From Fear to Courage

How many in the room tonight, would be willing to admit that you have at some point.... been afraid? I mean REALLY afraid?

I’m not talking about surface level fears (if there is such a thing)

These fears might be a fear of spiders or bugs. I have seen some o the biggest guys come all apart if a spider if found crawling up his arm or hand. I have watched some of the bravest souls run in panic at the sight of a garter snake or other reptile.

For me, I don’t know if I would call it a fear as much as something that gives me the willies… but I can’t stand.... mice!

We’ve had a mouse in the house before in other places we lived… and sometimes you would see them… sometimes we would find them dead in a trap… or one time we had one chewing on a candy wrapper under a night stand. That stupid thing kept me awake all night because I was afraid it would climb up that night stand and look me in the face!

I’m not even talking about jump scares… like when someone hides behind a corner and unexpectedly jumps at you.

The kind of fear I am talking about is heart gripping fear… life altering fear… fear that binds you… fear that you try to hide… fear that is controlling and overwhelming.

Maybe this fear is circumstantial meaning it is a result of a situation you find yourself in.

Maybe this fear is rooted in your mind… it is something you have convinced yourself of.

Maybe this fear is something that has grown over time… it is something you have chosen to hide instead of heal.

Whatever the case… it is real… and it is tearing you down.

Fear, like anxiety, is on the rise in our culture. Fear was the weapon our own government used against us in hopes that we would conform to its rules, social distance, shelter in place, wear the mask, and take the shot. In fact, they used fear to make our neighbor our enemy. For instance, if a friend or family member isn;t vaccinated, they are putting your life and the lives of others at risk. They are going to make you sick!

And church… although the pandemic level event is behind us… the damage has been done. Fear continues to be on the rise and continues to bind the hearts of many Americans.

Here’s the deal: God doesn’t want His people living in fear. God desires for us to live in His peace. God desires for us to move beyond any fear we might have… to a place of courage.

Fear is a natural part of life, but it wasn’t part of God’s plan or original design. Adam and Eve knew of no fear until they sinned… and the first person they were afraid of… was God.

Some fears are good… like the fear of burning my hand keeps me from grabbing a burning log from the fire. I don’t know if that’s fear or just common sense! Or the fear of losing control keeps me from excessive speed while driving on ice.

These “fears” understand that with reckless behavior comes damaging circumstances.

And even these fears… if not kept at a healthy level, can cause people mental and emotional harm.

We say this all the time… that God has GREAT things in store for us. Things beyond fear, anxiety, worry, etc. And in order to walk in those blessings, we have to surrender all fear, and move to faith. We’ve got to trust God MORE than we trust our fear.

And I can hear some of the thoughts tonight… “Pastor, we know… we get it. We aren’t suppose to live by fear, we are to live by faith. Why is this something you keep bringing up from the pulpit?”

Because I still see fear in God’s Church. I still see a controlled part of our lives… oppression coming from the enemy.

What is it that we are afraid of? What is it that has God’s church in maintenance mode instead of missional mode?

The church is afraid of the world! The church is afraid of what the world might think instead of what God thinks! The church is hiding behind cultural trends and relevancy while the Word gets watered down. Instead of engaging the darkness, we put a shade over the lamp hoping the light will go unnoticed. We don’t want to offend anyone… and we don’t want to stand out!

But pressure of our culture is not only impacting us on a corporate level. It is hitting believers on a personal level as well.

The uglier and darker our culture becomes, the more timid in our faith we might be tempted to become. This is why Paul gave Timothy this instruction in 2 Timothy 1:7

2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

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

Listen church, the Spirit God has given us… His HOLY SPIRIT that lives within the hearts of believers.... IS NOT THE SAME SPIRIT OF THIS WORLD. He is NOT a Spirit of darkness, a spirit of worry, a spirit of timidity, or a spirit of fear! He IS the Spirit of POWER, LOVE, and SOUNDNESS OF MIND!

