FEAR'S FIX
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Series Big Idea: God does not judge people the way the world judges - do not limit what you think He can do in and through you. The key is sincere faith in Him
Series Big Idea: God does not judge people the way the world judges - do not limit what you think He can do in and through you. The key is sincere faith in Him
For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” ()
Introduction
Introduction
What do you fear? As children, we feared things that might not bother us as adults - monster’s under the bed, bullies, etc. I remember, literally, being afraid of a shadow.
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As people grow up and become adults, they get to a certain point where they never fear anything ever again, right? No — we are susceptible to all kinds of fears: financial, health, family, the condition of the world we live in.
Here’s one thing we can be sure of: God loves each and every one of us — Jesus made that love very clear when He gave up His life’s blood on the cross.
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
As we look into the lives of some of our heroes of the faith, it seems that some of them struggled more with fear than others.
God doesn’t want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible.
Big Idea: Faith + Love = the antidote to crippling fear
Have you ever been so afraid that you could barely breathe?
Unchecked fear can be debilitating...
Fear can stop you in your tracks
Fear can stop you in your tracks
frozen with fear
Stubborn fear requires a wake-up call - Moses
One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. Looking this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.
The next day Moses discovered that his crime was not a secret — it says that when the Pharoah found out he tried to kill Moses — Moses fled into the desert of Midian, where he stayed for 40 years.
In , God meets Moses in the wilderness and speaks to him through a burning bush —
He tells Moses to go to Egypt because God chose him to lead the people out of bondage. What did Moses do? He questioned God
But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”
Exodus 3:11-12
God just continued giving Moses instructions about what to say and do when he gets to Egypt - But Moses is afraid and stubborn so he continues to try and get out of what God has called him to do
Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?”
Then the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?”
“A staff,” he replied.
The Lord said, “Throw it on the ground.”
Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. Then the Lord said to him, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.” So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. “This,” said the Lord, “is so that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has appeared to you.”
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God told Moses to show them other signs if they didn’t believe the miracle of the staff — leprous hand, water into blood
Even after the Lord showed Moses these miracles....He stubbornly resisted / because of fear I believe
Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”
The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”
But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.”
Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses and he said, “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and he will be glad to see you. You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him. But take this staff in your hand so you can perform the signs with it.”
It doesn’t make sense from our perspective — but Moses feared failure so much that he repeatedly tried to get out of what God told him to do
Are we that stubborn with God sometimes?
…fear can stop you in your tracks
Selfish fear requires confrontation -Peter
Fear sometimes needs
Selfish fear requires confrontation -Peter
In , Paul wrote about an incident involving Peter
Peter was in Antioch for a time and had become quite comfortable with the Gentile believers there - eating and having fellowship with them. This was unusual for a Jew, but Peter knew that Jesus came to save everyone, Jew and Gentile alike
When some Jewish brothers came to town, Peter stopped associating with the Gentiles, because he feared what the Jews would think about him
Paul confronted Peter to his face about this hypocrisy
APPLICATION
Fear doesn’t get us anywhere
Fear sucks the faith out of us
Fear causes us to hide in the shadows instead of sharing Jesus with the world around us
Love for God drives out fear
Love for God drives out fear
Love is the greatest motivator all — marriage, parenthood, patriotism, martyrdom
Love-driven Faith is willing to wait
How long did Abraham have to wait before his son Isaac was born? Long enough that it was literally impossible for Abraham or Sarah to become parents.
Why was Abraham willing to wait? He believe that God would do what He said He would do. He loved God and was close to Him.
When God instructed Abraham to sacrifice the son of promise - Isaac - wow! This would be a legitimate reason to fear. But Abraham loved and trusted God, and fear did not get in his way.
Love-driven faith turns away from sin
Beginning in , we find the amazing story of Joseph, son of Jacob
Joseph had these dreams that predicted his brothers and parents all bowing down to him. His brothers hated him for this and ended up selling Joseph into slavery and lying to Jacob about what happened.
Joseph ended up a servant in the house of Potiphar — one of Pharaoh's officials. Long story short: Joseph was so good at his job that Potiphar put him in charge of his whole house. Potiphar’s wife liked Joseph and tried to seduced him…but Joseph resisted her. She became furious and lied about him to her husband. Joseph ended up in prison.
Why did Joseph resist the temptation of this beautiful woman? Was it because he feared getting into trouble? No - it was because of His love for God
God continued to be with Joseph even while he was in prison — he used Joseph in a mighty way. Why? Because Joseph loved God and desired to honor His name above all else.
Challenge
Faith + Love = antidote to crippling fear
God called Moses to bring the people out of captivity
Moses struggled with fear but He loved Gd and God used Him
Jesus told Peter that He would use him to build His church
Peter struggled with fear but He loved God and God used Him
Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness
He believed God because he had a relationship with God — He loved God and had confidence in Him
Joseph loved God without hesistation
His commitment to the Lord was the way he was — he wouldn’t do anything other than what would honor His God
A few basic questions today
A couple basic questions today
Do you believe that Jesus is the Savior and that He loves you more than you can imagine?
Do you wish to follow Him no matter what?
Do you wish to be free from fear in your life? --- To have fear replaced by strong faith in God
We know that God has a plan for each one of us
We know that God has called us to be Christ’s representatives in this world
People need the Lord / so it is vital that we pursue God because we love Him and we believe His message
As we live that kind of life, we will be able to lead people to Jesus.