Valley Gospel
A Pentecostal church experience.
Valley Gospel
Now Everything Is Ready
Have you ever wondered why we're invited to "buy without money" in Isaiah 55? In this powerful message delivered by Daniel Johnson, we discover how this paradoxical invitation encapsulates the entire gospel message.
The sermon examines God's passionate call—"Ho, everyone who thirsts"—as He tries to get our attention like a vendor at a ballgame. This cry isn't just an Old Testament metaphor; it's God removing every barrier between us and salvation. The preacher weaves together Isaiah 55 with the suffering servant passage of Isaiah 53, revealing how Jesus paid the ultimate price so we could come freely to God's table.
What's particularly striking is the challenge to modern Christianity. Have we forgotten what it means to truly follow Christ? The message asks whether we've downgraded our relationship with Jesus from bride to mere roommate. Through references to the Sermon on the Mount and Jesus's parable of the Great Supper, we're confronted with a critical question: Why do we spend our money, time, and energy on things that don't satisfy when God offers us abundance freely?
The most compelling insight comes when Mr. Johnson addresses how Satan attacks our testimony. Like a witness being discredited in court, our Christian witness loses power when our lives don't match our words. "Your preaching is pennies and your deeds are dollars," quotes the sermon from Spurgeon.
This call to authentic Christianity culminates with Jesus's invitation from the parable: "Come, for everything is now ready." The time to respond is now—not when we've finished our business, checked our property, or satisfied worldly obligations. God has prepared the feast; will you accept His invitation today?
But not because of you, but because he is good and you will not have room to receive it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, Woo oh yeah.
Speaker 2:Hello, welcome to Valley Gospel Church. We are a non-denominational Pentecostal church located in Springdale, pennsylvania. Our sole mission is to present the living truth of a risen Lord Jesus Christ to a remnant church and a lost world. Let's get into the service recorded live at Valley Gospel Church.
Speaker 3:Happy Sunday. You hungry? You hungry today? Yeah, alright, no, that's mine. Yeah, I think we're good. Yeah, you're good, all right, well, let's eat, then We'll pray and get rolling. All right, I'll pray and we'll get going.
Speaker 3:Can you hear me? All right, all right, father, thank you so much for everything that you do for us. Thank you today that we can come before you and just praise your holy name. Father, I just ask you to fill me with your spirit, father, to speak in and through me to your children. I pray that you give all of us, all of your children, ears to hear what you're saying. Father, open our hearts to receive your word. I pray, holy Spirit, that you fill each and every one of us overflowing, that we just radiate your presence everywhere that we go. Father, I ask you, holy Spirit, to help us as we struggle to be like Jesus, our Lord and Savior, guide us and lead us, and I thank you for your word. That does all these things, father, with you leading the way, and we just ask you today to. I just ask you, father, to help me speak your words, give me peace and calmness to bring your word, exactly what you say, and nothing else. Father, I thank you, I love you. In Jesus' name, we pray Amen, all right, and we're going to be.
Speaker 3:We're going to be in Isaiah 55 this morning. But reading these scriptures this morning that we're going to read, I don't know how I didn't see it before, but this is the gospel message, if I ever heard it. This is the gospel message in full God calling out to His scattered and lost sheep, all those who have been led astray, and I think this message goes perfectly with preaches from last week Get ready. And now, when Jesus was here, him and his disciples were preaching the kingdom is at hand. But when Jesus died on the cross and said it is finished, the way was made. And when he rose from the grave, went back to the Father and sent us the Holy Spirit, jesus set the table and the title for today's message is Everything is Now Ready. And we're going to be in Isaiah 55, 1 to 11. And when you get there, if you can stand for the reading of God's word, I love that, because we're his praise, his holy name. I love that. How beautiful. Amen, all right. Isaiah 55. I'm going to read 1 to 11.
