Well, this evening we're turning to Isaiah chapter 35. We're going to read the chapter together. Isaiah chapter number 35. We welcome you. Thank you for coming out at this late hour. We really appreciate that. And for those who are joining with us online, wherever you are in the world, may the Lord bless your heart as you join with us here via various streaming platforms. So we're in Isaiah chapter number 35. And let's read from the verse number one, and let's read this as it is, the word of the living God. The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them. And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given on to it. the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord and the excellency of our God. Strengthen ye the weak hands and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, be strong, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance. Even God with a recompense, he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap, eyes and heart, and the tongue of the dumb sing. For in the wilderness shall waters break out and streams in the desert. The hard ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water. In the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. And highways shall be there, and away, and it shall be called the way of holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for those. The wayfaring man, though fools, shall not err therein. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereupon. It shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there, and the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs everlasting joy upon their heads, and they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Amen. May God bless the reading of this most encouraging chapter in the Word of God. Let's unite again, please, just in a short word of prayer together. Our loving Father, we're glad, Lord, again, that the Word of God is opened in this place. We thank Thee for the central act of worship, preaching of the word and now lord as we come to listen oh god give us a mind to receive that oh god which that was given even to this servant of thine lord to dispense to these dear individuals these dear folks my brethren and sisters in christ where we pray lord that the word will be the blessing and grant dear father our hearts to leave encouraged and strengthened even in our faith we thank thee O God, for your mercies and your grace, your goodness towards us in the year that has passed, we offer, Lord, our praise to God. We raise an ebenezer, and we say hitherto, if the Lord helped us. And Lord, we thank thee that he who has helped us to this moment will help us all our journey through until we find ourselves safe in the arms of Jesus, safe on his gentle breast. Bless, Lord, we pray and encourage our hearts. We offer prayer in and through our Savior's precious and lovely name. Amen and amen. I'm sure you would agree with me that it doesn't take too many words from another person to either to encourage you or to discourage you. Think of how a child is encouraged when a parent's approval of their good behavior is accompanied with words like, I'm proud of you. Or an employee, how they feel valued when their employer comes and stands at their workstation and says to them, keep up the good work. Or maybe a housewife who has washed and ironed clothes, made dinners, kept the house ship shape for another year and her husband turns around and says everyone's smiling you ladies are smiling what is he going to say well us men we should really turn around and say at times you know i i really appreciate all that you do for us as a family And then on the other side of the coin, we have those words that really come and they discourage us. We have people who come and they discourage us with their words. I'm thinking of that former PE teacher. I have got over it. I have mentioned it before. Whenever I suggested that instead of playing rugby at the rainy, I suggest we would play a game of football. And he turned around and said, Stuart, you're a waste of space. Or you think about that sibling who, in a fit of rage after some petty squabble, says to their brother or sister, I hate you. Or a friend who takes an umbrage against you, and they say to you, I never want to speak to you ever again. As I've said, it doesn't take many words from another person to either encourage or to discourage you. Well, tonight, in this Watchtonite service, I want us to consider seven words The context in which they are found that I trust will be words that will be an encouragement to you as you leave and as I leave 2024 behind us and as we step out on the uncharted pathway that will be the year of our Lord 2025. The words that I want us to consider together are the words that we find in the verse number 4 of Isaiah chapter 35. Be strong, fear not, behold your God. In verses 3 and 4 we are encouraged to strengthen the weak hands and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, be strong, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense. He will come and save you. The Bible commentators believe that the 34th and the 35th chapters of Isaiah's prophecy, they really come to make up one prophecy that consists of two parts. The first is the denunciation of judgment on the enemies of God's