And some might be doubting a bit here. Some might be thinking there is no way the church or God’s people are giving into the threats of our culture.

But it’s happening… as it has happened before. Recall there was a time when the armies of Israel were stuck hiding in their tents… for the fear of not many, but one man. This man’s name was Goliath. He was big, he was nasty… a giant in the eyes of the people. ALL HE HAD TO DO WAS SPEAK… and God’s people fled.

1 Samuel 17:10–11 NIV

10 Then the Philistine said, “This day I defy the armies of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.” 11 On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.

The people were held captive by their fear. It was loud, obnoxious, fearless, and unafraid. Goliath came against not only the people of God, but God Himself. And the people… fled.

Sound familiar? Our culture is not only attacking the church, but is coming against God Himself. And it has created fear in… concern… timidity… within the church. THE WRONG SPIRIT IS TRYING TO TAKE HOLD!

Now let’s move in another direction for a moment… cultural pressures aside… lets get personal for a moment.

Imagine what the people of Israel felt as they approached the threshold of the promised land for the first time.

The days of bondage and slavery in Egypt were now behind them. The promise of God now stood before them. And before they went in, they spied out the land.

We know the story, the 12 spies go in and then return to give a report. At first, they confirm the blessings that await the people… but then… they tell of the challenges ahead. And in light of those challenging details what do the people do? They cry out in fear!

Numbers 14:1–4 NIV

1 That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. 2 All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! 3 Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4 And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”

The people thought the Lord had brought them to this place… to die! How quickly they had forgotten that God brought them to this place to DELIVER! Fear gripped their hearts in the moment and stopped them dead in their tracks.

So how do we stop fear before fear stops us? How do we move from a place of fear, to a place of courage?

It all happens… with a bridge of faith! Faith is what gets us over the chasm of fear that keeps us from moving where God is leading us to move.

So I ask as we consider a couple of points tonight: what fear are you facing that might be keeping you from experiencing God’s promises? What fear might have you fleeing to your tent, instead of fighting on the front?

As you consider that tonight, let’s also consider…

What Fear Can Do

When fear comes our way, a person will typically choose one of two physicals responses to whatever is causing that fear.

One, we choose to fight.

That person might choose to stand their ground in the face of fear.

Two, we might choose flight. We might choose to run.

If what we fear is in that direction, we might choose to go in the complete opposite direction. We run away from what we are afraid of.

And I recently heard of a third option I want to throw out there tonight as well. This option is to… freeze.

When this happens, the stress level induced by the fear is off the charts. This might be compared to the deer in the headlights moment. A person does not know which way to go… so they freeze… they go nowhere… they are bound in that fear.

These are but a few of our natural responses, but what about the natural consequences of fear?

First, there can be physical consequences of fear.

Did you know that fear will have an impact on your health? According to medical experts, the physical effects of fear include a suppressed immune system, a disturbance in the sleep/wake cycle, eating disorders, headaches and migraines, muscle aches and fibromyalgia, body aches and chronic pain, difficulty breathing and asthma, and learning difficulties.

What about emotional consequences of fear?

Fear is an oppressive feeling. Fear induces mood swings, obsessive-compulsive thoughts, chronic anxiety, the prevalent thought that you’re a victim, and an inability to develop feelings of love and compassion.

Lastly, there are spiritual consequences of fear we must consider.

Chronic fear affects us spiritually just as much as it affects us physically and emotionally. It’s effects can include bitterness and resentment toward God and others, loss of trust in the Lord, loos of sight of God’s goodness, mercy, and grace. And confusion to what God is doing in our lives.

And I don’t know if I have to tell you these things… we have experienced many of these things due to the fears we hold on to. So if there are so many negative effects… why not let go? Why do we remain fearful?

Unfortunately… fear is easier than faith. When your body, mind, and emotions are telling you to be afraid… sometimes it can be difficult to remember, by faith, that God is with you! Consider these thoughts for a moment:

Fear distorts the size of our problems. Fear as a way of exaggerating the threat that might be ahead.

