A World of Fear

INTRODUCTION:

In the US, in any given year, about 1/5 of the population experiences an anxiety disorder. 1/3 experience an anxiety disorder within their lifetime. (NIMH)

The vast majority of psychopathologies are rooted in a single human emotion. They’re called “fear-based” mental health conditions.

Not long ago, ALL mental health disorders were broken down into two buckets.

Psychotic disorders meant you were out of touch with reality and afraid.

Neurotic disorders meant that you were in touch with reality and afraid.

In either case, the common denominator was fear.

The VAST majority of mental health issues are rooted in fear.

Check out this list of common mental health struggles and their relationship to fear.

7.1% SAD: Social Anxiety Disorder: Fear of social situations involving scrutiny or judgment.

3.1% GAD: Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Chronic, excessive worry about various aspects of daily life.

3.6% PTSD: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: Persistent fear and anxiety following exposure to a traumatic event.

2.7% PD: Panic Disorder: Recurrent unexpected panic attacks and fear of future attacks.

1.2%: OCD: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Intrusive thoughts resulting in repetitive behaviors to alleviate fear.

And that doesn’t even begin to address the close to 10% of the population that struggles from specific fears like…

Acrophobia: Fear of Heights. (1/3)

Agoraphobia: Fear of situations where escape might be difficult leading to avoidance.

Aviophobia: Fear of Flying (1/15)

Arachnophobia: Fear of Spiders (1/20)

And that’s just a handful of the A’s! We could keep going down the alphabet but we’d be here all day long.

Claustrophobia: Fear of Tight Spaces (1/25)

Mysophobia: Fear of Germs (1/40)

Ophidiophobia: Fear of Snakes. (1/10)

There’s even some really weird phobias out there like

Cynophobia: Fear of Dogs (1/150)

Ablutophobia: Fear of Bathing (your kid might have that one)

Omphalophobia: Fear of Belly Buttons

Papaphobia: Fear of the Pope

Coulrophobia: Fear of Clowns

And you get the idea. We could be here all day.

Fear is at the root of the VAST majority of mental health struggles in our world.

A World of Fear

The struggle against fear is nothing new. Previously it was localized to particular places or historical events.

(War, Poverty, Disease, Economics)

Today, however, mental health has become a global crisis because of globalizing stressors like pandemics, social media and cable news.

When you combine the increase of those stressors with the decrease of spiritual community and religious convictions it’s no wonder people are so miserable.

Fear has paralyzed Western Culture. We’ve gotten spiritually sick and as a result our young people are more anxious and depressed than they’ve ever been before!

We’ve got to start addressing this spiritual crisis and equip people to address the fear that’s controlling their lives.

That’s the heart behind this spiritual growth campaign.

More Afraid Than You Think

You might say, “that’s true of other people but that’s not true of me.” I’m not afraid of anything!

To only thing to fear is fear itself!

And that’s a nice thought but it’s probably not true.

You can’t live and move and breathe in this culture without being impacted and influenced to some degree.

In other words, you’re more afraid than you think.

And it’s not just because you live where you live.

Fear is the greatest weapon that Satan has. He’s constantly deploying fear to kill, steal and destroy.

If you haven’t noticed, there’s plenty he has to work with.

We are right off the heels of a presidential election.

We’re still dealing with the fallout of 2020 and the COVID-19 Pandemic

The wars in Israel/Ukraine along with other political tensions has everybody on edge.

Rumors of an overdue economic recession keep surfacing and

The spiritual/moral collapse of our culture is obvious and increasing.

Your Fear & God’s Truth

It’s the greatest weapon of your enemy. It’s the largest struggle in your culture and it’s the greatest battle in your own heart and mind.

That’s why we are starting 2025 with this spiritual growth campaign.

The number one command in the Bible is “Do not fear.” Depending on your translation it shows up some 365 times in the Bible. (Coincidence?)

But the Bible rarely offers a command without giving some reason or context along with it.

As some people like to say, “The imperatives (commands) of Scripture follow the indicatives (statements of fact).

That’s certainly true for the imperative “Fear Not.” There are a whole host of reasons why we don’t have to be afraid.

