MAIN IDEA: God’s word provides hope for those who are fearful.
OBJECTIVES: The listener will be encouraged by God’s Word and leave having been given hope for times of fear.
INTRO:
As a child it was my job to take out the trash. Every week from the time I was about 6 years old I had to trudge out to the side of the house and fill up the cans. Though I didn’t really LIKE doing this – most of the time I didn’t mind it – except when it was dark. When it was dark my mind would convince me that something terrible was going to happen to me around the side of the house where no light from the porch came. I was sure Sasquatch was going to nab me. Or perhaps some aliens.
Looking back it seems silly – the fear was unfounded – but the fear was real nonetheless.
This week some much more serious fears have crossed my mind – and I’m sure the minds of many of you.
The words of David in Psalm 55 might have been some of ours this week:
Psalm 55:1-8
1 Listen to my prayer, O God,
do not ignore my plea;
2 hear me and answer me.
My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught
3 at the voice of the enemy,
at the stares of the wicked;
for they bring down suffering upon me
and revile me in their anger.
4 My heart is in anguish within me;
the terrors of death assail me.
5 Fear and trembling have beset me;
horror has overwhelmed me.
6 I said, "Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest-
7 I would flee far away
and stay in the desert;
8 I would hurry to my place of shelter,
far from the tempest and storm."
Had to change my plan this week. Departing from Luke to deal with something that is in everyone’s minds. Fear.
I was reminded that I don’t know what to say – but God does! His word is sufficient for us in every situation we face, and this war with Iraq is no exception, whether you have a close family member involved, or simply know people that are involved. God does not want us to be fearful. And His word provides the antidote for fear.
QUESTION: What can I do when I feel fearful?
1. Cast your burdens on the Lord. (Ps. 55:22)
Ps 55:22
Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall. (NIV)
I’m no fisherman – but I do know what it means to cast something. It means to hurl it away from you using force. You grab that pole and you swing it hard so the hook goes far from you.
But where are we supposed to hurl our cares? To the only one who can handle them. The LORD.
And what will happen if we do this? The promise is HE WILL SUSTAIN YOU. He will hold you up. He will keep you in place. He will make sure you have the nourishment you need.
2. Take refuge in Him. (Ps. 27:1-5, 32:6-7, 34:7-8)
Psalm 27:1-3,5
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?
2 When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.
3 Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.
5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.
(NIV)
Here David reminds us that we have a safe place to go when we feel fearful. He describes the Lord as our LIGHT, our SALVATION, and our STRONGHOLD.
And he describes what he has decided to do when fear strikes – he’s going to remember he has a safe place to go.
ILLUS: Soccer games as a youth in the pouring rain. Halftime we’d run to the sideline where our parents were waiting with our warm, dry coats, and a shelter of umbrellas. And for a few minutes – we were safe.
David says, in the day of trouble God will keep us safe if we take refuge in Him.
Psalm 32:6-7 Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him.
You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.
The old praise song paraphrases this verse : “You are my hiding place, you always fill my heart with songs of deliverance. Whenever I am afraid I will trust in You”
Sometimes we’re called to stay put and battle our enemy head on – but sometimes when we feel weak we need to realize God has invited us to run to Him for refuge.
TRANS: So God instructs us to CAST our fears His way, and to run to Him as our place of refuge. But we also have a way to fight back against fear, and that is to…
3. Replace anxiety with thoughts of God. (Phil. 4:6-8, Ps. 23:4, Ps. 46:1-3)
Now – it is important you don’t get the idea that it is somehow “unchristian” to be afraid. I like the way Oswald Chambers put it:
Oswald Chambers:
It is the most natural thing in the world to be scared, and the clearest evidence that God’s grace is at work in our hearts is when we do not get into panics….The remarkable thing about fearing God is that when you fear God you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God you fear everything else.
Citation: Reprinted in "Wisdom in a Time of War," Christianity Today (1-07-02), p. 47
God has given us the way to keep our fear from paralyzing us – and it involves changing our focus from the things that are causing us fear to thoughts of God.
Philippians 4:6-8
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-- think about such things.
