Did anything frighten you this morning? Did you feel any kind of fear? Before you answer “No” too quickly, consider that we cannot live without fear. We cannot live without fear. You do not want to get rid of fear entirely. You must be afraid of some things, or else you will be in trouble. You must fear the other drivers on the road, or else you will put yourself in harm’s way. Small children must be afraid of dangerous things; you teach them “hot”, or else they will injure themselves. We cannot live without fear. We need fear. Forget about living without fear.
But we can live beyond fear. We can live beyond fear. We can understand fear and discover that we don’t have to be paralyzed by fear. We can put our confidence in something that will take us beyond merely wallowing in fear. There is a way to live in confidence, no matter what we are afraid of. There is a way to live beyond fear.
Now – back to my original question. Did anything frighten you this morning? Did you feel any kind of fear?
Maybe you looked in the mirror; for me, that was a scary sight. Before we men put a razor to our faces, or before the ladies dip into their makeup – scary. Because the truth is we are aging. Some of us are lurching into decline, and we’re not ready for that. We weren’t ready to turn forty, because that sounds like middle age. We weren’t prepared for the big five-oh, because that suggests that there is more behind us than there is ahead of us. And a whole bunch of us are trying to deny sixty and seventy and more – we try to deny it because it reminds us that maybe it won’t be long now, and who is ever really ready for death? Fear. Life is too short. Did anything frighten you this morning when you looked in the mirror?
So you turned on the TV to glimpse the headlines and get caught up with the world. What’s going on out there? Any reason to be afraid? How about tensions with China? We got our air crew back, but the world is not so stable. How about that plummeting stock market? Will we get to keep all our “stuff”? Snap off that TV! Snap it off before it tells us about riots in Cincinnati, about the closing of D. C. General Hospital, about things that hurt our quality of life! Yes, there’s plenty to fear out there!
So let’s just get ready to go to church, how about it? Let’s just push those fears into the background and get ourselves to church. Nothing to be afraid of at church on Easter! Except –how do I look? Will they think I’m too done up? Will I get a place to sit? Where will I be able to park? Will they make me feel guilty because it’s been a long time since I showed up over there? Will the preacher go on forever and I’ll be late for the buffet? Will he rant and rave and upset me – I really want to feel good this morning? Fears! Little ones, maybe, but fears nonetheless. Everywhere we turn, something scares us. Something huge or something trivial; something real or something imaginary; but fears just the same.
We cannot live without fear. Forget about that. But we can live beyond fear. Beyond fear.
I want to suggest this morning two reasons why we live in fear, why fears don’t get resolved. And then I want to proclaim two ways in which living in the Risen Christ makes us able to live beyond fear.
I
First, why are we afraid? What is this fear thing? What gives fear such power? Two thoughts: first, we are afraid because we get caught up in things we didn’t ask for; and second, we are afraid because we don’t like not being in control, even when things are going well.
Let me repeat those. Why are we afraid? We are afraid because we get caught up in things we didn’t ask for; and we are afraid because we don’t like not being in control, even when things are going well.
A
The events of the previous few days had been enough to knock the underpinnings out of almost anybody. How could it have all happened so quickly? The parade as Jesus entered the city had turned on a dime! Everything had moved with lightning speed! A near-riot in the Temple, quarrelsome skirmishes in the streets, back room meetings, a betrayal, an arrest, a trial, a cruel crucifixion, a horrible death, and a hurried burial. Anyone would have to have nerves of steel not to be fearful in the midst of all of that.
But of course if anybody had nerves of steel, it would have been the Roman soldiers. Hard-boiled veterans of war, trained in crowd control, these soldiers had seen it all and were ready for anything. All they had to do tonight was to guard a dead man’s grave. Not much to fear. But then it happened:
And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men.
Soldiers, just doing their duty, and something happened that they didn’t ask for, they didn’t bargain for. Hey, I was just trying to do my job, but what is this all about? For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men – paralyzed with fear. Feeling caught up in something they had nothing to do with. Just innocent bystanders. Fear.
