If you would turn with me to
Isaiah chapter 41, please. Title of this message, Fear Not. Everything is gonna be all right. Fear is never a welcomed feeling. We experience fear a countless
number of times in our lifespan. But over and over and over again,
the Word of God tells us to fear not, to be not afraid. And do you know why that is? It's because the child of God
has nothing to fear. Like Martha, we are by nature
careful and troubled about many things, we just are. May God
enable and cause us to be more like Mary who sat at the Lord's
feet and chose the one thing needful which shall never be
taken away. And I know that this is a needful
message because of how often the scriptures mention and address
the subject of God's people being afraid. That phrase fear not's
mentioned 62 times in 62 verses in the Bible. And the phrase
be not afraid is mentioned in some form or another over 170
times. The word afraid is found in the scripture 193 times and
the word fear right at 400 times. And here in Isaiah chapter 41,
in just three verses, the phrase, fear not, is mentioned three,
well, four times actually. It's mentioned twice in verse
10, where it reads, fear thou not, for I am with thee, be not
dismayed. And that phrase there, be not
dismayed, simply means be not troubled, don't be afraid. Don't
be alarmed, concerned, or distressed, or simply do not fear. So twice
we're told to fear not in verse 10 alone. And then in verse 13,
God says, fear not. And again in verse 14, the same,
fear not. Four times in just three verses. Why would God tell us to fear
not so often? It's because We very often fear. There's not anyone listening
this morning to the sound of my voice who does not deal with
the emotion of fear. We all do. One of the first expressions
of a baby is fear. And the oldest person listening
knows something about fear. I simply pray that this morning
the Lord might be pleased to calm our fears and give us the
faith in Him that we should have. After all, faith and fear are
direct and complete opposites. It's very important to know who
these words fear not are for. If you look back at verse eight,
The Lord identifies these people to whom he's speaking and he
tells us to whom these promises are given. Verse eight, but thou,
Israel, art my servant. So we see first that they're
servants. Jacob, whom I have chosen. We see that they're those that
God has chosen. The seed of Abraham, my friend.
Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth and called.
from the chief men thereof and said unto thee, thou art my servant,
I have chosen thee and not cast thee away. These promises are
addressed to the servants whom the Lord has chosen. And if you
and I find anything here for us, It will not be on the grounds
of our merit or on the grounds of our work. No, sir, it will
be on the grounds of God's sovereign love, mercy, and grace to us. According to verse 8, Isaiah
says, these promises are for the sons and daughters of Jacob,
those whom God has chosen, those who are the seed of Abraham,
God's friend. Verse nine clarifies further
and says, thou whom God has taken from the ends of the earth and
called out from the chief men thereof. Who are they? They're
his servants. Ones that he's chosen, ones that
he's taken, ones that he's called, ones that he did not cast away. Isn't that wonderful? My salvation doesn't depend upon
me. My salvation depends upon the
one who loved me and gave himself for me. Do you remember what
our Lord said to the disciples? He said, you haven't chosen me.
Don't you wish folks today understood that? They're talking about all
their choosing, their decision, what they've done. No, sir. He
said, you haven't chosen me, but I've chosen you. He said,
I have ordained you. And the Greek word for ordained
means to select, to make choice, to choose out of. It means to
be chosen. Friends, election is a wonderful
thing. And because of that, we love
Him. God could have passed us by. That's what we talked about
in the men's get-together here. The Lord wasn't obligated to
save anyone. He would have been no less God
if He'd have passed us by. God could have passed us by.
He could have left us to ourselves. But He didn't, and we love Him
because of... Actually, we love Him because
He first loved us. That's why He didn't pass us
by, because He first loved us. So first we see, according to
verse 8, these promises are given to those whom the Lord has chosen,
those whom God elected before the foundation of the world,
those that He gave to Christ. Christ being the Lamb slain from
the foundation of the world. And he said, I have chosen thee.
Then secondly, according to verse nine, we're told that the people
these promises are addressed to are those whom the Lord has
called. That's what he said in verse
nine. He said, I called thee from God
distinguished his people from others. Why does that make people
mad? Well, that's not fair, they say.
