Rev. Cyril A. Stevens – Sermon 0073B recorded on July 15, 1979 teaching from Isaiah 41:8-10 – Mercy Defined.
Pastor Cyril A. Stevens explores Isaiah 41 to illustrate the unfailing relationship between God and His people, characterized by divine mercy and protective power. The discourse transitions from the historical survival of Israel—viewed as a testament to God’s sovereign commitment to His chosen despite their periods of rebellion—to the spiritual security available to the modern Christian. Central to the teaching is the phrase “fear not,” which Stevens presents as a “mighty defense” against a world defined by confusion, political instability, and personal anxiety. By drawing on personal anecdotes of military service and the peaceful passing of a congregant, he argues that God’s presence absorbs human suffering and replaces it with a “living water” that transforms the internal wilderness of the soul into a fruitful garden. Ultimately, Pastor Stevens serves an exhortation for believers to rely on the superiority of the mind of God over earthly wisdom, finding total freedom from the dread of death through the finished work of Christ.