God’s Great Invitation
Isaiah 55:1-13
September 6-7, 2025
The most important thing to know about Isaiah 55 is that it flows directly out of Isaiah 53, those two chapters and 54 links them. You can write books on these chapters, and many have. They're so amazing, as I mentioned before, Isaiah 53 is perhaps one of the most famous chapters in all the Bible. Certainly, in the Old Testament, as I mentioned before, we could refer to Isaiah 53 as the gospel, according to Isaiah. This is a mountaintop chapter. It's that important.
From this mountaintop chapter, you get a view right into the New Testament. It is a gloriously beautiful view into the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and much of the writings of Paul, but also from the gospels, from the New Testament, you can get a great view of this mountain. When you look at Isaiah 53 in light of what Jesus did on the cross, it is nothing short of amazing, because it answers the most important question ever asked. Which is, how can a sinner be reconciled to a righteous and holy Almighty God? How is that possible? How can a sinner be made righteous when he carries the stain and the shame of his sin on his soul? How is that possible? Chapter 53 of Isaiah answers the question.
The stain of sin is there. It's impossible to wash it away, unless God does something about it, unless God intervenes. One of the most famous hymns of the church speaks to that one great truth. Many of you'll recognize the words of this great hymn. What can wash away my sin? You say it, [crosstalk] nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? [crosstalk] Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh, precious is the flow that makes me white as snow. No other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus.
That's Isaiah 53. The blood of Jesus washes away our sin. How? Well, Scripture says, without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin. That's in Hebrews. Romans, the wages of sin is death. All of us have sinned. We're all sinners, and the wages of sin is death. In other words, a death must be applied as payment for your sin, and death must be applied so that payment can be made and payment in full. That's the gospel. That's Isaiah 53.
He took my stain. He took my shame. That's why I love him. What he did for me is nothing short of amazing. What he did for you is nothing short of amazing. Listen to these wonderful words of life out of Isaiah 53. Just some of the words, "Surely our griefs, he himself bore, and our sorrows he carried. He was pierced through for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The chastening for our wellbeing fell upon him, and by his scourging, we are healed. For the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on him." Wonderful words of life.
Isaiah 55 then flows directly out of the gospel, according to Isaiah 53. After declaring that amazing, beautiful, good news that he took my stain, that he took my shame, that he poured himself on the cross, that he declared me righteous in him, this is Isaiah 55, he then extends an invitation to all people everywhere to receive the promise of life. The invitation, God's great invitation in Isaiah 55, is given to all sinners to be reconciled to the Almighty God, freely and without cost, but also there's more. It's an invitation to a transformed life, to live higher, greater with honor and glory. It's an invitation to a transformed life.
Now it's wonderful, wonderful to have your sins forgiven and the stain and the shame washed away. That's wonderful, but God wants to do so much more than that in your life. He wants to add to that a transformed life. That's Isaiah 55, so let's read it. I love reading Isaiah 55, you'll see why. It's just so amazing. Isaiah 55:1. Ho! That's a great way to start the chapter. It means, listen, this is important. Ho! Everyone. Jewish expression. Ho! Listen, everyone who thirsts. It's like he's calling out to the crowds, getting their attention. Ho! Everyone, listen up. Listen. Announcement. Listen, very important. Ho! Everyone who thirsts, you are invited. Come to the waters.
You who have no money. You can imagine the callout. You who have no money, come buy and eat. Come buy wine and milk without money, without cost. Come. Then the question, why do you spend money for what is not bread? Why do you spend your wages for what does not satisfy? You can see now he's touching some key places. Listen, listen very carefully to me. Eat what is good. Delight yourself in abundance.
What an invitation is this? Incline your ear. Come to me. Listen that you live and I will make with you an everlasting covenant. According to the faithful mercies shown to David, the covenant that I promised to David. Behold, I made him a witness to the people as a leader and commander for the peoples. Behold, you'll call a nation you did not know and a nation which throws you not will run to you, because of the Lord your God, even the holy one of Israel, for he has glorified you.
Then he continues. "Seek the Lord." The announcer continues to call out. Seek the Lord while he may be found. Call upon him while he's near, while there's still time, let the wicked forsake his way. Let the unrighteous man forsake his thoughts, and let him come. Let him return to the Lord. He will have compassion on him. Let him return to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. What a great invitation. "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."
You can see by the way he's calling, them and us to higher places, higher way of life and living. My ways are higher than your ways. My thoughts are higher than your thoughts. Then verse 10. "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there without watering the earth, without making it bear and sprout and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater." It's like that. "So my word shall be, which goes forth from my mouth. It does not return to me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.
