Faith Over Fear (Fear Not)

INTRODUCTION

• THE MATRIX START DVD. Time: 1:10 Start Time: 0:53:38 End Time: 0:54:48 Start Cue: Feet zooming in on building top End Cue: Man laying on pavement

• Each day we have to decide if we are going to let the fear of what is before us keep us from living the way that God wants us to live or are we going to let our faith in the unseen allow us to reach heights we never thought possible.

• In the scene we just viewed, Morpheus was trying to get Neo to have faith in something he could not see, in something that defied logic.

• When Neo looked all he saw was an opportunity to splatter on the pavement. Jumping seemed crazy, but he tried.

• Neo had to decide if he was going to be ruled by fear or by faith.

• Every day we must decide if we are going to be ruled by fear or by faith. We cannot allow ourselves to be afraid of everything that comes at us in life. We cannot be afraid to step out in faith because we are afraid to fail.

• Today we are going to turn to the book of Joshua chapter 1.

• Moses, the leader of the Israelites has died and God is speaking with his successor Joshua.

• SLIDE #1

• God is going to encourage Joshua to “Fear Not!”

• Joshua is going to be facing what would seem to be an almost impossible task, the task of taking the Israelites into the Promised Land.

• Not only is he going to lead the people, he is replacing a legend in Moses who had taken them out of Egypt.

• I know that God is leading each of us to something special. It is something that does not look easy and will be filled with obstacles. It will take great faith on our part to accomplish what God has in store for us.

• The only way you will be able to maximize your potential in Christ and in life in general is to let your faith overcome your fear, or to FEAR NOT!

• Let us turn to Joshua 1

• As we look at this passage we will be able to see three things that will allow our faith to overcome our fear!

• READ JOSHUA 1:1-5

• SLIDE #2

SERMON

Our faith can overcome our fear if we understand that:

I. GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISES. (6)

• God has just given Joshua a big job to do. I wonder what was going through his mind as he was listening to God?

• I think he was a bit overwhelmed because you find in these nine verses that God tells Joshua to be strong and courageous three times in verses six, seven and nine.

• SLIDE #3

• Joshua 1:5 - 6 (NASB) 5“No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. 6“Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.

• After God tells Joshua what He wants him to do, God remind Joshua that Joshua was going to take the people into the land which God swore to their fathers.

• God also reminded Joshua that He had been with Moses, so Joshua could see God’s track record.

• God is reminding Joshua that God keeps His promises.

• One of the things Joshua needed to understand if he was going to let his faith have victory over his fears was understanding that God is the ultimate promise-keeper!

• Joshua needs to know this because there would be times where it would look impossible to do some of the things God wanted him to do with the people.

• In Romans 4, Paul speaks of Abraham and how Abraham was made right (or justified) by faith.

• SLIDE #4

• Romans 4:18 (NASB) 18In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.”

• SLIDE #5

• Romans 4:20 says: 20yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God,

• Verse 20 tells us that Abraham did not waver in his faith. When things got tough, Abraham had his faith to hold on to. This helped him to overcome fear with faith.

• What will help you to maintain a strong faith, a faith that will overcome fear?

• When you are facing a difficult choice, if you understand that God keeps His promises, it will give you something to cling on to, something to help tell you that the sacrifice you need to make is worth the trouble it will cause you.