Come All Ye Weary

Carter Conlon from the historic Times Square Church in New York City. Are you tired now of trying to be God in your own street are you tired of trying to be good in your own strength you found what you're looking for.

That's going to come with an insight into this week's program. Glad you're with us today have a call to the nation. Carter would like you to know that God desires to do something for you that you cannot do for yourself, and what he will do is like living water to its going to be a source of eternal joy. You don't get this with human effort. God says listen to me. Hear me on this. Let's join Carter now from Isaiah 55 this message titled, all of you turn your Bibles to Isaiah chapter 55, I want to share with you is really just simple common all you worry everyone is tired and there's so many people online that exists at the end of of your own efforts to find a way out of your dilemma or to find the strength that you believe that God wants to give to you. I want to encourage you to trust God so father thank you Lord, thank you God thank you for your holy word which indeed is a lamp for our feet in the light for our path. Thank you Lord for the strength that you are willing to give to people who are with us, supported just ask you now for the great privilege of stretching your hand out, my God, through the Internet and start to bring power and deliverance and healing and victory into so many lives of so many that are turning to you at this time.

This darkened time in this world God. We want to be a living testimony for Christ. But we recognize that it's only by your strength that we will ever be able to do this we can't be clean in our own strength. We need the covering of the shed blood of Jesus Christ and we can't live as lights in this darkness without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God.

So Lord we yield to you tonight. God we just simply ask you to be God in us be God through us, for God in our home speak God in our families push back the darkness it wants to destroy your life and your light in our homes, marriages and children, my God, physical bodies nasty to stretch her hand out and he'll heal miraculously people who are trusting for the victory that only you can bring in. Father, we thank you for these things God to help me to share your word in a way that people can understand. We thank you for it.

In Jesus name, amen. Prophet Isaiah speaks these words in chapter 55. This is how or listen or hark or pay special attention. Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters you who have no money come by and eat. Yes, come and buy wine and milk without money and without price. What you spend money for what is not bread your wages for what does not satisfy listen carefully to me, and eat what is good and let your soul delight itself in abundant incline your ear, and come to me here in your soul shall also three times he says listen carefully. Incline your ear, and here and I will make an everlasting covenant with you the sure mercies of David.

Indeed, I've given him as a witness to the people, a leader and commander for the people and Shirley is a culmination.

You did not know, and nations who do not know. You shall run to you because of the Lord your God in the holy one of Israel, for he has glorified you seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon them while he is near.

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts let him return to the Lord and he will have mercy on him and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Not this particular passage in the in the book of the prophet Isaiah. It's like every once in a while. In the Old Testament God just parts the curtain and gives a glimpse into something that was that's available to people, something that was was coming, something that was too wonderful to even understand. You see the whole system. The whole religious system that the people of this time were under is a system of human effort is the system of of money is the system of trying to do it to be clean of trying to find meaning in life all through human effort, remember that the original sin in the Garden of Eden when the devil came in. He sowed something in humanity and the thought that he sowed in Adam and Eve and subsequently in all of their ancestors. That would include you and I thought that is the food source of the sin nature and man is that without God we can be godly without God we can be actually as God is, and we can become arbiters of our own future we can start judging, we can say this is good and this is evil and according to our own heart. We can be just as God is and isn't that the besetting sin of this particular generation, but there were certain people, even under that Old Testament system that's really thirsted that really wanted to be right with God but but it it it cost something you had to buy land you had to buy a goat you had to bring a captive if you were poor you had to bring in turtledoves. Everybody had to pay a price yet to bring in wheat yet to bring in barley, you had to bring all these offerings on the gods and eventually people would simply nothing go bankrupt in one way or another lot. A lot of people just didn't have the wealth and the resources to keep up this religious system they they tried as best as they could. Could you imagine being part of that system and that day you you really want to walk with God. You want a living relationship with God. But every time you send every time you failed every time you falter, you had the by another lamb to go back to the Temple and Solomon stand by another boat and buy more jobs and yet be going to the priest and go through all the ritual cleansing, sin, and you had to sacrifice. This is offering at the altar to so that you could feel that you're in right right relationship with God, only to go out and sin again and no knowing that sin separates from God having to go back in and in it was a a a system of's of such rigidity. It was that because of course. Remember, Paul the apostle says this whole religious system was like a schoolmaster, teaching us that we needed the Savior we can't save ourselves, we can save ourselves and with the best of intentions with all of the human effort we put into trying to change. We literally can't change our nature.