So much of life is like that. So many things can happen to us that we didn’t ask for. A new neighbor turns out to be hostile and makes your life miserable; we didn’t ask for that. Your parents moved, and you are the new kid at school, and why is it everybody stares at you? You didn’t bargain for that! A sudden death in the family, and we’re taking care of a child we never expected to deal with. Somebody decides to reorganize the place where we work, and without warning there is a new job description, a new supervisor, a new set of demands. We don’t know if we can do what is called for. It’s easy to be paralyzed with fear.
Several years ago I went to a funeral service for a member of our church, but another pastor had been asked to lead the funeral. That’s fine. But I wanted to be there to lend my support. I thought I knew what would happen: I would introduce myself to the officiating minister, and he would be cordial and might ask me to do a little something in the service. No problem. I could handle that. A scripture reading, a prayer, maybe a couple of sentences of tribute. No problem. So I followed the drill. He was, as I expected, cordial. He invited me just to sit at the front of the room. Fine. I could handle that. He said nothing about scripture or prayer or tribute, but all right. That’s fine. Guess what? The service proceeded, the Scriptures were read, the prayers were offered, the tributes said; and then, I could not believe what I was hearing: “Pastor Smith from Takoma Park Baptist Church is here, and I am going to ask him now to deliver the eulogy!” Wow! Talk about the guards at the tomb being paralyzed with fear! You haven’t seen fear until you’ve seen a preacher with his tang all tungled up with fear! I could not begin to repeat to you whatever I said – the Lord only knows, and He’s not telling!
I fear being in a situation I did not ask for, and for which I am not prepared. Don’t you? We fear the unexpected. That’s one reason to fear.
B
And the second reason we fear is very close to that one. We fear because we don’t like not being in control. We just don’t like not being in control, even when things are going well.
The Roman guards were not the only fearful people at the tomb of Jesus. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, the women who had come to anoint the body – they were in for the shock of their lives. They were listening to the most stupendous news anyone had ever heard. The messenger at the tomb announced,
I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead’
Raised from the dead! Wow! Tremendous! Glorious! More than they could ever have hoped for! Jesus is alive! What was their reaction? What stirred in them? The text says,
So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
They left the tomb with fear and great joy. Fear? Fear at what? Why fear, in the face of joyful news? Fear because we do not like not being in control. Fear because even good news has a way of propelling us into situations we cannot manage. Fear because in our anxiety we are not sure that even when blessings come we are going to be able to match the occasion. “Go tell the disciples”. And I see the women hurrying along the road, afraid of all sorts of things that might happen: Will they believe us? Will we get the story straight? Will they ridicule us for making up a fairy tale? The one we love was dead and now is alive – but what if there is more to the story? What if we have been tricked somehow? What if, what if, what if?
You and I fear the what-ifs even when life is going well. We lose confidence in ourselves. A student gets into the college of her choice and then is afraid she may not be able to make the grade. A young professional gets the job of his dreams but then feels that he may mess up that job. A couple that has been hoping for children is blessed with a beautiful baby, but then fears that they will not be equal to the task of raising that child. Fear mingles with joy, anxiety ties to happiness, and the power we want to bring to life is eroded, because of our insecurity. Fear because things are happening that we cannot control. Fear chips away at our joy.
A novice pastor that I had helped to place in a church called not long ago. We knew that this church had problems, but there were more issues in that church than either of us had ever thought possible. There were fights within families, there were serious illnesses, there were members in jail -- lots of personal issues with the people. This pastor was concerned about all of that, but felt reasonably capable of dealing with it, and expressed great joy at the idea of leading a church. However, there came that Sunday morning: first, one had a heart attack, second, another member died; after worship, another member said his son had just been arrested, and – are you ready for this – the church bathroom overflowed! Well, when the church bathroom overflowed, so did this pastor. “It’s too much! I can’t handle all of this. It’s just too much and I cannot get it under control.”
Are you with me? Life is going well. You feel some joy. But there are things that are out of control. And fear mingles with joy. Even when things are going well, we are afraid of things we cannot control.
II
So I am here this morning to proclaim to you that living in Jesus Christ makes it possible to live beyond fear. Discover with me that the risen Christ makes it possible to go beyond our fears.
