The Fear of Man is a Snare

The Fear of Man is a Snare

Text: Proverbs 29:24–25 (KJV 1900)

25 The fear of man bringeth a snare: But whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.

Introduction:

Verses about the fear of Man:

Psalm 118:5–8 (KJV 1900)

5 I called upon the Lord in distress: The Lord answered me, and set me in a large place. 6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: What can man do unto me? 7 The Lord taketh my part with them that help me: Therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me. 8 It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in man.

Hebrews 13:5–6 (KJV 1900)

5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

* The fear of man lays many snares in our minds that keep us from knowing and doing the will of God in our lives.

* We often care about other people’s opinion more than we care about God’s opinion.

* We worry about our status among fellow humans more than weather or not we are pleasing to God.

* We worry about doing the will of man more than we do about doing the will of God.

* This is exactly what is happening in our country right now. As a nation, we are so worried that somebody might be offended that we are willing to completely abandon common sense.

* This past week, the news media, reporting on the George Zimmerman self-defense case, has tried to make a mockery of our laws and judicial system that has worked for us for over 200 years.

* People are calling to disregard the legal process in order to condemn this man so that he might be tried again by public opinion.

* In this same manner the fear of man keeps us from bearing fruit in our lives by laying snares, or mental traps that will stop God’s will from being accomplished in our lives.

* Here are just a few of the snares, or traps that will can result from fear of man in our lives:

The Fear of Man is a form of Idolatry.

* When we care about what man thinks more than what God thinks, we turn people into idols that we worship—seeking to please them in order to earn their approval or respect.

The Fear of Man will cause you to be ineffective in Ministry.

* When we fear man we neglect God’s calling for us and we lose focus on executing the tasks in front of us because we’re too preoccupied with what others are thinking.

The Fear of Man will cause you to be Double Minded.

* The Fear of Man will cause you to be motivated by the opinions of others and you won’t act like yourself. You’ll be a chameleon, adapting yourself to any situation for the sole purpose of fitting in.

The Fear of Man will prevent you from stepping out in faith to accomplish what God has called you to do.

* If you fear man and you’ll quit taking risks because of the potential for embarrassment in failure. If an endeavor is unlikely to succeed, you’ll never take the chance. In other words, you’ll never do much of anything for God.

The Fear of man will cause you to water down God’s Word.

* It’s tough to speak the truth of the Bible in today’s society because the truth can be painful. If we fear somebody’s response, however, necessary words will remain unsaid because we care more about ourselves, (being liked), than we do about the person. This negligence always creates more long-term damage than the hurt it avoids in the present.

The fear of man will cause you to compromise your convictions.

* When we live out of fear rather than out of the convictions God has given us, we spin in circles unable to move forward.

The fear of man will dilute your relationship with God.

* Fear and worship are reserved for God. In the end, only his opinion counts.

I. How Nehemiah and the people of God overcame the fear of man.

* This morning I would like for us to examine the story of a man would not allow the fear of man keep him from doing what God intended for Him to do.

* Turn in your Bible with me now to the book of Nehemiah and chapter 2. I will begin reading with verse 17:

Nehemiah 2:17–20 (KJV 1900)

17 Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.

* I want you to see this morning that there was a great need that god had laid upon the heart of Nehemiah.

* Like Nehemiah, when Debbie and I came to this community we came, we believed, sent here by God to accomplish a mission for God because there is a great need.

* This is what we believed in our hearts.

18 Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king’s words that he had spoken unto me.

* Like these people, you shared our mission and joined with us to help us accomplish this work for God.

And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.

* Just like with this story of Nehemiah, As soon as many in this community heard of this work we had all set out to do, many of the “inhabitants of the land around us” began to “Laugh us to scorn.”

19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?

20 Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.

* I want you to see here now in this story how the Devil works to destroy a work for God:

Nehemiah 4:1–3 (KJV 1900)

But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.

* The thing the Devil will do to attempt to defeat the work of God is to ridicule and mock.

* The Devil will constantly remind you of how feeble you are. The Devil will try to defeat the work you are doing by convincing you, through the “fear of man” that you are unworthy, unqualified, and unprepared to do the work God has called you to do.

2 And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? Will they fortify themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they make an end in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned? 3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.

* Now I want you to notice in this story the proper attitude we should take when the Devil comes making fun of our efforts to do the work of God- the made up their minds to Work! The people of God had a mind to work!

Nehemiah 4:4–6 (KJV 1900)

4 Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity: 5 And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders.

6 So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.

* I want you to see now that if the Devil cannot cause the work of God to cease, then He will change is tactics from mocking, and belittling to threats:

Nehemiah 4:7–9 (KJV 1900)

7 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth,

8 And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.

9 Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.

10 And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.

11 And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease.

* I want you to see now, the proper reaction of the man of God and the people of God to the Devil’s threats-

-they strap on their swords and get ready to do battle with those the Devil has sent to hinder them in the work:

“Resist the Devil and he will flee from you”

Nehemiah 4:14–21 (KJV 1900)

14 And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.

15 And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work. 16 And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.

17 They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.

18 For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me. 19 And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another. 20 In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us. 21 So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.

22 Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labour on the day.

23 So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes, saving that every one put them off for washing.

* Now, when the Devil doesn’t succeed in stopping the work of God with mocking, and threats, then he will change his tactics ye again.

* Now the Devil tries to get Nehemiah to compromise and “sit down and have a dialog.”

