Gospel of Fear
Which Gospel? • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Intro
Intro
Good morning church fam!
We are in a series called Which Gospel? There is only one true Gospel—the Good News of Jesus Christ, His death, burial, and resurrection for our salvation. But the world offers many counterfeits. They sound good, they feel persuasive, but they cannot save. Paul warned us in Galatians 1:6–7 that a different gospel is really no gospel at all.
6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;
7 which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
Each week, we are exposing a false gospel and holding it up to the truth of God’s Word, asking: Which Gospel are you following?
Today, we’re looking at the:
Gospel of Fear.
Fear is one of the enemy’s greatest tools to hold us back from living fully alive in Christ.
It whispers, ‘You’ll never be free. You’ll never be enough. The future is uncertain, so you should hide.’ But the Word of God tells us in:
7 For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.
Some translations say fear.
What is Fear?
What is Fear?
Let’s dive in by first asking a question.
What is Fear?
Fear used here in the Greek means to be timid or be a coward. I find it interesting that this is the first and only time this Greek word di-lee-ah is used.
Whenever I find God using a word only once, it usually is significant. In this case, it is.
We have to remember the context of what is going on here in the Scripture. Context is always key to understanding the Scriptures. Sometimes we claim something in Scriptures that is really not there because we have taken it out of context.
Let me give you an example of what I mean.
13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
The way we use this today is more as a motivational quote for sports, business, or success in this life.
If you are taking a test at school and you never studied because you were not using your time wisely, you cannot quote this in hopes of getting an A. It doesn’t work that way.
Paul was speaking about being content in life, no matter what situation you faced.
In 2 Timothy 1:7, when Paul was speaking about fear/cowardice, Paul was speaking to Timothy whom he was mentoring.
Timothy was facing opposition and persecution. Anytime we are face with opposition, the temptation arises to shrink back. To run. To hide.
If we are not careful this type of fear:
Fear will keep you from fulfilling your calling
This is the Gospel of Fear. The other day when I heard that pastor telling Christians to run away from California I immediately knew that was not the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that is the Gospel of Fear. That is the Coward Gospel.
God doesn’t call us to be cowards when we face oppositions in this life. He doesn’t call us to retreat every time there is a spiritual battle. If all the Christians left California, who will be left to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ? That calling is for every single follower of Christ!
Paul chose this strong word to make sure that Timothy and us today understand that cowardice is NOT from God!
This fear that Paul is speaking of is not like a phobia, or the fear of the Lord (awe & reverence), and it is not a generalized fear. It is a fear that paralyzes.
If Moses was a coward, he would have missed his calling
If David was a coward, he would have missed his calling
If the disciples were cowards, they would have missed their calling
If you are a coward, you will miss your calling
I think of the Children of Israel and how they were on the edge of the Promised Land and missed their calling. It paralyzed their purpose.
31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us.”
32 So they gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great size.
33 “There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”
The Children of Israel were given a promise. They seen opposition to that promise. Because of the opposition, they became paralyzed.
Notice two things.
One, it was only a handful of people that caused a whole generation not to enter the Promised Land. And two, notice whose sight they were like grasshoppers. They were grasshoppers in their own sight.
Fear will distort our vision - magnifies the problem, minimizes God
The Children of Israel were given a promise by God, the land flowing with milk and honey, that’s a BIG promise! But when they seen something in the way of that promise, it caused the problem to become bigger than their God. They were tempted to shrink back and that’s what they did.
How often do we do that? How often do we not walk in what God has for us because we face some opposition…so we shrink back?
We shrink back from church
We shrink back from fellowship with other believers
We shrink back from God
By only using this word di-lee-ah only once, the Spirit of God is saying this find of fear has no place in the life of a believer.
This Fear is Spiritual
This Fear is Spiritual
Why does it have no place in the life of the believer?
This type of fear is spiritual.
Go back to our Scripture in 2 Timothy.
7 For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.
Only once does Paul brand cowardice as a spirit not from God. God does NOT give us a spirit of timidity. This is not a personality trait, it is a spiritual condition. One that God disowns completely.
Why is this important? Simple.
This type of fear separates us from God.
It separates us from God because it causes us to take our eyes off of God and focuses our attention on our self and the problem. We are then walking according to our flesh, rather than being led by the Spirit of God.
Go back to the Children of Israel. They are at the border of the Promised Land. The spies come back…12 of them. Ten of these spies said:
33 “There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”
These 10 spies began seeing things in the flesh and forgot about God. Because they took their focus of God and placed it on their self, their self-perception became self-destruction.
They declared their failure before God declared their victory
They didn’t lose to giants, they lost to their own words
This ties deeply into identity.
We were in OUR sight
So we were in their sight
When we begin to self proclaim (meaning I will tell you and the world who I am) our identity…we take God out of the equation. When you take God out of the equation, you become separated. This is really what Paul was getting at with Timothy. He was warning Timothy not to be defined by fear, but to be defined by what God says.
What did God say?
