Fear Not and Don't Lose God

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts, be always acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. Amen.

Let us begin with a question: “Have you found God?”

Do you find God or does God find you? In a sense it works both ways doesn’t it.

I am reminded of a story of a preacher that asked a young man, “Have you found God?” The young man with big brown eyes replied, “Sir, I didn’t know Jesus was lost.”

Of course that is a true statement. On the other hand, God is lost to us, if we don’t know Him and don’t remember what He has done for us.

On a cold morning in the year of 1799 the army of Napoleon’s Austrian Campaign advanced to within six miles of the town of Feldkirch. It looked as though his men would take it without resistance. But as Napoleon’s army advanced toward their objective in the night, the Christians of Feldkirch gathered in their little church to pray. It was Easter eve.

The next morning at sunrise, the bells of the village sounded out across the countryside. Napoleon's army not realizing it was Easter Sunday, thought that in the night the Austrian army had moved into Feldkirch and the bells were ringing in jubilation. Napoleon ordered a retreat, and the battle of Feldkirch never took place. The Easter bells caused the enemy to flee, and peace reigned in the Austrian countryside.

Even with the enemy closing in on their heels these Christians never lost God. Were they fearful?…absolutely! Were they unsure what their outcome would be?…Absolutely! They knew that God’s words “Fear not” encourages people in danger. They knew the intimate relationship they had with God.

We belong to the LORD, He made us, He holds us, He protects us, and He cares for us. We can know that He would not have created, redeemed, and called us unless He intended to finish His work in us.

The Book of Isaiah is a story about all of us. This is poetry that is beautifully crafted as an example of the spiritual life and about knowing and finding God.

The Book of Isaiah is about the prophet Isaiah’s message to Jerusalem of judgment and hope. He accused Israel’s leaders of rebellion against God through disobedience and said that through Assyria and then Babylon, Israel’s kingdom would come crashing down in an act of God’s judgment. We now move towards chapters 40-48. It opens with an announcement of hope and comfort to the exiles in Babylon after the fall of Jerusalem. The people are told that the Babylonian exile is over and that Israel’s sin has been dealt with and a new era is beginning. So they should all return home to Jerusalem where God Himself will bring His kingdom and all nations will see His glory.

But that’s not what will happen. Israel instead of bearing witness to the nation is actually complaining and even accusing God. They say that God does not pay attention to their troubles, in fact, He is ignoring their calls. The Babylon exile probably caused Israel to lose faith in God.

Here are people who were lost in-self-pity, forgetful of history, depressed, and resigned to life that would never get better.

Though their unbelief has brought them low. God still identifies with His people. God aims to win their hearts back.

And in chapter 42 we hear more about God’s chosen servant. Realize that in the Book of Isaiah, Isaiah sprinkles references to the ‘servant of the LORD’ throughout different chapters. Note also that in Chapter 42, verses 1-4 we have God designating Jesus as His servant and he also uses those same words of ‘servant of the LORD’ as the nation of Jacob or the nation of Israel.

We enter the Book of Isaiah, Chapter 43 verses 1-12 with God reminding His people that Israel’s only savior is God Himself. Notice that the poetry in Chapter 43 reflects someone who is responding to the doubts and accusations of His people. God is on trial.

We read this chapter as a beautiful poetic passage that is a reminder to Israel of three important things that God has done for them. First, their creation, second their redemption and finally their preservation through God’s glory and grace. Why remind Israel? Had they lost God?

(v. 1) Isa. 43:1 “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.”

In this beginning verse God speaks to His people as their creator. God has a unique and special claim on us because He is our creator. When men forget or reject God as creator, they fail to recognize their most basic obligation they have to God. They essentially have lost God.

Notice that the words “Fear not” are in the first verse. The people of Judah were afraid of Babylon's armies and the danger of exile. But God is not only the creator but He is also our redeemer. He has the right of ownership of both as our creator and redeemer. His ownership is personal by saying, “I have called you by your name.” Add to this that His ownership is absolute because He seals it by saying, “You are Mine.”

(v 2.) Isa. 43:2 “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.”

Through any obstacles, God will be with us. Deep waters?…I will be with you. Through the flames? …You shall not be burned. Israel will have their trials, just like all of us will have trials. Notice the passage does not say “If you pass through the waters,” it says, “When you pass through the waters.”

(Dan. 3:19-25) The mention of the LORD’s presence and protection in the fire reminds us of the story of the three sons of Judah cast into the Babylonian furnace because they would not bow to worship an idol. They were preserved by the presence of God.

(v 3.) Isa. 43.3 “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.”

