No Fear!

Reading:

I Peter 3:13-17

“Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.”

Introduction:

In the last part; “What to expect” the final passages say:

Matthew 10:24-25 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.”

It speaks to the point that the disciple is like the teacher and the teacher has enemies that will aim their hatred towards the disciples. It is an effort to hurt the teacher by hurting those He loves.

Jesus warned us about the hatred satan has towards Him and those who follow Him; and that he will not stop until everyone follows him as god, instead of believing in the creator and real authority: God the Father.

What does a loving God, who knows the persecution and struggles that each of us will endure, do to prepare and provide for having faith in Him?

He provides what is necessary: to strengthen and reinforce our minds for our new life of following Christ.

You know the phrase that we are told: “you can do anything you set your mind to”?

This phrase I don’t believe was meant for our education. I believe that it is a truth for what we can endure and withstand when our mind is connected to a fixed location and truth: Christ.

I am not sure that we really understand the strength that the mind holds.

The mind can help someone do things that are beyond human expectations or what is considered normal.

Transition:

The Lord created the mind and what strength it has.

It is only fitting that the Lord secures the mind for each believer. We need our mind to be connected like a string to a fixed point, and that point must be Christ.

Trust in the Lord and believe that there is no need to fear the enemy. We must be:

Courageous

Matthew 10:26-27 ““So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.”

Transition:

Christ declares some facts about how you will be able to persevere.

Don’t fear Men.

Mankind can make living life difficult to downright hard.

Have you ever worked for someone that didn’t like you but couldn’t get rid of you?

Or maybe a boss that was always against you and consistently made sure that you remained the lowest person on the work ladder?

Bosses, and those who hold authority over you and can make your life difficult.

How about those who are in charge of your legal well being?

What would happen if there was a race of people who the government decided to eradicate from the face of the Earth?

They are the ones who hold power over people.

This is why we are instructed to appeal to the Lord on their behalf.

1 Timothy 2:1-2 “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”

Pray that we can live a life of faith loudly without persecution!

*Believe the verse when it says that we don’t have to fear what man can do to us; since we know after death they have no authority!

Point:

Trust God and there is no need to worry what man will think towards you or be concerned about suffering like Christ did.

Be bold in your faith, live it out loud not in secret because of fear.

Transition:

It would be simple to just believe and know that we don’t have to fear those who want to persecute; but it is difficult to be prepared since what they plan is usually in secret.

Warren Wiersbe says: The Enemies of Christ use secret and deceptive means to oppose the gospel. But true believers are open and courageous in their lives and witness. We have nothing to hide.

John 18:20 “Jesus answered him, “I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret.”

Jesus’s ministry was never quiet or secret.

It was always public and authentic.

He provides us with an example to live fearlessly.

Man’s plans and scheme’s against other men, are in the secret.

They believe they are getting away with their lies, schemes, and manipulations; but :26 ensures us that everything will be:

Made Public

There are moments in history when liars succeeded in getting an innocent man who opposed them to be quieted or murdered.

The whole mobster era can be a good example for this.

What happened if you were a police officer who stood for truth?

You were removed from the equation and held down with cement boots.

What would they do if one of their own wanted to begin doing what was right instead of doing what was wrong? Their best friend would take care of rat problem.

In those situations an person doing evil would often plan evil deeds in secret and in the darkness.

This is nothing new to our world.

Do you think that Cain knew Abel would kill him? It was something that Cain devised in the dark parts of his heart, secretly

The world doesn’t like righteousness (Moral purity).

Illustration:

As a pastor my probability of being chosen for jury duty is low.

A pastor friend in Florida had been selected for jury duty a few times in the span of a year.

In the selection process it was first a phone call, then in the courtroom for selection, that moment the attorneys get to see and question those being considered.

One lawyer asked him what he did as a job? He said Pastor: The attorney said I don’t want him, he was done.

He said up until that point, out of all those there it seemed that anyone with a moral compass would be eliminated as a possible juror.

Point:

When we adhere to Jesus’ teachings and a life by faith in Him there will be people who hate you since you are a reminder of Him to them.

They may do and plan things against you; but you won’t find out what those things are until they are being carried out.

Their secrets against the innocent will be exposed for all to know and see who they really are.

They will be embarrassed and ashamed. That’s a fact!

Transition:

Believers are given the task to proclaim the message from the rooftops for all to hear and know. To tell it fearlessly.

We know the truth and the world ignores it.

Jesus will not be ignored He wants us to recognize His:

Authority revealed

Matthew 10:28-30 “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.”

Verse :28 reveals a difficult struggle.

Matthew 10:28 “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

The natural human reaction is that we have a will to stay alive. A.K.A. Survival.

When someone wants to do bodily harm to you; what is your reaction?

Defend yourself and maybe others who cannot defend themselves.

? What is the reason we are going to put up a fight?

Fear. Fear of the bodily harm that they intend.

Connection:

Here is the difficulty: Our minds are being re-directed towards Him we should fear.

Fear the one who has control over your soul for all eternity.

Man can harm the body but has no authority over your soul.

Here are those who believed the lie that they do have authority over the soul and the body.

Illustration:

Back around A.D. 313 the Roman world reached a turning point in it’s story.

