Overcoming Fear
Notes
Transcript
How many of us have never been afraid? From the very beginning of our lives, loud noises startled us and scared us. Then we feared the monsters under our bed, especially when it was dark. As we got older, we didn’t act like we were scared, but many times those noises we couldn’t explain at night caused us to pull the covers over our heads and peek out only when we felt safe. As adults, we may laugh at the things that caused us fear when we were younger but it is only replaced with different fears.
Life does not guarantee us peace every moment of every day. Oftentimes, we find ourselves in uncertain future and we question the why and the how of these situations. Then, fear and panic set in, which can leave us with an overwhelming feeling of failure and the feeling we have no way out.
A little bit about my own life, I am a worrier. I worry about decisions I make, my actions and inactions, the future, we worry about our kids, whether you have prepared them for the real world, whether they are making good decisions, you carry their worries and concerns, you name it and I will worry over it. And unfortunately I have to go through a process of panic, fear, depression, coping, and then it seems I remember to seek the Lord. Is it a healthy way to live? No. Is it the Christian way to live? No. Is it the way I live? Yep. And I would take a guess many of you are the same way. It’s hard not to worry. Over the years, I have learned to cope with small things much better but it’s the big things, the things that you don’t really have much control over that brings out the worst of these feelings.
But God gives us words to help deal with these uncertainties of life, and allows us to know fear is a natural response. While it is natural, the enemy unfortunately uses fear in an unhealthy way, but he reminds us we should have no fear.
Natural Response
Natural Response
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
Do not be anxious about our life. I tell you, those words are some of the biggest comfort we are given… if we would only believe them. Why is it so hard for us to turn it all over to God?
I think one of the biggest issues we deal with is KNOWING we are still sinners. Even knowing we are saved by God’s Grace, we know all of our failures and it goes into our brain and is processed in this way. If I really turned my life over to God, shouldn’t I be living a better life? How could God love someone who, even though they made a profession of faith, has so little faith when it comes to things we cannot control?
God knew we would need some support and comfort when it comes to times like these. Don’t worry about what we will eat or drink, what clothes we wear, because in reality this has nothing to do with the life He has in store for us. Then, He uses nature to drive this home, and when we truly think of it, wow doesn’t this give us some true insight into who God really is.
Have you ever heard a bird worry about where it was going to find its next worm? Ever heard on complain about the size or type of worm it found? Have you ever heard a bird worry about the size of its nest or the location or type of tree its nest was in? Have you ever seen a bird looking in a freezer worrying about what it was going to eat? Of course not, and still God cares enough about the birds that he ensures they have enough to eat every day. And then look at the next words of Christ: ARE YOU NOT OF MORE VALUE THAN THEY?
Those are shouting words when we are in the deepest darkest pit, worrying. God didn’t speak us into being like He did the animals and fowl of the air, we were created by His own hands, and contain the breath of life that He Himself breathed into us. Now, does that mean that we can make stupid decisions and live without any limits and expect God to care for us? Absolutely not, but we should be putting our faith in God to see us through each and every day of our life.
28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,
29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
I think we often worry more about being “cool” or “in style” than we ever should. I have told this story before, when I was a teenager and wanted a pair of Guess jeans. All my friends seemed to be wearing them, but I didn’t have any. So, after working one summer I decided to buy a pair and, to be honest they wore out and had holes in them in only a few months. Back to Levi’s I went. God could care less what brand of clothing we wear, as long as we are dressed modestly and pleasing to Him.
31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
When we see the use of “Gentiles - the lost” here, Jesus is simply saying worry is what those who have no hope, who have no assurance, those who do not know Christ or His promises to believers. We have a heavenly Father who knows our every need, and we can take comfort in knowing He will provide for us.
But, like so many times in scripture our promise of peace comes with a stipulation. But here means there is something He requires of us, to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. The only way we will ever be able to find true peace in this world is to seek Him instead. We are to leave the cares of this world up to God and put our full faith and trust in Him. We know that God will take care of us and provide for all of our NEEDS. And, if you are in need of peace today, we should be seeking out our heavenly Father in each and every way and thing we encounter in our life.
Seek - means to go after, to desire, to pursue, and search for, and to strive to achieve it. We shouldn’t preoccupy ourselves with the things of this world that are worthless in the end but instead should seek after God and His righteousness.
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
Jesus then goes on to explain to us again that we are not to worry, but instead should live one day at a time. So often we worry about the things in the future, the unknown, the things we have no control over and He reminds us we are to seek out God and leave tomorrow and it’s needs in His hands.
