Fear Not Week 3

Big Idea - Jesus is with you, in every situation and circumstance, until the very end.

Think - Embrace the reality of an ever-present savior and know that He is always there.

Feel - A sense of peace about the future, knowing that no matter how hard or difficult it may be, no one has to do it alone.

Do - Go confidently from this series with some applicable tools and a greater understanding of dealing with fear and its effects.

Main Scripture - Joshua 1:4-9,

Introduction

Welcome back for the final week of our Fear Not sermon series. We’ve covered a lot of ground in a short time and talked through some challenging ideas. Not the least of which is the idea that you can be victorious in the battle against fear.

The flip side of victory is one that many of us have also experienced. At times we call it defeat, other times it's labeled discouragement. Either way these are realities that we will experience in the long journey of sanctification and growth in faith. Does it mean that we’ve failed and that we’re beyond redemption? Certainly not.

It means we’re human.

And because of this, God sent His one and only son to redeem the world so that through Him we may have eternal life. He knew we couldn’t get there on our own.

There are times we will experience defeat and discouragement. There are other times and seasons where we’ll have great growth and depth in our faith. As the journey of sanctification ebbs and flows we know that Jesus stays the same. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is always with you on the journey, you’re not alone.

Main Teaching

Up to this point we’ve talked through some very practical ways you can deal with fear. Recognizing it, giving it back to God through prayer, and keeping your focus one day at a time, spiritual self-discipline, are powerful habits that can be developed. So why do you feel at times that you’re anything but?

That’s where Jesus comes in and reminds you that you’re not alone.

Joshua and the Promised Land

Last week we talked briefly about the twelve spies and the promised land from Numbers 13 & 14. In the middle of this story is a young man named Joshua. You’ll recognize his name as he’s the one chosen to succeed Moses in leadership and take God’s people into the promised land. Yes, the same land that 40 years earlier he and Caleb believed the Lord would provide.

Let’s jump into the story in Joshua chapter 1;

“After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, ‘Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them… I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised to Moses...No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you… (Joshua 1:1-5)

And then, a few verses later God says;

Joshua 1:9 NKJV

9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged. Even the great Joshua son of Nun, who led the Israelites safely into the promised land was reminded by God himself to Fear Not. And what does God say to encourage Joshua? He essentially says, you’re not alone, I’m with you always.

Joshua 24:31 NKJV

31 Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had known all the works of the Lord which He had done for Israel.

Lets look and see some of the secrets of living a life for God. A life that was a testimony of trusting God and not yielding to fear. You see Joshua knew he was NEVER ALONE!

I-WE NOTICE THAT JOSHUA WAS POSITIVE:

Numbers 14:6–8 NKJV

6 But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; 7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’

1-The people of Israel had been wandering in desert for 1 1/2 years since they were delivered from Egypt. They are standing at the border of the land of Canaan, the promised land. Twelve spies are sent to determine if the land is ready to be taken. They report that the land flows with milk and honey - it is rich with resources. However, the people that live there are powerful. Caleb and Joshua urge them to take the land for the Lord will give it to them. The other ten spies are afraid and cast fear upon all the people.

2-Johua had a positive outlook, he had a look of faith. He saw something bigger than the walled cities, bigger than the iron chariots, bigger that the giants, he saw that God was in it.

3-So many in our Churches have a negative outlook. Many act like that God is dead for they limit the power of God.

Instead of seeing and trusting in what God is doing we want to complain and give into fear because… things are changing and we simply don’t like them!

If we are going to live a life free of fear we will have to have a positive outlook, a trusting faith in our Lord with our eyes upon Jesus Christ.

II-WE NOTICE THAT JOSHUA WAS OBEDIENT:

Joshua 11:15 NKJV

15 As the Lord had commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did. He left nothing undone of all that the Lord had commanded Moses.

1-He obeyed the Word of God thus he set an example for his followers to do likewise. He left his mark by a good influence before them.

