AN URGENT CRY!

AN URGENT CRY!

Isa 55:1-3

55:1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

1. THE MESSAGE IS URGENTLY SENT – HO!

“Ho” is the Hebrew word howy and is simply an exclamation meant to attract urgent attention. It is like our word “hey” which does not communicate anything except urgency. Ho is not the message but it gives flavor to the message.

I’m afraid we have lost the urgency of our message today because we have given false importance to trivial things. We are so burdened with the pebbles that we can no longer shoulder the boulders. The result of making the trivial important is that we have made the truly important trivial.

2. THE INVITATION IS UNIVERSALLY EXTENDED – EVERY ONE!

Luke 14:16-17

16 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:

17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.

Rom 10:13

13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Strong’s Concordance tells me that the word “whosoever” here is a combination of two Greek words ho and an. The first word indicates “one” and the other word indicates uncertainty. The invitation then is not to a specific one or even a specific group but to any one. This, then, includes you.

3. THE PRICE IS ALREADY SPENT – WITHOUT MONEY OR PRICE!

"In the 1920s 90-year-old Harvey Penick bought a red spiral notebook and began jotting down observations about golf. He never showed the book to anyone except his son until 1991, when he shared it with a local writer and asked if he thought it was worth publishing. The man read it and told him yes. He left word with Penick's wife the next evening that Simon & Schuster had agreed to an advance of $90,000.

   "When the writer saw Penick later, the old man seemed troubled. Finally, Penick came clean. With all his medical bills, he said, there was no way he could advance Simon & Schuster that much money. He had mistakenly thought that the publisher required him to pay rather than receive the advance.

When we are confronted with the unimaginable value of eternal life in Christ we ask “What must I do?” God answers, “Simply receive!”

4. OUR OBJECTIONS ARE UNREASONABLE!

Why do we spend money on that which is not bread? The Hebrew term is actually “no bread!” It is anti-bread; the very opposite of bread. Not only does it not satisfy it creates even more hunger. Yet we spend our resources for this.

5. THE BLESSINGS ARE SURE!

“The sure mercies of David” is a reference to Messiah. The blessings of salvation are not only free for the receiving but come with an eternal guarantee. The Hebrew word “sure” here is aw-man and literally means “to take the right hand road.” It means that which is sure, steadfast and certain. You can trust both the One who gives the invitation and the gifts offered. They are sure and certain!

Lord, send out your Holy Spirit today crying urgently. May many turn to you in faith and receiving the sure mercies of David. AMEN