Come To The Feast

Please stand in honor of God's word The Old Testament reading is in 2nd

Samuel chapter 7 ending in verse 17 Now when the king had lived in his house and the

Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies The king said to Nathan the prophet see now

I dwell in the house of Cedar But the ark of the God the ark of God dwells in a tent and Nathan said to the king

Go do all that is in your heart for the Lord is with you But that same night the word of the

Lord came to Nathan go and tell the servant David Thus says the Lord would you build me a house to dwell in I have not lived in a house since the day

I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day But I have moved about in a tent from my dwelling and all the places where I have moved with all the people of Israel Did did

I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel whom I commanded to shepherd my people of Israel saying

Why have you not built me a house of Cedar? now therefore You shall say to my servant

David thus says the Lord of hosts. I took you from the pasture from following the sheep that you should be a prince over my people and Have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you and I will make your name

Make you a name great like the name of the great ones of the earth and I will appoint a place for my people

Israel and will plant them so that they may dwell in their own place and Be disturbed no more and violent men shall afflict them

No more as formerly from the time that I appointed the judges over my people Israel and I will give you rest from all your enemies

Moreover the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house When your days are fulfilled and when you lie down with your fathers,

I will raise up your offspring after you you shall come Who shall come from your body and and will establish his kingdom?

He shall build a house for night my name and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

I will be to him a Father and he shall be to me a son When he commits iniquity,

I will discipline him with the rod of men and with stripes of the sons of men

But my steadfast love will not depart from him as I took it from Saul Whom as I took it from Saul whom

I put away from before you And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me your throne shall be established forever in accordance with all these words and in accordance with all this this vision

David Nathan spoke to David new testament reading this morning is in Revelation chapter 21 verses 1 through 8

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away and the sea was no

More and I saw the holy city New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God Paired as a bride adorned for her husband and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying

Behold the dwelling place of God is with man and 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 will be no more

Neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore for the former things have passed away and He who is seated on the throne said behold.

I am making all things new Also, he said write this down for these words are trustworthy and true and he said to me it is done

I am the Alpha and the Omega the beginning and the end To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life from without payment

The one who conquers will have his heritage and I will be his

God and he will be my son But as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral

Sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur

Which is the second death, please remain stand take your

Bibles this morning and turn with me to the Prophet Isaiah Chapter 55

You follow as I read this chapter come

Everyone who thirsts come to the waters and he who has no money come by and eat

Come by wine and milk without money and without price Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labor for that which does not satisfy?

Listen diligently to me and eat what is good and delight yourselves in rich food

Incline your ear and come to me here that your soul may live And I will make with you an everlasting covenant my steadfast sure love for David Behold, I made him a witness to the people's a leader and commander for the people's behold

You shall call a nation that you do not know in a nation that did not know you shall run to you

Because of the Lord your God and of the Holy One of Israel for he has glorified you Seek the

Lord 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 your ways my ways declares the Lord For as the heavens are higher than the earth are my way

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 for which

I sent it For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace The mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands

Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress instead of the briar shall come up the myrtle and it shall make a name for The Lord an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off Father open your word to us now.

We are hungry for it. We're thirsty for it. We want it Satisfy our hunger today with your word

For Lord when we hear your word When we read your word, we are hearing you speak

To us help us then now we pray We want so much to honor you

Help us to honor you with our joy. Now. We pray we need to ask somebody

Anybody an unbeliever what they think christianity is what what sort of thing do you get? What just sort of thing would you?

expect I expect things like Well, they're crabby people They're joyless people

You got to give up so much You know life The way you guys express christianity

Wow, it's got to be a drag Right I think that's what we would hear a lot of people say

But this text before us says just the opposite It gives us hope it gives us

A way to look at our faith the way it is And to see the glory and the joy of it now here you find a prophecy to a generation of israel yet to suffer the destruction of their homeland and their banishment in exile

And this is a prophecy that they need to look to when it's all over when the judgment is over To see the comfort and salvation to those nearing the end of their captivity

They hear here an invitation to come to god finding not the judge who chastened them

Not the judge who punished them, but one who graciously invites them to satisfaction

And pardon And glory He promises them mercy and rest in salvation however

Those promises did not find fulfillment immediately in the restoration to the land of milk and honey and everything was good again

And the temple was glorious again, and everything was like it was supposed to be in their in their land

