All right, let's turn back there
to Isaiah 43. Isaiah chapter 43. We live in a world that's under the fierce anger of God's judgment. You can read Romans chapter 1
at the end and you'll see where we live. It's where we live. And just as God poured out His
fury on the nation of Israel, that political nation, and broke it in pieces, God is
setting this world on fire round about, pouring out the fury of
His judgment, particularly on our nation. And just as the inhabitants of
that political nation regarded it not, that's the case in our
day. Look at Isaiah 42, 25. poured out. Let's look at verse
24. Who gave Jacob for spoil and
Israel to the robbers? Did not the Lord, he against
whom we have sinned? For they would not walk in his
ways, neither were they obedient unto his law. Therefore he poured
out upon him the fury of his anger and the strength of battle.
And it set him on fire round about, yet he knew not. He knew not. And it hath burned
him, yet he laid it not to heart. and laid it not to harm." Well,
sometimes we get fearful. And when we see these things
going on around us, it's so easy for us to become fearful, to
become fearful. And it should bring us, it should
bring us to the feet of our Lord in the fear of reverence to Him,
under His mighty hand. It really should. But I want us to hear a word
from the Lord this morning and try to put everything else, just
for a moment, out of our minds. Try to leave everything outside,
outside, and think about what the Lord says here. Isaiah 43,
1, But now, thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and
he that formed thee, O Israel, fear not. Fear not. God's the God of all
creation, but he's speaking here to them that he's created anew
in regeneration. Those that he's made new creatures,
new creations created in righteousness and true holiness. This is a
word to God's church made up of his people who were just powerless,
worthless Jacobs. supplanters, tricksters, no different
from those that He passes by at all. No different from those
that we just read about that He gave to the spoil and to the
robbers. No different. But in Christ, we're Israel. Israel, gathered together out
of the four corners of the earth, those that He's created, those
that He's formed. And it gives us here reasons
not to fear. It gives us reasons not to fear. And if you look at the second
half of verse 1, you'll see our outline for this morning. These
are three reasons not to fear. First of all, he says, For I
have redeemed thee. Here's the second reason. I have
called thee by thy name. And here's the third reason.
Thou art mine. I told Melinda this week, I said,
I don't know. I know why. Sin that's in me. I struggle.
The Lord makes you struggle, try to find a message, struggle
with yourself. But we're just sent to declare
what He said. And there it is. There it is. Just simple. I have
redeemed thee. I have called thee by thy name.
Thou art mine." When you hear that, just those three simple
reasons not to fear, doesn't it just make the fear go away?
Did you just feel it? Did you feel it in your own heart
when you read that? Did you feel the fear flee? Ah, you that have been born of
his spirit, listen now. First thing he says here is,
fear not, for I have redeemed thee. Now we've got every reason
to be fearful in ourselves. We've got every reason to be.
We don't have any strength in ourselves. We're dust in ourselves.
We sold ourselves under sin. We sold ourselves for naught.
We think right now, what is probably, I'll just say, one of the biggest
problems in this nation right now? We're trying to purchase that
which we don't have funds to purchase. As long as we think, when it
comes to God and entering into God's presence, as long as we
think we're doing the paying in any regard, even when it comes
to God providing for His church, when we think we're doing the
paying, we're going to be slaves. We're going to get in debt. We're
going to get in over our heads. because God has redeemed his
people. God has paid all the debt we owe. God pays. He pays. He pays. He pays. He paid it
all. He pays. He says, I've paid it
all. And this is something that I
need to say before we go any further. Everybody here that
doesn't trust the Lord, everybody here that hasn't come and just
cast your care upon him. You have great reason to fear.
You have great reason to fear. You come into God's presence
and you experience the naked, strict judgment of God. And it'll
be just. It'll be just. It'll be exact.
