DO NOT FEAR WHAT THEY FEAR
Isa. 8:11-13
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: MORE FIGHT PER DOLLAR
1. A young man was attending Harvard University many years ago, and talked his Dad into coming to see the football game between Yale and Harvard. (rivals)
2. As they sat down, the boy slapped his father on the back and said, "Dad, for three dollars you are going to see more fight than you ever saw before."
3. The old man smiled and replied, "I'm not so sure about that Son; that's what I paid for my marriage license."
B. 4th IN ‘OPERATION’ SERIES
1. Cavity Sam had a fourth problem common to many people today – butterflies in the stomach.
2. “Butterflies in the stomach” is that squirmy, ticklish feeling in your stomach when you're about to take a big test, or standing on a cliff, or meeting your crush (girl or boy friend).
3. Another name for it is FEAR. So we’re going to take a look at that in this message, “Do Not Fear What They Fear!”
I. WHAT IS FEAR?
Fear is really a mixed bag...
A. POSITIVE & NEGATIVE FEAR
1. It can be a LEGITIMATE EMOTION that helps us preserve our lives. Your body’s "fight or flight" mechanism kicks in, to prepare your body an emergency by increasing your heart rate, widening your airways, making your palms sweat and pupils dilate. One boy told his coach that his palms were sweaty and his mouth was dry. The coach replied, “Maybe you need to lick your palms!”
2. FEAR: THE EMOTION OF DOUBT. “WORRY” (wurgen) means “to strangle or choke.” Studies show that worry impairs vision, causes heart disease, stomach problems, alcohol abuse, and suicide. 25 million have blood pressure, 8 million have ulcers, and 230 million take tranquilizers!
B. MANY EFFECTS OF NEGATIVE FEAR
1. FEAR CAN MAKE YOU HELPLESS. The Bible described the nations of Canaan; “their heart melted; and there was no spirit in them any longer because of the children of Israel. Josh. 5:1. Fear paralyzed them. Uncontrolled fear tortures, destroys, and debilitates. Satan is a master of using our fears to cause us to miss God's destiny for our lives!
2. IT CAN CRIPPLE YOUR FAITH. Matt. 14:30. “But when [Peter] saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”
3. CAN PUT YOU OUT OF THE BATTLE. Gideon told all who were afraid that they could leave the battle; “And twenty-two thousand of the people returned, and ten thousand remained” Judges 7:3. See Deut. 20:8. (2/3 turned back)
4. CAN ROB YOU OF YOUR INHERITANCE. Ten of the 12 spies were ready to abandon the Promise Land. Num. 13:27-28.
5. IT CAN MAKE YOU SICK. 90% of today's chronic patients have one common problem – fear; Fear of losing their jobs, old age, being exposed, of facing the future etc.
6. FEAR IS A SNARE. “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe” Prov. 29:25.
C. HUMOR: THE TAP
1. A passenger in a taxi leaned over to ask the driver a question and gently tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention. The driver screamed, lost control of the cab, nearly hit a bus, drove up over the curb, and stopped just inches from a large plate window.
2. For a few moments everything was silent in the cab. Then, the shaking driver said, “Are you OK? I’m so sorry, but you scared the daylights out of me...” The badly shaken passenger apologized to the driver and said “I didn’t realize that a mere tap on the shoulder would startle someone so badly.”
3. The driver replied, “No, no, I’m the one who is sorry, it’s entirely my fault, today is my very first day driving a cab. I’ve been driving a hearse for 25 years...”
II. BIBLE INSIGHTS ABOUT FEAR
A. FEAR GOD, NOT MAN
1. “This is what the Lord says to me with his strong hand upon me... “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 are to fear, he is the one you are to dread” Isa. 8:11-13, NIV.
2. The people around us are obsessed with fears. That should not be true of a child of God. We should have few fears because the Lord our God is taking care of us!
B. TRUSTING IN GOD IS SAFER
1. “The fear of man is a snare, but the one who trusts in the Lord [will be] protected” Prov. 29:25, HCSB (Holman Christian Standard Bible).
2. The point of the text is that it’s safer to trust in God than to put your confidence in men or worldly wisdom.
3. Many have said, “If I don’t go along with the culture, I might lose my job, my friends, my social standing.” No, you’ll never be the loser for taking your stand on God! Even if we do lose a few things, God makes it up 7-fold, and with peace!
