Watchman Radio Hour

David Shultz: Welcome to the Watchman Radio hour. Coming to you from Portland, Oregon here in the beautiful Northwest. This is David Shultz, your announcer. The Watchman Radio hour is a production of Watchman Radio Ministries International, an evangelistic ministry reaching out to the peoples of the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. And now here's our speaker Alex Dodson to bring you this week's message from God's word.

Alex Dodson: For our scripture reading today, let us turn to Isaiah chapter 45 beginning to read in verse 22. Let us hear the word of God. Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth, for I am God and there is no other. By myself I have sworn. My mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked. Before me every knee will bow and by me every tongue will swear. They will say of me in the Lord alone are righteousness and strength. All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame.

Our Father in heaven, we thank you for your word that you have given to us. We thank you for the Bible. We thank you that we can put our full confidence in everything that it says. Now as we come to study your word today, we pray by the that you would send forth your Holy Spirit and teach our hearts and open our hearts to your word. In Christ's name we pray. Amen. Before Jesus went into heaven, he left us with the Great Commission. Matthew 28:18-20 it says, then Jesus came to them and said, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you and lo and surely I am with you always to the very end of the age. This command is our marching orders for the whole age. Jesus ends with the promise that he will be with us till the very end of the age or as it indicates in the original language to the very last day. It is also a vision and promise for the whole age.

We are commanded to go and make disciples of the whole world, all the nations. Here Jesus is spreading before us a vision of a saved world before the end of the age. He commands us to make disciples of all the nations, not just some or just a few, but all the nations or peoples of the world. He cast before us this worldwide task and the worldwide vision of all the nations coming to Christ or the vision of a completely saved world. The great theologian and Christian teacher at Princeton Seminary in an earlier age B. B.

Warfield wrote this. If you wish as you lift your eyes to the far horizon of the future to see looming on the edge of time the glory of a saved world, something that it if we save a few people from each people group in the world, our task is done. But is this what Jesus meant in his Great Commission? Was not his vision much greater than that? Jesus envisioned a saved world of people. He envisioned the expansion of the gospel from Jerusalem to all the nations of the world to the extent that one day the whole world would come to Christ.

Warfield goes on to write that not only shall there be saved the individual whom God visits with his saving grace, but also the world which he enters with his saving purpose in all the length and breadth of it. Today we need to expand our vision and understand more fully the Great Commission the Lord has given us. We must expand our vision to include all the nations and people groups of the world with a goal of winning them to Christ as a whole. Our text then is Isaiah 45 and verses 23 and 24. Again I want to read those verses and I'm reading from the English Standard Version.

By myself I have sworn. From my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return. To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance only in the Lord. It shall be said of me, all righteousness and strength to him shall come and be ashamed all who were incensed against him. Let us see then that God's promise and vision for the future are revealed here. We need to get God's vision for this world and to believe his promise of a worldwide coming to Christ. So often our vision is very narrow and we do not see God's plan as we ought to.

Some even believe the church will be a failure and the devil will win out in the end, at least temporarily. And yet we must believe that the church will be victorious in this world. Jesus himself said and I tell you you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Two things here are said. Jesus is going to build his church and the devil, the second thing, and the devil and all of his forces will not be able to stop it. The church will be an offensive organ and the devil won't be able to stop this offense.

Jesus is in the process of building and perfecting his church and his desire and purpose is to present it to himself a glorious church in the end. In Ephesians 5 verses 25 through 27 it says or it brings out this purpose that Jesus has for his church. Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word so that he might present the church to himself in splendor without spot or wrinkle or any such thing that she might be holy and without blemish.

It is through the church that Jesus will bring salvation to a lost world. Its light will increase until the whole world will come to Christ through the message of the gospel. This is God's plan and purpose and this we must believe and the devil cannot stop it. And looking forward to the glorious days of the church, Isaiah 61 through 3 proclaims arise, shine for your light has come and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.

