# Come

February 23, 2026

I’m almost thought about changing the tie. You’re changing the message. You’re talking about Jesus’ return. It’s coming, you know. But we’ll come to this. Isaiah chapter number one. Isaiah chapter number one.

And just a couple—not all of them—some of the “comes” of the Bible. I just try to get this thought: it’s in many, many places through the Bible. We’ll look at a couple of those. But Isaiah chapter number one, a familiar passage. We’re going to start in verse number 18. Bless you, whoever that was. I think Ms. Connie.

Isaiah 1 and verse number 18. Would you stand, please, as we read God’s word together? Isaiah 1 and verse number 18 of God’s word. You’re there tonight? Amen. Good deal. Look at that passage. It’s amazing. I want you to imagine the Lord saying this to you, because He is.

Now, I understand it was directly to the Jewish people at this moment, but it’s also to you. And I want you to just look at it and picture Him saying this to you. He says, “Come now, and let us reason together,” saith the Lord. “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as well.” Can you imagine the Lord saying that to you?

And I like that very first word. Can you imagine the Lord saying that to Brother Josh? He’s saying, “Come.” That’s awesome. He is. Every single person here. Just imagine Him saying, “Come,” for just a little bit tonight. We’re going to look at a couple of the “comes” of the Bible. Would you pray with me that God would speak to our hearts tonight? Father.

Lord, would you just let us see the reality of how loving and inviting You are to us? It’s hard, Lord. It’s hard for me to get it sometimes. I don’t grasp it. You know, sometimes I’m over—kind of just striving on my own, trying to make it happen. And thank You, Lord, You’re standing there saying to me, “Come.” Lord, help us to grasp that a little bit more tonight. And Father, we’ll thank You for what You do. It’s in the name of Jesus we ask. Amen. Thank you so much for staying. You may be seated.

He is talking to the nation of Israel here. They are not a righteous, good, godly nation like they ought to be. In fact, you can tell that from the very verse. He said, “Though your sins be as scarlet.” And He’s speaking really to a backslidden nation.

I want to kind of just apply that to me and you. We all are backslidden from time to time. Sometimes I think of somebody backslidden; they’re out of church and doing this, that, and the other. And that’s for sure true. But “backslidden” just simply means you slide back. And all of us, from time to time, we’ve slid back. And it’s just part of the Christian life.

I want you to imagine when you’re sliding back, you’re not where you used to be, you’re not where you want to be. By the way, you’re still saved. Praise the Lord for that. Can’t lose your salvation. Amen. And that’s a wonderful security to know that, but we all slide backward. You know, it’s interesting when you’re backslidden a little bit.

You know, at one point, man, you’re excited about reading your Bible in the morning. You couldn’t wait to get in there. You’re memorizing Bible verses, and you’re trying to meditate on it to get those promises and all that. But when you’re slid backward, you know, you haven’t read it in a while. It’s drudgery. You’re not really looking forward to it. But when you’re there, you’re not really into His word like you ought to be. Our mind thinks the Lord is ready to just squash us just like a bug. And yet, when you’re at that moment, you know what He says? He says, “Come.” He doesn’t say, “You’re sorry? Right after all I’ve done for you? I can’t believe you’re not!” It’s amazing. It’s at that moment He’s speaking to Israel, and He said, “Come.” Don’t we serve truly an amazing God?

It’s just, you know, at times we’ve—you know—we’re on fire, man. Can’t wait to get to church. I’m hungry for God to speak to my heart. I mean, I want some preaching. I want God to speak to my heart. I mean, you’re just hungry for it, and you’re ready for it. You’ve got a hunger for God to speak. You just think, “Lord, I want something.” But you know when you’re backsliding? And we all have slid back from time to time. Well, yeah, I’m going to go because I’m supposed to go. So-and-so is going to give me a text if I don’t show up and say, “Hey, missed you tonight.” Sorry, right? And preaching is almost like preaching is irritating. I don’t want to hear anybody preaching at me right now. Yeah. Let’s go for us tonight right now. No, I’m joking, of course.

