Come back to Isaiah 43. Isaiah 43. The title of this message is Reasons
Not to Fear. Reasons Not to Fear. Now for
you and I, to really get a hold of what's being said here and
to whom it's being said. We need to look at some scriptures.
Turn to Romans chapter 9. Romans chapter 9. It is written in verse six, Romans
nine, not as though the word of God has taken none effect. For they are not all Israel,
which are of Israel. Not all those Jews over there
are Jews. I'm talking about Zion, Zion
Jews. spiritual Israel. Neither because
they are the seed of Abraham are they all children. Isn't
that what they said to our Lord? We have Abraham to our father.
And the Lord said to them, the devil is your father. Neither
because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children. But in Isaac shall thy seed be
called. That is, they which are the children
of the flesh. These are not the children of
God. It doesn't matter if they have
an ancestry back to Abraham. These are not the children of
God. But the children of the promise
are counted for the seed. Now turn over to Romans chapter
2. Romans chapter 2, let me see
here, verse 28 and 29. For he is not a Jew. That's what I was saying to you.
He's not a Jew, which is one outwardly. That's what I just
said to you. He's not a Jew, which is one
outwardly. Neither is that circumcision
which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew, which is one
inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit
and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men, but of
God. Turn to Philippians chapter 3. Philippians chapter 3 in verse 3. For we are the circumcision which
worship God in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have
no confidence in the flesh. Galatians chapter 3. Galatians chapter 3 verse 7 Galatians 3 verse 7 know ye therefore
that they which are of faith the same are the children of
Abraham in Galatians chapter 4 and verse 28 and then we'll
go back to Isaiah Now we brethren, as Isaac was,
are the children of the promise. That's Galatians 4.28. Now we
brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of the promise. Now, now who's he speaking to? Who is this written to? Who's
the Lord speaking to? He's speaking to every believer.
That's who he's speaking to. He's speaking to every believer that shall ever be on this earth.
He's speaking to us. This is speaking to us tonight.
We open this up. You know, God's Word is fresh.
It's fresh. We open this up, and I read it,
and it's just like reading it for the first time. And it's
to us tonight. And he says here, in chapter
43, verse 1, he says, Fear not. Fear not. Fear is a product of
sin. Now there is a right fear of
God. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. There is a right fear
of God. It's born of God. It's from the
work of God. But the fear spoken of here is
not a right fear. Or God wouldn't say, fear not.
He wouldn't say not to fear if it was right. It's a fear brought
on by sin. It's a fear brought on by the
fear of man. Then the scripture says, the
fear of man bringeth a snare. It brings a snare. The fear of
man will shut you down. The fear of man will cause you
to compromise. It'll weaken. It'll weaken all
the graces in you. The reason the Israelites did
not want to go into the promised land You know what it was. Joshua and Caleb, the men came
back. They said, they're giants. These guys are big. These guys
are big. These guys are tall. You know,
these are tall. We can't handle them. And because
of their fear of man, they wouldn't go forward. And they did not
trust God to deliver them. And God said, because of your
unbelief, you're not going to enter the promised land. Joshua
and Caleb. That's the only two out of the
original group that came out of Egypt that went into the promised
land. The rest of them died in the wilderness. That's what fear will do to you.
It'll shut you down. He gives us the reason here to
not to fear. He says, fear not. Listen, I
created thee. I formed thee. God will not lose
that which he has created for himself. Listen to Ephesians
2.10. For we are his workmanship, created
in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained,
that we should walk in them. But we are his workmanship. God will not, he absolutely will
not, lose that which he has created for himself. Listen to Psalm
100 and verse 3. Know ye that the Lord, he is
God. It is he that hath made us and
not we ourselves. We are his people and the sheep
of his pasture. He made us. He said, I created
thee, I formed you. I made you." And not only that,
he says this, I have redeemed thee. Not only has God created us,
but God Almighty has paid a great price for us. Listen to 1 Peter 1, verse 18-19. For as much as you know, That
you were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from
your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers,
but with the precious blood of Christ. I have been thinking about this
this week. It's just for some reason it's
just been on my mind. I'm sure the Lord put it there.
But I've just been impressed with the fact that God has put
me in a place as a pastor to preach to a people he died for.
