The Presence of God – Part 8 | Sunday Service | Dec 20, 2020

Welcome back to our Sunday service and we are glad to praise and worship, our living God again, together.

We will continue with our ongoing series, “Presence of God” (Part-8).

Illustration: Joe Stowell, former president of Moody Bible Institute and current president of Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Michigan as well as an internationally recognized speaker, once said, “I’ll never forget the time I had the privilege of sitting next to Billy Graham at a dinner. I was honored but also somewhat nervous about what would be appropriate to say. I thought it would be an interesting conversation starter to ask what he loved most about his years of ministry. Then I awkwardly started to suggest possible answers. Was it knowing presidents, kings, and queens? Or preaching the gospel to millions of people around the world?

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.

On the face of the earth or on the face of death, there is nothing that can comfort us but the presence of God. Psalmist is happy because he knows God is with him.

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

Bible eays Christ came as a saviour to save us and as a friend to stand by our side. The New Testament verily affirms that Jesus is the son of God and he is the fulfillment of the God’s prophecy made almost 700 years before Jesus was born.

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).”

In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. And the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer’s Field. And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” thus says the Lord God : “‘It shall not stand, and it shall not come to pass.

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Here Isaiah is describing the story of what happened that time and fulfilled with Jesus.  Immanuel means “God with us!” Immanuel gives us confidence.

Ungodly men are often punished by others as bad as themselves. Being in great distress and confusion, the Jews gave up all for lost. They had made God their enemy, and knew not how to make him their friend. The prophet must teach them to despise their enemies, in faith and dependence on God. Ahaz, in fear, called them two powerful princes. No, says the prophet, they are but tails of smoking firebrands, burnt out already. The two kingdoms of Syria and Israel were nearly expiring. While God has work for the firebrands of the earth, they consume all before them; but when their work is fulfilled, they will be extinguished in smoke. That which Ahaz thought most formidable, is made the ground of their defeat; because they have taken evil counsel against thee; which is an offence to God. God scorns the scorners, and gives his word that the attempt should not succeed. Man purposes, but God disposes. It was folly for those to be trying to ruin their neighbours, who were themselves near to ruin. Isaiah must urge the Jews to rely on the assurances given them. Faith is absolutely necessary to quiet and compose the mind in trials.

There are two important things you need to understand from the verses of Isaiah 1:1-7…

We do not live by sight but by faith. If you stand firm in your faith in the midst of times of fear, you will be victorious.

Immanuel – “God with us!” Followings are few verses which talk about “Presence of God.”

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Then I said, “How long, O Lord?” And he said: “Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is a desolate waste,

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

Trust in the Lord , and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord , and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord ; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.

The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Illustration: Now a days people are talking about diet standards as the new normal. Hygiene and social distancing norms have become the new normal.  But I say, “Let us wash ourselves by the precious blood of the lamb as the new normal.“

Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz: “Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.”

Immanuel!

Secret disaffection to God is often disguised with the colour of respect to him; and those who are resolved that they will not trust God, yet pretend they will not tempt him. The prophet reproved Ahaz and his court, for the little value they had for Divine revelation. Nothing is more grievous to God than distrust, but the unbelief of man shall not make the promise of God of no effect; the Lord himself shall give a sign. How great soever your distress and danger, of you the Messiah is to be born, and you cannot be destroyed while that blessing is in you. It shall be brought to pass in a glorious manner; and the strongest consolations in time of trouble are derived from Christ, our relation to him, our interest in him, our expectations of him and from him. He would grow up like other children, by the use of the diet of those countries; but he would, unlike other children, uniformly refuse the evil and choose the good. And although his birth would be by the power of the Holy Ghost, yet he should not be fed with angels’ food. Then follows a sign of the speedy destruction of the princes, now a terror to Judah. Before this child, so it may be read; this child which I have now in my arms, shall be three or four years older, these enemies’ forces shall be forsaken of both their kings. The prophecy is so solemn, the sign is so marked, as given by God himself after Ahaz rejected the offer, that it must have raised hopes far beyond what the present occasion suggested. And, if the prospect of the coming of the Divine Saviour was a never-failing support to the hopes of ancient believers, what cause have we to be thankful that the Word was made flesh! May we trust in and love Him, and copy his example.

Immanuel, which means God is with us. Who came for the sinners! No matter whatever crisis you are facing in your life. Maybe medical tests, major financial crisis, personal problems etc., but the word of God says, “Don’t be afraid!”

Surrender yourself personally and totally. Jesus came in this world so that we may know God.

Dear Church, we hope you are encouraged with today’s word. We look forward to see you again next Sunday. God Bless!