people Israel, particularly the nation of Eden. And we find that in the chapter number 34. The second part of the prophecy is found here in Isaiah chapter 35. A chapter that contains a most beautiful description of the flourishing state of the people of God, which would then follow the judgments that would befall their enemies. Albert Barnes, the Bible commentator, suggests that this 35th chapter of Isaiah's prophecy clearly describes the times of the gospel. So distinctly speaks of the very works which the Redeemer in fact performed. The lame man leaping as a heart, the dumb one singing as we find in the verse 6, the eyes of the blind being opened, the ears of the deaf being unstopped. And so full and rich and beautiful did Barn say that it cannot, this chapter, be regarded as referring to any other period of time but the time of the gospel. And thus these words that we have before us this evening can be as much applied to us today as whenever they were first uttered by Jehovah in the days of Isaiah the prophet. Taking in these closing moments of this old year, I want us to consider together a number of things that are drawn to our attention from the words that we have before us in our text this evening. I want you to note in the first place with me the states in which we are often found. The states in which we are often found. I'm focusing here on a number of words that we find in these two verses that really highlight for us the various states that we find ourselves in during episodes and periods of our lives. The words that we want to focus on at this particular time are the words wake, feeble and fearful. Now permit me to make a very general comment before saying anything specific about these three states that are highlighted by God in this particular text of Scripture. Because it's very important for us to note that not all of God's people are as bold as lions. Not all of God's people are as bold as lions. Not all of God's people are strong in their faith. Not all of God's people are courageous and fearless. But rather there are members of the household of faith who are weak, and they are feeble, and they are fearful. And we need to remember that. I, as the minister and the pastor of this congregation, I need to remember that. The elders of this congregation, they need to remember that too. The members and the friends of this congregation, you need to remember that as well. We need to remember that there are fellow believers, brethren and sisters, our brothers and sisters, who struggle in their Christian lives. Within the family of God, there are those who are weak. And there are those who are feeble, and there are those who are fearful. As in any flock, there are those in the flock of God who are found in these particular states. As well as those who are strong, as well as those who are powerful, as well as those who are fearless. And whenever we remember that, and whenever we put that upon our minds, and whenever we take that to heart, it will cause us to be gentle with those who are desponding. And it will help us to be sympathetic with those who are struggling, and it will also help us to be loving in our counsel as we administer to such ones who are more like smoking flax. and are like bruised reeds. And so the general comment must be made that not all in the family of God are burning out for God and are strong in faith, but there are those who find themselves many times doubting. Other times they find themselves despairing. Other times they find themselves straying. At other times they find themselves full of fear, and God addresses such people in this particular chapter. But let's consider these three states for a few moments, because Isaiah, he first speaks about those who are weak. Strengthen ye the weak hands. Now, whenever we think of the word weak, we automatically think about that which has little or no strength, that which is powerless, that which is feeble. However, this word weak in the original translates to mean slack, slack. You and I know that the hand becomes slack whenever power is drained from the body. We're unable to lift the hand because of at times physical weakness. Weak hands, well, they inhibit our daily labors. Age brings about weakness to the hand. The hand becomes frail. The hand becomes unsteady. It begins to tremble at times. The hand, it really loses the grip that it once possessed. Not only do hands become weak or slack through age, but also hands become weak when they are overworked. Just ask the individual who goes out into the potato field to bring in the potatoes and to gather in the potatoes at the end of a day of potato gathering. The hands are weaker. Think about the student who is forever writing in their exams. I remember doing exams that lasted, oh, how long did they last? Four hours? In theology class at the Whitefield College of the Bible, I got off lightly. Sometimes they lasted to midnight. With regard to other individuals, many, many, many years ago, whenever the Whitefield College or the Theological Hall started, I think you could just stop whenever you wanted to stop and some men went on to midnight. But you imagine the hand after that and the weakness of the hand that's been overworked or the mother in the home going about her chores, at the end of the day, the