Untitled Sermon (19)

Do not be afraid.

Here’s the Lord’s Covenant with Abram.

Talk of descendants and land dominate this chapter.

Both are essential to the future creation of a great nation.

God tells Abram, “Do not be afraid”.

Of course we remember that when man first sinned, is when fear came into the world.

When, through Christ, we have obtained mercy for ourselves,

we don’t need to fear and trust that we shall all have suitable and seasonable help for all of our God-given tasks!

Abram had no fortress.

He commanded no army and he didn’t even have a house to live in.

Think of a shield. It’s between your body and the guy with the sword seeking to plunge it through your body.

God is saying that I’m going to stand between you and harm!

Thought his tents offered no defence, he dwells at ease behind the broad shield of the Almighty.

Yet he was completely safe.

It was as if he was enclosed w/in walls that reached heaven.

There are times that we don’t see anything visible to protect us, but what a blessing it is to know that we’re guarded by the invisible and omnipotent God.

The visible must always of necessity be finite, but the invisible God is infinite, there is no searching of His understanding.

You are infinitely safe if you are a believer in the living God,—

your beginnings and your endings,

your wakings and your sleepings,

your journeyings and your restings,

your sufferings and your doings,

you being slandered or your honor,

your poverty or your wealth,

your all for ever and ever is most secure when the Lord is your Keeper, and

your shield upon your right hand.

Be it ours to leave our cares, and give our hearts up to the resting in faith.

God tells Abram, I am Your shield your very great reward!

Didn’t the Father say this in the parable of the Prodigal son: He says to the oldest son who was mad that the rebellious brother returned to the Father: "“ ‘Son,’ he said to him, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.” ()

With the Father and everything He has is ours. That is enough reward right?

Oh but people are so ungrateful to me!!

True but "...God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you demonstrated for his name by serving the saints—and by continuing to serve them.” ()

Ah but I’m exceedingly poor!! True but you have God who is all sufficient! "He did not even spare his own Son but offered him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything?” ()

Oh hey! I have no friends left! Yet the King of all friends, the best of all friends never changes and never dies!

Isn’t He better than a host of friends?

How vast and great is God and we know that He fills all and is in all!

Then what more can we seek?

Look up and read ; , and 50:15; ; .

Though God’s people be in the waters and in the fires, yet His promise is to be with them;

so the psalmist, ‘I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him, and honor him,’

God will not fail to keep His people company in all their troubles.

No storm, no danger, no distress, no fiery trial, can keep God and his people apart.

Brooks, T. (1867). The Complete Works of Thomas Brooks. (A. B. Grosart, Ed.) (Vol. 5, p. 529). Edinburgh; London; Dublin: James Nichol; James Nisbet and Co.; G. Herbert.

Spurgeon, C. H. (2009). Only a Prayer Meeting: Forty Addresses at Metropolitan Tabernacle and Other Prayer-Meetings (p. 92). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.