Nations will come to your light and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Now let us see in the first place that we have here a sure and a certain promise. Verse 23 says, by myself I have sworn. My mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked. God swears by himself. Ed J. Young writes that men will turn to him and bow the knee before him will so surely occur that the Lord has sworn by himself for there is no greater by whom he may swear. A similar promise is made to Abraham concerning the future after Abraham was tested in offering up his son Isaac.

In Genesis 22 beginning to read in verse 15 it says the angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, I swear by myself declares the Lord that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed because you have obeyed me. God promised with an oath by himself that all nations would be blessed through Abraham's offspring and his offspring ultimately would be Christ.

John Calvin writes, I have sworn by myself. He adds a clear confirmation of the preceding statement for in consequence of this calling being unusual and marvelous, he adds an oath as is usually done in what is new and hard to be believed. The Jews might have objected that they alone were called by the name of the elect people, but when he confirms it by an oath this removes all debate. Calvin Daulage writes, swearing by himself, God pledges what he swears with his own life. Then let us see it was stronger than a promise. What would take place in the future was certain.

God would definitely bring it to pass. Young writes to kneel and to swear involve full and complete recognition of the sovereignty and power of the one to whom such homage is rendered. The imperfects contain the thought of compulsion. This clause tells what will surely be and is strong stronger therefore than a promise. And John Gill writes, I have sworn by myself. Christ being the true God, he could swear by no greater. This shows that what follows and is here sworn unto is of great importance and strictly true and would certainly be accomplished. God's promise was certain.

He speaks out a full integrity. My mouth has uttered in all integrity. He has spoken in righteousness. John Calvin comments, the word gone out of my mouth in righteousness. He means that all that he has commanded to be published by his prophet is firm and lasting as if he had said that this commandment did not proceed out of his mouth rationally or unadvisedly. And in this sense the word righteousness is often used in scripture, that is for a word that is not deceitful, which shall clearly appear to be perfectly true. And thus he says that the decree cannot be revoked.

And then he sends out a word that will not be taken back and will not return. That is a word that will not be revoked. In Isaiah 55:11 it says, so is my word that goes out from my mouth. It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. God's word is certain and true. John Calvin again says on the words and shall not return. This is another mode of expression conveying the same idea. It means that the word of God shall continue to make progress till the actual result shall make manifest that it has proceeded from a just and true and almighty God.

A person is said to return when some obstacle hinders him from proceeding farther. But because nothing can prevent God from executing what he has decreed, the prophet justly infers that nothing can interrupt or retard the course of this word. The particle translated that must be viewed as introducing an explanatory clause as much as to say this is the word. J. A. Alexander a man from a teacher from early Princeton wrote a word, a promise or a prophecy is said in Hebrew to return when it is canceled or recalled. In this case the promise will not be canceled or recalled.

It is pure and certain, sure and certain. And then let us see in the second place that we have here a worldwide vision. Again our text says in verse 23 by myself I have sworn. My mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked before me every knee will bow and by me every tongue will swear allegiance. Jesus came to save the world. In John 3:17 it says, for God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Jesus came that Satan might be judged and defeated and that the world might be drawn to himself.

That's what he says in John 12:31. Now is the time for judgment on this world. Now the prince of this world will be driven out. But I when I am lifted up from the earth will draw all men to myself. And in Philippians 2 in verse 8 it says, and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross. And therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

Jesus came as the savior of the world. His vision and purpose was to save the world, to bring all men to himself. Warfield again writes in saving men he came to save mankind. And therefore the scriptures are insistent that he came to save the world and ascribed to him accordingly the great title of the savior of the world. And then Warfield says it was because God loved the world that he sent his only begotten son. It was for the sins of the world that Jesus Christ made propitiation. It was the world which he came to save.

