The Fear of What Could Be
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Intro:
Intro:
Today, we close out our series called “Ghosts”
We haven’t been speaking of actually ghosts, but those things that haunt us,
The past
secret sins
Failure
Today we are going to be talking about being haunted by the fear of what could be, or the fear of what might happen.
other words for this might by worry or anxiety.
But today we are calling “the fear of what could be”
And I believe that this ghost is one that haunts many of us on a daily basis.
We worry, we are anxious, there are so many things that we cannot control that we lose sleep over them.
How do we deal with these ghosts?
When I was in high school, I was invited out on a boat after Sunday Service. It was going to be me, Seth Duhs, Jane Kelly Howard, and her Megan. Megan’s dad was going to be driving the boat and pulling us on tubes on the Rez. I remember asking my parents and, reluctantly, being allowed to go.
About two hours into the afternoon, Seth and I were on the tube together, and Megan’s dad ran us over a massive wake. Seth’s elbow popped me hard in the mouth, but I hung on. About 30 seconds later, Megan’s dad pulled us across another big wake, and Seth’s elbow hit me again, this time harder. I was seeing stars, didn’t think I could take another hit like that, and so I let go of the tube.
When they picked me up I had a bloody lip. We wiped my face off, and let the girls have a turn on the tube. It was then that I began to notice blood running down my chin onto my chest, despite the fact that I hadn’t opened my mouth in minutes. It was at that moment that I realized that my bottom teeth had gone straight through my bottom lip on the second hit-I was bleeding from OUTSIDE my lip.
Once we realized this was more than simply a busted lip, they took me back to the peer, where my parents met me, and drove me to the hospital. I vividly remember my mother mumbling to my dad, “I just knew we shouldn’t have let him go.”
Now, I don’t think the fear my mother had was a fear of my face getting elbowed. I never asked, but I’m going to guess that it was more a fear of teenage Weston being on a boat with teenage girls in two-piece swimsuits.
Many of us understand and know this kind of fear.
Fear that makes us wait up at night until our teenagers get home
Fear of hearing back from the doctor
Fear of seeing Tyson at Fannin Mart after missing church on Sunday
Fear that second guesses people you let your children ride with
Fear that earns you the label of a “helicopter parent”
Fear as your 7th grader leaves on his or her first youth trip(which happens in two weeks)
Fear that keeps you consumed with what might happen, or what could be
You see, I believe that “The Fear of what could be blinds us to the reality of what is.”
We are going to see this in our text this morning.
Fear of what might be blinds us to the reality of what is.
Introduce Text:
Introduce Text:
Our text this morning is . Before we read it, I think it is important to put this into context.
The Israelites have been conquered. The kingdom that belonged to David is gone, and the hearers of this passage are in a foreign land, subjects of a pagan king, owned by the Babylonians, and full of fear. As we read this text, put yourself in the position of a captive Israelite. Separated from your family, planted in a foreign land, punished for worshiping your God, and feeling abandoned by the God of your fathers, who promised them an eternal kingdom.
As is our custom at Lakeside, please stand with me as we pray and read the Word.
Prayer of Illumination
Prayer of Illumination
Father,
We ask for clarity and understanding as we read and learn from your Words this morning. May we always be thankful for this blessed revelation from you.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Text:
Text:
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.
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.
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.
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.
5 Fear not, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east,
and from the west I will gather you.
6 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,
7 everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”
8 Bring out the people who are blind, yet have eyes,
who are deaf, yet have ears!
9 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.
10 “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.
11 I, I am the Lord,
and besides me there is no savior.
12 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.
13 Also henceforth I am he;
there is none who can deliver from my hand;
I work, and who can turn it back?”
14 Thus says the Lord,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“For your sake I send to Babylon
and bring them all down as fugitives,
even the Chaldeans, in the ships in which they rejoice.
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,
the Creator of Israel, your King.”
16 Thus says the Lord,
who makes a way in the sea,
a path in the mighty waters,
17 who brings forth chariot and horse,
army and warrior;
they lie down, they cannot rise,
they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:
18 “Remember not the former things,
nor consider the things of old.
19 Behold, I am doing a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.
20 The wild beasts will honor me,
the jackals and the ostriches,
for I give water in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
21 the people whom I formed for myself
that they might declare my praise.
22 “Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob;
but you have been weary of me, O Israel!
23 You have not brought me your sheep for burnt offerings,
or honored me with your sacrifices.