It's God that chose. Everything God does is right. God didn't distinguish His people
because of them. It just simply pleased Him to
make them His people. That's what Paul told us in Romans
chapter 8. Whom the Lord foreknew, or whom
He foreordained, He predestinated. He predetermined them to be conformed
to the image of His Son. Those whom He predestinated,
what did He do? He called. How sweet is the effectual
call of God's Spirit. It pleased God who separated
me from my mother's womb and what called me by His grace. Believers are referred to as
the called of God. The called of Jesus Christ, Romans
1, 16. And then thirdly, verse nine,
identifies these people as His servants. These promises are
to those who are the servants of God. That's not just talking
about preachers and deacons. It's talking about every child
of God. We're all servants of God. You know, the Apostle Paul often
introduced himself as Paul, the servant of Jesus Christ. And
that word servant is actually defined as a bond slave. I love what that represents. You know, if a Hebrew slave was
taken into slavery, he would serve his master for six years,
and on the seventh year, his master must let him go free according
to the law of God. But if this particular slave,
and I use that word particular on purpose, if this particular
slave loved his master, and he loved his master's home, and
he didn't want to leave, he didn't want to be free, he could say
to his master, I want to serve you forever. I love you. I love my home. I love everything
about being your slave, and I want to be your servant and your slave
forever." And that was so. His master would take him down
to the temple and to the priest, and they would bore his ear with
an awl. And that particular slave would
serve his master forever, willingly. That's what Paul considered himself
to be, a bond slave. And that's what every child of
God considers themselves to be. We don't serve Him out of reward. If I have another person tell
me they're going to have a little bigger mansion than me, or I'm
going to have a shack on the backside of glory, Brother Winford used to say,
is Christ going to be there? In heaven, is Christ going to
be there? Yes. That's all that matters
to me, he said. I don't care how big my mansion
is or if it's a shack or not, if Christ is going to be there,
that's all that matters. All for men like Brother Winford,
a bondslayer. They love their master. They
love his name. Where else would they go? He
alone has the words to eternal life. A bond slave is a willing
slave. He or she is not a servant against
their will. They've been made willing by
the power of God. They are willing, loving servants
of Christ. That's the person to whom these
promises made. They're those that God has chosen,
those that God has called. They are willing and loving servants. And fourthly, verse 14 calls
them something that's not very complimentary, not very flattering. He tells them, fear not, thy
worm, Jacob. Yes, they're chosen. Yes, they
are called. Yes, they are servants. But they're
worms. That offends a lot of folks. You know who it doesn't offend?
It doesn't offend worms. Why? Because worms know that
they're worms. And to add insult to injury,
as they say, that word of worm means maggot. Oh, just the mention
of that word. Webster defines maggot as a soft-bodied,
legless larva. Did you know that's what you
were? And the child of God says, that's exactly what I am. They're a soft body prone to
easily hate, sin, and fear everything good and feast upon dead things.
That's what they are. They're legless, unable to stand
on their own, walk or work to change themselves. That's what
they are. They are larva, the immature
form of an insect that undergoes a metamorphosis from one dead
thing to another. You know, I thought it was interesting
that a maggot, as you know, metamorphoses into a fly, and a fly has two
large compound eyes, and with each eye makes up 3,000 to 6,000
simple eyes or lenses. That's why those pesky rascals
are so hard to kill. They see everything. That allows him to see from the
left and from the right and from the front and below and above.
And what a picture that is of us. As worms, maggots, we are
constantly changing and metamorphosing from one evil to another. And
that's what every son and daughter of Adam is apart from Christ.
Maggots that turn into pesky flies. And I hate flies and God
hates worms, but he has mercy on some. And them worms find out that
they were chosen, and they were called, and they were made servants. Job agreed with God and said,
how much less man that is a worm, and the son of man which is a
worm. David agreed with God and he
said, but I am a worm, and no man will reproach a man and despise
the people. And that is what Christ Himself
became for His people. For David's words in Psalm 22
there were Christ's words from the cross. But I am a worm. And no man. Why was He a worm?
He was made to be a worm. So that worms like you and me
might live. Do you agree that's what you
are? Well, to see that is to not be far from the Kingdom of
God. Remember, we must, by God's grace, take sides with God against
ourselves. You know, Isaac Watts wrote that
hymn, Alas, and Did My Savior Bleed, and Did My Sovereign Die?
Would he devote that sacred head for such a worm as I? And religious men and women hate
the thought of that so much that they've changed that word, worm,
to the word one. Would he devote that sacred head
for such a one as I? But Christ didn't die for such
a one as I, Christ died for such a worm as I. And because thou
sayest I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing,
and you don't know that you're wretched, you're miserable, you're
poor, you're blind, you're naked, you're a worm. We're like Paul, we're less than
the least. Not fit to be called children
of God. But that's the kind of worms
that God saves. And I am thankful to be a worm. And then fifthly, the people
to whom this promise is made, according to verse nine, are
those whom he will never cast away. You think about that. He'll never cast you away if
you're in Christ. What is there for us to fear?
