Look Fear in the Eye (2)

Intro

*Start with church camp story about game/fear*

No afraid of anything? I am both skeptical and jealous

We are all afraid of something; fear is a shared human condition

Different fears to different extents

*Show Peanuts cartoon strip*

The question is ultimately not about your fear, but about your response to fear

Which is why some can say they are not afraid; they are not driven by their fear

As believers, we are all called to a life that is not driven by fear; this is where we all want to be!

Today we start with a good first step: acknowledging our fears and looking them in the eye

Pray

Look Fear in the Eye

Fear is uncomfortable; natural tendency is to avoid

Ignore fears; ignorance is bliss!

Avoid situations that make you feel afraid

*John Madden famously took his bus instead of flying*

Attempt to control things that threaten you

*Greg’s friend who bought a total body scan for her birthday*

Minimize fears

When you are afraid, you downplay the significance

*Share my own story of extreme anxiety and doctor’s response*

Acknowledging our fears makes us feel vulnerable and weak

So we just don’t do it; but we also don’t deal with the root cause of our fears

Our first step to overcoming fear is to look fear in the eye

Paves the way to receive peace and comfort

“Expose [your fears] to the light of day because the more you find, the more blessed you will be when you hear words of peace and comfort” (Welch, p. 28)

Fear is a great teacher (and revealer) of ourselves

“Listen to your fears and you hear them speak about things that have personal meaning to you. They appear to be attached to things we value” (Welch, p. 24)

Fear Reveals What You Love

You are fearful with what you value in two ways:

Fear and anxiety over not getting something you love/want

*Share about anxiety over not getting to go on Arizona trip*

Fear and anxiety over losing something you love/want

Strongest example would be losing your life… or public speaking?

Glossophobia is the most common phobia ahead of death, spiders or heights (approx. 75% of the population!)

A type of social anxiety; fear many of us share

Taps into a fear of rejection: lose significance, respect or community

Dig deeper: Look past your fears to the things that you desperately love and desire the most

What do your fears say about you? What do you love the most?

Many good biblical examples; one is that of Jacob in Genesis 32.

Jacob was the younger son of twin boys born to Isaac and Rebekah (oldest being Esau)

He tricked Esau out of his birthright (trading stew when Esau was hungry) and later tricked Isaac into giving him the blessing of the firstborn (when he was old and blind)

Esau was predictably furious, and Jacob had to flee for fear of his life

While he was away Jacob started a family (that’s a whole other story) and became incredibly wealthy

Eventually God calls Jacob back home, where reports had Esau coming to meet him with 400 men (intentions unknown)

Jacob is afraid of Esau… and look at what he loves

Read Genesis 32:7-11.

Jacob’s fear revealed his love for his family

But not his possessions

He gave a great gift of wealth to appease Esau; not afraid to part with possessions (list from Gen. 32:14-15.

Love and fear are connected elsewhere in Scripture, but they are NOT compatible

Cf. 1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.”

Not only does our fear show us what we love, but it also leads us to the perfect love; the love of God

Perfect love casts out fear! Meaning there isn’t enough room for both to sit in your soul

*Like repelling magnets in a train set*

When you truly love God above all else, you are now well on your way to overcoming fear

The key to overcoming fear is not about pushing it out, but instead inviting the love of God in

Much more on this topic in the weeks to come!

Fear Reveals What You Trust

You can love something so much that you place your trust in it to fulfill you (Read Welch, p. 44 - 45)

Now your fear reveals not just what you hold dear, but what you expect to give you certainty, security and fufillment

Fear and trust:

Covid = Government will protect me; science will protect me; faith will protect me

Inflation = trust in money and career

Health scare = trust in eating great and exercising

As Welch mentioned, the notion of trust ties into our allegiances, and who (or what) is ultimately enthroned on our hearts

What you trust the most is what is most important to you

This is the level we will need to reach in order to overcome fear

Peter gives us a great biblical example of fear and trust in action

The disciples are out on the sea, getting pushed by the wind and the waves

Jesus (who had been praying by himself) goes out to meet them… by walking on water

Look for how fear plays a part in the rest of the story (Read Matthew 14:26-31.

*Recap accounts of fear*

Peter was initially able to walk on water because his faith and trust were placed firmly in Christ

But when saw the wind, he doubted, and began to trust in earthly things

Can you really blame him? He was walking on water!

Jesus rebukes Peter, “Why did you doubt?” An extension of that question would be, “Why did you not continue to trust me?”

Just like Peter, our fears arise when the dangerous things of the world grab our attention

In those moments, our trust is put to the test

We have only two options: Trust in God, or trust in anything else

The problem with trusting something else is that they will always lack the ability to be completely trustworthy

There is only one firm foundation; all else is sinking sand

Let us make Psalm 56 our hearts cry when we are scared

Read Psalm 56:3-4 “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?”

What could the waves do to Peter? What can human beings do to us? Nothing that God is not capable of overcoming.

He alone is worthy of complete and utter trust to overcome fear, because He alone grants us eternal hope, life and love

Conclusion

This morning is all about diagnosis: What are you afraid of?

Don’t ignore your fears, and don’t minimize them. Look fear in the eye

Because if you listen to your fears, they will reveal to you what you truly love and what you truly trust

As we journey through this series, we want to seek to have God be the primary answer to both of those questions

Pray.

Take it Home

Write down your fears.

What do your fears say you love?

What do these fears say you trust in?