It'll be exact. But this is what he says, I have
redeemed thee. This is why he tells his people
there's no reason for you to fear. No reason for you to fear. I have redeemed thee. Whenever
Whenever Naomi went with her husband and she went down into
this country and she left the house of bread, And she went
down to this country, and their sons married women that God said,
don't mix with these unbelievers. They're going to take you into
idolatry. You marry somebody that doesn't believe the Lord,
and you're going to end up serving their God. That's what God said.
Whatever God says is right. When you read the Ten Commandments,
there's nothing in the Ten Commandments that's not just exactly for our
good. It's perfect law. Whatever God
says, His order's right. Those boys, the father let them
down there, and they married, and they went off, and they all
died. Well, there's two of those girls
that were married to him, and one of them's name was Ruth.
And Naomi's bitter. She's lost everything. It's a
case of a man trying to pay, him trying to pay, him trying
to do the paying, him trying to pay his way and make his way. And God brought him down to bitterness. And they came back to the house
of bread, to Bethlehem, Judah. They came back. They got back
there. She went out to the field, Ruth went out into that field
to glean, just to try to pick up some that was left on purpose
that she could just pick up. And she got out there and she
met a man who gave her in abundance. And she went home and she said,
her mother-in-law Naomi said, where'd you get all that? Where'd
you get all that? And she said, a man named Boaz. And Naomi said, oh, that's your
near kinsman. He can redeem us. He can redeem
us. He can pay everything we owe. He can restore everything that's
been taken away from us. And you know what? God was teaching
them through all of that they had to go through to get there.
You know what He was teaching them? He was teaching them what
He's teaching us right now, every one of His people. He's teaching
us what He, what Naomi said to Ruth, just go into His feet and
lay down at His feet and ask Him, ask Him to cover you. Ask Him to redeem you. He's your
Redeemer. The Lord God says of his people,
I've paid it. Everything you owed, you owed
it to me, God said. And he said, and I have frankly
forgiven you of everything you owe. That's what he says to every
believer sitting in this room right now through his spirit,
speaking into the heart. He says, I have paid everything. I've paid it all. I've paid it
all. That's what it is to be redeemed.
How did he do it? Christ hath redeemed us from
the curse of the law. What a debt! We owed a curse. We owed a curse. That was our
debt. We owed a curse. Christ hath
redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for
us. Now when you read that, when
you read that, do you think This one who has paid everything in
this way, by being made the curse we owe, by being made a curse
for every one of his people, do you think he's going to let
his people? be harmed and be in danger and
be that peace of heart that keeps us in Him and keeps us ever trusting
Him and keeps us near to Him and ever stayed upon Him and
ever trusting His hand alone to provide. Do you think He's
going to let the very judgment that he's sending into the world,
the very judgment that he's causing all around us right now to wreak
havoc upon this nation and upon this world. Do you think that
this one who redeemed his people by being made a curse in their
place for them, do we think for one minute he's ever going to
let that peace in our heart be lost to know? Fear not. I have redeemed you. But now, you see all this judgment,
we just read about all that judgment last time in the end of chapter
42, but when he gets through talking about the natural Jacob,
the natural Israel, he says, but now, Jacob that I've created,
Jacob that I have formed by my own purpose, by my own grace,
by my own blood, by my own being made a curse in your place, Jacob
I have formed, Israel whom I have created. Fear not, I have redeemed
you. I have redeemed you. Oh, oh, oh, peace, peace, peace. Here's the second thing he says
to us. Fear not, look at the end of verse 43, fear not, I'm
sorry, the end of verse one of chapter 43, fear not, I have
called thee by thy name. You know, when your children were born,
he said, I've called thee by thy name. When your children
were born, us fathers gave them our name. We gave him our name. Not just we gave you a first
name, but we gave you our name. We called you by thy name. We called you Curtis, and Keller, and Sheppas,
and Dormiento, and Santa Maria. We called you by our name. God says to his children, I've
called thee by thy name. I've called you by your name.