We’ve all been there before, man. I’ve been there about a million times, you know. But, you know, when you’re there and you’re nowhere where you ought to be, you know, the Lord doesn’t say, “Hey, you, you backslid and hardened.” He says, “Come.” Isn’t that amazing? It kind of goes beyond our human relationships. God says, “Come.” Pretty amazing how the Lord is. He’s speaking to a backslidden nation, and they’ve been far from where they ought to be, and yet He says, “Come.” Pretty amazing.

Now, I understand they didn’t come until His destruction. They ended up coming in all that. But the honest, simple truth is right there in the middle of all, He’s saying, “Come.” By the way, when we’re backslidden, we’re miserable, we’ve lost our joy, we don’t care about anything or anybody, you know, we’re just cold. And in the middle of all that, we’ve lost our burden for the lost. You used to witness; now I don’t want to witness to anybody. I mean, we’re kind of there where we just don’t care about the lost dying and going to hell. And at that moment, the Lord doesn’t say, “Well, I’m going to smash you like a bug.” God says, “Come.” Pretty amazing God.

And the fact that God Almighty, the omniscient God, would say to a finite being like me and you—puny, so puny in comparison to Him—and He says, “Come now, let us reason together.” God would reason with us. Hey, you know, there’s—there’s—I mean, that’d be like me trying to play chess with Brother Patterson. I mean, you know, he could be blindfolded in chess, you know. Especially since I hadn’t played in about 30 years. I don’t forget what pieces are what, you know. And God says, “Hey, come. Come now, let us reason together.”

Pretty amazing. I’ve read the story about a mom. Her son was convicted of murder, and he was on trial. And she went to her son. She said, “Now tell me, it’s okay. Did you really do it? And if you plead guilty, just come clean. They’re more prone to be lenient with you a little bit. Just tell me the truth. Did you do it?” And he said, “No, Mom, I didn’t do it.”

And in the court case, he was convicted of murder. It came to the day. He’s going to the lecture chair. And they’re strapping him in there. And the chaplain comes to him and says, “Now, this is my last chance to say anything to anyone. Do you want me to say anything to anyone? This is it. This is your final thing.” Man, he told the chaplain, he said, “Would you run and tell my mom, I’m guilty, I did it?”

And the chaplain, they say, just took off and ran to the mom and said, “He wanted you to know, he’s trying to come clean. He did it. He’s guilty.” And they say the mom told the chaplain, “I want you to run, please make it back. I want you to run and tell him: Even though he did it, I still love you.”

Isn’t that amazing? That’s how God is. When we’re backslid and far from where we ought to be, we’re guilty. He still says, “Come.” I want you to picture Him saying that to you. “Come.” What a shame sometimes I don’t come. I live over there on my own, trying to manage it, get it all together. And God says,

Look at another passage. If we look over Matthew chapter number 11, if you would please. Matthew chapter 11. A very familiar passage. Another “come” in the Bible. I like it. It’s a wonderful one. Matthew chapter number 11 in the Bible. And we’ll start with just one verse, Matthew 11, verse number 28. Matthew 11.

I imagine many of you can quote this verse. It’s a great verse. It starts with the same word that Isaiah 1:18 starts with. It starts with that word, “Come.” What a good one. Look at this, Matthew 11, verse number 28. By the way, if you have a red-letter edition Bible, Jesus speaking—it’s red. And Jesus says, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Anybody out there ever get weary?

Some of us will put both our hands up, amen, you know, hand and a half, whatever. Yeah. And when you’re weary, by the way—I think it’s the internet company—“all you that labor,” I think that’s more like stuff that we bring on ourselves, “and are heavy laden.” That’s things that are just laid on you. But He says, “Hey, no matter where you are, what’s going on,” He says, “Hey, all you that are weary out there.” By the way, “Let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” But the honest truth is we all are there from time to time.

And when you’re weary, you’re just worn out and burdened out. Whether it be the schedule of life or the bills of life or the worries of life—I know it’s a sin to worry, but we all worry, you know—whatever it may be, all these problems of life. And Jesus says, don’t try to handle all the weariness and problems and issues of life on your own. I like it. We’re just worn out and weary sometimes. The heartbreaks of life. You know, if you got a wayward child or a wayward grandchild, that can be one of the greatest burdens of life.