God instead fulfills the promises made here in ways that are totally unexpected

So As we look at this see this god invites you all to come and be satisfied And he bases that on the promises that he makes in this prophecy

Here's what he says to you He says here the promise promises of a new covenant We see that in the last part of verse three through verse five

And I will make with you an everlasting covenant my steadfast sure love for david

Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples a leader and commander for the peoples Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know and a nation that did not know you shall run to you

That did not did not know you shall run to you because of the lord your god and of the holy one of israel for he has glorified you

Now god made a covenant with david you heard it already this morning You heard it read in the old testament reading this morning

And if you look at that covenant recall it now to mind It's just been read to you that god promised him a descendant who would build a house for god

And he also promised him an eternal throne that a descendant would always sit on the throne

And so those were the promises made to david a descendant who would build a house for god And one who would eternally sit or sit on the eternal throne of god

And here you see that god also promised david that he'd be a witness to the peoples and a leader and commander to of the peoples

Now david was exactly that as he conquered the nations around him if you read the story of david

Particularly in first samuel you read the story of a king with just victory after victory after victory over his enemies

As such he was a witness that the god of israel Was the god who orchestrated those victories and david would recognize that in his psalms

That this god was the one who orchestrated their victories that all glory goes to god

To the god of david who accomplished great things for his people He showed the world his god

Who had given him those victories? But now says the prophet in verse 5 it says interesting god makes that covenant with you his nation

Not only with david he makes it with you his nation. He now extends those promises to the entire nation

Now it's interesting now instead of the enlarging the kingdom through conquest

From conquering nations You will summon them to you. They will come to you

Instead of building an empire by conquest. It's going to be so glorious that it will summon them and they will run to you

They will see your god and the splendor he bestows on you And they will come

They will want to become part of that kingdom And so as isaiah looks out he says there's coming a day when it won't be through armed conflict

Your kingdom will become so glorious that people will run to it people You will summon them to it that god will be so glorious that people will want to be part of it you know you can contrast two empires in the

Latter part of the 20th century the empires of the soviet union and the united states

Soviet union grew through military might intimidation And threats a brutal colorless uninviting empire

And especially after world war ii as they swept through eastern europe and just took over all of eastern europe

And then you see the united states influence and power grew Because it promised freedom and a better way of life

Now what's interesting? I don't want to get stuck too far down in history But after world war ii there was a real concern that the

Communists were going to take over the rest of europe. What happened? Did we send more troops?

You know what happened the united states rebuilt the nations that it had destroyed

In the war rebuilt the nations of its enemies and western europe is

Part of our alliance if you will because of that There's two different approaches

So this empire Promised by isaiah will also grow But not by force of arms, but by the attractiveness of the god of glory

Have you ever thought that thought God's glory is something attractive His glory is going to be such that it will attract people.

They will run to that kingdom But there's a problem for the weary people of israel. There is a problem for them

Longing for their land after the captivity after the captivity What happened?

Well, the house of david the ruling family lies in ruins. There is no davidic king There is no davidic king when you read the book of haggai

For example, who do you have you have shelt sheltiel the governor of judah? He's not even the king

He's a governor under the persian emperor They don't have the glory of their old temple.

It's gone. And when you read the book of haggai, for example, and And uh ezra you see that they try to build the temple and they build it

But it's such so much smaller and it doesn't seem to have the glory of the lord in it And there's no davidic king ruling on the throne.

Where is this house? Where is this king? Everything does not look right Had god remained faithful to the promises he made to david or had he abandoned them?

Had he abandoned them? indeed When you look for example at psalm 89 you see a lament that says where is god?

Where is his promises if you look there with me psalm 89? Psalm 89 we'll pick it up in verse 35

Once for all I have sworn by my holiness. I will not Lie to david his offspring shall endure forever his throne as long as he

As the sun before me like the moon it shall be established forever a faithful witness in the skies

That's the promise to david but then look what the psalmist says But you have cast off but but you have cast off and rejected you are full of wrath against your anointed

You have renounced the covenant with your servants. You have defiled his crown in the dust You have breached all his walls and have laid his strongholds in ruins

All who pass by plunder him he he has become the scorn of his neighbors

You've exalted the right hand of his foes. You have made all his enemies rejoice You have also turned back the edge of his sword and you have not made him stand in battle

You have made his splendor to cease And cast his throne to the ground You have cut short the days of his youth

You have covered him with shame See what the psalmist is saying He's saying

I know those promises god what what happened? King His crown is in the dust

And his enemies vanquish him. Where is your promise?

