Fear Not Because God Is With Us (8)
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Several times in the past I have told you that Tammy and I really like reality TV shows. One we came across a while back, and he has done several is about a man Named Bear Grylls.Any of you seen him. Christian guy. HEAR IS HIS PICTURE.Let me tell you about him. He was he a SAS Officer. or special air serviceman.His job was to teach survival in extreme circumstances.Like if you are stranded at sea or in the desert or mountains what do you need to do to survive.He did a show where he took celebrities and helped them face their fears.Two really good ones was where he took Kate Winslet, the girl who was on the Titanic. She feared heights. He helped her climb these rocks. (Picture)Or Kate Hudson. Same but added claustrophobia in there.(Picture)The thing is that any of these people on their own could never make it through what they had to go through.Actually they would die.But when Bear Grylls was with them they would go forward.At times you would watch them freeze and cry because they were not sure they could make it.But Bear would always say, focus on me. Trust me, I can help you.When they would focus on him and trust him they made it.You know fear is real powerful.All of us have some things we fear.Starting In 2014 Chapman University did this huge study on fear to see what people fear the most and after three years they came up with a list that is very different than most.Any guess what number 1 is? It isn’t what you usually get? death and speaking.Number 1 is now Corrupt Official.Polluted drinking water, Not enough money for the future, High cost of medicine, Climate change, Terrorist Attack, People I love dying or getting sick, Being unemployed, Being robbed and walking at night.Now I’m sure if they did it here there could be more.But the point is people have lots of fears.This morning we will learn a lesson not from Bear Grylls but from God.But there is something they have in common.When the celebrities are with Bear they don’t fear. Not because they are strong and know so much but because Bear is with them.And as we continue in Isaiah 43 we will learn the same lesson.God tells us Not To Fear.But this is important. He doesn’t stop at just saying Fear Not, but adds the all important part, BECAUSE I AM WITH YOU.This is a lesson that is timely as we live in the times we are living in.On our own we should fear, but when we know the God who is with us then as long as we stay focused on Him and trust Him we will be just fine.Our take home for this morning is to first of all see That God is with us and then to see who is this God that is with us.Because the reason many of us can be believers and yet still be controlled by fear is because we don’t really know and understand who God is. Isaiah 42:24-25 43:1-10
Who gave up Jacob to the looter, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the Lord, against whom we have sinned, in whose ways they would not walk, and whose law they would not obey?
So he poured on him the heat of his anger and the might of battle; it set him on fire all around, but he did not understand; it burned him up, but he did not take it to heart.
But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.
For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you.
Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life.
Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you.
I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth,
everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”
Bring out the people who are blind, yet have eyes, who are deaf, yet have ears!
All the nations gather together, and the peoples assemble. Who among them can declare this, and show us the former things? Let them bring their witnesses to prove them right, and let them hear and say, It is true.
“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me.
On Thursday I was talking to a couple of people. The topic came up of hell and God sending people to hell.Quickly had to say that isn’t correct.God is not in the business of sending anyone to hell.God is in the business of saving people from hell.That picture is brought out in this section that we just read.In that last section of chapter 42 we see people who rejected God and refused to listen Him.Judgement came.But the heart of God is revealed in Chapter 43.The picture is of God rescuing people.It’s called redemption. It’s where God purchases the freedom for those who want it.Then says you are mine.This is where our study for today starts.Do you realize that God has rescued you? Do you appreciate the price He paid for you.We will see later as we take Communion together.Now we are His.He has a message for us.It’s found in Isaiah 43:1B and 5
But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.
Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you.
This is the message. There may be all kinds of turmoil and chaos all around you but Fear Not. Don’t be afraid.He doesn’t tell us just be brave. That would mean it is up to us make ourselves not afraid.At times that can be impossible.His message is you don’t have to fear because I purchased you, You are mine, I know you, and I am with you.The reason we don’t have to fear is because of who He is and how He feels about us.This is a big deal.The is the whole reason I told the Bear Grylls story.If you took Kate W and told her to climb that rock cliff she would never be able to do it. Scared to death.But with Bear there she could. She wasn’t scared because of who was with her. And every time she panicked it was the same thing. Listen me, trust me, focus on me and when she did she could press on.That is the message that I pray you would learn.Our God is saying the same thing to us.You don’t have to fear because I am with you.Just listen to me, trust me, focus on me.If we do peace comes.It doesn’t matter that a flood comes, it doesn’t matter that fire comes, I am with you and will get you through it.This is where TRUTH comes in.We must have the right picture of who it is that redeemed us, who it is that owns us, who it is that is with us.Let me tell you the problems we often have.#1 We are not sure God has His eyes on us.It’s like we understand that God is great but maybe He is just way out there somewhere and doesn’t really have His eyes on us.Not true. God bought you by coming to this earth and dying for you.He always has His eyes on you.Thats what redemption means and what we learned last week.God sees you and knows that He wants to form you into something real special.I think this is the starting truth we must all learn.If you are in here today and this is not real to you, please pray and ask God to make it real to you.#2 We get the idea that God is supposed to make our life easy, always give us what we want.This is just not true. It is a very easy way to get disappointed and is one of the main reason people leave the church and give up following God.I prayed for the job and didn’t get it, I prayed for God to change someone and they didn’t.That is not who God is.#3 And I think this is a the big one.We see all the nice pictures of Jesus, the ones with the Him holding the children, the one of Him being a baby in Mary’s arms, standing on the mountain with long hair blowing in the wind.The problem with that is when I am in trouble, when I am afraid if that is my picture I can almost feel more like I need to protect Him not God protect me.That’s not the picture of our God.Our God is mighty. Our God is the one who created everything, who knows everything, has power to do anything, who doesn’t fight the enemy just speaks the word and it is done.When we know understand that is who is with us, it changes everything.Especially when you understand that He bought you, you are His and He never takes His eyes off of you.God wants us to know this.When we know this we honestly don’t have a reason to fear.Let me finish with one more part to this.Do you know that this really matters to God?Not just because He cares so much for you but also because it makes you a witness.BUT IN SUCH A DIFFERENT WAY THAN YOU MAY EXPECT.MY GUESS IS THIS WILL BE NEW TO MOST OF YOU.
“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me.
After God told us not to be afraid because He is with us.He tells us we are His witnesses.What makes us His witnesses? For what reason.Look what it says. Does it say so that we can help others know Him? Does it say so that we can help others believe in Him?WHAT DOES IT SAY?That we may know Him, that we may believe Him and that we may know THAT HE IS GOD.That’s what this says.You see what makes us a witness for God is not just telling others they need to know Him but when we know Him they will see it.This know means that we have a real knowledge and experience with Him as we live our life.What makes us a real witness is not telling others to believe in Him but that we believe what He says and trust Him in everything.Finally what makes us a real witness for Him is not just trying to help others understand Him but that day by day we start to grow in our understanding of just how great He is and that there never has been a god like Him and there never will be.John Calvin said verse 10 is one of the most important verses in the whole Bible.It tells us what God’s real desire for us is.To know Him, believe or trust Him and to totally understand that there is nothing and no one that compares to Him.Amazing.If you want some homework.Just pray and ask God to make all this real to you.Don’t be afraid to pray and ask this.See this is the key truth to overcoming fear.It’s to have a true knowledge and experience with Him.Believe and trust Him and what He says.Wow does that make a difference in your life and will speak more to others than any words you say.