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[0:00] In the words which I trust the Lord, when they have been paid a few remarks, we found in the prophecy of Isaiah, chapter 41, the 10th verse.

[0:18] The prophecy of Isaiah, chapter 41, and the 10th verse. Fear thou not, for I am with thee.

[0:32] Be not dismayed, for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee. Yea, I will help thee.

[0:45] Yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. The previous part of this chapter describes the way in which those who worship idols encourage each other.

[1:09] They helped everyone his neighbour. And everyone said that his brother be with courage.

[1:21] So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmen. He that smoked this was an hammer. He that smoked the angel. And yet, perhaps, in the day that we live, we may look around and find very little encouragement in the things of God.

[1:43] God. We see those in a form of religion who worship a God different to the gods that we would worship.

[1:57] And the way in which they seem so united, encouraging each other in the things which they do, that is their worship.

[2:07] And as we look around, there appears to be so much to discourage. There does not seem to be the reality as the days pass in the church.

[2:26] There are those godly men that we look to, idiots on by. The godly man cogent, the low man laid his heart.

[2:42] And how we seem to build up, the fire spirit. And how we seem to lose sight of the things. That although things to us may appear to be changing.

[2:58] Although they may appear to be changing for the worse. Yet, this god never changes. Although we may change, this god never changes.

[3:15] Our circumstances may change. Our people may change. But, do we not read the songs of those who are not sorry to change this?

[3:33] The lost people are the people that are called the Lord. And we cannot expect any real encouragement from men.

[3:49] It is good that we are able to encourage one another. But we can only do this. As felt by the Holy Spirit. But the best encouragement that you and I could ever have.

[4:04] Is from the Lord himself. To have a personal belief. That this god has encouraged us. Fear thou not.

[4:18] For I am with thee. Surely. Surely. If we have any feelings at all. We have any fears.

[4:32] Fears perhaps of a different nature. Fears which stem. For various reasons. Fears in regard to our lives.

[4:45] Our populations. this. Fear is with regard to the future. Have we ever had a fear with regard to our soul and eternity?

[5:02] So what can our fears be connected with this personal life? I know fears are you grounded? But can we honestly save that we have had a fear within our hearts with regard to our soul and eternity?

[5:26] It is good if we go so far that we can go further than this. What does that fear have? What effect does it have upon us?

[5:40] Those in the world may have fears that we are from eternity. They fear there. They look upon them as being something terrible.

[5:53] Of course, indeed, it is. Although, for the most part, they believe or like to believe in annihilation. what is your greatest fear?

[6:05] What is your greatest fear? Is it that which the hymn writer said, Can I bear the piercing thought? What if my name should be let down?

[6:19] If not, if not, if not, if the greatest thing do I should fear? And yet, how little can we truly say do the fearsome?

[6:34] But, what a mercy if we have no means to have this fear or don't make this leverage yet to drive us to the flow of grace.

[6:51] Now, the Lord he works in such a strange, in such a mysterious way. Although, that might cause us to believe not to be totally different.

[7:04] Yet, God he works at the heart his people while we live. First of all, he brings them into trouble, distress, sorrow.

[7:20] And the Lord's people are a fearing people. And they'll always fear the worse. How often as we look back of our fears being so grandless.

[7:40] But, I want as an able this evening to speak through regard to the fears of the Lord's people. Those in a very personal way.

[7:56] As we come to the house of God, what is our prime purpose in coming to the house of God?

[8:09] You say to hear the word peace is not. It is to worship God. And how can we worship God unless we know him?

[8:26] If we are able to know this God as being a God who has delivered us from our fears for there will be true worship.

[8:39] I wonder sometimes whether in our gatherings whether there is not a lack of worship to God. That worship which we need to be alone is entitled to and that which a living soul when under the influence of the Holy Spirit resides here.

[9:04] Now when you and I gather with the Lord in his house and come before him in true worship it will mean that we've brought through much.

[9:19] It won't mean that we've accepted the Lord and that we have been brought to see things in such a way that now we've rejoiced in the gospel. It won't mean that the rest of our days is going to be had in absolute union one with each other.

