11-12-2017 The Fear of Cowardice Matthew 10:26-33

Introduction:

Last week we began a new journey as I introduced the first four verses of the epistle of first John. What we didn’t know then is while we were offering our corporate worship as one body last week, 1500 miles southwest of us, a deranged active shooter killed 26 people and had the intention of killing at least 20 more in a Baptist church of about 50 congregants in a town of around 500 residents—less than one fifth of Kingsford alone. So, last Sunday, one tenth of that town was murdered--which was over a half of a local body of believers—whom had many striking similarities to us here at Grace.

This tragedy raises several important questions. How do we respond to something like this? Should we respond to something like this? Why did God allow this? What is my responsibility in stopping this from ever happening to Grace? Is it my responsibility to stop this from happening? —Some of you here have asked me something along these lines just in the past few days and all of these have been asked by me to YHWH. These questions ought to be answered! But answered thoughtfully, carefully, and only after much prayer and supplication. My concern is that the temptation to come with answers too quickly to these weighty matters is to surrender to fear, to worry, to anxiety.

“But what if a shooter were to come in here today??? You never know!!” you may say. If this is dominating your thinking right now, then you are in the trap of fear, worry, anxiety and it is sin. Yes, Church shootings are increasing every year in America. And while the percentage of churches with shootings is relatively small, I agree that this issue is one where we must be prepared. The worst case scenario is just too much to ignore--as it is with fires, child abuse, and so forth.

However, statistically speaking, if you came in here worrying about a shooter, you could have an unhealthy fear problem. The average yearly church shootings are 2.7 percent compared to 16 percent of churches this year will have a fire that destroys the whole building, and 30 percent of those fires are from cooking equipment. So just from sheer statistics, one might be considered reasonable to worry about what’s going on in the church’s kitchen more-so than an active shooter. But how many of you came in here worried about a fire this morning? How many of you are worried about a fire now that I just mentioned the statistic?

Such fears are not from God. So then, where is this balance between being prepared and not living in fear and therefore not living in this sin? And yes it is sin because when you live in fear you are proving your distrust in our Lord’s protection and provision.

So what time does our Lord & Savior say exactly about active shooters entering in the church?

Matthew 10:26–33 ESV

26 “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. 32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

Here in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is in a rather lengthy speech/sermon with His disciples as he’s about to send them into the world to spread the news of the coming Kingdom. Essentially He’s warning them, “persecution will come, these active shooters are to be expected” but He doesn’t leave them with just that warning, Jesus tells them that with His call to serve, He has also already provided protection He stands with His chosen servants in any and all their trials, He takes notice of every threat that they will endure, He honors them in this life for their witness of Him, and then will abundantly reward them in the next life for all their faithfulness.

In the words of Keith Brooks: No cross, no crown. No gall, no glory.

You might be thinking, “Well, certainly Jesus could be understanding if I’m pretty scared;” however, this passage in Matthew 10 doesn’t seem to give any indication of that and I believe it is primarily because Jesus gives us ample reason to trust in Him. In fact, He says in verse 28 who we should really fear—who is it? Well, I doubt it is Satan because in this context, He’s talking to His chosen disciples. But I don’t think Jesus is really trying to say we need to be afraid of the Father, if I am right, then what He is saying is that if we are to seriously fear somebody, it should only be YHWH since YHWH is worthy of that kind of fear with His omnipotence. if you don’t think this is right look at the next verse (verse 29). The father’s omniscience is spelled out all the way into verse 30, but look here at verse 32 and 33 this is just one of several tragic results of cowardly fear.

I. Cowardice prevents people from confessing Jesus

So to prevent verse 33 from happening to you, I want to show you the seriousness of why we cannot be cowardly in the Gospel of John:

John 12:42–43 ESV

42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

As Jesus gained more popularity, people recognized Him as the long awaited Messiah, yet they were too afraid to confess Jesus is LORD publically because of the fear of man.

This reminds me of stories I hear and read about some “Christians” who visit the Creation Museum and the Ark. While inside the buildings, these Christians whole-heartedly enjoy and agree with what they see and learn there, but the moment they step past the property lines where the atheist protesters chant their misgivings, these Christians seem to forget who they are and what they’ve just stood in support for until they are a safe distance away and their amnesia is magically cured.

