Your Life God's Way
It’s our life but we should want to live it the way God wants us to.
The Truth Internet Church
A church of God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit
We are a Christian church, serving all who know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and those who would like to know Him. We meet only on the Internet. We have no walls; we have no pews; we have no restrictions, except to always tell
THE TRUTH!
Messages given in churches, and also here, are designed to connect you with God, Jesus (and sometimes the Holy Spirit) through your thinking, that is your mind. Worship songs are designed to connect you to God, Jesus (and yes, sometimes the Holy Spirit) through your heart. I have found, and maybe you have too, that I am drawn much closer to them through music rather than through a written or spoken message. In churches, the message lasts much longer than the music but in our church service we provide you with more music and a shorter message. We want to touch your heart.
THIS WEEK'S MESSAGE
“Fear Not!” A Sermon with 12 Good Reasons Not to Be Afraid (Scriptural Solutions for Overcoming Fear and Anxiety)
Summary: When you’re in fearful circumstances, someone just telling you to “fear not” probably won't help. Even hearing a well-meaning fear-not sermon may fall short if it's just a caring preacher's comfort and best wishes extended to you. But when you hear God Almighty saying, “Do not fear,” that’s an entirely different and very encouraging situation. Come see 12 reasons God gives us to be freed from our fears. They'll help you overcome fear with faith in God's help and promises.
Isaiah 41:8-14 But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend, [9] I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, ‘You are my servant’; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. [10] So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. [11] All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish. [12] Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all. [13] For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. [14] Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob, little Israel, do not fear, for I myself will help you,” declares the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
There is fairly broad opinion among Bible commentators that Isaiah 41 refers prophetically to God’s future deliverance of the Jews from their captivity in Babylon. It is a word of comfort to His oppressed people when they find themselves in their time of bondage.
The principles of God saying "Fear Not" or “Don't be afraid” to His people are timeless. In the King James Version of the Bible, the phrase “fear not” occurs 71 times from the first to the last book of the Bible (from Genesis 15 to Revelation 1). The Scripture portions we’ll look at give us at least 12 good reasons why God exhorts us to have no fear. Read them, and be encouraged! “God hath not given us the spirit of fear” (2 Timothy 1:7, KJV). By contrast, God in His Word gives us biblical encouragement for facing and overcoming fear. Come and find peace in God's faith-building Scriptural promises.
1) vs. 8 “you…whom I have chosen…I called you”
1 Peter 2:9-10a But you are a chosen people ... a holy nation, a people belonging to God.... [10] Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God.
Fear not, because God has chosen you, He has called you to be His own. You are “a people belonging to God.” Dads and moms, just think of all you do to prevent your family from living in fear. God will do far more! The Jews were God’s called, “chosen people” under the Old Covenant. All followers of Jesus Christ, Jew and Gentile alike, are God’s chosen and called people under the New Covenant. You are very special to God, so fear not!
2) vs. 9 God has “not rejected you.”
Israel went into Assyrian Captivity for her idolatry and faithlessness to God. More than a century later, about 586 BC, Judah went into Babylonian captivity for the same sins. Most scholars believe God is here speaking prophetically to the (future) captive Jews in Babylon and saying, “I have not rejected you.” And indeed, in God’s timing, the Jews were eventually freed from that captivity and reoccupied Jerusalem and its surrounding lands.
Apply God’s vs. 9 encouragement to yourself today. If through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ you are a son or daughter of God, nothing from the evil you have done in your past will cause God to reject you. Perhaps you’ve experienced rejection by other people, perhaps even by someone once close to you. No matter. Fear not and remember, God loves you and has accepted you, so man’s opinions need not be feared or even be an item of concern.
3) vs. 10 “...do not fear, for I am with you”
KJV: "Fear thou not; for I am with thee"
I know how secure I felt as a child when Dad was there. All was well with the world. Dad was big, strong, loving, and—oh, so wonderful in the eyes of a young boy—Dad was an FBI agent! If Dad was with me, nothing could make me fear.
How much more should the presence of God Almighty dispel any fears we might have. God says, “Do not fear, I am with you!” When fears may try to come upon you, remember the Scripturally sound words I once heard a pastor say. Don’t be afraid, because “you’re never alone. There’s always a minimum of four—you, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”
4) vs. 10 “do not fear...I am your God”
Amazing! Almighty God, the creator of the universe, is my God! All His power, love, and blessings are there for me and for you. Come to Him through Jesus, “the [only] way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6), serve Him faithfully, and He will eternally be “your God.” And your God says to you again and again in His Word, "Fear not!"
5) vs. 10 “I will strengthen you ... help you ... uphold you”
Perhaps you’re crying out in fear or dismay, “Lord, I’m going under; I can’t make it.” He replies, “Yes, but I can, I will help you.”
Or like Peter sinking under the waves, you feel, “Lord, I’m sinking. Everything around me is going wrong.” God says, “I will uphold you.” And just as Jesus reached out and took sinking Peter by the hand (Matthew 14:31), God will take hold of you and rescue you.
6) vs. 13 “I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”
Think of any dangerous situation. Then think of God standing there holding your hand, saying, “It’s OK! I’ve got you.” Most likely, your fears would disappear.
One of my children as a toddler used to reach up to me with the childlike appeal: “Carry you me.” That was security for him. Dad was there. All was well. God is there for us too. And He’ll take our hand, as a loving Father does, and will bring us without fear through every situation.
