Fear

Matthew 16:24 KJV 1900

24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

fear can involve a multitude of things, both physical and spiritual - both are dealt with in the Bible in many places

PHYSICAL

Deuteronomy 31:6 KJV 1900

6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

Joshua 1:5 KJV 1900

5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

Same God that was with a myriad of biblical characters is with us

Joshua 1:6 KJV 1900

6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.

God’s promise to Joshua

The task that they were to undertake

the war

the wandering

just joshua himself

JOSEPH

MOSES - leaving his high place, warring with God against the God’s of Egypt, leading the people through the wilderness

DAVID AND GOLIATH

GIDEON

faith in God was crucial in each and every one of these situations

again, this is the same God that is with us

what a privilege

an example of caving to the fear...

Matthew 26:69–75 KJV 1900

69 Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee. 70 But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. 71 And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. 72 And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. 73 And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee. 74 Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. 75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.

has both a physical and worldly aspect to it

Another example involving Peter

Matthew 14:22–33 KJV 1900

22 And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. 23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. 24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. 27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. 28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. 29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. 31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? 32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. 33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

Chaos with the weather - the storm is kind of a picture of chaos, of evil, of things to be afraid of

think of what a storm does, etc...

Peter was very human, he made mistakes like we all do, many of us could probably see ourselves being a peter in this story

When Peter clung to Christ, he wasn’t in fear

it was only when his mind wandered, that he fell into the water

Matthew 8:23–27 KJV 1900

23 And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. 24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. 25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. 26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. 27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!

v25 - this is the kind of thing someone panicking might do and say, it sounds exactly like that

v26 - but again, when Jesus stepped in, there wasnt only a calm, but there was a GREAT calm

this happens in our personal lives

it also happens in the world

Jesus wondered, how have you seen all I have done and still fear? How is it possible that you still lack faith?

do you think it’s possible that this could be said about us today?

we know the power of God, we’ve seen the power of God, yet we still fear

“He calls them apart to correct them. Before the tempest of the waters he stills the tempest in their souls. He admonishes them, “Why are fearful, O ye of little faith?” He instructs them concerning how human fear emerges out of weakness of mind, not out of the actual approach of threatening trials.” - John Chrysostom

PAUL

went out into the world, the world full of spiritual evil

he also would have had to leave all his old life and people he knew behind for something that was to those people, very controversial

Even with regards to the roman empire, Christianity was persecuted

Think of all the things that Paul went through:

2 Corinthians 11:24–31 KJV 1900

24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. 25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. 28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? 30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities. 31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.

the arrests and trials that paul went through. what a list!

Most people would have struggled staying sane from going through all of these things that paul went through

even just one stoning, or one shipwreck, might be enough to really cause anguish to someone

but we know what the difference maker was for paul, paul had faith in God, he had reliance on God, he had God with him

Psalm 23:4 KJV 1900

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

“valley of the shadow of death” - this is the world we face

it’s truly a place of death - spiritually and physically

because we know that the way of man leads to death

really, there is much to fear

but we know that the way of God leads to life - even in such a world of despair and spiritual death

so even though we, like paul and like david, walk through the valley of the shadow of death WE CAN FEAR NO EVIL

why? because GOD IS WITH US

God’s rod and His staff comforts us - the rod that kept the sheep organized

His guidance gives us something to live by and something to live for

it gives us light in a world so corrupted and darkened

He is our good shepherd, that even gave up His life for the sheep

what a privilege that we do not deserve

God could have said, “Hey you guys can have the world you’ve created.” - but His mercy did not let that happen

We do not have to fear as believers, we do not have to fear the physical, we do not have to fear the evil of this world

since this is the case, we CERTAINLY don’t have to worry about what this person or what that person thinks of us

who do we want to think good of us more, some random person out there or God?

if we think the answer to this is obvious, it is, but we also have to apply it - and we know that we can

Jesus tells us that He has overcome the world, and through Him, we can overcome

we can overcome fear, we can overcome evil

Faith in God and clinging to Him is what got the heroes of the Bible through - and it can certainly get us through as well

if it worked for them, why would it not work for us, God is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore

So if He’s the same God that got joseph, abraham, gideon, moses, peter, paul, samson, joshua, and many others through, then he can get us through as well without a doubt

We can go out here and be brave, we can be strong and courageous and overcome the challenges of this world