Making Fears Disappear

Making Fears Disappear

John 14:1,27 Matt. 6:25-34

Joke: A wife was constantly waking her husband up in the middle of the night after hearing noises........"Honey, someone’s trying to break in........I just heard them...........I think their in the house now." There was nothing for the husband to do but to get out of bed, go downstairs, and check. He would then trudge back upstairs crawl into bed, and assure it wife that it was nothing. However on one particular occassion, he went downstairs after being awakened by his wife, and found two men in the kitchen.......the two men started to run, but the husband said to them......"not so fast, you’re not leaving until I take you upstairs to meet my wife because she’s been waiting for y’all for 20 years"

Story: Someone’s on the front porch..........

In Vs 1,27 Jesus addresses an issue which is especially relevant to our days. The issue is that of anxiety, and fear. The word "troubled" means "agitated". In Websters the definition of "agitated" is "to be tossed from side to side; shaken, moved violently and irregularly"

Our world is a "fearful" world.

I read this wk that there are at least 75 legitimate phobia’s. Now I don’t know who determined what’s legit, and what’s not, but I do know that there are many people who live in fear.

Now let’s have a little "phobia-trivia". See if you guess can what these phobia’s are: Acrophobia- Fear of heights. Arachnophobia- Fear of spiders. Claustrophobia- Fear of confined spaces. Hydrophobia- Fear of water Insectophobia - Fear of insects

Now’s here some real off the wall one’s........hope none of you are afraid of these things: Phalacrophobia- Fear of becoming bald.

Alektorophobia- Fear of chickens Autodysomophobia- Fear of one that has a vile odor.

Now......I don’t think there’s a Baptist preacher alive that has "alektorophobia" I know this.......you set down a plate of fried chicken in front of me, and "No Fear" will be flashing all across my face........the only fear I have about eating fried chicken is that someone’s going to get the last piece before I can !

Now while there is a large list of supposed phobia’s though there are a wide variety, and some really weird stuff that people are apparently afraid of..........Psychologist tell us that today there are four basic fears all humanity suffers –

(1) Fear of failure,

(2) Fear of losing security

(3) Fear of the future

(4) Fear of death itself.

This morning I believe we can say with certainty that it is not the will of God that we be troubled(agitated) or that we be afraid.

In fact the Bible reads in 2 Tim 1:7 "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

Now if God has not given us this spirit of fear which is rampant in our society then where does it come from.......

I. Notice The Reason For Fear.

a. Fear Is A Result Of Sin.

Was there any fear or anything to fear as long as man was obedient to God in the beginning. The first evidence of fear in the heart of man came after the fall.

Gen 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto them, Where art thou ? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

b. Fear Is A Result Of Separation.

The first couple walked in complete, and perfect fellowship with God up until the fall. Yet, after their disobedience, we see that intimate fellowship is interruped, and rather than walking with God.....they are hiding from God in fear, and shame..

c. Fear Is A Result of Selfishness.

Matt 6:25-34 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than mean, andthe body than raiment.

Perhaps, you’ve never thought of this, but isn’t fear one of the greatest degrees of selfishness ? When we are in a panic.....when we are afraid, what are we focused on ? Most of the time........it is because our thoughts are turned inward.

4. Fear is a result of Satan.

Satan implied to Adam, and Eve that their disobedience would lead to more knowledge, and that they would be better as the result of it. Satan is a liar, and the father of them. He knew exactly what would happen. Satan wants us to be controlled by fear rather than being controlled by the Spirit of God. He wants our lives to be governed by fear, and anxiety rather than being governed by the word of God !