hands become sore. Exhausted hands are enthebaled hands. And what is true in the physical realm is also true in the spiritual realm. The Christian hands can become weak, and as a consequence of them becoming weak or becoming slack, they also become then slack in the work and the labor that they once gave themselves to. Now, becoming weak in hands is tantamount to becoming weak in our praying. You may say, well, where do you get that preacher? Well, praying is depicted in Scripture through the lifting up of hands to God. We are to lift up holy hands to God, we're told in the New Testament. But in the book of Psalms, and the verse number, or chapter 28, and the verse number 2, we read these words. Psalm 28, and the verse number 2, we read, A very specific type of praying And with regard to the lifting up of her hands is mentioned in the book of Lamentations. And there is a specific target in our praying when it comes to praying for our children. In Lamentations 2 verse 19, I'll read the verse to you. Arise, cry out in the night. In the beginning of the watchers, pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord. Lift up thy hands towards him for the life of thy young children. that faint for hunger in the top of every street. And so the slack hands or the weak hands, it is a picture of, as it were, a demise in our praying, a falling with regard to our praying. Not only that, but the same figure of the lifting up of hands is also applied to our obedience to God's commandments. In Psalm 119 verse 48, the psalmist said, And so the lifting up of hands, it speaks to us of our obedience to the commandments of God. And here we find a people whose hands have become weak, they've become slack in these two areas, the area of praying and the area of obedience. And so you begin to see what a desperate condition we are dealing with here then when we read these particular words. And maybe that's where we are tonight. Maybe that's where I am. Maybe that's where you are as a Christian, as a believer. The hands have grown weak or slack when it comes to prayer. The phlegm of prayer is, we would say, flickering low. And our zeal for obeying the Lord and obeying His commandments is not what they ought to be. But here's a good meaning. in which we can resolve for that to change by the grace and help of God. That we confess our sin, that we confess that our hands have grown slack in these particular areas, and that God, by His grace, would enable us to strengthen those hands that have become slack. For surely that is what this nation, this community, actually needs. God's people as a praying people and God's people who obey the Lord in all things. And so we find here the first state is that of weakness. But Isaiah then speaks about those who are feeble. Confirm the feeble knees. Now this isn't some kind of Church of Ireland confirmation. We're not talking about that kind of confirmation. The feeble, tottering, faltering, trembling knees really that's the idea that we have in this word feeble and is it not the case that a child just finding its feet has got feeble knees they stand for a few moments only for those little knees to to buckle down under its weight and then to collapse in and fall down to the floor And so the little child, the little infant, they've got feeble knees. And then we think about the runner in the race. I've never really ran in my life. As you probably know, I'm not very energetic. But I'm told that whenever you run for quite some distance, there's an acid, lactic acid, that builds up in your body. And what happens is that the knees become feeble. And the legs of the runner, they become like jelly. And the individual without help or assistance, they go to ground. They fall to the ground. We've seen it before, the Olympic Games, individuals just being literally carried over the finish line. And then the elderly, well, they have got feeble knees. I don't need to tell maybe some of you. Hard for you to get up. or even out of the pew, even out of the armchair, and maybe you bend down and you try to lift up something, and there's the old knees, the aches and the pains are in that body part, and it hinders them from bending down, or even as I've said, getting up from chairs and pews. Could we not spiritualize these thoughts? Could we not say that the young convert, the spiritual infant, Oh, they've got feeble knees. And many times did we not fall as a young believer. Many times did we not stumble and fall in our early Christian lives. And we must remember that's what the young convert will do. They'll make many a mistake. as they try to find their feet in their new found faith. And then we think about the Christian, the one who is running the Christian race. They find at times their knees becoming feeble as the road, the road to home and heaven becomes rough and at times it goes uphill. And as for the mature Christian, they find it hard to bend the knee in prayer. Why? Because their prayers seem to go unanswered. And the situation that they're praying about, rather than getting better, it's actually getting worse. And so the elderly, or the older believer, the mature Christian, the old knee doesn't bend as much now. They're so discouraged. Oh, I wonder tonight, is there a believer here? Is there a Christian? Is there a