Sermon #1530[i] Miscellaneous Notes
Title: "Fear
Not, Thou Worm Jacob"
Text: Isaiah 41:10-20
Subject: Encouragements for Faith, or Fears Removed
Date: Sunday Evening—
Tape # X-70a
Introduction:
(Isaiah
41:10-20) "Fear thou not; for 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. {11} Behold, all
they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they
shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish. {12} Thou
shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with
thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.
{13} For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee,
Fear not; I will help thee. {14} Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye
men of
I have read for my text Isaiah 41:10-20; but I take the
words of God in verse 14 for the title of my message- “Fear Not, Thou Worm Jacob.” This is God’s message to his believing people in this world. Though we are often troubled and tried, persecuted and
perplexed, tempted and trampled upon in this world, our God says to you and me, “Fear not, thou worm Jacob.”
The purpose
and object of God in these verses is to silence the fears of his people and
encourage us to confidently trust him in the teethe of
trouble and adversity.
Proposition: It is contrary to the will and glory of our God for his
people to be a timid, fearful, anxious people; and to suppress our fears he
assures us of his constant presence, power, and provision.
Three times God says to us, “Fear not, thou worm Jacob.” (v. 14). It appears to me that God wants us to stop being
fearful!
·
Though your enemies are many
and mighty, “fear not.” God is greater than your enemies.
·
Though your afflictions are
painful and protracted, “fear not.” The Lord will deliver you.
·
Though your path of duty is
demanding and dangerous “fear not.” Your God will uphold you and help
you.
·
Though the fulfilment of God’s
promises cannot be seen, “fear not.” Not one promise of God shall fall
to the ground.
Divisions:
1.
We are all weak and helpless
worms before God.
2.
But there is hope for worms.
3.
We are the worms,
we are worms of God’s choice.
4.
Though we are but worms, we
have no cause for fear.
5.
It is God’s great pleasure and
great glory to use worms for the accomplishment of his purposes.
I. We are all weak and helpless
What can be
more loathsome than a worm? The word worm here means “maggot.” No one
wants to touch a maggot. The thought of those vile, disgusting, dirty,
disease-ridden, disease-spreading creatures makes our skin crawl. Yet, this is
the word God used to describe us! And it is an accurate description!
The
humanist, the moralist, and the self-righteous religionist considers
this a great insult. He says, “I am not a worm. I am a man. And I am somebody!”
We love to sing that great hymn written by Isaac Watts over 300 years ago…
“Alas! And did my Savior bleed,
And did my sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For such a worm as I?”
But if you look in most modern hymnals, published by
the various denominations and religious groups, you will find that the hymn has
been changed to read, “For sinners such as I.” The
word “worm” is just too offensive to human pride! But worms we are nonetheless.
§
A worm is a dirty, despicable
thing.
§
A worm is a weak and helpless
creature, incapable of defending itself.
§
A worm belongs to and is at
home in the muck and mire of the earth.
§
A worm being easily trampled
upon and crushed to death, is always exposed to
danger.
§
A worm is of no value or
concern.
Who ever wept over stepping on a worm? Who ever
missed a worm that was been killed? Who ever even took notice of a worm?
When God
declares that man is a worm, he means for us to understand that we are all by
nature…
·
Wretched!
·
Weak!
·
Worthless!
Take your
place as a worm.
§
It will help you to get along
with one another. Who ever heard of fighting worms?
§
You cannot claim the promise
of this text unless you meet the character of the one to whom the promise is
made.
II. But there is hope for
God’s
people recognize that they are indeed worms. Men and women who, by the grace of
God, have been made to know themselves know that they are wretched, weak,
worthless worms. For us to be called worms, maggots, is to insult
these lofty creatures who never sinned against God and compliment us! Yet,
vile, base, and disgusting as we are, we take our proper place in the dunghill
before God as worms, knowing that there is hope for worms.
A. The Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God when he was made to be sin for us
and hung upon the cross as our Substitute, became a worm, so that he might lift
worms from the dung heap of fallen humanity and transform us into the sons of
God. (Ps. 22:6).