Cowardice inhibits bad and good behavior

In Matt 14, we find an interesting twist on the effects of cowards. John the Baptist is arrested and Herod wanted to kill him immediately:

Matthew 14:5 ESV

5 And though he wanted to put him to death, he feared the people, because they held him to be a prophet.

so thanks to the coward Herod, John the Baptist gets to live just a little longer. Then jumping a few chapters to chapter 21, the Christ asks a question of the Pharisees in response to the Pharisees questioning His authority

Matthew 21:24–27 ESV

24 Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

It is from the Pharisees’ fear that we get this somewhat comical reaction.

Cowardice leads to avoiding difficulties

in one of the most difficult moments leading up to the cross for our Lord we see the consequence of fearful men. Jesus is about to be arrested and he tells the crowd there:

Matthew 26:56 ESV

56 But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.

Right as Jesus confronts the chief priests and Elders about the real reason this is happening, the disciples run away. I don’t know if there is a clearer picture of the selfishness that is involved in self-preservation. Now don’t get me wrong, I do think as part of being good stewards of all that Christ has given to us, we ought to have a plan in place and to be prepared for disasters. However, it crosses a line when one becomes obsessed with the ways to prepare for all the infinite “what ifs.” The focus then shifts from God to you as you think of yourself and how will you survive. “How can you say that Josh?” Well first, danger and risk are expected as almost a norm for the Christian life, not as exceptional. “Yes, so what’s your beef with preppers?” Well, the New Testament’s attitude to this fact of Christian life is not self-protection, but rather self-sacrifice or “a living sacrifice. That’s the attitude of a mature believer. That’s what we can expect to experience. “Really?” Yes! Paul did:

2 Corinthians 11:23–27 ESV

23 Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.

And if that is not enough, Jesus, the living Word, had promised that’s the way life should be for us:

Luke 21:16–19 ESV

16 You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. 17 You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By your endurance you will gain your lives.

Second, an obsession with self-preservation is inherently going to confuse the world of what it means to follow Jesus — Matthew 16:24–25

Matthew 16:24–25 ESV

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Third, for those of you who are known to the lost as a person who uses extra money and time and effort and focus too much on creating a refuge to withstand EMP or Nuclear attacks, it is going to make you look as if you don’t believe the psalms when they say:

Psalm 31:3–4 ESV

3 For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me; 4 you take me out of the net they have hidden for me, for you are my refuge.

and what about Ps 62?

Psalm 62:7–8 ESV

7 On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. 8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah

So fear communicates to the lost that a distrust in YHWH is acceptable. If we are really doing all our self-preservation or “prepping” out of selfless love, what about the people who are going to die eternally for lack of the gospel? Are we really concerned in taking the same steps as seriously to preserve them for eternity? What a horrible price to pay. This brings us to the next point:

Cowardice is contagious

It can spread within a group, The OT is full of examples:

Deuteronomy 20:8 ESV

8 And the officers shall speak further to the people, and say, ‘Is there any man who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go back to his house, lest he make the heart of his fellows melt like his own.’

Cowards were prohibited to be near the armies of God’s people. And this is seen with Gideon’s army as well by a direct command from YHWH:

Judges 7:2–3 ESV

2 The Lord said to Gideon, “The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ 3 Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home and hurry away from Mount Gilead.’ ” Then 22,000 of the people returned, and 10,000 remained.

And YHWH kept going until there were 300 men—that is scary! But that is because YHWH is Omnipotent! All-powerful!

II. God gives hope to the Fearful

Yes! our all-powerful God gives us glorious hope even if we are the ones that are the cowards! And it is through the third person of the trinity, the Holy Spirit!

Turn to Acts chapter 4, I want you to see how the Holy Spirit gave the disciples a supernatural boldness. Peter and John had just healed a lame man and then preached to the people about how they killed Jesus, the One who gives them power & life. They get arrested for their fiery preaching and brought before the Sanhedrin, the council of the Sadducees:

Ac 4:5–10; Ac 4:13; Ac 4:29–31

Acts 4:5–10 ESV

5 On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, 6 with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7 And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9 if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well.