It is nothing less than the world that shall be saved by him. Jesus's mission was to save the world. That doesn't mean that it would happen instantly, but in the end once all is said and done, there will be a saved world. Warfield goes on to say the redemption of the world is similarly a process. It too has its stages. It too advances only gradually to its completion, but it too will ultimately be completed and then we shall see a wholly saved world. And then let us see if there will be a worldwide coming to Christ.

This will be the end result of God's mission in this world. This is his intent. All nations will come to Christ. This is his promise. In the Geneva Bible footnote on verse 23 it says the knowledge of God and the true worshipping shall be through all the world. John Gill writes that unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. That is everyone or at least the generality of mankind shall be subject to Christ, embrace his gospel, submit to his ordinances, profess his name and serve and worship him. This will be when the fullness of the Gentiles is brought in and the Jews converted.

This prophecy is promising a worldwide conversion to Christ. Psalm 65:2 says, oh you who hear prayer, to you all men will come. A worldwide coming to Christ is the vision of this great prophecy. John Calvin looks forward to such a day when he writes the prophet still indeed aims at the same object, namely that the glory of God shall be so visible in the restoration of the church as to arouse the whole world to the admiration of it from the rising to the setting of the sun or to express it more briefly that this demonstration of the power of God shall be so splendid and illustrious as to strike all nations with fear.

Yet from these words we may justly infer what I have remarked, that the Gentiles shall be admitted to an equality with the Jews so that God shall be the common father of all and shall be worshipped in every country. Matthew Henry writes, it seems to refer further to the conversion of the Gentiles that live in the ends of the earth to the most distant nations when the standard of the gospel is set up. To it shall the Gentiles seek when Christ is lifted up from the earth as the brazen serpent upon the pole. He shall draw the eyes of all men to him and they shall all be invited to look unto him as that as those stung Israelites did to the brazen serpent.

So strong is the eyes of faith that by divine grace will reach savior and fetch in salvation by him even from the ends of the earth, for he is God and there is none else. Matthew Henry says that he will be universally sought unto and application shall be made to him from all parts of the world. Unto him shall men of distant countries come to implore his favor. Unto these shall all flesh come with their request. It says in Psalm 65:2 their coming will be a result to the preaching of the gospel. People from all over the world will bow their knee to Christ and swear allegiance to him.

They will do this as a result of hearing the gospel and believing it in their hearts. The gospel will go out with power and hearts will change and turn to Christ. Calvin Daulage write the bending of the knee. This confession as an oath of homage will be no forced one. They will bow their knee to Christ because they want to. Through the power of the gospel their hearts will be changed. Alexander writes the kneeling and swearing in the last clause or acts of homage field to your allegiance which usually went together involved a solemn recognition of the sovereignty of him to whom they were tendered.

And then let us see the all sufficiency of Christ to all the world. Again our text says, they will say of me in the Lord alone are righteousness and strength. In the Lord alone are righteousness and strength. There aren't many saviors. There's only one savior. His death on the cross was sufficient for the sins of the whole world. In 1 John 2:2 it says, he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins and not only for ours, but also for the sins of the whole world. When Jesus died on the cross, he showed his love to people all over the world, no matter where anyone lives, no matter their race or ethnicity.

Christ's death on the cross was sufficient to save all who come to him in faith. Warfield writes, it was because God loved the world that he sent his only begotten son. It was for the sins of the world that Jesus Christ made propitiation. It was the world which he came to save. It is nothing less than the world that shall be saved by him. Jesus Christ is the world's savior. He alone can save the world. He is the only savior. Acts 4:12 says salvation is found in no one else for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

In Isaiah 45:22 it says, turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth, for I am God and there is no other. Only in Christ can we find salvation. Calvin writes again, righteousness and strength. As these are the two principal parts of our salvation, when believers acknowledge that they receive both of them from God, they ascribe to him the undivided praise of a happy life and testify that by nature they do not possess that which they acknowledge that they owe to his grace. Thus they own that in themselves they have nothing either of righteousness or of strength, but seek them in God alone that he may not be defrauded of his right.