For you will go out with joy..." all the blessings that follow, "you will go out with joy, you'll be led forth with peace, and the mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you. All the trees of the field will clap their hands, and instead of the thorn bush," the difficulty, the trouble, "the cypress," blessings, "will come. Instead of the nettle..." We have in our area stinging nettles, maybe two. "Instead of the nettle, the myrtle will come up, and it will be a memorial to the Lord." You will know and recognize God did it. God did that. "It will be an everlasting sign, which will never be cut off." Isaiah 55 is amazing.
I. Delight Your Soul in Abundance
Let's go over it. Notice in verse 1, Isaiah declares, "Delight your soul in abundance." Love that theme right there. Ho! Everyone who's thirsty, come, come. He invites you to the waters. He invites those who are thirsty and empty because this is the condition of man. He's talking to sinners. This is the invitation to sinners. This is important to understand this, that God is inviting sinners.
Now I want you to imagine that, because this is not the way many people think. Many people think that God looks at sinners and he's offended. "Be gone, you offend me, you're a sinner. I have nothing to do with sinners." Many people think that God is like this. That he's angry, he's looking for ways to get them because they're sinners. That's not the gospel. That's not the good news. No, here's an invitation to sinners. "Hey, sinners, come." "What? God's inviting me. Are you a sinner?" "Well, yes." "Then he's inviting you." "Well, I'm covered with stain, shame. I'm not worthy." "Did you hear? He's inviting sinners." "I don't have anything to come with." You don't have to have anything. Come buy and eat. Buy wine and milk without money, without cost. It's free. To sinners? Yes. This is the call to sinners.
That's why I said it's a beautiful chapter. Sinners need a savior. Their sin makes them empty and lost and thirsty. There's something missing, and they know it. That something's missing, something's wrong. There's a deep, deep emptiness, and they're looking to find something to fill it. You know what they're looking for? They're looking for love. That's true. They're really searching for God's love. The soul was made for God's love, and that's really what they're searching for. To find that kind of depth of love, that's what they're looking for, but of course, they're looking in all the wrong places.
Isaiah 55, when you think of that he's saying, "Come, those who are thirsty, and you'll find living water." Right away, you think, "Oh, Jesus did this." This is like when Jesus said, right, because Jesus is the fulfillment of this chapter. He's the living water. God sent his Son to satisfy the deepest longing of the soul. For those who long for a love, a deep love, God's kind of love.
It might remind you of John 4, where he spoke of this living water. Remember the story? There was a woman, a Samaritan woman. It's important to remember that the Jews had no dealings with Samaritans. There was a great wall between them. A Samaritan woman came to a well where Jesus was by himself. The disciples had gone into the town to get food. He said to her, "Woman, give me a drink." Now, it's a bit strange and unusual that she's there in the middle of the day. Women typically come in the morning, but she's been cast out. They don't like her. You'll hear why they don't. These women don't like her. She's an outcast. She comes in the middle of the day.
Jesus says, "Woman, give me a drink." She says, "Now, how is it that you, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?" Jesus said, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is who says to you, 'Give me a drink,' well, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water." The woman said, "Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well here is deep. Where do you get this living water?" Jesus said, "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give shall never thirst. The water that I shall give shall become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life." Right away, he's speaking of something spiritual.
The woman said, "I want that water. Sir, give me that water." He said, "Go call your husband." She said, "I don't have a husband." Jesus said, "You have said well that you have no husband, for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband. This, you have truly said." She said, "Sir, I perceive you are a prophet." Now, I used to think that she was trying to change the subject, but I see it differently now. I think that she's been thirsty for God. That she's been thirsty for love, God's love, really, and here comes this man. "Are you a prophet? I perceive you are a prophet." Was this the day? Was this the day that she had been waiting for and hoping for? Could this be the hope?
I know that when Messiah comes, he will have the answers, but when? When will I find what's wrong, what's missing? There are a lot of people like this woman. Her life is a mess. She's had five failed marriages. She's given up even trying marriage anymore. How many times did she go out under the stars at night and cry, "What's wrong with me? Everything I touch fails. I failed at every relationship. I'm despised and hated by everyone. I'm lonely. I'm lost. Everything I touch fails, but I know that when Messiah comes, he will have the answer. When will Messiah come?" Jesus replied, "I, who speak to you, am He."
Scripture says Jesus had to go to Samaria. Why? Because he was seeking a lost sheep. He so radically changes her life as she goes into town and brings back everyone to meet this one who can seek and save that which was lost. This Isaiah 55 is an invitation to that water. It's an invitation to that life. It's an invitation to find the deepest longing. The soul longs for that kind of love.
