The Struggle With Fear

As the onset of winter approached some Native American Indians approached their tribal chief and asked him to forecast whether the winter would by mild or cold. The chief had really no idea and so, to be on the safe side, he told them that they must stockpile plenty of firewood. In the meantime, the chief called the National Weather Centre for advice: “It is certain to be a cold winter,” they told him. The chief, fearing the worst, instructed his people to collect more wood. Two weeks later he phoned the weather centre again for an update, and again he was told, “It will most certainly be a cold winter.” By now the chief was getting really worried and so he instructed his people to collect even more firewood. Another two weeks passed and the chief again telephoned the weather centre for an update.

“The weather is really mild,” said the chief. “What makes you so sure that we can expect a cold winter?” The weather expert replied, “Sir, we know because the locals are collecting firewood like crazy!” Message: Fear (being False Expectations Appearing Real) is the biggest killer of potential known to man. It tries to negatively influence our behaviour, it eats away at our time and enthusiasm; it causes doubt and distractions which, both demoralize and debilitate us. Being aware of and reminding ourselves of this fact helps us to see through the mask, which FEAR often hides behind….

FEAR avoids but FAITH FINDS God (Hebrew 11:4-6; Proverbs 3:5-6)

Hebrews 11:4–6 ESV

By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

In our text we see the story of two men of faith. In the first we see the well known story of Cain and Abel.

Why was Abel accepted and Cain not? The issue wasn’t the gift but the giver.

The issue was that Abel wasn’t afraid to seek after God, to trust God with the best of his wealth and in the end trust him with his future.

If we’re going to overcome fear, it will be through the faith to seek God and FIND him.

Jeremiah 29:13 ESV

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

We don’t know why Cain did what he did, whether it was negligence or fear that giving God his best crops would leave he and his family lacking, but the truth is this, Abel TRUSTED God.

Proverbs 3:5–6 ESV

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

One of the reasons we often fail is because we really don’t trust God. Oh we say we do, but our actions show our fear.

Science says that there are two reactions to fear, but I think there are three: Fight, Flight or Freeze.

Fight is when we become combative. Flight is when we run. Freeze is when we do nothing and hope the problem doesn’t notice us or goes away.

As a Christian, we see people fight God: “I don’t want to follow a God who tries to tell me what to do.”

We see people run from God into sexual sin, hobbies, or just life in general.

But sometimes we just ignore him and hope he goes away.

Cain, Enoch, Abraham, Noah, these men were men of faith because when God called they didn’t fight, flight or freeze, they followed.

Fear flees, but Faith FOLLOWS (Mark 11:22-25, 2 Cor. 5:7, Hebrews 11:8-10)

Hebrews 11:8–10 ESV

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.

What a simple three verses. But in them is so much truth. Abraham was a man who grew up a pagan. We know this because Moses tells us this, and history tells us this. The cities of Ur and Haran were centers of the worship of the moon goddess, Sin. Ur, particularly, was known for its significant cultic center dedicated to Sin, where the moon goddess was revered with great importance. Similarly, Haran also had a long tradition of worshiping Sin, indicating widespread reverence for this deity across ancient Mesopotamia.

And yet one day, and unknown God called upon Abram to leave his home, leave his family, leave his security and go to a land he did not know upon the word of this unknown God.

This is probably one of the most remarkable truths in the Old Testament. And Abraham is commended because of his faith to follow God.

Some people never experience the power of God in their lives because they never try big things. They are afraid to trust God and attempt anything for God. The fear of failure is often the death of faith.

And yet Christ calls us to “Have faith in God.”

What kind of faith?

Turn with me to:

Mark 11:22–25 ESV

And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

Christ is calling upon us to have faith. But not just any amount of faith. Enough faith to look at a mountain and say, “Jump in the ocean” and believe that it will, enough faith to:

2 Corinthians 5:7 ESV

for we walk by faith, not by sight.

The problem is our churches are filled with people who do not really trust God for big things. God is found in the striving not in the pew.

Fear Retreats, Faith SURRENDERS (Hebrews 11:17-19; Galatians 2:20)

Hebrews 11:17–19 ESV

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.

In one of the most amazing stories in scripture, God calls upon Abraham to take his promised son Isaac, walk him up a mountain, build an alter and sacrifice him to God. Abraham had lived for decades among the Canaanites, who frequently sacrificed their children to Baal for the blessing of the blood-thirsty god. Now Abraham was being asked by Yahweh to sacrifice Isaac.

In that momement, Abraham surrendered to God's will. What an amazing thing it was for Abraham to willingly leave his country, his people, his security and his future to go where God told him to go, but greater than that was his trust that God would raise his son from the dead. Abraham was willing to sacrifice everything.

But here’s the thing about faith: We surrender because God surrendered first.

Max Lucado writes: ‘I received a call from a friend named Kenny. He had just returned from Disneyworld.

“I saw a sight I’ll never forget,” he said.

He and his family were in Cinderella’s castle. Suddenly all the children rushed to one side. Cinderella had entered. She stood waist-deep in kids, each wanting to be touched. Kenny turned toward the other side of the castle. It was now vacant, except for a boy; his age was hard to determine because of the disfigurement of his body… he stood watching… longing to be in the middle of the kids reaching for Cinderella. But can’t you feel his fear; fear of yet another rejection? Fear of being mocked again? Don’t you wish Cinderella would go to him?

Guess what? She did! She walked across the floor, knelt at eye level with the stunned little boy and placed a kiss on his cheek.

“I thought you would appreciate the story,” Kenny told me.

‘I did. It reminded me of another one. The names are different, but isn’t the story the same? Rather than a princess of Disney, it’s the Prince of Peace. Rather than a boy in a castle, it’s a thief on the cross. In both cases a gift was given. In both cases love was shared. In both cases the lovely one performed a gesture beyond words. But Jesus did more than Cinderella. Cinderella gave only a kiss. When she stood to leave she took her beauty with her. The boy was still deformed. What if Cinderella had done what Jesus did? What if she assumed his state? What if she had somehow given her beauty and taken on his disfigurement? That’s what Jesus did – for you!…

And that’s what Jesus does for us. When we surrender to Him, he becomes the Lamb for us.

Church, what is God calling us to do? What is God calling us to believe?