Faith Over Fear
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Introduction
Introduction
Many times upon the Gospel being presented or shared sometimes the idea that when you come to Jesus for forgiveness and salvation your life will now be problem free. You got problems in your life or your life is filled with trouble well come to Jesus and that will be fixed and your problems will go away and any problems that remain are because of your lack of faith. This doesn’t jive with scripture and it doesnt jive with what Jesus Himself said. Now to be clear Jesus is the solution - but He never promised to give us a carefree problem free life. Lets see what Jesus did promise.
33 I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”
Look at the two ends of what Jesus said “in Me you may have peace.” and “I have conquered the world” Those are the bookends that surround the marching orders or the reality of what our life will be like. “You will have suffering in the world - BE COURAGEOUS”
In Christ we will have peace - in the world we will have suffering. It is not Our Best Life Now, nor is it Everyday Friday.
We will have trials and tribulation and suffering as we walk in this world.
22 strengthening the disciples by encouraging them to continue in the faith and by telling them, “It is necessary to go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.”
The encouragement is that we must continue in the faith and that these things are necessary to enter the kingdom of God. Jesus has overcome and through Him we have overcome and we will one day inherit the kingdom, but the time is not yet. It is coming but not yet.
We must continue in the faith in the midst of the trials and troubles. Faith over fear - lets read Psalm 11-12 and see what we can learn from David about how to walk in faith and not fear.
1 I have taken refuge in the Lord. How can you say to me, “Escape to the mountains like a bird! 2 For look, the wicked string bows; they put their arrows on bowstrings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart.
3 When the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” 4 The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord—his throne is in heaven. His eyes watch; his gaze examines everyone. 5 The Lord examines the righteous, but he hates the wicked and those who love violence.
6 Let him rain burning coals and sulfur on the wicked; let a scorching wind be the portion in their cup. 7 For the Lord is righteous; he loves righteous deeds. The upright will see his face.
1 Help, Lord, for no faithful one remains; the loyal have disappeared from the human race. 2 They lie to one another; they speak with flattering lips and deceptive hearts. 3 May the Lord cut off all flattering lips and the tongue that speaks boastfully.
4 They say, “Through our tongues we have power; our lips are our own—who can be our master?” 5 “Because of the devastation of the needy and the groaning of the poor, I will now rise up,” says the Lord. “I will provide safety for the one who longs for it.”
6 The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times. 7 You, Lord, will guard us; you will protect us from this generation forever. 8 The wicked prowl all around, and what is worthless is exalted by the human race.
Choose
Choose
1 I have taken refuge in the Lord. How can you say to me, “Escape to the mountains like a bird! 2 For look, the wicked string bows; they put their arrows on bowstrings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart. 3 When the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”
Historical setting of this Psalm is unknown. David finds himself in what seems to be a desperate situation with his life in danger. The temptation to flee from danger challenges His confidence in God. Perhaps David was receiving advice from another person or perhaps like me and possibly many of you it was the inner voice speaking to him. This voice was saying look at the danger escape - flee, runaway from the troubles. Sometimes that voice that speaks and says this is too much, too hard, too dangerous - the best thing is to leave, to quit, and to run away and stay safe.
The best thing to do with voices like that - is you must make a choice - you have to choose. David chose to respond in faith. David said I HAVE taken refuge in the Lord. This is willful of his own volition choosing to take refuge in the Lord. To trust His safety and shelter to the Lord.
1 I lift my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from?
This begs the question - who or what are we putting our trust in? To choose what we will put our trust in is not a one time deal - it is moment by moment - one trial or trouble to the next. It is also necessary to point out it is not about how much trust we put in - but how trustworthy is what we are trusting in. Great faith is only of value when we put our faith in something worthy of our faith.
David has chosen to trust in the Lord and He repudiates the temptation, the suggestion and the very thought of fleeing to the mountains. Fight or flight is our body’s natural response when faced with difficult situations. Why flee when you can trust? The choice to flee defies faith in God.
The wicked string bows and put arrows on the bowstrings to shoot from shadows at the upright in heart. The voice then says the wicked are actively attacking the upright. The story of all humanity is that the wicked attack the upright - the righteous. The first murder committed was against Abel who was righteous. The bows and arrows say physical attack but bows and arrows are used also to speak of verbal slanderous attacks as well.
