Overcoming Fear Thru The Sound Judgment We Have In Christ Series

SERMON BRIEF

Date Written: January 22, 2015

Date Preached: January 25, 2015

Church: OPBC (AM) Sunday

FOUNDATIONAL ELEMENTS

Title: Overcoming Fear thru Discipline/Focus

Text: Nehemiah 4:1-14 (ESV)

ETS: Here we find Nehemiah using discipline to help the people overcome their fear.

ESS: Today’s passage is reveals a strategy that is applicable to all believers in ANY time. It is not only about a physical danger, but can be applied to any spiritual pitfalls that may arise.

Introduction:

For the past 3 weeks you have heard me speak on the subject of fear. You heard me confess my fear in the situations of my life! You heard how fear must not be the focus for God’s children. You heard God provides 3 tools that we have, as believers, to overcome fear in our lives!

The 1st tool is the POWER of God! We learned we are not the initiator of our salvation OR the powers behind our redemption! We realized that only thru the power of God we are saved! It is only in THAT power we move ahead & do what God has called us to do…

The 2nd tool we have is the LOVE of God! His love is what drives Him to our redemption and it is His love for us that keeps and secure in that redemption! His love covers all…

Finally this morning I want us to look at one more tool in the believer’s tool belt…let’s look again at what Paul told Timothy 2 Tim 1:7 [NLT] [show verse now]

“7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”

Self-discipline is the 3rd tool Paul reveals, but what does he mean by self-discipline?

Other translations say…

NIV says, 7For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

NASB says, 7 For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.

KJV says, 7For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

NKJV says, 7For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

HCSB says, 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.

What Paul is saying to Timothy is to keep a sound mind about himself as he serves Christ! Paul is telling us to have good, sound judgment in our walk so that when fear rises up… we can keep our wits about us and serve as God has called us to serve!

Now we must understand that it is more than keeping our wits, but it is a matter of reliance upon the protective arm of God to shield us and move us forward in his plan.

So when we look at what Paul was saying to Timothy in 1 Tim 2… God has called us and in His calling, we have NO reason to live fearfully… and that when we battle fear we have the tools with which to fight it!

However, in serving God we know that we are NOT robots, we are NOT puppets controlled by His strings, but God has granted us free will and we MUST make choices to serve Him!

We MUST make choices to move forward in our Christian walk! It just doesn’t HAPPEN, we have to make the choice and take the steps of faith needed!

This means that when FEAR presents itself in our lives, we have to MAKE the choice to pull out and use these tools to defeat fear and allow us to be overcomers in our walk with Christ!

When we look at the POWER of God and the LOVE of God… those 2 tools are things we usually don’t have problems in believing and receiving…because we believe in the power of God, and we revel in the Love of God.

BUT when it comes to discipline and a sound mind or sound judgment MANY of us shy away and think, “I cannot do that! I am too weak!” But this is where the POWER of God is manifested in our lives… through our discipline and judgment within our daily Christian walk!

This how we can SEE the power of God and love of God evident in our lives… by fleshing it out through our own CHOICE to live spiritually disciplined life! To stand in the gap when FEAR raises its ugly head!

While I was praying about this week God laid the story of Nehemiah on my heart… In case you don’t know it or don’t remember this story, let me give you just a little background!

Nehemiah was the cupbearer for the King of Persia and he had heard about the situation in Jerusalem how the walls were torn down and the city was open to be raided at any time. This was a matter of national pride and protection.