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[0:00] Isaiah 49. I'm going to begin reading at verse 5. He says, This is what the Lord says.

[1:30] And to reassign its desolate inheritances, to say to the captives, Come out, and to those in darkness, be free. They will feed beside the roads and find pasture on every barren hill.

[1:45] They will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will the desert heat or the sun beat upon them. He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water.

[1:58] I will turn all my mountains into roads, and my highways will be raised up. See, they will come from afar, some from the north, some from the west, some from the region of Aswan.

[2:13] Shout for joy, O heavens! Rejoice, O earth! Burst into song, O mountains! For the Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.

[2:28] The Zion said, The Lord has forsaken me. The Lord has forgotten me. Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has born?

[2:42] Though she may forget, I will not forget you. See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands. Your walls are ever before me.

[2:54] Your sons hasten back, and those who laid you waste depart from you. Lift up your eyes and look around. All your sons gather and come to you. As surely as I live, declares the Lord, you will wear them all as ornaments.

[3:09] You will put them on like a bride. Though you were ruined and made desolate, and your land laid waste, now you will be too small for your people.

[3:20] And those who devoured you will be far away. The children born during your bereavement will yet say in your hearing, This place is too small for us. Give us more space to live in.

[3:32] Then you will say in your heart, Who bore me these? I was bereaved and barren. I was exiled and rejected. Who brought these up?

[3:44] I was left all alone. But these, where have they come from? This is what the Sovereign Lord says. See, I will beckon to the Gentiles.

[3:57] I will lift up my banner to the peoples. They will bring your sons in their arms and carry your daughters on their shoulders. Kings will be your foster fathers and their queens your nursing mothers.

[4:10] They will bow down before you with their faces to the ground. They will lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

[4:20] Those who hope in me will not be disappointed. Can plunder be taken from warriors or captives rescued from the fierce?

[4:31] But this is what the Lord says. Yes, captives will be taken from warriors and plunder retrieved from the fierce. I will contend with those who contend with you and your children.

[4:44] I will save. I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh. They will be drunk on their own blood as with wine. Then all mankind will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

[5:03] Let's hear the preaching of God's Word. Well, this Thursday on Thanksgiving will be the joy of many a mother's heart as gathered around her table will be all of her children.

[5:35] Children grown and perhaps moved far away and yet on this day they're coming home. And from far and near they come and the house is full and the table is spread and there's lots of noise and laughter and joy.

[5:52] It's a wonderful scene. Well, Isaiah tells us about another mother and quite a different circumstance.

[6:03] For her the joy has all been lost in life. For she's seen a ruthless enemy nation come and decimate her family. Her daughters have been ravished and her sons slaughtered in front of her.

[6:20] Other children put in chains and drug to the ends of the earth as slaves. She became a widow and fatherless all in the same day. And now she sits at the Thanksgiving table all alone.

[6:35] And not just one year, but the next year. Year follows year. And the empty seats just stare back at her as vivid reminders of the joys she used to have but now are gone forever.

[6:51] And decades follow decades. And nothing changes and happy memories now grow dim. And she finally has forgotten what good days even were and what it even felt like to be happy.

[7:10] This mother is desolate Israel pining away under the merciless heel of the Babylonians. Her circumstances are horrific.

[7:22] Her children are no more and all her hopes are dashed. And yet it's into this bleak circumstance that God sends a word of comfort and joy to this woman, to Israel, through his prophet Isaiah.

[7:37] In fact, it's such good news that it's hard to believe. And so God is here seeking to revive her hope and to bring her to believe this glorious promise that he sets before her.

[7:51] And if we have ears to hear this morning, we will find our faith and hope revived in God's gracious promises even in our darkest days.

[8:04] Yes, the unbelievably good news for Israel is that God is going to free her children from Babylon and bring them back home into the promised land and he's going to use the idolatrous Persian king Cyrus to do this.

[8:20] But more than that, they have need of a greater deliverance. It's not enough to have their feet back in the promised land while their hearts remain far from God. And so God is going to free them from their spiritual enemies of sin and Satan and all their idols.

[8:40] And he's going to bring their hearts back to God. And this greater spiritual redemption will be brought about by the special servant of the Lord.

[8:53] The servant of the Lord as he's referred to in chapter 49. So in the opening verses of this chapter, Isaiah first fixes our eyes on Jesus, the servant of the Lord.

[9:06] And by the way, this is always your greatest need in whatever discouragement you have to not lose sight of the Lord Jesus, but to fix your eyes upon him.

