Fearless #6 Fear of God getting out of my box
This is our last week in this series that we call “fearless.” We have been trying to take of the bullies of life, those things that cause us to cower in a corner, those things that make us want to take a different path, and those things that just scare us to death.
Jesus never envisioned a church full of cowards. He never planned that his church would be full of people who were afraid to take on the great challenges, who always needed safety, and would need to be coddled, and would abandon the cause at the first sign of danger or discomfort.
Jesus was never afraid to walk anywhere and neither should we.
Jesus was never afraid to talk to anyone and neither should we.
Jesus was never afraid to take on anything and neither should we.
Jesus was never afraid to stand up when nobody else would and neither should we.
Jesus was never afraid to come to the rescue and neither should we.
Jesus was never afraid to love the sinner and neither should we.
Jesus was never afraid to pick a fight and neither should we.
Jesus wasn’t afraid of graveyards, prostitutes, tax collectors, the immoral, the powerful, the rich, the demon possessed, the sick, and neither should we.
God isn’t raising up cowards. The Holy Spirit isn’t urging you to play it safe.
One of the things I have heard over and over again in my life goes something like this; “I want to follow God but I’m afraid he’s going to send me out as a missionary to some African jungle.”
Or its something like this, I’ve had many conversations and prayer times with people who feel like they ought to be doing something more. One year later they come back and we pray the same prayer over again. Are you telling me that in a whole year there was not one opportunity, or one idea, or one dream that you couldn’t go out after? And so we pray about it again.
I call that the “tame God” or the “safe God” syndrome.
We want a safe God. We want to tame God. We want a God we can manage. One we can keep in the trunk of the car and pull him out whenever we need him. We want God we can control. We want a God who will bless us and be there when we need him but we are a little uncomfortable when Jesus asks us to walk on water!
We want enough of God to make us feel warm and cozy but not too much that he explodes our soul and turns our world upside down. We don’t want to be a missionary to Africa! He’s a asking too much! Its way out of bounds! It’s not what we signed up for. I like faith but not that much faith. I like adventure but not that much adventure. I think God’s great, but not that great!
Here’s what we’re going to work on today... One of my all time favorite verses…
Eph. 3:20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Our problem with this verse isn’t everything God can do. We say amen to that!
The problem is stuck right in the middle of that verse… according to his power that is at work within us. The real problem seems to be how much of his power, how much of who God is has gripped us and set us free to see God’s great works happen around us.
Basically the bigger God is TO you and the bigger God is IN you the bolder we are in taking on the big assignments. A big understanding of God leads us to big expectations from God. A small working of God in us leads to only small things.
No wonder people are worried about becoming missionaries to Africa when their God and their experience of God and the power that is working in them is so small!
- We can’t even imagine God getting us to Africa
- Or learning the language
- Or how He will provide
- Or how He’ll make up for what we miss at home!
- AND SO WE KEEP GOD BOXED UP!
The verse seems to be saying that there is no limitation with God but there is a limitation with us. God is working according to how big he is inside of us. We seem to be the latest in a long line of Christ followers who seem to be unaware of the Glory, of the value, of the awesomeness of whom Jesus is. There certainly were a lot of people like that in the bible who were in the presence of the almighty God- standing right before them in the shape of Jesus- and they couldn’t even muster up enough faith to do anything.
My goal today is to get you to shake off small perceptions and small thinking about God. My goal is to get you to stop trying to manage and control God.
Dan. 11:32 Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.
The key is to KNOW God. Not know of Him.
Jesus took three of his disciples and decided to unveil his Glory before them on a mountain. He was asking a lot of these three men and would be asking a lot more in the future is so he needed the power at work within them to be glorious, to be big, to be powerful, to be holy, to be all consuming, and to be big enough that their fears would be erased. Let’s read about what Jesus did…
Matthew 17:1 Six days later Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. 2 As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. 3 Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus.
