fear & PURPOSE

Mark Twain once said "There are two types of speakers: those who are nervous and those who are liars." So, I’d like to start off with a story about myself, from way back when I was 13 years old…

My 8th Grade Science Project: I was in 8th grade, and I loved science. I still do. One of our last assignments for the class was to do an experiment using the “scientific method” (theory and experiment with a control group) Oral report on the results in the whole class I was terrified, and I was so psyched out that I stuttered while I spoke, and forgot what I was going to say, and I ended up getting a “D” for that presentation. I literally told myself I was going to fail, and I all but did. It was a self-fulfilling prophecy. Today I want to talk to you about “fear and Purpose” (small “f”, big “P”) (The Passion Translation)

15 Those who give thanks that Jesus is the Son of God, live in God, and God lives in them. 16 We have come into an intimate experience with God’s love, and we trust in the love he has for us. God is love! Those who are living in love, are living in God, and God lives through them. 17 By living in God, love has been brought to its full expression in us so that we may fearlessly face the day of judgment, because all that Jesus now is, so are we in this world. 18 Love never brings fear, for fear is always related to punishment. But love’s perfection drives the fear of punishment far from our hearts. Whoever walks constantly afraid of punishment has not reached love’s perfection. 19 Our love for others is our grateful response to the love God first demonstrated to us. Key Point of this verse I want to focus on today: “Love never brings fear, for fear is always related to punishment. But love’s perfection drives the fear of punishment far from our hearts.” Fear is one of the enemy's most used tactic against us… and it’s the #1 tactic he uses against me. Fear is so commonly used that throughout the Bible, God has to frequently command people to not be afraid. ( “!” ) In the KJV, “Fear not!” is said 86 times In the KJV, “Be not afraid!” is said 26 times, For a Total of 112 times where someone is commanded to not be afraid. An example of fear overcoming people in the Bible… (Here’s the scene… In Matthew, after Jesus does a bunch of ministry, He is tired and wants to get on a boat to cross the sea, so He can rest while He and His disciples are traveling…) - The Passion Translation (TPT)

Jesus Calms a Storm 23 They all got into a boat and began to cross over to the other side of the lake. And Jesus, exhausted, fell asleep. 24 Suddenly a violent storm developed, with waves so high the boat was about to be swamped. Yet Jesus continued to sleep soundly. 25 The disciples woke him up, saying, “Save us, Lord! We’re going to die!” 26 But Jesus reprimanded them. “Why are you gripped with fear? Where is your faith?” Then he stood up and rebuked the storm and said, “Be still!” And instantly it became perfectly calm. 27 The disciples were astonished by this miracle and said to one another, “Who is this Man? Even the wind and waves obey his Word.” So… the disciples wake Jesus when they think they are going to die… Then Jesus calms the storm… Then the disciples are amazed… When the disciples cried out to Jesus, and woke him up, they weren’t actually expecting a solution. They were actually just looking for Jesus to validate their fear! Jesus performed the miracle, despite the disciple’s disbelief and lack of faith! Jesus did it anyway. Another example from the Bible… Moses… He gets a little closer… But still misses it by a little bit… (Here’s the scene… Moses and the people of Israel have left Egypt, and are being pursued by Pharo and his whole army, and they hit a dead end when they come to the Red Sea, and everyone is afraid…) (The Red Sea Crossing) 10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. 11 They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” 13 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” 15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. God was ready to back up Moses’s actions! God didn’t want Moses and the people of Israel to sit around and wait for a miracle. He wanted them to create the miracle! God had already told Moses what to do. He said “Take my people from right here to over there”. God gave him his assignment and his purpose. Therefore, I believe that whatever Moses had decided to do, to fulfill the purpose God had already assigned to him, God was ready to back him up! Yet Moses told the people “Be still, and wait for God”. I think that as long as Moses was walking in the Purpose that God had already spoke over him, God would have backed him up with anything. Throw a rock into the water… Speak to the water… Take a step into the water… Whatever he did, I think God would have honored his faith, and backed up his plan. Bill Johnson, pastor of Bethel Redding says it this way: "We have to quit being impressed by the size of our problem." Here is what God says about fear:

12 “I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you fear mere mortals, human beings who are but grass, that you forget the Lord your Maker, who stretches out the heavens and who lays the foundations of the earth, that you live in constant terror every day because of the wrath of the oppressor, who is bent on destruction? For where is the wrath of the oppressor? Here God is trying to give us perspective from HIS point of view: <read again> “Who are you that you fear mere mortals, human beings who are but grass, that you forget the Lord your Maker, who stretches out the heavens and who lays the foundations of the earth…” How about this translation… “Why are you afraid? You’ve done the work. Now go get up in front of that class and share what you learned! I’ve got your back! No one can do anything to you. Go get that A that you deserve!” So who, in the Bible, is an example of someone getting it right? David. As a young person, still in his teens, David was able to step out in faith and declare victory over an impossible situation. And he knew that God would back him up! (Again… Here’s the scene… David is standing in front of the Philistine giant Goliath, with the entire Philistine army standing behind Goliath, watching and waiting to conquer Israel and make it their own. Behind David, the entire army of Israel is trembling in fear, absolutely sure that they are all going to die, and the nation of Israel will no longer exist…)

David said to the Philistine, <yell this out loud!> “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.” <…pause…> You know what you don’t read when you read this chapter? God did not tell David to say that! David doesn’t even to stop and pray about the situation! So why did he? What gave David the courage to step out and say that in faith? Yes, David’s previous experiences of the Lord backing him up with killing the lion and the bear gave David the faith to know that he had the skill to use his sling against the giant. But what about the rest of the army? How was David able to declare absolute victory in this conflict? I propose this… Because IF the Philistine army had won that battle, there would be no kingdom for David to rule over, and Samuel had already prophesied that David would be king. David knew God’s purpose for his life, and so he could absolutely declare the victory over the enemy, because he knew that there could be no other outcome that was possible that would still allow the Lord’s word to be true. Ask: What one thing would you do if you weren’t afraid to do it? Here is one of mine… It has taken me 32 years, (32 years = CHANGE!) but here I am, standing in front of all of you. And I do not plan to get graded a “D” today because I am afraid. I have a purpose, and I can see it, and no giant is going to stand in front of me, and make me afraid of the purpose God himself has assigned to me. So, let me ask you this… If Jesus physically appeared right here, right now in front of you and prophesied something to you, would you believe it? Would you take any kind of action to make that thing happen? Yes? GOOD! It’s a trick question. He already has!

12 “I tell you this timeless truth: The person who follows me in faith, believing in me, will do the same mighty miracles that I do - even greater miracles than these because I go to be with my Father! 13 For I will do whatever you ask me to do when you ask me in my name. And that is how the Son will show what the Father is really like and bring glory to him. 14 Ask me anything in my name, and I will do it for you!” For that to happen… for that to be true… it takes action on our part. We have got to get over being afraid to do what Jesus said WE WOULD DO! He told us to do it. It is His will, so we KNOW that He will back us up! Jack Hayford said: “How would you treat a friend who lied to you as much as your fears do?” So, what is it that stands in between you and your God given purpose and calling that YOU need to declare has already been defeated?