A. O come to the altar
We have a worship song that we sing that captures it beautifully. Oh, come to the altar. Are you hurting and broken? The words go, are you overwhelmed by the weight of your sin? Jesus is calling, calling all sinners. Come home. Have you come to the end of yourself? You thirst for a drink from the well. Jesus is calling. Come, come to the altar. The Father's arms are open wide. Forgiveness was bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Oh, what a savior. Isn't he wonderful? Sing Hallelujah, Christ is risen from the dead.
God is offering that which satisfy the deepest longing.
Then he says, "Come, you who have no money." Then he says, "Delight yourself in abundance." Oh, what an offer of life. Delight, I tell you, it's a great theme. Delight is a theme, and God wants your soul to being delighted. The blessing of relationship to God is that your soul will be delighted. Oh, I wish people would understand this. I don't know why it is that people think that relationship to God means that you eat sour grapes for breakfast. No. That your soul would be delight-- Delight yourself in abundance. Delight yourself in the love. God is love. Delight yourself in love. He will give to you a joy indescribable. He will give you a peace that passes understanding.
B. Seek the Lord while He may be found
Then he says, "But seek him. Seek him while he may be found." There is two sides of this. He's seeking sinners to come. Turn around and seek him. That's what he's saying. Seek him while he may be found. Notice verses 2 and verse 6, "Incline your ear. Come to me. Listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you." "Seek the Lord while he may be found. Call upon him while he's near. Let the wicked forsake his way. Let the unrighteous man forsake his thoughts and let him come, let him return to the Lord." God will have compassion. God will abundantly pardon. "An everlasting covenant I'll make with you."
This is the new covenant that Jesus initiated by his blood. That's why we remember, when we take communion together, we are reminded of that covenant that Jesus made with his blood. If the wicked would forsake his way and return to the Lord, God would have compassion and abundantly pardon. This is the doorway of hope. This is the way of truth. This is the way of life. God offers it freely without money, without cost. It's yours. It's a free gift. He says, "But seek him while he may be found, calling upon him while he's near."
It was a word for Israel in that day, and it's a word for us today. Now, it's a word for Israel because the Messiah who would ultimately fulfill Isaiah 53 and 55 and others, would be born to them in Bethlehem, low, humble, walk among them as the servant of God. He also came as the Son of David. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He was the King of Glory that did miracles among them. The prophetic word was clear. When the Messiah comes, the blind would see, the deaf would hear, the lame would walk, the poor would have the gospel preached to them.
Their hearts were hard. Their eyes were blind. They could not receive their King of Glory, who came at the exact time appointed for them when he entered into Jerusalem on that great triumphant day. As Jesus descended the Mount of Olives, on the day he entered Jerusalem, he looked over the city and he wept. When you descend the Mount of Olives, even today, the Mount of Olives sits directly to the east of Jerusalem. It's right there. You sure walk down the Mount of Olives, Kidron Valley, and you're there.
As you're coming down the Mount of Olives, there is Jerusalem. The first thing front and center is the temple. There, was the temple, and there, was the city. He's coming down, the Mount of Olives, he beholds the city in Jesus, the King of Glory, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Messiah, fulfiller of Isaiah 53, a fulfiller of Isaiah 55, wept. "Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem. Oh, how I have longed to gather you as a hen would gather her chicks under her wings, but you would not have it. Behold, your city is laid desolate for you did not know the time of your visitation. Seek the Lord while he may be found." He was found among you. Call upon him while he was near.
It's a word for us also. It's a word for us. In other words, don't wait. Don't waste your life. You don't know. You don't know how long you have to live. You could say, "Oh, I'm going to live a long life." You don't know that. Maybe you will. Maybe you won't. You don't know. You could die tonight. I'm just saying, you don't know. I don't know. You don't know. Seek the Lord while he may be found. Call upon him while he's near. Don't waste your life. Don't spend your money. Don't spend your life pursuing things that don't satisfy. What a waste of a life.
God says, "I gave you the days." Whatever the days that were ordained for you. "I gave you the days ordained for you, written in the book." There is a certain number of days written in that book. Don't waste those days. Seek the Lord while they may be found. Call upon him while he's near. Spend your life. Delight yourself in abundance. That's the way to live. That's the way to spend your life. Delight your soul with glory. That's the way to spend your life. Don't waste. Seek the Lord. Seek forgiveness, and he will abundantly pardon. Seek life and you'll abundantly live.
