We all deal with fear from time to time. Some people give into fear, and some people do everything they can to avoid those things that make them afraid. As most of you know, I will be retiring on the last day of this year. Several have expressed a concern over that. Having a pastor for over 28 years and then him retiring creates a lot of questions and I think a little bit of fear.
I have prayed about your concerns and fear and God has led me to discuss over the next 4 weeks the highs and the lows of fear. I first want to say that you really have nothing to be afraid of. It was Franklin Roosevelt that said, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” But that statement is not completely true. There is one fear that is not only necessary but can be beneficial: that is the fear of God. We're going to use Psalm 33 this morning to hopefully create a healthy fear of God—a healthy fear that leads us to better navigate life. Let's begin with prayer. Prayer.
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Let me first say before we get into the Scripture that as we search for a new pastor to replace me, if we will simply pray about it and leave it in God's hands, He will supply the person He has already chosen. There is really nothing to be afraid of.
The Psalms are a collection of Hebrew poetry, used as both songs and prayers, and leading the reader to worship God. The Psalms were written as the writers experienced different twists and turns in their life. If you are ever down about something or are walking through a troublesome time in your life, the Psalms are a great place to turn for wisdom and a glimpse of how others navigated the tricky part of their life.
Let me ask you, do you want God to have control over who is called to be the next pastor of this church? Of course, we do. That is the only way it is really going to work. Well, if we are placing this in God's hands, then we need to acknowledge who God is. Realize that we are placing this situation into the hands of a God that spoke all of creation into existence. Can He handle the placement of a new pastor? Of course, He can. Let's begin in Psalm 33:6.
Psalm 33:6–9 – “The heavens were made by the word of the Lord, and all the stars, by the breath of his mouth. 7 He gathers the water of the sea into a heap; he puts the depths into storehouses. 8 Let the whole earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. 9 For he spoke, and it came into being; he commanded, and it came into existence.”
That is my God. I hope He is yours. He did all of this so we should have no reason to question if He knows what He's doing in replacing me as pastor of this church.
Psalm 33 calls us to praise the Lord for who He is. We don't know who wrote this Psalm, but the psalmist points us to what God has done, it points us to His Word, and His creative power and work. He paints this poetic picture of the work of God. No one is like God. He can speak things into existence. No one has ever been able to create something from nothing with his hands, but God can do the unbelievable with just His words.
Caran and I like to go to the coast to get away from things. When I stand on the beach and look out over the ocean, I have to marvel at the vastness of it. But as massive as the ocean is, God is even greater. He's the One that “gathers the water of the sea into a heap, He puts the depths into storehouses.” We can tell that the psalmist was genuinely in awe of the grandness and the magnitude of God.
This led him to fear God because he was standing in awe of God as the Creator. He says in verse 8, “Let the whole earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.” As we become more and more aware of God's glory and His power, we should be drawn into a response of fear and awe.
Awe is a vital ingredient to a healthy fear of God. As we read God's Word and hear how God simply spoke the world into existence and made everything out of nothing, we just want to say, “Wow!” That is kind of like the feeling this psalmist felt as he responded to the awesomeness of God. That awe led him to fear God because he recognized the bigness of God and what God was able to do.
If you ever want to experience that feeling, just go outside sometime on your own and pay close attention to the minute details of God's creation. Look closely at the structure of a tree. Watch closely the birds and the butterflies. Look for what amazes you about creation and you'll begin to experience and want to praise God for His awesomeness as Creator. This is the same God that will help to find and place a new pastor in this church.
Psalm 33:10-12 – “The Lord frustrates the counsel of the nations; he thwarts the plans of the peoples. 11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart from generation to generation. 12 Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord—the people he has chosen to be his own possession!”
In working at selecting a new pastor, the church can choose their way, or they can choose God's way. But when our ways conflict with God's way, we can be sure that our plans will fail. The psalmist assures us that the way of wisdom always begins with God's plans. I remember something that Bruce has always said. If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.
God's plan should be first and everything else should be second. So, the psalmist reminds us in verse 11 that “the council of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart from generation to generation.” As we think about God's plans and power, let's also look at things from His perspective. If we have a healthy fear of God, it will move us to walk in obedience to His ways. As we recognize who He is, we will respond accordingly.
When I was growing up, it didn't matter where I was or what I was doing at the time, if my dad called me by name, no matter how crowded the room was or how busy I was, I would respond by coming toward him to see what he needed. Everything else became less important. I did that because I recognized my father, who he was, and the role in which he played in my life. In the same way, when we know who God is and the role He plays in our lives, we're drawn to Him and to act in obedience.
The pastor search committee has now been elected. This committee's responsibility is to bring their recommendations to the church of who they feel would best serve Southeast Baptist Church. For you as a church to decide, it would be a good idea to think about the plans that you have for this church in the coming years. Then spend time in prayer and turn those plans over to God. Ask Him to lead you in the plans that He has for the life of this church as you make this all important selection.