We can't change what we are and then suddenly every once in a while. All through the Old Testament right in the middle of Isaiah warning the nation about judgment and talking about a lot of things that pertain to this Old Testament legal system of religion.

Every once in a while the curtain just parted and an invitation came in and must assume so incredulous to the people who are part of the system is everyone athirst come to the waters you have no money come by in the yes common, buy wine and milk without money and without price. In other words, here's what the invitation was gone. All through the Old Testament is peeking through this canopy of of human effort trying to be godly without God and he takes their nieces are you exhausted yet.

Are you tired now of trying to be God in your own street are you tired of trying to be good in your own strength. Are you tired of of all the places you spend your money looking for joy in looking for substance looking for many, even religious places where you do these things have you as you are you still thirsty.

Have you found what you're looking for in the gives an invitation. Is this common buy wine and milk without money and without price it.

The wine always speaks of joy it's it's at a wedding feast in Cana of the Jesus first turned water into wine. It's it's it speaks of this interior joy this the celebration and milk speaks of substance and provision so this thing come and find joy uncommon find provision come and find meaning for your life without money and without price it, it would've been so foreign to the people of this time and sometimes sadly it's foreign to us. We try harder. We read more we want to be better we make promises we can't keep. We tell people were going to change.

We promise ourselves, were not going to do the same.

All things that we done for most of our lives, only to fail and fall, and then somehow tried to maybe purchase our way back into the favor of God, which is exactly what these people of this time spend a lot of their time doing what you spend money for that which is not bread. What are you putting all this effort into something that doesn't satisfy your wages for that which does not satisfy all your effort is going into this. This failing in a sense approach to God, which is never going to bring you into any sort of victory that he was on and he says listen carefully to me than the next verse he says.

Incline your ear to me here me in your soul shall live. When they would read these words of Isaiah and they say what what in heaven's name could this man be talking about what is it that God wants to speak what is he wanting me to listen carefully to them and give him my best listening year. What is the what is he wanting me to hear with the promised tag onto it that my soul will live that I won't have to live in this constant state of defeat any longer that I won't have to get up in the morning, depressed and despairing. What where is this place of wine and milk. Where is this place of joy and abundance in the own assessment now that Amanda still thinks he can earn favor with God will probably not be able to hear this but the man or woman or just as I I can't go on.

I don't know what to do with life and I'm done unfailing unfaltering. I feel like a whisper in the dust tonight. I don't know what I'm going to do in the future it. This meant it. This person, this woman.

Suddenly the voice of God says, if you're still thirsty. I have something for you.

I have an abundance to give you. I have sought to give you that you can use any amount of your own human effort.

I'll give you joy.

That's deeper than your deeper satisfaction when you felt good in my presence, because you know that good feeling doesn't last forever, and he says I will make an everlasting covenant make a promise to you know. He says that I won't break Millie's make a covenant with you when you made a covenant in the Old Testament was made with blood. Do you understand this is only a blood covenant with you.

That's what you say I'll do something for you that you can't do for yourself and what I'm about to do is going to be like living water to you. It's going to be a source of eternal joy.

It's going to be a place of abundance and you don't get it with human effort, you don't get it with human resource you don't get it by making promises. You don't get it by anything.

You can bring to God.