He's given his children his name. Look at Genesis 17.1 with me. You remember these two cases
here of Genesis 17. You remember this. Abraham's name was Abram and
he changed it. He changed his name. Genesis
17.5. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram. but
thy name shall be Abraham. Four, here's what Abraham means,
a father of many nations. That's what it means. You know
who our God is? You know what his name is? A
father of many nations. He's got a people who he is the
everlasting father of out of every country, tongue, and tribe,
and language in this earth. He's the Father of many nations.
He's got a people in many nations. He gave Abraham His name. His
name. The Father of many nations. That's
who He is. Look at Genesis 32, 27. Jacob. The Lord came to Jacob
and He wrestled with him. Verse 27, And He said unto him,
What is thy name? And he said, Jacob, The Lord
said, not anymore. Not anymore. He said, thy name
shall be called no more Jacob. You know, the only ones that
ever called his people by the name Jacob throughout the scriptures
anymore is God himself. He said, nobody else is going
to call you by that name anymore. I'll call you by that name to
remind you who you are in yourself. But nobody else is calling you
that. But look at what he said. He said, Your name shall be no
more called Jacob, but Israel. And here's what Israel means.
A prince that has power with God and with men and has prevailed. You know whose name that is?
That's the name of our Redeemer. That's the name of the King of
Kings and Lord of Lords. That's the name of the Prince
of Peace, who has power with God and with men because he came
and laid down his life himself and completely put away the sin
of his people, glorifying God in the highest, glorifying his
own name. He is Israel, the Prince who
has prevailed, has power with God and with men. And Jacob said
to him there, Jacob asked him and said, tell me, I pray thee
thy name. Jacob turned around and said, now tell me your name.
And the Lord said, wherefore is it that you've asked after
my name? I just told you my name. I just said your name's Israel.
I just called you by thy name. In doing so, I called you by
my name. Why are you asking me what my name is? Huh? And he blessed him there. Look
back at our text, Isaiah 43, and look at verse 7. You sure that's what He's talking
about? He said this is who He's doing this for, verse 7, "...even
everyone that is called by My name." You see that? That means My name is His name. That means You boys in here,
listen to me. You boys in here, you first born,
you sons, your name's always gonna be what it is. It ain't
never gonna change. It never will change. The child
born of God, who he's given his name, it never will change. His
son's name never will change. And his daughters, you daughters,
when you get married, your name's gonna change. You're gonna take
the name of the husband the husband you marry, and you're gonna take
his name, and his name's gonna be your name from that day forward. Whenever his bride marries the
husband, Christ Jesus Lord, we take his name. And the daughters,
his daughter's name never changes. That's their name. What he's
joined together and never be put asunder, that's their name.
That's our name. That's our name. I want you to
see now, what does that mean? What's that? What's that mean? Well, it means because His name
is on His children. His name is at stake. His name
is the one that's at stake of either being shamed or glorified. Now if He leaves it up to us
Jacobs, He proved here with natural Israel, He proved what'll happen.
You won't walk after me, and you'll turn from me, and you'll
deny me, and you'll shame my name. But because He's given
His people His name, and He's wrought salvation for them, He
will see to it, He will absolutely see to it that His name is glorified,
and He'll do it by continuing to provide all for His children. He will. Let's see that. Ezekiel
20, Ezekiel 20, turn to the right there, Ezekiel 20. He scattered, just as He scattered
Israel and drew back His elect remnant from among them, He's
drawn out his elect remnant from this Gentile world and he says
here in Ezekiel 20 verse 41, I will accept you with your sweet
savor when I bring you out from the people and gather you out
of the countries wherein you have been scattered and I will
be sanctified in you before the heathen. That means they're going
to know my name. I'm gonna make my name known
even before the heathen that don't know my name, that don't
carry my name. I'm gonna make my name, I'm gonna
be sanctified. My name's gonna be lifted up
higher above everybody else's name. And he says, and you shall
know that I am the Lord when I shall bring you into the land
of Israel. into the country for the which I lifted up mine hand
to give it to your fathers. And there shall you remember
your ways and all your doings wherein you have been defiled.
And you shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for all your
evils that you've committed." That's what this grace is doing.