(NIV)
I LOVE these verses. They promise us that if we can cast all our anxieties and fears at Him in prayer, then our hearts and minds will be guarded by the peace of God. A peace that passes understanding. A peace that doesn’t make sense. A peace that God brings to those who offer Him all that they are anxious about and let Him take it.
And then Paul instructs on what we SHOULD think about, instead of all the things that are causing us fear. Whatever is true, or noble, or right, or pure, or lovely, or admirable, or excellent, or praiseworthy.
ILLUS: A glass full or murky water held under the faucet. Eventually the murk will be removed as it is replaced with the pure water.
When we ruminate on our fears, the fruit will be unrest, stress, ulcers. But when we meditate on God’s promises and character, eventually the fears will be replaced.
Here’s some of that “pure water” to start washing out the murk that may have taken residence in your heart:
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.
This comes from Psalm 23 which describes God as our shepherd. The shepherd’s tools for caring for and protecting the sheep from danger included the rod and the staff.
The rod was a long pole with a large knot on the end that the shepherd would hurl at anything that was endangering the sheep.
The staff was a long stick with a crook in one end that the shepherd could use to lift sheep out of dangerous places, or even draw them near to himself if they needed personal attention.
Isn’t it good to know that our Good Shepherd still brings comfort to us by protecting us from danger and lifting us up and drawing us near to him.
Psalm 46:1-3
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
This passage reminds me that sometimes I just have to CHOOSE not to give in to fear. I need to fill my mind with the picture of God as my refuge. God as my strength. God as my Good Shepherd. And say, “I will NOT fear.”
4. Keep an eye on eternity. (Ps. 23:4,6, 2 Cor. 4:16-18)
One of the reasons we fear is that we forget that this life is not all there is. Every single one of us was created for ETERNITY.
2 Corinthians 5:6,8
We look forward with confidence to our heavenly bodies. And we are not afraid, but are quite content to die, for then we will be at home with the Lord.
Rick Warren:
Death, for Christians, is a transfer, a promotion. It’s on to better things. No more problems. You’re not ready to live until you’re ready to die. You don’t know how to live until you’re ready to die. Only a fool would go all through life, totally unprepared for something that everybody knows is inevitable. You’re going to die - someday. If you have accepted Christ, then you’re going to go to heaven.
You’ll be released from pain, from sorrow, from suffering, from depression, from fear.
"He will wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor pain. All of that has gone forever." Rev. 21:4
Doesn’t that make you a little homesick for heaven?
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
The next time you feel the fear grip your heart – change your focus to eternity!
Are you ready for the eternal? If you were to die today – do you know what your destiny would be?
I have no doubt about mine –not because I’m such a good person – but because of what the Bible says – that all those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and follow Him as their Lord will be saved.
Have you done this? I hope so – because if not, all the hope and the help and the protection the scripture promises us when we fear will not be in effect. The first step is surrendering your heart to His leadership.
TRANS: I’ve shared a lot of verses and given my thoughts on what they mean, but the last part of my message I simply want to remind you that when you’re afraid, sometimes you just need to listen to what God has to say. And keep listening. And read it, and pray it. So – if nothing else has helped – listen now to God’s word to those who fear.
5. Listen to God’s words to you. (Is. 41:9-14, Is. 43:1-3a, Zeph. 3:16-17)
Isaiah 41:9-14
9 I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, ’You are my servant’; I have chosen you and have not rejected you.
10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
11 "All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish.
12 Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all.
13 For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.
14 Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob, O little Israel, for I myself will help you," declares the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
(NIV)
Isaiah 43:1-3
1 But now, this is what the LORD says-- he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
3 For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead.
(NIV)
Zephaniah 3:16-17
16 On that day they will say to Jerusalem, "Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands hang limp.
17 The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."
(NIV)
CONCLUSION:
We have much to fear. Unlike my youthful fears of Sasquatch, the threats against our country, and for some, our loved ones, are real. But God would not have us be paralyzed or panicked by our fear – but wants to quiet us with His love.
Remember He promises that though you walk through difficult circumstances – they will not overtake You – and He is with you.
When you feel afraid...
1. Cast your cares upon Him.
2. Take refuge in Him.
3. Replace anxiety with thoughts of God.
4. Keep an eye on eternity. AND
5. Listen to God’s word to you.
Bring it all to Him and let Him carry you.
