Sermon Central
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Part 3 - Fear Series
Contributed by Rev. Bruce A. Shields on Mar 24, 2007 (message contributor)
Summary: Part 3 of our series deals with Fear, and how it can cause you to act irrational, make poor decisions or even do nothing at all in times of trouble.
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They Must be Giants
3 – Fear
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House of Faith Ministries
www.PS127.org
WELCOME
INTRODUCTION
Most of us are all familiar with the story of David & Goliath.
1 Samuel 17
We are continuing our series entitled “They Must be Giants!”
Topics over the next few weeks;
† Loneliness
† Anger
† Addiction
Last week we spoke on Un-forgiveness.
Un-forgiveness can hold us captive to ourselves.
Un-forgiveness can literally make us a slave to it.
Remember these points from David & Goliath over the next few sermons;
The battle between the Palestinians and the Israelites was a spiritual one.
† David had the Holy Spirit just as all of those who belong to God have access to.
† David recognized the battle was spiritual even though everyone around him could not. He was walking in the spirit, not by sight, but by faith.
† When David faced the giant, he knew the battle was not a man against a giant, but a giant against a man of God.
† The battle was the Lord’s!
We must remember these points in our lives as well when we face things.
1. It’s a spiritual battle
2. We have the Holy Spirit
3. The battle is the Lord’s
Today we are talking about fear.
SCRIPTURE READING
Acts 10:34 – 36
“Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.”
PRAYER FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT AND UNDERSTANDING
THE GIANTS NAME IS FEAR
Fear can cause us to;
† Make irrational decisions
† Forget who we are
† Not stand when we need to
† Act out in anger
Or worse, do nothing at all…
GOD DOES NOT SHOW FAVORITISM
In King James it says, “God is no respecter of persons.”
He loves me JUST as much as He loved Moses!
He loves me JUST as much as He loved Abraham!
He loves me JUST as much as He loved Peter!
And He loves me JUST as much as He loved Judas…
God’s love for us is NOT based on our behavior.
“For ALL have sinned and fall SHORT of the glory of God!”
If God’s love was based on us, He would love none of us.
He loves us ALL, and does not show favoritism.
What He does for one, He offers to all.
Why is that important?
Lots of reasons…
It’s easier to forgive others when you realize your not God’s favorite.
When you realize that you are no different than the one you need to forgive.
And that you will be judged by God in the same way everyone else will be judged on that day.
The scripture says “He accepts men from EVERY nation, who fear Him…”
Fear God?
The Greek word used for fear here is fob-eh’-o, this is where we get our Latin word Phobia.
Phobia means to have a fear of something.
Arachnophobia – Arachno (spider) Phobia (fear)
Claustrophobia – Claustro (to shut or close in) Phobia (fear)
Or what a lot of boys have;
Ablutophobia – Abluto (washing or bathing) phobia (fear)
So this word used in the scripture here means to fear Him…God.
This fear means to have respect, or reverence for.
For instance, if there is a bomb on your kitchen table, you have reverence for it.
Not because of what it did, because it’s done nothing. But for the power it does hold, and what it could do.
We have reverence for God, not because He has come down on us with His strength, but because He IS the creator of the universe.
He is the Almighty. The beginning and the end!
And although He has every right to destroy each one of us, He chose love.
The RIGHT fear we should always have, is the right fear of the Lord.
The respect and reverence for Him.
So He offers us each His love because He does not choose favorites.
And we are to have a right fear for Him.
But what happens when we worry or fear something other than God?
This is the WRONG fear.
The right fear is reverence for the Lord.
The wrong fear is fearing or worrying about anything.
When you fear something other than the Lord you are saying something.
You are saying “I have more reverence (respect) for the thing coming against me, than I do for the Lord.”
When the Israelites were facing the Palestinians, they feared them.
They mad irrational decisions, such as let’s do nothing for 40 days.
They could have sent for reinforcements.