[9:39] It won't mean that the moment we're brought into trial will completely encourage ourselves or encourage one another. But what it will mean is this.

[9:52] That the Lord having brought us and taught us rightly grace to realize our sin. It is to be feared in the days we live so that you have a right understanding of what it is to be a sinner before the Lord.

[10:16] As in the days when the Lord was a father there were many self-righteous Pharisees but how many are there? know what it is to come before the Lord and say God be merciful to me a sinner.

[10:33] There was a fear within that poor man's heart that he would be on mercy and he would be open mercy. There may be one year this evening with that same fear within your heart heart.

[10:48] That you will not receive mercy and yet there is a hope deep down that you will. The very fact that you come before the Lord and see it is indeed a hope whatever your feelings may be.

[11:06] Now what so often we talk about feeling religion and if we are living souls we should know something of a living religion.

[11:20] We should know something of a feeling in our religion. But we want to be very careful for the need that we take to our feelings.

[11:31] for the most part our feelings are prompted by the circumstances in which we find ourselves.

[11:46] And if things are not going well if we are brought into time to trouble well then we like to say that all these things are basically and yet look at the number fear not the Lord has pleaded his word for the health and for the comfort of his people.

[12:17] Now the last thing one will say to any who is in this threat to the heart to the left sick and eternity is fear not.

[12:30] Because it's right that we should fear with regard to our sin. It is right that we should fear with regard to eternity.

[12:41] However there was more fear that there was a right understanding of these things. How different would be our walk and our conversation if we had more fear with regard to sin and eternity.

[13:04] But on the other hand he wanted me to call a right. If they know something in the gospel that is the word of the news of Israel.

[13:18] What about him writer? He says a sinner is a sacred thing. the Holy Ghost has made himself.

[13:29] If we are really exercised with regard to sin it must be the word of the Holy Spirit. If we are fully exercised with regard to standing before a holy God there is nothing of fear and yet creatures of fear we travel on fear where no fear is.

[14:01] Those who are thought in fear are feeling lost and seek that Satan will receive it.

[14:16] There is nothing to fear that this God will not grant that mercy which they seek again is not this their promise of fear. This is not your fear of times that although you may have been not far in the way although the Lord may have blessed you you may have had many blessings and evidence is proof that this God is your God yet are you not sometimes subject to fear that you can deceive are you not now perhaps brought into fear that this God is not going to appear for you are you not sometimes in fear that your religion is all wrong sometimes is it not a fear with you that the very things that you believe are things which have been taught you by an agent by parents how

[15:18] Satan will come in various ways Satan he comes to the future he brings fears into your heart for now the Lord through his servant here speaking to Israel he says fear thou not for I am with thee there is nothing it can equal the value of the knowledge of this statement whatever we may possess however many prayers we may have however many lost people may simply encourage us whatever we may have to strengthen or dispel our fears and strengthen our faith there is nothing that is more valuable than the reality of this knowledge of the

[16:22] Lord is witness now if we had this knowledge and I sure it matters not what comes into our experience is there one there that says well I know nothing of the Lord because I am in deep trouble now and the Lord is not with me that's a bold statement to make isn't that that's a very bold statement to make to say that you're in deep distress trouble now the Lord is not with you or do you think that you cannot feel the Lord isn't you there's a vast difference between saying the Lord is not with you and saying you cannot feel the Lord is you it's a solid thing that the Lord is not with you but indeed it's a great blessing as the

[17:23] Lord is here thou know for I am with thee there were those of the Emmaus road full of fears and if you were in their position and having seen and witnessed what they seen and witnessed you too if you had the same love and the same understanding that they would be full of fears that the Lord was with them they didn't realize it so he did the fire furnace there was one with them light under the Son of God but you see the fire furnace had no effect upon them because this God was with them now then why does the Lord bring his people into these fears surely in the Lord's people and this God is with us we should be happy we should be aggressive we should be able to come into this our tent worship and we should always be praying in the

