Fear Not...Anything!

Introduction

According to an ancient legend, a man driving one day to Constantinople was stopped by an old woman who asked him for a ride. He took her up beside him and, as they drove along, he looked at her and become frightened and asked, "Who are you?" The old woman replied: "I am Cholera"

The traveler asked Plague if he would do all the killing and Plague answered, "Oh, no, I shall kill only a few hundred and my friend Fear will kill the others."

The old woman replied: "I am Cholera" Thereupon the peasant ordered the old woman to get down and walk; but she persuaded him to take her along upon her promise that she would not kill more than five people in Constantinople. As a pledge of the promise she handed him a dagger, saying to him that it was the only weapon with which she could be killed. Then she added: "I shall meet you in two days. If I break my promise, you may stab me."

Thereupon the peasant ordered the old woman to get down and walk; but she persuaded him to take her along upon her promise that she would not kill more than five people in Constantinople. As a pledge of the promise she handed him a dagger, saying to him that it was the only weapon with which she could be killed. Then she added: "I shall meet you in two days. If I break my promise, you may stab me."

In Constantinople 120 people died of the cholera. The enraged man who had driven her to the city, and to whom she had given the dagger as a pledge that she would not kill more than five, went out to look for the old woman, and meeting her, raised his dagger to kill her. But she stopped him, saying: "I have kept my agreement. I killed only five. Fear killed the others."

In Constantinople 120 people died of the cholera. The enraged man who had driven her to the city, and to whom she had given the dagger as a pledge that she would not kill more than five, went out to look for the old woman, and meeting her, raised his dagger to kill her. But she stopped him, saying: "I have kept my agreement. I killed only five. Fear killed the others."

This legend is a true parable of life. Where disease kills its thousands, fear kills its tens of thousands. The greatest miseries of mankind come from the dread of trouble rather than from the presence of trouble. From the cradle to the grave fear casts its baleful shadow. Fear betrays man's spirit, breaks down his defense, disarms him in the battle, unfits him for the work of life, and adds terror to the dying bed.

This legend is a true parable of life. Where disease kills its thousands, fear kills its tens of thousands. The greatest miseries of mankind come from the dread of trouble rather than from the presence of trouble.

From the cradle to the grave fear casts its baleful shadow. Fear betrays man's spirit, breaks down his defense, disarms him in the battle, unfits him for the work of life, and adds terror to the dying bed.

Life is full of hardships, tragedies and struggles. When faced with such, we can grow concerned…A concern is a matter of interest or importance. A concern is something in which we are invested.

Once we have a concern in life, we as humans address them through our thoughts, speech and actions.

As believers, the way we think, talk about and react to our concerns from a place of faith, never fear. We address the uncertainties of life from the certainty of our relationship with Christ. We believe and trust our God is all powerful, all knowing and completely in control…we believe and trust we have a God bigger than any concern we could ever have.

When we choose to address our concerns from a place of fear rather than faith we remove ourselves from the peace God naturally gives His children.

An oriental legend tells of the desert traveler, who, one night met Fear and Plague, going to Baghdad where they expected to kill 10,000 persons. The traveler asked Plague if he would do all the killing and Plague answered, "Oh, no, I shall kill only a few hundred and my friend Fear will kill the others."

Anxiety

I know that many of us are having anxious moments right now. We are concerned and that concern often leads to worry and fear. We wonder if we will get the virus…will our parents, grandparents, kids? Will we have a job next month? What will our economy and world be like in 6 months, a year or more?

Life can hit us with a LOT of uncertainty. It doesn’t require a global crisis for each of us to have anxiety and fear. We simply live in a broken world and it is not working as intended.

God created both man and the world perfect. Before sin there was perfect, unbroken relationship with God, no sickness, disease, virus, pain, suffering or death. But the entry of sin corrupted everything and left us uncertain and insecure.

This uncertainty and insecurity has produced moment after moment in which we are left feeling anxious. But God did not leave us to fend for ourselves…He did not leave us in this world alone. He is always with us…and if we have faith in Him we can live in the peace He gives in the midst of the storm.

You expected to hear a sermon like this didn’t you? Expected me to say those words. God gives us peace…Jesus loves us…etc....etc. We have heard those words so much that they have lost some of their impact. But when life becomes overwhelming we look at these facts and platitudes in a different light. They become meaningful