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Introduction: All through the day we have the choice to believe that either God is in control and good things are in store for us or we can go around worried, negative, expecting the worst. I hear people say, “I am afraid I am going to lose my job. I am afraid that this marriage is not going to last. I am afraid about the future of my children. I am afraid of my results.” What they do not realize is that they are surrounded by fear instead of faith and very soon it will be a reality. Job said: Job 3:25-26 25What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me. 26I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil. Job had a problem; when everything was going good, he was afraid and worried all the time. The result of Job’s fear was that what he feared came upon him. Fear gives the enemy permission to attack us
Joke: There was a rich couple whose bedroom was in the first floor of their bungalow. Almost every other day the wife after getting into bed would tell the husband to go and check downstairs, maybe some thieves are around. The husband eventually found out that the noises were made by the neighbouring cats at their gate, but as a routine he would go whenever his wife would ask him to check if there are any thieves at home. This has been happening for 30 years of marriage. One day as usual the wife sent him down to check for thieves. When the husband went down sure enough there was a thief who pointed a gun at him. The thief said, “Do not make a sound; just give me your valuables.” He went and got the valuables and gave to the thief. The thief turned around and was about to run off and the man said, “Hi! Wait a minute, you cannot leave yet, you got to come upstairs and meet my wife.” The thief asked, “Why?” The husband said, “She has been expecting you for the last 30 years.”
We all face fear from time-to-time. So, we need to know how to face fear. We live in a time in the world that is full of fear. Yes, in spite of all this God’s people are not to live in fear. Somebody says, “I have a lot of reasons to be afraid.” Yes, I will not question that, but there are ways to deal with that.
What is fear?
An unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain, harm, or a mistake.
It is an uneasy feeling. A feeling of dread. A feeling of alarm going off within us, warning us of something that is going to happen, feeling of being threatened about something.
So, how does a believer live in a fearful generation? How does a believer overcome fear?
Isaiah 41:10-13 10So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. 11“All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish. 12Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all. 13For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.
How fear came?
Sin or lack of Godly fear. One passage of scripture in the book of Ecclesiastes says how fear came. Ecclesiastes 12:13 Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.
God has commanded man to fear God and we decide not to fear him. We decide to walk our own way and what happens? The consequence is fear in individual lives. Do you recall the first conversation Adam spoke to God after the fall? Adam said, “I was afraid.” Truth is that has been the condition of man ever since the fall.
Types of Fear:
a. Good fear – Fear of God.
Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. When the Bible says fear the Lord that means to acknowledge him, revere him for who he is. To fear God does not mean to be terrified of God, but to respect God. It is a good fear. Since I fear God I do not fear anything that happens around me. That is a fear that all of us should enjoy in life and should be experiencing it.
Psalm 76:7 It is you alone who are to be feared.
Proverbs 19:23 Fear of the Lord leads to life, bringing security and protection from harm.
Proverbs 22:4 True humility and fear of the Lord lead to riches, honour, and long life.
If we fear anything other than God we are deceived. God is the only person in the universe who is to be feared. However, satan tries to twist godly fear in man by playing with his emotions and circumstances and put the negative kind of fear in people – Fear of death, fear of criticism, fear of weakness being exposed, fear of failure etc.
2. Bad Fear – Given by the devil.
2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Matthew 10:28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Isaiah 8:12-13 Do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you have to fear, he is the one you are to dread.
That is the bad fear that we need like to get rid of.
Now one thing to know about fear that comes from the evil one is that it effects our emotions. God has made us emotional being so that we could use it positively and enjoy life. So that we could love, enjoy happiness, peace etc.
But the sad thing is that the devil uses fear to control our thoughts and manipulate our emotions. Remember our emotional being is not just in our head, our whole emotional makeup covers and affects our whole body. If you are emotionally hurt, you are physically hurt too. There is no way you can be just suffering in your emotions and separate it from your body.
Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, so we need to take care of it. Likewise, our emotions affect our body, so we need to take care of what we think. Don’t give the devil the foothold in your thinking and instill fear in your life. Proverbs 23:7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. What we think about ourselves, what we feel are all very important. The devil puts fear right in there.
Instead of having good emotional health, fear becomes a part of all of our emotions if we are not careful.