[18:30] Lord yes we should be and we do the best with our natural understanding so what we suppose of the Lord's people being a very people the purpose is this to keep them from a false confidence one of the things which I believe the people God fear most apart from the loss of their trouble is false confidence there is something that has a confidence in God and a sure in God and being the flesh being false now I'm sure that you're never right you won't want that now the Lord seems to bring his people from time to time into very trial to prove them to prove their faith that faith that he has given them and then to prove to them that he is with them that he is the same

[19:45] God as he was to his ancient people and that he has the same power to save he has the same power to deliver exactly the same as is recorded in his words to begin with today as he had in ancient days and not only to date but down to the end of time what a wonderful thing to have a god like this and for there to be able to say for I am with thee to know that this God is with us god so that's the shepherd so I'm not watching.

[20:39] And then how are you going on to save me? Shall not fear that thou art with me. If this God is with us, he's with us all the time.

[20:52] It's not a question of the Lord being with us five minutes yet to be. And then leading us for the rest of our life or down to our dying moment.

[21:02] The Lord is always with his people his people are not always feeling the influence of his spirit.

[21:15] But if we are the Lord's people whenever we are passing through this God is always with us. Always watching over us. Always keeping us in the way in which he will have us done.

[21:33] Job in the midst of this Bible was brought to see this. And he said, well he could say that he was afraid. And so there are those three which are more than thousands we come to consider the power of the mighty God in our lives.

[21:52] times we believe that this God is our God we believe that this God is with us. But because of what we are and what we deserve we fear that this God is going to deal with us in such a way of love.

[22:12] But we fear the future. We fear what this God is going to bring to our experience. we fear the way it gets the Lord to deal with us.

[22:27] For now you see fear thou not for I am with thee fear not dismayed. The Lord must deal with his children the same as a human natural father deal with his children.

[22:47] how in Hebrews we read we had fathers you see in our days who chastened us.

[23:00] But how different is the chastening of the Lord and the chastening of the earthly father. And you see another week too with the chastening of the Lord it's not a harsh wrathful chastening there's mercy there's mercy in it.

[23:30] And how the Lord he had the love towards his people in such a way that it's so necessary for to be brought for these experiences to pray to them.

[23:46] And so as you're brought into times of trouble and you look down to it in a form of religion and you see the way which they carry on they encourage each other they say well all you want to do is believe we are praying for you.

[24:02] And they're going to take company with these things that they can gather it is good when we can gather and pray for each other. but are we not find that we cannot even pay for ourselves?

[24:17] And is this not a fear sometimes? Have we brought to that place where you feel you cannot pray for yourself? The Lord has made a wonderful provision there's no need you to fear about this.

[24:35] The Lord himself has made a wonderful provision for those who cannot pray for themselves. I know these little men that have many times in trouble and we feel fearless to know the Lord's people who have never to pray for us for this one whom the Lord has raised up and that they're praying.

[24:57] One who prays on behalf of his people for the wonderful thought. For the comfort of one who is fearless because of their prayerless condition.

[25:15] And they possess knowledge that I am to repeat. There's not a soul that has likely called upon the Lord for mercy but what the Lord has put that prayer within your heart.

[25:32] if there is no one needs to have to plead with the Lord for mercy in protection of your soul they have come to the cage.

[25:48] That is the word of the Holy Spirit. I am not speaking of those who are suddenly brought face to face with death.

[26:01] But those who are brought continually that have to plead with the Lord on behalf of their soul because once you try you will not cease. There will be this concern there will be this prayer continually in your soul and whatever assurance the Lord may give you as indeed he eventually will you want to rest upon those there will be fresh sin fresh guilt and you'll want fresh assurance and then fear thou not for I am with thee do not dismay for I am thy God I will strength thee now one thing that you feel to be so weak is faith you need much strength to walk the pathway of the lost people because of the war there but when there is a battle it's no good being weak on the battlefield they have an army however many weapons they may have they're weak in themselves the more weapons they have the weaker they will become one needs a lot of these dreams to find a battle one needs spiritual strength to fight against them your souls and you'll know this you'll know so few know that there will be this conflict there will be this battle but you'll stand before God you won't be concerned so much as to what others may think of you or even what people may think of you although it's good that you do but your main concern will be to regard the Lord and how