We can live beyond fear when, first, we know that Jesus Christ is completely trustworthy; and second, we can live beyond fear when we do what Christ calls us to do. Let me repeat. To live beyond our fears, we need to know that Christ can be trusted; and we need to step out and do what He wants us to do.
A
You see, because Jesus Christ rose from the dead, it means that we can trust Him. It means that He is completely trustworthy. Because He rose from the dead, we know that He keeps His promises. His word is good.
But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.”
“He has been raised, as he said.” They hadn’t really heard it, preoccupied as they were with other things. But Jesus had promised that after three days He would rise from the dead. On more than one occasion He had said this. And here it was, just as He said. He made good on His word. He is trustworthy. “Do not be afraid … He has been raised, as He said.”
Friends, if Jesus made good on this promise, doesn’t that mean He will make good on His other promises? If He can promise something this impossible, and do it, can we not trust Him for other things as well? If He can say that He would come back to life after destructive death, and He did, how much more can we be sure that He will do all that He promises to do? We can live beyond fear because Christ has promised us that He is able to keep us from falling and to uphold us in all things. We can live beyond fear because the one who was raised from the dead, just exactly as He said, is completely trustworthy.
He promises so much! He promised never to leave us. He promised that when He begins to change us, He will not stop He has finished. He promised to all who will trust Him that they too may have eternal life. If He can promise to be raised, and make good on that promise, then can we not trust Him for eternal life? He is worthy to be trusted. He is completely trustworthy.
But I must also tell you that if we can trust Him for the things we hope for, we must also know that His word is truth when it warns us. The same one who promised that He would bring those who follow Him eternal life promised that there would be others to whom He must say, “I never knew you.” We’d better trust that too. The same one who spoke of welcoming many into the Kingdom, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you” – that same one spoke of rejecting others, “Depart from me, you who work iniquity.” If you are going to take Jesus at His word, take all of His word. If you are going to think of the loving Jesus who wants to embrace us, think also of the wrathful Jesus who must judge all of us. He is completely trustworthy. All that He says He will do.
And so if you want to live beyond fear, receive Him as He is. Live in Him. You must be in relationship with Jesus. It is not enough just to cherish ideas about Jesus. It is not enough just to agree with certain propositions about Jesus. To live beyond fear you must trust Him to be your Savior and your Lord. You must take Him as He is, for He is completely trustworthy.
B
And, second, you must do as He says. If you want to live beyond fear, you must do what He says to do, you must be involved in what He wants done, you must go where He calls you to go.
When the women met the risen Lord, He was quick to give them instructions:
Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers”
Living in Christ is not something for the armchair. Living in Christ is not merely a head trip. Living in Christ is not plastic piety and lovely lilies and trumpet tunes. Living in Christ is not showing up at church or being nice to your neighbor. Living in Christ is “go and tell”. Living in Christ is being on mission. Living in Christ is living beyond our fears because we put ourselves out there, for Him, doing what He tells us to do.
“Do not be afraid; go and tell …” When they did that, the most tremendous transformation happened. Men who a few days before had cowered in a room, afraid of being rounded up, marched out into the world and told everybody about this risen Christ. Women who had just been trudging down a weary lane to anoint the body of a slain leader were soon opening their homes to accommodate hundreds of His followers. Fishermen who had wanted nothing more than to go back to their trade were preaching all over the countryside. A tentmaking rabbi who had intended to stamp out this foolish Christian stuff became the power behind the spread of the gospel to city after city. Living in Christ, doing what He tells us to do, drives away our fears, it banishes our doubts, it destroys our anxieties, it brings us new life. If you want to live beyond fear, you must do what He says to do, go where He wants you to go, be what He wants you to be.
And what is that, exactly? What is it He wants us to do?
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.
And if we will do that, what is it that He promises?
And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
Living beyond fear. Christ does not promise to be with us when we hang back in cowardice; He promises to be with us when we go and tell. He does not promise to nursemaid our timidity; He promises to be on the front lines with us.
He is alive. Follow Him! Trust Him! To those who trust Him, He gives power to become.
He is alive. Go and tell, do it. Do not hesitate. The moment is now. This is your time. I call you, I invite you to living beyond fear.
