Sermon – “Fear (Not)”

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

The fear of the LORD leads to life, And he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil.

7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love

In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

22 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. 23 And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the moun-tain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. 24 But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. 25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disci-ples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” 28 And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” 29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” 31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”

All right we’re going to talk today about fear what some would like to unlock him so I wonder famed I would like to open in prayer for me this morning. Anybody. You said. You think you were he said letting his few friends when you’re always here with me thank you for opening sentences to you we asked you to speak with us now as we move into the sermon sermon just and we give her the words you need her to speak and give us the hearts and the ears to hear that he’s just being with us minister to us today Jesus’ name. And then. There’s a popular song out right now and it’s called fear he is a liar by Zach Williams and I heard that song. You listen to a lover of the contemporary Christian stations you’ve heard it some of you may may have not but the song tells us that fear is a liar and that’s truth fear is a liar but what is fear. And. The definition says the fear is an unpleasant feeling triggered by something real or imagined by it’s pretty short and sweet in that state gets right to the point tells us what it is tells us cause the Bible talks about three different kinds of fear the first one is the fear of the Lord. Now that doesn’t mean that we’re afraid of God It just simply means that we have a reverential all of God our creator it’s a reverence to his power and His glory and it’s a proper respect for his wrath and anger it’s also a total acknowledgment for all that God is and he is a multitude of things isn’t me he is Creator He is healer he is God He is so many things you know I can even go down the list or we’d probably never leave. But that’s what the fear of God is and we get that fear of God knowing him and his attributes and this is a type of fear that is Christians were encouraged to have isn’t it were encouraged to have that awesome fear of God and that fear brings with it many benefits the Bible seven says and Proverbs nine verse ten but the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding so those are good things proverbs nineteen twenty three says the fear of the Lord leads to life and he who has it will abide in satisfaction or contentment pleasure gratification happiness fulfillment enjoyment and he will not be visited by evil. I don’t know about you but I want that I don’t want to be visited by evil to you I want to live in satisfaction contentment and pleasure and by knowing God we can live and that by having that awesome fear of God That’s how we can live we abide in that. So that’s a very good thing but that’s really not gonna. We’re going to be talking about today type fear we’re going to be looking at today is one that is really not beneficial to us and I’m sure we’ve all felt it at some time in our lives and some of us live with it daily and this is the spirit of fear those mention of second Timothy one for seven for God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and a sound mind now power love and a sound mind my references set are three characteristics of an effective Christian leader well I may not be an effective Christian leader I’m not sure about the sound mind. But anyway it’s a job the spirit of fear however is not one that God wants in our lives no one would desire it but sometimes we have it anyway when I mention someone to pray and I started looking around Did anybody get that little heart palpitations thinking oh no is she going to ask me. Beyond us by feel that what is that. It’s there course it is and we all get that little bit of fear right I mean come on will be crazy sometimes not to be afraid but that’s not exactly the spirit of fear. There were another word for that type of fear could be apprehension or caution you know we’re just apprehensive to do it we’re just just not sure we’re comfortable with that and if anybody here said here ever tells you that they are not ever nor have I ever been afraid they’d better go grab that forest English. Because you’re a liar liar pants on fire right. Has anybody ever not been afraid. Of course not we’re all afraid at one point or another we should have that type of fear that apprehensive that apprehension to danger that God gives us sad to stop us from doing stupid things that isn’t me I mean like if you didn’t have that apprehension you might stick your mouth into a hungry alligator or crocodile the pretty stupid one that God gives us that little bit of a fear and apprehension tell you Don’t be so dumb you know you’re not going to come back with a full warm. You’re also not going to jump out of a perfectly good airplane without a parachute or you. You’re about to jump out of what we what I would jump out of a good plane with a very he always says Why do people do that why do you jump out of a good airplane with a parachute to stay in the airplane but anyway God gives us that type of that type of fear and I don’t think fears the proper word I think it’s it’s an apprehension it’s a