God is present. (Isa 41:10; Psalm 23:4)

God is powerful. (Deut 20:4; Mat 10:28)

God is personal. (1 Pet 5:7)

God will protect. (Psalm 27:1)

God will provide. (Mat 6:31-33)

God will prevail. (Jer 1:19; Isa 41:10)

The common denominator in Scripture for why we don’t have to be afraid is because of who God is and what he has promised to do.

We overcome our fears through an increased knowledge of God.

When we get a better vision of who God is, how he works in this world and what he’s promised to do - we’re better equipped to conquer our fears.

We can cripple our fears instead of fear crippling our faith.

Thus the title of the series, “Facing Fear in the Face of God.”

There’s no better place to do both of those things than the Old Testament book of Psalms.

So this morning and for the next seven weeks that’s what we’re going to do.

This morning our truth about God comes from Psalm 56.

Set the Table

Notice the inscription at the top of the Psalm.

The boldface English title is from Bible translators but that other inscription is in the original text.

Psalm 56 (CSB)

For the choir director: according to “A Silent Dove Far Away.” A Miktam of David. When the Philistines seized him in Gath.

From the inscription we can see that this Psalm is a Miktam of David when the Philistines seized him in Gath.

Miktam

Miktam probably comes from the Hebrew root KTM

(Nobody knows what it means but it’s also inscribed above Psalm 16, 57, 58, 59, 60)

Depending on what you do with the vowels (not in original text) it carries the idea of engraving or golden/precious.

In other words, these Psalms might’ve been like David’s top 10 playlist. (engraved on his/your heart and held close like a precious gift)

Some say it’s the literary features that make it a Miktam. I’m not sure.

Silent Dove

Miktam is unknown as is the “according to ‘A Silent Dove Far Away.”

Unlike Miktam this phrase only shows us in Psalm 56.

Most think it’s some kind of musical tune or melody.

It’d be similar to well known melody today like “Amazing Grace” or “Jesus Loves Me.” A melody that can house multiple different songs.

The dove was a symbol of innocence or vulnerability. That it’s silent may indicate some kind of hardship or suffering.

Taken together the phrase evokes some kind of lament or cry to God from a place of vulnerability or distance.

Context of 1 Samuel 21:10-15

These unknowns make more sense when you put it with what we DO know about the Philistines seizing David in Gath.

In other words, the context of Psalm 56 is 1 Samuel 21:10-15.

If you’re new to the Old Testament let me try and summarize the context of 1 Samuel so you can have the context to Psalm 56.

1 Samuel is about the birth of the prophet Samuel who appoints a King of Israel named Saul.

Saul’s wickedness disqualified him as king in the eyes of God so God sends Samuel to Jesse’s house in Bethlehem to find a new king.

Jesse brings out each his sons but none were the chosen. They looked good on the outside but God was looking at the heart.

Finally, Jesse brings out his youngest child, David (an artsy, musical shepherd boy) and Samuel anoints him for service.

1 Samuel 16:13 CSB

13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully on David from that day forward. Then Samuel set out and went to Ramah.

David was filled with the Sprit and (unknowingly?) anointed to be king but Saul was still in charge.

Psalm 56 hangs on David’s anointing by Samuel

David later became Saul’s “amor bearer” and played for Saul to alleviate the evil spirit that had begun to torment him.

David would travel back and forth between Bethlehem and Ramah to shepherd his flock while serving the king.

David & Goliath

One day the Israelites were fighting the Philistines in the Valley of Elah.

MAP:

David was instructed by his Dad to take portions to his brothers (serving in Saul’s army) on his way back to Saul.

1 Samuel 17:16–17 CSB

16 Every morning and evening for forty days the Philistine came forward and took his stand. 17 One day Jesse had told his son David, “Take this half-bushel of roasted grain along with these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp.

That “Philistine” taunting Israel for 40 days was a 9’9” giant named Goliath from a city named Gath.

Nobody would serve as champion against Goliath until David. He persuaded Saul to let him serve as champion and defeated the giant with a sling and some rocks.

