God's Got This!

Fear The Lord

What is the fear of the Lord?

Fear should always lead us back to the cross of Jesus Christ. When we come back to the cross, back to Jesus with our fear, whether awe or scared, we will find hope.

Fear It's Self

The year is 1932. America and the World finds itself in the midst of a Great Depression. In Germany, a political movement is brewing which could bring about civil war. In America, we are in the midst of an election between Herbert Hoover and Franklin D. Roosevelt. FDR wins in a landslide with 472 electoral college votes to Hoover receiving a mere 59 delegates. FDR takes office in January of 1933 at the height of the Great Depression and unrest brewing in the world at large.

On March 4, 1933, the weather in Washington DC was mostly cloudy with a temperature of 42 degrees. FDR took office with much fear and anxiety in America and the World. That bring us to our topic from Matthew 6, fear and anxiety. It would be on that day that world would for the first time hear that famous quote,

Only thing we have to fear is fear itself. —FDR 1st Inaugural address in 1933

While possibly true, the only thing we have to fear is fear itself leads me to ask a question.

Where Does Fear Come From?

Two Places:

Situations & Relationships

Situational Fear-

The lesson from history today is a case study for situational fear. There are many things that happen in our lives that causes us to be fearful.

1. Stories From The Storm

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What Causes Our Situational Fear?

1. Lack of Control - We get fearful or full of anxiety when we can’t or don’t control the situation that we find ourselves in.

2. Bad Choices - Another thing that causes situational fear is our bad choices. These bad choices are not necessarily sinful choices but the can be.

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Relational Fear

Relational Fear is another way that we can be enslaved to fear and anxiety. Two way that relational fears manifests among many are

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Two Among Many

1. Someone Authority Over You

A) We see this kind of fear on a national level ever 2 to 4 years when we go through an election cycle. I am afraid of what might happen if this person is a elected. My anxiety levels are so high because I just know that this person will do this and if they do that it will destroy America, or my state, our city, my life.

2. Loss Of The Relationship

A) Another causes greater fear and anxiety than loss of a relationship. Don’t believe me? Asked a new widow that has never taken care of the bills in the 30 years they were married and now all of the sudden they have to figure out who to pay the bills? Who they have to pay? Where did their spouse keep all the important papers?

B) Death is not the only time that people will have anxiety because of loss of relationship. One relationship that most of us has endured at some point is the loss of a job. We fear we will loss our relationship with our employer.

How Do We Overcome These Fears?

1. Someone That Cares

2. Someone Who Has Control

Cares - Control = No Power To Change Situation

Control - Cares = Does Not Want To Change Situation

Control + Cares = Change

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What About My Bad Choices?

1. We Need Help!

a) Undo The Bad Choices

b) To Make Good Choices

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What Do You Fear?

What Causes You Anxiety?

Turn To The One That Cares & Is In Control