it’s a cautiousness that that’s a protective sense and that’s something that we need and that’s to is different from the spirit of fear first John four eighteen says there is no fear in love but perfect love casts out fear because fear involves torment but he who has fear has not been made perfect in love we love Him because He first loved us so why did they throw in that we love Him because He first loved us all and all this about fear. Ever wonder. So I looked at it like this kind of looked at this and looked at this. There could not be sphere a spirit of fear in perfect love because who is perfect love. God Jesus so if Jesus or God cast out fear there is no fear in god so therefore. There is no fear famine in him so if perfect love casts out all fear we who are full of God God’s Holy Spirit will be full of courage we will not be full of fear correct. So the darker form of courage is fear it’s the opposite and fear involves torment where does torment come from. From the Devils from Satan from the evil one whatever you want to call you that’s where it comes from and if he likes to torment us than me he likes the cow us turn around don’t go turn around he likes to tell us you can’t do that you’re not good enough he likes to do that doesn’t he he will torment you to the day you die or he’ll try to but you know we have a power for God’s perfect love has been made complete in us if we have been made complete in Christ we will not have that spirit of fear now I’m not saying if you have a spirit of fear on you that you don’t love God and you are not saved I’m not saying that at all all I’m saying is that perfect love you have not gotten that completion yet they’re still a party you that is holding on to that fear you’re not letting go of it and we’re all the same we all have something we hold onto don’t we we all have a little niggle it might be fear it might be doubt it might be something else but all those are of the same type of spirit and it’s not a good one. God cast that out we need to take control of that if we have it in our lives and how do we do that. We need to plain who we are by the power of God by the blood of Christ you can cast that spirit of fear away from you. It doesn’t mean you’re possessed by it it doesn’t mean you’re not a Christian it just simply means you’re being bullied and European bully by the biggest bully or there ever was and ever is and when you think here about all these kids and schools that are being bullied guess who’s behind it and it isn’t God. That’s why we find encourage went from fear from Genesis to Revelation God reminds us fear not over and over again you read Fear not fear not so OK all you kids in here you young people. How many of you have ever been afraid every hands go on up can you name a name anything you’ve been afraid of ever this just shouted out. Storms and the others. Fire. The bogeyman. Drowning OK Any others. Land is very lights are out there who feel bad about it you’re in good company. You’re not alone so we’ve mentioned many different fears right here’s mine. I’ve always been free the door always really up to maybe twenty years ago I was terrified of the dark I hated it I hated it didn’t I. On that houses. Anyway. After many many years I find figure I’ve got to I’ve got to control this I’ve got to overcome this and I prayed and I prayed and I prayed and I re read the ninety first song over and over and over again every night before I went to sleep I read a ninety first song because usually at night I would wake up and I would hear something I was sure there’s something they or somebody they’re right and if you’re afraid of the dark you know exactly what I’m talking about. And I finally got the point I’m really not afraid the dark anymore I mean I’m not going to be so stupid as to go walk the farm in the dark because there’s a lot of skunks down there you know I don’t like them they stink I’m also afraid of heights anybody else Fred Heights Yeah. And that’s just one of those that in reasonable fear is to just be I don’t even think that’s a spirit I think that is something in our bodies that just reacts when we get high up on a high place it’s just it’s something on reasonable you can’t control it some people are afraid of needles some people for a sighted blood it’s just the way our bodies react it’s not really a fear of thing it’s just it’s just not something that we can control. Do you remember last time when I was preaching or when Gideon and the Book of Judges and I couldn’t find the book of Judges remember that. I’m to let you guys in a little secret. I was scared I was nervous I went looking for the book The judge is I was looking for a book and getting in there is no beginning and we all know that right but you know what that’s what fear does it paralyzes us and it causes our actions to be frozen doesn’t it we freeze up we stop thinking we were like we’re like that dear and headlight look story from a long time ago when the girls were little we were down one night playing cards or games or something with Ronnie sister and it was late and we had walked home and got home and remembered we don’t have a car key or the case of the house so you remember this and we walked around the front of the building and run from the house and there was a big bow went in the front and one of the long windows was open and because it was summer in the so the when it was open but screen was in so he popped the screen out he said Jennifer I’m to lift you up and you’re go and turn you know turn lights or to go through the house in a locked door oh no I’m not on no not I It’s dark in there I’m not going do it Come on Jennifer we won’t fit person was much younger