The POSB makes a list of five attitudes humans have towards the future.
A no-care, worldly attitude. A person eats, drinks, and is merry today, letting tomorrow take care of itself. The future is of little concern. It will take care of itself. Earthly pleasure, power, and fame are the major concerns of life. He needs to get all he can now, while he can.
A fretful, anxious attitude. A person worries all the time, wondering if he is secure and if he will have enough to take care of himself and his family.
A fearful, panicky attitude. In the face of trial and failure, a person can barely function. Tragedy has hit: his job is lost, cutbacks have to be made, adjustments are needed. The strength and confidence to act and to continue on is lacking.
A self-assured attitude. A person has complete confidence in himself and his ability. He knows he can make out and take care of himself in this world, and he does it. But there is one thing that this person fails to see, and it is fatal: the confidence that he has in himself will end. He will die, and he will only have taken care of himself for a few short years. He will find out that self-confidence cannot bridge the great gulf between heaven and earth, time and eternity, God and man.
A calm God-centered and trusting attitude. A person goes about living and working ever so diligently and calmly, trusting God to take care of all. He does all he can about the necessities of life, both for himself and for others, but he seeks God and His righteousness first
But keeping this attitude is easier said than done! Why? Because even though we know the comfort and peace of God, Satan still uses our failures to cause doubt. You see, fear is one of the enemy’s tools used against us.
Enemy’s Tool
Enemy’s Tool
8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Even as Christians we are warned to keep our guard up, that we have an enemy that looks to destroy our faith and who we are in Christ. God reminds us to withstand the attacks of the devil. We should allow our mind to focus on God and His promises. If we are not sober and watchful then we run the risk of being overcome with fear and being led away from our comfort in Christ. We have to not only stay alert of Satan’s temptations, we have to stay focused on God to resist!
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Submit, here, means we are to fully put ourselves under God’s care, His power, and His strength with the mindset to follow His will, commands, instructions, laws, behavior, and His Word. We must surrender ourselves completely to God so that He can strengthen us. Philippians 4:13 reminds us we can do all things ONLY through Christ who gives us strength.
It is only through submission to Christ that we can have the strength to resist the devil. We have to actively watch, and guard against the tricks of the devil. Satan is crafty, and if he can deceive God’s creation in the perfection of Eden, then he can certainly deceive us in this fallen world. But if we put up our guard and resist the devil, and submit ourselves before God then we can live this life with no fear.
No Fear
No Fear
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
The nation of Israel has just lost it’s leader and felt hopeless. Even with God’s promise of their own land, they were scared and fearful. Joshua, as the next chosen leader was feeling inadequate as though he couldn’t live up to Moses’ leadership. God gives him the promise, again, that he is to place his faith and trust in Him, that He will never leave nor forsake him. There is comfort in this verse knowing God will be with us. But, as He reminds Joshua we are to be strong and courageous in the task He has placed us to do. Joshua knew that he had a long road ahead, that there would be enemies to face, evil ones in the path, loss, but also unimaginable gain IF he obeyed God, keeping his eyes focused on Him and His Word, meditating on it day and night, being obedient in following Him, and it would lead to success and prosperity for him AND the nation of Israel. But one of the most important things to take away from being strong and courageous is he allows us to live each day with the ability to overcome fear and discouragement. Notice he allows us that comfort, now whether we take it or not is up to us. Do we place our total faith and trust in God? Do we keep His Word, studying it daily, meditating on what He has written to us? Do we allow ourselves to be fearless in our faith? If we want true peace, then that is the only way we can find it.
Closing
Closing
6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Once we possess the peace of God, how to we KEEP it? Peace, we are told here, comes through prayer and supplication - asking for it humbly and earnestly. You see, we serve a God of peace, and He desires peace for His children.
Humanly, a person is going to fret, worry and suffer fear when we think we are short of food, don’t have the best clothing, or live in what we think is suboptimal housing, we we face persecution or are being ridiculed, abused, or threatened, or when we are surrounded by quarreling and the weight of this world.
But the point of this very Scripture is to take our focus on those things and place our focus on Him.
We achieve peace by being anxious over nothing. Leave our worry and concerns at the foot of the cross and do not pick it back up! And even in the midst of some of our toughest moments in life, He will still fill us with a peace that we will never understand.
Today, do you have that peace? Do you know where to turn when life presses in around you feel like there is no way we can overcome? Today, God desires for us to have a peace that only He can provide if we turn our lives and our worries over to Him. He is the only way we can overcome fear.
