I Am With Thee

Watch the video of this sermon on YouTube: I Am With Thee The outline is attached at the bottom of this page. I Am With Thee I. In the scriptures, the LORD said to His people ten times, "I am with thee." 1. Before we look at this blessed promise, how do we know if it applies to us personally and individually? A. If you are with God, then He is with you (2Ch 15:2). B. But if you forsake Him, He will forsake you (2Ch 15:2). C. The rest of this sermon is directed at the brethren that are with God. 2. These four words are enough to bring any child of God through any situation. 3. Consider what is contained in these few words. A. "I" - The God who created the universe (Gen 1:1), upholds all things by the word of His power (Heb 1:3), knows all things (Psa 147:5), sees all things (2Ch 16:9), is all places at the same time (Psa 139:7-10), and restrains the devices of wicked men (Psa 76:10). B. "am" - Not "was" or "might be", but is right now and will be forever. God's name is "I AM" (Exo 3:14). C. "with" - Not "watching" or "thinking about", but present in our midst. D. "thee" - Not "them" or "him", and not even just with you (plural), but personally with thee (singular). 4. The Lord uttered these blessed words to the patriarch Isaac (Gen 26:24). 5. God likewise told Jacob that He was with him (Gen 28:15), even though Jacob didn't realize it until God told him (Gen 28:16). 6. "I am with thee" is God's way of exhorting us and reminding us of several things (Isa 41:10; Isa 43:5). A. When God comforts us with these words, He is reminding us: i. I am thy God (Isa 41:10) ii. I will strengthen thee (Isa 41:10) iii. I will help thee (Isa 41:10) iv. I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness (Isa 41:10) B. These words also exhort us to: i. Fear not (Isa 41:10) a. Fear v. - II. To feel fear; to regard with fear. b. Fear n. - 1. In OE.: A sudden and terrible event; peril. 2. a. The emotion of pain or uneasiness caused by the sense of impending danger, or by the prospect of some possible evil. c. There is no reason to feel uneasy by a sense of impending danger because God knows all things and He is with us to protect us. ii. Be not dismayed (Isa 41:10) a. Dismayed - Overwhelmed with fear, etc.; appalled. b. There is no reason to be overwhelmed with fear because the Almighty God is with us protecting us under His wings (Psa 17:8; Psa 91:4). 7. When God sends out his ministers to preach hard sermons to His people, he sends them with this four word promise: "I am with thee" (Jer 1:8). A. A pastor must never be afraid of angry faces because God is with him to deliver him (Jer 1:8,17). B. Pastors are sent to not only build and plant churches, but also to root sinners and rebels out of them (Jer 1:10). C. They will fight against him, but they shall not prevail against him, because God has promised him, "I am with thee" (Jer 1:19; Jer 15:20; Isa 54:17). 8. As Israel of old could, God's people today can likewise take comfort in those blessed words, "I am with thee" (Jer 30:11; Jer 46:28). A. God will save them from their enemies. B. God will correct them in measure and not leave them altogether unpunished because He loves them (Heb 12:5-7). 9. When God sends out a pastor on an evangelistic trip, there will be adversaries (1Co 16:9), but he goes with those blessed words from the mouth of God, "I am with thee" (Act 18:10). A. He must therefore never be afraid (Act 18:9). B. He must speak, and hold not his peace (Act 18:9). C. He must preach the word, in season and out of season and care not about the results (2Ti 4:2). II. The Lord also tells His church collectively, "I am with you." 1. "You" in KJV era English was exclusively a plural pronoun. 2. Therefore, these assurances from God are promises to His church. 3. God told Israel to not fear governments or foreign powers, assuring them to "be not afraid...for I am with you" (Jer 42:11). A. The Lord reproved kings for their sakes (Psa 105:14-15). B. The Lord will likewise deliver His church from governments that would destroy them (Rev 20:9). 4. God encouraged Israel to do the work on His house after it had been destroyed by the Babylonians by reminding them that "I am with you" (Hag 1:13-14). A. Rebuilding God's house takes work. B. To do it, we must "be strong...for I am with you", saith the LORD (Hag 2:4). C. When Jesus commissioned His apostles to preach the gospel in all nations and baptize converts in order to build up His church, His parting words were "I am with you alway" (Mat 28:19-20). D. The only way the church will last is if God builds it (Psa 127:1). E. We can plant and water, but God must give the increase (1Co 3:6-7) and set members in the body as it pleases Him (1Co 12:18). F. Though God gives the increase, He still expects us to plant and water, and He promises to be with us as we do. i. Do you want this church to survive and grow? ii. If so, you need to earnestly desire it, pray for it, and do your part to make it happen. III. The Lord also assures His children that His presence will be with them in the future, saying "I will be with thee." 1. God promised Isaac and Jacob that He would bless them in the land He promised them, saying "I will be with thee" (Gen 26:3; Gen 31:3). 2. When God sent Moses to Pharaoh to deliver His people, Moses responded, "Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?" (Exo 3:11) A. God's response to Moses' humble plea was, "Certainly I will be with thee" (Exo 3:12). B. When Moses doubted his speaking ability, God assured him that, "I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say" (Exo 4:10-12). 3. When Joshua was charged to bring Israel into the promised land, God told him through Moses, "Be strong and of a good courage... and I will be with thee" (Deu 31:23). A. The Lord reconfirmed his promise to Joshua after he was ordained in Moses' place, saying, "I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee" (Jos 1:5). B. The Lord again confirmed the same to Joshua when He began to magnify him among the people of Israel (Jos 3:7). 4. When God appointed Gideon to save Israel out of the hands of the Midianites, Gideon felt inadequate for the task (Jdg 6:14-15), but God's response was "Surely I will be with thee" (Jdg 6:16). 5. The Lord's promise to the man who loves Him and calls upon Him is, "I will be with him in trouble" (Psa 91:14-15). 6. When we pass through the turbulent waters of life, God assures us, saying "I will be with thee" (Isa 43:2). A. The rivers will not overflow us. B. The flame shall not burn us. C. For God has promised, "I am with thee." D. And "if God be for us, who can be against us?" (Rom 8:31)