Facing the Giant of Fear

Intro

We just finished a series, Running with the Giants. But the giants of the faith who are cheering us on are not the only giants in the world. We face giants daily. Giants of Fear… Guilt & Shame… Temptations… Hopelessness

So today, I want to start s short series I am calling Facing Your Giants. Today we will slay the giant of fear.

Words are important. In some religions, the words are strive and do as you try to earn God’s favor. In other faiths, the words might be wait, ponder, or think…

In Christianity, the first word is done. Thats because the only way you are going to heaven is because of what Jesus Christ has already done for you. His last words were, It’s finished.

There are a lot of other key words in Christianity… love, trust, faith are all key words. There is another word that is used a lot in the Christian faith and that’s GO

The word Go is used 1138 times in the Bible… 251 times in the New Testament. So you could say that the Christian faith is a going faith… a going journey… a going race… a going relationships.

God told Abraham to go to a place where he would tell him later...

God told Joshua to go posses the promised land.

God told David to go fight the enemy...

God told Gideon to go and save his people.

God told Nehemiah to go rebuild the wall of Jerusalem.

God told Jeremiah to teach his word.

All through the bible, God is sending people out… it’s a mission that he has for everyone, including you and I. He has a job for you and for me in this life. God did not put us here just to take up space. He put us here for a reason.

The problem is that most of us never discover or accomplish the mission God has for us. Most believers have absolutely nothing to do with Jesus outside the 4 walls of the church.

Why is that?

One big reason is fear.

Fear keeps us from becoming what God wants us to be and from doing what God wants us to do

There are 5 basic fears that keep us from being and doing what God wants.... that keep you from fulfilling your purpose. You can see all of these in the life of Moses.

We all know Moses brought the Israelites out of Egypt, and that God did might miracles through him, but he also struggled with this purpose.

First Moses tried to free Israelites his way and ended up killing an Egyptian. So he had to flee and ended up as a Shepherd for 40 years.

Then one day… some of you have had a then one day…

Exodus 3:1–6 NLT

1 One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn’t burn up. 3 “This is amazing,” Moses said to himself. “Why isn’t that bush burning up? I must go see it.” 4 When the Lord saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses!” “Here I am!” Moses replied. 5 “Do not come any closer,” the Lord warned. “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground. 6 I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” When Moses heard this, he covered his face because he was afraid to look at God.

God gets Moses attention through a bush that was on fire but not burning up. God will use all sorts of things to get our attention. So God speaks to Moses out in the desert.

Exodus 3:7 NLT

7 Then the Lord told him, “I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering.

Exodus 3:10 NLT

10 Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.”

So God is sending Moses on a mission. He has a mission for you too.

How do you know it’s a mission from God?

It’s based on God’s Love

It’s not motivated by money, popularity, power, or anything else. It’s motivated by God’s love for people. God saw the needs of the people.

It’s personal

God sent Moses. He didn’t say, I hope somebody will go help them, no, He sent Moses. Guess what, he will send you too.

It’s practical

He told Moses that he was going to set the people free. You will be going to do a specific thing. For me once it was to start YFC in New Orleans. He may be sending you to help someone with repairs to their house or car… to share your faith with someone…

That’s how you know it’s a mission from God. So what as Moses’ response. He was afraid. Often we are afraid too so let’s look at 5 fears we struggle with.

5 Fears Most of Us Struggle with

1. The fear of inadequacy

This is a big one. We don’t feel like we measure up… that we are capable of doing what God is calling us to do. We say things like

I don’t know enough...

I don’t have the skill set… the back ground

How could God use me?

That’s exactly the fear Moses dealt with. God said, I have a mission for you… Moses said…

Exodus 3:11 NLT

11 But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?”

Other translations say it this way…

Exodus 3:11 GNB

11 But Moses said to God, “I am nobody. How can I go to the king and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

He saw himself as a nobody… you might see yourself that way too.

Exodus 3:11 The Living Bible

11 “But I’m not the person for a job like that!” Moses exclaimed.

Moses did not see himself as the right man for the Job.

Exodus 3:11 The Message

11 Moses answered God, “But why me? What makes you think that I could ever go to Pharaoh and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt?”

Moses even asked God… why me? Forty years earlier, Moses was full of confidence when he killed the Egyptian. He tried to do it his way and failed… now he is afraid and has no confidence.

Sometimes after a big failure, you lose confidenc. That’s what happened to Moses. Maybe you started off god, but messed it up and now you just don’t want to stick your neck out… maybe the fire went out.

