Come To The Feast

Take your Bibles this morning and turn with me to the prophet Isaiah, chapter 55. You follow as I read this chapter. Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters. and he who has no money come buy and eat come buy wine and milk without money and without price why do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labor for that which does not satisfy listen diligently to me and eat what is good and delight yourselves in rich food incline your ear and come to me here that your soul may live and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.

Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that did not know you shall run to you because of the Lord your God and of the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you. Seek the Lord while he may be found. Call upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts.

Let him return to the Lord that he may have compassion on him and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 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 and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there, but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater.

So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth. It shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace. The mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress instead of the briar shall come up the myrtle and it shall make a name for the lord an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off father open your word to us now we are hungry for it we're thirsty for it we want it satisfy our hunger today with your word for lord when we hear your word when we read your word we are hearing you speak to us help us then now we pray we want so much to honor you help us to honor you with our joy now we pray amen we need to ask somebody anybody an unbeliever what they think christianity is what what sort of thing do you get what sort of thing would you expect i expect things like well they're crabby people they're joyless people you got to give up so much you know life the way you guys express christianity well it's got to be a drag right i think that's what we would hear a lot of people say but this text before us says just the opposite it gives us hope it gives us a way to look at our faith the way it is and to see the glory and the joy of it now here you find a prophecy to a generation of Israel yet to suffer the destruction of their homeland and their banishment in exile and this is a prophecy that they need to look to when it's all over, when the judgment is over, to see the comfort and salvation to those nearing the end of their captivity.

They hear here an invitation to come to God, finding not the judge who chastened them, not the judge who punished them, but one who graciously invites them to satisfaction and pardon and glory. He promises them mercy and rest in salvation. however those promises did not find fulfillment immediately in the restoration to the land of milk and honey and everything was good again and the temple was glorious again and everything was like it was supposed to be in their in their land god instead fulfills the promises made here in ways that are totally unexpected so as we look at this see this god invites you all to come and be satisfied and he bases that on the promises that he makes in this prophecy here's what he says to you he says here the promise promises of a new covenant we see that in the last part of verse three through verse five and i will make with you an everlasting covenant my steadfast sure love for David. Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples.

Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that did not know you shall run to you. That did not know you shall run to you because of the Lord your God and of the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you. Now God made a covenant with David. You heard it already this morning. You heard it read in the Old Testament reading this morning.

And if you look at that covenant, recall it now to mind, it's just been read to you, that God promised him a descendant who would build a house for God. And he also promised him an eternal throne that a descendant would always sit on the throne And so those were the promises made to David a descendant who would build a house for God and one who would eternally sit or sit on the eternal throne of God. And here you see that God also promised David that he'd be a witness to the peoples and a leader and commander of the peoples.

Now David was exactly that as he conquered the nations around him. If you read the story of David, particularly in 1 Samuel, read the story of a king with just victory after victory after victory over his enemies. As such, he was a witness that the God of Israel was the God who orchestrated those victories. And David would recognize that in his Psalms.

That this God was the one who orchestrated their victories. That all glory goes to God, to the God of David, who accomplished great things for his people. He showed the world his God who had given him those victories. But now, says the prophet in verse 5, this is interesting, God makes that covenant with you, his nation. Not only with David, he makes it with you, his nation.

He now extends those promises to the entire nation. Now, it's interesting, now instead of enlarging the kingdom through conquest, from conquering nations, you will summon them to you. They will come to you. Instead of building an empire by conquest, it's going to be so glorious that it will summon them and they will run to you. They will see your God and the splendor He bestows on you.

And they will come. They will want to become part of that kingdom. And so as Isaiah looks out, he says there's coming a day when it won't be through armed conflict. Your kingdom will become so glorious that people will run to it. You will summon them to it. God will be so glorious that people will want to be part of it.

You know, you can contrast two empires in the latter part of the 20th century. The empires of the Soviet Union and the United States. Soviet Union grew through military might, intimidation, and threats. a brutal, colorless, uninviting empire. And especially after World War II, as they swept through Eastern Europe and just took over all of Eastern Europe.

And then you see the United States' influence and power grew because it promised freedom and a better way of life. Now, what's interesting, and I don't want to get stuck too far down in history, but after World War II, there was a real concern that the communists were going to take over the rest of Europe. What happened? Did we send more troops? You know what happened?

The United States rebuilt the nations that it had destroyed in the war, rebuilt the nations of its enemies. And Western Europe is part of our alliance, if you will, because of that. There's two different approaches. so this empire promised by isaiah will also grow but not by force of arms but by the attractiveness of the god of glory have you ever thought that thought god's glory is something attractive his glory is going to be such that it will attract people they will run to that kingdom But there's a problem for the weary people of Israel.