Speaker 3:Ho, everyone who thirst, come to the waters, and you who have no money. Come, buy and eat. Yes, come buy wine and milk, without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me and eat what is good and let your soul delight itself in abundance. Incline your ear and come to me here, and your soul shall live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you. The sure mercies of David, indeed, I have given him as a witness to the people, a leader and commander for the people. Surely, you shall call a nation you do not know and nations who do not know. You shall run to you because of the Lord, your God, and 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, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon, for my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord, for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and so are, and my thoughts than your thoughts For as the rain comes down and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth and make it bring forth and bud that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater. So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth. It shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish what I please and it shall prosper in the thing for which I send it. Amen, you can be seated. The Bible says ho, with exclamation point, and Spurgeon wrote on this ho, and it reminded me of the vendors at a ball game yelling to get someone's attention, trying to draw attention to what they're selling. Ho, get your hot dogs or your popcorn here. You've all heard it right, and that's what this is. God yelling out. Ho, trying to get our attention. Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters. And you who have no money, come buy and eat. Yes, come buy wine and milk. Without money and without price. How can you buy something with no price? And how can you buy something with no money, god, removing all the barriers that could stand in anybody's way to keep them from coming.
Speaker 3:And you who have money and think you can buy what is offered, there is no price. How can you buy something with no price? Why do you spend money for what is not bread and your wages for what does not satisfy? Why do you spend money on stuff that's not food when you're hungry? Why do you work all day and night for things that don't satisfy, putting all your time and effort, all of yourself and all of you, everything you got every day into what doesn't satisfy your soul? How true God said listen carefully to me and eat what is good and let your soul delight itself in abundance. Incline your ear and come to me here and your soul shall live. The price was paid for us to come all of, but it wasn't money.
Speaker 3:The suffering servant, just two chapters before this, in Isaiah 53, speaks of this price that was paid for us to just freely come and for us to buy and eat without money, something that we take for granted and see it's free for us, but it costs something. And I'm going to read a couple things in Isaiah 53, but I asked that you should read the whole chapter and I'm going to skip around through it. Isaiah 53, and it said and he bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. Yet we esteemed him, stricken, smitten by God and afflicted. But he was wounded, pierced for our transgressions. He was bruised for our inequities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him and by his stripes we are healed. All we, like sheep, have gone astray. We have turned every one to his own way and the Lord has laid on him the inequity of us all. He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before its shearers is silent. He opened not his mouth and by his knowledge my righteous servant shall justify many, for he shall bear their inequities.
Speaker 3:Wow, this is exactly what we need. Someone made intercession for me, someone took my punishment for me going astray. He was pierced and bruised for me. He was beaten and hung on a tree for me and he opened, not his mouth. A savior for you and for me. And he says you without money, come buy and eat. And I like what Spurgeon said. He said you with no money, no means and no merit, come Heaven for the asking. Wow, all the treasures of God given freely to the children who are willing to accept them as gifts of grace. Never was there offered a gift like this.
Speaker 3:And reading these words painted this picture A man coming to buy these gifts from heaven with his gold of goodness and finds out that his gold wasn't real. Like fool's gold, worthless, just like the stones in the parking lot. And now he's so ashamed of his fool's gold that he doesn't dare try to offer it to God. So he hides it and he runs away. And now, realizing what he actually has, he's now more afraid of his righteousness than his unrighteousness. He's now more afraid of his righteousness than his unrighteousness because he finally sees his righteousness for what it is, as God sees it.
Speaker 3:In reading these verses, all I could think about was Job, job, doing this good thing and that good thing and then realizing, when he meets God, his good things in comparison with God. And Job repented in sackcloth and ashes. And that's us. Meets God, his good things in comparison with God, and Job repented in sackcloth and ashes. And that's us, all of us, all of us, like sheep, have gone astray. We have no gold of good deeds that can purchase heaven. It's a free gift offered by grace from God, our Father in heaven, through faith in his Son Jesus, the suffering servant and paid in full by his death on the cross. For us, we have no money and nothing to offer. We need God's grace and his mercy.