so we thought was she surely won’t want to go come on Jeff no no I can’t I can’t I just can’t do it. Lift me up put me in there I’m tired I want to go to bed. So she went and then she went in the door was unlocked and we got inch went to bed but her mind wasn’t on if she was afraid of the dark and I don’t think she was hers was more storms and far and lightning but you know wasn’t that dark she wanted to go to bed. So her mind was not all in any fear it was one I want to go to bed. So we have to keep our minds once something becomes besides our fear. What are we as Christians afraid of. We need to concentrate on Jesus and not fear because as Christians it’s paralyzing us to our job what is our job as a Christian is to go out and tell others about Jesus an about God’s love some of us might be afraid to pray in church or to go out and speak on the street or to talk to someone you don’t know or to go on a mission trip because of fear. Those are just a couple of the fears of the spirit or the of the people of God Some thought my head song fifty six eleven says this and God I will trust I will not be afraid what can man do to me what can man do to us if we go out and about Jesus. They give you a funny look they could turn around and walk away maybe that could hurt. Now so why are we afraid to do it who remembers when I spoke the last time what God told Gideon or who God told Gideon he was saved by Remember God told Gideon he was a mighty man of valor remember that now coming back to you when he was hiding in the wine press. He was hiding in the wine press and God’s tell him you mighty man of our Gideon just didn’t know he was a mighty man of valor yet are we men and women of valor and courage our way afraid of what someone is going to say or think about us because of what we tell them should we care if people think we’re all odd or strange because we tell them who Jesus is and what he has done for them not just for us but for them. Friends people are searching they’re afraid. They’re so afraid they’re turning to drugs and alcohol to get away from their fears and from their past and they want so badly to be accepting that sect that they’re joined in gangs they’re stealing a robin and it’s a call for attention it’s a cry for attention misbehavior is a cry for attention. They want what we’ve got right here. Scuse me they want to be accepted and they want to be in a family this you all are family or the family of God Some of us might be related by blood and some of us are just related by God and that’s OK because we have a great relationship anyone that comes through that door is going to be brought into this family of God and many people want that that’s what they’re searching for they’re searching for love and forgiveness they’re searching for compassion and someone to listen to them someone that just cares we can offer them that why are we so afraid if there was a man drowning out there are you going to not throw him a life preserver Is there a difference. There’s no difference. So why are we letting fear paralyze us to the point that there we are not throwing that life preserver out to the lost and dying of this world. It’s a valid question. Look at Matthew fourteen twenty two through thirty three. Immediately scuse me my voice is gone immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side while he sent multitudes away when he had sent the multitudes away he went up to the mountain by him self to pray now when evening came he was alone there but the boat was now in the middle of the sea tossed by the waves for the wind was contrary the Message Bible says they were battered They were battered by waves so what’s that conjure up in your mind you see your big waves Yeah now in the fourth watch of the night about three or four in the morning Jesus went to them walking on the sea and when did the and when the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were troubled saying it is a ghost and they cried out for fear the message says they cried out in terror anybody ever been terrorized or had terrors. And no a little girl used to have night terrors and its pretty pretty horrific in it. But he immediately Jesus spoke to them saying Be of good cheer it is I do not be afraid and Peter answered him and said Lord if it is you command me to come to you on the water so he said come and when Peter had come down out of the boat he walked on the water to go to Jesus but when he saw that the one was boisterous or the waves were battering them he was afraid and he began to sink so he cried out saying Lord save me. The message says this when he looked down at the waves churning beneath his feet he lost his nerve and he began to sink and then cried out Master save me and immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him and said to him oh you of little faith why did you doubt and when they got into the boat the wind ceased and those who were in the boat came and washed him to worship Him saying Truly you are the Son of God. So Wait what just happened in these verses. If Peter was looking here at the waves under is feet he wasn’t looking here in the face of Jesus was. So what did he do. He took his eyes off of Jesus he took his focus from where it belonged to somewhere else so he began to sink let’s think about that for a minute. Isn’t that what happens to us when fear gets a hold of us when we focus on fear we’re not focus and when Jesus the very one who can save us from that fear correct when we take our eyes off Jesus we see the world and that’s pretty scary sometimes. We can become paralyzed by our fears that my friends is what the spirit of fear does it torments it paralyzes and it messes with our