Fear dismisses the power of God in our lives. As fear grabs hold, our feelings try to override our faith. We trust what we feel instead of what we know about God.

Fear is contagious. In the two Bible stories we shared, the Israelites were afraid corporately. Again, consider the impact the Covid 19 reports had on our communities just two years back!

Fear attacks and destroys our hope and future. Fear wants to paralyze you where you are and if successful, it can keep you from experiencing God’s best in your life.

So what can we do in light of this? We can choose to...

Make the Move from FEAR to COURAGE

Pastor, why not make the move from fear to faith?

Faith is a HUGE part of this move! In fact, it is the bridge we must cross in order to become courageous!

Let’s go back to the two stories once again.

Goliath had the Israelites trembling in their tents. These warrior men had been reduced to a fearing people through his size, his voice, and his threats.

Then an unlikely warrior comes on the scene. He hears Goliath’s rants and is NOT afraid… He’s courageous. Why? Because his FAITH was in His God - the God of deliverance. His faith in God kept him from falling into the trap of fear. His faith allowed him to remain courageous! Look at David’s response to the situation!

1 Samuel 17:34–37 NIV

34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”

And David’s remark concerning Goliath being uncircumcised… was more than talking smack… David was acknowledging that God’s blessing was not with the giant!

And what about the people of God as they stood on the edge of the promised land? Two people, Caleb and Joseph, stood in opposition to the fear expressed by the rest of the people.

Numbers 13:30 NIV

30 Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”

But the people… didn’t listen. So they missed out. They didn’t get to see the promised land! And remember, God honored Caleb and Joshua for their faith and courage. Look at God’s words in Numbers 14:24

Numbers 14:24 NIV

24 But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.

Caleb didn’t display a spirit of fear… even when his own people wanted to stone him for his courage! (Numbers 14:10)

Faith moved these guys from fear to courage! Their faith did not allow for fear to take hold of their hearts!

So… what if we find ourselves already bound by fear? Can we do anything about it? Can we be set free from this feeling? Can faith break through and move us back to a place of courage? OF COURSE IT CAN! There is nothing our God cannot do and He desires for you to be moved from that place of fear… through faith… to courage! So let’s consider, in closing, how that’s done.

One… Face your fears… honestly.

If you’re like me, we don’t like to admit what we are afraid of. We don’t like to let people in on our weakness. Why? Because we fear that people might not understand our weakness.

Our fears are learned… our fears are products of things or situations we have walked through… or watched others walk through. Our fears will continue to hold us back or bring us down… until we face them.

We need to face our fears… by faith. We need to remember that God is FOR us and He has given a Spirit not of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.

Secondly… strengthen your relationship with God.

David’s faith was based on his walk with God… not just talk about God. David knew he would be victorious over the giant, because of the victories God had given him over the lion and bear.

The closer we get with God, the more aware we become of His power, His authority, His strength, and His might. The more we get to know the Lord, the more we will take Him seriously.

God is our hope, our strength, our peace, our refuge, our provider, our healer, our heavenly Father and so forth. The more we get to know the Lord, the more we begin to understand that He truly is able to do immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine!

Lastly, hold on to God’s promises. STAND ON HIS WORD.

Fear has a way of shaking us. Fear has a way of making things seem unstable and out of control. But the Word of God cannot be shaken. The Word of God gives way to no fear. So long as our foundation is built on the Word, no storm can bring us down.

But the key here is knowing the Word… and living the Word. We cannot just claim it, we must apply it.

And as God’s Word takes more precedence over the word of the world, our faith will lead us to courageous living for Jesus. No fear will be able to stop what God is going to do through His people!

So are you ready to make the move? Are you ready to leave fear behind, cross the bridge of faith, and become courageous in the presence of God?

Then lay that fear down, be resolved to follow Jesus, and stand on God’s unshakeable Word!