Speaker 3:Isaiah 55, verse 6 says 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 and he will have mercy on him and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. God's character and heart doesn't change and it's always been to forgive those who come to him, forsake their ways for his ways and ask for forgiveness. He loves us and stands yelling Ho come. The way has been made. The door to the kingdom that they preached about is now flung open, open for all. But to follow his way, we have to turn from our ways, because his way and our way are going in two different directions. And seek the Lord while he may be found. That's now.
Speaker 3:To seek him, to learn about him and his ways, we have to dive into his word that reveals him to us and, just like John said the other day, we need to know the word of God. It's our bread. It's our bread, it's our water, it's our substance. Just remembering, while you're reading and learning, the word that we serve, the one true, living God. God is alive and well and wants a relationship with us. The religious leaders and Pharisees all knew the word of God in Jesus's day, but they didn't know God. So while you're learning, don't forget God. So many people act like God gave his word and then he died or he left, like he's not around anymore, and that's not the case.
Speaker 3:Diving into the word of God introduces us to God and gets us to start hearing and getting familiar with Jesus and his voice, which is so important in our walk with him. We need to know him and to stay close to him personally, each one of us, to stay close to him personally, each one of us. Jesus said in John 10, 14, I am the good shepherd, I know my sheep and am known by my own. The church, those who are saved, part of the flock, are supposed to know Jesus. We're supposed to hear his voice and follow him. The church, us, we are supposed to be the bride of Christ, but when did we go from the bride to just a roommate?
Speaker 3:The church today forgets our salvation, how great that was and is, and we take it for granted, the huge price that was paid for for us. And this reminds me of a verse in an old hymn, and it says none of the ransomed ever knew how deep were the waters crossed, nor how dark was the night that the Lord passed through before he found his sheep that was lost. And now, after laying in the pasture getting fat on the prosperity gospel, we forget that we were that lost sheep once, that we were that lost sinner who thought we had it all, yet we had nothing. I've never seen so many people that have so much stuff and yet are so miserable. They pay for storage buildings because they got so much stuff and yet are so miserable. They pay for storage buildings because they got so much stuff they can't even keep it all at their house.
Speaker 3:I talk to Christians every day, and Christians is the key word, because those that don't know the Lord, who are not Christians. I expect this from them because they're lost and they need help and they don't know. But we, as Christians, are supposed to know. We're supposed to know what's going on. Jesus removed the veil, took the scales off our eyes so that we can see. Yet every day I talk to Christians who complain about everything and say that this guy, this girl did this, said that. And then they say you know what I did? And I see that there's no difference between them and anybody else. That's lost. And all I can think is, yeah, but we're supposed to be the light, aren't we? They're lost. So I get it, but we're supposed to be different.
Speaker 3:Teaching the kids downstairs Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. Going through this really opened my eyes and I'm thankful to get to do that with them. It takes me deeper and closer with the Lord. And just reading just this little Sermon on the Mount at the beginning in Matthew 5 is and I'll turn there real quick, just so you can see Look at Matthew 5 real quick so you can see what I'm talking about. And this is just the headlines. But this is how we're supposed to be, this is what Jesus is teaching. And it starts in Matthew 5, and I'm just going to go through the headings real quick.
Speaker 3:But he says we're supposed to be lowly, humble, poor in spirit, meek, thirst for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers. We're supposed to be the salt, the light. Right, he says at the end. For I say to you that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. What was he saying there? He's listing all these things.
Speaker 3:And those religious leaders did righteous things. They did things and stuff. So what do we have to do? More stuff and things? No, they forgot God, just like everybody else. He gave his word and then he left or he died. He's not around, no more. They forget we serve the living God. So we're supposed to do these good things with a love for God, with Him focused in our heart. That's our focus. It's like the Christians, the church. We forget that. We're supposed to be like Christ, a light in the darkness and nobody's even trying anymore.
