The Four “F’s” of the Christian Faith
Ps 37:1-7; 39-40
1 Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong;
2 for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.
3 Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.
39 The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
40 The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.
Opening Illustration: “The Draft”
It used to be that when a young man reached 18 years of age, he would have to register for the draft. I remember going to my local draft board. After filling out the proper forms, I received my classification: 1A! Some years later, after I was married, it was changed to 3A. If one was beset with some mental or physical disability, the classification was 4F, which meant that this person was excused from serving in the armed forces.
My mother-in-law was the company nurse at a firm I was employed with several years ago. She told me about a humorous incident regarding a job application form. There was a place on the form for the applicant to indicate his marital status. The applicant had written, “4F.” Either he read the requested information too fast or he really did feel that he didn’t qualify as a husband.
While being classified 4F would have kept one out of the service of our country, the very opposite is true with regard to the Lord’s army. And that brings me to the sermon for today: The “Four F’s” of the Christian Faith.
1. Fret Not
Psalm 37:1: “Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong…”
This whole Psalm shows the happy state of the godly and the short-lived prosperity of the wicked. It can be summed up in the following: “Don’t fume; don’t worry about the other guy; God is the righteous Judge. He will have the last say. Don’t worry.”
Worry never solved a problem
Worry never paid a debt
Worry never alleviated a pain
Worry never made an enemy a friend
Worry never turned a wrong into a right
Worry is the interest paid by those who borrow trouble—sometimes the troubles of tomorrow—which may never arrive anyway!
The worry cow could have lived ‘til now,
If she only had saved her breath;
She feared the hay wouldn’t last all day,
So she choked herself to death.
Dr. G.C. Robinson of John Hopkins Hospital said, “Personal worry is one of the principle causes of physical ailments which send people to hospitals.” He found that out of 174 patients, 140 were worrying patients. 115 had worries directly related to their physical ailments.
A Christian who is known as being a “worrier” is a poor testimony. By their constant worrying, they are sending out a message—and the message is this: “God is unable to cope with my problems; He’s not big enough or He’s big enough, but my faith is too small. I cannot bring myself to trust His power and willingness.”
How does one break the worry habit?
1) Live one day at a time
2) Lift someone else’s burden that day
3) Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths (Prov.3:5,6).
2. Fear Not
Isaiah 41:10: “Fear not, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God: I will strengthen you, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.”
Fear is a close relative to worry. They both paralyze. Many folks today are living in bondage to fear, fear of all sorts:
Fear of death
Fear of sickness
Fear of failure
Fear of poverty
Fear of being alone
Fear of germs
Peladophobia: fear of baldness and bald people. Aerophobia: fear of drafts. Porphyrophobia: fear of the color purple. Chaetophobia: fear of hairy people. Levophobia: fear of objects on the left side of the body.. Graphophobia: fear of writing in public. Phobophobia: fear of being afraid.
Fear is the great enemy of the human race. It inhibits, it reduces us and causes us to live as spiritual midgets.
Fear is also the great enemy of faith. Moody said that some folks went to heaven second class and some go first class. He said the second class people were those who said as David did in Psalm 56:3: “When I am afraid I will trust.” The second class folks say with Isaiah in 12:12: “I will trust and not be afraid.”
Fear is the father of cruelty. The rattlesnake strikes, the dog bites and the cat scratches when they are in a panic of fear. The same is true when a man kills. Its often because of the panic of fear.
Fear is the devil’s other name. Fear of ridicule by his peers causes the teenager to take up drinking and drugs.
Fear robs the soul of sunshine. It turns the optimist into a pessimist.
To all of this Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you; not as the world gives, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
The world offers to give us peace in a variety of ways:
Alcohol
Drugs
Pleasure
Fame
Work
Wealth
Spirituality
Jesus says to all: “Fear not! Fear not life. I lived it and nowhere do you have to go that I have not been. Fear not death. I died and rose again. Fear not eternity. I inhabit it!”
He is the remedy for fear! Faith in certain aspects of His character—that’s the answer. Faith in His presence, His power, and His promises.
