I Introduction
A Fear is a magnet for demons.
1 Fear will draw in the enemy and will make what you speak with your mouth come to pass.
a "For what I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me.” Job 3:25 (NASB)
aa I believe Job feared two major things in his life; outliving his children and losing his money.
bb Satan came to God to ask permission “to touch Job” - God gave it.
cc But the only reason the devil has access to Job - even without permission was because Job gave him ground.
b Fear is more than an emotion, it is also a Spirit. For God has not given us a spirit of timidity , but of power and love and discipline .2 Tim 1:7 (NASB)
aa Fear comes to paralyze, disrupt lives, and prevents us from moving forward with God.
bb Haggai’s sermons to a scared group.
c men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world ; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Luke 21:26 (NASB)
aa Fear will drive happiness from your life and destroy you.
bb In scripture the opposite of fear is not courage, but faith & hope.
2 Tonight I’d like to examine some common fears in our thought processes and hopefully some insight on how to deal with them.
B Pray
II Facing the stronghold of fear.
A If your feed fear it only grows. (Two hungry dogs, which one grows? The one you feed.)
1 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled,1 Peter 3:14 (NASB) For God has not given us a spirit of timidity , but of power and love and discipline .2 Tim 1:7 (NASB)
a Fear is the magnet that draws in demon attacks
b We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.17 By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love1 John 4:16-18 (NASB)
aa These fears wont leave on their own... must be cast out, thrown out, kicked out, evicted.
bb We can turn them down with pills, smoke, bottles, but they always come back.
2 Fear doesn’t come alone. His best friend is torment.
a Torment involves sleepless nights, unnecessary worry, worried hubby is having an affair when he’s not.
aa Also can be the inability to speak the truth out of your mouth.
bb Fear & torment enter our lives though wrong relationships (or some event than occurred in a relationship.)
cc The reason so many of us deal with fear/torment is some things in our past have never been dealt with.
b Matthew 8, tells us how a man who owed a lot of money was forgiven of his debt, the forgiven man remembers someone owes him a little... Soon going after him.
B The reason some of you are tormented is because something happened to you. (Abused, hurt, lied to, rejection, betrayed.)
1 Physical or verbal. (Sticks and stones)
a God knows you, your heat, everything you’ve ever done.
aa Sent Jesus to die for you on Calvary to forgive us.
bb Therefore no matter who had hurt you, or how bad you’ve been hurt - just like the servant, you must forgive them.
cc Otherwise, chained to them for the rest of your life and tormenting demons will drive sleep and peace from your life.
b I have no quick fix. Simply must deal with your hurts.
aa Maybe done it hundreds of times, altar, picked that grudge/hurt up and walked right out the door with it... next day you start mauling over it again and sadly, Dominos isn’t the only one who delivers.
bb Fear and torment gain access to you when you have unforgiveness towards others.
c God not only provided for our forgiveness, but also for those who have wronged us.
2 That’s not fair- what we need isn’t forgiveness.
a If life was fair I’d go to hell!
b What I ness is mercy - So do you!
C Casting out fear... How?
1 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.1 John 4:18 (NASB)
a Jesus lives in us; His perfect live is in our hearts.
b He’s panned out His love in us by the Holy Ghost.
2 “How does fear live?” You tell it to leave!
a Why not forgive the one who has hurt you and then say, “You lousy, sorry spirit of fear and all your tormenting spirits, I have forgiven the ones who hurt me. You are trespassing. Get out.”
b They have to get out.
c Love is the antidote to fear.
d let go of the hurt and grab onto God’s love.
D Keeping your freedom.
1 'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.Jer 29:11 (NASB) Imagine God thinking of you!
a Even when you’re not thinking of Him, He’s still thinking about you.
b His not thinking about you in a negative way, but thoughts of peace. (Shalom) Hebrew
aa “Good feelings” & “Prosperity”
bb Jeremiah speaking to a group being taken captive for 70 years, fear.
cc Hope is in your future!
2 We can live in freedom even though fear is all around us.
a "Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon,5 'Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their produce .6 'Take wives and become the fathers of sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there and do not decrease.7 'Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare. Jer 29:4-7 (NASB)
b If God gives you something - Just enjoy it!
aa Maybe you buy something and every time you talk about it you feel like you have to explain it to others.
bb God said “Enjoy what I blessed you with!”
E Become a little deaf.
1 "For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Do not let your prophets who are in your midst and your diviners deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams which they dream.9 'For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them,' declares the Lord. Jer 29:8-9 (NASB)
a Quit listening to negative people!
b If God gives you are dream or a vision - count on other people to speak doom and gloom over it.
2 You can face the future with hope if you ask God what He wants you to do in your life. (GET A WORD!) Hold onto your dream and refuse to listen to dream killers.
F Trust His word.
1 "For thus says the Lord, 'When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. Jer 29:10 (NASB) - Is a promise!
a To keep fear away you must anchor your hope to the word of God.
aa Word “good” means beautiful!
bb Spoken a beautiful word over your life, “go on with your dream. It may not get here in your timing, but I have spoken.”
b Took Israel 70 years, but did everything He’d said He’d do!
2 Quit being afraid that your family and friends, think. (Not saying to be obnoxious or disrespectful!)
a Just keep His promises firm in your mind and tell yourself, “I don’t care if others speak negatively about my dream. Gob has spoken.”
b When God speaks it’s done!
G Daily get to know Him.
1 Wake up viewing every day as a gift from God.
a Prayer keeps fear from returning.
b 'Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you Jer 29:12 (NASB)
aa Not only is he thinking about us...
bb He is listening to us!
2 Nurture a passion for Him.
a 'You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.14 'I will be found by you,' declares the Lord, 'and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,' declares the Lord, 'and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.' Jer 29:13-14 (NASB)
aa Tells us look for Him & God of hope!
bb You’ll find me.
b I wish keeping Holy Ghost was easy as getting Him.
c When you seek Him - you’ll see Him in every circumstance.
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