I mean, and just maybe you have a child you don’t have a relationship with them. They won’t let you have a relationship with them. And boy, just that weariness of that. And the Bible speaks to the burden of that, especially with the mom, but both men and ladies—but ladies, especially—and Jesus says to those that are weary, “Come to Me.” Hey, this is a wonderful thing. He said, “Come.” You’re just worn out, and sometimes you’re so weary, you want to function for those that are around you to be what they need, but you’re just so worried, you can’t be that. And you feel like that sometimes, and Jesus says for all those, “Come.” Come.

I want you to just imagine when you’re weary. Physical problems can wear you out. I mean, it’s one thing to be sick for a week or two or a month, but sometimes you have physical ailments that go on for years and major issues for years and years. Well, that’ll wear you down. And Jesus says to all those that are weary, “Come.” He’s a source of strength. He can give you rest. I love that. “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Just the “comes” of the Bible. I love that. When it’s a backslidden nation of Israel, He said, “Come now, let us reason together.” You know, five times the book of Isaiah makes this statement. I love this little statement: “But His hand is stretched out still.” I mean, for backslidden Israel, far from where they ought to be, and the Lord’s correcting them over there in Isaiah, but He says, “Hey, but His hand is stretched out still, saying, ‘Come.’” Amazing. Then over here in the New Testament, Jesus is talking to those who are just heavy laden and they’re laboring, they’re just worn out, they’re just weary. Brother Josh, you never get tired at the bus ministry? Never, ever, ever do you? Not even on a Saturday morning? You don’t want to go busing or anything like that? Yeah, but even to people that are weary and they lie about in service? No, I’m joking.

He says to come. He’s so good. Come. Let’s look at another “come.” Just a couple here. We’re going to try to move along fairly quickly here. Look over in Hebrews chapter number four. Hebrews chapter number four. And that last part of that, Hebrews 4, verse number 15 and 16, real quickly here tonight. Hebrews 4, 15 and 16. Verse 15 is all about Jesus: “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” Let us therefore what? What’s the next word? “Come.” Isn’t that wonderful? Because of Jesus, He rent the veil from top to bottom. He gives you free access into the Most Holy Place. He says, “Let us therefore come.” This passage here, not just come, but come boldly.

If you will, just march right on in there and get what you need. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of justice? No? He’s thrice holy, holy, holy, holy, but it doesn’t say there in this passage, “the throne of holiness,” though He is just, and He is righteous. But here in this passage, He says, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of what?” Of grace. Man, that’s so good. He said, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy.” It’s not talking about when you’re all that, because when you’re all that, you don’t need mercy. You obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

There are so many times I’ve been guilty of just trying to make it through on my own. I mean, just trying to grin and bear it and, you know, and I’m going to make it through. And God said, “Come over here. Come boldly. I’m sitting on a throne of grace. And you can obtain mercy.” We all need that. Obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. I don’t know about you, but I’ve got times of need. When you’re in times of need, don’t try to make it through on your own. He’s saying, “Come. Come boldly. I’ve got—I’ve got the mercy, I’ve got the grace you need.”

How foolish of me sometimes, just trying to make it on my own. And He’s saying, “Paul, come over here. I’ve got what you need.” You’ve got no strength, you’re just weary. He says, “Come.” You feel like I’ve got nothing left? He said, “Come.” All those that have labored and are heavy laden, He says, “Come.” He said, “Hey, you’ve got time of need. You need help, maybe overcoming a sin in your life, whatever it may be.” He said, “Come over here. I’ve got what you need. The help in time of need.”

I thought about Corrie ten Boom and her book, The Hiding Place. There’s a movie. How many have ever seen the movie or read the book, The Hiding Place? Man, it’s awesome. I would highly recommend that. It’s a good one. You can find it. I don’t know in some of these places. It’s out there. You can rent it, whatnot, and it’s one of those you can’t actually finish it, you know. But it’s all about when her family, a Dutch family, was hiding Jewish people. And her dad had a clock store, repairing watches and all that. But they were hiding Jewish people. And the Nazis and Germans, they found out about it. And her and her sister ended up in a concentration camp. Her family—her dad died and all that. There’s so much to it. And, of course, they did just horrible things to her and her sister.