[9:24] Here the Son of God, the servant of the Lord, is telling us about his mission, a mission given to him from God his Father. And he says, before I was born, the Lord chose and called me to be his servant in whom he would display his splendor.

[9:40] Not just by bringing back the tribes of Jacob to the promised plan, but by bringing them back to the Lord in faith and repentance. And so this coming servant will bring about the conversion of those from Israel that God has reserved for himself.

[9:59] No small task to perform with these stiff-necked rebels who were in love with their own ways and in their own idols. But that's not all the servant's mission.

[10:13] For the Lord told him in verse 6, it's too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light to the Gentiles that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.

[10:28] For you see, Israel's problem is all the world's problem. We all, like sheep, have gone astray.

[10:40] We each have turned to his own way. And so people all over the world need to be saved, need to be converted, and brought back to God.

[10:53] This was the great task for which the Lord chose and then prepared his servant, making his mouth like a sharpened sword because with his word he would turn men's hearts back to the Lord, making him like a polished arrow, concealed in his quiver until the right time to shoot him forth into his public ministry.

[11:17] And so the servant came. And after expending great energy in his mission, he groans in verse 4, I have labored to no purpose. I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing.

[11:32] He hadn't brought God's salvation to the ends of the earth. He hadn't even brought Israel back to the Lord. Though he came to his own, his own did not receive him, but they despised and rejected and abhorred him.

[11:47] And yet the servant refuses to let appearances define the success of his mission and against all hope he believes in hope.

[11:59] He refused to give in to the temptation, to sinful despair in his despairing circumstances. Instead, he casts himself upon his God in trustful prayer, clinging to his promises, trusting in the one who called him, the one who called him to his mission to give him success in that mission.

[12:22] For he says in verse 4, yet what is due me is in the Lord's hand and my reward is with my God. He will see this mission succeed. So the servant's mission, it's astounding in its effect and in its scope, stiff-necked Israelites forsaking their idols and loved sins and coming back to the Lord they had turned from.

[12:52] And even far-off pagan Gentile idolaters also being brought to worship the living God. The Lord knows how hard it would be to believe in the success of his servant's mission.

[13:08] And so he gives a confirming word to assure that this mission will succeed and he gives this confirming word first to his servant Jesus and then to his people Israel.

[13:21] And that's how our passage is divided into two. First of all, the Lord's confirming word to his servant Jesus verses 8 through 13. For the Lord says to his servant Jesus in verse 8, in the time of my favor I will answer you and in the day of salvation I will help you.

[13:42] I know that you cannot now see the reward of your labor dear servant of mine. You cannot see the success of your mission but there is a set time of my favor.

[13:55] An appointed season of my grace. A day of salvation coming when I will answer your believing prayer. I will help you and you will see your mission succeed and you will see the will of the Lord prosper in your hand.

[14:11] Now the million dollar question is when? When is this time of favor and this day of salvation that Isaiah that God says to his servant?

[14:24] Well we're not left to guess. Turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 2. We're going to come back here so don't leave your place unmarked but 2 Corinthians 6 2 isn't it good that we have an inspired commentary on our text this morning?

[14:40] We don't need to go read Matthew Henry or Charles Spurgeon or John Calvin or any other men. We can turn to the inspired commentary of scripture interpreting scripture and here we have Paul quoting our passage and explaining its meaning.

[14:58] It comes in the context of him explaining this ministry of reconciliation that has been given to him. In chapter 5 and verse 20 we are therefore Christ's ambassadors.

[15:10] We are servants of the servant of the Lord. As though God were making his appeal through us we implore you on Christ's behalf be reconciled to God for God made him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

[15:30] And then in chapter 6 as God's fellow workers we urge you then not to receive God's grace in vain for he says and now he quotes our passage in the time of my favor I heard you and in the day of salvation I helped you.

[15:49] I tell you now is the time of God's favor. now is the day of salvation. So here's the inspired interpretation on Isaiah 49 8 now is the time of God's favor.

[16:10] Now is the period the season extending from Christ's first coming to his second coming. Now is the day of salvation. The season of God's grace spoken of in Isaiah 49 when the servant of the Lord is bringing God's salvation to the ends of the earth through his ambassadors.

[16:33] It's a time when God's favor is being shown to sinners. When God's arms are open and inviting Jews and Gentiles whoever they are whatever they have done to come and be reconciled to him through the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ his son.