II. Live a Life that is Higher
Then notice in the next section, he's calling them to live a life that is higher. Not only does he want to save them, not only does he want to reconcile sinners-- That's glorious. Not only does he want to reconcile sinners, he wants them to live. I reconcile you to God so that you can live, have life abundantly. It's an invitation to a transformed life. God does not leave sinners in the condition in which he found them. He transforms them to live the higher way. God does a beautiful work.
A. You need God’s thoughts and God’s ways
When God saves a sinner, he begins to do a beautiful work of transforming the soul. God is busy at work transforming your soul. That's what God is doing now. If you've received the Lord Jesus Christ, you've opened your heart, and you've received forgiveness, you've received a wonderful gift, but God's not done. God's still moving. God's still on the move in your life. God is doing a work, and it's a beautiful work. He tells us what it is. You need God's thoughts. You need God's ways. That's what it is.
Notice verses 7 through 9. "Let the wicked forsake his way." What does it mean, forsake his way? Leave that way. Don't walk that way anymore. You were out in trouble with that way. The path of the wicked is trouble. The path of the wicked is difficult. The path of the wicked leads to so much trouble and anguish of soul. He says, "Forsake that way and let the unrighteous men forsake his thoughts, how he thinks." This is a key to life. This is a key to victory. This is the key to being transformed, being renewed.
Paul wrote. Transformed by the renewing of your mind, thinking differently than you've thought before. You were raised a certain way. You had certain things that you picked up along the way. You think a certain way. It says forsake those thoughts. Have they helped you? Forsake those thoughts. I have a higher way. Higher thoughts. There is a more excellent way, for example, and there's many places we could go. I'm saying you could write books on this, but here's one, 1 Corinthians 12 and 13. Earnestly desire the greater gifts. Yes, fine, sure. I'm going to show you something still more excellent than that. Love. It's the giving, how you pour out your love. If you have received love. When a sin is reconciled to God, he has entered into a relationship of love. God is love. If you have received Jesus, you've been reconciled to the Almighty Father, you have been entered into a relationship of love. If you received it, then pour it, then give it, live it. Notice, I will show you this way.
Now, if I speak with the tongues of men and angels but don't have love, I'm just a noisy gong. I'm just a clanging cymbal. It's nothing. If I have the gift of prophecy, and I know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith, even so as to move mountains, but don't have love, I am nothing. It's who you are that matters. It's who you are, the content of that soul that matters. Love is what makes a person something. Without love, I am nothing. Because if you have been dwelling in the nearness of God, God is love. You're going to pick up love. You're going to receive love. If you're not receiving love, what are you receiving? God is love. Love is patient. Love is kind. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endure all things. Love never fails.
Then, we are reminded the greatest, foremost of all that God has ever said. Jesus was asked that. "Teacher, what is the greatest, the foremost of all the commands that God has ever spoken?" Jesus answered, "The greatest and the foremost is this, that you shall love the Lord your God." This is the highest, this is the greatest. There is nothing higher. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and all your strength. Now, the second one is like it. It's how you love your neighbor. Love your neighbor as yourself. These two commandments hang the entirety of the law and the prophecy.
The work that God does is a work transforming the soul. That beauty, that glory, by that work of God upon the life, so that the ways of God, which are higher, become the way in which you live. There is this transforming work. It's not done in a moment. It's a process of living near, by which we grow and mature into. You draw nearer and nearer so that you want to know him more. You want to know his ways. You want to be like him in your ways because you see that his ways are higher, his ways are of honor and integrity and glory. You want his ways.
Exodus 33:13, Moses wrote, "Now, therefore, I pray." He says, "Let me know your ways that I may know you. I want to find favor in your sight. This relationship that we have. I want to know your ways. Show me your ways. I want to know the ways that you are and you move. I want to know you. I want to know you." When you abide in the shadow of the Almighty, you begin to understand his ways so that his ways become your ways.
Here's some examples. Exodus 23:4. If you meet your enemies, ox or his donkey, and it's wandering away, it's loose. It's got out of the pen, go get it and return it to him.
It's the way. God's ways are higher. No, that's not the way a man see. Men's ways are like, "Oh, that's my-- Honey, come here. Come here. Look at that. That's so-and-so's donkey got out of the pen. Ha. Hope he gets eaten by wolves." That's the way people are. That's not the way God is. God's ways are higher. I want God's ways to be your voice. Not only do I want to reconcile sinners, I want to change them. I want to transform them.