This passage is full of images from the Book of Exodus. The statement, “I am the LORD, your God” would remind every Jewish reader of (Exodus 20) where the divine description is followed by the words “Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” Therefore, learning from this past event, Israel could rest in His promise to bring them again into their own land.

(V 4.) Isa. 43.4 “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.”

What a wonderful passage that sums up this sermon. God here describes the motivation for His work of redemption. He loves us! We are precious in His sight. Here we are also reminded of John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

God was willing to give Egypt, Cush, and Seba as a ransom for Israel. These three nations may symbolize Israel’s great worth.

(vv. 5-7) Isa. 43:5-7 “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.””

God’s presence and blessing with Israel would also be demonstrated by shattering the shackles of their exile. God is calling all His people from the four cardinal directions to Him. God not only has created us but that He has created us for a purpose. If we have no creator, then we have no purpose, but God has created us and He did it for a purpose, creating us for His glory. What does this mean? It means that when we are glorifying God, we are fulfilling the purpose we were created for, and will therefore be the happiest and fulfilled.

(vv. 8-9) Isa. 43:8-9 “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.”

We switch gears in verses 8-12. In Verse 1-7 the passages focus on not fearing your circumstances because God is with you. Now we hear about witnessing to the works of God.

There is a connective thread from Isaiah 42:19 to 43:8-9. We read in Chapter 42: “Who is blind but my servant, or deaf as my messenger whom I send? Who is blind as my dedicated one, or blind as the servant of the Lord?” The LORD speaks of His blind and deaf servants, who had willingly closed their eyes and ears to His truth and ways. The servant of the LORD is the nation of Israel.

God invites His people and the nations to testify and prove that God is wrong or to prove that they are justified in their rejection of Him.

(vv.10-12) Isa. 43: 10-12 “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. I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior. I declared and saved and proclaimed, when there was no strange god among you; and you are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and I am God.”

God’s people had witnessed the greatness of God. If only they would remember the great things God had done among them. But they had very short memories.

Israel were more than passive observers, God called them to be ‘His servant.’ That was why they were chosen! They were to serve the LORD, to know the LORD and to believe the LORD in every way.

[APPLICATION]

I think we recognize the overall message.

Here it is: God is the only God. Everyone and everything who would take His place are fakes. We are to be His servants, witnessing to His plan of salvation for the world. From the beginning, God has lovingly walked with us, called to us, and searched for us even when we turned from Him over and over again.

Isaiah had the clearest vision of the preincarnate Christ of any Old Testament prophet. Isaiah in this chapter conveys a message that God acknowledges Israel and that they are valued. Even though they felt abandoned, they were precious and loved by God.

In today’s world, we can compare the nation of Israel as sheep without a shepherd. Sheep that cannot defend themselves and are animals that also cannot run very fast. But as believers of God we are blessed in remembering His creation, His deliverance from sin and His salvation.

Each believer is blessed because they have a shepherd, and He is their guardian. The servant of God that Isaiah mentioned is our shepherd and LORD Jesus Christ.

Are we facing trails these days that seem over whelming? Have we lost sight of God because of these hardships?

Sometimes we face trails in our lives that seems on the surface that God has forgotten us. We become spiritually blind and cannot find God because of the struggles we are facing. In our deepest and darkest desperation and suffering of our pain we can always turn to God. He has not forsaken us, nor does He not know who you are and the trials you are going through. We are blessed to have the Holy Spirit in our lives, to have God watch over us through the blood of Jesus, and to have Him who faithfully watches and cares for us.

Here in this chapter of Isaiah we see a long journey of the chosen people, very fearful and spiritually deaf and blind. Their trials and suffering have caused them to lose God but they were reminded by Him that He had never left.

It is easy to lose God in our sufferings and trials of life. Darkness will cover you and make you feel alone, unwanted and uncared for. But God gives you the strength to see the light of the world, shedding away that darkness.

My brothers and sisters I am reminded of this passage from John 8:12 “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.””

Jesus’ greatest act of healing came through His death and resurrection, as foretold by the prophet Isaiah. It is by His wounds we are healed of our worst affliction: our separation from God as a result of our sins. Though Jesus doesn’t heal all our health challenges, we can trust the cure for our deepest need…the healing He brings to our relationship with God.

So…we come back to the question we started with. Have you found God? Hopefully your answer is Yes or I have never lost Him. We approach God through our heartfelt prayers. Because of His sacrifice, the border between heaven and earth is open.

This chapter should help us learn how to be a servant of God not only on Sunday but throughout the rest of the week as well.