[16:55] It's pure grace that he will not count their sins against them but count them upon his sinless servant because God made him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

[17:11] So Paul is saying you Corinthian believers you are experiencing firsthand the fulfillment of this ancient promise of God to his servant son in Isaiah 49.

[17:23] You are experiencing the success of his mission to the world and I would say to you here at Grace Fellowship who have fled for refuge to Jesus Christ you too are experiencing in your own heart and life the success of the servant's mission as he has come and brought God's salvation to the ends of the earth.

[17:51] What about you my dear friend young person do you realize the amazing opportunity that is yours to live in this period this day of God's favor this day of God's salvation a day that God is willing to forgive you of all your sins for Jesus' sake but please realize it is a day that will end it is a season of grace that will come to an end when Jesus Christ returns and then it will be too late to be made right with God so today if you hear his voice harden not your heart today now is the time of God's favor don't presume that you will have another day your day could end tonight seek the Lord while he may be found call on him while he's near and dear Christian do you see what this New Testament commentary does to

[19:01] Isaiah 49 it says it's he's not just talking about deliverance of a few Jews from Babylonian captivity bringing them back into the promised land no Isaiah 49 is talking about something greater something far more grand than that a greater deliverance from sin of Jews and Gentiles from all the earth being reconciled to God through the work of his servant Jesus Christ indeed Isaiah uses in chapter 49 the deliverance from Babylon to be a picture whereby we might see the deliverance that the servant will bring 700 years later when he shot forth into this world this passage concerns us we are living right now in this day of grace so God promises his servant in the time of my favor

[20:07] I will answer you I will help you I will keep you I will make you to be a covenant for the people isn't that something Jesus is called the covenant the guarantee of salvation for his people because he represents his people in this covenant with God he obeys for them he dies for them and it's the servant of the Lord who has made a covenant for his people who said on his way to the cross this is my blood of the covenant which is shed for you and all who partake in his blood partake of him who is the covenant the assuredness the guarantee of salvation for all his believing people notice in verse 9 of Isaiah 49 in this day of God's favor the servant of the Lord would say to the captives come out and he would say to those in darkness be free now we look first to the picture of Babylon and then to the greater redemption the

[21:15] Babylonians didn't want to let Israel go free any more than Pharaoh of Egypt did but when the Lord's servant says to the captives come out be free they came out and they were freed from their captivity and that's Isaiah's picture of this greater deliverance of the Lord's servant in the day of salvation dear believers every one of you were slaves of sin slaves of sin held by a love of sin stronger than iron chains held captive in the prison house of sin guarded by a devil too strong for us who would not let us go but then the Lord's servant said come out be free and John Newton says long my imprisoned heart long my imprisoned spirit lay fast bound in sin and nature's night thine eye diffused a quickening ray

[22:23] I woke the dungeon flamed with light my chains fell off my heart was free I rose went forth and followed thee be free come out and we came out and we we followed our Lord whose law is the perfect law of liberty and whose service is perfect freedom now between deliverance from Egypt and the promised land there was a journey kids wasn't there a journey that ended up being 40 years in the wilderness and so between release from captivity in Babylon until they came back to the promised land there would also be a journey a pilgrimage!

[23:10] And those pilgrimages back to the promised land into the promised land and back to the promised land is Isaiah's picture of the Christian life right now in the time of God's favor the church is on a homeward bound journey we've been set free from sin we're on our way home but we're not there yet and so we're in this pilgrimage heading home and every day is lived on this spiritual pilgrimage just like Israel in the wilderness do you know the New Testament wants us to think of the Christian life in terms of the wilderness experience of the Israelites the whole book of Hebrews keeps applying lessons to us from the Israelites pilgrimage because we're on a pilgrimage we're on a journey home 1st Corinthians 10 does the same and so Isaiah is doing the same here to show how God provides everything we need on our homeward journey he doesn't set us free from captivity and then just leave us to find our way home somehow no he provides all that we need so there's food all along the way right by the road right there easily accessed so that we never hunger nor thirst

[24:24] I want you to think dear Christian how all along the way of your Christian pilgrimage God has had food right alongside the road for you to strengthen your faith so that you would persevere and not give up in this walk this race this homeward bound journey there's protection here from desert heat and beating sun it's a dangerous journey we're on on our way home with many enemies but he shields us from Satan's temptations and he will not let him tempt us beyond what we can endure but makes a way of escape there's protection here in this passage there's guidance so we not lose our way and get lost with compassion he leads us beside springs of living water there are no obstacles that are allowed to prevent our homecoming he speaks of insurmountable mountains that he turns into roads for us how many times have you come to a mountain and you figured this is it