Had god remained unfaithful Had he forgotten all that he said? No Indeed god remained faithful to his promise, but in an unexpected way in an unexpected way

Turn to acts chapter 13 Here is paul. This is one of his sermons that luke has recorded and he's preaching to these people

And here's what he says acts 13 verse 32 And we bring you the good news that what god promised to the fathers this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising

Jesus as also it is written in the second song You are my son

Today I have begotten you And as for the fact that he written paul goes on and as for the fact that he raised him from the dead no more

To return to corruption. He has spoken this way and he quotes isaiah 55 verse 3

I will give you the holy and sure blessings of david quoting isaiah 55 verse 3

So here it is Jesus sums up within himself All the promises made to this nation all the promises made to that nation find their fulfillment in jesus jesus then

Embodies the splendor of that kingdom and the glory of god and the nations hasten to him

Remember the song of the lamb in revelation You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals because you were slain

And with your blood you purchase men for god from every tribe and language and people and nation

You have made them to be a kingdom and priest to serve our god and they will reign on the earth you see

It's all fulfilled in jesus This this nation's running are running to christ

And at the end of time jesus will bring this prophecy to complete fulfillment As we read this

I did not see a temple in the city because the lord god almighty and the lamb are its temple

The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it for the glory of god gives it light and the lamb

Is its lamp note The nations will walk by its light And the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it on no day.

Will there? Will its gates ever be shut for there will be no night there the glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it

You see that God fulfills all those promises. He hasn't forgetting the covenant he made with david.

He hasn't forgetting any of that But it's all embodied in christ in a way that we would not have seen if jesus had not appeared

When jesus came in fulfillment of the faithful love he promised to david in other ways. He built the temple

Right, he will build a house But what kind of house a greater temple than david ever dreamed of look for example at ephesians chapter 2 ephesians chapter 2 verses 19 through 22

Consequently you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with god's people and members of god's household

Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, by the way, do you see something ringing there? Do you see isaiah 55 is talking about the nations running to him and attracting people and what does it say here?

You should hear an echo here. You're no longer foreigners and aliens. You're part of the household of god

You see that With christ jesus himself as the chief cornerstone in him the whole what?

The whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the lord and in him

You two are being built together to become a dwelling in which god lives by his spirit

He did build a greater temple a temple made of people A temple that's universal in its scope

That people who are once foreigners and aliens are now part of the household of god And he sits on the throne of a kingdom a kingdom greater than david ever thought

I am always fascinated by peter's sermon in at pentecost in acts chapter 2

All right acts chapter 2 And I know you say pastor.

This is about The thousandth and one time that you've gone to acts chapter 2 Well, this is a thousand and two then

But we have to see this I think this is a key To understanding so much of what jesus has accomplished in fulfillment of old testament promises and prophecies acts chapter 2 beginning in verse 24

God raised him up as jesus Loosing the pangs of death because it was not possible for him to be held by it for david says concerning him

I saw the lord always before me for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken

Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue Tongue rejoiced my flesh also will dwell in hope for you will not abandon my soul to hades

Or let your holy one see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of light Of life, you will make me full of gladness

With your presence quoting psalm 16 Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch david that he both died and was buried and his tomb is with us to this day

Being there for a prophet and knowing that god had sworn with him An oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on the throne

He foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the christ of the anointed king

That he was not abandoned to hades nor did his flesh see corruption this jesus

God raised up and of that we all are witnesses being therefore exalted at the right hand of god and having received

From the father the promise of the holy spirit. He has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing

For david did not ascend into heaven But he himself says the lord said to my lord sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool

Let all the house of israel therefore know for certain that god has made him both lord and christ this jesus whom you crucify

All right, do you see that? He said this is the fulfillment of the promises to david

Jesus has been exalted to a throne. It's a throne in heaven, but it's the davidic throne. It's the throne That he promised his son david

According to peter the resurrection of jesus and his exaltation to the throne of heaven fulfilled the promise of the covenant

And so as the gospel goes out The gospel of the god who saves us from our sin the splendor of forgiveness and Justification and all that jesus accomplishes for us causes people to come it goes out and calls them and they come

Willingly not by conquest of sword, but they are drawn in and they run to that kingdom

But how does anyone experience those wonderful blessings? Well, he goes on to tell us that you grasp the blessings of the covenant by calling on god verses 6 through 11

Seek the lord 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 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 For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there

But water the earth making it bright 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 For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace

The mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands

Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress instead of the briar shall come up the myrtle and it shall make a name for The lord an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off Well, what does he say?

