, by the power of the Spirit, continuing to

add to your faith these things, these supplements,

these spiritual supplements. That's the way that

God has given for you. For in this way, there

will be... Richly provided for you an entrance

into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior

Jesus Christ. The grand entrance. There's going

to be a grand entrance or it's going to be, what

do you call those little party doodads that you

wear a little patent and it gets wet and no longer

does it anymore. It's like, what kind of entrance

are you going to have? You know, you pull the

string and a little thing goes poof. Or is it

going to be fireworks? I don't know. I don't

know what that's going to be like, but I want

a grand entrance because that's what he says.

For in this way, there will be richly provided

for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom

of God. I'm wanting to know what that looks like.

So in the Psalms, there are a lot of scriptures

that talk about the way. And I'm going to give

you a few of them today. In Psalm 18, verse 21.

Psalms 18:21

For I have kept the ways of the Lord and have

not wickedly departed from them. What are the

ways? The word of God. God's commands. That's

his way. You want to know what God's way is?

Be obedient to his word. That's his way. That's

what he's saying here. All of this points to

his way. And his ways are way different. So he

has a way for you. His way is obedience. He has

a way for you to come through Christ. by which

he consigned our disobedience to experience his

mercy and grace. He has a way, his faith, which

he deposits in you and causes to grow in you.

And as a result of his creation of faith within

you, you come to the saving knowledge of Christ.

That's his way. He's the way. There is no other

way. For I've kept the ways of the Lord and have

not... wickedly departed from my God. Psalm 25

.4, make me know your ways, O Lord, teach me

your paths. Make me know your ways. Why? Because

if I don't know your ways, I will fail you. And

God says that if we practice these things, we

will not fail him. We will not fall, I mean.

Here we go. Psalm 25 .8. Good and upright is

the Lord. Therefore, he instructs his sinners

in the way. Psalm 37, 23 and 24. The steps of

a man are established by the Lord when he delights

in his way. In other words, the only way that

you're going to be able to have your steps established

in Christ is to delight in his way. Not by watching

just preachers on TV. It's not enough of the

way. The way is the word. It's not by listening

to these little tiny messages you get from people

that give you the fluff and it tastes like, what

am I thinking of? It tastes like a s'more. Tastes

really good, but it's really bad for you. And

I love s'mores. That's so bad. His way is different.

The steps of a man are established by the Lord

when he delights in his way. Though he fall,

he shall not. be cast headlong for the Lord upholds

his hands. Psalm 119 verse 1 through 3. Blessed

Psalms 119:1–3

are those whose way is blameless, who walk in

the law of the Lord. Blessed are those who keep

his testimonies, his way, and seek him with their

whole heart, who also do no wrong but walk in

his ways. Do you see the cycle here? Psalm 119,

Psalms 119:14

verse 14 and 15. I'm going to read all these.

They're all Psalm 119. I'll tell you when it

shifts, okay? So Psalm 119, verse 14 and 15.

Psalms 119:14

In the way of your testimonies I delight as much

as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts

and fix my eyes on your ways. 27, make me understand

the way of your precepts and I will meditate

on your wondrous works. I have chosen the way

of faithfulness. Why? Because God's way is faithfulness.

I have set your rules before me. 32, I will run

in the way of your commands when you enlarge

my heart. In other words, as I continue to run

in the way of your commands, my heart becomes

enlarged. And if you're ever a runner, did you

know runners have bigger hearts than people who

don't run? Isn't that interesting? That's a real

physical fact. Or ride bikes. I mean, like big,

strong muscles. Here we go. Verse 33. Teach me,

O Lord, the way of your statutes, and I will

keep it to the end. 37. worthless things, and

give me life in your ways. Psalm 128, verse 1.

Psalms 128:1

Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks

in his ways. And then Psalm 86, 11. Teach me

your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth,

unite my heart to fear your name. Do you see

the point of what the way is? What is the way?

God's word. Who's the way? Jesus. How many are

on the way? Very few. His ways are not burdensome.

So I want to end with this statement. Therefore,

brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm

your calling and election. For if you practice

these qualities, if you live according to his

ways, you will never fall. That's what this means.

Love God. Love his word. Love his ways. Love

his things. Love God's word, his commands. Love

his commands. Live out his commands. Do his commands.

It's there. You're going to do it regardless.

Christ is the fulfillment of all that. It's not

an issue of legalism. It's an issue of a clarification

of the heart. If you love me, you obey these

commands. Father, I want to thank you so much

for your goodness and faithfulness. We give you

praise, honor, and glory. And we thank you that

you have given us your ways, that we may live

a life that reflects you as you continue to conform

us into the image of your Son for your glory,

that we may be prepared to enter into the kingdom

in such a way that you are so glorified and we

praise you and thank you. You have consigned

us to disobedience to show us mercy. You have

given us salvation because of mercy and you have

implanted in us faith, which is the gift that

we may walk uprightly before you. May we supply

or supplement faith with all these things for

your glory. In Jesus' name, amen.