The Baggage of Fear

Introduction: Over the last couple of weeks we’ve been unpacking some “BAGGAGE.” We began by talking about the baggage of bitterness. Last we looked at the baggage of guilt. This week I want us to address the “Baggage of Fear.”

Recently the Chapman Survey released their most recent research. IN their research they found that Americans are become MORE afraid rather than less afraid.

People have fear and worry about a variety of things.

The fear of failure.

The fear of losing someone they love to death.

The fear of what people think about them.

There are fears that seem to be very rational to some, and fears that seem to be very irrational to others. However, if you are living with a real fear, regardless of how irrational it may seem to others it is VERY, VERY real to you.

Fear can be very controlling. Some fears PARALYZE people and keep them from doing the things they need to do. Other fears MOTIVATE people into doing things they should not do. Some fears result from the fact that we live in a broken world and because we live in BROKEN BODIES. Some fears are the result of chemical imbalances in one’s brain, other fears are the result of not trusting God.

I am not a medical doctor and I am not a trained psychologist so I do not want to try to address the fears that are the result of chemical imbalances or mental illness. I want to focus on those INVISIBLE BURDENS that WEIGH US DOWN on life’s journey that can be REMEDIED by applying Scriptural principles to one’s life.

I think many of these fears can be relieved by meditating upon the TRUTHS of God’s Word that addresses fear. First, let me encourage you to meditate upon this principle...

You are NEVER Alone!

In my study on fear this week I have noticed that fear and feelings of loneliness or isolation seem to go hand in hand. Notice a few Scriptures with me...

As Moses was preparing the children of Israel for his death and their entrance into the promised land he gave them the message that the LORD had spoken:

Deuteronomy 31:6 ESV

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

He reminds them that they do not have to FEAR. One of the reasons they do not have to fear is because, “it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

One of the fears God knew they had was they were entering into a new place, that appeared to be dangerous and overwhelming, and God wanted them to be reassured of His presence! He wanted them to remember they were not alone!

The fear of being alone is a very real fear for many people. Some people do not want to physically be alone. They always want someone around, while other people are very content being alone and enjoying the solitude. Most people like their alone time, but don’t want to always be alone. God did not create us to live in isolation, but in community. However, some people still feel alone even when surrounded by others.

The wonderful thing for the Child of God is, we are NEVER ALONE! We may feel alone, but we have the promise throughout Scripture that God is WITH His people!

Psalm 139:1–10 ESV

O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.

God made this promise repeatedly in the Old Testament. This is not by accident or coincidence. Many people FEAR being alone in one way or another. It might not be the need to have someone physically BY their side at each moment, but the need to know that someone is ON their side!

Joshua reiterated this same thought when he took over for Moses. After Moses’ death God wanted them to remember that even though they had a new human leader, and even though Moses was no longer with them, the SAME God that had brought them out of Egypt, the same God that had brought them through the Red Sea, the same God that had fed them manna in the wilderness and had brought them this far, IS THE SAME GOD THAT WAS GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE WITH THEM!

Joshua 1:5 ESV

No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.

Joshua 1:9 ESV

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

God told the Children of Israel a similar thing through the prophet Isaiah...

Isaiah 41:10 ESV

fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Did you notice a THEME from these verses? Because God is WITH us we do not have to FEAR. Do not be frightened…why? Because God is with His people wherever they go! He promises His presence and His strength, therefore we do not have to FEAR! One of the antidotes for needless fear is to trust in the promise that we are NEVER ALONE!

David also understood this principle. You remember what he wrote in the 23rd Psalm...

Psalm 23:4 ESV

Even 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.

David WHY are you not going to fear evil even when you are in the valley of the shadow of death? It’s because GOD WAS GOING TO BE WITH HIM!

Christ also emphasized this promise in the New Testament...

Matthew 28:19–20 ESV

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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

We are NEVER ALONE as God’s child. The omnipresent God and Creator of the Universe is everywhere, all at one time, but we also have the promise and reminder that He lives within us in the person of the Holy Spirit. Our body Is His temple and He is ALWAYS with us!

Another fear that we sometimes have is the fear of not having enough. However, we must meditate on the truth that...

He Will Always Provide What He Knows You Need

Notice the words of Jesus in

Matthew 6:24–34 ESV

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Before Jesus introduces the concept of God’s provision, He reminds us that we CANNOT SERVE TWO MASTERS. We cannot serve God and money and we cannot serve God and any other master.

Assuming God is our MASTER, we can also assume He will provide EVERYTHING HIS SERVANTS NEED to accomplish His purposes! He is not a harsh master, but a loving, benevolent master who provides for His children EVERYTHING they need to accomplish His will!

Therefore we do not have to fear whether we will have enough sustanence to accomplish our Father’s tasks. We don’t have to fear whether or not we will have enough clothing, or food, or water, or shelter to accomplish what He has put us on this earth for. His provision will be there!

Jesus then reminds His listeners of an important truth…God takes care of the grass of the field which does not have a soul, God takes care of the birds of the air and notices every time one falls from the sky, HOW MUCH MORE does He take care of His creation who has an eternal soul and who has been redeemed by the blood of His own Son!

Jesus wants His followers to transfer their focus from the physical things that we tend to worry about, to His plan and His purpose and His Kingdom!

Jesus never promised to provide everything WE THINK we need, but He did promise to provide everything HE KNOWS we need to accoplish His Kingdom purposes!

Therefore I do not have to FEAR having enough!

My focus is to be upon His Kingdom, know that His focus will be upon providing what I need for His glory!

This leads me to another reason we can rid ourselves from the needless baggage of fear…Meditate on this truth:

He is ENOUGH!

Many people FEAR they are not enough, or that they will not have enough, or that they will not impress enough and the list goes on and on. However, we can be confident that HE IS ENOUGH!

As we close today I want to remind you, whatever FEAR OF INSUFFICIENCY you feel, please keep reminding yourself that HE IS SUFFICIENT and that HE IS ENOUGH!

I want to close with a ton of verses that serve as this reminder!

Psalm 27:1 ESV

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalm 56:3–4 ESV

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?

Psalm 118:6 ESV

The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?

Isaiah 26:3 ESV

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

Isaiah 41:13 ESV

For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”

John 14:27 ESV

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Philippians 4:6–7 ESV

do not be anxious about anything, 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 your minds in Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 1:7 ESV

for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Hebrews 13:6 ESV

So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

What are you afraid of today? What INVISIBLE BURDEN of FEAR keeps you weighed down? I hope that you will take these Scriptures and meditate upon them. Maybe write them down on index cards and when feelings of fear grip your soul, allow the Holy Spirit to take the truths of these Scriptures and comfort your hearts.

As we close this morning let me leave you with one more Scripture verse to think about:

1 Peter 5:7 ESV

casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

The word tranlasted “casting” can also be translated “hurl.” God tells us to HURL all of our anxieties upon Him…why? Because HE CARES FOR US!

God CARES FOR YOU! God cares about the BAGGAGE you are carrying around. He CARES about the things that WEIGH on you! He CARES about the things that make you afaid and sad and anxious and

HE INVITES YOU TO HURL ALL THOSE THINGS ON HIS SHOULDERS!

One author suggests FOUR ways to do this:

SAY IT OUT LOUD…Confess your burden, your baggage, your fear to the Lord.

SOAK IT IN SCRIPTURE…Find Scriptures that relate to your burden, your baggage, or your fear.

SING & WORSHIP…WORSHIPPING the King of kings and Lord of lords helps us lift our eyes from ourselves and our baggage to the ONE whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light!

SURROUND YOURSELF with other Warriors who love Jesus!

Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 ESV

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.