A good grief Christmas (fear)

Everyone is scared of something. Mice, spiders, snakes, birds, various insects like June bugs. Bats are often a common fear.

This Christmas we are doing a series called A good grief Christmas. Did you know you can learn a lot from Charlie Brown, my soul brother.

So let’s check in with Good old Charlie today and see what He can teach us about fear.

insert pt.2

See whether you are scared of heights, or flying or like my good friend Charlie, absolutely everything; Fear has a way of robbing us of our joy doesn’t it.

In fact throughout history one of many tactics used by power hungry leaders to keep people from rising up and challenging power is to keep them in a constant state of fear.

People who are crippled by fear, are less likely to develop the boldness they need to rise above the things in this world designed to keep us beaten down.

Maybe there is a reason the Command fear not or do not be afraid is found 80+ times in the bible.

God who is the source of all power and who is not insecure in that power, does not want His people to live in fear.

The question at hand in this series is...

Why does Christmas often leave us unfulfilled and unhappy?

The truth is one of the biggest thieves of our joy and happiness has been and will always be...

Fear

So how does this apply to Christmas?

Well quite frankly fear doesn’t take a Holiday.

What do I mean by that? Well last week we learned that unrealistic expectations keep us from enjoying Christmas.

So if you are hoping that the fears that were crippling you and robbing your joy in November would magically disappear in December you are going to be sadly mistaken, and for a lot of people Christmas actually produces a whole new set of fears that rob us of joy.

Fears that reveal themselves as what if questions like...

What if we don’t have enough food?

What if no one like the gifts I got them?

What if I don’t have enough money? or Can’t pay off the debt this year produced?

What if (random relative) shows up at the family party and causes trouble again this year?

What is paw gets drunk?

What if I forget someone and don’t get them a gift or a card?

What if someone spends more on me than I do on them?

You get the idea. See fear is one of the many reasons so many are left unhappy and unsatisfied at Christmas which is why the wise Lucy assumed this was Charlie Brown reason for being depressed at Christmas.

So I want to read you a passage from , honestly I had so many to choose from but This passage says it so clearly.

Remember God is talking to the Israelites here. These are His choose people through whom Jesus would come as a babe in a manger.

Isaiah 43:1–5 NLT

But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom; I gave Ethiopia and Seba in your place. Others were given in exchange for you. I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you. “Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will gather you and your children from east and west.

I

So what is the answer to the question...

Why does Christmas often leave us unfulfilled and unhappy?

Fear

But the real question is

How do you deal with fear?

Trust in the Lord your Creator

Me: So in the Charlie Brown Christmas special Chuck is upset because Christmas had become so commercial and no one could tell him the meaning of Christmas. Until Linus the queit stoic hero stands and delivers the true meaning of Christmas.

But you may not of noticed a very important symbolic moment in this telling. One thing we know about Linus is he always has a blanket with him. Time and time again the others try and get Linus to give up his security blanket without success.

I want you to watch this clip and watch closely especially when Linus gets to the part where the angles say fear not.

Insert pt.6

Did you notice when Linus dropped his blanket. This was a symbolic act communicating that linus didn’t need a security blanket because Jesus came to take away fear.

We: Like I stated at the beginning, we all have fears. Things the enemy uses to keep us from Enjoying life. But did you know the same God who promised to be with the Israelites so they need not fear, is the same God the Angles spoke about and told the Shepherds they need not fear is the same God who dwells inside every believer today.

God: In the passage in Isaiah God tells His people they have nothing to fear because they belonged to God. He created them, called them by name , ransomed them meaning paid for them and promises to keep them in the deep waters of life and the fires of life.

I want you to understand something. The same God who created the Israelites created you. The same God who called them by name stood at the door of your heart and knocked calling you also by name.

The same God who gave Egypt for a ransom for the Israelites freedom Gave His Son as a ransom for your freedom from Sin.

The Same God who said...

Isaiah 43:5 NLT

“Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will gather you and your children from east and west.

Is also with you and will never leave and for sake you.

To this I would add...

Romans 8:31 NLT

What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?

You: Can you see that you do not have to be afraid. When you feel like you are drowning in the deep waters of life or feel like you will not survive the fires and trials of life remember these words...

Isaiah 43:2 NLT

When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.

Isaiah 43:

We: When we let fear control us it is not a wonder we loss our joy. There is not joy in living in constant fear.

We do not need to be afraid because God is with us!

Next Step:

Write out the fears that are keeping you from enjoying life, then write right over top of them, God is with me, so what shall I fear. Then leave those fears at the alter.