There is a problem for them longing for their land after the captivity. After the captivity, what happened? Well, the house of David, the ruling family, lies in ruins. There is no Davidic king. There is no Davidic king. When you read the book of Haggai, for example, who do you have?

You have Sheltiel, the governor of Judah. He's not even the king. He's a governor under the Persian emperor. They don't have the glory of their old temple. It's gone. And when you read the book of Haggai, for example, and Ezra, you see that they try to build the temple and they build it, but it's so much smaller and it doesn't seem to have the glory of the Lord in it.

And there's no Davidic king ruling on the throne. Where is this house? Where is this king? Everything does not look right. Had God remained faithful to the promises he made to David? Or had he abandoned them?

Had he abandoned them? Indeed, when you look, for example, at Psalm 89, you see a lament that says, where is God? Where is his promises? If you look there with me, Psalm 89. Psalm 89, we'll pick it up in verse 35. once for all I have sworn by my holiness, I will not lie to David. His offspring shall endure forever.

His throne as long as the sun before me. Like the moon, it shall be established forever. A faithful witness in the skies. That's the promise to David. But then look what the psalmist says. But you have cast off and rejected. you are full of wrath against your anointed.

You have renounced the covenant with your servants. You have defiled his crown in the dust. You have breached all his walls and have laid his strongholds in ruins. All who pass by plunder him. He has become the scorn of his neighbors. You have exalted the right hand of his foes.

You have made all his enemies rejoice. You have also turned back the edge of his sword and you have not made him stand in battle. You have made his splendor to cease and cast his throne to the ground. You have cut short the days of his youth You have covered him with shame See what the psalmist is saying He saying I know those promises God What happened The king, his crown is in the dust, and his enemies vanquish him.

Where is your promise? Yes. Had God remained unfaithful? Had he forgotten all that he said? No. Indeed, God remained faithful to his promise, but in an unexpected way.

In an unexpected way. Turn to Acts chapter 13. Here is Paul. This is one of his sermons that Luke has recorded, and he's preaching to these people. And here's what he says. Acts 13 verse 32.

And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, this he has fulfilled to us, their children, by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second psalm, you are my son, today I have begotten you. And as for the fact that he, and Paul goes on, and as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption. He has spoken this way, and he quotes Isaiah 55, verse 3.

I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David. Quoting Isaiah 55, verse 3. So here it is. Jesus sums up within himself all the promises made to this nation. All the promises made to that nation find their fulfillment in Jesus. Jesus then embodies the splendor of that kingdom and the glory of God and the nations hasten to him.

Remember the song of the Lamb in Revelation. You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals because you were slain. And with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priest to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth, you see? It's all fulfilled in Jesus.

This nation's running, are running to Christ. And at the end of time, Jesus will bring this prophecy to complete fulfillment. As we read this, I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.

Note, the nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. You see that? God fulfills all those promises he hasn't forgotten the covenant he made with David he hasn't forgotten any of that but it's all embodied in Christ in a way that we would not have seen if Jesus had not appeared when Jesus came in fulfillment of the faithful love he promised to David in other ways he built the temple right he will build a house but what kind of house a greater temple than David ever dreamed of look for example at Ephesians chapter 2 Ephesians chapter 2 verses 19 through 22 consequently you are no longer foreigners and aliens but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets by the way do you see something ringing there do you see Isaiah 55 is talking about the nations running to him and attracting people and what does it say here you should hear an echo here you're no longer foreigners and aliens you're part of the household of god you see that with christ jesus himself as the chief cornerstone in him the whole what the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the lord and in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his spirit.

He did build a greater temple. A temple made of people. A temple that's universal in its scope. That people who were once foreigners and aliens are now part of the household of God. And he sits on the throne of a kingdom, a kingdom greater than David ever thought. I am always fascinated by Peter's sermon at Pentecost in Acts chapter 2.

All right? Acts chapter 2. And I know you say, Pastor, this is about the thousandth and one time that you've gone to Acts chapter 2. Well, this is a thousand and two then. But we have to see this. I think this is a key to understanding so much of what Jesus has accomplished in fulfillment of Old Testament promises and prophecies.

Acts chapter 2, beginning in verse 24. God raised him up, as Jesus, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David says concerning him, I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. Therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced. My flesh also will dwell in hope, for you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption.

