DON'T LET FEAR LIMIT YOUR FUTURE (FEAR NOT, GOD'S GOT YOU)

FEAR NOT GOD’S GOT YOU

Psalm 23:1–4 KJV 1900

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

STEPPING THROUGH THE DOOR INTO A NEW YEAR SHOULD BE AN EXCITING EXPERIENCE. YET FOR MILLIONS OF PEOPLE, THE ADVENTURE OF ENTERING THE NEW YEAR IS OVERSHADOWED BY FEAR.

THE COLD BREATH OF FEAR KNOWS ALL AGES AND EVERY WALK OF LIFE. SOME PEOPLE ARE AFRAID TO GO TO THE SUPERMARKET OR CORNER STORE EVEN IN BROAD DAYLIGHT. OTHERS ARE AFRAID THEY MAY NOT FINE A JOB. PARENTS ARE AFRAID THAT THE NEXT RING OF THE PHONE MIGHT BRING BAD NEWS ABOUT THEIR CHILDREN. SICK PEOPLE ARE AFRAID OF WHAT THE DOCTOR MAY SAY THE NEXT TIME THEY GO TO SEE HIM. AND THOUSANDS ARE AFRAID OF THE FUTURE. FEAR, WITHOUT A DOUBT, IS ONE OF THE GREAT ENEMIES OF SUCCESSFUL LIVING.

NOT LONG AGO, A GROUP OF DISTINGUISHED SCHOLARS MET IN CHICAGO. THEY LISTENED AS A NOTED SCIENTIST GAVE A VERY GLOOMY PICTURE OF THE NEXT 25 YEARS. HE REPORTED THAT A PERSON BORN TODAY MAY LIVE TO BE A HUNDRED YEARS OLD. BUT DURING THIS TIME HE MAY SEE FRIENDS AND FAMILY DIE, THE WORLD RUN OUT OIL AND NATURAL GAS. HE MAY ALSO SEE A MASSIVE DROUGHT ACROSS AMERICA, WORLDWIDE FAMINE, AND A MAJOR AMERICAN CITY LEVELED BY AN EARTHQUAKE. THAT'S A VERY DARK AND GLOOMY FORECAST.

BUT DESPITE THE MANY REPORTS LIKE THIS, THE FUTURE DOES HAVE GREAT POSSIBILITIES. THERE ARE MANY EXCITING PROSPECTS FOR THE YEARS AHEAD. FEAR IS DESTRUCTIVE. LIKE A DROP OF INK IN A GLASS OF WATER, A LITTLE IS ENOUGH TO COLOR EVERYTHING.

I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT ALL FEARS ARE NOT BAD. THE FEAR THAT MAY KEEP A SMALL CHILD FROM RUNNING INTO THE STREET MAY SAVE HIS LIFE NOW THAT'S GOOD FEAR. THE FEAR THAT WILL KEEP YOU FROM TOUCHING A HIGH VOLTAGE WIRE THAT'S GOOD FEAR. YES THERE IS SOME FEARS THAT ARE HELPFUL.

ABOVE ALL WE NEED TO FEAR GOD. TO HAVE A REVERENCE, AN AWE FOR THE GOD WHO MADE US. REPEATEDLY THE BIBLE TELL US THAT IT IS THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM.

FEAR DOES NOT DEPEND ON HOW GOOD OR BAD CONDITIONS ARE. IT DEPENDS ON HOW WE RESPONSE TO THEM. FEAR CAN TIE US UP IN KNOTS. IT CAN PARALYZE OUR THINKING AND OUR ACTIONS.

SOMEONE MIGHT ASK REV. WHAT IS FEAR? WELL THE DICTIONARY DEFINES IT AS A PAINFUL EMOTION MARKED BY ALARM. IT IS OUR RESPONSE TO WHAT WE THINK MAY BE UNPLEASANT AND OR HARMFUL.

FEAR IS AS OLD AS SIN. IT BEGAN IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN THE DAY THAT ADAM AND EVE DISOBEYED GOD. IN WE FIND ADAM AND EVE HIDING FEARFULLY FROM GOD AMONG THE TREES OF THE GARDEN.

EVER SINCE THAT TRAGIC DAY, FEAR HAS FOLLOWED EVERY MEMBER OF THE HUMAN RACE. WE FEAR AS BABIES. WE HAVE FEARS IN OUR CHILDHOOD AND GREAT AND GROWING FEARS IN OUR YOUTH. THEN MORE FEARS HOUND US THROUGH ADULTHOOD AND EVEN INTO OUR OLD AGE. SOME EVEN FEAR GETTING OLD

FEAR WOULD HAVE YOU BURYING THE TALENTS AND RESOURCES GOD GAVE YOU INSTEAD OF DOING THE WORK. WE’VE BEEN APPOINTED AND ANOINTED TO DO

I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT ALL FEARS ARE NOT BAD. THE FEAR THAT MAY KEEP A SMALL CHILD FROM RUNNING INTO THE STREET MAY SAVE HIS LIFE NOW THAT'S GOOD FEAR. THE FEAR THAT WILL KEEP YOU FROM TOUCHING A HIGH VOLTAGE WIRE THAT'S GOOD FEAR. YES THERE IS SOME FEARS THAT ARE HELPFUL.