That's been on my mind all week. You know, it's a great privilege,
but a responsibility. I'm preaching to a people that
Jesus Christ, who is God, died for. You know how precious you
are in his sight? And what a responsibility that
is to me to be in that study, to read
God's Word and stand here. And what a blessing it is to
you to be able to open God's Word, as you have tonight, and
to hear it preached. You've been bought with a price.
He said, I have redeemed you. You're mine. We're not our own. We've been bought with a price,
he tells us in 1 Corinthians. He says, don't you be the servants
of men. You're mine. I bought you. You bought with
a price. And that's what he says there in that verse. Thou art
mine. I have redeemed you. You don't
belong to anyone else. You know, this world walks in
darkness. This world is under the power
and influence of Satan, the prince of darkness. But you who believe,
you're children of light. You're children of light. God's
given you an understanding. He's given you an understanding.
You're children of Christ, you're children of the day, not of the
night. Thou art mine, by creation we
are his. By new creation we are his. And
by purchase we are his. Therefore, fear not." Fear not. He said, I've created you. I
formed you. I redeemed you. Don't you be
afraid. Don't you be afraid. You know,
fear, when we fear man, if we fear anything less than God,
anything other than God, it shows a real distrust in God that he's
not able to take care of the situation. It shows a real distrust. And then we have the promise
of his protection. 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 shalt not be burned. Neither shall the flame kindle
upon thee. Waters, rivers, and fire. These represent the trials
of life. That's what they represent. Waters,
rivers, and fire. If you'll notice, he says here,
when. He's talking about things that are future, things that
are ahead of us. We don't know. We don't know what deep waters
God's going to bring us through yet, even as a church. or individually, we don't know. But he says, when you go through
the waters, the rivers, and the fire, it's going to happen. And the
reason it's going to happen is this reason. All our trials are
ordained of God for our good and his glory. You know what
the waters and the rivers and the fire, which are the trials
of life, you know what they end up doing for us? They drown and
they burn up all hope except the hope we have in Jesus Christ. And I tell you what, it'll be
a great blessing, whatever it is that God sends our way that
removes every hope we have except the one we have in Christ. But
that's what it'll do. Turn over to 1 Thessalonians.
They're all pointed of God. All our trials are. And we shouldn't
be surprised when they come. Actually, it makes you feel a
little uneasy, doesn't it? Doesn't it? If you listen, when
you go through the waters and the river, I can remember when
I was a young man sitting under Henry, and I remember when he
preached from this, I can remember feeling uneasy. It's like, it's
like it's coming. It's like it's coming. But he's promised, well I'll
get to that in a minute, what he's promised, but look at 1
Thessalonians chapter 3. Let me see the verse. Verse 1, wherefore when we could
no longer forbear We thought it good to be left at Athens
alone and sent Timotheus, our brother and minister of God and
our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and
to comfort you concerning your faith. That no man, listen now,
that no man should be moved by these afflictions. For yourselves
know that we are appointed thereunto. You shouldn't be moved, that
is, with such fear that you shouldn't be moved away from the gospel.
Remember, we've been going through Hebrews, and some of them were
being moved away from the gospel because of persecution, and they
became so afraid they were gonna go back under Judaism. And as
Paul says here to the Thessalonians, no man should be moved by these
afflictions, for you know this, that we are appointed to these
things. These things are appointed for us. Look over in Job chapter
23. Job chapter 23. Look in verse 13. But he, that is God, is in one
mind. and who can turn him, who can
change his mind. And what his soul desires, desireth
even that he doeth. For he performeth a thing that
is appointed for me, and many such things are with me. This
is not the last one. That's what he's saying. This
is not the last one. This is not the last trial. This
is not the last heartache. This is not the last one. For
he performeth, he brings to pass, The thing that is appointed for
me, and many such things are with him. And listen to what
Job says next. As I said, those things you can
find troubling. But listen to what Job says.
Therefore am I troubled at his presence when I consider I am
afraid of him. Job, now you gotta, first of
all, you have to realize where Job was at when he said this.
He had lost it all. All of his kids, all of his property,
he lost it all. And Job said, I don't know what's
coming next. I don't know what's coming next.