Look at Moses. he was 40 when he found out he was not Egyptian. It’s 40 years later and he is ready for Social Security. He is 80. He has a wife, kids, dogs and cattle. He’s got grand kids… maybe even great grand kids. He just wants to take it easy. He now feels like he is just not the man for the job.

That’s what happens all the time, God says he has some thing for us to do and we feel like it’s bigger or more difficult that what we can do. So we begin looking at our low inadequacies instead of the God who told us to do it.

Listen to me. God didn’t care how Moses felt… whether he fet inadequate or not. He was inadequate. No one would be up to the task of freeing an entire nation from slavery. You are also inadequate for what it is God wants you to do as well. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that God has chosen you and when God chooses you, he will empower you. It will work. It doesn’t matter how confident or unconfident you feel, how afraid or unafraid.

If God chooses you, it doesn’t matter that you feel inadequate.

We are all incompetent to do what God wants us to do, that’s why we have to depend on him. Look at god’s response to this fear.

God’s Response to our Fear is I will be with you

Exodus 3:12 NLT

12 God answered, “I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.”

That’s the answer right there. 1+God = majority. If God is near you, you lose your fear. You can’t do it by yourself, but you can do it with God. You are inadequate for what God is assigning you to do, but don’t let the fear that you are inadequate keep you from doing it.

This happens all the time in the Bible.

Gideon - God tells him that he will deliver his people from terrorists. He says, me? No way God. You have the wrong guy. I am from the smallest tribe of Israel. I’m from the poorest family in my tribe. And I am the youngest in the poorest family in the smallest tribe. He felt inadequate. God tells him that he is a mighty man of God and that he will be with him.

Jeremiah - I’m going to use you in one of the most difficult times in history to be My spokesman. God even tells him that he knew him before he was born and had set him apart and anointed him as his spokesman. Look how Jeremiah responds…

Jeremiah 1:6 NLT

6 “O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!”

Look what God said,

Jeremiah 1:7–8 NLT

7 The Lord replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. 8 And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken!”

He said he would be with him… Are you getting the picture? God’s way of overcoming you feeling inadequate is that He will be with you.

Lady who was afraid to witness to her friends. She felt God leading her to share her faith with some of her friends, but like Moses, she did not feel adequate. She shared what she did know and invited them to church, and they came, gave their lives to the Lord and got plugged in. Probably many of you feel this way too. She was afraid, but she did it afraid.

Philippians 4:13 NLT

13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

Her friends will be in heaven because she went past her fear and shared.

2. Fear of embarrassment

You are afraid that you will get in a situation where someone asks you a question and you don’t know the answer and look dumb. None of us want to look dumb! Look what Moses said…

Exodus 3:13 NLT

13 But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?”

At least Moses is asking the right question. When God gives you something big to do, you don’t need to ask who you are, but who God is. That’s what matters.

God’s Response to our fear of embarrassment is, God reveals himself

Exodus 3:14–15 NLT

14 God replied to Moses, “I Am Who I Am. Say this to the people of Israel: I Am has sent me to you.” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you. This is my eternal name, my name to remember for all generations.

Hi name is I am who I am…

How does knowing God’s name help?

Four ways knowing God’s name helps overcome your fear

1. It means that God is real

It means that he is and that he is alive.

2. It means that God is eternal

He is… not was or will be. God is not bound by time, he is outside of time. He has no beginning and no end.

3. It means that God is true

I am who I am means that He is his own character. Too often we try to make God what we want him to be, but he is who He is. Some people think he is a policeman… others think he is Santa Clause.

4. It means God doesn’t change

Culture changes, God doesn’t. What was sin in Jesus day is still sin today.

Malachi 3:6 NLT

6 “I am the Lord, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed.

God doesn’t change. This also means that his love for you and I does not change.

These four things are great fear relievers. When you understand that God is real and that he is eternal, that he is true, and that he never changes, that gives you a foundation that you can build on instead of fear. If you build your life in anything else but God, you will spend your life in fear.

But the more you know God the less fear you have.

It’s like this. If you know God you have no fear. If there is no god, you will be dominated by fear.

3. Fear of rejection

Fear of inadequacy… fear of embarrassment… and now the fear of rejection…

Moses suffered with this one too.

Exodus 4:1 NLT

1 But Moses protested again, “What if they won’t believe me or listen to me? What if they say, ‘The Lord never appeared to you’?”

The fear of rejection is what the Bible calls the fear of man.