The war that has been raging through the ages of the wicked and the righteous - good vs evil. It is a spiritual war and will is being fought. The question is have you entered the fight? Are we engaged in the war or are we content to sit on the side and complain about how the war is going?
They shoot from the shadows - perhaps manipulating the circumstances trying to increase the fear. You cant see the attacks and they attack from cover and you cant see the attack. It is a terrible thing to fear that which we cannot even see.
Sometimes we walk in fear because it seems the very foundations are destroyed - the foundation of society, the foundation of good overcoming evil, the foundation that evil does not prosper. The best thing to do is escape because criminals have the upper hand, they are armed and ready to come after lawful and righteous people. Law and order have vanished and the very foundations of society are crumbling. What can the righteous do? In the face of such evil and wickedness and such trouble and calamity what can the righteous do?
Do not choose to escape from problems and troubles but rather choose to take refuge in the Lord. What the righteous can do is choose engage rather than escape the war
15 I am not praying that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.
Change
Change
4 The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord—his throne is in heaven. His eyes watch; his gaze examines everyone. 5 The Lord examines the righteous, but he hates the wicked and those who love violence.
6 Let him rain burning coals and sulfur on the wicked; let a scorching wind be the portion in their cup. 7 For the Lord is righteous; he loves righteous deeds. The upright will see his face.
After making his choice to walk in faith and take refuge in the Lord David then changed his perspective. Instead of looking at what was happening around him horizontally he looked up to view things vertically. David starts off the Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord His throne is in heaven and both these statements have the connotation of STILL. No matter what has happened, no matter what anyone says or believes God is still in His holy temple and His throne is still in heaven. God has not gone anywhere and definitely has not vacated His throne. His eyes watch and His gaze examines everyone.
7 Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for him; do not be agitated by one who prospers in his way, by the person who carries out evil plans.
10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!
David decided to contrast his problem on earth with the high and lifted position of the Lord God in heaven. The fearful ask what can the righteous one do? David says the righteous can change their point of view - their perspective of the problem from earthly to heavenly and trust in the real source of government. Our earthly governments will fail and society along with it but the Lord’s throne is exalted in the heavens.
We change our perspective when we spend time with the Lord. When we spend time with our problem then our problem blocks our view of God, but when we pray and focus on God our problems melt from view and our faith assures our hearts.
A true perspective of things is that nothing is out of God’s control for He is the one who is sovereign over all.
David gives another answer for what the righteous can change their view on. The righteous can view their troubles and trials as testing. David says the Lord examines the righteous. The word examine can be translated as tests or refine.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.
5 You are being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials
7 so that the proven character of your faith—more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; though not seeing him now, you believe in him, and you rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy,
9 because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
A loving God is testing and you know you will not be pushed too far or forsaken.
8 We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; 9 we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed. 10 We always carry the death of Jesus in our body, so that the life of Jesus may also be displayed in our body.
The Lord examines everyone - the righteous to test them and refine them but not the wicked. He hates them and they will have judgment upon them. Scorching wind will be their cup. Unrepentant will suffer terrible judgment
23 Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked?” This is the declaration of the Lord God. “Instead, don’t I take pleasure when he turns from his ways and lives?
11 Tell them, ‘As I live—this is the declaration of the Lord God—I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked person should turn from his way and live. Repent, repent of your evil ways! Why will you die, house of Israel?’
Call
Call
1 Help, Lord, for no faithful one remains; the loyal have disappeared from the human race. 2 They lie to one another; they speak with flattering lips and deceptive hearts.
3 May the Lord cut off all flattering lips and the tongue that speaks boastfully. 4 They say, “Through our tongues we have power; our lips are our own—who can be our master?”
David now in faith calls on the Lord. Bemoaning the absence of the faithful and loyal among mankind. The culture is steeped in deception and lies. They lie to one another continuously and carrying on with speaking with flattering lips and all the while deception is in their hearts.
Can you imagine being in this culture and society that David is describing? There are so many who speak callously and deceptively? Such that you cannot trust what you are hearing the truth is being suppressed in order for the “official narrative” to be spoken. Perhaps once dignified and honored positions of great authority voice and power now corrupt and the people no longer can trust those in position. What if those who shared the truth were called radical, conspiracy theorists and were being silenced, cancelled, and other wise discredited?