brother? Is there a sister here tonight, and your knees have become feeble? Maybe you mourn. Maybe you lament over your lack of progress. in your Christian life. I tell you that's a good morning to have. That's a good lament to have or to be satisfied with your Christian experience. I believe that there's something wrong with that. It's whenever we lament over the lack of progress in our Christian lives. That's a sign of a healthy Christian. That's a sign of a Christian who's assessing where they are and where they were last year whenever we said goodbye to 23 and welcomed in 24 and where you are tonight as you leave 24 and enter into 25 in the will of God. Maybe the road traveled isn't as far as you would have wanted. in your estimation, maybe you've stumbled and failed. Maybe you've stumbled and failed in the last year. And the occasions that found you on your knees in prayer have been few and far between. Oh, the closet's been forsaken. And as for the public seasons of prayer, well, that's for someone else. That's for others. Oh, may God strengthen your feeble knees again. May God strengthen mine. We may bend them in prayer and bend them in the submission of God and to His will, and may we employ then those strength in these with running the race with joy, aye, and with patience. The third state that is alluded to in the verse is that of the fearful state. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, I don't need to tell you that the list is almost endless when it comes to the things that cause our hearts to become fearful. Our failures as a Christian can certainly cause the heart to be fearful. The spiritual state of our loved ones, the state of the world, the state of the nation, the state of the church, an unexpected diagnosis from the doctor, the setting in of old age, disappointment, Financial loss, business trouble, the illness of a child or a precious loved one, the death of someone close to us, war, political chaos, economic collapse can all cause the heart to fear. And just whenever it seems that everything is going so smoothly in our lives, something suddenly happens, something comes out of the blue, and our whole world begins to shake and crumble around us, and the peace of heart that we once had is now replaced with tremendous, tremendous fear. I wonder, is your heart fearful tonight? Do you live in a A constant state of fearfulness and trepidation. Does life overwhelm you at times? Does the thought of stepping into a new year, does it fill your heart with dread? Oh, what a state, even as Christians we can find ourselves in at times, weak and feeble and fearful. But I don't want to depress you anymore. So let's move on to a second point. Let's think about the strengthening that can be known. The strengthening that can be known. Listen to the words of our text again. These words remind us that God would not have us to remain in these states of weakness and feebleness and fearfulness. Oh yes, at times we're found in such states, and we lament over that. But God would not want you to be there, brother. And He doesn't want you to stay there, sister. Rather, He would have the weak hands to be strengthened, and the feeble knees to be confirmed, and the fearful heart to be reassured with the words, be strong, fear not. Now notice, notice the part that we have to play in this. You know, God's people are first to be aware of those within God's family who have succumbed to this weakness and to this feebleness and to this fearfulness. And becoming aware of it and discerning of it, what are they to do? They are to rally to the aid and to the support of such people within the family of God. We are to help and we are to encourage our fellow believers. We are not to discourage and to trample down those who are struggling in their Christian lives. I want to point you in the direction of two examples. One from the Old Testament, one from the New, in which we find the strengthening of a child of God by another person taking place. first one is found in 1st Samuel chapter 23. So 1st Samuel chapter 23 we're going to read from the verses 14 down sorry the verse 15 down to the verse number 18. And now we're thinking here about our part that we play With regard to the help of those who find themselves weak, encumbered with weakness and feebleness and with fearfulness, it says, And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life, and David was in the wilderness of Ziphanus in a wood. And Jonathan, Saul's son, arose and went to David into the wood, and underline these words, and strengthened his hand in God. And he said unto him, Fear not, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee, and thou shalt be keen over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee, and that also Saul my father knoweth. And they two made a covenant before the Lord, and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house. You know, David could have said of Jonathan at this time, a friend in need. He's a friend indeed. David found himself in a time of tremendous need. His life was under threat from Saul. And Jonathan came to where David was, and the Holy Ghost tells us that Jonathan strengthened David's hand in God. To be honest, that's the type of people I want around me. And that's the people you want around you as a