Sermon Central
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Facing The Facts About Fear
Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Oct 24, 2022 (message contributor)
During his 1933 Inaugural Address, President Franklin Roosevelt sought to calm a troubled America in the throes of depression by saying, "There is nothing to fear but fear itself." Fear is a feeling of dread, alarm, panic and anxiety. Fear ranges from mild anxiety to panic attacks. The Psychiatric Association has categorized a variety of phobias, such as acrophobia, claustrophobia, agoraphobia.
Research indicates that we are born with only two fears—the fear of falling and the fear of loud noises. All other fears are learned responses.
Fear takes on many forms—the fear of success, the fear of failure, the fear of rejection, the fear of disease, the fear of the future, the fear of life after death. Jesus described the last days as times of intense, worldwide fear (Luke 21:26).
Fear produces negative effects. Fear paralyzes decision making, immobilizes action, hinders prayer, limits faith, restricts relationships, lowers productivity, jeopardizes health, stifles joy.
Because of fear...
• Adam and Eve hid from God in the Garden (Genesis 3:8-10).
• Israel forfeited Canaan (Numbers 14:20-25).
• Ephraim turned back in the day of battle (Psalm 78:9).
• Saul's army fled from Goliath (1 Samuel 17:8-10).
• Gideon lost 22,000 of 32,000 fighting men (Judges 7:3).
• Elijah suffered depression (1 Kings 19:3-5).
• Jonah ran from the call of God (Jonah 1:3).
• The man with one talent buried it in the ground (Matthew 25:24).
• Christ's disciples cried out, "Master, do You not care that we perish?" (see Mark 4:38).
• Christ's disciples deserted Him at the cross (see Matthew 26:56).
In a world of fear, God speaks: 'fear not; only believe!" (see Luke 8:50). This was Christ's message to Jairus—"Fear not; only believe!"
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