[25:30] I can't go through it I can't go around it I can't go over how am I going to go on in the Christian life with this mountain in my way and somehow he turned that mountain into a road for you and there were those low bogs and that wet ground that would have sunk you forever and somehow he raised up a highway right through it in bringing you home to heaven yes everything we need not even distance will keep his children from coming home verse 12 see they will come from afar some from the north some from the west some from the region of Aswan perhaps the south he's saying from all over remember the servant's mission was not just to Israel the servant's mission was to bring God's salvation to all the ends of the earth and here they come they're coming from all directions on this homeward journey dear believers we're making our journey home that's the perspective of the present

[26:38] Christian life we're coming home for Thanksgiving feast that will never end we've traveled another week and this servant of the Lord wondrously feeds and leads us and we'll see to it that not one of his own is lost along the way but that all are safely gathered home at last mission accomplished that's the confirming word that God gives to his servant and such a successful mission of the Lord's servant calls for cosmic celebration verse 13 so shout for joy oh heavens rejoice oh earth burst into song oh mountains here's here's cause to set the entire universe a singing for joy why for the Lord comforts his people and he will have compassion on his afflicted ones they may be afflicted but they are his and so he will pour out his compassions on them so here is this call to to sing and praise and yet wonder of wonders though heaven and earth and mountains are singing

[27:52] Zion herself refuses to join this universal choir of all people Israel is not singing for joy it's about her it's good news for her yet she does not sing instead she fills the air with her gloomy lament she's got two verses and they're both in the minor key verse 1 the Lord has forsaken me verse 2 the Lord has forgotten me and so she sings her gloomy song now this is that desolate mother so that you will understand why she's saying the Lord has forgotten me the Lord has forsaken me remember this is that desolate mother with the empty table and she's told they're coming back the Lord's servant will do it but the promise seems to only mock her misery she couldn't see past her painful circumstances to rejoice in the promised homecoming isn't that sad a great homecoming is going to happen and yet she can't enter into the joy of it and yet we too who've been saved from far greater enemies and have far greater promises can find ourselves under such troubles that we go for days and weeks without singing a song of joy to the

[29:26] Lord we sit gloomy and joyless even under the most amazing promises oh yes God's people can sometimes be brought so low by our troubles that we find no joy even in the good news that is ours the promises just don't seem to apply to me to us not here not now it's too late it's over for me it must be for someone else and I want you to notice that God does not ignore his joyless and hopeless people he doesn't leave them saying get over it but he stoops with pity to us to address our doubts to answer our unbelieving faulty thoughts me forgotten you he says I think rather you have forgotten something about me and so we come to the last part of our text the second half the Lord's confirming word to his people

[30:30] Israel he's seeking to bring her to joyful belief in his promise of the servant success he comes to talk to this desolate mother Israel grieving the loss of her children and he says to her can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has born let's imagine for a moment that you're moving to Pennsylvania and everything's packed up and you leave and you've only forgot one thing your nursing baby not hardly you say well for the sake of illustration let's say you're halfway through Ohio and you realize oh I left him in his car seat upstairs in the bedroom but you don't care enough to go back and get him you say that's not going to happen

[31:31] John why not well because mothers don't forget their nursing babies and they have more compassion than to forsake them yes that's what God is saying that a mother's concerned for her baby that's the best that earth can offer in terms of concern of one human being for another and yet God says my concern for you is far greater because though she may forget she may forsake I will not forget you I can't my love for you won't let me forget see I've engraved you on the palms of my hands your walls are ever before me engraved here not in a book somewhere where he never looks but on his hands that he always sees and engraved as if written there with self inflicted wounds and indeed he would wound his own servant son for us and he would forsake him that we might never be forsaken what more could he do to prove his love for us

[32:42] I can't forget you I won't forget you your name's on the palm of my hands your walls are ever before me I can't keep my eyes off of you I see your walls I see that they're broken down I see the condition that you're in and I see what I'm going to do when I rebuild them forgotten no forsaken never in the furnace God may prove thee thence to bring thee forth more bright but can never cease to love thee thou art precious in his sight and so the Lord tells this desolate mother who's been stripped of her children that her sons exiled throughout the Babylonian empire your sons verse 17 will hasten back and those who laid waste depart from you your sons are coming even while the Babylonian soldiers are going they pass on the way in and the way out verse 18 lift up your eyes and look around all your sons gather and come to you you will see the mission succeed you will see your scattered sons coming home as the servant brings back those of