Afterwards, David cut off Goliath’s head with his own sword. (1 Sam 17:51) Israel then chased down the Philistines from there to Ekron and down to Gath. (1 Sam 17:52)

Psalm 56 assumes David’s victory over Goliath.

David and Saul

From that day, David’s popularity began to grow. He went from Saul’s armor bearer to Israel’s greatest warrior.

David ended up becoming MORE popular than Saul and Saul became jealous seeing David as a threat to his throne. (1 Sam 18:7-9)

1 Samuel 18:9 CSB

9 So Saul watched David jealously from that day forward.

By the time David pens this Psalm

Saul has tried to kill him twice, (1 Sam 18:10-11; 19:9-10)

sent men to his house to have him killed (1 Sam 19:11-17)

and chased David from Gibeah to Rabah. (1 Sam 19:18)

MAP:

1 Samuel 19:18 CSB

18 So David fled and escaped and went to Samuel at Ramah and told him everything Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel left and stayed at Naioth.

When those attempts failed, Saul cast David out of the royal court, put a bounty on his head and David started a new life on the run. (1 Sam 20)

He went from Gibeah down to Nob to get weapons and food. (1 Sam 21:1-3)

He gets 5 loaves of the consecrated “bread of presence” from the tabernacle and Goliath’s sword. (1 Sam 21:9)

From there he flees Nob to the Philistine city of Gath. (1 Sam 21:10)

Psalm 56 assumes David’s persecution under Saul.

David in Gath

David enters Goliath’s home town carrying the giant’s sword!). After presenting himself he’s taken to King Achish.

Unfortunately, the soldiers recognize David as a threat and his plan takes a dramatic turn. (1 Sam 21:11)

1 Samuel 21:11 CSB

11 But Achish’s servants said to him, “Isn’t this David, the king of the land? Don’t they sing about him during their dances: Saul has killed his thousands, but David his tens of thousands?”

Quick on his feet, David begins acting like a crazy person to show the king he’s not a threat. (1 Sam 21:12-22:2)

1 Samuel 21:12–22:2 CSB

12 David took this to heart and became very afraid of King Achish of Gath, 13 so he pretended to be insane in their presence. He acted like a madman around them, scribbling on the doors of the city gate and letting saliva run down his beard. 14 “Look! You can see the man is crazy,” Achish said to his servants. “Why did you bring him to me? 15 Do I have such a shortage of crazy people that you brought this one to act crazy around me? Is this one going to come into my house?” 1 So David left Gath and took refuge in the cave of Adullam. When David’s brothers and his father’s whole family heard, they went down and joined him there. 2 In addition, every man who was desperate, in debt, or discontented rallied around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.

Psalm 56 assumes David’s deliverance out of Gath.

The Cave of Adullam becomes a stronghold and fortress for David.

His family joins him there along with 400 or so men who were desperate, in debt or had an axe to grind against Saul. (1 Samuel 22:2)

He fortifies the location and it’s a safe harbor for him and his men as they fight against Philistine armies and deal with the heat from King Saul.

Read the Text

David pens Psalm 56 somewhere between Gath and the Cave of Adullam.

The psalm is penned between a dark pit of despair and a small flicker of hope.

The context is important because David had lost everything.

He was anointed by Samuel to be King over Israel but at present he was running from the actual king of Israel and had no place to lay his head.

Had God not delivered David in Gath his life might’ve ended. But it was in that season that God taught him something very important about fear.

With that in mind let’s read our passage. Psalm 56

Psalm 56 CSB

For the choir director: according to “A Silent Dove Far Away.” A Miktam of David. When the Philistines seized him in Gath. 1 Be gracious to me, God, for a man is trampling me; he fights and oppresses me all day long. 2 My adversaries trample me all day, for many arrogantly fight against me. 3 When I am afraid, I will trust in you. 4 In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? 5 They twist my words all day long; all their thoughts against me are evil. 6 They stir up strife, they lurk, they watch my steps while they wait to take my life. 7 Will they escape in spite of such sin? God, bring down the nations in wrath. 8 You yourself have recorded my wanderings. Put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book? 9 Then my enemies will retreat on the day when I call. This I know: God is for me. 10 In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise, 11 in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mere humans do to me? 12 I am obligated by vows to you, God; I will make my thanksgiving sacrifices to you. 13 For you rescued me from death, even my feet from stumbling, to walk before God in the light of life.

