This morning I want to talk about one of the most commonly shared emotions in this building today. It is fear. If there's anything that I think that this pandemic has created and spread more than the disease itself, it is fear. Life is scary. The world is scary
Fear will cause us to be beaten down,
defeated,
have drooping shoulders,
shuffling feet,
unsmiling,
critical,
distrusting kind of people.
How do you know if you are living with the toxin of fear? Maybe these questions will help… (Taken from an unknown source)
First question is this. Are you rattled? You are rattled when things don’t go as you expected.
Another question is this, “Do you often worry about things that are beyond your control?”
Next thing is this. “Do you lose sleep over pressing issues?” Be honest. You are awake at night. Some of you are saying, “Sleep? What is that? I’m up worried all the time.”
Fourth question is this, “Is it hard to turn off your mind?
A fifth thing is this, “Does the unknown intimidate you? The unknown intimates you.
Final one is this, “Do you often imagine the worse case scenario? What is going to happen? It could be bad.”
We are talking about toxic fear. And we live in a culture of it.
Let me tie this into Scripture for a moment.
Paul had a young man named Timothy that he was mentoring and training. He had left him in a certain place to organize and build up the churches that Paul had started on his missionary journeys. But it was obvious that Timothy was having a crisis of faith. Self-doubt had moved in. He was young and he was dealing with some powerful personalities. And there were other pressures upon him. He was shutting down and fear had seized him.
So Paul boldly takes Timothy by the shoulders and begins to shake him and he writes these words... 2 Timothy 1:7 ...for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
Paul is telling Timothy, “you are called of God, you have been placed in this role by God, don’t get timid now! Shake off the inadequacy that you feel. Stop being intimidated.”
A spirit of fear. Paul's not talking about a moment of being afraid.
He's not talking about a fearful thought.
He’s not talking about a bad dream.
He's talking about living with a spirit of fear.
A constant companion of worry and dread.
A constant state of churning and anxiety that freezes faith and paralyzes the heart.
A relentless sense of uneasiness.
Constant apprehension.
A spirit of fear that so grips a person’s life that they change the way they walk, the way they talk, their outlook on life, and their view of God.
A spirit of fear can be overwhelming. It clutches the mind and doesn’t let go. It twists the heart.
Fear has always been with us but this pandemic has put fear into overdrive. We are surrounded by the toxic atmosphere of fear being spewed out everywhere. And what do we fear? Here’s just a few of the things I hear constantly…
- That the bubble is going to burst on the stock market
- crime is getting worse
- the vaccination won’t work
- we are afraid of the unvaccinated
- we are scared of new variants of the virus
- we are scared that the Chinese are taking over
- we are scared of failure
- we are scared to lose our job
- we are scared of rejection
- we are scared of the unknown
- we are scared of what is happening in local schools
- we are scared of clowns, spiders and zombies and gluten
- we are scared that we will run out of money
- we are scared that we will end up alone
- we are scared of Isis, the Taliban and terrorism
- we are scared that our kids will move away – or move back.
- We are scared of marrying the wrong person, or never finding a person, or raising kids in this day and age.
- We are scared of the Democrats. We are scared of the Republicans.
- We are scared of being scared!
And suddenly, before we know it, we have breathed in the toxic fumes of fear into our lives and we are talking conspiracy theories, what if’s, what then’s, and we just have this gut feeling that something bad is about to happen and that we are somehow in danger.
It is a spirit of fear. And for some people their solution is buying a private island or more ammo or taking another pill or going off the grid and unfortunately for some people it’s suicide.
I will admit that I’ve had plenty of fears laying in my gut. Here’s a few I’ve wrestled with…
- I’m afraid you might not like me.
- Afraid that you might think I’m a fraud and all of you will leave.
- I’ve been afraid that God we wake up to my faults and be done with me.
- Afraid I might lose my hair.
- I’m afraid to go to the dentist.
- I fear making strategic mistakes.
- I fear that I’m inadequate.
- I fear that I’m going to be left behind by the culture.
- Fear that somebody will say something bad about me.
- I fear getting fat.
It’s fear. It’s not really logical. It’s not really rational. Fear is having faith, just having faith in the wrong things. Fear is putting your faith in the “what if’s” of life.
But I must recognize that Scripture says –
2 Timothy 1:7 …for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
And you see the casualties of fear in that verse? The power of God in my life is a casualty of fear because when I fear, God’s not big enough in God’s not good enough.
The love of God for me or my love for others is a casualty of fear because when I fear I only protect myself and isolate.
