Handel's Messiah is much loved and widely performed. It was composed in the year 1741 and first performed in Dublin in April of the following year. And it begins, comfort ye, comfort ye my people, speak comfortably to Jerusalem. And we were considering this morning, why is comfort needed? And the answer simply is because of God's judgment against the people of Judah for their rebellion. And Isaiah speaks of that judgment in the first 39 chapters of his book. And then he follows on from chapters 40 to 66, speaking about the Messiah and what he will do. So, the book of Isaiah is not written by two different authors. Liberal theologians would put forward that idea, which we utterly reject. It's not two different authors, but it's two different topics. And if you have a family outing to a wedding, and a week later your family gathers again for a funeral, the whole atmosphere will be different on the two days. It's the same people, but what you say to one another is different. And that's a bit like this book of Isaiah, there's one author, But because there are two topics and the first topic is that of judgment and the second that of salvation. Obviously there will be differences between the two halves of the book. So we were thinking this morning about chapter 1 and how we are in a courtroom and here are the three charges against Judah. There is iniquity in the nation. The people have rebelled. They have refused to listen. There is insincerity in the temple. These people are religious, but it's all for outward show, and it is not heartfelt. And thirdly, there is injustice in the city. From verse 21. The bride has become an adulteress. How the faithful city has become a whore. She who was full of justice, righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers. The people have gone after false gods and there are consequences. Instead of justice and righteousness and truth, there is now deception and murder. And so among God's people, there is this crisis. There is apostasy. But God doesn't wipe out his people. He doesn't abandon them. He disciplines them like a father who loves his children. And he speaks here in verse 25 of the refiner's fire. He will remove the impurities. and he does so by discipline. And that is true in our lives also, that God will discipline us. And he does so in order to bring us closer to himself. There was a preacher in Belfast who used to say, we become agitated when the foundations are shaking beneath us. And at such times, we turn to God for help and reassurance, only to find that it is God himself who is shaking the foundations. And he allows trouble to come into our lives, perhaps, so that we realize our own helplessness and our need of him. And we call out to him for help, and we are drawn closer to him. So God allows trials in our lives, not because he is powerless and he doesn't care about us, but the opposite, it's because he does care and because he is sovereign and he is at work in our lives to draw us closer to himself. So this is what God says to Judah, if only they will listen. But they persist. in their rebellion. Verse 27, Zion shall be redeemed by justice, and those in her who repent by righteousness. But rebels and sinners shall be broken together, and those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed. Now, the picture that is presented here in chapter one is bleak, but That is not God's final word on the matter. And so, as we come to chapter two, having seen why it was necessary that the Messiah come, we see here what the Messiah will accomplish. And we see the utter contrast between what we deserve and what we receive. So, As we look at these verses in chapter two, the Messiah builds his church, the Messiah teaches his law, and the Messiah blesses his people. So first of all, the Messiah builds his church. Verse two, it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills, and all the nations shall flow to it." Here are people coming to Jerusalem, just as I was mentioning the pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem for their annual feasts, climbing up from Jericho, up that steep ascent to Jerusalem. and singing with joy and anticipation and excitement as they come to worship God. God had chosen Zion, the city of Jerusalem, symbolically to be his dwelling place on earth. Here in the temple was the place where God met the believers. Here was where the animal sacrifices were offered. Here was where the word of God was taught. But it was only symbolically that God was there, because as Solomon said when he built his magnificent temple, he said, we can't put God in a box. Heaven itself cannot contain you, how much less this house that I have built. But this was where, God met with his people and Mount Zion is the mountain of the house of the Lord. It shall be established as the highest of the mountains and shall be lifted up above the hills. Now, geographically, Jerusalem is on a on the top of a hill and there are five or six other hills or mountains round about. We sing about that in Psalm 125. Here is a picture of God's protection around his people. But Mount Zion wasn't even the tallest of those hills surrounding it. And Mount Zion was nowhere near as tall as Mount Hermon, way up in the north. It's over 9,000 feet. Whereas Mount Zion was some 2,400 feet above sea level. But here's the prophecy, that Mount Zion will become the tallest of the mountains. Now, the question is, how are we to understand that? Are we to take that in an absolute literal sense that the mountain will grow as if you put some yeast into it and the mountain expands until it grows higher literally than Mount Hermon and Mount Everest? That is not how we are to interpret the the prophecy of scripture. We're