Huh? This is not for those who claim
to have faith. This is not for those who exercise
their faith. This is not for those who brag
about their faith. These are those who will never
depart from the faith and they'll never depart from the faith because
God will not let them depart. What is there for us to fear? So we clearly see that those
whom God saves and God gives the gift of faith are those that
God has chosen, called out, made servants, bond slaves, worms,
and are kept by the power of God. No reason for them to fear. If God is for them, who can be
against them? They are more than conquerors
through Christ who loved them. We don't much act like it, but
that's what we are nonetheless. More than conquerors through
Christ, the love of God. Don't leave that out. You know, man did not fear until
man failed. Adam never experienced fear until
he disobeyed God. And now because of Adam's sin
and fall, fear is known by every son of Adam. You remember the
first thing that Adam did when he sinned against God? Him and
Eve hid in the trees. God said, why are you high? He
said, we's afraid because we's naked. Who told you you were
naked? Fear came into the heart when
sin came into the heart. Some of God's choicest servants
have known what it is to be afraid. You know, Moses was afraid when
God told him to go before Pharaoh and to confront Pharaoh to let
his people go. Moses said, but Lord, I don't
talk too good. He was scared to death. 10 of
the 12 spies Moses sent to Canaan were afraid of the giants in
the land of promise. David feared King Saul and fled
from his face. And he also feared King Achish,
that wicked man, and carried on like he was insane to escape
from his presence. If I act like a madman, he won't
try to keep me and kill me. Elijah fought with the 400 prophets
of Baal on Mount Carmel, winning a great victory by God's power. And later he ran like a scared
little child because he was afraid of Jezebel. Peter, the great
preacher at Pentecost, just hours before, set trembling around
a fire because he was afraid of the testimony of a little
girl. And fear continues in the hearts
of believers because sin continues in them. But it ought not be. It ought not be. So for the time remaining, I
wanna quickly give you five reasons from verse 10 why we have no
reason to fear or to be afraid of anything or anyone. Five times here, God uses that
personal pronoun, thou, thee, or thy. And each time he does,
he uses the pronoun I, speaking of himself. Every time the sinner
is mentioned in this verse, God himself is mentioned. In this,
we see that we're never, ever alone. That's the reason we're
not defeated. Where there's weakness, there
is strength, because God is there. Where there is sin, there is
holiness, because God is there. Where there is failure, there
is grace, because God is there. Because where I am, He is. And again, verse 10, Isaiah writes
and says, fear thou not, and here's the first reason, for
I am with thee. Be not dismayed. Don't be troubled. Don't be alarmed. Don't be distressed. Don't be afraid. You know, most
fear is caused by being alone. The reason that we're not to
fear is that we're never alone. Our Lord said, I will never leave
you. I will never forsake you. Never
is a long, long time. Lo, I am with you always, even
unto the end of the earth. Child of God, where you are,
God is. Why would you be afraid? You
know, when a small child is afraid, oftentimes their fathers say,
don't be afraid, sweetheart. Daddy's here. That's what God said. Don't be
dismayed. Don't be troubled. Don't be alarmed.
Why? We're not resting in human strength
here. We're not resting in human ability. We're resting in divine
mercy. We're resting in Christ. No need
to be afraid. Why? God says, for I am your
God. Not this puny, mealy mouthed
God and Jesus that this world preaches. No, sir. He said, I
am God. No need to be afraid of poverty.
God's seed is never big for bread. Take no thought for what you
shall eat and drink or wear. God feeds the sparrows and He
clothes the lilies. And shall He not do much more
for you? God, the only God, is your God. What is there to fear? Notice
the third thing. God says, I will strengthen thee. We're weak, but He's strong. Oh, we sung that when we used
to sing, Jesus Loves Me. This strength is made perfect
in weakness, the Scripture says. A child of God can glory in their
infirmities. Why? That the power of God may
rest upon them. Shall tribulation, shall distress,
persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, or sword separate us from
His love? Nay, no, and never. In all these things we are what?
More than conquerors through Christ that loved us. Christ
is our strength. His grace is always sufficient. Always. Are you facing illness
or surgery? Are you facing old age? Are you
weak and tired and feeble? God says, I'll strengthen you. How will we fare in the day of
death? God says, I'll strengthen you.
I'll give you grace. You remember the man that was
dying and the Lord just blessed him And another man observing
said, you know, I sure wish I had dying grace. And I think it was
Brother Spurgeon said, are you dying? No. God will give you what you need
when you need it. Because he said, I will strengthen you. Fourthly, God says, I will help
thee. You see that? All these are right
here in this one verse. I will help thee. Moses didn't go to Pharaoh alone. David didn't face Goliath alone. Joshua didn't fight the battle
of Jericho alone. Samson didn't defeat the Philistines
alone. God says, don't be afraid. I'll strengthen you. I'll help
you. I'll be with you. You know, my dad was a small
man, but he was extremely strong. He cut timber in the day, kind
of a modern day, called a logger, but kind of a lumberjack. And
then he was employed as a welder in the evening, making surface
mine drag lines on second shift. And he had arms on him like Popeye.