But here's God's promise. When these trials come, God said
he would go with us, not just watch us, He's not gonna just
watch us, he's gonna go with us. We have a high priest which
cannot be, we have not a high priest which cannot be touched
with the feeling of our infirmary, but was at all points tempted
like as we are, yet without sin. He's promised when you go through
this, the fire will not burn you up. It's not gonna destroy
you. Job also said this, when he has tried me, I will come
forth as gold. Job was totally confident that
When he came out on the other side of the trial, he said, I'll
come forth as gold. It won't destroy me. God never
sends a trial, ever, ever, ever sends a trial to destroy one
of his children, only to purify, only to cleanse and purify. He said, I'm with thee. I'll
be with you. When you go through the water
and the fire and the rivers, I'll be with you. Then here's
another reason not to fear. In verse 3, for I am the Lord
thy God. I am the Lord. You know, there's only one God.
There's only one God. There's only one Lord, capital
L-O-R-D. There's only one self-existing
Lord who exists by himself. There's only one. And he says,
I'm your God. I'm yours. Oh, not some idle
widdle that I put on a shelf. It's not some cross we have in
our pocket. It's not some good luck charm. God Almighty, the creator of
heaven and earth, said, I'm your God. I'm your
God. Listen, the Holy One of Israel,
thy Savior. I'm your Savior. What did the
demons, what did they call Christ? They said, we know you. In one
place they said, we know you, the Holy One of Israel. That's what they called Him,
the Holy One of Israel. And God said, I am the Lord thy
God, the Holy One of Israel. I'm your Savior. I'm your Savior. The Lord, the Holy One of Israel,
is our Savior. God, who is holy, who can do
no wrong and make no mistakes, is our Savior. Brethren, we have
a Savior. We have a Savior. And God is
the Savior. Isaiah said in Isaiah 12, Behold,
God is my salvation. I will trust and not be afraid.
For the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song. He also is become
my salvation." And know what God has given for
his people here. He says, I gave Egypt for thy
ransom, Ethiopia and Saba for thee. And what he's saying here
is I have destroyed all your enemies. You know we already
have the victory. We're not trying to gain it,
we have it. When Christ cried, it's finished. When he arose
from the grave and ascended on high, he led captivity captive. We have the victory. We have
it. God destroyed nations for Israel. You know what God has given for
us? Himself. Himself. I am thy Savior. It says in Romans
8, 32, he that spared not his own son, but delivered him up
for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us
all things? For Israel, which was a type,
Israel was a type of the church, type of the people of God. He
said, I gave Egypt, Ethiopia, and Saba. But for the church,
of the living God, he gave his son. He gave his son, he gave
himself in the person of his son. That's what he gave for
you. And the reason he gave his son
is this, in verse four, since thou was precious in my sight, since thou was precious in my
sight, thou has been honorable and I've loved thee. Two things
he mentions here, precious, You are precious and loved. The believer is precious. I looked
this word up today. It means great value. God puts great value on you,
on his children. It means much loved. Precious
means much loved. Your children, your grandchildren
are precious to you, aren't they? Much love. Much love. They're valuable to you. They
may not be valuable to anybody else, but they're valuable to
you. It also means this, darling. Darling. I thought that was so
sweet. Darling. He calls us the apple of his
eye. And then it means this, favorite. Favorite, you're my favorite.
You know, I tell my granddaughter, I say, you're my favorite granddaughter.
She goes, well, I'm the only one you got. I said, well, you're
still my favorite granddaughter. And I tell Cole, I say, you're
my favorite grandson every time. And they're like, great day,
Pawpaw. We're the only ones you got.
But I said, you're still my favorite. One day they'll grow up and understand
that. Precious in his sight. And he says, thou has been, since
you're precious in my sight, you've been honorable. We are honored because he's made
us so. You know what our honor is? He
said, you've been honorable. You know what it is? Now are
you the sons of God. Right now. What honor. Anyway, he carries around this
earthly nobility. He walks in a room and all of
England is like, duh. You are the sons of God. You
are really, literally, the sons of God. You literally are the sons and
daughters of the King of heaven and earth. And you're loved. He said, I've
loved you. He says, and I believe it's Jeremiah,
I've loved you with an everlasting love. There's never been a time
I have not loved you. Never been a time. And because
of this, I give men for thee and people for thy life." And
you know what he's saying here? I govern this world for your
sake. I govern. God Almighty governs
this world for your sake. Your sake. It's not willy-nilly going on
out there. God is governing the world for your sake. Then he
gives us another reason here in verse 5. He says, fear not,
and he just reiterates what he said. Fear not, I'm with thee. But, but, but, no, I'm with you,
but, no, ain't no but, I'm with you. If you and I could ever live
If we could ever get to the place, and I hope I can do this before
I die, that I can really live in real consciousness of the
presence of God. Not just believe some facts about
God. The scientists believe that,
some of them do, most of them don't. I don't want to believe
some facts about God. I want to know God. You know
eternal life? You know what the Lord said eternal life was? To
know God and Jesus Christ, whom he has sent. It is a personal,
intimate relationship with Almighty God. That's what salvation is
all about. That's what it's all about. Fear
not, he said, I'm with thee. In one place in Hebrews, I will
never leave thee nor forsake thee. Even when we cannot perceive
him, he's with us. He's not Christy in you. He doesn't go and come. No, he
makes his abode. He makes his abode in you. And here's a promise. Here's
a promise. I will bring thy seed from the
east and gather thee from the west. I will say to the north,
give up. Here's a reason for preaching.
Here's another reason for preaching the gospel, sending it out. God
said, I will. I will. I'll say to the north,
give up, and to the south, keep not back. And he says it through
the gospel. That's how he says it, through
the gospel. Bring my sons from far and my
daughters from the ends of the earth. Not one sheep will be
lost. Not one. Everyone, God knows where everyone
of them is at. He knows exactly where they are. Some of them may be walking the
street. Some may be living in a palace. But he knows exactly
where everyone of his sheep are. He may have one in this family
and that family. I mean, there may be 10 in a
family and there's one there that's his. And that family never
realizes that it was blessed because that one sheep was in
that family. But here's what it's all about.
I have created him for my glory. Well, that'll help you get over
yourself That ought to help us get over ourselves. I have created
him for my glory. I have formed him, yea, I have
made him. The first thing I thought of
when I read this verse was Jesus Christ. It just jumped out at
me. Jesus Christ, I think this applies
to him first. Now listen, the son was given. The Son's eternal. The second
person of the Trinity, eternal. But the man, the man Christ Jesus,
was made. He was made of the seed of the
woman. He was put into Mary's womb. God said, the seed of the woman.
Well, we know a woman doesn't have a seed. That seed is Christ and God put
him in her womb and brought him forth for his own glory. That man was
made for God's glory. No one ever glorified him. No
one ever glorified God like Jesus Christ. I'm trying to think,
while I'm sitting here talking, I'm trying to think of a, I'm
trying to think of a, let me go to, let me look for something
here. I probably shouldn't do this, but Psalm, it's either
Psalm 19. No, I think it's Psalm 119. Let's look and see if I can find
what I'm looking for. If not, we'll just move on. Psalm 119. Nope. Oh. Well, I can't think of the thing
of that verse. He says, thou has made, I'm fearfully and wonderfully
made. I can't think of where that, anyway, in that psalm,
he said, David's writing this psalm, he said, I am fearfully
and wonderfully made. If you know it, say it. That's
speaking of Christ. That's speaking of us in Christ,
but that's speaking of Christ. And he says, I was wrought in
the lowest parts of the earth. That's Mary's womb. I created him for my glory. Created him for my glory. And
then this applies to us in Christ. Okay, let me go on. This also
applies to us in Christ. We were created, we are made
a new creation in Jesus Christ for the glory of God. God didn't
create me so I could live on this earth, however long I live
on this earth, so I could work a job, whatever job you work,
and then we pay bills and buy a house and pay it off and die.
That's not why we're here. God said, I've made you for my
glory. And we just got a glimpse. We barely have a glimpse of that
glory, don't we? Paul said, we look through a
glass darkly, dimly. We know a part. We preach a part.
But 139? 139. That was gonna drive me nuts.
I'd have gone find that. Look here in verse 13. For thou
hast in Psalm 139, we'll back up here a second. That's why
it's good to be among family. You can do that. You can just
back up a little bit. For thou hast possessed my reins,
thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee if I
am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are thy works
that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from
thee when I was made in secret and curiously wrought in the
lowest parts of the earth. That's Mary's womb. That's speaking
of Christ. That's speaking of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Thine eyes did see my substance,
yet being imperfect, and in thy book all my members were written,
which in continuous were fashioned, when as yet there was none of
them. I have created him for my glory. Christ is for the glory of God,
that man, and you and I in Christ are for his glory, and that glory
is yet to be seen. I tell you what, let's stop there.
I'm going to stop there. I think it's a good stopping
point. Created for His glory. But there's
reasons there that I've given you not to fear. God gives us
a whole book here. Reasons not to fear.