4 Peter exclaimed, “Lord, it’s wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I’ll make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
5 But even as he spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.” 6 The disciples were terrified and fell face down on the ground.
7 Then Jesus came over and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 And when they looked up, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus.
9 As they went back down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
How much of the bible do you know? As I look back in the bible just about every man or woman who was called to a special work of God had a special encounter with God that strengthened them for the journey ahead…
- Moses had the burning bush in which she walked away totally believing in the sovereign power of God.
- Joshua had an encounter that strengthened him to take the promised land.
- Isaiah had an encounter that made him lay down the rest of his existence for God’s purposes.
- And these three disciples were having an experience that would alter their perception of whom Jesus was forever.
Let’s break this message and this passage into three points…
1. The Transfiguration – why church is dangerous
Matthew 17:1 Six days later Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. 2 As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. 3 Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus.
Notice how Jesus peeled back his skin and his Glory, his radiance, his majesty, his worth, was revealed. His face like the sun, his body like pure or penetrating light. And the limitations between heaven and earth, between time past and present were suddenly eliminate it as Moses and Elijah appear.
Jesus was taking these earthbound disciples and giving them a life altering moment. Have you ever had or seen someone have a life altering moment? When they finally GET IT?
Who is your favorite Jesus? What is your favorite picture of Jesus? We have a natural tendency to mold and model Jesus the way we like to see him. People use to build idols – some still do – but for Christians our preference is to mold our Jesus into someone who is very comfortable for us to live with.
I’m pretty sure that this moment of transfiguration totally blew the model of Jesus that these three disciples had out of the water. That’s why church is dangerous, because our sweet, tender, affectionate Jesus might turn into the ferocious, holy, sin hating, glorious king of Kings and lord of lords.
John would later write this of Jesus…
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, (the highest divine intelligence, the power behind all things, the holder together of the universe, the creator behind all creation and purpose) and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning.
3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace (undeserved divine favor, when a person whom I should expect nothing from gives me everything) and truth. (the final say, the measure of all things, the bottom line)
12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
What john was saying was. WOW!!!!
Heb. 12:25 See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?
28Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29for our "God is a consuming fire."
A consuming fire. A fire roaring and eating everything in its path.
Jesus is set apart, sacred, unique and special in everything. We call that HOLY.
His forgiveness is more forgiving than any other forgiveness.
His power is the most powerful, unique from any other power.
His wrath is more dangerous, set apart as the most dangerous.
His purity is the most pure, unique in it’s purity.
His greatness is unfathomed and unchallenged.
His armies are immeasurable and scarier than any other army.
His wisdom is wiser than any other wisdom.
His Word is truth, never changes with the time, always stands as final word.
His judgment is impeccable, cannot be argued, cannot be appealed.
His love is unexplainable and all encompassing.
What happened at the transfiguration was that they saw his His absolute otherness – there is just nothing like Jesus, nothing even close. He is so unlike us in all his ways.
His holiness means absolute purity – never a wrong thought, never small and petty in His ways, never has ill will, never has a desire that isn’t pure, He is never carry hidden motives.
I have dealt with a lot of people in my lifetime and most of them have secondary motives for just about everything they do, not God, not ever. God does not play or need to play politics…ever.
Everything about Him is immense and powerful and yet he knows every bird and their life span.
There is NONE other like Him. He is absolutely immeasurably valuable, because there’s nothing comparable to Him to determine a value.
Our biblical definition is: Someone or something set apart as so totally unique and separate that we’re inspired to respond in ONLY appropriate ways.
On that mountain that day the disciples say Jesus’ glory. All their small thoughts of Him…vanished, gone. All their earthly comparisons to other great teachers…Gone.
Jesus is ferocious, mighty God.
Listen to this…
Deut. 32:4 He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect.
Everything he does is just and fair.
He is a faithful God who does no wrong;
how just and upright he is!
32:39 Look now; I myself am he!
There is no other God but me!
I am the one who kills and gives life;
I am the one who wounds and heals;
no one can be rescued from my powerful hand!