It would seem like the wicked are only left and the righteous are dwindling. The voice once had is no longer heard. If you found yourself surrounded by those who repudiate truth - doesnt matter what truth all truth for the sake of say feelings. All of society corrupted untrustworthy. What could the righteous do? Who would you call out to for help?
They are guilty of lies and deception - blatant outright lies and even the “harmless” white lies, half truths exaggerations and broken promises.
Guilty of flattery - insincere complimenting. Flattery is not praise - flattery differs from praise because flattery ascribes virtues foreign to a person for the sake of manipulation for a sinister selfish motive.
deceptive hearts - the original language says “a heart and a heart” - they are double hearted. “A heart for church and a heart for the change; one for Sundays, another for working days; one for the king, another for the pope. A man without a heart is a wonder, but the man with two hearts is a monster.” Thomas Adams - cited by Spurgeon.
Faith calls on the Lord - trusts the Lord to help cut off all flattering and boasting. Call on the Lord to help navigate the treachery of the tongue in others and even in ourselves. We too can deceive ourselves.
Count On
Count On
5 “Because of the devastation of the needy and the groaning of the poor, I will now rise up,” says the Lord. “I will provide safety for the one who longs for it.” 6 The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times.
7 You, Lord, will guard us; you will protect us from this generation forever. 8 The wicked prowl all around, and what is worthless is exalted by the human race.
We call to the Lord for help - because we can count on the Lord. While we cannot count on man and his word - because even as great as man wants to be he cannot bring to pass one word that he says. God however has His throne in heaven still. God says because of the devastation of the needy and the groaning of the poor
I will now rise up.
I will provide safety
The Lord God promises a day of deliverance that is coming for the needy and the poor. We can count on the promises of God because the words of the Lord are pure words. The word “words” in verse 6 means promises and the word “pure” means flawless. The promises of the Lord are flawless without error or mistake. Man cannot make good faith promises.
1 Don’t boast about tomorrow, for you don’t know what a day might bring.
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.” 14 Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are like vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes.
15 Instead, you should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
God can make promises because all things are in God’s control and He brings about His word.
8 The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God remains forever.”
God has and will keep and preserve His word.
“The French atheist Voltaire made these claims openly. He once said, ‘In twenty years Christianity will be no more. My single hand shall destroy the edifice it took twelve apostles to rear.’ He wrote that in fifty years no one would remember Christianity. But in the year he wrote that, the British Museum paid the Russian government five hundred thousand dollars for a Bible manuscript while one of Voltaire’s books was selling in the London book stalls for just eight cents.”
Twenty years later, the house in which he penned those words was purchased by the Geneva Bible Society and was used to publish and distribute the Word of God. Voltaire was exalted for a season, but he faded away. Not so the Word of the Lord.
35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
The Lords words will guard us and protect us from this generation forever. Not only will the Lord guard us from the attacks and assaults but His word will protect us from compromise and complicity as well.
This generation - the wicked generation continually on the prowl and exalting vileness and scoffing is the same generation described in Proverbs 30
11 There is a generation that curses its father and does not bless its mother. 12 There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, yet is not washed from its filth.
13 There is a generation—how haughty its eyes and pretentious its looks. 14 There is a generation whose teeth are swords, whose fangs are knives, devouring the oppressed from the land and the needy from among mankind.
Verse 8 pictures ruthless yet worthless men who rule and exercise authority and power through their cunning sly false tongues. We cannot trust their words - we must trust God’s proven and refined and tested words and His words affirm the truth and the certainty that such people will be judged and destroyed and the righteous who trust in the Lord will be guarded and protected.
Conclusion
Conclusion
If you want to live a life of faith instead of living in fear these are the things you must do. Evaluate and ask the Lord to reveal in your heart these questions.
Am I actively and continually choosing to trust in the Lord?
Am I seeking to escape troubles and problems or am I seeking refuge in the Lord in the midst of them?
Am I engaged in the battle - the spiritual war or am I content to only complain about the battle?
Do I only see from the horizontal plane or am I looking from the vertical? Do I change perspective accordingly?
Whose words carry more weight? Mine? Other people’s? or God’s?