Making Fear Your Friend Series

Making Fear Your Friend

2000 years ago, God breathed and Paul put to paper these powerful words. Lean in church, for these are the very Word of the Living

If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?...

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:31-39

AND GOD – breathed these words through David 0ver 3000 years ago…

The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom should I fear?

The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom should I be afraid?

When evildoers came against me to devour my flesh, my foes and my enemies stumbled and fell.

Though an army deploys against me my heart is not afraid;

though a war breaks out against me, still I am confident.

– Psalm 27:1,2

Prayer Us Into…

GOOD MORNING MGCC!

AND – welcome to our final conversation in our series,

AND – have we had a great time in God’s word the last several weeks, or what? HEY – listen… Here’s the deal.

YOU ARE - an amazing, unique masterpiece of God.

AND GOD - has plans for your life… plans not to harm you but to give you a hope and a future.

THERE ARE – good works that God has planned in advance for you to do.

YES THERE IS – an abundant life… LIKE – I’m serious, life in all it’s fullness … Jesus has already made available to you.

HOWEVER - …however… there is an enemy who hates you and who is doing every that he can to steal, kill, and destroy that life. AND – 4 of his most effective weapons in his pursuit to keep you from your destiny in Christ, are – anxiety, insecurity, hurt and fear.

AND BROTHER AND SISTERS – since February 17th we have gathered in this room to worship and celebrate our Savior king and to learn how to Overcome each of these challenges that we all will face at one time or another…

AND – I gotta be honest, I had no idea how much a needed this series personally...

It is having a real impact on my journey.

AND SO…

WHEN – the winds and waves of anxiety come crashing over and against my life…

Anxiety - I am going to work my C.A.L.M.S.

WHEN – the lies of insecurity try to beat me down and make me feel bad… about who I am…

Insecurity - going to R.U.N. (and replace those lies with a confidence in God)

AND WHEN – I feel the sting and pain of HURT because someone has… abandoned me, betrayed me, wronged me… when those feelings of bitterness and anger and resentment and unforgiveness begin to take root… I am going to over come that hurt by choosing to be Brave.

Hurt – I’m going to overcome it by choosing to be B.R.A.V.E.

AND MGCC

THIS MORNING – God’s word is fixin’ to set a few of us in this room free, from another powerful and effective enemy that has keep us from our destiny… FEAR.

Got any?

UNDERSTAND… FEAR – is a powerful emotion.

AT TIMES - it is a crippling emotion.

AND – everyone… everyone… has felt it at one time or another in their lives.

AND WHEN - I say everyone, I mean everyone.

Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, David, Jeremiah, Esther, Mary, Joseph, Peter, Paul… everyone.

OKAY - raise your hand if you have ever battled fear in your life?

AND BECAUSE FEAR – is so powerful.

So prevalent… The command to ‘not be afraid’ and to ‘fear not’ is the most spoken command in the bible.

I MEAN – over and over again from Genesis to Revelation we see God telling His people do not be afraid.

AND – (as with anxiety, insecurity and hurt) FEAR want to steal, kill and destroy… the life that God created you to live, and FEAR has been pretty successful in this goal.

AND FEARS – (mode of operation) is to manipulate you with the mysterious, taunt you with the unknown.