7) vs. 14 “Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob, little Israel, for I myself will help you,” declares the LORD.”
Do you feel “little,” like a lowly worm, surrounded by enemies who oppose you and rage against you? (vss. 11-12) No matter how little you feel yourself to be, no matter what odds seem to be stacked against you, God cares for you personally—“I myself will help you.”
As captives in Babylon, the Jews had no more power against their enemy captors than a lowly little worm has. But in their forlorn condition, the all-powerful God says to them, “Don’t be afraid. I myself will help you.” Nothing is too difficult for God, no matter how overwhelming your problems seem to be.
Isaiah 43:1-3a But now, this is what the LORD says — he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. [2] When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. [3] For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
God continues his encouragement to His people, who were prophetically warned about their future Babylonian captivity.
8) vs. 1 God “created you ... formed you.”
God’s love and care for them had been there from the beginning, from their very creation and their forming by God in their mothers’ wombs. God was reminding them that He has always been involved in their lives, and He will not stop now.
A side thought here from this verse, not directly related to the context, but definitely taught in Scripture, is divine healing. God created and formed these intricate, marvelous human bodies of ours. If He has creative powers—and He does—He certainly has re-creative powers to fix and heal those bodies that He has created. Be encouraged that the God who “formed” you has not forgotten or abandoned you and is fully able and willing to extend His healing hand to you. Are you sick or infirm? The Lord God says to you: "Fear not!" Why? Because He says, "I am the Lord that healeth thee" (Exodus 15:26, KJV).
9) vs. 1 “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you...you are mine.”
Isaiah 43:1, KJV "Fear not: for I have redeemed thee"
Some 2,000 years ago God bought you (Acts 20:28), He redeemed you, with the price of Jesus’ blood shed for our sins. That’s how much He cares for you. You are His, He says! So you can safely believe His promise: “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5) and can declare with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” (Heb. 13:6).
10) vs. 1 “Do not fear…I have summoned you by name.”
You are not just a statistic to God. You are not lost among the masses. You are very real to God. He knows your name, which means He knows and cares for you very personally. He says to you whom He knows and loves: “Do not fear. I’ve called you by name. My Son Jesus and I are deeply invested in you personally.” The Lord Jesus Christ, our “good shepherd,” knows us and loves us and “calls his own sheep by name and leads them out … they know his voice” (John 10:3-4).
11) vss. 1-2 “Do not fear…“I will be with you”
These words are God’s encouragement to us when we seem to be going through high waters, flooded rivers, or fire and flames. There are times in our lives that seem to be full of troubles. But that is not unexpected. Jesus told His followers, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
God has not promised always to deliver us from troubles, but to be with us as we navigate victoriously through them. He says, “I am with you…when you pass through the waters, the rivers, the fire, the flames” (vs. 2). No matter how serious the troubles you face, fear not, because God will go through them with you.
12) vss. 1,3 “Do not fear ... [3] For I am the Lord your God ... your Savior.”
He is “the Lord.” It’s all under control! There is nothing that is not subject to Him.
He is “your God.” All God’s resources are at your disposal. We are “heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17, KJV).
He is “your Savior.” God would eventually save the Jews in a natural sense from the Babylonian captivity. And through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, He has gloriously extended eternal salvation to all who will come to Him in repentance and faith in His Son Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21). And it is a salvation that can “save [us] to the uttermost” (Heb. 7:25) from every captivating thought, from every sin and addiction, from every form of evil, and ultimately from the fires of hell if you come to Him through Jesus Christ the Savior and Lord.
So what is God’s message, His encouragement, His divine 'sermon' to us? “FEAR NOT!” He has chosen and called us … He has not rejected us … He is with us … He will strengthen, help, and uphold us … as our Father He will hold us by the hand … He created us and formed us … He has redeemed us … we are His; He knows us by name … He is our omnipotent Lord, our God, our Savior!*
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I pray this message and the music this week have touched your heart. If it has and you're ready to take Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you need to do the following four things:
1. Admit you're a sinner.
2. Repent of your sins and ask God to forgive you.
3. Believe in Jesus as your only hope of salvation.
4. Confess that Jesus is your Lord.
Repeat the following prayer, which includes numbers 1-4 above. It's got to be from your heart and not just your head. You don't have to be in a church to say this prayer. You can say it right now, right where you are. But after you've said it I strongly urge you to find a local church and go to the very next service. Tell the pastor what great and wonderful thing has happened to you.
PRAYER
Lord God, I come to you in the name of Jesus Christ. I come to you with all the sins I've committed. I admit I'm a sinner and I ask for your forgiveness. Please cleanse my body, soul and spirit from these sins with the precious blood of your Son, Jesus Christ. I believe Jesus died on the cross for my sins and for the sins of all those who believe in His name. I also believe that He rose from the dead so that I, too, may have victory over the works of the devil. I confess and accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and ask Him to come into my heart and give me a new life that seeks after Your will and purposes. I want to serve You and obey all Your ways. I want to live for You every day of my life. Please lead and guide me into righteousness by Your Holy Spirit.
Thank you Lord, for the work of Your Son, Jesus, who shed His blood for me, and for hearing and answering my prayer. Thank you that I am now considered Your child through the work of Jesus. Thank you that I have a new life. Thank you that I've been born anew, and by faith I believe it. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
*https://www.jimfeeney.org/fear-not-12-good-reasons.html