In Christ alone is salvation. There is no other way to be saved. And so we must proclaim to the world to come. We must proclaim to the world to come to this one world savior for salvation. He is all sufficient. We can become righteous only in Christ. Only in Christ can we become righteous before God. Our own righteousness is not sufficient. I am the way and the truth and the life, Jesus says. No one comes to the Father except through me. No one can be made with God right with God except through Christ. Matthew Henry writes in the Lord Jesus, we have righteousness to recommend us to the goodwill of God towards us and strength to begin and carry on the good work of God in us.

And then he says all true Christians that depend upon Christ for strength and righteousness to him shall be justified and shall glory to him shall be justified and shall glory in that. And then let us see in the fourth place even his enemies shall be conquered by the gospel. Verse 24 and the last part of that verse says, to him shall come and be ashamed all who were incensed against him. It says in the English Standard Version. To him shall come and be ashamed all who were incensed against him. Those who were God's enemies will come to Christ in shame.

They will come in sorrow that they had sinned and rebelled against him. In Romans 5 6 through 10 it says, you see it just the right time when we were still powerless. Christ died for the ungodly. For rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him? For if when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his son, how much having been reconciled shall we be saved through his life?

Christ died for his enemies and we were his enemies. We were separated from God because of our sins. The Holy Spirit touched our hearts and showed us our need for Christ. You must know your need for Christ before you will come to him. In Matthew 5 4 it says, blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. If we are convicted of our sins and mourn over them, there is hope. God will comfort us. He will forgive us if we come to Christ. John Gill writes and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.

That are incensed against his person, his deity, personality, divine sonship against his blood, righteousness, sacrifice, satisfaction, against his offices, kingdom and glory, these shall be ashamed. Either when they are convinced of the truth of these things now or however when they shall appear in the in his glory at the last day. God by his grace draws his enemies to himself. We're all sinners in rebel in rebellion against God by nature. It is only as God changes our hearts and draws us to himself that we can come to him. As the gospel is preached, the Holy Spirit applies it to our hearts and draws us to Christ.

Martin Luther said, the Holy Spirit rides the chariot of the word of God into our hearts. And so God's enemies will come in shame, shame over their sins. Calvin writes to him, shall he come. Here commentators differ, but for my own part I take a simple view of this passage as relating to believers who submit themselves to God. So is to enable us to perceive the nature of the contrast between them and rebels who do not cease obstinately to resist God. I explain it thus. They who shall confess that their righteousness is placed in God will approach to him.

He means that we obtain access to God through faith so that they who perceive that their righteousness is placed in him feel that he is present. And indeed no man, if he be not reconciled to God will ever approach to him willingly, but on the contrary all who dread his majesty will fly to the greatest possible distance from him. Thus the prophet applauds the very delightful result of grace because it will unite to God those men who were formerly driven away from him by their wickedness. And to this corresponds what is said by the psalmist.

God can change hearts. He can change your heart today. You may have been running away from God. You may have spent your whole life in rebellion against him. And yet now God is drawing you by his spirit. Come to Christ. Don't wait another minute more. Come today. Jesus invites you to himself right now. In Revelation 3:20 it says here, I am right now. I stand at the door and knock right now. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door right now, I will come in and eat with him and he with me. In Isaiah 45:22 says, turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth, for I am God and there is no other.

Turn now to Christ. Don't wait another minute. Come to Christ and be saved. Our Father in heaven we pray that you will touch the hearts of those who hear your gospel to believe in their hearts and come to Christ. And we pray right now, oh Lord, that you will draw men and women and young people unto yourself and bring them to Christ. In his name we pray. Amen.

David Shultz: Thanks for listening to the Watchman Radio hour. We invite you to come again next week to hear another timely message from God's word. We are Watchman Radio Ministries International reaching out to the peoples of the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.