Proverbs 29:25 The Living Bible

25 Fear of man is a dangerous trap, but to trust in God means safety.

If you lead your life always worried about what someone thinks about you, or getting other’s approval, or worried that someone will reject you, you become enslaved to that. You become a slave to the expectations of other people. You become afraid of Criticism and become afraid to do what God wants you to do.

Moses -

Exodus 4:1 The Message

1 Moses objected, “They won’t trust me. They won’t listen to a word I say. They’re going to say, ‘God? Appear to him? Hardly!’ ”

Moses was afraid they would reject him… Look what God said in response to Moses fear.

God’s Response to our fear

Exodus 4:2 NLT

2 Then the Lord asked him, “What is that in your hand?” “A shepherd’s staff,” Moses replied.

Secret - whenever God asks you to do something, it’s never for His benefit, it’s always for your benefit. So he asked Moses what was in his hand… He knew what was in Moses hand, bot he wanted Moses to know. He wants you to recognize something in your life as well.

The staff represented what Moses did… who he was. He was a shepherd. A stethoscope identifys someone as a medical person. A tool belt identifies a mechanic.

Moses is a shepherd. The staff showed that. It also showed his income level. Back then your income was related to the number of your flock. The more you had, the wealthier you were. the staff also represented his influence. A shepherd uses the staff to influence the sheep to go where he wants them to go.

So God is telling Moses to take what he has… who he is and give it to God. he says when you do this, I will use it to overcome rejection. The staff is a piece of wood, but it becomes alive… a snake. God is telling Moses that if he will do what he says, God will use it. When it’s your’s it’s not worh anything but when you give it to God, he will use it to free a nation.

The staff when given to god became know as the Rod of God. Moses held it up and it split the Red Sea. He dips it in the Nile and it become filled with blood. This Rod of God is what was used in all the miracles Moses performed.

The question for us is… What’s in your hand? What is your identity? Income? Influence?

If you will today, give that to God and tell him that it’s His to do with what he will, God will make it come alive and do things you never imagined.

When you have that kind of power in your life, you will not be afraid of what people might think… you will not be afraid of rejection.

4. Fear of comparison

This is when you start looking around and compare what you are doing with what others are doing and it will mess you up. God did not call you to be someone else. Look at Moses…

Exodus 4:10 CEV

10 Moses replied, “I have never been a good speaker. I wasn’t one before you spoke to me, and I’m not one now. I am slow at speaking, and I can never think of what to say.”

Moses was saying he was not a good speaker… compared to whom. His only listeners were his sheep. How does he know he is not a good speaker?

You are better at a lot of things than you think you are. There are actually things you would be great at but you don’t know it because you have never tried it. The only way you will find out how good you will be at soem of these things is to try them.

Moses is even says, I can never think of what to say. That’s a big one. We feel that way too when we are sharing about God. We all have neigbors we would like to invite to church, but we can’t think of what to say.

Here are 5 ways to begin a conversation. SPEAK

S - Tell me your Story

People love to talk about themselves.

P - What’s your passion

What kinds of things do you love to do? What are your interest?

E - Encourage

Once you know thier story and their passion, you can encourage them. That’s one of the greatest things you can do for someone. You listen to their story and their passion and let them know, You would be good at…

K - Knowledge

Maybe ask what do they know that I need to know? Who do they know that I need to know?

SPEAK will help you begin talking with someone. Look at God’s response to Moses fear.

God’s response to our fear

Exodus 4:11–12 NLT

11 Then the Lord asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.”

God told Moses that he would actually be with him and tell him what to say. You may think that was Moses… this is me. God says the same thing to us today.

Matthew 10:19 NLT

19 When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time.

That’s a promise to you and me. God will give you the right words at the right time.

Over and over the Holy spirit will give you a thought… a word… the right thing to say and you will go … where did that come from? It came from God.

Moses was running out of excuses but he tired one more.

Exodus 4:13 NLT

13 But Moses again pleaded, “Lord, please! Send anyone else.”

5. Fear of commitment

Exodus 4:13 NLT

13 But Moses again pleaded, “Lord, please! Send anyone else.”

The bottom line is Moses just didn’t want to go. Why? The real reason was he didn’t care.

He didn’t care that over a million people were enslaved and being treated like animals in a country. He didn’t care that God said I will use you if you’ll let Me use you. He’s passing up the greatest opportunity. God says I’m going to change history, I’m going to create a nation. I’m going to do miracles. And I am choosing you, Moses, of all the people to have part in it. Moses goes, “No thanks, God. I don’t really care. I don’t care that people are hurting. I don’t care that people are suffering. I don’t care that people are going into eternity lost without Christ. I don’t care.”