2- We have good to look at where God is leading, and that almost always is a change! Instead of seeing it with fear we need to conquer it with faith trusting in God’s provision where He leads.

3- You see when our opionions or preferences do NOT line up with doing what God is saying do we come to a disagreement… not with one another but with God and you know what GOD IS ALWAYS RIGHT AND WE ARE ALWAYS WRONG irregardless of if we agree with HIM OR NOT!

III-WE NOTICE THAT JOSHUA WAS FAITHFUL:

Joshua 24:15 NKJV

15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

1-You and I live in a world where being faithful is not very popular. It is not popular in sports, in politics, in marriage and even in the Church.

2-As we approach the TOMORROW AND THE DAYS AND YEARS AHEAD , we need some Christians with stickability, we need those who will get into the harness of God and stay with it.

3-When we think about being faithful and serving the Lord, we will get tired but we are to keep on keeping on for the Lord.

4-You will choose to serve someone/SOMETHING- EITHER GOD OR FEAR/SELF FOCUS

Yes indeed you're gonna have to serve somebody. Well it may be the devil or it may be the Lord but you're gonna have to serve somebody. You will either serve self and Satan or you will serve the Savior

IV-WE NOTICE THAT JOSHUA WAS HUMBLE:

Joshua 5:14 NKJV

14 So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?”

1-I know there are some issues in life that are various shades of gray but when it comes to allegiance, you are either loyal or disloyal. There was no place in Joshua's campaign for neutrality. And there is no place today in our campaign, for neutrality. Who's on the Lord's side, who will serve the King? And the Soldier answered, "You ask me whose side I'm on, I'm going to tell you whose side I'm on.

I'M THE BOSS OF THE WHOLE THING." "I am the Captain of the Host of the Lord." "Joshua, you are the captain of the earthly host and I'm the captain of the Heavenly Host and the earthly host and I'm going to deputize you to run this army down here, but remember, you are second in command."You know, it is a great day in the life of a person when he discovers he is 2nd in command. We are not first in command.

2-Wakefield tells the story of the famous inventor Samuel Morse who was once asked if he ever encountered situations where he didn't know what to do. Morse responded, "More than once, and whenever I could not see my way clearly, I knelt down and prayed to God for light and understanding." Morse received many honors from his invention of the telegraph but felt undeserving: "I have made a valuable application of electricity not because I was superior to other men but solely because God, who meant it for mankind, must reveal it to someone and He was pleased to reveal it to me."

V-WE NOTICE THAT JOSHUA WAS ENTHUSIASTIC:

Joshua 24:15 NKJV

15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

We shouldn’t be dead but should be happy, be enthusiastic EVEN IN THE FACE OF UNCERTAINTY AND FEAR WHY BECAUSE WE ARE NOT ALONE CHRIST IS WITH US!

. If Jesus doesn’t excite us something is wrong with our relationship with Jesus.

The word enthusiastic means God overflowing in us.- IF WE HAVE GOD OVERFLOWING IN US FOLKS WE DON’T HAVE ANY ROOM FOR FEAR BECAUSE WE ARE FULL OF JESUS!

VI-WE NOTICE THAT JOSHUA WAS COURAGEOUS:

Joshua 10:25 NKJV

25 Then Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage, for thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.”

NONE OF THESE THINGS ARE HUMANLY POSSIBLE- IT IS ONLY THROUGH US ALLOWING THE HOLY SPIRIT TO EQUIP, CHANGE AND PROVIDE FOR US THAT WE CAN DO THIS!

1-Adrian Rogers tells about the man who bragged that he had cut off the tail of a man-eating lion with his pocket knife. Asked why he hadn't cut off the lion's head, the man replied: "Someone had already done that." His courage was weak not strong.

