No Fear

Luke 1:5-17; 1:26-38; 2:8-15 - No Fear

Fear is a common response to threatening or intimidating situations today.

Some go to great lengths to beat or run away from their fears.

And some brace themselves to be strong - it was no different on that first Christmas.

Four times people were told not to fear - we’ll look at 3 of them (from Luke) today. Each received a "summons to fearlessness", a call to have courage.

1) Zechariah ’s summons to fearlessness pointed to answered prayers. - Luke 1:5-17

God heard Zechariah and Elizabeth’s requests for a child. He finally answered above and beyond what they asked for. What about the cries of your heart that seem to go unheard?

Matthew 7:7, Philippians 4:6-7, 1 Peter 4:7, Jeremiah 29:13, Luke 18:1

2) Mary’s summons to fearlessness pointed to God’s approval. - Luke 1:26-38

To grow as Christians, we need to reach a point of accepting His love. We need to understand that pleasing Him isn’t about performance but faith.

Hebrews 11:6, Romans 8:31

3) The shepherds’ summons to fearlessness pointed to good news. - Luke 2:8-15

Perhaps 30-40 years later they would understand why the angels picked them. The birth of the Messiah marked the end of animal sacrifices.

The gospel: clean conscience, forgiveness, the end of evil and suffering

Fear Not means God knows what’s going on, and He’ll eventually fix it. It means that our circumstances are not beyond His grasp. It means to give our difficulties to Him.