Look at…

God’s Response

Exodus 4:14 NLT

14 Then the Lord became angry with Moses. “All right,” he said. “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he speaks well. And look! He is on his way to meet you now. He will be delighted to see you.

God became angry with Moses. God is patient but you can try his patience. God has answered all of Moses fears… but now Moses got honest with God and it sort of made him angry.

God’s going to get angry at you someday if you don’t fulfill the life mission that He made for you. One day you’re going to stand before God and say why you either fulfilled or didn’t fulfill your life mission.

God’s going to go, “What? Do you think I put you on earth just to live for yourself and not think about hurting, suffering people in the world? I put you in River Church so you could fulfill my calling in your life.

When the Israelites were set free out of Egypt and God told them to go into the Promised Land and they said, “No, we can’t fight those guys. It’s too big. We’re afraid, “God said, “Fine. Die in the desert.” He let them all die. He let them wander in the desert for the next 40 years.

God will let you wander in the desert for 40 years and die. He’s not going to force you into the Promised Land. He’s not going to force you to do the right thing.

Fine. Die in the desert. It was the next generation that got to go in and experience all the joy that God had planned for them.

One day two men came up to Jesus. One said “I want to follow You but let me first go do ‘this’” and another guy came up and said, “Lord, I want to follow You but let me first go do ‘this.’” That is a contradiction. You cannot say “Lord” and “me first” in the same sentence. “Lord, let me first…” That’s the problem – me first. I want to be first. I want to do my plan instead of God’s plan. I want do my mission instead of God’s mission. That’s a problem, friends.

I want you to note the word that Moses used in every one of Moses’ excuses. God said, I’ve got a great thing for you life. Look back on number one. What’s the first word in Moses’ response – “but.” Circle the word “but.” Look at the second response. What’s the first word? “But.” Circle that. Look at the third one. What is the first word? “But.” “But Moses.” What’s the fourth one? “But.” What’s the fifth one? “But.” Every time God had a mission for Moses he countered with a but.

What is your but God? What’s the but that is holding you back from doing what God wants you to accomplish? We all have them… some are big and others small, but we all have them.

What is God saying to you today? We need to get on with it because with God’s plan for us… with his mission for us, there is responsibility.

Ezekiel 33:8 NLT

8 If I announce that some wicked people are sure to die and you fail to tell them to change their ways, then they will die in their sins, and I will hold you responsible for their deaths.

Whoa! Did you know that God holds you responsible for the people in your life that don’t know Jesus? yes he did. God says he will hold us accountable if we don’t tell others about him. That’s serious.

With that in mind, How do you get started on your mission?

1. You surrender

You say, God… anytime… anywhere… anything… I’m in. You give your life to Christ. If you have not been baptized, get baptized.

2. Then you pray

God I need your wisdom.

Jeremiah 42:3 NLT

3 Pray that the Lord your God will show us what to do and where to go.”

3. Ask Jesus to fill you with his Holy Spirit

God’s Holy Spirit is love and the Bible says that love casts out all fear. When you’re filled with God, you cannot be afraid.

The filling of God’s love. When love comes in the front door, fear goes out the back door. You say, God fill me with Your love

Maybe you are afraid today… I have a word from God for you!

2 Timothy 1:7 NLT

7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

Here is a better reading.

2 Timothy 1:7 YLT

7 for God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind;

Sound mind means mentally whole… a clear mental outlook.

What fear is holding you back? You ask Jesus Christ to fill you with His Spirit and His love, a Spirit of love and power and self-discipline. Then you take a small step. Not a big one – a small step. Think of something in your mind, you know it’s the right thing to do but you’ve been afraid to do it. It doesn’t have to be a big thing. You know it’s the right thing to do. You say, I’m going to do it. The fear will subside after you take the step. It’s not going to go away before you do it. It is as you are doing it, the fear will subside.

Altar time -

Salvation Prayer -

Jesus, so many times we allow our fears to keep us locked up in self-imposed prison that prevents us from experiencing the fullness of life that You intended. It’s reinsuring to know that You’re eternal, that You exist. That You’re the truth. That You never change when everything else around us is changing. I pray for our church family and for all the fears that are represented here that are keeping people in self-imposed prisons.

Have people pray with you.

Lord, fill me with Your love. Jesus, fill me with love so I’m not filled with fear. I commit to You. I trust You. I want to fulfill Your life mission for my life, Jesus. In Your name I pray. Amen.”