It's only when you open your heart and let God bring something to you. Listen to nieces hear me on this, I'll make an everlasting covenant with you the sure mercies of David indeed had given him as a witness to the people of leader and a commander for the people. Surely you will call a nation you do not know of nations who do not know your show run to you because of the Lord your God in the holy one of Israel, for he has glorified you. Now this is this is on a whole bunch of different levels, but let me try to make it as simple as I can. The sure mercies of David. Of course, David is in the lineage that leads to Jesus Christ. We we know that is the Christ type in the Old Testament, but there's something about David God says I'm going to make a covenant with you and and let's look at David as an example of what I'm willing to do for you and the people knew the story of David. It meant something to them because they understood that even as a boy. The spirit of God came upon the many was given the power of God to defeat that which should have defeated him. He destroyed a line he destroyed a bear he was.

He was given courage far beyond his years. He was given the ability to worship, to the point where the devil would be driven away from the king what backslidden falling away from God. He was able to go into a valley as a teenager and take on the giant who was 10 times is superior in the natural and defeated by the power of God. He was anointed with oral from on high by the prophet Samuel the Spirit of God dim upon them. From that day forward. And yes, even though we had to go through difficulty, trials and valleys. He remained a man upon whom set the spirit of Almighty God, and he finished his life in victory.

Praise be to God. Praise be to God, and God said to the prophet Isaiah. I gave him as a witness to you of what I am able and willing to do all nations who don't know you will run to you because of the Lord your God in the holy one of Israel, for he has glorified you.

God says I would do something in you so powerful that people will hear about it and come to you and want to hear your story. They want to know what I've done for you in this I believe is going to be the testimony of this last day generation this last moment of time. Church age were so many people are so down so many people are so thirsty.

They're so hungry there's so tired though so sick of trying to be holy in their own strength they come to the place were, perhaps, just perhaps, their ears are now open their willing to hear something the gods been willing to give for a long long time, but we just we have to sometimes exhaust our own efforts we we have to get to the end of what we think we can do for God to finally realize we can't do anything for him.

We have to now turn to him and let him do something for us. Yes, Missouri New Testament type of this particular Old Testament story.

Yes, there is in the book of John just berated you. Chapter 7.

They had been celebrating for eight days. The Jewish people would gather every year and for eight days they would celebrate various trees, but that one of the larger fees they celebrated was called the feast of Tabernacles. So as feast where they remembered the goodness of God to bring them out of captivity and bring them through a wilderness experience to provide for them bread from heaven, and give them water out of a rock can for eight consecutive days. There was a specific ceremony that was done at this time were one of the priests.

He would take water that was considered holy out of a well and they would bring it and it was a lot of pomp and ceremony of surrounding us in the priest would bring it he would pour this picture of water out upon the altar, reminding the people that God in their wilderness experience gave the water out of a rock, reminding them of the faithfulness of God and the people would look at this and they would be thinking as we are God, you have been faithful to people in the past year you been faithful to the people of trusted and you it was at the last day, probably after the last pouring out of the last picture in the last ceremony the Jesus Christ himself stands up and cries out if anyone is thirsty, let him come unto me, and drink if you're tired of just talking about what people did in the past was so thankful for the past were so thankful for previous spiritual awakenings in various countries and places throughout the world was so thankful for the testimonies of the of those that got us fed, living water in impossible places were very very thankful for the history of what we read in the Scriptures, and now he poured out his spirit on hundred and 40 failures in an upper room were so thankful for next chapter for that when they were being threatened by a godless society that they pray in the place was shaken, they were filled with the Holy Ghost. They spoke the word with boldness and great signs and wonders were done in the name of Jesus Christ, the son of God was so thankful for the past but we are thirsty because we don't live there. We live here today and we need the power of God, the very same way they needed his power back then Jesus in the midst of the remembrance of the blast babysitters Thursday night. It's the crying of Isaiah Hall Thursday you know money if you don't have the strength of the resource anymore to live in victory lap.

