Forward Now (Isaiah 62:1-12)

Pastor Bob and Janet
Jan 13, 2019
3 min read

Isaiah, chapter 61, tells the prophesy of the coming church age. God's great love for us, even when we were sinners, provided a perfect sacrifice for the sins of any who believe. Then, He gave to us the Holy Spirit to comfort us and guide us into all truth. Isaiah prophesied a people of God will be set apart and blessed. They will be victorious, and people will know they have been blessed by God. Isaiah was looking beyond Jesus' death and resurrection to a time when people are called out from the world and into fellowship with the Lord and with each other. The church is not a building, but it is a group of people from every nation and tongue who have placed their faith in Christ, who have a viable relationship with Him, and who intentionally share the gospel with the lost. We are a part of that prophecy written so long ago. The Lord has divinely appointed you where you are and at this time. God is saying to the church, Get in the game. Isaiah 62 says to the church to go out and prepare the way for the Savior. The end is near. The church must be militant in going out to share the gospel and serve in the name of Jesus.

I. The Church Militant (vv. 1-5)

The city of Zion is a symbol for the City of God and the people of God. Later, it would be called the church. Verse one encourages the church to not be still. The focus of so many churches today stays inside the church building. The church must get outside the walls and spread the gospel. The gospel should be a flame inside us like a burning torch. The church must be pure as a virgin, for she is the bride of Christ. We must move beyond the trivial and preference issues of denomination. The church is a group of brothers and sisters in a relationship with each other and each in a relationship with Christ. Church means called out. We must take our ministries out to our communities and around the world. Members of the church minister in a variety of ways. We are the hands and feet of Jesus.

II. The Church Ministers (vv. 6-9)

The church is to give the Lord no rest until he establishes the church as a praise in the earth. What does it mean for us to give the Lord no rest? We are to bombard the throne of God with prayer and praise until the church is the praise of the earth. In other words, the church never sleeps. The work of the people of God goes on around the world 24/7. For instance, there are children's homes and orphanages run by caring Christians. New churches are planted by missionaries and indigenous pastors through the showing of the Jesus Film in hundreds of languages and dialects. AIDS clinics, Cholera teams, and Ebola teams of Christian doctors and nurses are stopping these deadly diseases. Isaiah's prophecy declared the church would be doing the work of the Lord even before the church had been established. When the earth is gone, the church will stand. We will be called holy; the redeemed of the Lord.

III. The Church Remembered (vv. 10-12)

The church is to be set apart, to be holy, and to make the Lord its priority. The church is to make a way for salvation. The Apostle Paul had a mindset we should emulate. He preached one thing, Christ crucified. His focus was on winning people to the Lord. In his words, "I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker." Our message for today is this. We have no excuse. We have all the tools we need to carry the gospel message to the ends of the earth. Make soul-winning your priority. Find a ministry that you are passionate about and serve. In everything you do, do it unto the Lord. Serving Him is our priority. As you serve, set your minds on things above and your sure hope of heaven. Never quit. Finish well.