Come now let us reason together saith the Lord

LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHUCH

DRIVE IN GOSPEL MISSION - 6 JUNE 2021 - REV H CASKEY

ISAIAH 1 VERSE 18 - THE GREAT APPEAL

"Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord, though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow, though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool."

Isaiah was writing to a people who had rejected the God of heaven, they were following after idols of their own hearts.  Verse 4 tells us they were a sinful nation, they had forsaken the Lord but God hadn't turned his back on them.  He is still handing out his offer of mercy.  His great appeal to his own people.  This mission is an appeal to you, for God to touch you in your sin.  God offers mercy if you are not saved tonight.

This appeal is universal in its parameters.  The gospel message knows no boundaries - verse 2.  Here is the God of heaven wanting to say something - God is love.  "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3 verse 16)  On the cross of Calvary he cried "it is finished".  He is finished the great act.  If you know not the Lord he wants you to come and experience his love.  The gospel reached Nicodemus, the Pharisee and the thief that hung beside him on the cross.  The gospel can reach you wherever you are or whoever you are.  In Genesis God came down to speak to Adam and Eve in the cool of the day.  He came to intervene for their disobedience.  Later he looked at man's heart and saw it was only evil continually.  God offered a way of escape through the ark built by Noah.  God stepped in to man's situation to redeem him.  Think of the night when Jesus was born in Bethlehem.  He was intervening to offer you salvation  Jesus enters into this world "I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." (Luke 5 verse 32) Each one of us has sinned and come short of the glory of God.  "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." (John 6 verse 37)  The Lord is appealing to you.  He wants to save your soul.  He bids you to come, to heed his offer of mercy.

This appeal is urgent in its purpose.  It goes out to all the earth.  There is something God has to say - "come now".  Not tomorrow or at the next opportunity but now.  If you want to know your sins forgiven, have an assurance that you are on your way to heaven and home.  Paul says "behold now is the accepted time, behold now is the day of salvation." (2 Corinthians 6 verse 2)  An invitation to this nation to come.  You must come right now.  If he is showing you your need of salvation you dare not put it off to another day.  Zacchaeus as he sat in the tree in Jericho had a desire in his heart to see Jesus.  He knew he would pass that way so he climbed up into the tree.  Jesus stopped right where he was and said "make haste and come down for salvation is come to this house." (Luke 19 verse 5)  The appeal is urgent to you tonight.  We do not have a guarantee of tomorrow.  You need to come urgently.

The understanding in its perception.  The thought behind the word "reason" is to argue, debate.  The Lord hasn't come to judge them rather to convince them of their wrong - "the Lord is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3 verse 9)  The Lord loves you with an everlasting love.  He wants to forgive your sins.  He wants you to come to him.  Have you ever reasoned in your heart?  Is your reason that because you pray right and that you read your bible therefore you will go to heaven?  "Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3 verse 5)  Paul for 3 Sabbath days reasoned with the Jews from the scriptures.  He tried to convince them that they were on the broad road that leads to destruction and death, to come and step onto the narrow road.  He wanted to convince them of how Christ died for them.  What must it have been to walk among men who hated him, to watch his ever word for those people were trying to trick him.  To be rejected of man, rejected by the religious leaders.  To be cast into the clutches of man, to be judged before Pilate, to be scourged and taken out to be crucified.  What about you?  Jesus died for you.  Paul from the scriptures showed how Jesus must die for them.  Philip met the eunuch in his chariot reading th scriptures from Isaiah.  Philip asked him "understandest thou what thou readest?"  The eunuch replied "how can I except someone explain it to me?"  Philip took the scriptures and preached Christ unto him.  The eunuch was saved that day.  (Acts 8) For many pride will stop people from coming to Christ and being saved.

It is unmistakeable in its performance.  Here was a sinful nation yet the Lord says "I can do something for you, even though your sins are scarlet."  No sinner has gone too deep that cannot find salvation in Christ.  There is no sin too ugly that the Lord cannot take it away.  That is the reason for the cross.  That is the reason why Jesus died.  God offers you the opportunity to be saved today.  Will you take it?