How then do you grasp the blessings of this covenant that he's made? Well, first of all You need to call on god in repentance.

That's what he says in verse 7 He doesn't indicate to you the prophet does not indicate to you that you get yourself all straightened out first Before god will accept you

No, that's not what he says He doesn't say straighten yourself out before you can enjoy all the blessings of the kingdom

He doesn't say make your life right and then you'll enjoy all the blessings. He doesn't say that He says you cannot embrace the blessings of the kingdom while you love your wicked ways and your wicked thoughts

You've got to repent you've got to learn to hate those things You hate those things now and you will never enjoy the blessings of this kingdom if you still love the wicked purposes of your heart

He's not saying get yourself straightened out. He's saying abandon your deeds Abandon those wicked thoughts you can enjoy those blessings if you look at those things in a different way.

I'll never forget You know, I forget a lot I've been here for 38 years and i've i've forgotten a lot of stuff but I remember and I don't want to embarrass him, but I remember the

The night that greg we had a watch night service and greg field was talking to us and uh

It was it was like within the year of his conversion and I remember him standing up and he said this

If you'd have told my friends last year that on new year's eve I would be in church they would have laughed

But you know what? I find I hate the things I once loved And I love the things

I once hated That's what he's saying here repentance

You're done with those things you hate them And if you call on god, he will have mercy and pardon you

Freely Freely there's nothing you can do. He blesses you freely

But You must call on the lord while he is near And he is near and the only thing you do is turn away

And turn to him and all you do is call well you say

That doesn't make any sense But if you do that people will just Go crazy in their sin.

Just say well god will forgive you freely. Well, then they'll just go crazy in their sin. No, they won't No, they won't and you know why

You know why it sounds so crazy. Listen I have had countless times that I have um

Given a track to someone that they've come to me for help and I give them this track I say I want it.

It's the track. I think I love the most it's called bad record and bad heart And I give them that and it's very clear.

It says you have a bad record. There's nothing you can do about it You got to believe in jesus and have your record in heaven cleansed

Erased the file thrown away And you have a bad heart You don't like the things of god

Right, but god can give you a new heart But it's all free And i've sat with people as they read through that and they say to me well we have to get our lives straightened out

It is so simple, but it is so radically different people would never think of that People would never think that god freely pardons

How does he do it? He sends a savior One who will walk in our shoes who will experience everything we experience yet without sin

And yet he will be nailed to a cross as a criminal He will be nailed to a cross as a blasphemer even though he never was and he will bear the sins of of his people and He cries out my god.

My god. Why have you forsaken me? And then he's risen from the dead to show that everything he said was true

And that we are justified counted righteous By believing in this jesus whoever would have thought of that nobody, but god's

Ways are higher than our ways and his thoughts are higher than our thoughts

No one could have ever conceived of that That's how glorious god is his thoughts are above our thoughts.

We just can't even approach it And in his magnificent wisdom, he sends a savior the lord jesus christ

So he calls on you to forsake your evil ways and your thoughts because his ways and thoughts are righteous

God freely pardons and offers mercy without cost even though it's foreign to our feelings

Even though it's alien to our thinking It is not beyond the design of divine compassion

How can you be sure that god will accomplish such extravagant promises How can you be sure?

This promise is of a glorious kingdom open to all who hear the gospel Enticing the nations so that people will come to him freely.

How does he get that done? What is he saying verses 10 and 11? my word

It's like rain and snow it goes out and it brings Nourishment to the soil and things grow that's my word it goes out and it accomplishes its purposes

Everything that god utters is like rain and snow You know what? It's like in march

You know, you've tired a winter But it's not quite spring And you look out the window and you see the yellow complexion of the grass

And the trees that look like bare bones reaching to the sky, right? And you're just tired of that And then one day it rains

And you see the droplets on the window And you say It's going to be green again

The leaves are going to come out again You know that the rain will accomplish that that's how god's word is

God's words like that wherever it goes out. It accomplishes what he wants it to You ever notice when you repeat the words of god to people who don't know christ and you stumble and you stammer?