2-It seems in our day, not many have the courage to stand for Jesus in the world OUT OF FEAR. They have no trouble in Church singing, Stand up For Jesus But it is a different story outside the four walls of the Church. ALSO OFTEN HAVE TROUBLE STANDING UP FOR FOLLOWING GOD’S LEAD IN CHURCHES, WE DON’T WANT TO ROCK THE BOAT, AFRAID WE MAY UPSET SOMEONE, ETC… JUST GO ALONG THINGS ARE FINE

EVEN WHEN FACING CHANGE, WHEN FACING FEAR, WHEN FACING UNCERTAINTY; WE CAN BE ENTHUSIASTIC, OBEDIENT, COURAGEOUS, HUMBLE AND FAITHFUL BECAUSE CHILD OF GOD WE ARE NEVER ALONE! BUT WE MUST BE SUBMISSIVE TO THE HOLY SPIRIT- THIS IS THE SOURCE OF POWER AND STRENGTH!

Jesus and the Disciples

Lets jump into the New Testament now to Matthew 28 and the Great Commission. At the very end, the very last verse of Matthew’s gospel after Jesus gives the disciples a final commission and exhortation out into all the world He says;

Matthew 28:20 NKJV

20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

How terrified the disciples must have been to think about sharing the good news of Jesus, without Jesus. How kind and how powerful it must have been to hear Jesus himself tell them that He would always be with them, until the very end.

Has that truth changed after all these years? Has the end of the age happened yet? No, it hasn’t changed and the end hasn’t come yet.

Jesus is alive and well and He’s with you, right where He said He’d be.

Jesus and You

One more point about Jesus; He was always incredibly honest with the disciples. Even when they didn’t like the truth or couldn’t understand it they could always count on the unvarnished truth. Let’s turn now to one of those moments of truth from Jesus found in the gospel of John, chapter 16;

John 16:32–33 NKJV

32 Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

After Jesus’ arrest and eventual death the disciples were scattered and many of them went back to their own homes. What an interesting point that he told them they’d leave Him all alone, but that His father, God, would still be with Him. The disciples did to Jesus exactly what He promised never to do to them, leave them.

And what a promise, as He also told them in verse 33 that there would definitely be trouble in this life. THERE WILL BE OPPORTUNITY TO FEAR!

The word trouble is also defined by Strong's dictionary as affliction, tribulation, oppression, distress and more generally describes a pressure and a pressing together. In other words, you could say, “In this world you will have pressure, affliction, oppression, and distress.” Which I imagine we can all identify with in some form or another.

However real the pressure is in your life right now, and for whatever trouble or distress has yet to come, we celebrate today because Jesus has overcome this world. In fact, when He says take heart, in verse 33 we are reminded of God’s encouragement to Joshua from earlier when He says, Don’t be discouraged! Don’t be afraid!

No matter how difficult it gets, no matter how impossible the odds may seem we have a promise from God that is bigger and stronger than any giants we may see on the horizon.

We stand with the one who has already overcome, the one who chooses to stand with us, until the very end of the age.

Conclusion/Application

When Jesus is added to the habits you’ve been building and forming throughout this series you can begin to see how someone like Paul was able to say with confidence in Philippians 4:13

Philippians 4:13 NKJV

13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

When you know that the savior of the universe is committed to standing with you through every trial, every season, every affliction… literally everything, you walk with a bit more confidence in your step. There’s a little spark in your eyes and boldness in the moves you make through life.

It’s not that fear, anxiety, worry, doubt, etc… don’t exist, it's that they have a proper place in the capable hands of Christ. So keep recognizing the unhealthy fear in your life and dealing with it appropriately. Don’t worry about tomorrow but keep your energy focused on today. And above all else, remember that Jesus is with you every step of the way.

I might not be able to give you the audible voice of God today, like Joshua got at the edge of the promised land and the disciples got from Jesus, but I can give you the same encouragement that the Lord has given all throughout the bible to His people.

Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, Fear Not. God, and Jesus are with you always, until the very end. They will never leave you nor forsake you.