(Psalms
22:6) "But I am a worm, and
no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people."
1. He was abased, that we might
be exalted.
2.
He was cursed, that we might
be blessed.
3.
He was made to be sin, a
despicable thing, that we might be made the righteousness of God in
him—delightful to God!
4.
He was crushed to death under
the penalty of sin, that we might be raised to life and freed from sin.
B. A worm does have a mouth by which he is able to bore his way into the
strongest tree and penetrate to its very heart, finding both food and safety.
How can
that be? He just doesn’t give up until he gets what he must have.
These worms, whom God calls
“Jacob,” his own elect, with the mouth of prayer and supplication, crying unto
God, are able to penetrate the very heart of Almighty God, finding in him both
food and safety for their souls. (Lk. 11: 5-13; Heb. 4:16).
(Luke
11:5-13) "And he said unto them,
Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say
unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; (6) For a friend of mine in his
journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? (7) And he
from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my
children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. (8) I say unto
you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he
is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many
as he needeth. (9) And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you;
seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. (10) For
every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that
knocketh it shall be opened. (11) If a son shall ask bread of any of you
that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he
ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? (12) Or if he
shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? (13) If ye then, being
evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your
heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"
(Hebrews
4:16) "Let us therefore come boldly
unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy,
and find grace to help in time of need."
Do not refuse to take this
name, “worm.” Being a worm identifies you
with the Son of God in his most glorious character as the sinner’s Substitute. There is hope for worms!
As a worm you can cry out to God to pity you and have mercy upon you.
·
Christ came to save worms!
·
Christ died for worms!
·
Christ has mercy on worms!
Not the righteous, not the
righteous,
Worms, only worms, Jesus
came to call!
Are you a worm? Worms are
not proud creatures. No matter where they are found, no matter how they are
used or abused, they are just worms! We have nothing to be proud of (1 Cor.
4:7).
III. Sons of Jacob we are.
That makes us worms. But
we are the
God says, “Fear not, thou
worm Jacob.” He speaks as though he were talking to one man. But he is
addressing all his people. God calls us “Jacob.”
A. Jacob was a man wretched,
weak, and worthless in himself.
B. Jacob was a man chosen,
called and blessed by God.
C. Jacob was a man to whom God
had bound and obligated himself by a covenant.
Gladly I own, I am a worm,
Weak, wretched, and worthless,
If God might take me as His own,
And tell me I am His!
IV. Though we are but
Notice in verse 14 that all three persons in the triune Godhead have allowed themselves to
help this wretched, weak, worthless worm, Jacob.
(Isaiah
41:14) "Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and
ye men of
·
“I will help thee, saith the Lord”—Jehovah. That is God our Father speaking.
·
“I will help thee, saith…thy
Redeemer.” That is God the Son, the
second person of the Trinity, our Redeemer, speaking.
·
“I will help thee, saith…The Holy
One of Israel.” That is God the Holy Spirit
speaking.
“If God
be for us, who can be against us?” In our text the Lord God, the triune God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit makes eleven
promises by which he would both
remove our fears and encourage us to trust him.
A. Are you alone? God says, “Fear thou not;
for I am with thee,” not only within reach, but with you (v.10).
B. Are you dismayed, by the power of your enemies
on the greatness of your trial? The Lord says, “Be not dismayed; for I am
thy God” (v.10). I am for you. (
(Romans
8:28-39) "And we know that all
things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called
according to his purpose. (29) For whom he did foreknow, he also
did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might
be the firstborn among many brethren. (30) Moreover whom he did
predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified:
and whom he justified, them he also glorified. (31) What shall we then
say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? (32) He that spared not his
own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us
all things?
(33) Who
shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
(34) Who
is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also
maketh intercession for us. (35) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or
peril, or sword? (36) As it is written, For thy
sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the
slaughter. (37) Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors
through him that loved us. (38) For I am persuaded, that neither death,
nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor
things to come, (39) Nor height, nor depth, nor
any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is
in Christ Jesus our Lord."