Psalm 33:13-15 – “The Lord looks down from heaven; he observes everyone.
14 He gazes on all the inhabitants of the earth from his dwelling place. 15 He forms the hearts of them all; he considers all their works.”
This is what I meant a moment ago when I said we should look at things from God's perspective. God is aware of everything. We know that He is a good and holy God who knows what's going on in His kingdom and with His people. God wants to extend His love and His care to us. He wants what is best for this church family. Considering that, we should seek to live obediently, in a way that pleases Him.
In 1955, God put this church on this corner in this community for a reason. You can be assured that He wants what is best for us and has a plan to continue to strengthen this church to be able to carry His Word to this city. God knows what is best and what is needed for this church family. Just knowing this about God's nature should cause us to be excited as we wait and see God's plan unfold.
Psalm 33:18-19 – “But look, the Lord keeps his eye on those who fear him—
those who depend on his faithful love 19 to rescue them from death and to keep them alive in famine.”
Now we get to that fearing God part. When I speak of fearing God, I am referring to us having a reverent fear of Him for who He is. You might be a little wary of what verse 18 says about the how the Lord keeps His eye on those who fear Him. This almost makes it sound as if God was like a stern drill instructor calling down a soldier saying, “I've got my eye on you!” That's not the case, if you will read the rest of verse 18 it makes it clear. God keeps His eye on those who depend on His faithful love.
Instead of that harsh drill instructor, God is more like a parent watching his child. Parents love their children and can't take their eyes off of them. Because God keeps His eye on those who humbly fear Him and depend on Him, He knows when they need to be rescued or delivered. Knowing that God watches us and watches out for us, we too can say with the psalmist, “We wait for the Lord; He is our help and shield." That statement alone should take away any anxiety over selecting a new pastor. That is, if we truly put it and leave it in God's hands.
When it speaks of God's love and protection, it means that God will also discipline us when we need it. Sometimes God's protection means He protects us from the harm we might do to ourselves through sin. Let me use the game of soccer as an example.
Soccer players know where the boundaries of the field are. Stepping outside those lines leads to a penalty. Within that penalty is the reminder of the rules of the game and to succeed and win the game, you must stay within the rules. In that sense, the discipline of a penalty actually benefits the players. Can you see that?
I can give an even better example to those of you who are parents or even grandparents when speaking of the role of discipline. Something extraordinary happens when you discipline one of your kids. Expound. Eventually they return and will come sit by you. They want to be with you. Even though they are young, they equate discipline with love. Something within them recognizes that truth, and they respond with love to the parents’ love.
I will direct this next statement to the pastor search committee. That committee has a big responsibility and you may start feeling very concerned or even fearful or anxious. My instruction is to turn it over to God in prayer. Maybe read again Psalm 33:18-19 as a reminder that God's gaze is upon you, and He is able to act on your behalf. The attitude should be as you present a candidate for the church to consider as the new pastor is to say, through much consideration and prayer, we feel that God is leading us to this person. SO. . . the psalmist continues:
Psalm 33:20-22 – “We wait for the Lord; he is our help and shield. 21 For our hearts rejoice in him because we trust in his holy name. 22 May your faithful love rest on us, Lord, for we put our hope in you.”
Simply put, we can put our hope in God because of who He is. That, to me, gets rid of any fear or anxiety over whatever decision I am making. If we look at God and how He works on our behalf as being our shield and provider, it should lead us to respond with love and awe, confidently resting in Him.
So where does all of this lead us in the coming months? As verse 20 says, “We wait for the Lord.” That word “wait” captures the idea of looking towards something with a confident hope. Think about it, many times we wait for someone, maybe for a lunch meeting, but we have no guarantee that they will show up. Traffic, illness, and scheduling conflicts can keep us waiting for a person who never arrives.
But waiting on God is a sure thing. We wait for Him with a confident trust. We know that He is our help and shield and His faithful love rests on us. My advice, is to put our hope in Him.
Why should we fear God? We should have a reverent fear for Him because we know with full assurance and confidence that He protects us and will provide for us.
We all go through times of fear in our life. We have a fear of failure. A fear of an unknown future. Fear of a medical diagnosis. Fears are part of life. No one is exempt from these concerns, and no one gets a pass. But when we see God for who He really is in all of His greatness, glory, and absolute power, we recognize His authority over us. We fear and we trust Him to take care of us.
So, we place ourselves in the hands of God. Are there any better hands to place ourselves? Trust in the Lord and allow Him to lead us to the person He has already chosen.
As we enter into our time of response, I ask, have you chosen God? Have you chosen Christ on a personal level to be your Lord and Savior? If not, we give you that time now to turn your life completely around and start living for Him. As always, it is your choice. Won't you make God your choice? As we pray.
