The Pulpit Used by C.F.W. Walther for Preaching the Gospel

The "Not-So-Great-Commission" Parts 1 and 2

Issues, Etc. Journal- Fall 2011(click here)

Issues, Etc. Journal- Summer 2011(click here)

I

Sermon on Isaiah 55

Isaiah 55:6-9

In the name of Jesus.  Amen.

In the days of Isaiah the prophet, people were seeking the mediums, the necromancers, and the false prophets.  They were seeking for God in all the wrong places.  He never promised to be found in those places.  They were calling out to Him in ways in which He never promised them that He would hear them.  They became spiritually blind and deaf to the word of God.  Yet, for the sake of His covenant with Abraham and David the LORD sought out the lost and called out through the voice of His prophets.

Isaiah called out saying, “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near…” (Isaiah 55:6, ESV)  Now we can understand the idea of seeking and finding.  But take note that the key is not in the seeking but in the finding.  I could send you out on a treasure hunt in the mountains seeking for a hidden chest of gold.  You could seek for years and never find it if you don’t know where to look.  Likewise, we can easily understand the calling upon one while he is near.  Once more, the key is not that action of calling, but rather calling out when one can be reached.  It won’t matter how many times a person tries to call you if you are nowhere near your phone.  If you can’t hear it, then you won’t answer it.  The phone can ring and ring and ring, but if no one is near it won’t be answered.

In addition to understanding the seeking and calling, take note that the finding and nearness of God are set in a window of time.  It says, to seek while He may be found and to call while He may be heard.  Like a special offer promoted to the consumer, there is a time when the seeking and calling is valid.  After the expiration date has come it is too late.

So, when is the proper time to seek and to call?  It is your whole life long.  On the last day, time has expired and the special promotional offer is no longer valid.  Our whole lives the LORD seeks after us calling out to us saying, “Seek Me and Live.  All who call upon the name of the LORD will be saved.  Come to Me.”

Isaiah goes on to call them to repentance declaring, “…let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; (Isaiah 55:7, ESV)  First of all, recall that the wicked and unrighteous are the those without faith.  It is not their ways or thoughts that make them wicked and unrighteous; rather, they have wicked ways because they are wicked and unrighteous thoughts because they are unrighteous. 

Second, notice that Isaiah is not teaching them a religion of moralism.  These are those who do not trust in the promises of God.  They are in a state of wickedness and unrighteousness.  Likewise, Isaiah is not teaching them a new method to become holy; instead, he calls them to forsake their ways and their thoughts. 

Third, this does not mean that as believers, who are righteous in God’s sight by faith in Christ, we should act as if this passage has nothing to do with us.  We cannot freely embrace wicked ways and unrighteous thoughts.  We too are called to forsake such ways and thoughts.  As St. Paul says in our epistle lesson, “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ…” (Philippians 1:27, ESV) We are being taught by the Holy Spirit that the way of the righteous is to act and think righteously.  Even as the baptized, sin still clings to us manifesting itself in wicked ways and unrighteous thoughts.  For this reason, we draw before the presence of our Triune God confessing our sins in our thoughts, words, and deeds.   As believers, we are in the state of righteousness which means that we are learning to forsake wicked ways and unrighteous thoughts. 

Isaiah goes on to teach us by saying, “let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” (Isaiah 55:7, ESV)  Again, this shows to us that it is not just enough to cease and desist from wicked ways and unrighteous thoughts, there must be a reckoning.  He must turn and face the LORD.  But, God’s ways are not our ways and God’s thoughts are not our thoughts.  While there is still time, while the LORD can be found, and while the LORD is near, the wicked are called to turn to the LORD so that God can show him compassion and not destruction.  The purpose for turning to the LORD is to gain a full pardon.  Now is the time to receive forgiveness.  At the end of time the wicked and unrighteous will receive punishment.  The LORD pardons abundantly.  Even those who are righteous by faith sin much and desire nothing but God’s anger and wrath.  Yet, the LORD abundantly pardons us for the sake of Christ.

Natural knowledge cannot teach us this great news.  As the LORD says through the mouth of Isaiah,  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my 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.” (Isaiah 55:8-9, ESV)   There is an enormous difference between our ways and thoughts and the LORD’s ways and thoughts.  We can’t say that “We missed it by that much.”  His ways and thoughts are as far away as the heavens are from us. This teaching must be revealed.   Thus, the Holy Spirit enlightens us to know that now is the day of salvation.  Now is the time of grace and mercy.  We are called to seek the LORD now while He may be found and call upon Him now while He is near.  But how is He to be found and where is He near us? 

The LORD does not leave us guessing.  He does not send us on a wild goose chase in which we seek and call without a location.  The ways and the thoughts of the LORD do not stay in the heavens out of our reach.  If you were to read on past today’s Old Testament text to the next verse in Isaiah you would read the answer.  The LORD declares, “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 for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:10–11, ESV)  He gives to us His word from heaven.  In fact, the Father sent forth His Son.  God sent the Word Incarnate so that we may know the compassion and abundant pardon of the LORD upon us.  Whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life.

We gather this day to “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near…” (Isaiah 55:6, ESV)  Isaiah teaches us to seek the LORD while He may be found and call upon Him while He is near.  Again the key is in the finding and in the nearness of God to be heard.  Yet, we are not to wait until we get around to seeking and calling, for tomorrow maybe far too late.  We are directed to seek God in Christ now.  “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” (Colossians 1:19–20, ESV) 

Where is Christ to be found and where is He near?  Christ is present in His word in which He is compassionate.  He is present in the Sacrament of the Altar in which He abundantly pardons us.  In His promise to dwell among us for our benefit, God is teaching us His thoughts and His ways.  We seek the LORD where He has promised to be found.  Through the gospel and sacraments He is near us to deliver His compassion to us.  In the hearing of the gospel and the receiving of the Sacrament, we live in the window of time of abundant pardon.  Now is the time of grace.  Amen.