Another one. Exodus 22:26-27: If you take your neighbor's cloak as a pledge, he borrowed money or some tool or whatever, and he, "Oh, take my cloak as a pledge." I want you to return it to him before the sun sets. Now, in those days, people would sleep, the cloak would be their blanket. I want you to return it to him. He's going to be cold. Then he has this, for I am gracious, this is the way I am. That's why I want you to do this, because this is the way I am. I want this to be the way you are.
Now, Grace, we love Grace. Grace is one of the most amazing thing. Amazing grace. We love grace, particularly when we receive it. We love to be in the receiving end of grace. Is that not true? Which reminds me of a funny story. One day, many years ago, did I say many? Many years ago. When I was a young man, one day I was here at the office, and my son called me and said, "Dad, I'm sick. Can you come get me from school?" I said, "Sure, son. Of course, I would."
I went to the school. I went the back route to get there faster. He's sick. My son is sick. I go to the back route, and a sheriff's deputy on a motorcycle turned his lights on. I pulled over, and he comes up and he says, "Where are you going?" I said, "My son is sick. I'm going to go get my son. He's sick." "What do you do for a living?"
Got to ask that. I said, "Well, I'm a pastor of a church." "Oh, really? License, registration. Okay." Anyway, he goes back to his motorcycle. He goes back up. He says, "So, you're a pastor?" I go, "Yes." You tell me, what should I do?" I said, "Well, I was speeding. I deserve a ticket." However, grace is a good thing. He said, "I'll be right back." Okay. He goes, he comes back, and he says, "You and I have the same birthday. I have a policy. I never give anyone a ticket. Who has my birthday? Happy Birthday."
Oh, we love Grace, but when you are in the shadow of the Almighty, it's something that you give. I'm gracious. This is who I am and want you to be as I am, gracious. You be gracious. I am loving, I am love, so as I am, I want you to be also, love. I forgive. The nature that I am is forgiving. I want you to be as I am and be forgiven. How does a person become more loving? By dwelling in the nearness of God, who is love. How does a person become more gracious? By dwelling in the glory of the one who is grace itself. By abiding in the shadow of the Almighty, his thoughts, he gives to you. You are renewed in your thoughts, in your mind, you think.
B. He will send His Word in power
Now, one of the ways that he gives you his thoughts is through his word. We have the mind of Christ. He gives us the word of God. Jesus is the living word. I give you my word. We have the mind of Christ. We know the heart of God. He gives it to us in his word. Notice in verses 10 to 11 that God says he sends his word in power. He sends his word to you as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout and furnishing the seed to the sower and bread to the eater. So shall my word be. Which goes forth from my mouth, and it will not return empty without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.
God sends his thoughts in his word. He shows you his ways in his word. His word is living. It's alive, living and active, sharpening the two-edged sword. He is the living word. Now you might know him and take his word into your heart and thus be transformed.
Jesus said, I love quoting Luke 6:45, "The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good, for the mouth speaks from that which fills the heart." It's what fills your heart. Well, what does fill your heart? What treasure is there? Psalm 119, "Your word have I treasured in my heart, that I might not sin." Because your word is life. Your word is love. Your word is grace."
Job 23:12, He says, "I have not departed from the command of his lips, for I have treasured the words of his mouth. Even more than my necessary food, have I treasured his word." Many do not understand the value of the treasure, the treasure of the word. It's why we teach every chapter, every verse that the word of God is alive. The full counsel of God is the full heart of God. That's why we teach every book in every chapter. I want to know his ways. I want to know his thoughts. I want to know his heart.
Job 28, he goes on to say man does not know the value of wisdom comes from God's word. Pure gold cannot be given in exchange for it, nor can silver be weighed as his price. For the acquisition of wisdom is far above that of pearls. You gain wisdom, and you get the heart all from God's word. When you delight in the almighty, when you dwell in the nearness, you move in that relationship, you feel his pleasure. In so doing, you are transformed.
Let's pray. Lord, we're so thankful to you for the great invitation that sinners can be reconciled to the righteous, holy God. When a sinner enters into that relationship, made possible because of what Jesus did on the cross, where he shed his blood, that sinner enters into a relationship of love. Church, how many would say to the Lord today, as Moses said to the Lord, "I want to know you. I want to know your ways. I want to know your thoughts. I want to know your heart. I want to know you. I want your ways to be my ways. I want your thoughts to be my thoughts. I want to know you. Show me your way, your heart, your thoughts."
How many, church, would you say that to the Lord, just by raising your hand as a way of just declaring that and asking that, and just saying, "God, this is my desire. Show me your way. I want to know you more. I want to know you, your heart, your thoughts. Show me, God." Lord, we are so thankful, so thankful. We give you glory and honor for it all. In Jesus' name.