You have no reason to me now. Jesus said in John seven if anyone flares that come to me and drink. And who believes in me, as the Scripture said his heart will flow rivers of living water. It will be a rock anymore. There will be living water in you that will flow through you and give drink to those all around you, then he spoke concerning the spirit whom those believing in him would receive for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus Christ was not yet glorified. Are you Thursday. I want to ask you sitting in your home groups of people that are gathered individuals kids in a park on your cell phone. Are you thirsty are you tired of trying to do good and the good are you trying to tiger looking for joy in places where it is not found that if you do find it, it doesn't last. Are you tired of having a listlessness in your heart. There like you don't even know what your life is about it and what it is. What is your purpose. God is listening come to me now give me your best year and if you listen to me. Your soul will live. I'll make a covenant with you and look to David, the king is a type of what I'm able to do. I'll take you and your use. I'll take you in your weakness. I hope you when you fail, I'll carry when you can go forward. I'll give you strength when you don't know what your futures going to hold it. I'll do something in you so profound that people will come from everywhere and ask you for a reason for the hope that is now in you. You see, God says, I would be your source of strength of the your life. I'll be your living water don't bring you pricing your hand for this.

You can't afford it. By the way, it's free anyway. You don't need to buy.

I'm willing to give it to. I'm willing to give it to you freely. All you have to do is come to me. Then he says in verse six seek the Lord while he may be found. Don't put this off for another day. Don't put it off for another week. Don't put it off for another hour seeking while he may be found, call upon him while he is near the Scripture says in the book of Hebrews today if you could hear his voice. Don't harden your heart.

Don't put it away for another day. The more often you put away the skull of God, the duller your hearing will become to hearing his voice calling you seek him while he is near call upon let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts let him return to the Lord simply just admit what you are. Admit your failure now for a lot of people to say well that's not a problem.

I I've I've got that done really good. I know what I am and I really do appreciate we do appreciate the honesty and a lot of the prayer requests coming in from around the world. You're not playing games with a holy God. You not trying to buy your way into his favor anymore. You know what you are. So this message is for you it's for the downtrodden. It's for the oppressed is for the weary. It's for the tired for the bankrupt it's for the broke it's for the failure it's for the person you can't get up and can't get out on their own. This message is for you. This call of God is for you is for the people have no money, no more resource.

I don't know what to do and I don't know how I'm never going to get to where I need to go forsake your way. Forsake your old thoughts let him return to the Lord and he will have mercy on him and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon Holland you believes on me as the Scriptures said out of his inner parts his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

It's the spirit of God coming and taking up residence inside your earthly body. This is the wine. This is the milk. This is the presence of God, that you can't buy your way into you only get it when you bend your knee to God. You only get this living relationship with God.

When you confess with your mouth that is you now your Lord and your Savior and you just admit your conditions they got. I can save myself I can't buy my way into your favor rock.

I can't be.

I've tried to be good. I cannot try to get up.

I can't walk. I've tried to stay steady and I'm not and I'm just done.

You see great revivals throughout history that means attorneys to God happen at these moments in history when people just know that there done that there done the religious as they're done playing in the religious game that took the diamond on the charge in protecting their in victory but Don say I'm not doing this anymore. I'm not.

I'm not going to try to pretend that I'm living in victory and I'm not going to try to buy my way into the favor of God. My life is a mess.

My family is broken apart untroubled in struggling.

In my mind, and so on.

Just done with all of this and now my ears are open God Almighty. If there's ever going to be a change in my life. It's going to be you.

That brings it about all are you still thirsty. He says come to me and drink. That's what the cross is all about. The cross was God's invitation to come into a living relationship with him confessing his sin, admitting your condition, believing that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the price for your sin, believing that his hands are stretched out toward you saying here just come to me now and let me forgive you for I will abundantly pardon the Scripture sense in inviting God through the Holy Spirit to come into your life and be that source of living water that you've always longed the message today has been brought to you by Carter Conlon from Times Square church. For more information log onto TSC.NYC TSC.NYC plan to be with us next week for a call to the nation with Carter,