Luke 12:32-40; Psalm 23; Song of Solomon 7:6; 10
THEME: God's Rx for Fear
Proposition: Jesus desires to remove our fears. He shares three great assurances based on God's love which always casts out fear 1. We are His Sheep 2. We are HIs Good Pleasure 3. We are His Kingdom (People)
INTRO:
Grace and peace from God our Father and from His Son Jesus Christ who came to take away the sin of the world.
Our passage this morning comes from what could be labeled the Worry/Anxiety/Fear Chapter of the N. T. Gospels. Luke deals with the subjects of worry/anxiety and/or fear more than any of the other Gospel writers. Over and over again, Luke uses the word - "phobeo" which at its core means "to frighten, to scare away or to make afraid".
We see Luke speaking of phobeo when Zacharias and later Mary experience their encounter with the angel of the LORD. We see fear on the faces of the shepherds the night that the Christ child was born when they too encountered the heavenly hosts. Thankfully, in all three accounts everyone is encouraged to release their fears and welcome God's Good News.
When Jesus called James and John to follow him, Luke tells us that Jesus explains to them not to phobeo/fear. Luke goes on to refer to the presence of fear after Jesus heals the paralytic, raises the widow of Nain's son and frees the demonic man of Gadarenes. In all three passages people are overcome with fear at the sight of a great miracle.
Why does Luke talk more about fear that his contemporary Gospel writers? It's not because Luke possessed an unhealthy obsession with worry/anxiety/fear but just the opposite. Being a physician, Luke understood the devastating effects that worry/anxiety/fear could have on the human body, mind and soul. He knew that when a person is overwrought with worry/anxiety/fear it can paralyze them, create massive cardiac issues and even cause mental and emotional sickness. I believe Luke dealt with fear because he saw that in Christ a true remedy for fear/worry/anxiety.
Our passage this morning may look like a "MISCELLANEOUS HELP LIST" as it deals with such diverse subjects as fear, heavenly and earthly treasure along with the Lord's Second Coming. Each verse in our passage is chocked full of pity little sayings that you could frame or that you can might find framed on "Pinterest". There is so much here that we would do ourselves a great disservice if we attempted to look at each one of these areas in a single setting. With that in mind, let's focus in on one single verse, that being verse 32. This verse share with us Jesus three great assurances that can remove fear from our lives.
But before we look at God's Assurances let's recognize that:
All humans are prone to experience fear in some fashion or form
Already in chapter 12 Luke has shared a number of things that can create fear in people's hearts, minds and souls:
+The fear of death - verse 4
+The fear of ridicule and public shame - verse 11
+The fear not having enough - verse 22
+The fear that God is not on their side here in the beginning of verse 32
Did you know that there is a website dedicated to listing all of mankind's phobias? It's www.phobialist.com. According to phobialist.com there are currently 530 things, situations or circumstances that can create fear in people's lives. WOW! Think about that just for a moment - 530 different things that can cause some people to experience minimal to intense overwhelming fear.
What are some of those fears? Here is a list of some that have made the top ten:
1. The fear of losing our freedom - losing the ability to make your own choices and determine your own fate
2. The fear of the Unknown - not knowing what is coming around the corner or what is behind the door that you are knocking on in life
3. The fear of pain and suffering - how long and how much can one endure an amount of pain and/or suffering
4. The fear of disappointment - the fear of not being good enough or having to many imperfections
5. The fear of loneliness - having to live alone - outliving your spouse and friends - finding yourself with no one to listen to or care about you.
6. The fear of being the subject of ridicule - of having people laugh at you and make fun of you
7. The fear of falling - this is one that is commonly felt among senior citizens who fear failing more than they do financial issues, robbery or even health issues. For many it causes them to become immobile refusing to participate in common everyday activities.
8. The fear of being rejected by friends/family/associates - the rejection of your ideas, your beliefs or your behavior or values.