WHAT MEN CAN’T DO

There are so many things we could say from this Psalm.

Reading it, you can almost see David exhausted from his travels, grateful to be alive but perplexed over how he should move forward from here.

The big idea of the Psalm is recorded in verse 3. Ps 56:3

Psalm 56:3 CSB

3 When I am afraid, I will trust in you.

Fear and Faith are not the enemies we make them out to be.

I know as a preacher I’ve been guilty of playing these two things off of each other. And certainly fear can have a negative impact on our faith.

But we would be wrong to assume the presence of fear necessarily entails the absence of faith. It does not.

Fear and faith can exist simultaneously in the human heart.

Courage is not the absence of fear. It’s the will to triumph over it.

What’s true of courage is also true of faith.

Faith is not the absence of fear but the ability to put fear in it’s place.

That’s what David is saying in Psalm 56.

WHEN I am afraid I will TRUST in you.

It is a choice of the will to trust in God so that fear becomes rightly ordered in the human heart.

It doesn’t make fear go away. It just places fear where it rightly belongs.

An Important Question

How does faith find the ability to do that with our fears? The answer, in this Psalm, gets hidden within a question.

David pours out his heart and preaches truth to his soul but in the very next breath he raises a rhetorical question.

In God I trust; I will not be afraid. “What can mere mortals do to me?” (Psalm 56:4b)

He does it again Psalm 56:11

11 in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mere humans do to me?

The same question, phrased slightly differently. Both are strategically and poetically placed.

Between each is this middle section that deals with the promise of God’s Word and the certainty of God’s Wrath.

On the surface, the answer to that question is pretty obvious.

“What can mere humans do to me?”

Well - they can KILL YOU. Wasn’t that why you started acting crazy in the King’s court?

What can mere mortal do to me?

They can do A LOT.

They can kick you out of the royal court.

They can take away everything you own.

They can malign your character through slander and false accusations.

Put a Lid on Fear

Mere mortals can do MANY things.

And I’m sure before the incident at Gath David’s heart was gripped by fear because of that very truth.

But through this encounter with the Philistines he comes to understand the things that man CANNOT DO.

And in learning what men CAN’T DO he actually grows in his ability to put fear in it’s proper place.

Whatever you fear, it has a LIMIT. Fear fades when we know the limit of it’s reach.

We could summarize it several ways but for the sake of this morning I’ll use three headings.

Whatever it is that we fear, it has no power to

change what God says

cover up what God sees

control who/how God will save.

(or whether or not we’ll worship)

Change What God Says

The first and greatest motivator for putting fear in it’s place is stated at the beginning of verse 4.

Psalm 56:4 (CSB)

4 In God, whose word I praise…

And again in verse 10

Psalm 56:10 CSB

10 In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise,

You fears can do MANY things but they cannot change the word of God.

Fear can cause you to question God’s Word, forget God’s Word or even forsake God’s Word.

But the one thing it can’t do is change, altar or undo what God has revealed.

The grass withers and the flower fades but the Word of our God remains forever. (Isa 40:8)

At first, I thought this “word” that David was appealing to was a specific promise from Samuel that he would be King of Israel.

But that’s actually never stated explicitly in the text.

I’m sure it was implied in the anointing and maybe Samuel shared it later on? We know Jonathan makes the prediction and others likely encouraged it.

But we never have a specific revelation from GOD to David that he would be the future king of Israel.

So if that’s NOT the Word of God David is appealing to then what is it?

I would imagine David had access to the first five books of the OT in written form and at least the oral tradition of books like Job, Joshua Judges and Ruth.

You can at least surmise from those books God’s promise to Israel of a good and righteous king that would come from David’s line.

You also had story after story of God’s promises being made and kept to his covenant people.