You have made known to me the paths of life. you will make me full of gladness with your presence quoting Psalm 16 brothers I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried and his tomb is with us to this day being there for a prophet and knowing that God had sworn with him an oath to him that he both died and was buried and his tomb is with us to this day Being therefore a prophet and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on the throne he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, of the anointed king, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.

For David did not ascend into heaven, but he himself says, The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool. Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus, whom you crucified. All right? Do you see that? he said this is the fulfillment of the promises to David Jesus has been exalted to a throne it's a throne in heaven but it's the Davidic throne it's the throne that he promised his son David according to Peter the resurrection of Jesus and his exaltation to the throne of heaven fulfilled the promise of the covenant and so as the gospel goes out the gospel of the God who saves us from our sin the splendor of forgiveness and justification and all that Jesus accomplishes for us causes people to come.

It goes out and calls them and they come willingly, not by conquest of sword, but they are drawn in and they run to that kingdom. But how does anyone experience those wonderful blessings? Well, he goes on to tell us that you grasp the blessings of the covenant by calling on God. Verses 6-11 1 John chapter 1. For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth.

It shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace. The mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress instead of the briar shall come up the myrtle and it shall make a name for the lord an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off well what does he say how then do you grasp the blessings of this covenant that he's made well first of all you need to call on god in repentance that's what he says in verse 7 he doesn't indicate to you the prophet does not indicate to you that you get yourself all straightened out first before God will accept you.

No, that's not what he says. He doesn't say straighten yourself out before you can enjoy all the blessings of the kingdom. He doesn't say make your life right and then you'll enjoy all the blessings. He doesn't say that. He says you cannot embrace the blessings of the kingdom while you love your wicked ways and your wicked thoughts. You've got to repent.

You've got to learn to hate those things. You hate those things now and you will never enjoy the blessings of this kingdom if you still love the wicked purposes of your heart he's not saying get yourself straightened out he's saying abandon your deeds abandon those wicked thoughts you can enjoy those blessings if you look at those things in a different way i'll never forget that you know i forget a lot i've been here for 38 years and i've I've forgotten a lot of stuff. But I remember, and I don't want to embarrass him, but I remember the night that Greg, we had a watch night service and Greg Field was talking to us.

And it was like within the year of his conversion. And I remember him standing up and he said this, if you'd have told my friends last year that on New Year's Eve, I would be in church, they would have laughed. but you know what I find I hate the things I once loved and I love the things I once hated that's what he's saying here repentance you're done with those things you hate them and if you call on God he will have mercy and pardon you freely freely there's nothing you can do he blesses you freely but you must call on the Lord while he is near and he is near and the only thing you do is turn away and turn to him and all you do is call on him what do you say that doesn't make any sense but if you do that people will just go crazy in their sin just say well god will forgive you freely well then they'll just go crazy in their sin no they won't no they won't and you know why you know why it sounds so crazy listen i have had countless times that i have um given a track to someone that they've come to me for help and i give them this track i say i want it it's the track i think i love the most it's called bad record and bad heart and i give him that and it's very clear it says you have a bad record there's nothing you can do about it you got to believe in jesus and have your record in heaven cleansed erased the file thrown away and you have a bad heart you don't like the things of god right but god can give you a new heart But it's all free. And I've sat with people as they read through that and they say to me, well, we have to get our lives straightened out.

No. It is so simple, but it is so radically different. People would never think of that. People would never think that God freely pardons. How does He do it? He sends a Savior.

One who will walk in our shoes, who will experience everything we experience yet without sin. And yet, He will be nailed to a cross as a criminal. He will be nailed to a cross as a blasphemer, even though He never was. And He will bear the sins of His people. And He cries out, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? And then He's risen from the dead to show that everything He said was true. and that we are justified, counted righteous by believing in this Jesus, whoever would have thought of that?

Nobody, but God's ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. No one could have ever conceived of that. that's how glorious God is His thoughts are above our thoughts we just can't even approach it and in His magnificent wisdom He sends a Savior the Lord Jesus Christ so He calls on you to forsake your evil ways and your thoughts because His ways and thoughts are righteous God freely pardons and offers mercy without cost even though it's foreign to our feelings even though it's alien to our thinking it is not beyond the design of divine compassion. How can you be sure that God will accomplish such extravagant promises?

How can you be sure that the promises of a glorious kingdom open to all who hear the gospel enticing the nations so that people will come to it freely? How does he get that done? What is he saying? verses 10 and 11. My word, it's like rain and snow. It goes out and it brings nourishment to the soil and things grow. That's my word.