9. The fear of dying and death. The fear of the whole end of life experience.
10. The fear of failure - the fear of failure can elicit feelings such as frustration anger, frustration, sadness, regret, and confusion
Now, remember those 10 things are only a few of the 530 different things that people living today worry about, have anxiety over or experience a state of medium to maximum fear.
On March 4, 1933 President elect Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his first inaugural speech. It was a time of great worry/anxiety and fear in the United States. The Great Depression was squeezing the life out of so many American households and many wondered if their new President could deliver on his promises of renewed prosperity. Roosevelt's speech lasted only twenty minutes but President Roosevelt said something that day that has lived on in the hearts and minds of Americans ever since. Listen to part of his speech:
"So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is...fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. In every dark hour of our national life a leadership of frankness and of vigor has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves which is essential to victory. And I am convinced that you will again give that support to leadership in these critical days."
"... the only thing we have to fear is... fear itself..."
Roosevelt's words have become a catch phrase full of profound wisdom and advice. The question is how do we get rid of fear? If fear is the only thing we have to fear then how do we get rid of fear?
In verse 32 Jesus gives us three great assurances that if we take them to heart this morning they will be able to alleviate our worries/anxieties/fears. We must understand that our LORD JESUS wants us to be free of phobias this morning. He came to give us abundant life and abundant life is a life free of anxiety/worry/fear. All three are based on His Heavenly Father's Love for all of us. Let's look at each of these assurances.
1. The first assurance and remedy for fear is for us to remember our identity and our place in the LORD - We are His Sheep, We are His Flock
Jesus' doesn't mix words in verse 32. Quickly, Jesus deals with the issue of fear and the reality of our human frailties. "FEAR NOT, LITTLE FLOCK". That "little" is not as much a quantifier but as a qualifier. Not little in how many are in a certain number of followers but little in the fact that we humans are powerless when it comes to dealing with many of the issues of fear.
1 John 4:18 reminds us that "Perfect Love Casts Out All Fear." Perfect love will remove all fear. In writing those words, the Apostle John reveals to us where all fear originates. He tells us that fear does not come from God because there is no fear in love and John is clear about telling us over and over that God is love (1 John 4:7-21). If fear therefore does not come from God, then we must realize that fear comes from the Devil and from sin. Mark that down - Fear does not come from God. Fear was never a part of our Lord's original plan for humanity.
Jesus uses the metaphor of "flock" here to remind us that all who follow the LORD are His sheep. Jesus loved the image of a shepherd and his sheep. It was one of his favorite ways to illustrate the love that both he and his Heavenly Father have for those who have been born from above. (John 10:1-18). We are His Sheep. We are a part of His Flock.
Immediately, we may think of Psalm 23. Thanks to Philip Keller's research on Ps. 23, the psalm has come alive once more.1 We no longer read it simply as one of David's many songs or something to say at a funeral. Instead, as Philip shares, David wrote Psalm 23 from the view point of being one of God's sheep. Psalms 23 is sheep language. Psalms 23 is a song of testimony being sung by one sheep to another sheep testifying of the care and love of their shepherd. It's amazing!
Listen again to the words of Psalms 23 and imagine yourself as God's sheep under His loving and constant care.
Psalm 23 King James Version (KJV)
23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
This morning, when we find ourselves becoming overwhelmed with fear we should turn to Psalm 23 and allow it to remind us of our identity and the love of our Heavenly Shepherd. We should allow it to cast away our fears and let it constantly remind us that we are in His care; under His loving protection and grace.
2. The 2nd Assurance that Jesus shares with us has to do with the Father's good pleasure for all of us
"For it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom"
It is important this morning that we understand what Jesus means when he says "you Father's good pleasure". Pastor Rick Warren in his writings so wonderfully reminds us that we were created for God's Pleasure.2 Now, that doesn't mean that God created us to be His slaves or that He enjoys manipulating us. No, we must go back and remember that God is Love and it is out of that Love that you and I were created. God created us because it brings Him great joy in bringing us to life, sharing that life with us and helping us to become what the people He purposed.
How many of you this morning have ever had the opportunity to watch Bob Ross paint? Bob hosted a show called "THE JOY OF PAINTING" on PBS from January 11, 1983 to May 17, 1994. Thanks to re-runs and Netflix you can watch Bob paint even today.
It doesn't take long watching Bob paint to know that he loved painting. He loved taking a white piece of canvas and creating a whole new world. In nearly each one of his creations we find a tree along with either a mountain, lake or perhaps a log cabin. Over his life time it is estimated that Bob painted more than 30,000 different pictures.
Now, why did he do that? What caused this former Master Sergeant in the United States Air Force to begin painting and to have a second career as a painter? What caused him to paint over 30,000 pictures? When asked about his laid-back approach, and his calm and contented demeanor, he commented, "I got a letter from somebody here a while back, and they said, 'Bob, everything in your world seems to be happy.' That's for sure. That's why I paint. It's because I can create the kind of world that I want, and I can make this world as happy as I want it. Shoot, if you want bad stuff, watch the news."
Bob painted because of his love for painting and for the pleasure that it brought him. He painted to create a world that not only brought him pleasure but brought pleasure to anyone who looked at it. It is this type of pleasure that we are to understand verse 32.
You and I are unique. God has personally seen over our creation. We are not the result of some accident or moment of fate. Our parents were only the human vessels that God co-partnered with to bring us into His world. We have been uniquely created. How uniquely?
In Psalms 139 we read "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb." Jeremiah 1:5 reminds us "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you..." Ephesians 2:10 tells us "We are God's work of art, created in Christ Jesus for the good works which God has already designated to make up our way of life." (NJB)
+ The Bible tells us that the LORD created us in His own image (Genesis 1:27). God pleased to make us unlike anything else on this earth. While biologist at times do their best to convince us that we humans are just another animal, another mammal here on earth the Bible tells us that we are radically different. We have been made in the very image of God. We are alive by the very breath ( ruach) of God (Genesis 2:7). Psalms 8:5 reminds us - "Yet, you make him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor."
+ The Bible also tells us that it is God's pleasure and delight for us to be called His bride. One of the books that doesn't get a great deal of attention today is the Song of Solomon. Perhaps that is because it is to intimate. It's words take us to a place where many even in the church find uncomfortable. I think that is because we do not fully understand it deepest message. We tend to read the Song of Solomon literally rather than spiritually and mystically.
When we read the Song of Solomon in its proper light it reveals to us the extreme love that is to be experienced between the LORD and His people. Solomon used the image of a husband and wife to reveal to us the deep love relationship that potentially can exist between the LORD and each one of us.
In chapter seven the Lord says of his bride, “How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights! (Song of Solomon 7:6). Notice carefully all three words that Solomon uses - fair, pleasant and delight. Each of these words are to describe how the LORD looks at His people. In verse 10 of the same chapter we read, "How beautiful, sweet and delightful you are. You are precious to me, O love."
While Solomon's words may make some people uncomfortable the truth is we should rejoice in that they tell of a great intimacy that can exists between us and the LORD. They are the words of lovers. Solomon's words reveal to us that we are not something that the LORD created and tossed to the side. We are not something He created to be left alone. We are not something that He created to manipulate. The LORD GOD ALMIGHTY created us to enjoy the deepest of love relationships with Him and with one another. The LORD created us to be one with Him. (John 17). There is no more intimate relationship possible today than to receive and be filled with His Holy Spirit. There is no greater relationship than that which exists between the Sanctifier and the sanctified.
When we open our hearts to the LORD's immense love, we discover that our fears begin to melt away. The more we realize that we are God's delight and we are God's pleasure, the less the Devil's temptation to fear can hold us. When we find ourselves being afraid, experiencing anxiety we need to remember that it is God's delight to love us. We need to remember we are God's Bride. It is God's delight for us to experience a life of peace, calm and love.
The more we yield ourselves to the Holy Spirit the more we are filled with God's love. The more we are filled with His Holy Spirit the less fear/anxiety/worry we will experience.
3. Finally, this morning the LORD gives us a third assurance and it is for us to focus on the LORD's wonderful gift of His Kingdom to His People
+The Bible tells us this morning we are the Lord's Sheep. He is our Shepherd.
+ The Bible tells us that we are called to be His Bride. The LORD loves us and delights in us. He finds pleasure in being a our Savior and Lord.
And now we see at the end of verse 32 that the LORD desires to give us His Kingdom.
It's like one of those Disney's fairy tales only 1,000 times better. It's like the story of Snow White or Cinderella when everything seems to have gone wrong and everything is almost lost but suddenly everything turns around and they live happily ever after.
In a Biblical sense it's like the story of Joseph we find in the book of Genesis. The story of a young man gone horribly wrong. The story of a young man who had the whole world to look forward to but who quickly finds himself first a slave and then condemned to prison for the rest of his life. But it is also the story of how God reaches down and redeems and brings Joseph back into power, so much power that only Pharaoh himself yields more power.
It's the story of the Prodigal Son who foolishly wastes everything and finds himself living in a hog lot without friends or food. But that is not how the story ends. For we read how he was forgiven by His father, given a new robe and a new ring. It's the story of all of us whose own sin(s) find ourselves outside of God's Kingdom only to be welcomed back in through the door of faith, grace and mercy. It's the story of salvation and sanctification.
Jesus' central message was the coming of the Kingdom of God. Over twenty times in Luke we discover Jesus preaching or teaching on the Kingdom of God/Heaven. So, what exactly is the Kingdom of God and what does it mean for us here this morning?
Basically, the Kingdom of God is any place where the LORD God Almighty is in full control and where everything goes according to His Will and Way. The Bible tells us that is exactly the environment of Heaven. Heaven is this perfect place where our Heavenly Father rules and reigns in love. It is this perfect place where God's love reigns supreme and where evil/sin/fear are absent.
When we read the opening chapters in Genesis we see that this was also God's original plan for our earth. When God created Adam and Eve it was with the full intention that His Kingdom would be here on earth as it is in Heaven. Adam and Eve were to be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth, subdue it and have authority over everything. They were to be God's transforming agents here on the earth. They were to bring about God's Kingdom on this planet.
And for undisclosed amount of time Adam and Eve started off doing just that - bringing God's Kingdom here on earth. We understand that for a time they enjoyed:
+ A Right relationship with God - they walked with God in the cool of the Garden in fellowship and love
+A Right relationship with themselves - they understood that they were God's highest creation here on earth - made in His Divine Image and brought to life through His breath
+Right relationship with others - Adam and Eve were helpmates, they were transparent with one another and completely vulnerable with one another
+Right relationship with all of creation - they were caretakers of both the garden and all of creation around them. They were God's caretakers of our planet. The LORD looked at everything that was going on and He called it GOOD.
Adam and Eve and their offspring were destined to enjoy all those right relationships and expand them to cover all of God's earth. Sadly, we know that is not what happened. They rebelled against God, they lost their innocence, they invited evil into their world and lost their ability to bring God's Kingdom to earth. They turned over their authority to Satan. Adam and Eve lost the "rightness" and the "holiness" in all those relationships. By the time we begin read chapters three and four we see that
+Their relationship with the LORD was broken
+Their relationship with themselves was broken
+Their relationship with one another was broken
+Their relationship with creation was broken
Sin devastated God's plan for humanity and the earth. Sin has caused a brokenness in all of our lives and in all of our relationships. The Apostle Paul in Romans 8:7 tells us that because of sin we find ourselves at enmity with the LORD. And does it take us very long this morning to know that we humans have a difficult time with ourselves, with others and with our world at large? We have permitted sin to break all our relationships and we live in a sin broken world. This is the bad news but there is good news!
Jesus Christ, our Savior and LORD came to earth to put an end to all of that. Jesus came to conquer sin and to enable us through the power of His Holy Spirit to once again be able to fulfill the Kingdom of God here on earth. It is not something that we can do through our own power and strength. We are all broken. We are all born in sin and each of us have committed sin. We need to be redeemed in Jesus. We need to repent and be born again. We need to be filled with His Holy Spirit. Then we need to allow His Holy Spirit to continually transform us, renew our minds and cleanse our souls. We need to enjoy a progressive walk of holiness called sanctification. We need to allow the LORD to heal our broken relationships and we need to spread the Gospel all over His earth. We need to fulfill the Great Commission for by doing so we bring God's Kingdom here on earth.
We know this morning that in God's Kingdom there is perfect love. And as we have seen perfect love cast out all fear. So, what we have to do is to be in God's Kingdom, to live out God's Kingdom in our lives and in the end we will begin to experience a life that is free of sin, free of guilt and free of fear.
In Acts 2:42 - 46 and Acts 4:32 - 37 the Bible reveals to us some brief examples of what it means for God's Kingdom to come to earth. In those passages and in a few others we truly see the prayer of Jesus in John 17 being lived out in a practical fashion. We see both the oneness with God and the oneness with one another in the Early Church.
We know that it was not easy. Perhaps that is why it is so rare to find this even today after 2,000 years of His Holy Spirit working on our earth. It is not easy to bring God's Kingdom to earth and into our lives. After all, it means that we must give up our own little personal kingdoms. The life we read about in Acts 2:42 -46 and in 4:32 - 37 takes a great deal of giving, forgiving, receiving, being open and desiring to work together. It takes a great deal of surrender and consecration. It takes a great deal of allowing the Holy Spirit to work among all the different groups. It takes a great deal of work, sacrifice, prayer and commitment but it is possible.
The closest I have ever seen God's Kingdom fully in action was at the Abbey of Gethsemani in New Haven, Kentucky. Each of the monks that lived there have surrendered all their possessions, themselves and their futures to one another and to the LORD. They share space together, they work together, pray together and worship together. During the time I was with them I watched as they reached out in love to their neighbors, to visitors, to strangers and to one another. I watched as they lovingly helped one another both young and old. I watched the Kingdom of God being fleshed out on earth.
I knew what they were doing was not easy. You could see some struggle and some bending and some surrendering to one another. You could see where tensions might rise and where turmoil and trials might take over but then you would see the power of worship and of prayer take over. It was beautiful to watch as I shared life with them for a week.
The longer I stayed there the more I became one with them and with the LORD. The longer I stayed there the more I experienced peace, love and harmony. The very ground they lived on seemed to be holy ground, saturated with prayer, peace and oneness with the LORD and with one another.
The more I was there the more I felt at peace. Fear, worry and anxiety had to flee. You didn't have to worry about any of the top ten fears - they simply lost their power to control.
What happens each day at the Abbey is what the LORD seeks for us to experience each and every day. This is what it means to receive God's Kingdom. It means to let God reign and rule in your life through the power of His Holy Spirit.
So, what is the LORD's remedy for worry/anxiety/fear?
+Remember your place and your identity - You are God's Sheep and He is Your Shepherd. He cares for you and will provide all you will ever need.
+Remember the LORD delights in you - The Lord sees you as His Bride - You are His Pleasure. You are under His protecting love and grace.
+Finally, remember the LORD wants to give you His Kingdom - A Kingdom of love, of a renewed life and restored relationships. A Kingdom of oneness in which your spirit and His Holy Spirit are in total communion.
THIS IS THE MESSAGE OF GOD FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD
This morning, as we close let us sing:
Traditional - Blessed Assurance
More Contemporary - Your Love Never Fails by Jesus Culture
1 Philip Keller - A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 - this is one of the greatest little books that allows the Psalm to come alive!
2 The Purpose Drive Life and the Purpose Driven Church are excellent reads
