So what are you afraid of?
Mice? Snakes, spiders? Clowns?
Everybody is scared of something.
Leaders – criticism, embarassment, conflict?
Fear in the mind causes stress in the body.
Your body will manifest the stress. You’ll need more coffee and energy drinks.
You need 8 – 10 hours sleep.
You’ll stress – ‘What if these people go?’
Or ‘What if these people STAY!’
Do you go to fight or flight?
Luke 12
Which of you by being anxious will add anything to your life.
Fear is not a sin – it’s an opportnity to either sin or trust God.
Who are you afraid of?
Does someone other than God hold that place?
We need them to bless and rule us and be a source of life to us. They become our functional God.
And when you fear someone you can’t love them.
The key of all idolatry is
the fear of man – that brings a trap.
You fear someone; it’s a trap.
Fear includes being afraid of someone but extends to giving them too much influence. Worshipping other people. Needing them. You can’t criticise them or say no.
When we’re in our teens it’s called peer pressure, when older – it’s called
Who’s opinion matters most?
Way too much.
Is your appetite for praise way to high?
You want to know what everyone thinks of you.
Are you overly devastated by criticism?
Rock Warren: ‘The problem with criticism now is that it’s instant, constant, global and permanent.’
Are you commited to things God didn’t call you to?
God never called you to it- so you get very busy, but not very holy.
Fear = VISION without hope. It’s seeing the worst case scenario.
Fear = not rational, but POWERFUL. You have your own fears that others don’t feel.
Fear = not getting what I want, or losing it.
Fear – preaches a false gospel. There is an alternative heaven here on earth, so find someone else and worship them (wife, boss) and they become a false saviour. To save you from the hell you through fear have created in your imagination.
Who has become for you, a functional saviour?
Fear causes us to be False Prophets. We predict a false future, and end up fear ridden over it – and it never happens.
Solution?
Bible’s answer?
FEAR NOT! The most frequently mentioned command in the whole Bible. If God says anything a lot, it must be important.
This should tell us, it’s a real problem.
It’s not just a command, it’s usually an INVITATION. ‘Fear not, I am present with you.’ It’s not just about facing your fear, but ‘I’m with you.’
Adam sins and hides, Gen3. God comes to him, and he says, ‘I was afraid.’ God comes alongside him.
Since sin entered the world, it’s the same.
Abraham Gen 21; ‘Fear not, I am your sheild
Gen 26:24 ‘Isaac – fear not, I’m with you!’
Jacob Gen 28:15 ‘I am with you..’
Why does God say it so much? Because when fear comes, we forget God is with us. And we feel alone, and that’s a lie. The lie is that you’re alone, you only have your own resources.
Moses asks, ‘How can I lead these people? I don’t know where we’re going, and they are following!’ God doesn’t say, ‘Here’s a map’ – but ‘Here I am.’
At the brink of war, with Joshua, ‘Fear not.’
King David, ‘Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will FEAR NOT because you are with me.’
Isaiah 41:14 ‘Fear not, you worm Jacob… ‘ (Can you think of anything more weedy than a worm?)
For I MYSELF will help you!
You feel powerless, the criticisms are real, ‘I can’t do this!’
God says, ‘Fear not! I am with you.’
Jeremiah is a sad man, the weeping prophet. He has a lot to be scared of. Depressed.
God comes to him,
Dan 12 – fear not daniel, I have come.
Haggai, ‘Be strong, be strong, be strong… why? I am with you.
Luke 1 – the angel comes to Mary, ‘Fear not…’
she’s pregnant, at 13. How will that look? No husband.
vs 35 – the Holy Spirit will come. God will be with you. In you.
Matthew 28. After Jesus lives, and dies and conquers death (that’s what we HAD to fear, but no longer. ‘I’m gonna die!’ – and that’s the WORST? we get to be with Jesus. We have to reset the worst case scenario – WCS? – You go to Jesus sooner rather than later – that’s not so bad).
Matthew 28 ‘ I WILL BE WITH YOU’ How long? Always – to the end.
We are all going to fear. So, God keeps reminding us.
‘Fear not, I am WITH YOU.’
Don’t just listen to that word. Do it. Always remember that. When it’s darkest. Everything may not be okay. But if God is with you, you’re going to be okay.
Fear not – your Daddy’s with you.
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