Peter is not beating around the bush on this one! now jump to verse 13:

Acts 4:13 ESV

13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.

It Is by their boldness that these people listening recognize that they are from Jesus! Then in verse 29, in a middle of a rejoicing prayer:

Acts 4:29–31 ESV

29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

WOW! if only we could do the same today! I think we can!

So What?

So Church shootings do happen, severe persecution happens daily. but the answer isn’t found in tighter security, more guns in the hands of “good citizens”, or even the opposite: no guns at all. The answer isn’t found in laying awake late at night unable to sleep from worry and anxiety over wondering if that scary Muslim knew that I was a devoted Christian. The the answer is a complete trust in Christ.

According to The Gospel Coalition:

There are an estimated 378,000 different churches in the United States, which means the likelihood of any one congregation being involved in a shooting in any year is approximately one in 126,000 or 0.0000079 percent.

The purpose of considering such statistics is not to assuage our fear through probability but to help us to gain a clearer perspective on reality—a reality that is in God’s hands. What these numbers help us quantify is God’s providential restraint on a specific form of evil.

Satan is a terrorist and if he had his way, there would be some form of deadly violence—including church shootings—on every Sunday in every congregation. But like human terrorists, he is thwarted and limited in his desire to cause direct harm, and so the Devil relies on intimidation.

If he can’t cause violence in our churches he will use church shootings to cause division among God’s people and cause them to fear entering houses of worship. We must not give into such satanic terrorism.

So Anchor your self to Truth!

Hebrews 6:19–20 ESV

19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

there are many promises we can anchor ourselves to from scripture but I’ll just leave you with three that Desiring God published in an article just a couple days ago:

Promise #1: God is always good.

Yes, yes, God is good. We believe this. But this truth is hard for us to wrap our minds around when circumstances seem bad. When the grim news arrives, the tragedy strikes, and our worst fear becomes a reality — what then? Can we still declare, “You are good and only do good”?

How about if it’s your child that gets shot in the next service? Is YHWH still omni-benevolent?

Kristen Wetherell, in her article on fear says:

Here’s how the promise of God’s goodness casts out fear: God is for you in Jesus Christ, not against you. The giving of his Son for the sake of your soul is the ultimate demonstration of his goodness toward you. Not only this, but what happened at the cross proves that what appears bad God intends for our good. Even death did not have the final word. Christ disarmed it “by canceling the record of debt that stood against us” (Colossians 2:14–15).

Colossians 2:14–15 ESV

14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

Promise #2: God will let nothing go to waste.

He uses everything for the good of His chosen.

Romans 8:28 ESV

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

In Christ, all things work together for our ultimate good and for His Glory name — all things meaning both life’s joys and sorrows. In God’s infinite wisdom, no tragedy goes to waste. If it were my child that gets shot and killed, I must believe it is for my ultimate good and for His Glory regardless of my understanding because I would choose to believe. it is this type of belief that casts out all fear.

Isaiah 57:1–2 ESV

1 The righteous man perishes, and no one lays it to heart; devout men are taken away, while no one understands. For the righteous man is taken away from calamity; 2 he enters into peace; they rest in their beds who walk in their uprightness.

Sometimes the righteous are taking early to prevent further suffering to themselves!

John Piper points out in one of his recent interviews that it is allowed in Scripture, when danger comes, to flee or to stand and suffer. but to always flee misrepresents the value of Christ and heaven to give the impression that death is the worst thing that could happen. How can we make Christ look like he really is — the supreme treasure of our lives? Can we say, “Amen” to Psalm 63:3?

Psalm 63:3 ESV

3 Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.

nothing, not even life nor death is wasted.

Promise #3: God will provide everything you need.

“The Christian whose faith is upheld by Christ in suffering is a display, to the church and to the world, of his all-sufficient strength to the church and the world.” This doesn’t mean He’s going to provide everything to keep you completely safe, but He will provide everything to bring Him glory. Trusting in God’s promise to supply for our every breath is a testimony that he is indeed enough for us, even through the most horrific events in life.

If you were to at least willing to dwell on these three promises this week, and make Christ’s perspective your perspective, you will see your fears, worries, and anxieties fade away.