Prophetic Glimpses "Fear Not!"
Isaiah 41-44

Sermon Outline From The Morning Service - 20 February 2000

Fear can be good or bad depending on what it is of and how you respond to it. Some things we should be fearing:

that your children / our youth will not remain pure until marriage
that your lives become so full that you no longer have time for God
that you will become a castaway / disqualified (1 Cor 9:27).

The normal fears of men, of the world, of life are not to be a part of the believer's life
Is. 8:11-14.

The reasons we don't need to fear all those things are because of:

1. God's presence (41:10, 13) "I am with thee" This comforts us because: a) we have constant companionship, b) He knows everything that goes on in our lives, c) He oversees the events of our lives  Ps. 103:14; 1 Cor. 10:13.

2. God's purposes and power (41:10) God has good purposes in mind for us and the ability to carry them out! Jer 29:11; Is 64:4.

3. God's providing (41:10) He promises to give strength, help and sustaining power, in other words, providing whatever our needs may be. We have no right to claim His promises and provision if we refuse to walk in His way. Is. 55:8-9.

4. God's protection (42:24-43:2) God does arrange affliction because of sin (24-25), but He also arranges affliction for purifying purposes (1-2). In any tough situation we can ask, what is God wanting me to learn and do through this?

5. God's productivity (44:2-3) God promises to give what we need to begin producing spiritual fruit. a) individually -- Mt. 5:6; b) our ministry he wants to bring this field (Invercargill) to fruitfulness. You may be "dirt," but with the seed planted by God, you can bring forth.

Fear of the Lord:
Is. 60:5 (be enlarged); 33:6 (a treasure) 29:13-14; 8:11-14 the quiet sanctuary of peace with God
Ps. 55:19 if you are not changing, you do not fear the Lord