Christian. Not people who endlessly criticize. Not people who say it can't be done. Not people who are constantly negative. But people who will strengthen your hand in God. And if you've got such a person in your life, Maybe a friend, a spouse, a loved one, a minister, a Sunday school teacher, a youth worker, someone who encourages you, someone who prays for you, someone who supports you, a modern day Barnabas, then you thank God for them, for I believe that they are few and far between. May God help us to be a friend to others. one who strengthens our brothers' and sisters' hands in God." Now, did you notice how Jonathan strengthened David's hand in God? Jonathan did it by reminding David of the promise that God had made to him that he would be king. Do you remember that? Many years prior to this, Samuel the prophet had went to the house of Jesse the Bethlehemite. He had anointed David as king over Israel. But David has years to wait before he ascends to the throne of his beloved nation. And Jonathan, just when it seemed that the promise, now listen, just when it seemed that the promise was about to fail, and just when it seemed that the promise was never going to be performed, for remember there's a bounty on David's head, And if Saul gets a hold of David, he's dead. Just when the promise seemed to be gone, Jonathan reminds David of the promise God had made him. Because it says, fear not, for the hand of Saul, my father, shall not find thee, and thou shalt be king over Israel. Do you know whenever your brother and your sister needs encouragement, one of the best ways to encourage them is by and through the promises of God. Go out and find a discouraged Christian and then remind them of the promises of God. Use whatever means you have, whether that be through text, letter, phone, but all for the strengthening of the hands of God's people. And rather than using social media, and rather than using blogs to criticize other believers, let us use such things to encourage the saints of God. Let's post instead on our Facebook or whatever you use. If you don't even use it, that's fine. But post a verse of scripture. Post an encouraging quote rather than some personal grievance that you have with the world. The promises of God are a great way to encourage your own heart in the lives of others. And so that's the Old Testament example. Let's think of a New Testament example. Acts chapter 28. Acts chapter 28. Paul is on his way to the city of Rome to make his appeal before the emperor Nero. And in Acts chapter 28 verse 15 we read that as Paul and his traveling companions neared the city of Rome, in Acts 28 verse 15 it says, and from thence, from Rome, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Apii Forum. and the three taverns, whom when Paul saw, he thanked God and took courage, aware that he was most likely to die the death of a martyr in the empire's capital. It's late. Paul's weak hands, his feeble knees, and his fearful heart were strengthened by those believers who came to meet him at the three taverns. We know that to be the case because the Spirit of God informs us through Luke that Paul took courage when he met these believers. Albert Barnes, he made this comment, the presence and counsel of Christian brethren is often an inestimable value in encouraging and strengthening us in the toils and trials of life. I wonder, do other Christians, do they take courage when they're in your presence? Or do they leave your company discouraged with their hands still hanging low? Here were people who strengthened, not weakened, the hand of God's servant. Are you such a Christian? Do you strengthen the hand of God's servant? Or are you going about weakening his hands and criticizing him and saying all things about him? Oh, let me for a few moments strengthen your hand, brother. Let me confirm your feeble knees, sister. Let me speak truth into that fearful heart of yours, brother and sister, as we're about to step over the threshold of an old year and into a new year with all of its unknowns. Because as you leave this old year behind you, I want you to remember a number of things. I want you to remember that you have the same God with you this year as you had throughout last year and actually throughout all of your Christian life. The change of year. brings no change with him. No change Jehovah knows. I am the Lord and I change not. As the hymn writer put it, our God, our help in ages past will be our hope for years to come. And remember something else, the same promises that assist you and encouraged you and helped you through the past year, they will be the same support to you in this new year. God's promises have not been redacted. God's promises have not been resented. They are still the exceeding great and precious promises that they've always been. And not only that, but remember the same prospect for the future which has cheered the old year, accompanies you into the new year. And what is that hope? It is the hope of you either going to be with Christ or Christ coming to you. And so we find here that there's help for the child of God. Our text speaks about a third and final matter. Think about the solace supplied for the weak and feeble and fearful saints. Solace is found in the words that are to be spoken to the saints of God