ABOVE ALL WE NEED TO FEAR GOD. TO HAVE A REVERENCE, AN AWE FOR THE GOD WHO MADE US. REPEATEDLY THE BIBLE TELL US THAT IT IS THE FEAR OF THE LORD WHICH IS THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM.

THE KIND OF FEAR THAT BURDENS, IS SOMETHING ELSE. IT IS A ANXIOUS FEAR, A FEAR THAT CHILLS AND FREEZES AND KILLS. GOD IS AGAINST THIS FEAR. AGAIN AND AGAIN, EVEN WHEN GOD HAS SPOKEN TO MEN, HIS FIRST WORDS HAVE BEEN FEAR NOT. DON'T BE AFRAID.

THE KIND OF FEAR THAT BURDENS IS SOMETHING ELSE.IT IS A ANXIOUS FEAR, A FEAR THAT CHILLS AND FREEZES AND KILLS. GOD IS AGAINST THIS FEAR. AGAIN AND AGAIN, WHEN GOD HAS SPOKEN TO MEN, HIS FIRST WORDS HAVE BEEN FEAR NOT. DON'T BE AFRAID.

THE BIBLE SAYS THAT ANXIOUS FEAR IS SIN. IN FACT, PUTS FEAR FIRST IN A LIST OF SINS. NOTICE HOW VERSE 8 BEGINS. BUT THE FEARFUL, AND UNBELIEVING, AND THE ABOMINABLE, AND MURDERERS, AND WHORMONGERS, AND SORCERERS, AND IDOLATERS, AND ALL LIARS, SHALL HAVE THEIR PART IN THE SECOND DEATH. YOU SEE GOD WANTS US TO WALK IN FAITH, NOT IN FEAR.

FOR YEARS GOD'S SERVANT DAVID WAS HOUNDED BY KING SAUL. BUT HE FOUND HELP. FOR DAVID SAID IN I SOUGHT THE LORD AND HE HEARD ME, AND DELIVERED ME FROM ALL MY FEARS. DAVID LOOKED TO THE LORD AND FOUND RELIEF. IN THE SAME PSALM, HE ADDS, THE ANGEL OF THE LORD ENCAMPETH ROUND ABOUT THEM THAT FEAR HIM, AND DELIVERETH THEM.(VERSE 7)

IF WE PUT GOD FIRST IN OUR LIFE, IF WE RESPECT AND REVERENCE HIM,WE CAN REST ASSURED THAT JUST AS GOD DELIVERED DAVID,

IF WE PUT GOD FRIST IN OUR LIFE, IF WE RESPECT AND REVERENCE HIM, HE WILL DELIVER US FROM OUR FEARS.

JUST AS HE DELIVERED THE THREE HEBREW BOYS,

JUST AS HE DELIVERED DANIEL

JUST AS HE DELIVERED THE CHILDREN OF ISREAL

JUST AS HE DELIVERED THOSE THAT CAME BEFORE US,

JUST AS HE DELIVERED MAMA NEM GOD WILL DELIVER

GOD WILL DELIVER,

GOD WILL DELIVER YOU

GOD WILL DELIVER US

MY GOD WILL DELIVER ME

LET US LOOK AT SOME OF THE PROMISES OF THE SCRIPTURE.

THE LORD IS MY LIGHT AND MY SALVATION: WHOM SHALL I FEAR? THE LORD IS THE STRENGTH OF MY LIFE; OF WHOM SHALL I BE AFRAID?

THOU ART MY HIDING PLACE; THOU SHALT PRESERVE ME FROM TROUBLE; THOU SHALT COMPASS ME ABOUT WITH SONGS OF DELIVERANCE.

PSALM 56:3 WHAT TIME I AM AFRAID, I WILL TRUST THEE.

PSALM 56:3 WHAT TIME I AM AFRAID, I WILL TRUST THEE.

PSALM 91:2 I WILL SAY OF THE LORD, HE IS MY REFUGE AND MY FORTRESS MY GOD; IN HIM WILL I TRUST.

BUT WHEN I CONSIDER THE PROMISES OF THE 23 CAN'T HELP BUT TO REJOICE. LET US LOOK BACK AT HOW GOD’S GOT YOU VERSE 4 SAYS YEA THOUGH I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH, I WILL FEAR NO EVIL. THY ROD AND THY STAFF THEY COMFORT ME

. God’s rod and staff are not out to get you or punish you. They comfort you. How? Picture a shepherd and his sheep. The shepherd uses a rod to discipline the sheep and a staff to direct the sheep. If a sheep is headed off of a cliff, the shepherd uses the rod and staff to make sure it doesn’t. Wouldn’t you agree that’s a good thing? When you’re heading off a cliff, God will bring discipline and direction into your life to keep you from falling off that cliff. It’s not condemning; it’s comforting, because somebody loves you enough to tell you when you’re headed the wrong direction.

CAN YOU SEE THE ROD FROM JESSE’S STEM (CL)

That is the kind of God who loves us. That is the kind of God who comforts us. That is the kind of God who gives us hope.

Psalm 23 KJV 1900

A Psalm of David. 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: And I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.