What Are You Afraid Of? Series

What Are You Afraid Of?

Griffith Baptist Church – 12/23/07

P.M. Service

Text: Psalm 27

Introduction

Fear can make you look foolish. A friend of mine got to start on the football team his sophomore year. He received the opening kick-off and dropped the ball, picked it up, broke through in the open, and raced down the sidelines with nobody after him. But as he was running, he glanced to his right and saw the shadow of somebody chasing him. He ran faster, but the guy stayed right behind him. He didn’t want the guy to catch him so he dived into the end zone. He looked back and there was no one behind him. The shadow he had been running from was his own.

"He who fears being conquered is sure of defeat." - Napoleon Bonaparte - _Instant Quotation Dictionary_, p. 132.

In 1875, a fall fractured both of Trench’s knees, after which he never fully recovered his health, living in fear of paralysis. A lady sitting next to him at a dinner noticed that the elderly cleric was agitated and muttering to himself, "It’s come at last; I can’t feel a thing; I’m paralyzed." She asked Trench what was wrong. "I’ve been pinching my leg for the last five minuted and I can’t feel a thing," he replied. "I must be paralyzed." The lady colored. "It’s all right, your grace," she replied, "It’s my leg you’ve been pinching"

Listen to all the fears or phobias people have. These are real fears by the way:

• 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.

• Dextrophobia: fear of objects on the right side of the body.

• Auroraphobia: fear of the northern lights.

• Calyprophobia: fear of obscure meanings.

• Thalassophobia: fear of being seated.

• Stabisbasiphobia: fear of standing and walking.

• Odontophobia: fear of teeth.

• Graphophobia: fear of writing in public.

• Phobophobia: fear of being afraid.

From Nothing to Fear, by Fraser Kent, Doubleday & Company, 1977.

Outline:

1. The Product of a Fearless Heart – 27:1-6

2. The Plea of a Fearless Heart – 27:7-12

3. The Patience of a Fearless Heart – 27:13-14

1. We need to tell the difference between legitimate fear and illegitimate fear

A. Illegitimate fear

i. This can be described as things that cause fright or terror.

ii. Affects you physically and impairs judgment

iii. Man and what they will do - Psalms 56:11 - In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me. (Is. 51:12)

iv. Following God – we are to fear God, not following Him

v. Phobia’s (heights, planes, closed spaces) we all have those, but with God, those are not legitimate – 2 Timothy 1:7 - For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; . . .

vi. Ministry – Ephesians 6:19-20 - 19And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

vii. Prayer – Hebrews 4:16 – Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace . . .

viii. Witnessing – Romans 1:16 - For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. and Mark 8:38 - Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

B. Legitimate fear

i. The fear of the Lord - Prov. 22:4

ii. We are not even to fear fear itself – Isaiah 8:12-13 - 12Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. 13Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

2. What is the Psalmist’s question to us? (two parts, same substance)

A. Whom shall I fear? – to revere, to stand in awe, dreadful

B. Whom shall I be afraid? – to fear, tremble, to be in dread

C. The Answer – no one

D. Why? God provides

i. Light – illumination so evil cannot triumph in the dark

ii. Salvation – security and stability in the hand of God

iii. Strength – a refuge and fortress for us at all times