C. Are you weak? Your God says, “I will
strengthen thee” (v.10).
D. Are you destitute? God says, three times, “I
will help thee” (v.10).
E. Are you about to fall, or already fallen? The
Lord says, “I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness”
(v.10).
F. Are your enemies a terror to you? Your
God says that he will confound them, bring them to nothing and slay them
everyone. They won’t be around long (vv. 11-12).
(Isaiah
41:11-12) "Behold, all they that
were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as
nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish. (12) Thou shalt
seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee:
they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought."
G. Are you fearful of failure? The
Lord your God says, “I will hold thy right hand.” (v.
13). That means:
·
I will walk hand in hand with you as your Father and your friend.
·
I will guide you and lead you in your way (Pro. 3:5-6).
(Proverbs
3:5-6) "Trust in the LORD with all
thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. (6) In all thy
ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."
·
I will hold you up when you are weak and trembling.
·
I will pick you up when you fall.
·
God will silence your fears as you walk with him, “saying unto thee,
Fear not; I will help thee.” He will say to you, to your
heart, by his Spirit, “Fear not,” and make you hear his assuring
promise, “I will help thee.”
Ø
In trial
Ø
In temptation
Ø
In the Path of Duty
Ø
In Service to Him
H. Are you now made to weep? “Thou shalt rejoice in the Lord” (v. 16). He will make you triumphant
at last.
I. Are you now abased? “Thou
shalt glory in the Holy One of
·
In your Interest in Him!
·
In your Relation to Him!
·
In what He Has Done for You!
J. Do the heavens appear to be as brass to you? God
says, “I the Lord will hear them” (v. 17).
K. Does it sometimes seem that God has forsaken you? He
has not. He says, “I the God of
How firm a foundation, ye
saints of the Lord,
Has laid for your faith in
His excellent Word!
What more can ye say, than
to you He hath said,
To you who for refuge to
Jesus have fled?
Mark these promises and
realize that, though you are a worm, you have a mighty and a great God, and you
have no reason to fear anything or anyone, ever!
V. It is God’s great glory and
pleasure to use insignificant
(Isaiah
41:15-19) "Behold, I will make thee
a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains,
and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff. (16) Thou
shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall
scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, and shalt glory in the
Holy One of Israel. (17) When the poor and needy seek water, and there
is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear
them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. (18) I will open rivers
in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the
wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. (19) I
will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and
the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and
the box tree together:"
These verses describe God’s
servant as a man who has gone to war; but nothing is in jeopardy.
·
Total Victory is Assured (vv. 15-16).
·
Every Provision is made for your refreshment, comfort, and success (vv.
17-19).
The Lord God delights in
taking weak worms as instruments in his hands and magnifying in them his holy,
omnipotent power. (I Cor. 1:26-29).
(1
Corinthians 1:26-29) "For ye see
your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many
mighty, not many noble, are called: (27) But God hath chosen the foolish
things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things
of the world to confound the things which are mighty; (28) And base
things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and
things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: (29) That no
flesh should glory in his presence."
What power a worm has when God is with him!
·
Samson slew
thousand Philistines with the jawbone of an ass (Jud.
·
David killed
Goliath with a rock and a slingshot (1 Sam. 16).
·
Peter was
the instrument by which God saved 3,000 men on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2).
Illustration: Reuben
Askew, who
used to be the governor of
There is nothing you and I
cannot do, though we are mere worms, if the Lord God is with us (Phil.
·
No work is too great for the lord our God!
·
No trial is too hard for the lord our God!
·
No enemy is too powerful for the lord our God!
·
No obstacle is too big for the lord our God!
·
No burden is too heavy for the lord our God!
Application:
The reason
why God is pleased to use such worms as we are for the accomplishment of his
purposes is that in this way, everybody will know that God did it. No flesh shall glory in his presence (v. 20).
(Isaiah
41:20) "That they may see, and
know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath
done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it."
Illustration: The Cherokee Indian in
[i]
Lantana
Grace Church,