I AM with you

Isaiah 41:1–13 (ESV)

Listen to me in silence, O coastlands;

let the peoples renew their strength;

let them approach, then let them speak;

let us together draw near for judgment.

.....

Who stirred up one from the east

whom victory meets at every step?

He gives up nations before him,

so that he tramples kings underfoot;

he makes them like dust with his sword,

like driven stubble with his bow.

He pursues them and passes on safely,

by paths his feet have not trod.

Who has performed and done this,

calling the generations from the beginning?

I, the Lord, the first,

and with the last; I am he.

...

The coastlands have seen and are afraid;

the ends of the earth tremble;

they have drawn near and come.

Everyone helps his neighbor

and says to his brother, “Be strong!”

The craftsman strengthens the goldsmith,

and he who smooths with the hammer him who strikes the anvil,

saying of the soldering, “It is good”;

and they strengthen it with nails so that it cannot be moved.

...

But you, Israel, my servant,

Jacob, whom I have chosen,

the offspring of Abraham, my friend;

you whom I took from the ends of the earth,

and called from its farthest corners,

saying to you, “You are my servant,

I have chosen you and not cast you off”;

fear not, for I am with you;

be not dismayed, for I am your God;

I will strengthen you, I will help you,

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

...

Behold, all who are incensed against you

shall be put to shame and confounded;

those who strive against you

shall be as nothing and shall perish.

You shall seek those who contend with you,

but you shall not find them;

those who war against you

shall be as nothing at all.

For I, the Lord your God,

hold your right hand;

it is I who say to you, “Fear not,

I am the one who helps you.”

Introduction

I want to talk to you this morning about a very important aspect or our relationship with God..

One that we often look past or overlook

one that we downplay in signifigance because I believe we dont understnad the signifigance of it..

and this aspec is the promise that “God is with us always.”

After all, thats what Jesus parting words were in Matthew at the day of his assention correct?

Matthew 28:20 (ESV)

teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

I want us to spend some time this morning talking about Gods Presence in our life.

He is with us

Because we need to understnad that

On the good days and the bad he is with us..

in the valley and on the mountain he is with us..

in pain, struggle, suffering, or even joy he is with us..

Promise

The fact is that the bible does not promise that we will not walk through trials or sufferings..

It doesnt promise that every day will be enjoyable and filled with happiness.

In fact, in john 16:33 Jesus promised the oposite

John 16:33 (ESV)

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Jesus tells us, Listen your going to have some problems in life..

but you dont have to worry, fear, or fret, because I, who amd with you, have overcome the world.

God never promised life would be easy, but he promised he would be with us through it all..

Signifigance

And if we cant understand and grab hold of this promise it has the propensity to change the way we navigate the daily situations of our lives..

both good and bad.

because the presence of God in our lives is not a trivial things.

Its not simply words of comfort in trying times..

But there is power in his presence in our lives..

Tell your neighbor this mornging he is with you..

Scriptural context

Exile

When we come into isaiah 41

isaiah is speaking to the jewish nation whom is currently in captivity in babylon..

and honestly, they are there because of their own fault..

they made signifigant mistakes

they chose not to obey and follow god in the promised land..

and now they have been conquered and exiled for a period of time..

and they are currently living in that exile..

longing to go home and be free..

Hope

But god is speaking to them through the prophet..

and reminding them

that even in their difficulty and exile.

there is hope..

and they are not alone..

but rather, God is walking with them

and working out a plan in their midst to deliver them once again

and bring them back to their home..

WIth you

and its in the middle of the chaos and dispair of exile and bondage

that God speaks these words of hope found in isaiah 41:10

listen to the words he says..

Isaiah 41:10 ESV

fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Fear not..

FOR I.. GOD.. AM WITH YOOU..

Do not be dismayed.. that words means distressed..

FOR I AM YOUR GOD..

I.. Will strengthen you..

I… with help you..

I.. will uphold you with my righteouse right hand..

Speaking

God is saying..

listen.. I know your suffering and in trouble..

But you belong to me..

I have chosen you..

and I wil help you through this..

I will give you strength through this..

I will hold you up..

SO THEIRS NOTHING TO FEAR..

why?

For i am with you..

I am with you..

Gods presence is signifigant..

Notice that everything God says he will do

eveything way he tells the poeple to act..

stems from one fact..

that he is with them..

he is present in the middle of their mess..

And I want to remind us this morning.. that in our good days.. in our bad days.. in our horrible days.. and in our mess..

THAT GOD IS WITH US..

WALKING THROUGH THOSE DAYS WITH US..

AND HIS PRESENCE HAS GREAT SIGNIFIGANCE..

AND IF WE WILL STOP TO COMPREHEND THIS SIGNIFIGANCE IT CAN BRING GREAT BENIFET TO OUR LIVES..

GOD.. is with us..

I want you to rememeber the subject of who we are speaking of here..

God is not telling the people.. a prophet is with you..

He is not telling the poeple..

a preacher is with you..

Hes not saying.. your momma is with you..

HE SAYS..

I.. GOD..

THE GOD OF ALL THE UNIVERSE..

THE CREATER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH..

THE MIRACLE WORKER..

THE ONE WHO ORDERS EVEN THE STEPS OF THE WICKED FOR MY PURPOSE..

IS WITH YOU..

ALL

I.. GOD..

THE ALL POWERFUL.

THE ALL KNOWING..

THE ALL SUFFICIENENT..

