True Church Conference 2011 Session 1

True Church Conference 2011 Session One - David Miller - Isaiah 53 Part 1

This year’s conference opened up Thursday night with praise and worship of our Lord led by brother Tom Clay. Having our hearts prepared by the Holy Spirit to receive the preaching of the word, David Miller presented Isaiah 53 (the whole chapter) from memory, followed by his commentary of the chapter from memory, followed by his sermon outline from memory. God has truly gifted this man with the ability to teach as well as a memory retention few men have. Brother David outlined a 6 point sermon to be preached over two sessions. The title: Atonement - Substitution & Satisfaction. His first three points were as follows:

1. The Indefensible Wickedness of Mankind - Isaiah 53:3

2.The Indescribable Wrath of the Sovereign - Isaiah 53:10

3. The Infinite Wisdom of the Son - Isaiah 53:11

1. The Indefensible Wickedness of Mankind was shown to us through verse 3 of Isaiah 53 - “He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Brother David explained that there is “no greater expression of the wickedness of mankind than for men to ‘despise and reject’ Jesus Christ”. The depravity of man is so thorough and total that we hate the Son of God so much as to call for His execution. Brother David reminded us that we were “hewn from the same rock” and had we been present at Jesus’ crucifixion we would have done the very same thing. All men are lude, vulgar and profane; just wicked. This ought to humble us or as brother David said it, “it puts us in the dust”.

2. The Indescribable Wrath of the Sovereign was shown to us through verse 10 of Isaiah 53 - “But the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.” The first, and very necessary point concerning the wrath of God is the how the word is used in the original language. God’s wrath is not an “out of control” display of anger, but rather a “controlled, swelling, burning, indignation.” Like a river that swells up against the dam, today there is a dam in place staying the hand of God’s wrath. This dam is the forbearance of God, the patience of God as sinners store up wrath for themselves awaiting the great Day of Wrath. Verse 10 of Isaiah 53 tells us that when Christ died, Holy Justice poured out its wrath. In answering why this is important to understand David Millers said, “Only he who has apprehended the magnitude of God’s wrath has understood the overwhelming reality of His mercy.”

3. The Infinite Wisdom of the Son was shown to us through verse 11 of Isaiah 53. “As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will se it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities.” As a sort of side-bar David Miller made several points with regard to men being justified. He said, “In order to be justified you must exercise faith. In order to exercise faith you must exercise that faith toward the proper object of faith. To exercise faith in the proper object information must be given to you to act upon or to “wrap your faith around”.” He emphatically declared that evangelism today gives too little information and needs to give much more, but that this is NOT the wisdom that verse 11 of Isaiah 53 is referencing. He continued to explain that the wisdom that Jesus possessed was able to resolve a seeming dilemma in heaven (there are no dilemmas in heaven, but he was speaking as a man, an anthropomorphism). The first side to the dilemma seems to be that God is Holy and has stored up wrath against guilty sinners. Man is guilty. The second side to the dilemma seems to be that God is Love. God is gracious and merciful. So these two sides seem as incongruent in our finite human minds. Holy Justice demands punishment for sins. Truth demands justice be carried out. God cannot save sinners with love, grace and mercy yet violate His Holy Justice. Man cannot devise a plan to save man because when they make an attempt to do so they either leave justice undone or leave men in their sin without a true savior. BUT JESUS David Miller declares! In eternity past Wisdom talked with Love. They made an everlasting covenant. Wisdom said to Love, “Would You be willing for God’s Only Son to take the blame for guilty sinners such as these? Would You be willing for Holy Justice to be poured out on God’s Only Son?” Love replied to Wisdom, “If that is what it takes to satisfy and justify then YES.” Love is willing! Then Wisdom talked with Justice. Wisdom told Justice that “Love is willing to give the Son as a substitute. Would You be willing to pour out awful wrath (the wrath do the people) on the Son?” Justice replied, “Considering the infinite value of the Son, I will be willing to pour out wrath to the very last dreg.”

Brother David concluded by quoting the Apostle Paul from Romans 11:33-36 “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? OR WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

God has truly given David Miller to the Church for the equipping of the Saints. It was a blessing to sit under the teaching of this long time laborer for the Gospel. Session two of the True Church Conference begins this morning with Dr. Bruce Ware from Southern Seminary. Lord willing I will have more updates as time permits.