After approximately 300 years of gruesome persecution and deaths of Christians.

The world was loosing steam for killing Christian’s and it was becoming less popular.

The bible was being compiled together and more people were accepting faith in Christ.

What fueled the shift?

The revealing of authentic faith. People wanted a relationship with almighty God like they had seen through the death of martyrs.

Now enters the question: Men want to control peoples lives, always have and always will. They are greedy so why would we think man wants to stop at the physical portion?

Man wants to believe they can control peoples spiritual lives too.

The Emperor Constantine realized that Rome was ripe for a single “legal” religious entity.

One that everyone could freely believe and be part of that wasn’t the Jewish temple.

I believe this is when the Catholic Church began.

It created the worlds first faith system where a man could be the God King.

A religious leader who now deemed himself thee authority over man’s physical life as King; but also the spiritual as pope.

The truth: Only God has control, man has none.

We don’t even control the physical. — We have the ability to harm one another; but don’t have control.

Transition:

Jesus is holds all authority and He states it here.

Remember that He has proclaimed Himself to be God.

He is the one who has power over physical life and spiritual.

Because He is God, He has these attributes:

All knowing.

All powerful.

Everywhere at once.

He is the conductor of the universe and everything in it.

Trust Gods point of view, you are:

Valued

Matthew 10:31-33 “Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.”

All of God’s creation is special. Each part of creation obeys God, except humans; yet we are valued above all.

We can see Gods fingerprints all over His creation.

We bear His image.

We were hand crafted by Him personally.

Our standard to live up to is higher than a blade of grass.

If a blade of grass glorifies God through obedience.

How much more does our obedience glorify Him and proclaim Him as King?

We should be shouting it from the rooftops!

Transition:

Our mind provides strength; but the follow through is belief that comes out by:

Our Actions.

Matthew 10:32 “So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven,”

What we belief comes out of us, naturally.

It doesn’t have to be rehearsed or forced. It is the automatic reaction.

When something happens that is crazy:

Why do you think it happened?

Fate?

Accident?

Karma?

Because someone deserved it, good or bad?

When our minds are solely on the Lord and our hearts believe:

The automatic reaction is to either:

Praise God.

Pray for wisdom.

Look for how God is working through it.

Point:

The revealing of what we believe is in how we react.

In the moment we don’t acknowledge God we are doing just that: Not Acknowledging Him.

When we don’t believe that God is in every situation can we say that we believe in Him?

Jesus makes the statement about acknowledging us before the Father.

The point is that we should not be ashamed of our Lord.

We can be proud and bold about Him in every situation.

We are told to beware of denying the Lord in our mind and as a result; to others.

Transition:

Acknowledging Him is seeing Him in everything that happens throughout the day; but verse :33 goes a little further.

Denying God.

Matthew 10:33 “but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.”

To acknowledge Him is to give Him credit; but to deny Him to others:

What might this look like?

Illustration:

A church is praying for a person who had an accident and is looking like they probably won’t make it.

The prayer chain is praying, A day or two later they are walking out of the hospital and going home.

Wow, those doctors really knew their stuff!

They saved that person’s life, what a great job they did.

Denying that appealing to the Lord on their behalf and God performing a miracle is exactly that.

Sometimes God uses the perfect doctor for the situation.

Maybe He gives the wisdom to save them in a pinch.

God is the one who is in charge over our minds.

Example: Nebuchadnezzar eating grass for 7 years.

First recorded vegetarian, I’d loose my mind too.

God is in control and can do anything through anyone; He doesn’t always have to perform a loud miracle for us to believe.

He can work through others to answer prayers.

He wants faith in Him because we trust and submit to Him.

Transition:

Jesus many times is recorded saying:

“your faith has saved you” “your faith has made you whole” etc...

By our faith we are proclaiming, not denying, Him for the audience to hear about.

Illustration:

Helen Keller was born in 1880 and 19 months after birth lost her sight and hearing due to a sickness. She was blind and deaf because of a sickness (that would be supernatural if you ask me, and God must have had a great plan with Her to have that happen).

Just as simple as He allowed her to loose her sight and hearing, He could’ve had it come back; but He didn’t.

? How did she communicate?

God sent Anne Sullivan to her. The perfect person to instruct her how to communicate.

Point:

We can proclaim His workings through situations and opportunities just as much as we could an “miracle from heaven”.

Our prayers are heard and can trust He is working when we don’t realize it.

Proclaim Him, and He will acknowledge and not deny your faith in Him. It’s real.

Transition:

Heaven is our eternal destination as believers. Our father is preparing a place for us in His home.

He will return to fetch us to be with Him for all eternity.

Conclusion

Eternity is all of the time after we die.

The average lifespan for humans in america is: 77 years.

If we had a paper with a timeline for eternity, 77 years isn’t even visible on it.

Keep your eye on the prize and be courageous with your faith!

Acknowledge Jesus’ working in each situation because your looking for what He’s doing.

Proclaim Him boldly, and don’t deny Him to the world.

Jesus is real and has the authority over the physical and spiritual.

Don’t fear the harm men can do to the body; fear God’s rule over eternity and where your soul is going to spend it.

Strengthen you mind to know Jesus has control and is working for your good, so you don’t have to fear men.

- Fear God and Him alone.

- Pray.