not to take every word in an absolute literal sense. Mount Zion is talking about the worship of God, the worship of the true God. And what Isaiah is saying is that the worship of the true God, it will expand until it is more important than any other worship or any other false religion in the world. God is going to be exalted above all other gods. The God of the Bible, Yahweh, Jehovah. And all the nations shall flow to it. Now, did you ever see a river flowing uphill? Well, that's the picture here. And again, it's figurative. It's the people coming to worship, climbing the ascent up to Jerusalem. Here is the worldwide proclamation of the gospel, people being converted and coming to trust in Christ. The people abandon their false gods and they flood into the church. Jesus said, I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men to me. John 12, 32. And he was speaking about the cross, when he is lifted up on the cross and as he gives his life to make atonement for sin. And as that message is proclaimed around the world, sinners are convicted of their need and are drawn to Christ and are brought in to the kingdom. all the nations shall flow to it. God chose Abraham and he chose the Jewish people. They were an elect people, but it was not to the exclusion of the Gentiles. God chose the Jewish people for a purpose that through them, through Abraham and his family and his nation, the Messiah would come so that the nations would hear the gospel and the nations would be brought in. The proclamation of the gospel to the nations was not an afterthought. It was not because the first plan failed, this was plan B. No, this was God's purpose all along. Genesis 12 verse three, speaking to Abraham, I will bless you and in you, all the families of the earth will be blessed. It was because through Abraham and his family and his people, the Messiah would come. And through Abraham, all the nations would be blessed. Now, the people of Israel didn't always live out that purpose. They didn't always get it. They turned inward to themselves, thinking about, oh, we are special people, we are the blessed people, instead of looking outward and taking the good news to others. There were exceptions. There's the exception of Ruth, for example, who was a Moabiteess, a foreigner, who found faith and salvation in the true God. But we see this outworking on the day of Pentecost as Peter preaches and the other disciples preach in Jerusalem. There in Jerusalem were gathered together people from all around the nations coming to Jerusalem. And amongst them, Acts 2 verse 11, there were both Jews and converts to Judaism. So already there were people right around the Mediterranean Sea, for example, the Jews had spread out for business reasons. There were far more Jews lived outside Palestine than lived within it at the time of Christ. And they set up their synagogue. The word of God was read every week. And who attended the synagogue? Certainly the Jews who lived in that town, but also a number of people that the Bible calls God-fearers, people who were sympathetic, people who were tired of the paganism that they saw in their society, who were looking for truth and righteousness, and they were sitting under the reading of the word week by week, and some of them had become proselytes, had become Jews. And so they were amongst those in Jerusalem that day. And that's why whenever Paul went out as a missionary to the different cities, the first place he went was the synagogue. That's where the word of God was read. That's where the people with any interest met together. And what Paul found was, if you think of the fireplace in your home, if you have the old-fashioned fireplace, where you light a match and you get it ready, you put in paper or fire lighters and sticks and then coal and it's sitting ready. Maybe you've prepared it, you've come out to church this evening. Let's say it's a cold winter's evening and you go home and all you do is light a match and it's ready to burn. That's what Paul found when he went to these various towns and cities. God had set the fire, it was ready, and all it needed was a match, and Paul came and preached the gospel, and people were converted. People came to trust in Christ. Many of them were Jews from their upbringing, but many others were Gentiles by their upbringing, and they had been attending the place of worship week by week, and once they heard about Jesus, being the fulfillment of the Old Testament promise. They believed and they found salvation. So, the church becoming international was not an afterthought. It was not because the Jews rejected Christ. This was God's intention all along. And it's a mistake to think that The Old Testament was interested only in the Jews. Yes, they were a chosen people, but the purpose of that was that they would be a light to the nations, that they would have a witness, that they could speak about the coming Messiah. So, this is what the Messiah will do. He will build his church. And that's what the Lord Jesus has done. He said, I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. And that's what he did through his life, a life of perfect obedience. That's what he did through his death, giving himself as a sacrifice for sin. And that's what he accomplished by his resurrection, conquering the grave. And now, People from every nation hear the gospel and turn to Christ to find salvation in Him. So, the Messiah builds His church. What does that mean for you and me? It means, first of all, that we are to trust in Jesus. He's the only Savior. There's no salvation anywhere else. So you need to make sure that your trust is in the Saviour and in Christ alone. But what it also means is that we are to tell others about Him. It's through Christ people find salvation, only in Christ. And we who know Christ, that we're to talk about Him, tell others about Him, invite them to come and find out more and put their trust in Him. The Messiah builds his church. Secondly, the Messiah teaches his law. Verse three. Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord. Here are the pilgrims marching along, full of excitement. They can't wait. There is joy in their hearts. They will participate in the sacrifices, offering their gifts to God. They will receive instruction from the word of God. What joy was in their hearts. Now that, comes as such a surprise to many in our society, doesn't it? Your religion is so restrictive. You have so many rules. Don't do this and don't do that. I want my freedom. And we even find those who profess to be Christians talking in a similar way. We are not under law. but under grace, and so they reject the commandments. But the word of God, the Bible, I find it helpful to think of when you get a new car, there's a handbook comes with it. Now, what do you do with your handbook? Well, you throw it out the window and you say, I want to be free. I want to do what I want. I'm not going to listen to that. Of course you don't say that. The handbook is there to give you freedom. It's when you know where to put the petrol. You don't put it into the radiator. And you don't fill the petrol tank with water. You follow the instructions. And the car goes as it should. And you have freedom when you follow the book. And it's the same with God. He has given us the scriptures, not to make us prisoners, but to make us free. And it's only as we listen to the word of God and obey it and work it out in our lives that we find that joy and fulfillment and satisfaction in life. Because we have a God who speaks. A God who tells us who he is, what he is like, how he has provided salvation, and how he wants to be worshipped. And our faith, as Christian faith, is not a leap in the dark, but it is faith that is based on facts. It is based on the truth. and is based on our understanding. And so, faith begins with instruction. God speaks, we hear his promises, and we believe them. That is sharing faith. The instruction is something we accept, we adhere to, we go with it. And that instruction continues, not only at the beginning of the Christian life, but all through it as we grow in our faith. So the Messiah teaches his law, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall go the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. As the word of God is taught, lives are changed. We learn about who God is, how he has made us, and how he wants us to live. As we read the scriptures, we see the value of the individual. And that has an implication as to how we are to treat others. We are to value them. As we learn about who God is, So our attitudes change and our relationships to others change in the home and in the workplace. When someone becomes a Christian, there must be a noticeable change in their lives, that there must be thoughtfulness and consideration of those around Two years ago now, in summer, the church bought a new house for the little family. And it was in need of a lot of work. And a team went out for a week in the summer. It was the hottest week of the year. And they were working in close proximity. to one another. But as well as the folk who went out from the home church, there was one Frenchman who was an electrician who was there that week. And he remarked to Andrew Little afterwards about how those team members worked together. He had never seen anything like it. Their thoughtfulness for one another, their care and consideration. You can imagine if there's a bunch of people working in a small area and they're getting in each other's ways. If it was ordinary workmen, they'd be pushing and shoving and cursing. But this French electrician was so smart, he'd never seen anything like it in his life. And Andrew was able to explain to him why, what made the difference. out of Zion shall go the law. Zion is another name for the church, the people of God. And it is the purpose of the church to proclaim the word of God. So if you are a visitor here this evening, and you are looking for a church to join, what criteria should you use Well, let me suggest this, that you seek a church that takes the word of God seriously. The teaching of scripture, where the teaching is based on the Bible, and there is some depth to it, and application to life, where the worship of God follows the instructions of scripture, We don't come to church to be entertained. We don't come to church to have our ears tickled with little stories or to be amused by a comedian. We come to learn about God so that we might walk in his ways. Now, what does that mean for the preacher? It means that the preacher must take his work seriously. He must spend time in preparation and prayer. He must study the scriptures to understand them for himself and to apply them to those he's speaking to. It is exegesis, it's bringing out what is in the scripture. It's not that he comes along and he puts in his ideas. that he's heard a little story somewhere and, oh, he wants to tell that. It's what comes out of the word that the main point of the scripture of this passage is the main point of the sermon. What does it mean for the members? It means that you must take the word of God seriously, that you should be diligent in attendance, that you make an effort to concentrate, you make an effort to understand, and you make an effort to apply, to work it out in your life in obedience. And when you do, you can expect this joy of the Christian life, the joy that we see coming through here. So the Messiah builds his