©Living Hope Church 10 August 2008

Fear Not! 41

Introduction

Quick. What is, by far, God’s most frequent command? The usual suspects include “Do not commit adultery,” “Have no other gods before me,” and “Love one another.” The next group includes whatever commands you know you have violated, in which case they only feel as if they appear on every page of Scripture. The actual answer is “Do not be afraid.” Ed Welch in Running Scared, p 59

A. “Do not be afraid” includes statements like do not worry, do not be anxious, and fear not. The command “do not be afraid” is both easy to understand and yet hard to accomplish.

1. Being afraid is part of the human problem. You don’t teach fear to your kids. You don’t try to be scared. Fear comes naturally and when it comes it seeks to dominate us.

2. Fear (like any strong emotion) wants to own you (be your boss, have authority). Fear wants to tell us how life is, how life will be, and it isn’t easily persuaded otherwise.

3. Fear (like any strong emotion) thirstily demands satisfaction now. Fear is impatient. Our largest fears are about our safety, our money, and people.

B. Three times in our text we read the words Fear Not (my title). When we encounter repetition in the it is always for good reason. We are wise to pay close attention.

1. Why does God say these two words (fear not) to His people? God says “fear not” because He is seeking to comfort (strengthen) His people (see ).

C. God’s people are in need of comfort because hard times are coming (and life is hard).

1. Storm clouds are gathering and captivity in is on the distant horizon. will fall and with it the promised land is seemingly gone.

2. Isaiah speaks as he gazes into the future to two audiences:

· The exiles in Babylon

· Us ( is a picture of spiritual realities that we face)

D. The point of Isaiah 41 is that to know God is to trust God. Put negatively: to be afraid is to distrust and move toward idols. Isaiah 41 is divided into 3 sections.

1. Isaiah 41:1-7 (the problem) 2. Isaiah 41:8-20 (the solution) 3. Isaiah 41:21-29 (the challenge)

I. The problem.

A. Isaiah calls the people into the courtroom and he makes an announcement (verse 1).

1. The people gather for judgment (a decision has been rendered).

B. In verse 2 a question is asked. Who stirred up one from the east? Victory is his wherever he goes. He defeats nations with no problem.

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1. Commentators are agreed that this one from the east is Cyrus (mentioned again by Isaiah in ). An invading army seems like a reasonable thing to fear.

2. Thing is God says He is the One who will raise up Cyrus.

C. The ends of the earth tremble. Folks seek to work together but God’s purpose will endure. The problem is large and fear seems reasonable.

1. Then God steps in with an announcement. The circumstance won’t change (remember, it is over 100 years away) but God will comfort His people.

II. The solution is comfort. How will God bring comfort?

A. We saw in Isaiah 40 that God was committed to comforting His people.

1. Isaiah 40:3-5 (the glory of the Lord will appear) 2. Isaiah 40:6-8 (the Word of the Lord will stand) 3. Isaiah 40:9-11 (the Lord will shepherd His flock) 4. Isaiah 40:12-26 (His ability, power and greatness is certain) 5. Isaiah 40:27-31 (wait for Him ... desire, seek, obey)

B. Now God assures His people that he will do it. Here is grace on top of grace.

1. God reminds them of His action in their calling and election (see verses 8-11).

· I have gathered you from the corners of the earth and I chose you. I will not cast you off (I’m not giving you up).

· The promise extends back to and comes through who was a deceiver but was chosen over Esau. God is working His plan.

Genesis 12:1-3 (ESV) Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

2. God reminds them that he will redeem them (see verse 14). 3. God reminds them that He is faithful (see verse 17) 4. God reminds them His promises are sure (see verse 20).

What a great preacher and pastor Isaiah was! He sustained the weary people of God by bringing them back to the great fundamentals of their faith: election, calling, redemption, the promises of God, and the faithfulness of God. God give us such preachers today! Barry Webb in TBST Isaiah Commentary, p 169

C. That is where God’s people take their stand in any age. God’s grace comes to us as we humble ourselves under His mighty hand and become aware of his activity in our lives.

III. The challenge (read Isaiah 41:21-29).

A. God issues a challenge to idols. You’re a god? You speak and tell us the future.

1. Precisely because God is God He knows the future. So He says I will raise up one from the north (still Cyrus who comes from the east via the north).

2. Notice the important role prophecy plays here. It is one of the proofs that God exists and that

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God is great and faithful.

B. Which means we can trust Him with our lives. Our hearts are wired for worship. We will either worship God or we will erect an idol.

When idolatry is practiced, Christ withdraws. He will not tolerate rivals. Anything that comes before Christ is an idol. It may take the form of family, business, fashion, sport, pleasure, or earthly security: these must never have pre-eminence in our lives: their rightful place is beneath Christ’s sceptre. Frederick Leahy in The Hand of God, p 125

1. To know God is to trust God. To distrust God is to move toward idols because we will trust something or someone. Trust is worship.

Ex: John Wesley and the hymn-singing Moravians on the ship returning to England.

2. The command of God in Is 41 is fear not. Do not succumb to unbelief when you are confronted by waves or mountains or valleys.

C. What is your game plan? A football coach goes into a game with a plan. A general commands an army at war by having a set of plans. When fear comes what do you do? 7 steps:

1. Identify whether you are talking or listening to yourself.

We must learn to take ourselves in hand... Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself? Martyn Lloyd-Jones in Spiritual Depression, p 20

2. Identify the pressure point(s) ... what overwhelms you, what frightens you (perhaps with good reason)?

Ex: Kids being in a car accident (especially when they are late).

3. Identify your response (panic, obsessive thoughts, anger, sometimes addictive habits).

Ex: The person battling depression generally has fears. Actually, the more possessions we have the more room fear has to maneuver.

4. Identify what you want.

What do I want, need, crave, expect, demand, and lust after? Or what do I fear losing or never getting? Identify the specific lust of the flesh. Anxious people “eagerly seek” the gifts more than the Giver. They bank treasure in the wrong place. What is preoccupying me, so that I pursue it with all my heart... Sinful fears are inverted cravings. Powlison in Seeing With New Eyes, p 123 & 133

5. Identify the promise of Jesus that speaks to you most clearly. Go to the Word of God which will not return empty.

· Shepherd, calling, election, redemption, promises, faithful (the gospel).

6. Identify how to pray.

The issue isn’t so much whether or not we are afraid and worry. Scripture assumes that we will be afraid and anxious at times. What is important is where we turn, or to whom we turn when we are afraid. The God who calls you to trust in him when you are afraid will spend a great deal of time showing you that you can trust him. Ed Welch in Running Scared, p 69

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7. Identify where you should give (since we become self-focused in fear move out to others by giving ... we tend to fear our safety, our provision, and other people).

Close

A. The command of God to His people is fear not! How? Why? Because:

1. God is with us. 2. God will help us. 3. God will strengthen and uphold us. 4. God will never forsake us.

B. Where are you tempted to be afraid? When is your heart filled with fear? Humble yourself and cast your cares on the Lord because He cares for you. What is your burden?

Psalm 55:22 (ESV) Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved.

1. To lose heart is to lose faith. To lose faith is to sink. To sink is to be hopeless. No matter where you are, wait on God. He will give you comfort and strength.

Discussion Questions How does fear rob us of joy and peace? How does God give us peace when hard times are coming? Where are you tempted to go for comfort (outside of God)? What is your game plan to battle fear? Would you share a testimony regarding how God has helped you overcome fear?

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