[33:59] Israel that God has kept so desolate mother Zion your children will again beautify you you will wear them as ornaments as a bride adorning herself for her wedding you're desolate now you're without them and you're barren and there's nothing beautiful about your condition but you'll wear them as ornaments again and he knows how hard it is to believe that and so he says to this despairing mother I swear to you on my own life God stoops to swear an oath that she might believe the promise God stooping to help us believe and to rejoice and hope and he says to this mother how astonished you will be at the great number of your children that the servant will gather home to you verse 19 you were ruined and desolate you were like a ghost town and your land was laid waste since there were so few to tend the fields but now there won't be enough room for all of them as they just keep coming and when your children born during your bereavement return they'll be saying to you this place is too small for us give us more space to live in so you get the picture she's waiting she's seeing nobody at the table year after year and the

[35:31] Lord says oh come on up and let me show you what's going to happen do you see them coming they're streaming through the door and you're hugging them and kissing oh you've had another baby you've had some grandchildren and they just keep coming through the door and keep coming they fill up your table they fill up the room the house they overflow and fill all of Jerusalem they fill all of Palestine there's no room for them anymore they're saying give us more room this place is too small they've outgrown Palestine and indeed the last two chapters of Isaiah's prophecy will show us that it will take a whole new heavens and a new earth to be the dwelling place of the family of God so many are the children not little Jerusalem over in Palestine will do a whole new world that God will create for his family it speaks of the worldwide expansion of the family of

[36:37] God as the servant brings God's salvation to the ends of the earth to all nations and as he does so the numbers are swelling the numbers that he is gathering home will swell beyond counting like the dust of the sand of the sea the dust of the earth the stars of heaven even as God had promised Abraham a multitude that no man can number this is the future of God's family this desolate family of this desolate mother such astounding growth that will leave mother Israel stunned and stuttering to herself as all her children keep streaming in verse 21 who bore me these I was bereaved and barren I was exiled and rejected who brought these up I was left all alone but these where have they come from do you see this this mother's dilemma more coming back than went out where are they coming from

[37:40] I haven't raised them I haven't given birth to them and God's answer verse 22 see I will beckon to the Gentiles I will lift up my banner to the peoples and they will bring your sons in their arms and carry your daughters on their shoulders kings will be your foster fathers and their queens your nursing mothers here's the reason for the great increase in the number of children in the family of God it is the inclusion of the Gentiles God God is now beckoning all the peoples of all the earth to come home to him and many many are coming and this is where all these children are coming from they're not just coming from Israel but from other nations born and raised by Gentiles brought up on their knees carried!

[38:36] on their shoulders brought to be the children of Zion and I want you to notice how the I will of the sovereign Lord precedes the they will of the nations it's always that way in God's salvation his I will always comes before they will it's because I will that they will I will beckon to the Gentiles and they will come I'll lift up my banner to the peoples and they'll stream in sovereignty of God's grace taking the initiative his work affecting the result here's the secret hand that is the explanation for all that's happening in world history God is saying I will do this and I will do that and therefore this nation will do this and that and it will all be done to serve the cause of my family and its expansion and its return home and my glory here's the almighty working behind the scenes and when he calls they answer and when he draws they come what a homecoming do you see them they're coming from all over near and far every direction of the compass they're coming from

[39:57] Bremen and La Paz and Lakeville and Wyatt and Mishawaka and Warsaw and Plymouth they're coming they're coming from France and Switzerland homecoming this is they're coming to God through Jesus Christ they're coming to the church they're being grafted into the family tree by being united to the Lord Jesus Christ they become united to the newly constituted Israel of God the kingdom of God that begins as a little mustard seed the smallest of garden seeds grows until it becomes the largest of garden plants so that even the birds of the field can land and nest in its branches that's a picture of God's kingdom growing expanding bringing in the nations and this amazing success of the servants mission is all meant to teach

[41:03] Israel God's people this important lesson verse 23 then you will know that I am the Lord those who hope in me will not be disappointed this is the great end for which God does all these things to make himself known to his people is this not one of our greatest needs to know God you say I know him bless God that you do Paul had known the Lord Jesus for a long time and he still writes to the Philippians oh I want to know Christ God every believer has that yearning oh I want to know God I want to know him as he really is not just as this world portrays him not just as my puny thoughts of him are often portrayed I want to know him as he really is as he's revealed himself in scripture and God says I'm going to do this I'm going to give success to my servant's mission and then you will know just who