Does that make us uncomfortable?
Dan. 4:35 All the peoples of the earth
are regarded as nothing.
He does as he pleases
with the powers of heaven
and the peoples of the earth.
No one can hold back his hand
or say to him: "What have you done?"
Does that make us uncomfortable?
Romans 11:22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.
Rom. 11:33 Have you ever come on anything quite like this extravagant generosity of God, this deep, deep wisdom? It’s way over our heads. We’ll never figure it out.
Is there anyone around who can explain God?
Anyone smart enough to tell him what to do?
Anyone who has done him such a huge favor
that God has to ask his advice?
Everything comes from him;
Everything happens through him;
Everything ends up in him.
Always glory! Always praise!
Yes. Yes. Yes.
And if that isn’t enough, what about Jesus in Revelation, swooping down and leading the charge against His enemies and defeating them?
It’s no wonder Jesus demands so much of us! And says…
- Love me more than anyone else…
- Renounce all and follow me…
- Stop sinning…
- I am the way…
The transfiguration reveals the Glory of Jesus. That is a ferocious consuming fire. We’ll play around with him. We don’t mold him into an image that suits us. We don’t play with his word. JESUS JUST GOT OUT OF OUR BOX!
If were ever going to have a breakout life we better have a breakout God.
2. Transfiguration leads to Holy Fear
4 Peter exclaimed, “Lord, it’s wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I’ll make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
5 But even as he spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.” 6 The disciples were terrified and fell face down on the ground.
Most fears are poisonous. But this kind of fear is different. The disciples were definitely amazed many times at what they saw Jesus do. But now they were totally awestruck by whom Jesus was. That’s what this kind of fear is…AWE…RESPECT…VALUE…ADMIRATION
Pro. 1:7 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Do you know what this says? That if we don’t have God in the right place in our life then were just STUPID! We’re fools. You may miss it here and you’ve missed everything. If you don’t have an awe of God, a deep respect for him, the no matter what else you know you’ve missed the boat.
Do you tremble at his word?
Do you seek his smile?
Have you ever fallen on your face and declared that he is God?
Are you more afraid of disappointing God then disappointing your friends?
Paul left a life of priviledge and power…said when he met Jesus it was DUNG!
The disciples are speechless. They are so convicted about the smallness of their life and the smallness of their faith they bury their head in their hands. Has that ever happened to you?
Isaiah had a similar encounter with God and felt dirty!
When was the last time that your knees buckle and you were left breathless because you glimpsed God’s glory?
3. Holy Fear gives way to Transformation
The disciples were terrified and fell face down on the ground.
7 Then Jesus came over and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 And when they looked up, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus.
But the very first week of this series I told you about the bully in the first church that I remember attending. Johnny roam the hallways in his black leather jacket, pointy boots, and his greased back hair looking for those he could intimidate and terrorize. I was one of those.
My moment of freedom came when one of my brothers who is bigger, stronger, badder than Johnnie walked with me through those halls.
That was transformation. My step was different, my freedom was different, where I went was different, how I viewed Johnny was different, how I viewed myself was different.
Some of you have been a victim of identity theft. The ferocious, holy, Glorious Jesus that walks with you and never leaves your side was stolen and now you’re left with a puny, demanding, limp, fireless Jesus.
No wonder we’re terrified about becoming missionaries to Africa! No wonder we’re terrified by the cancer cells.
Even though the disciples would fail again and again they got enough courage from this experience to change the world. They went to places that were so far out of their comfort zone, they spoke in places and to people who would’ve crushed them and they were bold in proclaiming Christ. They went through persecution and they went through threats and they met the devil personally along the way.
But there was someone with them who said that he would never leave them… Ever! And this transformed their life.
So what’s the power at work within you?
Moses met God and took on Egypt.
David met God and took on Goliath.
Daniel met God and took on unfair charges and he took on a Lion.
Paul met Jesus and took on the Roman Empire.
What’s your story?