Self-control is a casualty of fear because now life is out of control and I’m full of the spirit of fear.
When I fear I reduce the size of God and elevate the size of Satan.
When I fear I look for human solutions instead of God sized answers.
When I fear I get passive instead of passionate.
When I fear I would rather make an easy decision that the right decision.
I sense this morning that this spirit of fear, that this deadly toxin we call fear, is way more common than we may want to admit. It’s obvious to see it in the people who put on a hazmat suit before they step outside. It’s not as obvious to see in the person whose prayer life is stymied and they are stuck in indecision and inaction.
I bet you’ve never heard these statements…
- My phobias put such a spring in my step
- I’d be a rotten parent were it not for my hypochondria
- thank God for my pessimism – I’ve been such a better person since I lost hope.
- My doctor says if I don’t start worrying, I’ll lose my health.
- Not trusting God is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
Today is the day that we begin to detox from the spirit of fear.
I want to start but just flashing a number of Bible verses on the screen and I want you to process what is the common denominator in all of these verses about fear.
Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Psalm 27:1
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
Psalm 23:4
Even 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.
Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Isaiah 41:13
For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”
Psalm 118:6
The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?
Psalm 56:3
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
Isaiah 35:4
Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”
What is the common theme? It is this; fear is common until God steps into the picture. In the presence of God fear begins to let go its grip and diminish. A strong God minimizes fear.
Let’s focus on Isaiah 41 for a few minutes. To defeat this spirit of fear we are going to need a great God.
41:9 – 10 “You are my servant,
I have chosen you and not cast you off”;
10 fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
In this verse there are two commands and these commands are supported by five pillars. The two commands are found in verse 10; fear not and don’t be dismayed or discouraged. (Borrowed from unknown source)
Why did God say these things in Isaiah 41? He said them because the people that he was talking to, the Jewish people, were being surrounded by unstoppable military powers and these powers had come against God’s people. God’s people seem to be at the mercy of evil kings and evil cultures and persecution. The odds are against them and this does not make for a happy life. This makes people afraid.
But God’s word to people who are afraid is always the same – do not be afraid and do not be discouraged. Why? Because of the five pillars of fearlessness in verse 10…
1. I am with you – don’t fear for I’m with you.
2. I am your God – don’t be afraid because I am your God.
3. I will strengthen you – I can give you what you need.
4. I will help you – something supernatural from heaven is coming your way.
5. I will uphold you – you will prevail by my hand.
When God is calling us to be brave and to face our fears he gives – five pillars – five promises of divine support…
Fear not… God is with you
fear not… God is your God
fear not… God will strengthen you
fear not… God will help you
fear not… God will uphold you.
The key to overcoming fear is resting on the pillars of God’s promises and God’s character.
We don’t serve a sissy God who wrings his hands and wonders what he is going to do about things.
He is the God of all knowledge, power and love with a plan that cannot be defeated.
It’s not about what you can do, it’s about what God can do.
Over and over in the Bible fear is tied to the absence of God, or the lack of understanding of how big God actually is.
As a reminder – He is the…
- Devil defeating
- Dead raising
- Disease healing
- Depression lifting
- Dream giving God of power
- Church blesser
- Word breather
- Faith giving
- Peace and rest giver
- he leads through the valleys – the mountains – the deep waters – the fire– the darkness – and the light
- he sees all he knows all and he controls all.
- Pandemics are no match for him – the arrogant are no match – the narcissist is no match – the atheist is no match – the rich are no match – the connected are no match – the violent are no match – the false teacher is no match – the elite are no match.
- Good shepherd to our souls
- He doesn’t disappoint, disappear, get discouraged, get dismayed, get disconcerted, or get disinterested
- He is unpredictable, undefeatable, does the improbable and the impossible.
- His armies defeats Satan – agendas – and injustice.
- He frustrates evil – brings judgment – topples governments – exposes hypocrisy – and turns the tide.
- He is the strength supplier, grace giver, soul lover, miracle working, HS filling, Satan expelling KING OF KINGS
The five pillars again…
He is the God who is over us.
He is a God with us by our side.
He is the God who is strengthening you from the inside.
He is the God who helps you.
He is the God who upholds you.
Let’s get back to the original verse…
2 Timothy 1:7 …for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
Read between the lines and you will see that God needs his people to be courageous.
Now let’s take this knowledge and defeat fear with these four actions.
1. We will defeat toxic fear with truth.
Follow this thinking…
- John 14:6 Jesus called himself “the truth.”
