Sermon #118 Series: Isaiah

Title: Ten Promises from God to His Troubled People

Text: Isaiah 43:1-7

Subject: God’s Promises to His People in Affliction

Date: Sunday Afternoon

Introduction:

If you want to see something of God’s amazing, steadfast, immutable grace read Isaiah 42:24-25 and then read Chapter 43:1-7.

Proposition: Though we, like Israel of old, bring many sorrows and troubles upon ourselves by sin, unbelief and disobedience, our great God is unchanged in his mercy, love and grace toward us! (Mal. 3:6; Rom. 5:20).

1. We are the sons of Jacob!

· A Sinful People.

· A Chosen Covenant People.

· An Afflicted, Troubled People.

2. We are God’s own Creation, the Creation of Grace- (Eph. 2:10; II Cor. 5:17).

I tried this morning to show you something about the trials of God’s saints in this world. This afternoon, I want to show you Ten Promises from God to His Troubled People.

3. These ten promises are given to silence our fears in the midst of great troubles- “Fear not…Fear not!”

4. These promises of God are given to all God’s saints in this world.

· The Whole Church.

· Every Local Assembly.

· Every Family.

· Each Individual Believer.

I am not going to make any attempt to explain these ten promises today. I simply want you to hear them, believe them, rejoice in them, and take the comfort they afford.

Your afflictions may be long, many, and heavy. But God says to you who believe, “Fear not.” Your troubles will not destroy you. Then he gives you these ten blessed promises to silence your fears.

I. “I have redeemed thee!” (v.1).

· A Personal Redemption.

· A Particular Redemption.

· An Effectual Redemption.

“I have redeemed thee!”

· By the Price of my Blood!

· By the Power of my Grace!

II. “I have called thee by thy name! (v. 1).

· There is a General Call.

· This is an Almighty, Effectual, Special Call.

It is a call extended only to those who have been redeemed. “I have called thee.”

Illus: Zachaeus- Lazarus- The Infant.

Thank God for the effectual call of his grace! Without it we would forever perish! “Grace is a provision for men who are so fallen that they cannot lift the axe of justice, so corrupt that they cannot change their own nature, so avers to God that they cannot turn to him, so blind that they cannot see him, so deaf that they cannot hear him, so dead that he himself must open their grave and lift them into resurrection.” --G. S. Bishop.

III. “Thou art mine!” (v. 1).

What a blessed word of grace- “Thou art mine!” You and I are God’s peculiar property, his people, the sheep of his pasture. All men are his by creation; but we are his in a special, distinct way, in the new creation.

A. We are His Property!

B. We are under His Protection!

C. We live by His Provision!

IV. “I will be with thee!” (v. 2). “I am with thee!” (v. 5).

· With you in Sympathy.

· With you in Power to Protect You- (v. 2).

· With you in Person.

· With you Always. Illus: Paul (II Tim. 4:17).

V. “I Am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel!” (v. 3).

· I am Jehovah!

· I am Thy God!

· I am the Holy One of Israel!- Faithful- God of the Covenant.

VII. “Thou art precious in my sight!” (v. 4).

You and I are God’s peculiar treasure- A treasure hid in a field, for which he bought the field (Matt. 13:44).

VIII. “Thou hast been honorable!” (v. 4).

We are not honorable by nature, nor by our deeds. But God by his grace has made us honorable in his sight (Ezek. 16:14)

A. He gave us an honorable privilege- The Sons of God!

B. He gave us an honorable standing- Righteousness!

C. He gave us an honorable nature- “Christ in You.”

D. He will bring us to an honorable inheritance- Heaven!

IX. “I have loved thee!” (v. 4).

So greatly does the Lord God love his own elect that he will sacrifice men and nations for them!

Note: Talk about universal love if you want to. This text is talking about special love!

X. “I have created him for my glory!” (vv. 5-7).

The glory of God is wrapped up in the salvation of his people! He will either save every one of the chosen seed, all who are called by his name, or he will lose his glory; and that cannot be!

A. He chose us for his own glory (Eph. 1:3-6).

B. He redeemed us for his own glory (Eph 1:7-12).

C. He called us for his own glory (Eph. 1:13-14).

D. He will show forth his glory in us in the last day (Eph. 2:7).

Application: “Fear Not!”