Tonight again we read Isaiah chapter 55. Isaiah chapter 55, having considered together this morning from verse 1, the invitation to abundant eternal dining. Now we consider verse 2 for the text tonight. Reading once again the entire chapter. Isaiah 55, beginning at verse 1 as we give our attention to the Word of God. Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters. And you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to Me and eat what is good. And your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to Me. Hear Me that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander of the peoples. Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations that do not know you will hasten to you because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel. For He has endowed you with splendor. Seek the Lord while He may be found. Call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake His way and the evil man His thoughts. let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him. And to our God, for he will freely pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 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. You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song before you and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of a thorn bush, we'll grow the pine tree and instead of briars, the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord's renown for an everlasting sign which will not be destroyed. Verse 2, once again, Why spend money on what is not bread and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me and eat what is good and your soul will delight in the richest affair. Dear people of God, as we considered this morning in our consideration of verse 1, The picture that we get here is that of a street vendor advertising and selling his wares. But the deal, you see, is too good to be true. Come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. And of course, we understand competition, don't we? If you sell bread, then you want the people to think that your bread is not only a better value than your competitor's bread, but that it's also better for you. Yours is the best deal. One would be crazy to shop elsewhere. But the reputable entrepreneur also knows that there are dishonest people in the business who are selling goods that they claim that are the same as the goods that come from the honest vendor. And we know the song and dance that goes, if you can't see, taste, or smell the difference, then why pay the difference? But congregation, when it comes to true happiness and the joy of eternal life, there's a big difference. A night and day difference. A life or death difference between those who claim to be able to offer it and the one who actually does provide it. The invitation to abundant eternal dining has gone forth. And now in this text tonight, our Lord teaches us that going anywhere else for the essentials of life, looking somewhere other than the Lord for your spiritual well-being and salvation is absolutely foolish. And therefore, this Word of God teaches us the path to abundant, eternal dining. And as we consider this Word of God, notice first of all we consider these three things. The first two commands. Stop wasting and then start listening. And then a wonderful promise. Satisfaction guaranteed. Now the text makes it clear that anyone who tries to secure eternal life, fellowship, and favor with God on their own terms and by their own work is wasting their time and their resources. Why spend money on what is not bread? And your labor on what does not satisfy? In another version, the word labor is translated wages. But you see, this is exactly what God's covenant people had done for so long. They knew, especially from experience in the wilderness with the quail and the manna, they knew all about the satisfying hand of God. But they continue to look elsewhere with the consequence being captivity. Now, money and wages for labor are pointing to anything at our disposal that we might use to try to seek an advantage with God. Of course, as we said this morning, it's impossible. We have nothing with which to barter with God. But it includes our money. It includes our labor. It includes our intelligence, our personality, and our strength. Any time we try to merit or work for the grace of God, we are wasting. And God says, stop wasting. Why is this wasting? Is it that we are not to use these things, our money, our labor, our intelligence, our personality, our strength, our whole being, are we not to use it for the kingdom of God? Of course we are. Of course we are commanded to give of ourselves to the kingdom of God in faith. But if we try to use these things in the way that this text addresses, we are wasting. Because whatever we can secure by ourselves is described in the text as not bread and does not satisfy. It's interesting that in the Hebrew, this food that money is being spent on is literally not bread. I wish I could put it into one word. If I wrote it on a chalkboard, I would write not-bread. Bread, it is not. Again, those selling it are advertising it as the real thing. But it's not the real thing. I believe it's the Coca-Cola advertisement that says that Coke is the real thing. Pepsi is not the real thing. Shasta-Cola is not the real thing. Any other generic form of Coca-Cola is not the real thing. And I'm reminded of when we first arrived and the young people gave that skit for us and tried to teach us that anything other than Pepsi is Coke. I'm sorry, you're wrong. Only Coca-Cola, at least according to the manufacturers of Coca-Cola, is the real thing. But anything other than the fine dining of the Lord, which alone brings true joy, contentment, satisfaction, peace, security, forgiveness, reconciliation, and all of these things and more for eternity, Anything other than the blessing of God is not the real thing. It's not the genuine article. It's not even generic because it's not bread. It may look like bread, feel like bread, smell like bread. It may even taste like bread, but it does not have the nutritional value of bread. It is not bread. It's not even a good, cheap imitation. As well, we said this morning that even if we had all the money and treasures in the world, we could not afford God's gift of salvation. It is priceless. Priceless. And therefore, beloved, when His salvation is full and free, why would you spend your hard-earned money or spend yourself in hard labor for something else which has no value and doesn't satisfy? Hosea 12, verse 1 says, Ephraim feeds on the wind. And that means that their activity is vain and useless. Their work is futile. It's for nothing. those who forsake God and attempt new methods of salvation can never be satisfied because they are only feeding on the wind. We think of the rich young ruler who came to Jesus asking Jesus what he must do to be saved. And of course, he had kept all of the commandments from childhood, so he thought and said. Yet