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob

Moses and the Israelites’ Exodus from Egypt

Joshua and the Israel’s reclaiming of the Promised Land

In each of these and more the story of Scripture shows that God is faithful to fulfill every promise!

After a while you get the impression of God Word says it then that settles it.

As Pastor David used to say, “one positive assertion excludes all negative assumptions.”

Get Into God’s Word

If your fears cannot change God’s Word then you need to get God’s Word in your face.

You can’t face you fears in the Face of God if you’re knowledge of God isn’t rooted in his Word.

The Lord has given us this precious gift of divine revelation. He’s revealed himself personally and in stories that connect and resonate with you and me.

That’s why I want to challenge you for the eight weeks of this campaign to commit to reading the Word of God EVERY DAY.

We’ve done all of the heavy lifting for you. If you’re in a small group then there’s a CSB Psalms Scripture Journal you’ll get for free. (if you’re not then you can buy one for 10 bucks)

You also will have a daily reading plan and daily devotionals that are available at the campaign resource table in the Gathering Place.

The first step in crippling your fear is getting your face in the Word of God.

Cover Up What God Sees

The second limit that your fears must face are revealed at the very center of Psalm 56.

Your fears cannot cover up what God sees.

Psalm 56:5–8 CSB

5 They twist my words all day long; all their thoughts against me are evil. 6 They stir up strife, they lurk, they watch my steps while they wait to take my life. 7 Will they escape in spite of such sin? God, bring down the nations in wrath. 8 You yourself have recorded my wanderings. Put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?

Did you pick up on the two things that David remembers when it comes to what God sees?

The Wrongs Committed

On the one hand, he sees every wrong that David has suffered.

He experienced slander at the hands of Saul and the royal court.

Saul hatched an evil plan to have David killed.

When Saul couldn’t do it he sent other men to watch his house/wife.

They turned all of David’s friends against him. They lied in wait to take his life.

They pursued him from town to town and even tried to get Jonathan to hate him (David’s closest friend.)

David’s takeaway from all of this evil being committed against him? The Lord sees every single thing that happens.

They might’ve fooled my friends with this slander but they cannot fool the LORD.

They might’ve caused me to leave my home and run for my life but the day will come when their deeds will be exposed.

The Misery it Causes

But the Lord doesn’t just see the wrongs David Suffers. He also takes note of the misery it causes.

The word translated “wonderings” in verse 8 is a Hebrew word that means “misery.” (CSB Footnote)

This is amplified by the phrase, “Put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?” (Psalm 56:8)

There was a tradition in Roman and ANE cultures to put the tears of a grieving person in a bottle to symbolize their grief.

This was often done at funerals (we have archeological evidence to corroborate)

Whether this is what David has in mind we can’t be sure. At the very least David is reminding himself that God sees and cares his suffering.

The LORD is not some distant, detached, uninterested party when it comes to our suffering.

Jesus WEPT at the tomb of his friend Lazarus. The Lord is NEAR to the broken hearted and he is acquainted with their grief. He sees it ALL.

The Justice Required

It’s because God sees the wrongs we suffer and because God sees the misery they cause that he will also see justice get served.

Psalm 56:7 CSB

7 Will they escape in spite of such sin? God, bring down the nations in wrath.

Psalm 56:9 CSB

9 Then my enemies will retreat on the day when I call. This I know: God is for me.

God is holy and just in all of his ways.

In revealing his name to Moses he said he was slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love - forgiving iniquity and extending mercy…

But he would by NO MEANS clear the guilty. God is a God of justice and righteousness.

They WILL NOT escape in spite of such sin!

God WILL bring down the nations in wrath!

My enemies WILL RETREAT on the day when I call.

This is know: God is FOR ME.

How could David know that God was FOR HIM and AGAINST those who fought him?

It wasn’t because David had a better personality. It was because David knew God’s Word.

It because God is for himself that God was ultimately FOR DAVID. It’s not that David convinced God to be on his side of a fight.

Rather, David decided to fight on God’s side of the battle. David knew what side to pick because of how God reveals himself in his word.

In that way, we can say the exact same thing as David and receive the exact same comfort he received from this truth.

