Brave Part 2 – Dealing with Fear

WARM-UP

What are some of the things we fear? David Jeremiah listed ten things in his book, “What Are You Afraid Of”?:natural calamity; serious illness; financial collapse; failure; being alone; rejection; sudden trouble; mental breakdown; dying; fear of the Lord. Interestingly, the most frequent command in the whole Bible is “Do not fear!” Over three hundred times, God tells us in different ways and at different times not to be afraid. And yet we still fear.

ONE BIG IDEA

FEAR is a problem because it focuses on our CIRCUMSTANCES rather than on GOD.

STUDY (Psalm 34:4,)

“I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.”

LEARN

WHAT DO WE FEAR?

a) Fear of Failure. This fear is experienced when you imagine all the horrible things that could happen if you failed to achieve a goal. It makes you hold back on your plans or encourages you to give up. It paralyzes people into inaction.

b) Fear of Loss. We fear losing our jobs, we fear losing our loved ones, we fear losing our savings or investments.  The psychological impact of losing is thought to be twice as powerful as the pleasure of gaining.  

c) Fear of Harm.  This type of fear that affects a person characterized by Fear of Harm (FOH) is better thought of as an extreme perception of threat. We fear illness and injury both to ourselves and our loved ones.

d) Fear of Death. It’s only natural to be afraid of death and dying. In fact, even if Christians know where they are heading after death, they are still hesitant to face the last enemy which is called death.  Because of fear of death, we forget that one of the reasons Jesus came was to free you even from this fear.

IN RELATION TO OUR FAITH, FEAR CAN PREVENT US FROM:

a) Serving others. 2 Timothy 1:6-7. “6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control (ESV).Fear can prevent you from developing your gifts and serving other people as God desires.

b) Sharing the Gospel. Acts 4:18-20. In some countries people who share the gospel are risking their very lives. In our country we mostly worry about what people will think or say. Thom Rainer said: “Early Christians had to be compelled to keep quiet. Christians today have to be compelled to speak.”

c) Following God’s Plan. Psalm 78:9. God wants to lead us to new and bold directions and we hold back because of fear.  

d) Taking a Stand for Christ. John 12:42-43. It is getting harder and harder to take a stand for Christ in today’s world, and so it becomes even more important to get a handle on this problem of fear.

HOW DO WE DEAL WITH FEAR?

1. Develop a Healthy Fear and Respect for God

Derek Kidner writes: “The fear of the Lord is the fear that puts all other fears in their place.” Only as we truly fear the Lord will we be freed from all destructive and satanic fears. By fearing God, we can avoid being trapped by the natural pull toward going our own way, defying God and giving in to the inviting ways of immoral behavior.  When you fear God, you need fear nothing else.   Fearing God produces confidence, hope and trust in Him.

2. Remember that God is with You.

We should look at our God who is bigger than all our fears and ask with awe and wonder. Psalm 118:6 says, “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me (ESV)?”   If God is on your side, what do you need to be afraid of? If God is for you, who can be against you?

3. Know that God loves You.

Zephaniah 3:17 “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save;he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing (ESV).” It was this kind of thinking that gave George Whitefield (show picture) the courage to keep sharing the gospel under pressure. Whitefield was an evangelist back in the 1700’s, and one of his journal entries from 1742 reads: “I was honored today to have a few stones, dirt, rotten eggs, and pieces of dead cat thrown at me.” Well, that would be enough to stop many speakers today. But Whitefield knew that God was on his side! And that made all the difference.

4. Grow in Your Faith

When Jesus and the disciples encountered a storm on the sea, Jesus asked them in Matthew 8:26, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. Fear and faith cannot co-exist, so when you GROW in faith, you will LESSEN your fears.  Ephesians 3:12 says, “in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him (ESV).”

5. Meditate on God’s Word

Psalm 56:4 – “In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me (ESV)?”  There is power in God’s word! When you spend time reading and meditating on God’s word, you will greatly reduce your fears in life.  Church, you can either meditate on your problem, or meditate on God’s Word, it’s your choice.

6. Be Strong and Courageous

These were God’s words to Joshua when he took over the leadership of Israel from Moses in (Joshua 1:7-9 ESV).

7. Grow in the Spirit

When your faith is in Christ, the Holy Spirit works in your life to change your character to be more like Christ. When it comes to the problem of fear, the fruit of love, peace and self-control are especially applicable. Remember the verse in  (2 Timothy 1:6-7 ESV).

GROW:

 Application Questions:

1. What do you fear and how does it affect the way you live?
2. Which of the following best describes your emotional response to fear? • Paralyzing terror • Anger • General anxiety • Excitement • Emotional confusion. Would you say fear is a consistent problem for you, or that it comes and goes?
3. Recall an experience where you saw how amazingly God intervened/helped/overcome your fear on your behalf.