I didn't see him eat much spinach either. He was just strong. I
remember when I was about six years old, he asked me to go
out into our shed and bring him a bag of corn and take it to
his pickup. I suppose it was to feed the
deer during the hunting season, Steve. And I no sooner got through
the door of that shed and I tripped and fell under the heavy weight,
the heavy burden of that bag of corn. But before I could pick
myself up, I'll never forget it, He had scooped me up and
He carried me and the burden to the truck. That's what our Lord does. He
carries us and the burden. Saw a bumper sticker not long
ago, it says, God is my coat pallet. No, He's not. God's not
our co-pilot, He's not our business partner. He's our pilot, He's
our master, and He's our Lord. And He says, fear not, don't
be afraid, I will strengthen thee, and I will help thee. What are we gonna do? Are we
gonna continue in fear? Or are we gonna trust God? And then fifthly, God says, I
will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Friends,
why should we fear or be afraid when it's God who upholds us?
We're kept by the power of God. Not apart from faith, not without
faith, but through faith in Christ alone. The keeping is not done
by us. We're kept by God's power and
God's might. And He upholds us how? With the
right hand of His righteousness. Do you know who that is? That's the Lord Jesus Christ. That's how. I've seen a crucifix not long
ago that still had the figure of Christ on it, on that makeshift
cross. It's just disgusting to me, to
be honest with you, when I see them. But I thought to myself,
Christ is not still on that cross. He's on the right hand of God.
His work on the cross is finished. He's not there. He's still not
in the tomb. He's risen from the dead and
He's Lord, as we sing. He's not on Mount Calvary. He's
not on Mount Olivet. He's in heavenly Jerusalem, risen
to justify. He's at the right hand of the
Majesty on high. He's seated. He's enthroned and
He's ruling and He's reigning because He's God and there is
none else. He's our righteousness and God
is saying, I'll uphold thee by the very one who made you righteous. And He's Jesus Christ, the righteous. So beloved, what do you have
to fear? If God be for us, who, what can
be against us? He that spared not His own Son,
but delivered Him up for us all. Who is the all? What haven't
we seen? They are those that are chosen.
They are those that are called out. They are those who are made
willing bond slaves. They are wretched worms who are
kept by the power of God. That's who they are. And every
single one of them, all of them, will be saved. All of them shall be delivered
from sin, with Christ God shall freely give us all things. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It's God that justifies. Who
is he that condemneth? It's Christ that died, rather
that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who
also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from
the love of God? Nothing shall be able to separate
us from the love of God. Why? Because it's in Christ Jesus. Then why should we ever fear?
Why would we ever be afraid? I saw a commercial, Teresa and
I were watching TV the other night, and I saw a commercial
by that resort place called Sandals.
And their theme song was, every little thing is going to be all
right. I think it was sung by Bob Marley, a reggae singer. Now they make that claim, but
I kind of doubt it. You know, advertising has been
known to a little bit. Maybe not everything on your
tropical vacation with sandals will be all right, but according
to God's Word, everything here in Isaiah chapter 41, verse 10,
lets us know everything between you and God gonna be all right,
if you're in the Lord Jesus Christ. Doesn't have anything to do with
sandals, resort, vacation, and it doesn't have anything to do
with being in the good hands of all state. And it's sure not
because McDonald's says, have it your way. It's because God
always has it His way. And God always has His way in
the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth.
And none, no one can stay His hand or say unto Him, what doest
thou? So everything is gonna be all
right. Why? Because Christ has done
everything for us. That which we could not do for
ourselves. Look at verse 11, in closing. Behold, all they that were incensed
against thee shall be ashamed and confounded. They shall be
as nothing. And they that strive with thee
shall perish. What is there to fear? Verse
12, thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them
that contended with thee. They that war against thee shall
be as nothing, and as a thing of naught. What is there for
us to fear? Verse 13, for I the Lord thy
God will hold thy right hand, Isn't that an amazing thought?
God holding my right hand, like that daddy holding that child,
saying, don't be afraid. For I the Lord thy God will hold
thy right hand, saying unto thee, fear not, I will help thee. Fear not, thou worm Jacob. Oh yeah, we're still worms in
and of ourselves. Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and
ye men of Israel. I will help thee, saith the Lord,
and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. I remember my pastor,
Maurice Montgomery, always saying to me just that. But he'd say, everything is going
to be all right. And you know why? If I'm in Christ,
it's going to be everything is going to be all right.