4. We’re safer by trusting the Lord than all the human efforts to keep ourselves free from sickness. “A 1,000 may fall at your side, and 10,000 at your right hand; but it shall not come near you” Ps. 91:7, NKJV.
C. DEBILITATING FEAR IS NOT FROM GOD
“For God has NOT given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” 2 Tim. 1:7. All negative fears are from the devil, not God. God gives us freedom, not fear!
D. WE CAN TURN FEARS INTO CHARACTER BUILDING
1. In "Cradles of Eminence," Victor Goertzel, et. al., reported that of the 413 "famous and exceptionally gifted people who have helped change the world," 392 of them (95%) had to overcome personal fears of suffering or failure in order to become outstanding. Moral: overcoming is a step to greatness.
2. The Apostle Paul describes how troubles are transferred into character: “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings (troubles), because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, CHARACTER; and character, hope” Rom. 5:3-4. Assurance in God produces Hope!
III. STRATEGIES FOR DEFEATING WORRY
A. RECOGNIZE WHAT’S IN YOUR CONTROL
1. The Serenity Prayer. “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.”
2. There are two things about which we should never worry.
a. First, the things we CAN’T change; worrying about them is useless.
b. Secondly, the things we CAN change. If we can change them, then we should change them and be rid of our worry!
3. ILLUS. A woman had something that was aggravating her. There were two nails by a doorway on which her broom was hung. The wife used the lower nail, and when the husband used the broom, he always put it back on the upper nail. This bothered the wife, until she realized this was a situation she could change. What profound plan did she come up with? She removed the upper nail, and her worries were over! [Glenn Pease]
B. COURAGE: MASTERING YOUR FEARS
What is courage? Mark Twain described it best: “Courage is Resistance to fear – NOT absence of fears.” We all have fears. Courage is the decision to do what we should in spite of our fears.
C. FOCUS ON GOD INSTEAD OF THE PROBLEM
1. ILLUSTRATION: FOCUS
a. Many of you have been on an airplane when turbulence occurred and the plane seemed a little out of control. If its ever happened to you, you probably got a little nervous.
b. You tightened your seatbelt; you grabbed onto the armrest a little more; you started reading the same line over the third time in your book, or couldn’t focus on your movie.
c. But then the captain come over the loudspeaker and said, "We've run into some choppy air, so we're going to adjust our altitude and hopefully find some smoother air."
d. Now, your problem won’t have disappeared – the turbulence is still there – but you felt much better because you have moved from a focus on the turbulence to a focus on the pilot. (Tony Evan’s Bk of Illus., #314). God is our pilot; we will trust in Him to get us there safely!
D. DON’T WORRY; PRAY!!!
1. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” Phip. 4:6.
2. SKIT: three SIGNS for VOLUNTEERS. (Us, Circumstance, God) Quote: "Unbelief puts our circumstance between us and God, but faith puts God between us and our circumstances." F.B. Meyer.
3. During an earthquake some years ago, the inhabitants of a small village were generally very much alarmed, but they were at the same time surprised at the calmness and apparent joy of an old woman whom they all knew. At length one of them, addressing the old woman, said, "Mother, are you not afraid?" "No," said the woman, "I rejoice to know that I have a God who can shake the world."
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION:
1. Not long before his death, Henri Nouwen wrote a book called Sabbatical Journeys. He writes about some friends of his who were trapeze artists, called the Flying Roudellas.
2. They told Nouwen there’s a special relationship between flyer and catcher on the trapeze. The flyer is the one that lets go, and the catcher is the one that catches.
3. As the flyer swings high above the crowd on the trapeze, the moment comes when he must let go. He arcs out into the air. His job is to remain as still as possible and wait for the strong hands of the catcher to pluck him from the air.
4. One of the Flying Roudellas told Nouwen, "The flyer must never try to catch the catcher." The flyer must wait in absolute trust. The catcher will catch him, but he must wait. So you and I need to let God be our "Catcher" and we be the Flyer who trusts in Him and waits for Him to catch us.
B. THE CALL
1. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul.
He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
2. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
3. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord, Forever.” Let God take care of you!
4. How many need a special dispensation of God’s blessing on you today? God has healing for you. Will you receive it?
5. If you need special prayer, please stand up. I’d like those standing near them to join me in prayer for them.
6. Prayer for those who need forgiveness of sins. PRAYER.
