Standing, Even In The Midst Of Fear Series

For the past 2 weeks, we have been discussing the topic, ¡§How To Stand When You Do Not Understand¡¨ ¡V

In Week 1, we spoke about the fact that we can stand even in the Midst of Failure as we looked at the life of Jacob who had lived as a cheater and failure most of his life until that one night he wrestled with an angel until the breaking of the dawn, and the blessing was received. His name was changed from Cheater to Israel, or ¡§Prince With God¡¨.

Last week, we spoke about how that we can stand in the Midst of Faithlessness, and the life of Peter who followed the Lord faithfully, however in his moment of Testing denied the Lord 3 times. However, instead of turning against God, he realized that God still had a purpose for Him, and ultimately Peter became a great Preacher of the Gospel of Christ in the early church.

There are times that each of us find ourselves in the midst of Failure, but needing to Stand, and also in the midst of Faithlessness, but needing to get back on track with God.

Today, we are going to look at STANDING IN THE MIDST OF FEAR.

Just the other day I was watching the news, and words of warning were being expressed to America that we are still in the midst of a war, and that the Terrorists are doing everything within their power to be sure there is another attack of some kind between now and the 2004 Presidential Elections.

We now live in a nation that is often wondering what is around the corner, and also wondering what color the Terror Alert Level is going to be, and then fearful that we won¡¦t even know what the color means when it does change.

Terrorists are threatening our Nation on a daily level, as the ¡§Goliath of Fear¡¨ rears it¡¦s ugly head in the newspapers, internet, and around the world.

Our world drastically changed after September 11, 2001 ¡V However, the concern now is that Americans will tire of hearing threat after threat, and warning after warning, without seeing attack, and be lulled into a sense of complacency which is exactly where the enemy would like to see us.

Even as Christians, there are times we feel that we must tone down the message of the Gospel of Christ for ¡§fear of offending¡¨ someone else.

How Do We Stand During These Times of Terror?

We cannot be full of fear, yet we cannot be unconcerned.

We are going to look today at David who was facing a threat to his Nation, as well as God¡¦s name.

As mentioned previously, we always saw three areas in each of these difficult times.

1. The Test

2. The Travail

3. The Triumph

We are going to look at these 3 areas again today, and realize that we serve a God who has everything in control regardless of what we see with our physical eyes on the outside, and gain new insight to how we can stand even when we do not understand.

First of all today we look and see:

I. THE TEST ¡V DAVID WAS CHALLENGED TO DELIVER A NATION

The people of Israel were being intimidated on a daily basis by the great Philistine Giant named Goliath.

1 Samuel 17:1-11

[4] And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. [5] And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. [6] And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders. [7] And the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam; and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him. [8] And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. [9] If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us. [10] And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together. [11] When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.

1 Samuel 17:16

And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.