“Do You Not Perceive It?”

Sermon Title: Do You Not Perceive It?

Scripture: Isaiah 43:18-21 ESV

Introduction

The Lord had placed a message firmly in my heart, but immediately following it my week turned really rough, and I was under immense spiritual attack. This is not unusual for me. It began with a cut in my eye that caused significant pain, and at the same time my heart began to burn with anticipation. The Lord spoke to me repeatedly, telling me not to look with my physical eyes, but to see with my heart and spirit what He was doing.

Although my situation consumed much of my time, it also gave me space to pray deeply. It became clear to me that there was resistance—someone did not want me here and did not want the word of the Lord spoken. Even so, though I could not see properly, that was okay. The Lord was writing His message clearly in my heart and mind.

On Thursday morning, I rose at dawn for prayer and worship and found no visible change in my eye. For a brief moment, I felt disappointment. I had hoped for healing or some sign of improvement. But the Lord immediately reminded me not to rely on what I see with my eyes, but to focus on what He is doing. As I reflected, I began to wonder if this mirrored the heart of our church over the past year.

The Israelites carried off into exile may have felt the same way. Their homeland lay in ruins. They were displaced, scattered, and discouraged by what they saw and heard. Even though they had received the word of the Lord, disappointment followed because their circumstances contradicted their expectations.

Perhaps some of you feel the same. You may still carry a sense of loss or disappointment because of what you have seen. Even with a new pastor, perhaps you wonder if you are being set up for another disappointment. This is not discernment or caution—this is despair. And despair is not the work of the Holy Spirit, who is the giver of hope.

It is to people in this very condition that God speaks through Isaiah. Isaiah 43 is a message of redemption, restoration, and hope.

Fulfillment in Christ Jesus

The Lord commands His people to remember not the former things, because He is doing a new thing. He promises to make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. And He did. God sent John the Baptist to prepare the way for the One who would usher in the new covenant of grace—the One who is the Way. Jesus declares in John 14:6,

“I am the way and the truth and the life.”

The rivers in the desert point to the Holy Spirit, given to us through Christ. Jesus says in John 4:14,

“But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Jesus Himself is the new thing God promised—so great that the parting of the Red Sea pales in comparison. The One who split the sea now stood among us. God did what was thought impossible. The ancient Jews believed God could not become human, yet God took the name Emmanuel—God with us—literally. He walked with us, lived among us, and died for us.

Jesus fulfilled Isaiah 43 completely. What prophets and angels longed to see has been given to us in full revelation. And though this prophecy is fulfilled in Christ, its promises remain active and alive in our church today.

Verse 19 begins with a command: “Behold!” Pay attention. God says, “I am doing a new thing… I will make a way.” These are active participles that emphasize that our God has been working, is working, and will continue to work for His people. The Lord is active in our church right now.

New Thing in The Wilderness

The wilderness carries powerful meaning. For Israel, it recalled both rebellion and divine encounter. For us, the wilderness describes seasons of loss, grief, uncertainty, and hardship. Yet the wilderness is not only a place of punishment. Deuteronomy 8:2 reminds us:

“And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart.”

The wilderness is where Israel came to know God. It is where Moses found his calling, Elijah found restoration, and David learned that the Lord was his Shepherd. The wilderness reveals what is truly in our hearts. Though we resist it, the wilderness is necessary for transformation. It is where we relinquish control and learn dependence upon God.

This is God’s character and purpose for His people—those He has chosen and formed for Himself. And in Christ, we share in this reality. 2 Corinthians 5:17 declares,

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Notice something important: God never promises to remove the wilderness. Instead, He promises to make a way within it. He brings water from stone and life from barrenness. Why move you when He can transform the wilderness around you?

Do You Not Perceive It?

The heart of this passage is God’s question in verse 19: “Do you not perceive it?” The Hebrew word for perceive speaks of relational knowing, not mere information. It is about intimacy and lived experience. Jesus echoes this same question in the Gospels when He asks His disciples if they do not yet perceive and understand.

God is asking us: I have been with you. You have seen my power. You have heard my words. Do you trust me? Do you know that I am here? Do you believe that the Lord who made a way through Jesus can make a way for you and for this church?

The command to forget the former things is not about denial—it is about spiritual vision. When we fixate on past glories or past wounds, we fail to see what God is doing now. God promises that what He is doing will make both the good and the bad of the past pale in comparison.

Verse 20 speaks of wild animals—symbols of desolation, ruin, mourning, hardship, and abandonment—honoring the Lord. Even very symbols of devastation will have no choice but to praise God because of the greatness of what He will do. And so will we, the people He formed for Himself.

So how should we respond? Jesus says in John 7:38,

“Whoever believes in me… out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

We are called to believe—not merely agree intellectually to the things of Jesus, but trust deeply in the power of Jesus Christ as the head of His church. When we believe, rivers of living water will flow from our hearts.

Our church has wandered in the wilderness for a long time. But do you believe that God is even now doing something new among us? Do you perceive what the Holy Spirit is preparing?

I believe. I cannot help but believe. Every time I visited Uptown, I so powerfully felt the presence of the Holy Spirit that I can’t help but believe. May the power of the Holy Spirit cast out all doubt from your heart and may it set your heart on fire with joyful anticipation for what the Lord will be doing in our church! When we as a church believe, we will be able to answer the Lord saying:

“Yes, Lord. We perceive it!”

Reflection

Brothers and sisters, have you been weary from all that you have seen and heard, and it has blurred your spiritual vision from seeing the new things that God is doing right now and in the future? Has it robbed you of joy and hope, and has left you with doubt and despair in your heart? Look! The Lord is doing a new thing in our lives and in our church for we share in the death, resurrection, and new life through Jesus Christ! Let us place our hope on Christ alone for He is THE way!

1. Many Christians believe in Jesus Christ, but unfortunately that belief in Christ seems to be separate from the power of Jesus Christ and our ability to perceive into the work and power of God. Discuss the various possible situations why Christians would find themselves in this state. What do you think in your personal life keeps you from perceiving the Lord working in your life?

2. Why is this passage so important in light of the gospel of Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of the “new thing” that God spoke of? How does it apply to how we live out the gospel in our life?