Introduction

Has anyone here today ever been scared? Has anyone ever been literally - paralyzed by fear - unable to take another step? Well, we’re all in luck because today we begin a 4-week series called Fear Not. Surprisingly, fear is something the bible has an awful lot to say about. In fact, the command, fear not appears in one form or another 365 times from Genesis to Revelation. It is specifically given to dozens of different individuals and/or groups in a variety of circumstances. It’s abundantly clear that God doesn’t want His people to fear in the face of adversity or decision. To put it another way, we’ve been given a different, fear not, exhortation for every single day of the year. With such a clear daily prescription from the creator of the universe, why do we so often respond in fear? What can we do about this and is there a better way?

It’s abundantly clear that God doesn’t want His people to fear in the face of adversity or decision.

Main Teaching

We begin our Fear Not series with an exploration of Paul’s advice to Timothy in his second letter to the young pastor. Paul’s encouragement is this, “For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” (Some translations say timidity in place of fear but the original Greek word can mean either… It can also be translated as cowardice. Obviously, for our study a translation of fear makes the most sense). If fear doesn’t come from God, then where does it come from? I thought that the beginning of wisdom starts with the fear of the Lord, so what does that mean? What’s the difference? One important difference to recognize is that there is both a healthy and an unhealthy fear. Understanding the difference could save your life, and it will definitely help you interpret God’s daily encouragement to Fear Not.

Healthy fear can literally save your life ... View this full sermon with PRO Premium