Fear Not Mary

Introduction

Fear has been a part of human existence since the fall of Adam and Eve. () Everybody is afraid of something.

Someone once said that there are 365 “fear nots” in the Bible, one for every day of the year. Although that’s a great thought, it’s not true.

However this idea of “Fear” is mentioned over 500 times in the Bible. The Bible teaches us that we are to “Fear God” which actually means a deep reverence for God and not to fear anyone or anything else.

A great example of this is when David is seized by the Philistines and he starts to become afraid, but instead of focusing on his fear of the Philly’s he focuses his attention towards God:

Psalm 56:10–11 NIV

10 In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise— 11 in God I trust and am not afraid. What can man do to me?

Psalm 56.

Psalm 56:3–4 NIV

3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. 4 In God, whose word I praise— in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?

We all battle fear of some kind! (what people think of you, not enough money, failure, etc …)

We all battle fear of some kind! (what people think of you, not enough money, failure, etc …)

Today we are beginning a new series = Fear Not

Mary - (Fear of what God ask us to do)

Joseph - (Fear of what people think)

The Shepherds -

Luke 1:26–38 NIV

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” 34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.” 38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

1. God’s interruptions are often happen in the most unusual places.

Nazareth

This is the first mention of Nazareth in the Old or New Testament. “Nazareth is perhaps remarkable for its unremarkable nature.”

John 1:45–46 NIV

45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip.

Jesus, the son of God, and savior of the World, would forever be identified with this place. (; ; ; )

God’s interruptions are often inconvenient

Examples:

Moses

Noah

Saul

2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.