Ministry Killers and Accelerators pt. 2

Insecurity and the Fear of the Lord

One of the biggest destroyers of ministries is insecurity.

Insecurity- 1-uncertainty or anxiety about oneself; lack of confidence

2- the state of being open to danger or threat; lack of protection

The enemy will try to make you insecure by attacking you in 3 specific areas:

Your value

Your purpose

Your belonging

Value

Am I enough? Do I have what it takes? Am I worth it?

What makes you feel valued and loved?

Productivity, Pleasing others, Money, Power, Influence, Respect?

If you do not know your value from God, you will try to find your value from others.

1 Samuel 9:1-2 “There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power. And he had a choice and handsome son whose name was Saul. There was not a more handsome person than he among the children of Israel. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.”

1 Samuel 9:21 “And Saul answered and said, “Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak like this to me?””

1 Samuel 10:21-221 Samuel 10:21-22 “When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was chosen. And Saul the son of Kish was chosen. But when they sought him, he could not be found. Therefore they inquired of the Lord further, “Has the man come here yet?” And the Lord answered, “There he is, hidden among the equipment.””

If you don’t know your value you will not become the person God created you to be! If you do not know your value you will hide when He calls you!

Purpose

1 Samuel 15:17-19 “So Samuel said, “When you were little in your own eyes, were you not head of the tribes of Israel? And did not the Lord anoint you king over Israel? Now the Lord sent you on a mission, and said, ‘Go, and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’ Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? Why did you swoop down on the spoil, and do evil in the sight of the Lord?””

1 Samuel 15:24 “Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.”

We want so desperately to matter. We want people to be impressed by us to appreciate us and to trust us with responsibility. Yet if we don’t understand that our purpose comes from God, we will try to find purpose in the things of this world and they will never satisfy us.

Because we aren’t fulfilled and satisfied, we will begin to look at others and compare. We will be threatened and become jealous like Saul did with David.

2 Chronicles 21:4–20 NKJV

Now when Jehoram was established over the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself and killed all his brothers with the sword, and also others of the princes of Israel. Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for he had the daughter of Ahab as a wife; and he did evil in the sight of the Lord. Yet the Lord would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that He had made with David, and since He had promised to give a lamp to him and to his sons forever. In his days Edom revolted against Judah’s authority, and made a king over themselves. So Jehoram went out with his officers, and all his chariots with him. And he rose by night and attacked the Edomites who had surrounded him and the captains of the chariots. Thus Edom has been in revolt against Judah’s authority to this day. At that time Libnah revolted against his rule, because he had forsaken the Lord God of his fathers. Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit harlotry, and led Judah astray. And a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, Thus says the Lord God of your father David: Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, or in the ways of Asa king of Judah, but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot like the harlotry of the house of Ahab, and also have killed your brothers, those of your father’s household, who were better than yourself, behold, the Lord will strike your people with a serious affliction—your children, your wives, and all your possessions; and you will become very sick with a disease of your intestines, until your intestines come out by reason of the sickness, day by day. Moreover the Lord stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and the Arabians who were near the Ethiopians. And they came up into Judah and invaded it, and carried away all the possessions that were found in the king’s house, and also his sons and his wives, so that there was not a son left to him except Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons. After all this the Lord struck him in his intestines with an incurable disease. Then it happened in the course of time, after the end of two years, that his intestines came out because of his sickness; so he died in severe pain. And his people made no burning for him, like the burning for his fathers. He was thirty-two years old when he became king. He reigned in Jerusalem eight years and, to no one’s sorrow, departed. However they buried him in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

Insecurity is a killer and a murdering spirit:

Jehoram’s insecurity killed his brothers, his family and ultimately himself.

Security in self is spiritual suicide!

Insecurity leads to paranoia. It kills relationships, breaks down walls of trust and ultimately sees everyone as better than yourself and therefore a threat to be removed.

Leaders- Yes people

We will judge people and talk about them behind their backs. We will try to push them down in hopes that it elevates us.

Insecurity will kill the purpose of God in your life if you don’t let the Lord deliver you of it!

“I can’t because I’m not!” I’m not enough…I’m not equipped…I’m not as good…I’m stupid, ugly, clumsy… I can’t because I’m not!

Moses with his excuses-

I’m a nobody (value) Exodus 3:11 “But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?””

I don’t know what to say (value) Exodus 3:13 “Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?””

They won’t believe me. Exodus 4:1 “Then Moses answered and said, “But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’ ””

I’m not a good speaker. Exodus 4:10-12 “Then Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” So the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord? Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.””

I don’t wan’t to. Exodus 4:13 “But he said, “O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send.””

The things we don’t want to do are often the things we don’t think we can do.

Moses was saying I can’t because I’m not, but God was saying you can because I AM!!!

Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Let’s go back to Jeroham for a moment. His disease was in his bowels. Your bowels represent your inner life. Your bowels are the place where your thoughts and emotions are connected. “Kicked in the gut” “Gut wrenching” “Butterflies in my stomach”

Because of his insecurity, Jehoram was given a lingering disease with great pain in his bowels that eventually killed him. Disgusting way to go.

Perhaps God sees our insecurity like this! It’s disgusting!

Insecurity leads to anxiety, fear, sadness and anger.

If you struggle with things or issues in your bowels, it is most likely insecurity at work!

Our bodies have 100 million nerves that connect the mind to the bowels. 2 Mind/Brain

Belonging

You will never belong if you believe the lie that you don’t belong.

Insecurity will push people away. You will reject others before they can reject you. You will hit the escape and eject button when things get tough.

The solution to these attacks.

Your value does not come from what you do, what you think or what others think about you. Your value comes from the one who created you. Picasso masterpiece.

Your God given purpose is not dependent upon your qualifications, skills, preparation or position. It is dependent upon the power of the Holy Spirit within you!

You weren’t made to belong in this world! You belong in the family of God! Stop trying to fit in everywhere else. Some people will love you and others will hate you! Stop looking for belonging because you already belong! Just be you! If people don’t accept you…God does! He will lead you to others in the Kingdom who will accept you!

Joseph- Genesis 43:30 “Now his heart yearned for his brother; so Joseph made haste and sought somewhere to weep. And he went into his chamber and wept there.”

Moved with compassion- moved in his innermost parts. KJV says bowels!

Compassion not comparison

Think the best of people and not the worst!

By seeing the best in others, you will find the best in you!

Proverbs 14:26 “In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, And His children will have a place of refuge.”

Your security will only be found in Jesus. The fear of the Lord is recognizing that you are not enough, but He is enough and you need Him to come through for you!