And after World War II was over, she was going across Europe giving testimonies in churches and whatnot about the grace of God, how God had helped her through that time and whatnot. Her sister ended up dying there and all these things. But she’s giving testimony about how God’s grace was sufficient during that time. And at one of those services, one of those services, soldiers—specifically one of the soldiers that had taken her sister out and did some horrible things to her—it’s one thing that they do it to you, but sometimes when they do it to people you really, really love. And boy, just, you talk about a battle. And she’s giving a testimony, and that man’s there, and, you know, something inside of him. And you just go back to kind of reliving all those things. And then at the end of service, you know, she’s done giving her testimony, and that man’s coming up to shake her hand. Can you imagine?

And she’s like, “Lord, I don’t have it in me. I don’t have the strength to deal with this man like I ought to and forgive him and show the grace and mercy of God.” And the Lord spoke to her. She said, just kind of a split second, she went back to the cross. The Lord took her back there, and what all the Lord went through for her. And then the Lord said, “Look, Corrie, just lift your hand to shake his hand.” She said, “I didn’t have anything left in me. But as she just lifted her hand, just trying to obey the Lord—she said, ‘That’s all I could do at that moment.’ But as I lifted my hand and our hands connected, God just filled her with love for a man that was that demented, all the wounds and problems and issues he had. God filled her with forgiveness and love for that man.” And I’m saying, He says, “Come in time of need. Come to the throne of grace. I have what you need. For whatever you’re going through,” He said, “I want you to imagine a little bit tonight, imagine Him saying to you, because He is: ‘Come.’”

This just pops in my mind. Maybe you want to be fruitful in your ministry, whatever it may be—raising your children for the Lord, the bus ministry, or whatever at Sunday school. You just want to be fruitful for the Lord. You know, He is the vine, we are the branch. I remember one year where the whole theme that year was abiding in Christ, and you’ve got no power to produce anything apart from abiding in Him. And He says, “Come.” And just always, He’s about “come.” Come. Let’s look at one last one. I believe that we’ll look over Revelation chapter number 22, last book of the Bible, last chapter of the Bible, and nearing—nearing the very last part of it, Revelation 22.

And I want you to see what He says at the very end. By the way, He closes it: “Do not add to it. Do not take away.” And look what He says. Revelation 22. And look in verse number 17, verse number 17: “And the Spirit”—that’s the Holy Spirit—“and the bride”—that’s the church that you and I, if you’re saved—“And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’” By the way, we’re supposed to be part of that. Talk to the lost ear. Then He goes on: “And let him that heareth say, ‘Come.’” And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.

Jesus said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” You know, we’re supposed to be telling the lost. We’re not supposed to be condemning them. We’re supposed to be reaching out to the world saying, “Come. Come. Come.”

We got away last week for a little bit. My wife and I stayed over in Reliance, Tennessee. You say, “Where is that at?” They have to pump sunlight into Reliance, Tennessee. I mean, raccoons don’t know where it’s found out. I mean, it’s just out there. You know, it’s been—and a little bit of cabin fever—we just wanted to get away. And you walk down a gravel road—they were not paved out there, you know, for the most part—and maybe a quarter mile down a gravel road, and you enter the Cherokee National Forest. And right on the edge of the Cherokee National Forest, right—I’m talking about right there—a little house, a little cabin, and then just 40 feet down the road, you enter the Cherokee National Forest. The last thing you see…

As we were entering the National Forest. And I’d walked—we did a lot, just to get away and spend some time with the Lord—and I’d walk there. And there was a dog there. My wife says, “You’re crazy.” I don’t mind. I like to walk in the woods, daytime, nighttime. But that dog did a little bit, you know. So I’ll be honest, I was prepared for that. I did have something there, you know, for the dog, you know. And… But I think the next morning, maybe the second morning or so, we were there, and I walked down there, and the dog—you know what?—I was past it. And a little lady comes out. She told me she’s 90—later on, a neighbor that we were in the cabin with said she’s 91. And…