when they find themselves in such various states. The words being, be strong, fear not, behold your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense. He will come and save you. These are certainly words in season spoken by one who has been given the tongue of the learned. To the weak and feeble, God says, be strong. It's very specific. And to the fearful, God says, fear not. And then God would have us to say, behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense. He will come and save you. You know, it is a reminder to us that our words to those who are weak and discouraged must serve the purpose of pointing them away from themselves and to none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. Behold your God. Behold your God. You fearful ones, you weak ones, you feeble ones, behold your God. Look away from yourselves. Look away to your God. One preacher says, what hollow comfort and encouragement comes from those of the world who can do no better than to say in a fact, there, there, everything will be all right. I just know it. The comfort of such a saying is hollow because the one saying it has nothing more than a wish behind his words, a wish with no substantive assurance. When we point a weak and discouraged brother, however, to Christ, We are not merely expressing a desire with no substance or assurance behind it. From our vantage point, we are able to look back and see this word has come to pass. Christ has come, and he came with recompense, even the reward of his righteousness, and he has taken vengeance against our sins by the sharing of his blood, and he has saved us. The weak, feeble, fearful Christian is encouraged not to look to their circumstances, but rather to look to Christ. Behold your God. And so next time, child of God, you feel your hands weakening, behold your God, you remember your Savior's hands. His hands were not weak when they were kneeled to the cross in shame. They were not slack when it came to working out the great work of redemption on our behalf. They were not slack when it came to him reaching into the horrible pit and extracting you as a sinner out of the miry clay and setting your feet upon the rock. Behold your God, behold his hands, and behold his knees. The next time you find your knees feeble, then, and your, If he cannot take another step, then behold your God. Remember, whenever Lice Road took the Son of God up the rough and rugged hill of Calvary, his knees did not tremble. His knees did not become feeble. But from that track, my master turned not back. He had no feeble knees when he knelt in prayer in Gethsemane and prayed with strong crying and tears. No, he had no feeble knees. So behold your gods. And whenever you experience out of nowhere an overwhelming sense of fear arising in your heart, brother and sister, behold your God. Remember that the Son of God went fearlessly to the tree and laid down his life there as a ransom for many, as a ransom for you. And so here is what every weak and weary believer needs to impart strength to their soul. What do they need? They need a vision of what Christ has done for them. in order to regain the vision of what Christ will yet do for them, a beholding of our God. And if you catch a vision of your God, child of God, then you will come to experience what is promised in the verse number 10 of this particular chapter. For the redeemed, the ransom of the Lord shall return and come with Zion. Come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads, and they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. This is the answer, brethren and sisters, a view of your God. Oh, that God would speak into your soul this evening. I say, brother, sister, look to Christ. Look to the Savior. Oh, may God help me as this minister to strengthen those whose hands have grown weak, to confirm the feeble knees, to say to those who are of a fearful heart, be strong. Fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God. with a recompense, he will come and save you. May God be pleased to bless his word. Let's bow our heads in prayer together. Our loving father, we have left an old year now behind us. We've entered into this new year. And Lord, we know not the way before us. The way is uncharted to us, but not to thee. We thank Thee that Thou hast gone before Thy people, and we rejoice in this. Lord, many times our hearts are full of fear, and the hands, they grow slack, and yes, Lord, the knees, they tremble. And, O God, we look to heaven. We look to our God. We look to the God-man. We find in him an example for God to follow. An example to emanate. I pray, Lord, that thou will bless us as we leave this place of public worship. Grant, Lord, safety to us all as we travel from this place of public worship, and as we return, God willing, on thy day, if not beforehand, for a children's meeting and our youth fellowship. May the blessing of heaven be upon us, and may we sense thy abiding presence with us. And may God come with recompense. May He come and save. Lord, as Thou has done in our own lives, may it be done in many a life, we pray. So answer prayer. We offer prayer in and through our Savior's precious and worthy name. Amen and amen. May the Lord bless you. May the Lord encourage you. And we wish you a blessed and a happy Christmas.