I have not burdened you with offerings,
or wearied you with frankincense.
24 You have not bought me sweet cane with money,
or satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins;
you have wearied me with your iniquities.
25 “I, I am he
who blots out your transgressions for my own sake,
and I will not remember your sins.
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.
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.
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.
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.
5 Fear not, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east,
and from the west I will gather you.
6 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,
7 everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”
8 Bring out the people who are blind, yet have eyes,
who are deaf, yet have ears!
9 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.
10 “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.
11 I, I am the Lord,
and besides me there is no savior.
12 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.
13 Also henceforth I am he;
there is none who can deliver from my hand;
I work, and who can turn it back?”
14 Thus says the Lord,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“For your sake I send to Babylon
and bring them all down as fugitives,
even the Chaldeans, in the ships in which they rejoice.
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,
the Creator of Israel, your King.”
16 Thus says the Lord,
who makes a way in the sea,
a path in the mighty waters,
17 who brings forth chariot and horse,
army and warrior;
they lie down, they cannot rise,
they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:
18 “Remember not the former things,
nor consider the things of old.
19 Behold, I am doing a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.
20 The wild beasts will honor me,
the jackals and the ostriches,
for I give water in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
21 the people whom I formed for myself
that they might declare my praise.
22 “Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob;
but you have been weary of me, O Israel!
23 You have not brought me your sheep for burnt offerings,
or honored me with your sacrifices.
I have not burdened you with offerings,
or wearied you with frankincense.
24 You have not bought me sweet cane with money,
or satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins;
you have wearied me with your iniquities.
25 “I, I am he
who blots out your transgressions for my own sake,
and I will not remember your sins.
26 Put me in remembrance; let us argue together;
set forth your case, that you may be proved right.
27 Your first father sinned,
and your mediators transgressed against me.
28 Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary,
and deliver Jacob to utter destruction
and Israel to reviling.
The Grass withers and the flowers fade, but the Word of our God stands forever, and this is the Word of God- Thanks be to God.
The Grass withers and the flowers fade, but the Word of our God stands forever, and this is the Word of God- Thanks be to God.
Transition
Transition
This morning, I hope that we will see how God tells his people do deal with fear. And I want to do that by showing that fear has no place in our hearts because: He is with us, he sacrifices for us, and he forgives us.
CS Lewis once wrote that, “There is nothing like suspense and anxiety for barricading a human’s mind against God.”
This morning, I hope that we will come to a clear picture of how God tells his people to deal with fear.
And I want to do that by showing that fear has no place in our hearts because: God is with us, he treasures us, and he forgives us.
Main Point 1
Main Point 1
Main Point 1
Main Point 1
First, the Fear of what could be has no place in our hearts because He is with us. Let’s look back at verses 2-3a
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.
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.
In these verses Isaiah is giving the Israelites a history lesson.
he says first, “When you pass through the waters.”
When an Israelite hears this line, what do you think they are thinking of? I believe it points to their exodus from Egypt. Do you remember this event?
“every inclination of man’s heart was evil.” And God wiped them from the face of the earth.
They are fleeing Egypt after the firstborn of every Egyptian household has been killed by the angel of death. They have plundered Egypt’s wealth on their way out, but are now trapped by the Red Sea. They are afraid.
But, he spares Noah and his family. He closes the door with his hand, he provides for them.
God parts the waters and the Hebrews “pass through the waters” on dry land. When the Egyptian army tries to follow, God closes the sea over them.
God is with them.
Then he says, “And through the rivers”
I believe this is a reference to the Israelites crossing the Jordan and entering the Promised Land. Do you remember this story?
Over 6 million Hebrews have escaped Egypt, and spent 40 years wandering the desert. When the reach the Promised Land, God stops the flow if the Jordan river, and every one of the people cross on dry land.
The rivers do not overwhelm them.
And finally, “When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned.”
Do you remember the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? They are thrown into a fiery furnace for refusing to worship a pagan God. The furnace was heated seven times its usual temperature, and they were cast in.
But, the flames did not consume them. In fact, a fourth person appeared in the fire with them. Many great theologians think that this is a theophany, or an appearance of the Son in the Old Testament.
Wether a theophany or just and angel the point is clear: God was with them.
Main Point Closing
Main Point Closing
Isaiah is reminding the Israelites of what they have been through compared to where they are now.
Isaiah is reminding the Israelites of what they have been through compared to where they are now.
Why is it that waters, rivers, and fire are not to be feared?