And you share it with them and then And then they

Come to faith god gives them new life and they spring to life and they come to faith And you're thinking

How did that ever happen? I mean I was just like an idiot when I was talking to him because it's not you

It's the word of god It's the word of god that accomplishes that you know when when folks say to me

Thank you pastor tim. I Thank you for the help. You gave me the only thing I can say is this

I'm, just the water boy I just gave you the word of god. That's all i've done

Right the word of god changes people in most dramatic ways I was talking to someone yesterday

I mean, he's a married man with three children and I knew him as a high school kid, right?

he was antagonistic um He did not care for the things of god and yesterday

I was talking to him And he said well, I guess i've come a long way I said well it's amazing what the lord can do, isn't it?

He says it sure is It sure is Never would have thought that young guy would have been a christian here.

He is raising his kids going to church just Thanking god

That's what god's word does You compare the empire of jesus with every other empire and it

You find it advancing by the very word of god Look at islam today or look at the history of islam.

The history of islam is you conquer by the sword And you compel people to confess allah

It hasn't changed by the way Hasn't changed But look at the empire of jesus

It advances merely by speaking the word of god It advances by the power of the word of god

You speak it People are converted. They're included in the kingdom that kingdom spreads out all over the world

You know, one of the things that I love about going overseas when you guys allow me to do that and actually send me

One of the things that amazes me as I walk in a country of albania, for example an islamic country and You see christians and you see the kingdom slowly but surely growing in that place

Go to romania And spend time with those brothers and I look

I can see I look at what it was like in 2003 The first year

I went there and last year when I was in with nick in bucharest and in the in the valley with Benny and juana and I see these churches growing up And they're prospering and they're calling people to christ and i'm thinking

In 2003, it wasn't like that It just was not like that It's amazing what the word of god does and what ultimately results when the word of god goes out forth goes forth with its promises verses 12 and 13 13 things grow

And it results in joy The prophet emphasizes this by saying all of creation rejoices all of creation is clapping by the way

We're not a clapping church, but I love it when we clap at baptism.

I gotta tell you I absolutely love that Don't let that get around But you know what here he's saying

Creation's clapping their hands. It's clapping its hands all this joy all this rejoicing because An everlasting as an everlasting token to the greatness of god

God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him as john piper has said

People of the nations will look at god's people freely pardoned and rejoicing. They will look with awe and wonder at god

And it will produce joy And it is an eternal sign for the lord's renown

You know how the lord's renown is broadcast to the world when his people rejoice

In the free salvation that he is given That's the renown of god

That's when he is glorified I remember a friend of mine went to india he talked about this indian fellow who

Before he was a believer had gotten into a lot of debt and he took He took part of this government program and then defrauded the government well, then

He was converted and he started serving the lord jesus, but the government caught up with him and sent him to jail

And so he's in jail And um, so all the christians are praying that he gets released

Eventually he does it It didn't It wasn't right away. He was in prison for a while And when he got out

When he got out he told them this he told his brothers and sisters this You know what

What the other guys in prison told me they said this When we pray to our gods, we expect them to deliver us.

But when your people pray to your god You're joyful your god doesn't

Just get you out of prison. He makes you a joyful man in prison and that stood out to them

Any god can deliver you Only that god can give you joy That was the renown and the glory of god in that prison you see

And so looking to the fulfillment of that great promise God invites you to find satisfaction.

I haven't forgotten about the first three verses God invites you to satisfaction come everyone who thirsts come to the waters and he who has no money

Come buy and eat come buy wine and milk without money and without price

Why do you spend your money for that? Which is not bread and your labor for that which does not satisfy listen diligent to me and eat

What is good and delight yourselves in rich food incline your ear and come to me here that your soul may live

Do you see what he says here? Do you see the goodness of god in this invitation?

He has promised free pardon and mercy he has promised a glorious life of joy

He has promised a king who will rule forever And he likens it to water

My first job was with a guy named warren brown. He was a landscaper. He also raised some cattle

I was 15 I was 15. We worked 54 hours a week you know, it was technically agricultural so 54 hours a week as a 15 year old kid my very first job

I was scared to death right and warren brown Was the kind of boss who liked to scare his employees?

Okay So I remember the very first day i'm on a job a landscaping job

And it's hot And i'm digging in holes and doing all kinds of stuff and i'm thirsty I mean,

I am really thirsty But I I don't think I can go get a drink of water.