[28:15] Satan will try and he'll try his best to sap the strength the faith which you have to go away from him but how the Lord has promised his people to be not dismayed by God I will spread the faith so in your weakness there is a strength here which alone the Lord has given upon the greatest encouragement that you could have is goodness for when perhaps in your weakness when everything is against you there has no fear evidence that this God is your God what a strength it is in times of trouble to know that this God is your God is this your desire is this what you're seeking after whether it is perhaps a strength for you to know that the

[29:24] Lord the Lord alone has put these desires in your heart and made you dependent upon him you can't trust it this man made idols this man made regulations this man made rules you want the Lord to strengthen you to believe in him you want the Lord to strengthen your faith to believe that he can do this thing for you however it's impossible it may be I'm rest assured of you it will be impossible to you but we said recently how easy it is for the Lord to live how easy it is for the Lord to live there's no need for you to fear that the Lord can't live and say well my fear is not that the Lord can't deliver the my fear is will be delivered he will deliver but there will be a set time and when the

[30:34] Lord set time arises he will deliver but that time will be when there's no one else to rely upon when you'll have to be entirely dependent upon this Lord and where you are straight to a wing in your weakness to look to look at him alone and there can't ask him for what strength it is to know the almighty power of his God in your weakness you take a person as grandma or a person as cat in a burning house what strength there is in their cries well it's there's no help there's no escape but there's such urgency in their life if no book strictly for help because your case is possible that won't stop the bullet and you're a child of

[31:46] God the fact that your faith is impossible it won't go even cry now this is to prove that you're a child of God although it seems impossible although your child and your deliverance are very impossible it won't stop even crying to it in other words you won't give up there'll be that strength ever to put that cry in your heart more vehement there'll be more power in that cry and the more painful that situation becomes the louder will be that cry now there's strength you see you may not realize this that you have to keep coming to the Lord the Lord gives you strength to believe in him doesn't he you're not able to say there's no word carrying why you might feel like it because you can't get it that change will say to you there's no point in continuing in this matter there's no worth bringing the danger before the

[32:55] Lord because he's not this for I am with thee be not displayed for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee is there any who is able to help that is there any other help that is superior to the help of his God when we see purity made today and the legacy goes to seeking after help seeking after confirmation this confirmation the other we see building great images and examples of what views are but what a present help is this

[33:56] God in times of trouble it's a very blessing an unscreenful blessing if you approve this God to be at all in time of trouble have you well then we've something to worship this God more tonight haven't we if we can look back to a point when this God was really our God we knew and where he helped us in our time of trouble where he threatened us where he helped us well then this God is always our God for it has been regardless of our fears regardless of our feelings and therefore although our present circumstance may be so varied so different to what it was previously he's the same God and therefore we have the same reason not to fear we have the same reason to believe that that

[35:03] God who gave us strength in time past will now prove as in time past to be strength to us in our time and although hell and all the hosts of hell rise up against us although devils may rise against us yet if this God is ours on we come in the end look at the enemies the national enemies to Israel and look how Israel continues right up to this current time and how Israel will eventually be delivered nations may communicate one with each other but they may either unite against Israel but this Bible will prevail and what about scripture Israel although there may be the whole of the religious world the whole of

[36:08] God that he lies up against you the whole of the Pharisees is this God going to leave him of course not he's going to prove to you that he's your God and that he will be your strength look what a tiny little nation is Israel compared to the masses of other nations look at the battles he's been brought in and still preserved to the nation where other nations have been dispersed throughout the other and where they be completely lost but not Israel and therefore spiritually Israel although she may be separated although she may be scattered throughout all the ends of the earth yet there will be a single thing and there is nothing rich well to fear not what we do fear why do we fear because at times we look at this God as being like we are changing we come to the conclusion that this