It's making us loathe the Jacob that's in us. And he said, and
you shall know that I am the Lord when I have wrought with
you. Why? for my name's sake, for my name's
sake, not according to your wicked ways, not according to your corrupt
doings, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord God, but for my
name's sake. Our great Solomon said, this
house I've built, Christ our Solomon said, this house I've
built is called by your name, Father. It's called by your name. And God said, for my name's sake.
Not because, not according to our corrupt doings. He said,
I'm going to save my people. Let me show you a few more places.
Isaiah 48 verse 9. He says, verse 8, Yea, thou heardest
not, thou knewest not, from that time thine ear was not opened,
for I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously and was
called a transgressor from the womb. For my name's sake, he
said, will I defer mine anger. And for my praise, for my praise,
he said, will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off. Behold,
I've refined thee, but not with silver. I've chosen thee in the
furnace of affliction. That's what we're in. That's
why he's chosen us. He put us here on purpose, doing
what he's planned to do. But look at what he says, verse
11. For mine own sake, even for mine own sake will I do it. For
how should my name be polluted? I won't give my glory to another.
How am I going? My name's not going to be polluted.
So he tells us in our text, the first thing he tells us is, fear
not, because I've redeemed you. And the second thing he says,
fear not, I've named you. I've called you by your name,
and it's my name. And he says in verse seven, everyone
that's called by my name, I've created them for my glory. I
formed him, yea, I've made him, so I'm gonna save him. That's
what he tells us. So fear not, fear not. And then
the last thing he tells us here is so precious. Fear not, Isaiah
43, 1. Fear not, thou art mine. You're mine. I want to give you just one verse
of Scripture, and I just love this. Ephesians chapter 1. I just love to see this. Ephesians
chapter 1. You've been sealed. You that
believe have been sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise. And verse
14 says, how do I know I've been sealed by the Spirit of promise?
Do you hear this message this morning? I don't mean with these
ears. I mean, are you hearing this
message this morning in here with these spiritual ears? Are
you seeing this Lord with these spiritual eyes that are in here,
in this body of death somewhere? It's in here, that's alive. Are
you hearing it? You hearing Him? You hearing
what He's saying? That's how we know we've been sealed with
the Holy Spirit of promise. I hear Him. I rejoice in Him.
I want Him to have this glory. I want Him to do what He's done
because He's redeemed me, because He's put His name on me. I want
Him to do it because He's made me His. Now watch what he says
here. This is the earnest of our inheritance. It's that which is the down payment
to let us know we got an inheritance coming, an inheritance of eternal
glory. It's the earnest. It's the fruit
whereby we know He has done this work for us. He has done this
work. He's made me His Israel. I believe
Him. I believe Him. And I have this
peace in my heart because He put it there. I believe Him.
And this is the earnest, this is the first fruit given. Until
he comes back and redeems to himself, delivers out of this
world to himself. Look at those next words. The
purchased possession. He says, fear not, thou art mine. My purchased possession. I've owned some things that I've
purchased, that I've paid some dear price for, that I've paid
a lot for. I have never, never paid for something
with the life of my only son, ever. I've never purchased anything
by laying down my own life. unto death to purchase it. But
those things I have paid dearly to purchase, they were my possession,
and I protected those possessions. I protected them because they
were mine, especially those valuable possessions. You protect, you
look over them, you protect them. Our God has purchased His people,
you and me who trust Him. He's purchased us with His own
blood. He's purchased us with His only
begotten Son. And as valuable as His Son is
His possession, as dear as His own name is to Him, so are those
He's redeemed. So are those, you and I, who
are His possession. This is all unto the praise of
His glory. Paul said to the Corinthians,
your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you.
This earnest you have, the Spirit of God. And you have it of God
and you're not your own. You're bought with a price. You've
been bought with a price. Therefore, Paul said, glorify
God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. Both of them belong to Him. I
don't take my body and do anything with it that's going to bring
dishonor to Him. And I don't want to... I don't want to...
