Fear is a Liar

ME

Confession of an Overthinker

I have a confession to make:

I have plays constantly going on inside my head.

Here's what I mean:

Many times when I face tough choices or scenarios I don't want to deal with, I play all the future scenes of how I'm going to deal with it through my head over and over again, usually thinking of the worst-case scenario.

It may seem really weird to you that I do this, but that's just the way that my mind works.

I'm what's called an 'internal thinker.'

Maybe 75% of what I think of in my head I don't say out loud.

My wife loves it! *Sarcasm*

I blame it on being raised like an only child.

I have a big bro and big sis, but they were both married and out of this house by the time I was 10.

Which meant I got to watch Power Rangers and some amazing 90's cartoons in peace!

(show pics of 90's shows)

Now there are some good and bad things about thinking this way.

- Good: I rarely lose my head and spout of at the mouth at people. (Diarrhea of the mouth) and I can stay calm and under control in most situations.

- Bad: I can be paralyzed bc I overthink a situation and just end up not doing anything at all.

I have friends and family who are what's called 'external thinkers'

What comes into their heads comes out of their mouths as they're thinking it.

There's also good and bad to this kind of thinking:

- Good: These types of people usually aren't afraid of confrontation and deal with things head-on, not letting situations turn bad bc of inaction.

- Bad: Diarrhea of the mouth can lead to unnecessary problems. When you spew out poo, it tends to come back on you.

There have been times when I've had to reel in my external thinking hot head friends from making butts of themselves, but there have also been times when I've been motivated to stop overthinking , get off my butt and just do something by these same types of people.

Internal thinkers raise your hands

External thinkers raise your hands

WE

No matter what type of thinkers we are, we all deal with something called FEAR.

Social phobias Fear of social interactions

Trypophobia Fear of Circle Clusters.

Atychiphobia. Fear of Failure. ...

Thanatophobia. Fear of Death. ...

Nosophobia. Fear of developing a disease.

Arachnophobia.Fear of spiders. ...

Vehophobia. Fear of driving. ...

Claustrophobia. Fear of enclosed spaces.

Acrophobia. Fear of heights.

Aerophobia. Fear of flying.

Some of these fears may seem dumb to you, while others keep you up at night.

But for all of us, fear can paralyze mentally and spiritually and keep us from doing what God has called us to do.

GOD

The disciples of Jesus were afraid of a lot of things- with good reason.

Powerful men called Pharisees who were in tight with the most powerful empire in the world: Rome, plotted to kill the disciples’ master, Jesus.

While Jesus was being tortured and killed, Jesus’s followers were in hiding.

Then after Jesus rose from the dead (like He told them He was going to) they thought He was a ghost and it scared the junk out of them.

But finally they realize that Jesus was more powerful than death and that it had no hold on him.

But they still misunderstood some very important things about the Kingdom of God because of fear:

Acts 1:1–11 NIV

In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Good News, Bad News

Acts 1:6 The Message

When they were together for the last time they asked, “Master, are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel now? Is this the time?”

Jesus responded to the apostles’ question with a classic: “Well, there’s good news and bad news.”

Acts 1:7–8 The Message

He told them, “You don’t get to know the time. Timing is the Father’s business. What you’ll get is the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be able to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the world.”

The good news was that Jesus did offer them power. The bad news? What Jesus promised was not exactly what they were hoping for: You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you (Acts 1:8a). With these words, Jesus tried one last time to help His followers to understand the Kingdom. The Kingdom had come, but it didn’t bring an obvious change to Israel’s political situation. The Kingdom brought a new form of life to all people from Judea … to the ends of the earth (1:8), no matter what their politics were.

The Kingdom of God is far beyond and way more important than politics.

Our country has been the strongest superpower in the world for everyone in this room’s lifetime.

Don’t nobody wanna mess with the US Military, at least for now...

These Jewish followers of Jesus were looking for the Kingdom of God to come with that kind of power after Jesus rose from the dead.

And Jesus told them: “that ain’t it, chief!”

The Kingdom of God is all about the Holy Spirit of God working and moving through Jesus followers who are telling the world about the saving grace of Jesus— through their words and their lives.

D. L. Moody as having said, “You might as well try to see without eyes, hear without ears, or breathe without lungs, as to live the Christian life without the Holy Spirit.”

Time to Get Busy

Acts 1:10–11 The Message

They stood there, staring into the empty sky. Suddenly two men appeared—in white robes! They said, “You Galileans!—why do you just stand here looking up at an empty sky? This very Jesus who was taken up from among you to heaven will come as certainly—and mysteriously—as he left.”

The angels came to remind the disciples to do what Jesus had called them to do: go to Jerusalem and what on the Holy Spirit to give them power to accomplish the most important mission EVER.

Acts 2:1–4 (The Message)

When the Feast of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force—no one could tell where it came from. It filled the whole building. Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks...

3,000 people were saved that day, and the church just kept growing.

This event, called Pentecost set on fire the hearts of these first-century Christians. They were inflamed with a passion that could not be satisfied as long as there was a single person on earth who hadn’t heard of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

These disciples, who were once afraid of their own shadows, faced horrible torture and all but John eventually died for their faith in Christ.

They discovered an important truth:

WHEN FEAR WANTS TO BIND ME, THE SPIRIT GUIDES ME.

YOU

This same Holy Spirit of God wants to set you free from fear and make you fearless in Jesus’ name.

If you’ve been letting fear control you for far too long, it’s time to turn that over to Jesus.

And if you turn that fear over, He make you his witness to the world who can help others know His perfect peace.

Isaiah 26:3 NCV

You, Lord, give true peace to those who depend on you, because they trust you.

*Prayer*

WE

What if we all learned to become fearless in Jesus Christ?

The same thing that happened through the disciples would happen among us: students would come to know Christ in waves in the midst of an unbelieving generation.

Because the Holy Spirit of God brings the Kingdom of God in power among people who fully trust in the Lord.

*Response Cards*

*Small group mixer question*

*5 minute break*