Some manifestation of negative emotion caused of fear:
Greed. Fear that I do not have enough. I am afraid I will not have enough.
Rejection. Fear of not being accepted. They will not like me.
Guilt. Feeling of fear that I may be found out.
Lack of confidence. That is the fear of failure or I may not measure up. I may not be accepted.
Anger. I am afraid I will not get my way.
Jealousy. Fear of losing control. Someone may get what I have or what I deserve.
Indecision. Fear of making wrong decisions.
All those emotions are expressed by fear in our life. God has not given us a spirit of fear. Fear comes from the devil.
Causes of fear.
Learned attitudes. Things we learn as we grow up.
Imagination. It is like a shadow fear. Our imagination is one of God’s greatest gift.
Sin. Sin causes fear. That is a good thing. If sin was just a pleasure , I do this and that and not be accountable it would have ended in death. No, if you realize it, sin causes fear in man.
Ignorance.
Doubt. If you live your life doubting God you have reasons to be afraid. If you doubt your relationships, you end up in fear.
Poor self-image. They don’t like me, fear to have relationship with someone.
Rejection. One of the worst causes of fear is rejection. If you are rejected means you you’re your confidence, feeling of unworthiness, you feel do not belong.
Setting high standards. Setting up high standards which is too high for you to reach.
Wrong view of God.
Consequence of fear.
1. Divides your mind. If you are fearful of something it divides your mind. You fear that your husband is going to leave, you are going to fail. You cannot concentrate well on something. Stifle your ability to think and act.
2. Causes indecision. Undermines our self-confidence.
3. Results in panic.
4. Destroys relationships. Scared of marriage.
5. Steals Joy. Steals joy, peace, happiness. Fear is like a sand in a machine. Fear is like sand and grinds and affects every system of your body.
6. Blocks your spiritual growth.
7. Hinders our destiny in God.
8. Affects our physical health.
Fear causes heart disease, hypertension, digestive, skin, ulcer, stress, lowers immune system.
How to deal with fear?
Real simple but it is very vital. This works definitely.
1. Acknowledge its presence.
2. Identify its cause.
Where did it come from? Why am I afraid, it is from someone or what I have done? If you can identify your fear, you can handle it. If you cannot identify it, you will never be able to handle it.
3. Prayer.
Psalm 34:4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.
If you need help, find a prayer partner. James 5:16 Pray for each other that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and is effective.
4. Have faith in God.
Mark 5:36 Jesus told him (Jairus), “Don’t be afraid, just believe.”
5. Change your focus.
Take your eyes off the problem and yourself and look at Jesus.
Psalm 56:3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
Hebrews 13:6 The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do to me.
As long as focus on the fear, it is not going to get smaller. The longer I focus on it, the bigger part of my life it consumes. The more it influences me. So change my focus.
Put your focus on God. How? Turn your focus to the most powerful weapon in the time of fear. What is it? The Word of God.
Isaiah 41 is the anchor for fear in the Bible.
Isaiah 41:10-13 10So do not fear (why), for I am with you; (who is I am, Jehovah God, creator of the universe, who rules over everything. Somebody says do not be afraid, but it is another for God to say do not fear. He is God.) do not be dismayed, (do not be anxious, shocked, or horrified why? Put your focus on God) for I am your God. (I am not a man, not a friend, or father or mother, but it is persona, I am you God) I will strengthen you (how much strength, omnipotent) and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. 11“All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish. 12Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all. 13For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.
Whatever you face in life you are in my hands, I am the God of this universe, I will hold you, I will lift you, I will strengthen you, nothing will outmaneuver from the Almighty God.
Do you believe this verse of scripture? Say an Amen!
Is this scripture true? Yes. Does God change? No. Do you believe this verse is still true today? Yes.
Do you have a reason to hold on to your fear when God said do not fear? Oh but you do not know pastor, I do not know but God does. Is there anything about you that God does not know? Can he handle it? Does he know you? Then give it to him.
There may be something in your life that you cannot change, do not fear. He said I am going to uphold you with my righteous right hand, he did not say I am going to remove you. That means when the storm blows you have an anchor that absolute is not going to move because that anchor is almighty God.
Mark it down and say on this day I am going to stop being afraid because Almighty God has got me in his right hand. I will not be afraid.
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