church, the Messiah teaches his law, and thirdly, the Messiah blesses his people. Verse four, he shall judge between the nations and shall decide disputes for many peoples and they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations shall not lift up sword against nation Neither shall they learn war any more." The Messiah blesses his people. He brings peace. In the United Nations office in New York, there is a wall mounting depicting this scene. This is the dream of the United Nations, that there be peace in the world. And how does it come about? Well, by the inherent goodness of man. No need for God, no need for Christ. Well, of course not. That's not what Isaiah is saying. It is through the Prince of Peace that peace comes. because he will bring an end to dispute. There will be no more squabbling or bickering or fighting. That the weapons of warfare are transformed into farming implements. War costs money. Farming feeds people. And it is the Messiah who will do this. It is the Messiah who will bring peace. That's why he's called the Prince of Peace. For unto us a child is born. And that is why Christ went to the cross. Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. That's what the gospel is all about, that Jesus died to make peace between God and ourselves, that our sins would be wiped away, that God's justice would be satisfied, that we would have peace with our Creator. And then, when we are made right with God, and when we have peace with God, we can have peace with our neighbor Paul writes, for example, in Ephesians chapter two about the peace between Jew and Gentile. Here's a Jew brought up, and the two despise each other. But here's someone brought up from a Jewish background, he hears the gospel, he believes in Christ. And here's someone brought up as a Gentile, he hears the gospel, he comes to Christ. He finds peace with God, he finds peace with God, and together they find peace with each other. The gospel has an effect in people's lives. That's what Isaiah is talking about. Those who were formerly enemies are now members of the same family. Those who were adversaries are now brothers and sisters who are sharing the promise of heaven. They are brought together in harmony and contentment and productivity. Instead of the wastefulness of war, there's the productivity of feeding people. And all of this is as the people are governed by the word of God. Nations shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. As God's word governs the lives of these people, so there is the joy of knowing God, but there's also the peace and prosperity. Is it a material prosperity? Well perhaps, if you're not spending your money and your resources on war, you can expect to be more prosperous materially. But it is certainly the spiritual prosperity. And when will this happen? It is, going back to verse two, it shall come to pass in the latter days. And the latter days is the period after Christ's first coming. As Peter stands up in the streets of Jerusalem, he says, in the latter days, quoting the Old Testament, this has come to pass. What has just happened in the past few weeks in Jerusalem is the fulfillment of what God promised. And so Peter quotes the prophet Joel speaking about the last days. So we're talking about that period of time between Christ's first coming and his return in judgment. Now we, we are living 2,000 years after that first coming. How much more time is there before his second coming? We don't know. But we are part of this fulfillment. Here is Christ building his church, teaching his law, blessing his people. Here's what Isaiah sees, the supremacy of Judah's God, Yahweh, over all the gods of the world. He sees the nations hearing the gospel and flooding in to the church, coming to Christ, becoming part of his family. And all of this has already begun. It's taking part now, taking place now in a small measure. It will take place completely before Christ's return. And all of it is centered on Jesus, the Messiah. He is the bringer of peace. So what does this mean for us? Two words in conclusion. It means encouragement. Maybe you feel discouraged. You look into your own heart and you think, I'm such a poor Christian. Or you look at the church and you say, it is so weak. But this is what Christ will do. This is what Christ is doing now. People from all around the world are coming to Christ. So let us be encouraged. The second word is mission. Mission must be central to the life of the church. God is in the process of bringing people to heaven. bringing people into the kingdom. And he does so through the gospel, he does so through Christians, through you and me. You think about the people you know, your neighbours, your extended family, your people in your workplace, and you've been witnessing to them for years and years, and you've been praying for them, and nothing seems to happen. Well, don't be discouraged. Keep on praying for them. Keep on speaking to them. Because God is at work. And you and I have a part to play. Look at what verse three says. Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord. It's the people encouraging one another. Let's go together to the house of God. So, mission must be central, and God uses his word, he uses the preaching of the Bible, he uses the proclamation of the truth to bring about his purposes. Verse five, O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord. If The nations are gonna do this if they're gonna come to the Lord. How important it is for us as individuals, first of all, to come to Christ. What a privilege we have. Let us value it. Let us prize it. And let us use it. O House of Jacob, O members of Erdre, Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord. Let us pray.