CONQUERING FEAR

INTRO

Fear is a human characteristic and affects everyone of us.

Fears are tasked with the function of keeping us alive. If we didn’t have this trait, we might just throw ourselves off of cliffs without the fear of dying or hurting ourselves. The same goes for heartbreak. It’s a protection instinct.

Fear is not as automatic as you think.

Fear is part instinct, part learned, part taught. Some fears are instinctive: Pain, for example, causes fear because of its implications for survival. Other fears are learned: We learn to be afraid of certain people, places, or situations because of negative associations and past experiences. A near-drowning incident, for example, may cause fear each time you get close to a body of water. Other fears are taught: Cultural norms often dictate whether something should be feared or not. Think, for example, about how certain social groups are feared and persecuted because of a societally-created impression that they are dangerous.

Society feeds from fear: Theme parks (rollercoasters), Movies, Series (vampires, zombies)

Mankind Top 10 Fears

1. Arachnophobia: The fear of spiders. This phobia tends to affect women more than men.

2. Ophidiophobia: The fear of snakes.

3. Acrophobia: The fear of heights.

4. Agoraphobia: The fear of situations in which escape is difficult. This may include crowded areas, open spaces, or situations that are likely to trigger a panic attack. People will begin avoiding these trigger events, sometimes to the point that they cease leaving their home. Approximately one third of people with panic disorder develop agoraphobia.

5. Cynophobia: The fear of dogs. This phobia is often associated with specific personal experiences, such as being bitten by a dog during childhood.

6. Astraphobia: The fear of thunder and lightning.

7. Trypanophobia: The fear of injections. Like many phobias, this fear often goes untreated because people avoid the triggering object and situation.

8. Social Phobias: The fear of social situations. In many cases, these phobias can become so severe that people avoid events, places, and people that are likely to trigger an anxiety attack.

9. Pteromerhanophobia: The fear of flying. Often treated using exposure therapy, in which the client is gradually and progressively introduced to flying.

10. Mysophobia: The fear of germs or dirt. May be related to obsessive-compulsive disorder.

11. ESPOSAPHOBIA - Fear that Pr. Marcos feels when he does something wrong

Fear started with SIN: We see it first hand when Adam was fearful and hid from the Lord

The apostle Paul was not “afraid” of speaking about fear:

1 Corinthians 2:3 NKJV

I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.

THE GOOD FEAR

Proverbs 1:7 NKJV

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 NKJV

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.

Quick note on “Anxiety”: it may be triggered by fear, among other things, but it has to do more with some concern for the future;

Eventually, we WILL walk by the valley of shadow of death, it’s inevitable.

Psalm 23:4 NKJV

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Let’s study todays’s passage

MAIN TEXT

Exodus 14:10–15 NKJV

And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.” And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” And the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward.

Explain context of passage (Crossing of the Red Sea)

Today’s theme

CONQUERING FEAR

CONSEQUENCES OF FEAR

In the original language, the Hebrews were terrified!

Let’s take a look at the consequences of their fear:

PARALISYS

The Hebrews were looking into their past, they forgot about the wonderful promises ahead, they were about 2 million people, and even so, they were petrified with fear; and that behavior was in absolute disagreement with the command of God;

The order of God: “Tell the people to march!!!”

Paralysis IS NEVER in God’s strategy for us, and the Enemy will always try that tactic; notice that stopped they would be even more easily get caught!

DESPAIR

Despair means “no hope”, it disarticulates you;

The Red Sea would not be the last time of their fear: 12 Spies on the Promise Land: fear made 10 spies to put a whole nation in despair;

Unconsciously, we may have been driven by desperation because of fear;

JOB experienced fear:

Job 3:25 NKJV

For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, And what I dreaded has happened to me.

Living in fear is to live VULNERABLE, because we put our guard down.

LIMITATION

Fear limits you, for it’s a ruthless and cold-hearted destroyer

Even when you are not completely paralyzed, fear limits your achievements and influence; ultimately Israel’s fear delayed their entrance in the Promise Land 40 years!

The good news is: There is hope!!

So...

HOW TO FACE FEAR

We really need to understand first the spiritual ground that makes us fight against fear:

Romans 8:15 NKJV

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

And having an “Abba Father” leads us into our first reason to face fear...

CONSCIENCE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD

The People of Israel quickly forgot “the plagues” and all the signs, they forgot that with them was Jehovah Sabaoth (The Lord of Hosts)

Exodus 13:21–22 NKJV

And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.

Elisha , the Syrian Army and his servant: “Lord, open his eyes!” (to see the armies of God!):

“And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw that the hills were full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”

WALK TOWARDS FEAR

We may take SMALL STEPS toward fear, but they have to be taken

“To change the system, aside from understanding it better, it’s necessary to gradually come into contact with your fear. The exposure will create a new form of reasoning, which consists of creating new, safe memories about your fears. In time, the brain learns those situations don’t always need to alert you to “escape” to survive. Slowly, your automatic thoughts become different, calmer feelings and behaviors. This type of treatment is called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.”

THIS IS ACTUALLY GOOD ADVICE!!

Let’s see what the Bible says:

Philippians 4:6–7 NKJV

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

FIGHT USING WHAT YOU HAVE

Moses touched the waters with his rod (v. 21), but the wind came from the Lord (all night)

David, when defeated Goliath, went “in the Name of the Lord”, NOT the stones, and that agrees with the Scriptures:

Romans 8:31 NKJV

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

FINAL APPLICATIONS

The most repeated command in the Bible: DO NOT BE AFRAID!

God expects us to face fear:

2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Changing “what if” by “even though”;

Isaiah 41:10 NKJV

Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

Our final verse:

Psalm 112:7 NLT

They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them.

Maybe you’re here today and your fear is so severe that you think there is no solution anymore, but there is!! Even if your case became clinical, God can still intervene!

Let’s pray.