- John 14:17 Jesus said he would give us the spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit.
- John 17:17 Jesus said, “thy word is truth.”
- Also in John 17:17 Jesus said that the word of truth would separate us, make us different.
- In John 8:32 Jesus said, “the truth will set you free.”
Why is this stuff about truth important? It’s because truth is something that is constant and unchangeable.
Truth is always going to be true.
It can always be relied on.
It will never change.
Truth is always dependable.
Truth has a different aspect to it as well – faithfulness, there is a reliability about it that you can count on.
Truth is reality.
Fear says… There’s a monster under the bed.
Truth says… There’s no such things as monsters!
I walked into an IRS audit one time. Now that is a fearful moment. But I was armed with the truth – every paper receipt that I needed to prove my claim.
So what we are going to do is meet the what if’s (FEAR) of life with the I AM’S (TRUTH) of life.
What if I lack? I am the bread of life
what if everything goes dark? I am the light of the world
what if I’m stumbling along? I am the good shepherd
what if I die? I am the resurrection and the life.
What if I don’t know? I am the way.
What if I’m unsure and don’t know where to turn? I am the truth.
What if the spark is gone? I am the life.
What if I’m just week and have no courage? I am that I am.
To fight fear we must stand on the truth of God.
For every fear that we face in life there is a truth that is greater.
2. We also defeat toxic fear with power.
2 Timothy 1:7 ...for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
David said in the 23rd Psalm that he was walking through the valley of the shadow of death… But he feared no evil… Your rod and your staff comfort me. Why was David not afraid? Was it because he had power? No it was because he knew the God who had a weapon for his enemies and he had a tool of love to pull them close – a rod and a staff.
Do you remember way back at the beginning of this sermon I talked about how the spirit of fear takes up residence in us and becomes our constant companion? Here, Paul is telling Timothy that the same can be true of this word power.
God is a God of power and wherever he resides there is power. But fear eats power for lunch. Wherever fear resides power and courage are lacking.
Now listen to truth…
Ephesians 1:18 that you may know…19 what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead…
Here we have a definition of power. What is it? It is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the fact that religion, government, and the underworld itself all conspired to kill Jesus and declare that they had defeated God were firmly in power. But God had something to say about that. And God did something that no government, no devil, and no religion could stop – the resurrection of his son from the dead in order that all people, everywhere would have access to eternal life and eternal life is not heaven, it is knowing God himself.
The Bible calls this immeasurable power. Great power. Unstoppable power.
In verse 19 says it’s coming toward us now. This is our heritage.
So when he says that we haven’t been given a spirit of fear but of power he is saying that we are residing in resurrection like power; that we are living in the victory of the cross and resurrection and that our God lacks nothing and depends on nothing and that this powerful God is for me and with me and is sustaining me.
3. We defeat toxic fear with love.
2 Timothy 1:7 ...for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
The New Testament writers constantly point to the love of God as the greatest motivation in the world and our greatest security in the world. It’s all about love.
God declares his love.
The Holy Spirit pours out the love of God into our hearts. Nothing can separate us from his love.
It’s love that causes Jesus to lay down his life.
And then the apostle John says this; 1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.
If somehow the perfect love of God could break through our brokenness, our self-condemnation, our doubts and our fears… We would be so totally secure that all fear would be cast out. Literally heaved out of our life.
Perfect love. A love that sees all the way back and loves us anyway.
A love that sees all the way forward and is committed to getting us there.
A love that sees and knows all of my weaknesses and faults and regrets and yet he wraps his arms around all of it.
And one last one…
4. We defeat toxic fear with self-control.
2 Timothy 1:7 ...for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
Fear wrecks self-control. Fear makes her mind spin with all kinds of scenarios that we can’t stop thinking about. But God gives us a new word here… He has given us self-control.
Self-control is spoken of often in the New Testament as a prized character trait and part of the fruit of the spirit. Self-control means that you are ruled from the mind and not from the emotions.
That you are free from wild fluctuations in thinking and ideas and feelings.
The self-controlled person is thoughtful and wise and takes into account all things before he acts.
The point is that we get to decide which story we are going to live.
We get to decide who’s word we will listen to.
We get to decide who gets to speak into our life.
God has given us the ability to trust him even in the middle of the storm.
You can, at this moment, choose to trust them.
You can, at this moment, boldly face your fear.
My take these three things – power, love and self-control I look at it in these ways
- you can be courageous because of power
- you must be courageous because of love
- you will be courageous because of self-control
you can – you must – you will – stop was