I don't think I can leave my work to go get a drink I didn't have any with me

I I you know, we had plenty of hoses around but I didn't think I could Get a drink of water.

I thought well, he won't let us do that And i'm telling you. I don't think I ever got thirstier in my life than that day

I was So I worked until lunchtime Right, I felt like I ran out of sweat

It was so hot. I was so thirsty that water tasted so good Water never tasted as good as it did that day right

And that's what he's saying here It's like water You're thirsty for this

And this is what he gives you Those promises of god are like wine and bread and milk all the food necessary for life and enjoyment

All the food that's necessary for life and enjoyment is yours and it's free

Do you see that? And he who has no money come by and eat you say bye.

I don't have any money exactly And then he goes on Come by wine and milk without money and without price

Buy it, but you don't need money And it doesn't cost anything It's yours.

He's trying to make the prompt the the idea that it is free the the

All the food necessary for life and enjoyment are yours for free And these promises are like sitting down to a banquet of rich food a banquet of rich food

Becca and I in the our 25th anniversary, which would have been uh 90 92

No I'm sorry What year did we get married 77 92,

I guess 92 We went off on our 25th wedding anniversary to peely island It's that big island in the in the western part of lake erie.

We said let's just go there. Let's see what that's all about And they had this restaurant on this island, right?

And it was one of those You know, it wasn't like going to arby's together you actually had to make a reservation

Right, so we went to make a reservation. Well, we couldn't get in at six. We had to wait till like 7 30

I mean, this is a really and take it or leave it someone else will get it. So I thought 25th anniversary.

Let's do it And we and that is the first time I ever paid a hundred dollars for a meal for two people it's not so unusual now with with you know, but Back then a hundred bucks for one meal after 25th anniversary and it was the best food

You could think of I mean even every little tomato was perfect It was unbelievable.

I mean, am I right? Yeah I was hoping my memory wasn't fooling me.

It was the best food you could ever. I mean everything was cooked to perfection Every leaf of lettuce was picked at the right moment

It was unbelievable and that's what he's talking about here, but it doesn't cost you anything

It's free This rich feast is free See god offers you the only things that will ever satisfy

God is good. He is not a mean ogre waiting to bang you over the head more than anything

God wants you to enjoy the richest most glorious life that anyone could possibly experience

And it's all free Please note God invites you with persistence

Do you see that in those first verses come? Just come Why?

Do you spend your money? He's persistent in that. You know, why because depravity makes you stupid makes you unaware

Care and uncaring for the greatest things you could ever have most labor for lifetimes

Most labor for lifetimes for things that will never Satisfy they spend their entire life

Many labor for relationships that will never satisfy and they're not satisfied.

They go from relationship to relationship And they never find peace with god

Others labor a lifetime to build a business But they never find the mercy of god others still others labor for riches and money and property

Instead of the riches of joy and delight found only in god. Why do you labor for things that will never satisfy?

C .s lewis was right when he wrote this C .s lewis was right Indeed if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the gospel and here in this prophecy

It would seem that our lord finds our desires. Listen to him It would seem that the lord found finds our desires not too strong but too weak

We are half -hearted creatures fooling about with drink and sex and ambition

When infinite joy is offered to us like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum

Because he cannot imagine what is meant by an offer of a holiday at the sea We are far too easily pleased

We're far too easily pleased Why do you want what? like he says What like I say it says why do you want what can never satisfy

Should want the things that satisfy for eternity What is our faith?

Is it difficulty yes, is it hard sure But it is the most satisfying

The most satisfying thing in this world god is good god is good

And he invites us to enjoy what he has to offer through christ

Why Why pursue those things that will never satisfy? Pursue the lord jesus

Run to his kingdom find joy and delight In all that god offers us in jesus father your goodness

Is beyond our comprehension, but again it is because We desire too much of the things that don't satisfy and father

I pray that as we grow in christ as we as we

Know more of him that the world would see joyful Satisfied people for the renown of the name of god

Who is good? Challenge us I pray and lord for those who are strangers to your kingdom who have never come to the lord jesus in faith

Lord god, I would pray that they have heard your invitation to a rich feast

And to water that satisfies Oh god, thank you for your goodness

Particularly as it's revealed in jesus Grant repentance to those

Who have not partaken of the feast And repentance to us who are there

That we would continue To look to you for our satisfaction. Thank you