It goes out and it accomplishes its purposes. Everything that God utters is like rain and snow. You know what it's like in March? You know, you're tired of winter, but it's not quite spring and you look out the window and you see the yellow complexion of the grass and the trees that look like bare bones reaching to the sky, right? And you're just tired of that.

And then one day it rains and you see the droplets on the window and you say, it's going to be green again. The leaves are going to come out again. you know that the rain will accomplish that that's how god's word is god's words like that wherever it goes out it accomplishes what he wants it to you ever notice when you repeat the words of god the people who don't know christ and you stumble and you stammer and you share it with them and then and then they come to faith god gives them new life and they spring to life and they come to faith and you're thinking how did that ever happen I mean I was just like an idiot when I was talking to him because it's not you it's the word of God it's the word of God that accomplishes that you know when when folks say to me thank you pastor tim i thank you for the help you gave me the only thing i can say is this i'm just the water boy i just gave you the word of god it's all i've done right the word of God changes people in most dramatic ways. I was talking to someone yesterday.

I mean, he's a married man with three children, and I knew him as a high school kid, right? He was antagonistic. He did not care for the things of God. And yesterday I was talking to him, and he said well I guess I've come a long way I said well it's amazing what the Lord can do isn't it he says it sure is it sure is never would have thought that young guy would have been a Christian Here he is raising his kids going to church just thanking God That's what God's Word does.

You compare the empire of Jesus with every other empire and you find it advancing by the very Word of God. look at Islam today or look at the history of Islam the history of Islam is you conquer by the sword and you compel people to confess Allah it hasn't changed by the way hasn't changed but look at the empire of Jesus it advances merely by speaking the word of God it advances by the power of the word of god you speak it people are converted they're included in the kingdom that kingdom spreads out all over the world you know one of the things that i love about going overseas when you guys allow me to do that and actually send me one of the things that amazes me is i walk in a country of albania for example an islamic country and you see christians and you see the kingdom slowly but surely growing in that place. Go to Romania and spend time with those brothers. And I look at what it was like in 2003, the first year I went there, and last year when I was with Nick in Bucharest and in the valley with Benny and Ioana. and I see these churches growing up and they're prospering and they're calling people to Christ and I'm thinking, in 2003 it wasn't like that.

It just was not like that. It's amazing what the Word of God does. And what ultimately results when the Word of God goes forth with its promises. Verses 12 and 13. Things grow and it results in joy. the prophet emphasizes this by saying, all of creation rejoices. All of creation is clapping.

By the way, we're not a clapping church. I love it when we clap at baptism. I've got to tell you, I absolutely love that. Don't let that get around. But you know what? Here he's saying, creation's clapping their hands.

It's clapping its hands. all this joy, all this rejoicing, as an everlasting token to the greatness of God. God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him, as John Piper has said. People of the nations will look at God's people freely pardoned and rejoicing. They will look with awe and wonder at God, and it will produce joy. and it is an eternal sign for the lord's renown you know how the lord's renown is broadcast to the world when his people rejoice in the free salvation that he has given that's the renown of god that's when he is glorified i remember a friend of mine went to india he talked about this Indian fellow who, before he was a believer, had gotten into a lot of debt.

And he took part of this government program and then defrauded the government. Well, then he was converted. He started serving the Lord Jesus, but the government caught up with him and sent him to jail. And so he's in jail. And so all the Christians are praying that he gets released. Eventually he does.

It it didn't it wasn't right away he was in prison for a while and when he got out when he got out he told them this he told his brothers and sisters this you know what what the other guys in prison told me they said this when we pray to our gods we expect them to deliver us but when your people pray to your God, you're joyful. Your God doesn't just get you out of prison. He makes you a joyful man in prison.

And that stood out to them. Any God can deliver you. Only that God can give you joy. That was the renown and the glory of God in that prison. You see? And so looking to the fulfillment of that great promise, God invites you to find satisfaction.

I haven't forgotten about the first three verses. God invites you to satisfaction. Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters And he who has no money come buy and eat Come buy wine and milk without money and without price Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labor for that which does not satisfy Listen diligent to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.

Incline your ear and come to me, hear that your soul may live. Do you see what he says here? Do you see the goodness of God in this invitation? He has promised free pardon and mercy. He has promised a glorious life of joy. He has promised a king who will rule forever.

And he likens it to water. My first job was with a guy named Warren Brown. He was a landscaper. He also raised some cattle. I was 15. I was 15.