My spirit's His. I'm His. He owns me. Completely. Does He own you? Does He own
you? He own you. Well, let's go back. And I'm
just going to read this out. We'll look at this another time.
But this is the application that He gives to us now. This is the
Lord speaking. And let's go home here in this
word of the Lord this morning. Isaiah 43, 2. Now this is what
he said. When thou passest through the
waters, I will be with thee. And through the rivers, they
shall not overflow thee. When thou walkest through the
fire, thou shall not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle
upon thee. Now, we just had some floods
here. And I went over there and we
looked at that river. Delaware, and I looked at some
videos online and what have you of the river flooded. And there
were some things that washed down that river. Some big trees
washed down that river. Some big houses washed down that
river. But you know the only thing that
washed away by the flood was that that could be washed away
by the flood. That's the only thing that was
washed away by the flood. That which could be. That which
could be. There's a lot about me and you
that can be washed away and needs to be washed away and will be
washed away. But thee, the true thee, won't
ever be washed away. You know what that means? That
true thee, that inward man that's been created, that is one with
God, won't ever be washed away. It won't be. And when we go through
this water, we're gonna go through it and we're gonna go through
this fire. But the true thee, he said, though it's gonna consume
the dross, it's not gonna kindle upon you. It's not gonna burn
you. You understand what I'm trying
to express here? The true you, the true me. the
inward me, that which can't perish because it's the creation of
God. You're never going to perish,
only that which needs to be consumed and washed away. Now, he says
this, this line, let's just read it out. Verse three, for I'm
the Lord thy God, I'm the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel,
thy Savior. I gave Egypt for thy ransom,
Ethiopia and Sheba for thee. Since thou wast precious in my
sight, thou hast been honorable, because you're precious in his
sight. Not too precious in our own sight,
but in his sight. And because of that, he says,
thou hast been honorable. I have loved thee. Therefore
will I give men for thee and people for thy life. Fear not,
for I am with thee. I'll bring thy seed from the
east, gather thee from the west I'll say to the north give up
to the south keep not back I'll bring my sons say and I'll say
bring my sons from far my daughters from the ends of the earth you
know he's telling us to do that he's telling us to do that as
his witnesses he's saying bring my sons from far don't fear all
this stuff and don't fear all this I've done everything I've
done in this nation right now the Lord has said for you on
purpose to make a way for you on purpose, he said. And he said,
so don't fear all this stuff around me. Bring my sons from
far. And he said, and know this, I'm
gonna bring them. I'm bringing them. I'm providing
for, he's selling us, he's providing for us, and he's gonna bring
his sons from far. I'm not gonna get the glory for
that, Joe. And nobody else is either. He is, he is. And he's going to make us see.
He's going to make his witnesses know he's done it. So he gets
all the glory for doing it. All the glory for doing it. He
says, even everyone that's called by my name, for I've created
him for my glory. I formed him. Yea, I've made
him. We're like Gideon's army. We're
like Moses and the children of Israel standing at the Red Sea,
enclosed all around. Completely enclosed around, no
way, no way out. Absolutely not. God just says
one thing, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. And
he opened up that sea and he said, now go forth. Go, go forth. And they went forth. And he closed
that sea up around all the enemies and drowned them. They got to
the swelling of the Jordan, going into the promised land, the land
he promised. He said, hold up the ark and stand there and look
at the ark. Put your feet in the edge of
it and stand there and look at the ark. And he drew it, dried
up the river and they went across on dry ground, across on dry
ground. That's what he's telling us here,
brethren. He's telling us Fear not, I have redeemed thee. Fear not, I have called thee
by thy name. Fear not, thou art mine. I'm
calling my sons. Bring them. Go bring them. I feel like I can do anything.
Don't you? I feel like I can do anything. This is my God talking, talking. Well, I don't feel that way in
my heart. But Martin Luther said, though
all my heart should feel condemned for want of some sweet token,
there's one greater than my heart whose word cannot be broken. And he says to his child, this
is his word, fear not. I have redeemed thee. I have
called thee by thy name. Thou art mine.