Control Who God Saves

Which leads me to the last thing David remembered about fear.

Fear can’t change what God says. Fear can’t cover up what God sees.

Which is why, finally, fear can’t control who God saves.

Psalm 56:12–13 CSB

12 I am obligated by vows to you, God; I will make my thanksgiving sacrifices to you. 13 For you rescued me from death, even my feet from stumbling, to walk before God in the light of life.

We’re not sure when this obligation/vow was made between David and the LORD.

Maybe he offered up a prayer to God when he was sandwiched between those Philistine guards, facing the King of Gath.

Maybe he made a vow way earlier in life or sometime shortly after Saul’s persecution and pursuit.

The point is, David’s motivation for continuing in worship was in light of that deliverance.

Praise is a Weapon

Which is why fear cannot keep us from our greatest weapon against it.

As we sometimes like to sing in our contemporary services, “Praise is a weapon that will overcome. I’m going to fight like the battle’s won.”

David understood that there is no fear in this world that can keep us from a life of worship.

And Christian worship doesn’t just aim towards some future deliverance.

Our worship is motivated by a past and present deliverance that’s already ours in Jesus.

This becomes even clearer when you look at David’s song of praise written during the same occasion.

It’s one of my favorite Psalms in all of Scripture. Psalm 34:1-4

Psalm 34:1–4 CSB

1 I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. 2 I will boast in the Lord; the humble will hear and be glad. 3 Proclaim the Lord’s greatness with me; let us exalt his name together. 4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me and rescued me from all my fears.

In other words, “our worship is given in light of salvation not just an effort to obtain it some day.”

CONCLUSION

And it’s in that way that Psalm 56 and Psalm 34 and David’s life in general points us to the greater David - the true King of Israel - the Lord Jesus Christ.

Psalm 34 ends with this prophecy about Jesus. Psalm 34:19-22

Psalm 34:19–22 CSB

19 One who is righteous has many adversities, but the Lord rescues him from them all. 20 He protects all his bones; not one of them is broken. 21 Evil brings death to the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be punished. 22 The Lord redeems the life of his servants, and all who take refuge in him will not be punished.

God’s covenant promise through David is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

Everything David says in this Psalm could be said by Jesus if not even more strongly.

He was trampled on, oppressed and afflicted by men.

People twisted his words and had him falsely accused of crimes he didn’t commit.

The soldiers watched and waited for Jesus’s life to drain from his body on the cross.

He cried out from the cross, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”

The reason he made that cry isn’t because God had forsaken his Son. It’s because God the son was bearing the wrath of God for our sins.

Psalm 56 is true in saying, “wicked people will not get away with their wickedness.”

And we are all wicked men in the eyes of a holy God. Somebody had to make atonement for that wickedness so that we wouldn’t have to pay that price eternally in a place called hell.

Fear Dies at the Cross

Jesus died on the cross so that our debt could be paid and we could say with David “God is FOR ME not against me.”

The cross of Jesus Christ demonstrates that truth to the whole world.

The cross of Jesus Christ demonstrates that God is holy and right to judge.

But the cross also demonstrates that God is compassionate and willing to forgive.

The cross proves that we have a God in heaven who SEES.

He sees the wrongs we’ve experienced and sins done against us.

He sees the wrongs we commit and the brokenness sin has unleashed.

He also see the only way to be just and yet justify us from our sin, is to pay the price of sin himself through the sending of his one and only son.

Jesus is the Word of God that has been revealed to us.

David had the Pentateuch but we have Jesus Christ and his Gospel.

And whatever you fears are in this world, they will crush under the weight of God’s amazing love in Christ Jesus.

Your fears have a limited reach when you bring them to the cross.

Fears come and die at the cross of Jesus Christ.

They can’t change what God has spoken though Jesus’ Word.

They can’t cover up what God shows us through Jesus’ cross.

They can’t control our salvation by grace through faith.

If you’ve not yet received this salvation into your own life then you’re ill equipped to overcome the greatest weapon of your enemy.

But when you come to Christ and place you fears before the cross, they cripple under the weight of God’s glory in Christ.

Come to Christ today and be saved!