3. Faint Not
Luke 18:1: “Men ought always to pray and not to faint.”
Galatians 6:3: “We shall reap if we faint not.”
Faint: lose heart, to give up.
The Bible has so much to say about perseverance and faithfulness, whether its in regard to prayer, or discouragement, failure, or persecution.
Spurgeon: “The snail reached the ark by crawling one centimeter at a time.”
Noah Webster labored for 36 years writing his dictionary. Leonardo DaVinci worked on the painting of The Last Supper for 10 years, often so absorbed he forgot to eat for whole days.
Adam Clarke spent 40 years writing his commentary on the Holy Scriptures.
William Carey labored for 7 years before he led one person to Christ in Burma.
Young William Wilberforce was discouraged one night in the early 1790s after another defeat in his 10 year battle against the slave trade in England. Tired and frustrated, he opened his Bible and began to leaf through it. A small piece of paper fell out and fluttered to the floor. It was a letter written by John Wesley shortly before his death. Wilberforce read it again:
"Unless the divine power has raised you up... I see not how you can go through your glorious enterprise in opposing that (abominable practice of slavery), which is the scandal of religion, of England, and of human nature. Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils. But if God be for you, who can be against you? Are all of them together stronger than God? Oh, be not weary of well-doing. Go on in the name of God, and in the power of His might."
2. Forget Not
Don’t forget God’s blessings. In Psalm 88:12, we read of “the land of forgetfulness.” Remembering ill keep us humble and grateful.
Ps 44:20-21
20 If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god,
21 would not God have discovered it, since he knows the secrets of the heart?
Illus.: “His One Mistake”
He brushed his teeth twice a day. The doctor examined him twice a year. He wore rubbers when it rained. He slept with the windows opened. He stuck to a diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. He golfed—but never more than 18 holes at a time. He got at least 8 hours of sleep every night. He never smoked, drank, or lost his temper. He exercised every day. He was all set to live to be 100. The funeral will be Wednesday. He was only 63. He is survived by 18 specialists, 4 health institutions, 6 gymnasiums, and numerous manufacturers of health foods and drugs. He remembered everything, but he forgot God! He lived as though this world was all there is and is now with those who say, “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.”
It’s a dangerous thing to forget that spiritual part of us. Its all we’ll have left when we die.
Illus.: “Japan Forgot”
In 1923 Japan was struck with an earthquake that was called by the New York Tribune, “the greatest disaster in recorded time.” Here are the statistics: it covered 45,000 square miles, hit 5 large cities with a combined population of over 7 million; every building in Yokohama was destroyed. ¾ of Tokyo was burned. 300,000 died and 21/2 million were left homeless.
Disease and despair rode throughout the nation. Then help came—most of it from America—food, clothing, medcine, workers by the shipload. The American Red Cross collected $10 million for the suffering Japanese. The Japanese were grateful. Their newspapers carried headlines that read: JAPAN WILL NEVER FORGET. But she did forget. In fact 18 years later she bombed Pearl Harbor in a sneak attack that cost many American lives.
But are the Japanese the only ones who overlook the past and it’s attending mercies? Of course not. Long ago, the Lord said of Israel, “My people have forgotten Me days without number.” (Jer.2:32). God blessed Israel but they forgot Him.
Illus.: “I Forgot the Scars”
After the Civil War, General Gordon was running for Senator. He was a war hero. Every man in the state legislature voted for him to be nominated, except one—a man who resented him for some reason, having served under him. He rose to vote against him when he noticed a large scar on the General’s face. He was stricken with remorse. He cried out with great emotion, “I cannot vote against him. I forgot the scar!”
Look to Jesus and don’t forget the scars. He was pierced in order that we might be pardoned. He was beaten in order that we might be blessed.
Conclusion
When faith reigns supreme in our hearts, fretting takes a back seat, fear vanishes, the temptation to give up disappears, and the memory of God’s love stays fresh in our minds.
Remember the 4 F’s:
Fret not
Fear not
Faint not
Forget not
Your life will be richer; your heart will be at rest, and you face the future unafraid.
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