And she came out. She said, “Hey, I’ve seen you walking.” She said, “If you were a total stranger, I wouldn’t tell you, but since you’re walking every day, I have seen you, you know.” She said, “Well, I’ll keep an eye out, you know, and I knew.” And she said, “I want you to know, my dogs won’t get you; you’re fine, you know.” And I said, “Well, thank you for letting me know that.” And I began to witness to her. And she’s a very kind, very good lady. But she wouldn’t accept Christ. And she even tried to live—this was a neat thing. She said, “I live like Christians live.” She was trying to say she lives good. And I thought, well, that’s good; Christians have a good testimony to her. But no matter that, she just didn’t want to do anything with Jesus. And I left some tracts—three different tracts—with her. But I thought, isn’t God so gracious?

This lady has lived out here for 30 years. I mean, just away from everybody, right on the edge of the National Forest. But God loves her so much. He sent a preacher by, you know. And He had her come out to the preacher, you know. I don’t know. I don’t know what her future holds. But God graciously saying, “Come” to her. It’s amazing God—God, just to the lost world. And by the way, He wants to use us.

I left the tracts at the cabin, and the owners of the cabin—they were Christian—I got to meet them and talked. And I left them a note and said, “Hey, would you give this to so-and-so?” And you know how you give your reviews, the public and the private, and all the private reviews? They said, “Hey, I’ve got a trip scheduled to go over there. I’m going to give her those.” And I hope she gets saved. But I thought, God’s so good. This lady is just getting away from humanity, and she opened up a little bit, her wounds and all those things—wounded and getting away from it all. But God lovingly, lovingly, is still saying to her, “Come. Come.” I hope it’s not one of those where for all eternity she’ll remember that. I hope it’s one of those where at the very end she’ll get saved. You never know. But God’s so good about saying, “Come.”

I don’t have this in my notes here, but look even down at verse number 20. It’s fitting for the song service. But look at the last book, the last chapter, the second to the last verse of the Bible, and look what He says. “And he which testifieth these things saith, ‘Surely I come quickly.’” Amen. “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Hey, one day, He’s coming for His bride. What a day that’ll be. Would you bow your heads and close your eyes? Heads bowed, our eyes are closed. He’s saying to you tonight, “Come. Come.” Let’s just come to Him. He’s waiting with arms wide open. Would you please stand? We have a word of prayer, and let’s just come to Him tonight. He’s waiting for you. Father, thank You for being…

…better, so much better to me than I deserve. Forgive me how many hours and minutes I’ve spent on my own, not coming to You. I’m sorry, Lord. Help us to get to You quicker, more often. Thank You. Your arms are stretched out still, and You’re saying, “Come.” Thank You for that. Bless us tonight. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. Amen.

Don’t we serve a good God? Man, better than I deserve. Just saying, “Come” to us. I love it. I love it. And I want to thank Ms. Grace for playing. Praise the Lord for people that have filled in. You know, she did a great job. Amen. Amen. Amen. I’m thinking, maybe she was scheduled for tonight. I don’t know, but Sarah’s out, but people just stepped up. Ms. Grace did a wonderful job with the piano. Miss Marlene—and I should say Ms. Campanelli for school—Ms. Campanelli and Ms. McCoy stepping in at the school. They’ve substituted and made that thing keep going. And just a lot of people stepping in here. Praise the Lord for good people just making sure things keep going. And what a blessing that is. Praise the Lord for them. And praise the Lord for the Lord. Amen. I mean, we did finish the service. We might not meet back again; we may meet up there, you know. So, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” Amen. Good to see you tonight. I believe Brother Go for us, looking for Jesus coming back. Amen. That’s a good deal right there. Amen. Come on. Would you dismiss us with a word of prayer, please, brother?

Original File: 2026-02-23 - Pastor Paul Chisgar ＂Come＂ - Sunday PM 2⧸22⧸2026