* Notice Nehemiah’s reaction to this notion if talking things over:

Nehemiah 6:1–3 (KJV 1900)

Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;)

2 That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief.

3 And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?

* When the Devil cannot stop the work of God by mockery and ridicule, or by threats, then he will result to betrayal.

* One close to Nehemiah is sent by the devil to betray him and convince him he needs to run and hide.

* The Devil has done his level best this week to cause Debbie and I to succumb to the fear of man and run and hide.

* I had every intention of resigning this church tonight in order to hide from the mockery, ridicule, betrayal, and trickery of the Devil over the work that we are trying to do for God.

* After study to prepare this message I believe God has shown me through the example of Nehemiah and the people of God in this story this morning that God would not have me run from the Devil.

Nehemiah 6:10–12 (KJV 1900)

10 Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was shut up; and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee.

11 And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.

12 And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

* God did not disappoint Nehemiah and these good folks. Even though the Devil mocked, threatened, deceived, and betrayed, because the people had a mind to work, the work of God was finished.

Nehemiah 6:15–16 (KJV 1900)

15 So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.

16 And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes:

* So what was the outcome when the people of God did not succumb to the fear of man in this story?

* The inhabitants of the land saw the work of Nehemiah and the people of God was done by the very hand of God.

for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.

Text: Proverbs 29:24–25 (KJV 1900)

25 The fear of man bringeth a snare: But whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.

II. Other examples of those who had to overcome the fear of man to do the work of God.

-Jacob had to overcome the fear of his brother Esau -Moses had to overcome the fear Pharaoh -Gideon had to overcome the fear of the -The Children of Israel had to overcome the fear of the Anikim -David had to overcome the fear of Goliath -The early church had to overcome the fear of the rullers

Text: Proverbs 29:24–25 (KJV 1900)

25 The fear of man bringeth a snare: But whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.

III. Can man do things to you?

* The answer is yes. Man can do things to harm you even when you are doing the work of God.

* Listen to the record in Hebrews

* Some had great victories:

Hebrews 11:32–12:3 (KJV 1900)

32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: 33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35 Women received their dead raised to life again:

*Others had great trials and persecutions at the hands of men:

and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: 36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: 37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; 38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. 39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: 40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

* Jesus knew that man can to things to harm us:

Matthew 10:24–28 (KJV 1900)

24 The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. 25 It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household? 26 Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.

27 What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. 28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

* What did Jesus say here about the fear of man?

* What He is saying is that, sure man will do things to you to harm you, but you better fear God more than man, because He can do much more!

* Do I have fear of suffer at the hands of men? Sure I do. But I fear what God can do more!

* The apostle Paul concludes that because we know that men can hurt us, we are to determine that we will not faint in our minds.

12 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

IV. Are Christians allowed to defend themselves against what men can do to us:

* Do we have the option to defend ourselves against what man can do to us?

* Does “turning the other cheek” mean that Christians are to be pacifists and never defend ourselves?

* Jesus indicates to us that we have the right to defend ourselves when we are attacked personally.

Luke 22:36–38 (KJV 1900)

36 Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.

37 For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end. 38 And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.

* This has been the position that societies all over the world have put in place in the legal systems.

Mark 3:27 (KJV 1900)

27 No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.

* Does the Bible teach that it is ok for Christians to keep guns for self-defense? Absolutely!

* It was the hunting rifles and muskets of the volunteer minutemen who won us this county where we can enjoy freedom of religion.

Luke 11:20–22 (KJV 1900)

21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace:

22 But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.

* So when do we turn the other cheek?

* The Bible is clear, Jesus did not mean to do away with all God’s laws and injunctions protecting us against violent crime or invading armies.

* To "turn the other cheek," does not imply pacifism, nor does it mean we place ourselves or others in mortal danger.

* Turning the other cheek refers to personal retaliation, not criminal offenses or acts of military aggression.

* God is not saying in Luke 6:29 that we should let people abuse us.

* That is not what the context of this Scripture teaches. I've heard some people quote this Scripture to say that believers ought not to defend themselves, but should let people mistreat them.

* However, when one of Caiaphas' (the high priest) officers struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, Jesus said: “why smitest thou me?” (John 18:23). Jesus didn't turn the other cheek to be hit again; He said, Hey buster, why did you hit me?

* Turning one's cheek means going out of our way to right our wrongs. If someone sues us, God say to give him or her our coat also, if they need it, as a token of one's sincerity that you truly want to make restitution, and not just because the court forced you do do so.

* The Bible teaches for us to go ABOVE and BEYOND the damages we may have caused someone to make things right. If you inconvenienced someone, then you should make it up to them. If you cause someone financial loss, then you should willingly pay for their losses (and then some).

* The Apostle Paul teaches when it comes to a conflict between two believers in a church, the best course of action is to take the offence and not seek retaliation for being wronged.

* We are allowed to “defend ourselves” but not to “retaliate.” God will do the punishing.

* This is what it means to turn the other cheek.

V. We are also commanded to be prepared to defend ourselves when we are attacked spiritually.

* Just like God expects us to be ready to defend ourselves against physical attack, we are commanded to be prepared for spiritual attack as well.

2 Corinthians 10:3–6 (KJV 1900)

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

Romans 13:11–12 (KJV 1900)

11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

Ephesians 6:10–17 (KJV 1900)

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: