March 29, 2020
Overcoming Fear
Well, I started out with not too many notes today
And I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not so good a thing for you. You see, the length of my message might = the length of my notes, which means we’re done sooner. But then again, I might get a little long winded, which never happens, and I might go on for a bit, and the good news - - - you won’t miss out on your seat at the buffet.
Ultimately, I want you to hear some words of hope and encouragement. I’m going to spend some time talking about us and the church, as it relates to the coronavirus. I’ve dropped the sermon series I was doing ... about the purpose of our lives and then the purpose of the church.
Which as much as I don’t want that to take a back seat, and the fact that this is all part of our purpose according to God’s amazing plan . . . I believe we are realizing part of our purpose is to go through a time like this and just maybe we are being forced as a church to discover some new ways of doing church and our purpose in that process.
You know what they say are the 7 last words of the church - - -
WE’VE NEVER DONE IT THAT WAY BEFORE!
Did you know that’s really 8 words. Some useless knowledge for the day is that WE’VE is a contraction of 2 words, so it should count as 2 words. See, aren’t you glad you’re here?
What I have learned is that we can never say those words again! The next time we think of something new for the church, don’t say it . . . Because I’m not buying it!!!
Who would have thought we would be doing church online and nobody would be coming and attending worship on Sunday mornings? Some days, I’m not even sure what day of the week it is. You with me?
So . . . in some ways, this is a great time for the church. If we can go and proclaim Jesus, not by being in someone’s face, well, that’s kind of illegal right now. But you know what I mean. How can we learn during this time to be Jesus for someone who desperately needs some hope and some Jesus in their lives.
So . . . today, I want to spend a little time looking at who we’re called to be in Christ.
RIGHT now there is so much fear out there. One friend, who lives in another state, told me the county commissioner where he lives said there were 6 cases of the corona virus in their county. Then the commissioner added, “in reality, there are probably 200. Just some people will never report it because they don’t get that sick from it.” So, it’s scary. We’re afraid to go to the grocery store, to touch door knobs, to handle cash, to bump into someone on accident in the store . . . and that list can go on and on. I’ve seen people do some pretty crazy things on the positive and negative side of all this.
And as time has gone on. . . I have not panicked, but I am taking the corona virus seriously. I don’t want it. I don’t want any part of it. Yet, wherever you go and whatever you do, there’s an underlying fear.
Part of the problem is that you can’t get away from it. Turn on the news and you get coronavirus updates. Look at the internet, whatever you’re doing there’s updates . . . and usually, they’re not good, at least right now. And that leads to fear and anxiety.
We see people out and about acting as if there it was just another typical day. But it’s not a typical day. If we would practice what we’ve been asked to do, I believe we’d quickly move through this.
Should we go to work or just stay home. How do we survive at home? How can we live with one another under the same roof for 24 / 7?
We need to be creative in what we’re doing so what don’t feel cooped up and get on one another’s nerves. But more than being creative, we need to hold onto the word of God.
There was a young man named Timothy. He was being mentored by Paul. Because Timothy was young he didn’t get the full respect of the elders and he was pretty anxious about it all. Paul reminded Timothy - -
7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. – 2 Timothy 1:7
There are 4 words I want to quickly highlight from this passage - -
The word FEAR in Greek is usually the word we get for phobia. But Paul does NOT use that word here. And this is the only time it’s used in the Bible. The word literally means someone who is a coward and runs from the battlefield. The Spirit of God should give us boldness, not cowardice. That’s important to know when we’re in difficult situations.
Secondly – the word for POWER is the same word we use in English for dynamite. Paul wants us to see the power is super strong and more importantly it’s God strong! That power comes from God and isn’t manufactured in us.
The word love is AGAPE. That’s the love which God gives us. It’s a sacrificial type of love which God gave to us in loving us and sending Jesus for us.
And the word for SELF-CONTROL really means just that. It’s to have a reasonable / sound mind, showing self discipline. It means at a time like this we don’t go out and buy 100 rolls of toilet paper for one person.
So, Paul wanted Timothy to hold onto that . . . and we need to do the same. Don’t walk around in fear, in essence being a coward. Practice wisdom, have boldness in your character, show love . . . but don’t be overcome by fear . . . especially the fear of the world.
Think about what Paul tells us in Philippians 4. It’s one of my favorite passages because of what Paul wants us to understand. He wrote - -
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Aren’t those great words from Paul? And especially relevant during this time.
At least 15 times in this 4 chapter book, Paul tells us to have joy or to rejoice. That’s a great prescription right now. When you’re feeling stuck at home, it’s not overly easy to have joy or even feel happy.
Remember, joy comes from within. It comes from our relationship with Jesus . . . it comes from the gift of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us helping us, providing the spiritual nourishment we need . . . and despite our circumstances . . . we can still experience joy.
And notice that Paul tells us 2x in verse 4 to rejoice. It’s that important to him, so he says it twice. So, friends, REJOICE, let me say it again - REJOICE in Christ.
Paul reminds us to let our gentleness be evident to all people. Not just to people whom you choose, but to all people. Help people see the Lord in you - knowing that the Lord is near! We can take that in 1 one of 2 ways
1. Jesus will return - and Paul emphasizes the fact that Jesus will return in the second coming. BUT I also take that to mean - -
2. Jesus is near to us right now. For me it’s a both / and. I am reminded Jesus will return, and He will be the judge AND the fact that Jesus is hear right now, wherever you are . . . He is with you! And because of that - - I can rejoice.
Remember when our worship started this morning I said Jesus told us in Matthew 6 . . . DO NOT BE ANXIOUS. He said it 3 times in 10 verses. Paul repeats that. And notice how Paul says it. And it’s especially important for us right now.
DO NOT BE ANXIOUS ABOUT . . . ANYTHING!
MAN! That’s not an easy one is it!?
But we are to make our requests known to God. Call on God, talk to God, let God know what you’re feeling and thinking and needing. It’s 100% OK to pray for yourself and ask God.
When I was a newer Christian I really didn’t believe I should pray for myself. I thought it was wrong. I would pray for you and you would pray for me. But as I grew in faith, I learned God wants me to come to Him and pray. Read through the Psalms. So many of them are prayers. So . . . during this time, and during the good times . . . pray to God . . .
Make your requests known to God and look at what Paul says happens when we do that . . .
The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
We’re going to come back to that in a moment when we end.
For a moment - - I want you to go back and think about what you were doing 6 weeks ago today. That was February 16th. The Youth were having their Valentine’s Banquet that night.
All was calm. We were in the middle of a great economic boom. Life was good, there really were no worries, or so it seems.
We were planning Spring activities, planning for Easter and Spring Break and we were looking forward to warmer weather and summer.
Everything seemed good . . . right? And we had heard about this virus, that hit China . . . but it seemed so far away. It couldn’t happen here! And then this virus which you can only see with a microscope invades the world . . . and we the world comes to a screeching halt!
Our economy, our jobs, our health, our freedom, our schooling, our plans . . . whatever it is have been impacted by this one virus which came out of 1 town in China.
Yet the call for us - as beleivers - is to be different. How can this be a booming time for the church? The question is how can we care for one another, as well as ourselves without acting like there is no virus and having a cavalier attitude?
It’s what the church has been built on since its inception. The fact that Christians have always cared for one another and the world as a whole. One of the main reason for the growth of Christianity has been the desire to care for others. Think about how hospitals started and the care for the early church during plagues in Rome to Germany to London to all of Europe and now here in the United States.
We are called to be different than the rest of the world. We show that because we don’t walk around in fear. We have a boldness and a courage — not pride and ego . . . but courage and boldness and power in the name of Jesus to make a difference around us.
Practically speaking - -
call one another
pray for one another
read the Bible
be patient / be gentle
take care of your heart, spirit, mind and body
Hold onto God’s promises that He is near . . . Hold onto words like those in Psalm 46 - -
1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
7 The Lord of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God.
In Romans 8, Paul asks the question - -
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
It’s a rhetorical question because he then immediately answers it with these great words - -
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Isn’t that GREAT?! What can separate us from the love of God? NOTHING!! NOTHING can. . . that is why these words from Paul in Philippians 4:8 are so great . . . when Paul wrote - -
The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
You see - when we come to God He will give us His peace so that we can withstand anything. Nothing can destroy us. Instead we receive His peace. It’s an unexplainable peace - - but how many of you have experienced that? You know what that peace is like when you’re in difficult times and God comes and calms your anxious heart and spirit.
Then Paul tells us that through Christ, He will guard our hearts and minds. Anyone need a little guarding right now to calm our racing hearts and minds?
Well . . . the word Paul uses for guard is a military guard. The Lord of the Heavenly Armies, our God who is a Mighty Warrior is sending one of His warriors to guard and protect you!
Very simply . . . let Him in. Allow God to bring you peace and strength and power, because as children of the Most High God we don’t live in fear . . . we live in victory!