7 For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.
God does not give us timidity, but He gives us POWER, LOVE, and DISCIPLINE. When you look into this, these three things have to do with identity. Our identity determines our outlook.
When you understand whose POWER you operate under, you will NEVER shrink back. This is the same POWER that Jesus said we would receive through the filling of the Holy Spirit.
8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
This is dunamis POWER. Dunamis is where we get our word dynamite. God didn’t give you the power of a small firecracker that can only cause a little noise. No, He desires to give you the explosive POWER dynamite where you can TEAR down every stronghold, BREAK every chain, OVERCOME any spiritual battle, and even if the devil himself appeared before you so that you can OVERPOWER him and RESIST him and kick him out of your home, out of your family, out of your life and LIVE IN FREEDOM!
You can only do that if you know Jesus and you know who He says you are!
I can love. Love is an identity issue. God is love. It who He is and what He is about. It is His identity. You and I were made in the IMAGE of God. We are called to reflect that image back to the world. When you have the spirit of timidity you cannot love the way God loves. Your love will shrink back. You will run from being love.
Loving your enemies. Loving those who don’t deserve it. Loving those that won’t love back. Loving those who talk about you behind your back. Loving those who slander you in the community. You can only love them because you know that God loves you. Because you know God loves you, it becomes who you are. It becomes part of your identity.
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.
So we have POWER, LOVE, and the last one is DISCIPLINE (which is self control). Love and self control are all part of the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5. The Power comes from the Holy Spirit. All three things are spiritual. This is why this matter Paul is discussing is a spiritual condition and must be treated as such.
It truly is a spiritual battle that we are in. When we hear that we apply it to those things working outside of our church world. But have you ever applied that to yourself?
Paul was speaking to Timothy personally. While persecution and opposition was going on, Paul was telling Timothy to war within himself telling him God didn’t give him a spirit of cowardice.
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,
4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.
5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
6 and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.
The True Gospel Frees Us
The True Gospel Frees Us
Pauls letter to Timothy is a promise from God that He did not give us this fear, but has given to us power, love, and self control.
Heres how we can apply this to our lives today.
Identify the source
Ask, is this from God? If not reject it.
7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
When you identify that the source of your fear is not from God, then submit to God by rejecting it. Only a mind submitted to God can resist the enemy.
2. Replace the Lie with Truth
If the source is not from God, it is a lie. So you need to tear down that lie with truth. Speak truth over the fear, over the lie.
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?
3. Stay in God’s Presence
9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
When you remain in the presence of God it helps to build courage. Prayer and worship help edify and encourage you in the middle of the storms of life.
4. Walk in Faith
This is a hard one to do, but can be done.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
How we walk in faith is acting on and believing in God’s Word, even when our feelings do not match. Too many Christians never have victory in their lives because their feelings get in the way. And often, probably more times than not, the enemy will use your feelings in order to lie to you.
I don’t feel loved by God - His Word says He loves. Truth over lie.
I don’t feel forgiven - His Word says you are. Truth over lie.
I don’t feel this or that or I feel this or that - What does His Word say? Believe what He says regardless of how you are feeling.
Your emotions will go up and down, left and right. But God. He is constant.
Closing & Altar
Closing & Altar
Church, today we’ve seen clearly that:
fear is not your gospel—Jesus is.
The Gospel of Fear will always try to paralyze you, shrink you back, and make you forget who you are in Christ. But the Gospel of Jesus sets you free—free to live in power, love, and a sound mind.
Some of you have been living under the weight of fear—
fear of failure
fear of rejection
fear of the future
fear of opposition.
But today, God is calling you to step out of that prison and into His promise. Fear may have had the loudest voice in your life, but today you can silence that voice and let the truth of Jesus take over.
If you’ve been battling fear and you’re ready to declare, “Fear will not be my gospel. Jesus is my gospel,” then this altar is open for you.
Don’t shrink back—step forward. Because when you step out in faith, God steps in with freedom.
Maybe you’ve never truly given your life to Christ. The only way to overcome fear is to know the One who conquered death, hell, and the grave. If you need salvation today—if you need to make Jesus your Lord and Savior—this is your moment. Don’t wait. Today is the day of freedom.
Salvation Prayer
Salvation Prayer
“Lord Jesus,
I come to You today,
I confess that I am a sinner,
and I need Your forgiveness.
I believe You died on the cross for my sins,
and that You rose again to give me life.
Today, I turn from fear and from sin,
and I turn to You.
I make You my Lord and Savior.
Come into my heart, Jesus.
Fill me with Your Holy Spirit.
Help me to live for You,
and never look back.
From this day forward,
I belong to You.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Taglines for Social
✅ “Fear is not your gospel—Jesus is.”
✅ “God didn’t give you fear; He gave you freedom.”
✅ “Fear paralyzes, but faith propels.”
✅ “The true Gospel replaces fear with power, love, and a sound mind.”
✅ “Fear is a liar. Jesus is the truth.”