We worked 54 hours a week. You know, it was technically agricultural. So 54 hours a week as a 15-year-old kid. My very first job, I was scared to death, right? And Warren Brown was the kind of boss who liked to scare his employees, okay? So I remember the very first day I'm on a job, a landscaping job, and it's hot. and I'm digging in holes and doing all kinds of stuff and I'm thirsty.

I mean, I am really thirsty. But I don't think I can go get a drink of water. I don't think I can leave my work to go get a drink. I didn't have any with me. We had plenty of hoses around, but I didn't think I could get a drink of water. I thought, well, he won't let us do that. and I'm telling you I don't think I ever got thirstier in my life than that day I was so I worked until lunchtime right I felt like I ran out of sweat it was so hot I was so thirsty that water tasted so good water never tasted as good as it did that day right and that's what he's saying here.

It's like water. You're thirsty for this. And this is what he gives you. Those promises of God are like wine and bread and milk. All the food necessary for life and enjoyment. All the food that's necessary for life and enjoyment is yours.

And it's free. Do you see that? And he who has no money, come buy and eat. You say, buy, I don't have any money. Exactly. And then he goes on, come buy wine and milk without money and without price.

Buy it, but you don't need money, and it doesn't cost anything. It's yours. He's trying to make the idea that it is free. All the food necessary for life and enjoyment are yours for free. And these promises are like sitting down to a banquet of rich food. A banquet of rich food.

Becca and I on our 25th anniversary, which would have been 92? No. I'm sorry. What year did we get married? 77 92 i guess 92 we went off on our 25th wedding anniversary to peely island it's that big island in the in the western part of lake erie we said let's just go there let's see what that's all about and they had this restaurant on this island right and it was one of those you know it wasn't like going to arby's together you actually had to make a reservation right so we went to make a reservation.

Well, we couldn't get in at 6. We had to wait until like 7.30. I mean, this is a really, and take it or leave it, someone else will get it. So I thought 25th anniversary, let's do it. And that is the first time I ever paid $100 for a meal for two people. It's not so unusual now with, you know.

But back then, $100 for one meal. That's our 25th anniversary. And it was the best food you could think of. I mean, even every little tomato was perfect. It was unbelievable. I mean, am I right?

Yeah. I was hoping my memory wasn't fooling me. It was the best food you could ever, I mean, everything was cooked to perfection. Every leaf of lettuce was picked at the right moment. It was unbelievable. And that's what he's talking about here but it doesn't cost you anything it's free this rich feast is free see God offers you the only things that will ever satisfy God is good he is not a mean ogre waiting to bang you over the head more than anything God wants you to enjoy the richest most glorious life that anyone could possibly experience.

And it's all free. Please note, God invites you with persistence. Do you see that in those first verses? Come. Just come. Why do you spend your money?

He's persistent in that. You know why? Because depravity makes you stupid. Makes you unaware and uncaring for the greatest things you could ever have. Most labor for lifetimes. Most labor for lifetimes for things that will never satisfy.

They spend their entire life. Many labor for relationships that will never satisfy. And they're not satisfied. They go from relationship to relationship. And they never find peace with God. Others labor a lifetime to build a business.

But they never find the mercy of God. Still others labor for riches and money and property instead of the riches of joy and delight found only in God. why do you labor for things that will never satisfy? C.S. Lewis was right when he wrote this. C.S. Lewis was right.

Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the gospel and here in this prophecy, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires, listen to him, it would seem that the Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition, when infinite joy is offered to us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum, because he cannot imagine what is meant by an offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.

Wow. We're far too easily pleased. Why do you want what, like he says, like Isaiah says, why do you want what can never satisfy? You should want the things that satisfy for eternity. What is our faith? Is it difficulty?

Yes. Is it hard? Sure. But it is the most satisfying. The most satisfying thing in this world. God is good.

God is good. And He invites us to enjoy what He has to offer through Christ. why why pursue those things that will never satisfy pursue the Lord Jesus run to his kingdom find joy and delight in all that God offers us in Jesus Father your goodness is beyond our comprehension but again it is because we desire too much of the things that don't satisfy. And Father, I pray that as we grow in Christ, as we know more of Him, that the world would see joyful, satisfied people for the renown of the name of God who is good. challenge us I pray and Lord for those who are strangers to your kingdom who have never come to the Lord Jesus in faith Lord God I would pray that they have heard your invitation to a rich feast and to water that satisfies oh God thank you for your goodness, particularly as it's revealed in Jesus.

Grant repentance to those who have not partaken of the feast and repentance to us who are there that we would continue to look to you for our satisfaction. Thank you for these wonderful words to us today. Amen.