he had no satisfaction because he had not given his life to God. His riches were too important to him. He wasn't willing to give up the temporary for the eternal. God has given the invitation to freely receive the priceless gift of salvation and contrasts this with counterfeit hope which so many waste their effort on. Through Isaiah, the Lord teaches that it is complete vanity to reject the free gift of salvation and labor to obtain it by their own efforts. As we also said this morning, by nature we are so bankrupt that even if God lowered the price to one penny or one minute of time, we cannot pay the cost. The only thing that we can secure, beloved, is dissatisfaction, unhappiness, joylessness, and eternal starvation and death. The only thing that we can earn is beggar's food, nothing more than dry, moldy bread, which will not satisfy. But our God offers food fit for a king. Whatever we can secure is not proper food for the soul and it gives no suitable spiritual nourishment or refreshment. Now we know that physical bread is the staff of this life. Physical food, boys and girls, that means that physical food and bread supports us, nourishes us, and sustains our bodies. But physical bread gives no support for the spiritual life. And that means that all of the pleasure and wealth in the world will not add up to one hearty meal for the soul, not even a tiny snack. The only food for the soul is the eternal truth of God's Word applied to our hearts by the Holy Spirit, which then results in the satisfaction of reconciliation with and conformity to God in union and communion with Him through. our Lord Jesus Christ. Indeed, so many falsely feel full. But the truth is, they are bloated with vain confidence, with the vain confidence that the world offers. So many things we know are advertised nowadays with the claim that these things will make a difference in your life and will make your life complete. And again, you simply can't do without them. Maybe it's a new car. Maybe it's a dream vacation. Maybe it's a new skin cream that takes away wrinkles. Maybe it's a new diet drink. Sure, these things may make a temporary difference, but they give no lasting satisfaction, only vain confidence and temporary hope. Anything the world offers, beloved, most often at a substantial cost, is temporary and fleeting. And those who indulge in these things are filled with nothing but wind. These give no lasting satisfaction, but may only be temporary pick-me-ups. How often haven't we said, if only I had this or that, then I would be content. Then my life would be complete. But the things that this world offers and that we can afford give no solid comfort and contentment. The truth is the more man has, the more he wants. The writer of Ecclesiastes who cried, Vanity of vanities, all is vanity. He says in Ecclesiastes 1 verse 8, The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. And boys and girls, do you remember Wicked Haman? In the book of Esther, he was the king's right-hand man. He was the most important man for a time next to the king. He had everything he could ever want, but he wasn't content. Why? because Mordecai wouldn't bow down to him. Indeed, the things of this world flatter, but they don't fill. Yet the things of this world are the things that man strives for. Man gives his money and his labor for these things. But what does Jesus say? He says, what good is it if a man gains the whole world and loses his soul? We are called to seek Not the bread that perishes, but as Jesus says in John 6, 27, do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life. And then He goes on to explain exactly what that food is in verse 35. I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. Jesus says, come to Me and I will give you rest. Not I and your possessions. Not I and fame. Not I and your own work, but I alone will give you rest. Beloved, only in Jesus Christ is there eternal peace and security, and to look anywhere else is a waste of time. And our God says, stop wasting, start listening. The text says, listen, listen to me. Now, a duplication of the words there is meant to add emphasis. Another version translates it as, listen carefully to me. When God says, read my lips, what He says is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Those who listen to Him and hear His words and take them to heart, believing what He says, beloved, they will not survive on the crumbs of life, but will feast like never before. Those who were sent and exiled in Babylon listened to everyone but God before, but now they are called to shut out everyone but God and listen only to Him. And beloved, the key here is that we must hear Him. We must hear Him. We must hear what He says. Maybe sometimes you have the problem, like I do when I read Scripture, that when I get done, I think, what in the world did I read? Was I just reading it to say that I read it? Indeed, we must be in prayer that God will help us by His Spirit to hear what He has to say to us. Those who are deaf to God are headed for eternal destruction, but those whose ears are open to Him find the road of eternal life. Listening to God and hearing what He says is so important that to every one of the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3, the Lord says, He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. And also Paul says in Romans 10, How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. What is it we are called to listen to? The Word of God. And what will we hear if we truly listen with ears opened by the Holy Spirit? Seek the Lord while He may be found. Call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake His way and the evil man His thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord and He will have mercy on Him and to our God for He will freely pardon. That's what we will hear. What God will do. And we will hear for the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. And we will hear, therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. And we will hear, for whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. And to top it all off, beloved, we will hear. We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. And we will hear so much more. And why will this be a comfort to those who believe? Verses 10 and 11. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 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. And for God's elect, that purpose that is to be achieved, that will be achieved, is new life in Jesus Christ our Lord. Salvation full and free. In verse 3 again, the Lord says, Give ear and come to Me. Hear Me that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, My faithful love promised to David. What a blessed promise of God to those who have done nothing but wronged Him, scorned Him, rejected Him, and hated Him. To listen to God means everlasting life and abundant eternal dining, but to close your ears to Him means never-ending death and eternal spiritual starvation. Beloved, the food is on the table. With regard to worship, the food is on the table in the call to worship, in God's greeting, in the reading of the law and Scripture, in the assurance of pardon, in the preaching of the Word, And in the benediction, blessing of God. The food is on the table. Are you eating? Or are you fussy? Picking at it and only taking what you think looks good and appetizing. Believing the rest on the plate. You see, the entire Word of God is for our whole life. It is all to our benefit. Even the portions that may not taste so good to us. But they are good for us. The text says, listen, listen to me and eat what is good and your soul will delight in the richest of fair. Again, pointing to the abundance promise, the richest of fair. Nothing can compare. For those who stop wasting and start listening by the grace of God, they enjoy satisfaction guaranteed. Those who listen to God with the ear of faith will eat what is good. That means that they will enjoy the living water that truly refreshes, the milk of the Word of God which truly nourishes, and the wine of the Gospel which truly makes the soul glad. The bread of life is good in that it has eternal nutritional value which is good for the soul. To have what is good is to have the very best that God has to offer even Himself. Nothing short of Himself. But this satisfaction guaranteed is more than just having what is good. It is having it abundantly. Beloved, God's people, those born again and brought to a saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, are guaranteed all that they need for body and soul. Now there's a contrast here between the abundance of the bread of life and the nothingness of that which is not bread. Apart from a saving relationship with God through Jesus Christ, the things of this life will do us no real good. But for those who enjoy a small taste of God's eternal banquet in this life by faith, with that foretaste comes God's promise of satisfaction guaranteed. Indeed, God's people look forward to that heavenly feast where there will be nothing generic or faith or nothing there that is not bread to tempt them. But there will only be the everlasting joy of worship and service to the King with the bread of life and the living water Himself. But until that day, as we still labor in this life, until that day our Lord abundantly provides us with the continual feast of God's good word. with a continual feast of His peace, of His Spirit to guide and direct us, of His assurance of the forgiveness of sins, of His promise of life everlasting, of His guarantee that nothing shall separate us from the love of Christ. In short, with a continual feast of satisfaction and contentment in Him. This morning, we held the visible proof of this in our hands and we tasted it with our mouths as we participated, celebrated the Lord's Supper. Our Lord's guarantee of satisfaction is indeed that he who comes to the Lord Jesus Christ shall never hunger, and he who believes in Him shall never thirst. There's no greater abundance to the soul than the abundance of eternal life. Congregation of believers' satisfaction is guaranteed because Christ guaranteed the believer's satisfaction. As the table of the Lord again reminds us, Jesus Christ satisfied the wrath of God against our sin and He satisfied the requirement of obedience to the law of God. He is the path to abundant, eternal dining. He is the way, the truth, and the life and no one will come to the Father except through Him. and now tonight the invitation is still come to him but you see this invitation is really a command it's a command it's not an option again so many treat it as an option as we said this morning like some even in the church treat coming to the Lord's table as an option if I'm not there big deal I haven't missed much you've missed a lot it's not an option it is for those who believe by grace through faith in fact there is an urgency here the call has sounded this is an invitation that is not to sit on the pile on your desk until you have an opportunity to get at it if you're like me you do that often and once you do finally get to that mail you see that you've missed the deadline don't miss the deadline heeding the call to abundant eternal dining and following the path to that feast is not something you may put off until you feel like it the call has gone forth the gospel message has been preached how will you respond are you dining with the Lord already you see this is one invitation that we must not throw into the trash God has shown you the path to follow for those who repent of their sins and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, Him alone, they will come down the path to the abundant eternal feast because God will lead them down that path. But for those who ignore this invitation, what a dangerous thing. If you are ignoring it, what is your excuse? And please be warned that no excuse will do. Do you remember the parable in Matthew 22 where Jesus really uses in essence the language of Isaiah that we have read here and He tells of the wedding feast. The invitations had all gone out but no one would come. In fact, the servants who delivered the invitations were murdered. In Luke 14, in a parallel account, we're given some of the excuses. One says, I bought a piece of ground. I must go see it. I cannot come. Another says, I bought five yoke of oxen. I must go test them to make sure I got my money's worth. I cannot come. Another says, I just got married. Well, my wife, you know, she wouldn't understand if I came. I cannot come. We know the outcome. The wedding hall was indeed filled, Jesus said. But for those who refused, they suffered the eternal wrath of God. There is judgment for rejecting God's Word of life. The eternal banquet has been prepared. It is filled with the abundance of God's goodness and grace. The meal has been paid for in full. Are you hungry? Are you thirsty? Come and eat and delight yourself in the abundance of the Lord in the richest of fair both now and forevermore. Beloved, not only is this the best deal, it's the only real deal. Amen. Shall we pray? Father, we confess that so often in our lives we act as if we don't want Your gift. So often we live as if we are able to go our own way and we can secure our own future. But we thank you and praise you that you continue to call us back to the truth. That we are totally bankrupt. You are filled with wealth. Your salvation is indeed priceless. And our seat in your heavenly courts has been bought and paid for by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Lord God, may we not reject Your Word. May we not cast aside Your invitation. May we not desire to leave the path of abundant eternal dining. But keep us ever close to Your heart, O Lord, and direct us always in the way that You should go. Guide us, O Thou great Jehovah. Feed us till we are in want. No more. Hear our prayer, O Lord, for Jesus' sake and in His name. Amen.