minds not just once in a while but over and over and over again until it has such a hold on us that we can’t stop being afraid. I found a story. About a tiger and you are see how this relates here in a minute one of the most majestic up to all creatures is the tiger for many years these big beautiful creatures have puzzled researchers It seems that when Tigers hunt they have a remarkable capacity for causing their prey used to paralyzed with fear a capacity greater than any of the other big cats as a tiger charges towards hapless prey it lets out a spine chilling roar now you’d think this would be enough to cause the prey to turn and run for its life but instead it also freezes and soon becomes Tiger food at the turn of the century scientists at the fauna Communication Research Institute in North Carolina discovered why you’re likely to freeze on the spot rather than run when the tiger charges when the tiger roars it lets out sound waves that are automobile the ones that sound terrifying and it also lets out sound at a frequency so low you can’t heal it hear it but you can feel it as though as a tiger emerges from the undergrowth the flashing of its colors the sound of its roar and the impact of the unheard but felt sound waves him behind to prove an all out assault on your senses the effect is that you are momentarily paralyzed so even though there may be some time to avoid the tiger you were tricked into standing still long enough for the tiger to leap when you are fears also not break in the same way they paralyze us into inactivity even when the real threat is not immediately upon us. Part of the overcoming the challenges before us is to recognize the ability of our fear of what might happen to stop us from dealing well with the challenge. That’s what the devil does to us we may not always hear our war but here there is something there that paralyzes us with fear and we’re not able to function as we ought and that’s what the spirit of fear does to us at not the little fears that that were afraid of you know getting the charge when the freight wire you know those are healthy things but this is the spirit of fear that torments. So the lesson today is the keep your eyes focused on Jesus keep your minds focused on Jesus let him take the things that we fear let him take control of the angry waves and our fears after a time are going to diminish as we learn to trust and trust and trust and you might have to read and read and read scripture you might have to read consolation verses after consolation verses you might have to out loud say I rebuke you in the name of Jesus spirit of fear begone because isn’t that what Jesus taught his disciples to do when he was base and he sent them out he had them cast out the spirits that were tormenting the people in the name of Jesus did he not that’s what fear is they were counting out casting out what they called demons they were really spirits spirits sent by the devil that’s what the spirit of fear is we have the spirit of fear we can have the spirit of sickness a spirit of death spirit of suicide spirit of pain there’s all kinds of spirit sent out there to torment us but we have the power over them by the Blood of Jesus Christ we live in a world where the devil was going to picket our witnesses until the role he ever picked off a scab and it just started bleeding in the wound just gets Rall all over again it’s what the devil is going to do to us if we let he’s going to pick and pick and pick because he knows where we’re most vulnerable we’re way except Jesus Christ it’s like we have a big bull’s eye pointed in our back it doesn’t mean everything’s going to go smooth it means he’s going to keep picking at you because he wants you back so if you think you’re being picked on by the devil you must be doing something right or else because if he knew he had he would have to pick at you so hard right at a rate we have the best intentions in this Christian walk but sometimes we think we need to depend on ourselves rather than Jesus Christ maybe we think we need to depend on our spouse or a friend to protect us and they’re not going to be any more protection than we are because they’re human just like we are. That’s fear it of fear is sent to torment your mind and it’s going to torment your mind. What we’re forgetting is that we have the sort of the spirit. We’re not always really capable of handling that spirit maybe we’re not used to wielding that power maybe we’re not used to the weight of that power but we have that power and we need to use that power but the blood of Jesus Christ you and I each have that power to overcome whatever fear or tormenting spirit is tormenting each of us it’s nothing to be ashamed of it doesn’t mean you’re not saved it doesn’t mean you’re possessed by the devil by any means it simply means you’re being tormented. But we have to learn that we’re courageous that we are the courageous Christians that we’re called to be and we need to learn to stand and fight the way we’re called to stand and fight fear he is a liar because he can’t do what he says he wants to do he can’t do what he says he’s going to do to you because you have the ultimate power in you and that’s the power of Jesus Christ so beloved We need to pray each of us we need to pray for ourselves and for one another that we can be the overcomers that God’s intended us to be we need to pray that we will be the ones to raise the name of Jesus Christ and hold it high that we hold that banner high for others to see so that they too can become fearless Christians Amen we’ve got to be able to step out of the boat but when we do that so member you gotta keep your eyes focused on Jesus Christ.