Fear Not
Notes
Transcript
See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.”
Keep your life free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for he himself has said, I will never leave you or abandon you. Therefore, we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
INTRO—
INTRO—
Last Sunday we briefly focused on the fact of Immanuel, “God with us,” meaning we need not fear. When I sat down to look at that statement--”fear not”—appearing in the Christmas story, here’s what I found:
Zechariah
13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John.
Mary
30 Then the angel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
Joseph
20 But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
Shepherds
10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:
Soooo, you might be thinking, “Ok, that’s interesting, but how does this truth impact my life?” I’m glad you asked. Learning and growing…to live by faith not fear is a much needed lesson in all our lives
Let’s do this! Here we go!
INADEQUATE FEAR
INADEQUATE FEAR
Keep your life free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for he himself has said, I will never leave you or abandon you.
Be strong and courageous; don’t be terrified or afraid of them. For the Lord your God is the one who will go with you; he will not leave you or abandon you.”
No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. I will be with you, just as I was with Moses. I will not leave you or abandon you.
Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
The People of God in the OT… [v 10 on screen]
8 But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, descendant of Abraham, my friend— 9 I brought you from the ends of the earth and called you from its farthest corners. I said to you: You are my servant; I have chosen you; I haven’t rejected you. 10 Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand.
Christians Undertaking the Great Commission… [v 20 on screen]
19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
At the First Christmas...
Zechariah
“How can I know this?” Zechariah asked the angel. “For I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years.”
Mary [v 48 on screen]
46 And Mary said: My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 because he has looked with favor on the humble condition of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed,
Faith in the One who has promised…what God leads us to do, he provides what we need.
TROUBLESOME FEAR
TROUBLESOME FEAR
Therefore, we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
The Lord is for me; I will not be afraid. What can a mere mortal do to me?
In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?
in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mere humans do to me?
The Twelve with Jesus in the Boat in the Storm… [vv 37-39 on screen]
35 On that day, when evening had come, he told them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the sea.” 36 So they left the crowd and took him along since he was in the boat. And other boats were with him. 37 A great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. 38 He was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher! Don’t you care that we’re going to die?” 39 He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Silence! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 Then he said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 And they were terrified and asked one another, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him!”
The People of God [No Matter What We’re] Facing...
God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble.
The Lord is a refuge for the persecuted, a refuge in times of trouble.
Death.
Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me.
Truth Challenges. [v 4 on screen]
1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming; even now it is already in the world. 4 You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
World/Political Tensions. [vv 6-7 on screen]
4 There is a river— its streams delight the city of God, the holy dwelling place of the Most High. 5 God is within her; she will not be toppled. God will help her when the morning dawns. 6 Nations rage, kingdoms topple; the earth melts when he lifts his voice. 7 The Lord of Armies is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah
Natural Calamities. [v 2 on screen]
2 Therefore we will not be afraid, though the earth trembles and the mountains topple into the depths of the seas, 3 though its water roars and foams and the mountains quake with its turmoil. Selah
At the First Christmas...
Zechariah
12 When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified and overcome with fear. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John.
Joseph. [vv 18b-20 on screen]
18 The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant from the Holy Spirit. 19 So her husband, Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly. 20 But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
Shepherds.
Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:
CONCL—
CONCL—
What are we then to do…especially when we find ourselves living in/by fear?
Trust God’s Plan &/or Provision. [v 33 on screen]
25 “Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? 27 Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? 28 And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. 30 If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more for you—you of little faith? 31 So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. 34 Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
[especially 6.33]
We must also always live wisely and not recklessly. It makes no sense, biblically, to trust God’s promise of protection yet intentionally step out immediately in front of that fast-moving truck on the street/highway. (& we do this too often!)
Trust that Peace with God brings you the Peace of God.
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: See, the virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.