Speaker 3:And like George said about maturing, if you look at right after, in verse 43, it says love your enemies. Right, we're supposed to be like God, who loves their enemies? God does right. It says while we were yet sinners, christ died for us. It said when we didn't know Jesus, we were his enemies and he reconciled us to God. Right, we were enemies and you ain't. Nothing good ever happened to you before you ever met the Lord. Good stuff happens. He pours his light, his sunshine, out on us every day, even those who don't know him. He's good to those that don't care nothing about him. Right, and that was us before. We're supposed to be like that. Right, none of this is easy, right? Everyone just says the name Christian or whatever. If you try to be like Jesus, this isn't easy, right. And I told them being like Jesus. Remember they killed Jesus for being like Jesus, being like Jesus. Remember they killed Jesus for being like Jesus. Right, none of it's easy.
Speaker 3:He says don't make oaths because nothing's yours. Don't swear by anything because you ain't got nothing. Right, if anyone asks you to go the second mile, right, go above and beyond what people ask why. Who goes above and beyond God? Right, he says I'll do more above what you can think and hope and anything you can do. Right, that's our God. Right? He says I'll do more above what you can think and hope and anything you can do. Right, that's our God right. And he says do these things that you may be sons of your father in heaven. For he makes his son rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. And he finishes that with what hits on what George said in verse 48. He says, therefore, you shall be perfect, just as your father in heaven is perfect and perfect. If you look that up, because I was like who can be perfect? That's crazy. You know what I mean? That's so, that's yeah. So looking it up with the kiddos perfect.
Speaker 3:The Greek word is teleos and it means it means to be mature. Like you said, it means to come to fool. The fullness, right, and the uh, the cool thing is the little description they gave when I looked it up was for teleos was telescope, and if you think of an old pirate's telescope that clicks out different levels, it says says you haven't reached each. Each click out is another level and we're to mature to the end. If you got 10 clicks and you beat 10 clicks, go the full mile, go 10 clicks with the Lord, right. If you're only eight clicks out, you ain't fully mature in the Lord yet, right. And that's what being perfect means. Like he's perfect, complete. We're supposed to go to our completeness, right, to be mature.
Speaker 3:All these things, our treasures in heaven, all these things, not one of them is easy, but we forget the first lesson kindergarten. And not meaning kindergarten, because this is easy, but because there isn't one thing about truly being a Christian like Jesus or representing him. That's easy. We act like we're so mature and these beginning things to our salvation are so beneath us, like WWJD. The kids got bracelets not too long ago. What would Jesus do? Remember? That was a big thing before, but we got new bracelets like that. But that's the kindergarten stuff.
Speaker 3:People say get out of here, I'm past that, right, but yet we don't do it. We don't apply it and we slowly become those Christians who know what the word says. We just don't do it anymore. Like I can tell you what Jesus said to do, but I'm not going to do it. We don't even try. We forget that a Christian is supposed to be like Christ, and that's step one. And I get it. It's much easier to say what to do rather than do it. But we forget how much it matters. We're called to be doers of the word, not just hearers, and that's what separates us.
Speaker 3:I love what Spurgeon said your preaching is pennies and your deeds are dollars. How true is that? It makes me think how, after you're saved and walking with the Lord, that every attack comes after your character, who you are and how you're walking, because Satan knows he can't touch your salvation, but if he can get you to not live it or walk it out, then nobody is going to either know you're a Christian or listen to anything that you say. Think of it like this it's like in a trial when they call the witness up to the stand. What does the other side do to the witness? They try to discredit or make the witness look like a liar, like someone who can't be trusted, so that it ruins the witness's testimony. And that's exactly what Satan tries to do to us to ruin our testimony. And if you exactly what Satan tries to do to us to ruin our testimony. And if you preach the best sermon and if everybody knows you're a hypocrite and not doing the things that you're saying, nobody's going to care if you're not walking it out. They aren't going to listen to your preaching. They won't care what you say about the sanctity of marriage if you're cheating on your wife.
Speaker 3:And that doesn't mean we as Christians don't make mistakes and fall short, because we all do. But it shows that none of this is easy and we follow Christ, not Christians. Without God, the Holy Ghost living in us, giving us the power and connecting us to heaven, none of us would make it. We are to mature and go deeper with the Lord, but building off of our foundation of salvation, not forgetting it. How do we forget that a Christian is supposed to be like Christ? Do we hear his voice as his sheep? When was the last time we did something where we had to lean totally on him? When was the last time we, as the body of Christ, got out of our comfort zone and followed the voice of our shepherd, where we had to rely on him and him alone In our walk with the Lord? When we start going deeper and getting closer to him and Jesus says the closer you come to me, the closer I'll come to you.
Speaker 3:And it seems, like preach said about the different kinds of denominations, we get most of them because people chose to follow God and His word. But then they stopped at a certain spot. They said this is as far as I want to go. So now we have another denomination and this one says that they believe in God and in Jesus and this is His word. But I don't know about that part. So I'll just stay here and I'm not going any farther. We personally, on our walk with the Lord, are the same. Jesus said I'll give you as much of me as you want, but you have to come. You got to keep coming. And we stop, for whatever reason, doesn't matter. Could be a good reason, could not be, that doesn't matter. We stopped.
Speaker 3:On this journey with Jesus, there's always going to be opportunity to do something. That's not necessarily wrong, but it will lead you a step maybe a baby step, but a step not closer to God. But the decision either way is not going to look or seem wrong with the natural eye. The question will be how important is Jesus? There will always be the option and most times your first thought will be there will always be the option and most times your first thought will be well, I can still do this and love God.
Speaker 3:And if you've thought that that's a red flag to the decision that you're about to make, see, in those situations and moments is when we follow Jesus, when we choose Jesus, whether it makes sense to or not, whether our own minds think it's the best response or not. That's when it shows our faith in Jesus, for my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts, says the Lord, and my thoughts then your thoughts, says the Lord. And, like preachers, messaged the other week about how God takes the foolish things to put the shame the wise. These seemingly small decisions are the decisions that matter on our walk with the Lord. And when you choose Jesus, you'll see that the blessing is him. It's Jesus. You'll get closer to him, you'll see him more clearly, you'll get a more personal relationship with him and you'll know his voice personally, which, in times to come, that the Bible speaks about is exactly what we need to know. So if that's what you're looking for, if you're looking to be a disciple, a follower of Jesus, then it's not about can I do this and still love God? It's I'm going to follow, I'm going to go by faith the way that leads me closer to him, whatever that is, no matter what. And see what he does. And Jesus says come, ho, everybody come. And reading these verses in Isaiah reminded me of Jesus' parable of the great supper in Luke 14, 16 to 24. And I'm going to read from that. And it's Luke 14, 16 to 24. And this is Jesus speaking. Then he said to them A certain man gave a great supper and invited many and sent his servant at suppertime to say to those who were invited Come, for all things are now ready.
Speaker 3:But they all, with one accord, began to make excuses. The first said to him I have bought a piece of ground and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused. And another said I have bought five yoke of oxen and I'm going to test them. I ask you to have me excused. Still another said I have married a wife and therefore I cannot come, so that the servant came and reported these things to his master. And then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant Go out quickly into the streets and the lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind. And the servant said Master, it is done as you commanded and still there is room. Then the master said to the servant Go out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled, for I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.
Speaker 3:God is inviting everyone to come. He said everything is now ready, but we didn't come. I'll come later. I'm too busy now. I got all this stuff to do at the house, at work. The kids got to go here. They got to go there, not realizing the price that was paid for you to come. Jesus didn't just take a day off work and give you a hand. He didn't see you with a flat tire and help you fix it real quick. He was beaten and killed. For you and for me, his whole life was so that we could come and were too busy.
Speaker 3:God's invitation goes out to all, to everyone, everywhere, but we have too busy. God's invitation goes out to all, to everyone, everywhere, but we have to respond. And accepting this invitation requires a genuine response and a transformed life, which he will help you do if you come. We can't do it by ourselves and God knows that this time is right now. The dispensation of grace is just like the Great Supper when Jesus says come, eat and drink freely, for everything is ready.
Speaker 3:That's now, but we must accept the invitation. We must RSVP right now, while we can. There is no other time. Our life is like a vapor here for a minute and then gone, just like a flower in a field. Now is the time to accept the invitation and dive into a personal relationship with Jesus, to start the journey now. Get to know Jesus, to hear his voice, to follow him. Jesus, the one true living God that paid the price that no amount of money or good thing can buy. He gave his life so that we may live, but we have to come. Gave his life so that we may live, but we have to come. So jesus says so, come. Everything is now ready, and I'll end with that. Jesus says come, amen, amen, thank you.
Speaker 2:Thank you for listening to this week's podcast. We pray it was an encouragement and a blessing to you. You can contact us at Valley Gospel Church, 1069 Butler Logan Road, Springdale, Pennsylvania, 15144. We invite you to listen to this week's worship service that follows and tune in for next week's podcast there's a place inside of my song.
Speaker 1:Fill the air. Yes, I'll sing it everywhere. Lord, my praise will crescendo Every day that I live.
Speaker 4:I love to sing your praise, lord. I love the sound of your name. Yes, it fills me with peace, washes over me like a sweet, gentle rain.
Speaker 1:I love to sing your praise.
Speaker 4:Lord. It brings the victory. He placed my feet on solid ground. I thank the Master, I thank the Savior Because he healed my heart. He changed my name. I'm forever free. I am not the same. I thank the Master, I thank the Savior, I thank God. Let's sing it again.
Speaker 4:Because, he picked me up, he turned me around, he placed my feet on solid ground the ground. I thank the master, I thank the Savior because he healed my heart. He changed my name. I'm forever free. I am not the same. I thank the master, I thank the Savior.
Speaker 1:I thank God, I thank God. Oh, come on church, let's sing it again. He picked me up.
Speaker 4:He turned me around. He placed my feet on solid ground. I thank the Master, I thank the Savior, because he healed my heart. He changed my name. I'm forever free. I'm not the same. I thank the Master, I thank the Savior, I thank God.
Speaker 1:Wandering into the night, wanting a place to hide this weary soul, this bag of bones. I tried with all my might, but I just can't win the fight. I'm slowly drifting back home.
Speaker 4:Just when I ran out of rope, I met a man I didn't know he told me that I was not alone, because he picked me up, he turned me around, he placed my feet on solid ground. I thank the Master, master, I thank the Savior. Hell lost another one. I am free. Oh, I am free. Yes, I am free. Hell, thank the Master. I thank the Savior because he healed my heart. He changed my name. I'm forever free. I'm not the same. I thank the master, I thank the savior.
Speaker 1:I thank God. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord Enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise. Be thankful to him and into his courts with praise. Be thankful to him and bless his holy name.
Speaker 4:Holy, holy, sing it out, holy holy God, almighty Emmanuel, sing it again Holy, holy, holy, holy.
Speaker 1:God Almighty Emmanuel, sing it again. Yes, lord, we glorify your name. Jesus, come on church, let's sing it again. Holy, holy, sing it out. Holy, holy, god almighty Emmanuel, sing it again. God Almighty Emmanuel, sing it again. Holy, holy, holy, holy. God Almighty Emmanuel, almighty Emmanuel, I love to sing your praise, lord.
Speaker 4:Oh, I just love your name. Oh, yes, it fills me with peace. Washes over me like a sweet gentle rain.