AM WITH YOU..

WALKING WITH YOU..

YOU ARE NOT ALONE..

BUT YOU HAVE A BIG GOD IN YOUR CORNER..

GOD IS WITH US..

The new testament

As the new testament opens and unfolds we see that this is a signifigant narrative throughout scripture..

in the first chapoter of matthew..

as we see the coming of Jesus declared..

the angel comes and tells jospeh ..

listen.. your wife will conceive through the holy spirit..

and she will bear a son..

and in verse 23 of matthew 1..

he tells jospeh

and they will call him

Imanuel..

and the bible it self makes sure to delcare the meaning of this name..

GOD .. WITH.. US..

And then in the final verse..

Jesus reitterates this ..

in matthew 28:30..

Where his final reminder is..

I AM WITH you..

SIgnifigant..

The fact that God is with us is not a petty thing..

its not a novilty..

It brings great signifigance and power..

BECAUSE GOD HAS CHOSEN TO TAKE UP HIS PRESENE WITH US..

AND BECAUSE HE HAS THERE IS GREAT BENIFET..

Breifly this morning I want to share 4 benifets of that fact that god is with us that we see here in isaiah 41:10

and I want you to repeat them prophetically over your life today

over your situation today

and let them marinate in your spirit..

The benefits of God with Us

The first is this..

Because He is with me I dont have fear worry..

Look at the first words of this verse..

Fear

Isaiah 41:10 (ESV)

fear not, for I am with you;

And then again in verse 13..

Isaiah 41:13 (ESV)

For I, the Lord your God,

hold your right hand;

it is I who say to you, “Fear not,

I am the one who helps you.”

Psalm 23:4 (ESV)

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

1 John 4:18 (ESV)

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

No need to fear

Whatever we walk through..

whatever words are spoken over us..

The bible reminds us that we have no need to fear..

why?

Because God is walking with us..

Working things out

God tells the israelites in this passage..

Listen..

im working things out..

cyrus

in the opening verses of this passage..

god speaks of the nation from the east.

theologians agree that this passage speaks of cyrus the great.

the one who will come and conquer babylon..

and will free the jews to return home eventually.

And Isaiah speaks this as well in chapter 44 and 45 even calling him by name.

God is telling the jewish people..

THERE IS NOT NEED TO FEAR..

FOR IM GOING TO WORK IT OUT..

ANother word

We have another word for fear today..

and its worry..

and its one of the things we do best..

worrying about this and that..

because things are going arry..

but Jesus himself reminded us we dont have to worry..

why?

Because God is working is out..

Worry

Matthew 6:31–32 ESV

Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

Philippians 4:6 ESV

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Jesus and paul both say the same thing..

theirs not need for worry..

because God is working things out..

we dont have to fear in our troubled times..

we dont have to worry..

because God is with us.

instead…

Because He is with me I can have peace

Look at the next line of verse 10…

Isaiah 41:10 (ESV)

fear not, for I am with you;

be not dismayed, for I am your God;

That word dismayed means distressed.

its the concept of no peace..

being shaken..

fearful..

worried..

no rest..

God tell the people..

dont fear..

dont be distressed..

I am with you..

in other words have peace..

Paul

look at what paul tells us in philippianbs 4...

Philippians 4:4–7 (NASB95)

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!

Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Paul says..

God Jesus is near..

in close proximity to you..

so pray..

sont worry..

and have peace..

because in him there is peace..

Isaiah

in an earlier passage of isaiah the prophet speaks this..

Isaiah 26:3 ESV

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

You see if we will cling to the fact that god is with us..

and put out hope and trust in him..

we can have peace in our soul and our lives as we navigate trying times..

And this peave leads to something great..

and its this..

Because He is with me I can have hope

look at line three of this passage..

Isaiah 41:10 (ESV)

fear not, for I am with you;

be not dismayed, for I am your God;

I will strengthen you, I will help you,

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

God says.. dont fear..

dont be distressed..

THERE IS HOPE..

I WILL HELP YOU..

YOUR NOT ALONE IS THIS THING..

I WILL GIVE YOU STRENGTH..

AND UPHOLD YOU..

HELP YOU..

Not a bystander

You see god is not present with us simply as a bystander..

Paul tells us in romans 8:28

Romans 8:28 ESV

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

God is working things out before us..

and because of this he later writes this..

Romans 15:13 (ESV)

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

You see we can have hope..

what is hope?

Hope is that the day with come where all will be made right..

hope is that God will deliver us..

He will vindicate us..

He will redeem us..

and randsom us..

Hope that tomorrow will no look like today..

but god will do and be all he has said..

and we have hope..

Because he is working things out before us..

and because of this we can declare this..

Because He is will me I will overcome..

look at verse 11-13..

Isaiah 41:11–13 ESV

Behold, all who are incensed against you shall be put to shame and confounded; those who strive against you shall be as nothing and shall perish. You shall seek those who contend with you, but you shall not find them; those who war against you shall be as nothing at all. For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”

God tells the poeple..

listen..

I am going to deliver you..

no one can stand against me..

you will overcome..

Paul

paul reiterates this in romans 8

Romans 8:31–39 (ESV)

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;

we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Were gonna make it through..

God is going to bring me through..

1 John 5:5 ESV

Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Because he is with us we will overcome..

your circumstances will not disctate your outcome..

God will not be defeated..

We will overcome..

Altar

We are not alone

Isaiah 43:1–7 ESV

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.”

god is with us..