Making Fears Disappear
John 14:1,27 Matt. 6:25-34
Joke: A wife was constantly waking her husband up in the middle of the night after hearing noises........"Honey, someone’s trying to break in........I just heard them...........I think their in the house now." There was nothing for the husband to do but to get out of bed, go downstairs, and check. He would then trudge back upstairs crawl into bed, and assure it wife that it was nothing. However on one particular occassion, he went downstairs after being awakened by his wife, and found two men in the kitchen.......the two men started to run, but the husband said to them......"not so fast, you’re not leaving until I take you upstairs to meet my wife because she’s been waiting for y’all for 20 years"
Story: Someone’s on the front porch..........
In Vs 1,27 Jesus addresses an issue which is especially relevant to our days. The issue is that of anxiety, and fear. The word "troubled" means "agitated". In Websters the definition of "agitated" is "to be tossed from side to side; shaken, moved violently and irregularly"
Our world is a "fearful" world.
I read this wk that there are at least 75 legitimate phobia’s. Now I don’t know who determined what’s legit, and what’s not, but I do know that there are many people who live in fear.
Now let’s have a little "phobia-trivia". See if you guess can what these phobia’s are: Acrophobia- Fear of heights. Arachnophobia- Fear of spiders. Claustrophobia- Fear of confined spaces. Hydrophobia- Fear of water Insectophobia - Fear of insects
Now’s here some real off the wall one’s........hope none of you are afraid of these things: Phalacrophobia- Fear of becoming bald.
Alektorophobia- Fear of chickens Autodysomophobia- Fear of one that has a vile odor.
Now......I don’t think there’s a Baptist preacher alive that has "alektorophobia" I know this.......you set down a plate of fried chicken in front of me, and "No Fear" will be flashing all across my face........the only fear I have about eating fried chicken is that someone’s going to get the last piece before I can !
Now while there is a large list of supposed phobia’s though there are a wide variety, and some really weird stuff that people are apparently afraid of..........Psychologist tell us that today there are four basic fears all humanity suffers –
(1) Fear of failure,
(2) Fear of losing security
(3) Fear of the future
(4) Fear of death itself.
This morning I believe we can say with certainty that it is not the will of God that we be troubled(agitated) or that we be afraid.
In fact the Bible reads in 2 Tim 1:7 "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."
Now if God has not given us this spirit of fear which is rampant in our society then where does it come from.......
I. Notice The Reason For Fear.
a. Fear Is A Result Of Sin.
Was there any fear or anything to fear as long as man was obedient to God in the beginning. The first evidence of fear in the heart of man came after the fall.
Gen 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto them, Where art thou ? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.
b. Fear Is A Result Of Separation.
The first couple walked in complete, and perfect fellowship with God up until the fall. Yet, after their disobedience, we see that intimate fellowship is interruped, and rather than walking with God.....they are hiding from God in fear, and shame..
c. Fear Is A Result of Selfishness.
Matt 6:25-34 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than mean, andthe body than raiment.
Perhaps, you’ve never thought of this, but isn’t fear one of the greatest degrees of selfishness ? When we are in a panic.....when we are afraid, what are we focused on ? Most of the time........it is because our thoughts are turned inward.
4. Fear is a result of Satan.
Satan implied to Adam, and Eve that their disobedience would lead to more knowledge, and that they would be better as the result of it. Satan is a liar, and the father of them. He knew exactly what would happen. Satan wants us to be controlled by fear rather than being controlled by the Spirit of God. He wants our lives to be governed by fear, and anxiety rather than being governed by the word of God !
II. The Results Of Fear.
a Fears Causes Us To Panic
Fear causes panic ! It causes us to think irrational thoughts, and make irrational decisions. Fear produces panic which in turn causes us to lose perspective, and when that happens, we cease to trust in God, and in his word. We cease to be led by the Lord, and instead are led, and controlled by our feelings. We act impulsively as a result of our fear !
Story: Shohoiya Yokowai spent 28 years of his life in prison. It was not a prison of bars & locks & wardens, but a self-imposed prison of fear. He was a Japanese soldier on the island of Guam during WW2. And when the American forces landed, he fled into the jungle & found a cave in which he hid for 28 years because he was afraid of being captured by the Americans. He learned that the war was over by reading one of the thousands of pamphlets dropped into the jungle. But he was afraid. So for 28 years he lived in the cave, coming out only at night to look for roaches & rats & frogs & mangoes on which he survived. Finally some natives found him & convinced him that it would be all right for him to come out of his jungle prison. We think, "What a waste! Imagine, spending 28 years living as a a prisoner of fear." Yet, there are a lot of people who are prisoners of fear.
b. Fear Causes Us Paralysis
Fear imprisons, faith liberates; fear paralyzes, faith empowers; fear disheartens, faith encourages; fear sickens, faith heals; fear makes useless, faith makes serviceable-and, most of all, fear puts hopelessness at the heart of life, while faith rejoices in its God.
1. Fear will keep us from loving !
2. Fear will keep us from leaving ! (our comfort zones)
Some folks are afraid of leaving their house.....some believers fear leaving their comfort zones
3. Fear will keep us from living !
c. Fear Makes Us Prisoners
Fear imprisons us while Christ came to set us free. Christ wants to set you free from you sin as well as your fears that hinder you from living a life of joy, and freedom ! Don’t be a slave to fear !
III. The Remedy Of Fear.
a. Consider The Fowls.V26
V26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not better than they ?
b. Consider The Father.V26
....your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not better than they ?
Said the wild flower to the sparrow:
"I should really like to know
Why these anxious human beings
Rush about and worry so."
Said the sparrow to the wildflower:
"Friend, I think that it must be
That they have no heavenly father
Such as cares for you and me."
c. Consider The Flowers. V28-30
I am a lover of flowers. I especially love daylilies. I’ve got a pretty fair collection for a novice, and hope to plant more varieties. They are such amazing plants. One reason I love them is that they are so easy to grow. Dorothy gave me some a couple of years ago, and I probably put them in the worst soil on the property, and they have just flourished. I have some planted in full sun, part sun, and mostly shade, and yet they all seem to do so well.......and their color, and design are so beautiful.........Now if God so takes care of the lilies of the field....why do we need to be fearful ?
d. Consider The Faith.
......O ye of little faith ?
The problem with worry, anxiety and fear is one of faith !
e. Consider The Foremost. V25,33
Jesus says ...."Take no thought for your life........"
He instructs that we not be anxious about our life as far as what we shall eat, or what ye we shall drink nor yet for your body....what ye shall put on.
Rather than focuses on these things, and being worried, anxious, and fearful over them........he instructs us to focus on the foremost.
V33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you !
Though troubles assail us
(sung to the tune of Immortal, Invisible, God only wise)
Though troubles assail us and dangers affright,
though friends should all fail us and foes all unite,
yet one thing secures us, whatever betide,
the promise assures us, "The Lord will provide."
The birds, without garner or storehouse, are fed;
from them let us learn to trust God for our bread.
His saints what is fitting shall ne’er be denied
so long as ’tis written, "The Lord will provide."
When Satan assails us to stop up our path,
and courage all fails us, we triumph by faith.
He cannot take from us, though oft he has tried,
this heart-cheering promise, "The Lord will provide."
No strength of our own and no goodness we claim; yet,
since we have known of the Savior’s great name,
in this our strong tower for safety we hide:
the Lord is our power, "The Lord will provide."