“For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”
“I Am with you.”
Transition
Transition
The first way we deal with “the fear of what could be” is by looking to the past and remembering the God that is with us.
Main Point 2
Main Point 2
Second, “the fear of what could be” has no place in our hearts because God treasures us.
Look at Verses 3b-5
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.
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.
5 Fear not, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east,
and from the west I will gather you.
What we see here is a God that values his people above all else. In fact, he is willing to give Egypt, Cush and Seba in exchange.
He has given up nations for his people
He will gather them from the east and the west, not just these Israelites but their offspring.
But why?
Because we are precious in his eyes, not because of anything we have done, but simply because he loves us.
One of my favorite Christmas movies is “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” I don’t know if you remember this part, but there is a powerful scene when Charlie Brown picks out his Christmas tree. He manages to pick the worst, thinnest, weakest tree in the patch.
It is so bad, that the other kids ridicule him for it.
But that doesn’t change his mind. He wraps it, stabilizes it, and decorates the tree until it is beautiful.
Why? Simple, he chose that tree to love and treasure.
Its a silly example, but one that I thing helps. Just like Charlie Brown chose the tree that had nothing to offer, so God has chosen us. We are precious in his eyes, honored, and loved above all else.
Main Point Closing
Main Point Closing
Since we are valued and treasured above all else, there is no room to be haunted by the fear of what could be. The apostle Peter says it like this:
7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
We are treasured by the Father, and because of that, “the fear of what could be” has no room in our hearts.
Transition
Transition
So far, makes it clear that “the Fear of What Could be” has no place in our hearts because First, he is with us, and Second, he treasures us.
Main Point 3
Main Point 3
The third reason reason that the Fear of What Could Be has no place in our hearts is because God forgives our sins.
Please look at verse 25:
25 “I, I am he
who blots out your transgressions for my own sake,
and I will not remember your sins.
The great comfort comes not from an ease of pain, but from a promise of future. The closing encouragement for this chapter on fear, is that God forgives our transgressions and will not remember out sins.
Church, we have stumbled across the Gospel beautifully laid out in the Old Testament.
“I, I am he”
It is God who does the work. It is God who saves. It in God who Redeems.
There is no merit in man, no one deserving of what is to follow.
And what follows?
“Who blots out your transgressions for my own sake.”
The work God does he does for himself. This is a powerful line. It means that God is prompted to this action SOLELY by his goodness. He owes us no debt, therefore it is purely of free grace.
“And I will not remember your sins”
Here God offers hope for the godly. Those that truly have repentance in their heart, they have no need to fear.
One of my friends tells a story about college…Broken Arm.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Transition
Transition
One of my friends tells a story about college…Broken Arm.
One of my friends tells a story about college…Broken Arm.
Church, The Great Physician didn’t come to stop the bleeding, he came to fix what was broken. This is the Gospel. This is the remedy to fear.
When we allow fear to haunt us to the point of being mentally consumed with stopping the bleeding, we lose focus of the God who created, formed, redeemed, and called us by name.
Charles Spurgeon has this to say about fear:
It is a sure sign of Grace when a man can trust in his God, for the natural man, when afraid, falls back on some human trust, or he thinks that he will be able to laugh at the occasion of fear. He gives himself up to jollity and forgetful-ness, or perhaps he braces himself up with a natural resolution— He goes anywhere but to his God.
We do not allow the “fear of what could be” to haunt us because we go to our God. And our God is the God who is with us, the God who treasures us, and the God who forgives our sins.
This is our God. This is the Gospel. This is the remedy for fear.
Let’s pray.
Pray
Pray
7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
Father,
We thank you for being a God that is with us, that treasures us, and that forgives our sins. You do not promise to stop all of the bleeding in our lives, but you do promise to fix what has been broken. Lord, we thank you for your Son, and we thank you for choosing us. Help us to run to you when our worries, anxieties and fears threaten to overcome us.
We pray this in Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Song
Song
Benediction
Benediction
“Gratitude looks to the Past and love to the Present; fear, avarice, lust, and ambition look ahead.”
-CS Lewis
When Israel was in its deepest, scariest, darkest moments, haunted by their fears, God didn’t offer to stop the bleeding. Instead, he reminded them that he has fixed what was broken. He reminds them that he is with them, he treasures them, and he has forgiven their sins.
Church, This is the Gospel, and where the gospel lives, there is no place for fear.
Go now, with the Words of Peter:
7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
Please, let’s sing together one more time.