[37:23] God is going to leave us we come to the conclusion that we because of our sin this God will have no more to do with us but if this God has been with us and if he is the same God he has to be today and forever he must still be with us he will still be as one there is no evidence whatever it is worthy to say that when he has chosen the first when he stood by when he has proved himself to them as their God does he come to the same on the contrary he said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee how do we think he will therefore you see it is our fears are ground less I will strengthen thee yet I will help thee

[38:25] I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness now what about this is is it not the cause of all our fears it would not prove for our righteousness we can't boast of our goodness all we speak of is our unrighteousness and this is the cause which may use for our fears this is the strength which Satan brings to make us clear our unrighteousness but the Lord says this is going to be our strength the right hand of his righteousness although you're a sinner although you feel at times to be beyond even the thought or even a look of the

[39:32] Lord the Lord take any notice that he was ever because of your sin yet your righteousness if you are a child of God does not rest in what you are but it rests in what the Lord is it rests in his promises it rests if he was a redemption and it rests in righteousness and although the Lord suffered for sin he remained righteous sin never marked in righteousness when I say sin never marked in righteousness although he bore the punishment of the sins of the whole church of God it never marked his righteousness it marked his visage who indeed is a terrible fraud when we come to a sinner but it never marked his righteousness it never marked his person or his power or his strength or his ability to help in fact it's possible we had to say because it's the only way we can describe it if it parts dead his very death his very suffering his very resurrection if it parts his righteousness his power to break his strength over sin death hell and the devil and so you see that this

[41:13] God is able to conquer to deliver where you and I have all and therefore how the Lord will come and how the public will say keep silence before me our idols let the people renew their strength let them come here let them speak let us come here to go to the judgments but this judgment is not the judgment of men it's not the last judgment it's to be judged upon the righteousness and the work of the blessed redeemer and when your righteousness is judged upon the righteousness of that blessed redeemer there's no one who might think unto you that may do it but the judgment will be in that last thing God will be able to point the finger the

[42:14] Lord Jesus himself will look and he says this is my righteousness this is my beloved this is my friend as the church of God will say this is my beloved this is my friend there's a wonderful union between Christ and his church and therefore there is no need here it is God has brought us to realize that our righteousness can only be attained by him and then give us a feeling sense of that present love which was shed by him for the remission of sins fear thou not for I am with me be not dismayed for I am my God I will strength for thee yea I will uphold thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness now previously it speaks of taking these people by their right hand and therefore while our right hand is normally naturally this is strong yes so in right hand and the church it shows a wonderful view the strength of the church and the strength of this

[43:39] God that's where the church receives the strength that's where the church receives their wisdom that is where the church can come and this is why the church cannot possibly have lost have these fears realized think of all Jesus fear I believe in but his feeling was not the same as your was there other evidence of that fear of his humanity as he said here would be possible let this come fast from and yet was there not a strength as he looked to the help of his father as he said yet nevertheless not I will as I be done isn't a strength to the lot of people when they're able to say yes

[44:48] Lord if they aren't with me will they hold me I could be able to leave this with thee and the thirteenth verse pray the Lord thy God to hold thy right hand say unto thee fear not I will hold thy right hand there there's only for you to do anything of this matter the Lord has complete control of it how long do you see our right hand our strength we want to do something in it if only we could see that we had a little bit of strength of our own in this matter but our Lord will take our right hand from us and how we will hold it in his right hand and how we will deliver his people he will deliver them in the hour of the hour he was there he will deliver them in the resurrection and it will be in my hand and he will say we have my hand fear never not for

[45:54] I am with thee be not dismayed for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness although you may your greatest fear may well be your unrighteousness may we be able to realise the righteousness of the Lamb of God without any however righteous we may appear to ourselves or others which we lost but if we had within all we know may the Lord then apply his word to our souls like he'd rather do us that knowledge that there is no need to be and then we come before him in true worship and not only whilst here on earth but we shall worship him throughout never ending eternity and there will be worship worship that will not be harmed by the body worship that will not be harmed by a sinful flesh but worship that will be under him to save us and watch us from our sins in learning life we must leave and may the Lord have his blessing

[47:19]  Amen