[42:10] I am that I am the Lord and you will know that whoever puts their hope in me will never be disappointed even barren desolate mother Israel who has no one around her table but if she hopes in me she will find her house her city her country overflowing because no one puts their hope in me and lives to be disappointed what a blessed promise what a lesson have you do you know God enough to put your hope in him do you know God well enough to have these confident expectation of future good from his hand that however dark your circumstance however bleak your future looks to you you are expecting good from God because of who he is and what he has promised to you his child the great homecoming of the ages is here portrayed to desolate mother

[43:24] Zion and before he closes the Lord anticipates one further doubt about that she has about her returning children the enemy he's too strong and he won't let them come verse 24 can plunder be taken from warriors or captives rescued from the fierce the Babylonians were fierce they weren't about to let go of their captives and the Lord answers yes yes captives will be taken from warriors yes plunder will be retrieved from the fierce it doesn't usually happen but it will happen because of what I will do I will contend with those who contend with you and your children I will save I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh and they will be drunk on their own blood as with wine there is a sober word about this homecoming and it's this that all who resist the homecoming of my children will be utterly!

[44:34] so there's that well armed strong man Satan and he's sitting on the porch of his prison house of sin and he's got all of his hell bound captive sinners inside he's not about to let one of them go then the stronger man the servant of the Lord from heaven comes and he binds the strong man he takes away the armor!

[45:00] in which he! trusted and having bound the strong man what is he able to do he's able to go right through the door into this house and to plunder his goods and that's what Jesus the servant of the Lord is doing he's entering into this servant this prison house of sins and he's saying to captives come out and he's saying to those in this dungeon be free and they're coming he's plundering Satan he's taking captives captive they will come out plunder will be retrieved from the fierce and Satan will be cast along with all his servants into the lake of fire where they will be tormented day and night forever and ever all who resist the homecoming of my children will be utterly destroyed you say I'm I'm not resisting the homecoming Jesus says if you are not gathering with me you're scattering have you come home and are you gathering others if not

[46:12] Jesus says you're scattering you're opposing you're working against this grand homecoming and none who oppose my children's homeward journey will survive notice where it's all leading the last half of the last verse then all mankind will know that I the Lord am your savior your redeemer the mighty one of Jacob then all will know that salvation is of the Lord!

[46:49] then all will know that I alone am God who alone determines what happens in history whose plans cannot be thwarted then it will be seen by all not just by Israel but by all mankind that I have triumphed through the work of my servant Jesus Christ and then every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father this is God's ultimate purpose for the servant's mission and its success of saving a people from all the nations to make himself known for who he is it is in the success of that mission that you will come to know who God is you'll come to know his holiness his justice his righteousness his grace his love his mercy and all mankind will know so here we are right now now is the time of

[47:59] God's favor now is the day of salvation now is the time to be set free from sin and satan's tyranny over this world now is the time when Jesus the great servant of the Lord is redeeming and leading his people home he's gathering his blood bought people from every nation tribe and language God God has lifted up his banner to the peoples the cross is in the field and Gentiles are pouring in being joined to Christ by faith they're grafted in to the family tree Isaiah is saying that's what God is doing in the world today that's why the sun came up another day that's where all of history is heading this grand homecoming God is out to convince you and me and all mankind of how great he is Lord of all God alone redeemer of his people mighty to save worthy of our trust worthy of our love our worship our reverence our joy in him have you come are you being gathered home you're invited don't be left out let's pray oh

[49:21] Lord the things that you said through your prophet 700 years before Jesus was even born astound us 2700 years from this day and yet we see these very words being fulfilled in our world today and so we worship you as the God of history of the sovereign Lord over all we worship you for being a God who saves rebellious sinners out of their captivity to sin who goes into their dungeons who follows us down in every dark alley of our sin and calls us to be free thank you for your gracious conquering power that's called many of us home and we pray that you would make us to persevere in faith as we're journeying homeward to journey with a song in our hearts that Jesus has set us free that he's providing all that we need for the journey homeward and one day we'll see his mission complete and then we'll know as we've never known what a great

[50:27]  God you are oh help us then to be gathering with Jesus precious lives that are yet lost in sin gather them even from this place this day and from around the world even as you promised to your servant son we ask it for his name's sake and for your own glory in his name amen