DON’T WORRY, GOD’S GOT IT ALL IN CONTROL
ISAIAH 43: 1-2
I. INTRODUCTION
I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT CHRISTIANS SPEND FAR TOO MUCH TIME ENGULFED IN NEEDLESS WORRY. YES MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, WE WORRY ABOUT THIS AND WE WORRY ABOUT THAT. WE WORRY, WORRY, AND WORRY SOME MORE. AND THE TRAGIC THING IS THAT AS A RESULT OF WORRY, MANY HAVE SUFFERED HEART ATTACKS AND STROKES, MANY HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THEIR BLOOD PRESSURE, SOME HAVE BEEN LABLED A WORRY WART, WHILE OTHERS HAVE BECOME NERVOUS WREACKS. WHY? BECAUSE ALL THEY DO IS WORRY. THEY CAN’T ENJOY WORSHIP BECAUSE OF WORRY, THEY CAN’T ENJOY LIFE BECAUSE OF WORRY. EVEN AT WORK, ALL THEY DO IS WORRY. THEY HAVE ULCERS AS A RESULT OF WORRY. LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO BE CONSUMED WITH WORRY. NO MATTER WHAT PROBLEMS WE FACE IN THIS LIFE, WE HAVE A GOD THAT IS BIGGER THAN OUR PROBLEMS. WE MUST STOP TELLING GOD ABOUT OUR BIG PROBLEMS, AND TELL OUR PROBLEMS ABOUT OUR BIG GOD. IN CASE YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THE SERMON, DON’T WORRY, GOD’S GOT IT ALL IN CONTROL.
II. THE TEXT
ISRAEL IS ASSURED THAT GOD HAS NOT CAST THEM OFF, AND PROMISED THE COMFORT OF THE DIVINE PRESENCE DURING THE EXISTING TRIBULATION. AS A NATION THEY HAD GONE THROUGH SOME PERILOUS TIMES, NOW GOD GIVES THEM A RAY OF HOPE. LET ME MOCK TIME MOMENTARILY AND SUGGEST THAT EVEN IN THE MIDST OF OUR STORMS, WE HAVE A RAY OF HOPE IN JESUS BECAUSE HE PROMISED NEVER TO LEAVE US ALONE.
ALTHOUGH THIS TEXT APPLIES TO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL OF YESTERYEAR, IT CARRIES CONTEMPORARY PRACTICALITY. WE ARE THE CREATIVE HANDI WORK OF GOD. AS A CHILD OF GOD, OUR FATHER LET’S US KNOW THAT THERE IS NO NEED TO FEAR. AS I ROLL BACK THE TABLETS OF MY MIND AND SHARE WITH YOU THAT AS A CHILD, I DID NOT FEAR ANYONE WHEN MY FATHER WAS AROUND, WHY? BECAUSE DADDY WAS MY PROTECTION. I WAS HIS SON AND HE WAS NOT GOING TO LET ANYONE OR ANYTHING HARM HIS SON. THERE IS NO NEED TO FEAR BECAUSE OUR DIVINE DADDY IS WITH US.
THE TEXT SAYS THAT WE HAVE BEEN REDEEMED. WE HAVE BEEN BOUGHT WITH A PRICE THAT WE COULD NOT PAY. BUT THIS TEXT DEMONSTRATES THAT GOD SAW AND SEES SOMETHING VALUABLE IN THAT HE CLAIMS US FOR HIMSELF. WHAT DOES HE SEE IN US? HE SEES HIS SON IN US.
THE TEXT SAYS THAT HE CALLS US BY OUR NAME, WHICH SUGGESTS A RELATIONSHIP. I LIKE A GOD THAT KNOWS MY NAME. AND HE DOES NOT KNOW IT CASUALY, HE KNOWS IT INTIMATELY. HIS KNOWING OUR NAME MEANS THAT HE HAS IT RECORDED SOMEWHERE, AND THAT SOMEWHERE IS IN THE BOOK OF LIFE.
NOT ONLY DOES HE CALL US BY OUR NAME, WE BELONG TO HIM. WE ARE HIS POSSESSION, HIS PROPERTY, AND HIS PRIZE. THAT’S WHY WE HAVE NO NEED TO WORRY, BECAUSE GOD’S GOT IT ALL IN CONTROL.
III. TRIBULATIONS
TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS ARE CERTAIN TO COME OUR WAY. JESUS SAYS IN JOHN 16:33, “IN THE WORLD YE SHALL HAVE TRIBULATION: BUT BE OF GOOD CHEER; I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD. TROUBLED WATER IS A NATURAL PATH THAT WE MUST ACCEPT. MARK 4 TEACHES THAT WHEN JESUS AND THE DISCIPLES WERE OUT ON THE WATER, AND THE WATER GOT ROUGH, JESUS REBUKED THE WIND AND TOLD THE SEA TO BE STILL. JESUS IS STILL REBUKING WINDS IN OUR LIVES AND TELLING THE SEA TO BE STILL. IT IS THE NATURAL DESIGN OF WATER TO BE TURBULENT FROM TIME TO TIME.
EVERY NOW AND THEN, OUR LIVES ARE TESTED BY FIRE, AND WE WILL GO THROUGH THE FIRE, BUT THE SAME GOD THAT HUNG THE SUN AND THE MOON, THAT SAME GOD THAT PUT THE WETNESS IN THE RAIN, THAT SAME GOD THAT PUT THE TWINKLE IN THE STARS, CAN TAKE THE HEAT AND THE HURT OUT OF THE FIRE.
PSALM 46:1 TEACHES THAT “GOD IS OUR REFUGE AND STRENGTH, A VERY PRESENT HELP IN TROUBLE.” SINCE HE IS OUR REFUGE I CAN FIND PROTECTION IN HIM. SINCE HE IS OUR STRENGTH, I CAN TURN MY PROBLEMS OVER TO HIM. SINCE HE IS A PRESENT HELP, I DON’T HAVE TO WAIT FOR HIM TO COME TO ME, BECAUSE HE IS ALREADY HERE.
SOMEBODY IS GOING THROUGH SOME DIFFICULT TIMES RIGHT NOW, DON’T WORRY, GOD’S GOT IT ALL IN CONTROL.
SOMEBODY HAS ILLNESS IN THEIR LIVES AND IN THEIR LOVED ONES LIVES, DON’T WORRY, GOD’S GOT IT ALL IN CONTROL. SOMEBODY IS WORRIED ABOUT A BILL. SOMEBODY IS TROUBLED ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS. SOMEBODY TOSSED ALL NIGHT LONG. NO MATTER HOW HIGH THE MOUNTAINS, OR HOW LOW THE VALLEY, GOD’S GOT IT ALL IN CONTROL. (CALVARY).
