Conquering Fear – 3

Conquering Fear – 3

Subject – Fear or Not to Fear

By Rick Welborne

Psalm 34:1‑5 (NKJV) 

1 I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. 

2 My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. 

3 Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together. 

4 I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. 

5 They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed. 

The foundation work in dealing with fear:

A. I will be a worshiper of God at all times no matter what is going in my life.  1

B. My boasting or lifting up will be in the Lord...not my fear or circumstances.  2

C. My lifting up of the Lord will be open and it will be a testimony to God.  2b

D. I will connect with others who are struggling and we will exalt Him together. 3

E. When I am fearful and hurting I will seek the Lord and find Him. 4

F. I will seek Him, find Him, and not be ashamed in my situation.  5

1. We Should Not Fear Poverty.

Psalm 34:6 (NKJV) 

6 This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles.

–There are all sorts of poverty...spiritual, financial, relational. As a worshiper we must understand that He is concerned about all the areas of our lives.

–Notice the pattern in this verse knowing the foundation that has already been established…This poor man cried out...he prayed: Jesus said pray like this:

Matthew 6:9‑11 (NKJV) 

9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 

10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 

11 Give us this day our daily bread. 

--We must have a confident that every day God is going to take care of us and meet our basic needs. If He feeds the sparrows, how much more valuable are you and me. 

Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) 

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 

2. We Should Not Fear Troubles.

Psalm 34:6‑8 (NKJV) 

6 This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles. 

7 The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them. 

8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! 

–You are facing troubles but you are a worshiper...you are lifting up (magnifying Jesus not the trouble) the Lord...what does the Lord do?

–He sets up camp around you...He surrounds you with His protection and His power. He circles the wagons and puts us on the inside...safe and sound...whole and unafraid.

–It says...He delivers them from what...all of his troubles...His fears...His enemies. The enemy cannot surround us because we are already surrounded by you.

–Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good...in your fear trust Him and know that the taste of God’s deliverance is better than the taste of fear.

3. We Should Not Fear Lack of Substance.

Psalm 34:9‑10 (NKJV) 

9 Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. 

10 The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing. 

–Remember your foundation...you are a worshiper and you worship Him no matter what. He is always more than enough!  Paul:

Philippians 4:11‑13 (NLT) 

11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 

12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 

13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. 

–When we face fear because of lack...we know that He can be trusted. We have so much here in the United States. We are so blessed and we can get by with less if we need to.

Psalm 33:18‑19 (NLT) 

18 But the LORD watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love. 

19 He rescues them from death and keeps them alive in times of famine. 

4. We Should Not Fear About Having a Good Life.

Psalm 34:11‑12 (NKJV) 11 Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. 

12 Who is the man who desires life, And loves many days, that he may see good?

John 10:10 (NKJV) ¹⁰  The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

–We have so bought into having the good life as being the abundance of money and stuff. Abundant life is having a close and wonderful relationship with Father God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit!

–Don’t forget the foundation...the psalmist is a worshiper at all times and because He has God in his life...life is good. If we have Jesus in our hearts...life should be good. The fruit:

Psalm 34:13‑15 (NKJV) 13 Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit. 

14 Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it. 

15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry. 

5. We Should Not Fear Abandonment by God.

Psalm 34:17‑18 (NKJV) 

17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. 

18 The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit. 

–Worshipers cry out to the Lord, He encamps around those who do, He hears their cry for deliverance and help, and He delivers them...He is near.

–This has probably gotten me thru more tough times than anything else...The Lord is near those who have a broken heart. Knowing He is there. Paul says when I am weak…then, I am strong.

–Life has a way of hurting...hearts have a way of breaking...Jesus has a way of healing the broken hearted and setting the captives free.

–Nothing...nothing has helped me more than knowing that Jesus was only a whisper away, even in times when words were not easily forth coming...He understood and was there.  

Hebrews 13:5‑6 (NIV) 

5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." 

6 So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" 

6. We Should Not Fear Afflictions.

Ps. 34:19‑20 (NKJV) 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all. 

20 He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken. 

–Afflictions can be troubles but keeping it in this context He is talking about their health. Guards their bones. 

Proverbs 3:5-8 (NKJV)
⁵  Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
⁶  In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
⁷  Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil.
⁸  It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones. 

–It is so beautiful to me that it says the Lord delivers them out of them all.  “All”.

Psalm 103:1‑5 (NKJV) 

1 Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! 

2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: 

3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, 

4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, 

5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. 

–All means all...all of His benefits...forgives all your iniquities, and Who heals all your diseases.

–Renewed youth like an eagle...ever heard of molting?  We may have to go thru shedding of some junk but worshipers keep worshiping! God has a way of ruffling some feathers.

7. We Should Hope and Fear in the Lord.

Psalm 33:16‑22 (NKJV) 

16 No king is saved by the multitude of an army; A mighty man is not delivered by great strength. 

17 A horse is a vain hope for safety; Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength. 

18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy, 

19 To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine. 

20 Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. 

21 For our heart shall rejoice in Him, Because we have trusted in His holy name. 

22 Let Your mercy, O LORD, be upon us, Just as we hope in You. 

--Our soul waits for the Lord. This is key. Spending time with Him and waiting on Him. So much of what we face could be fixed if we just spent time waiting on Jesus and being filled with Holy Spirit.

Conquering Fear – 2

Conquering Fear – 2

Subject – Biblical Reasons Not to be Afraid

By Rick Welborne

Isaiah 43:1-5 (NLT2)
¹  But now, O Jacob, listen to the LORD who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.
²  When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.
³  For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom; I gave Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
⁴  Others were given in exchange for you. I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you.
⁵  “Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will gather you and your children from east and west. 

Last week we looked at this:

Ortberg - I believe the reason God says “fear not” so often is that fear will sink us faster than anything else.  Fear disrupts faith and becomes the biggest obstacle to trusting and obeying God.

1. What to Do When Fear Knocks.

–So many things make us afraid or cause us anxiety.

–Maybe they are talking about layoffs at work, slowdowns in the economy, flare-ups in the Middle East with terrorism, downturns in the housing market, upswing in global warming.

–Maybe fear of a dictator in Iran getting nuclear weapons or fear of a Pandemic has shaken you to your foundation. The war in Israel.

–We fear being sued, finishing last, going broke, we fear the mole on our back, the new kid in the neighborhood, we fear being alone...we fear death.

–We have a sophisticated financial plan, get elaborate security systems, and we can even wear a button around our necks to cry for help yet we depend more on drugs than any other generation in history.

Max Lucado: Fear, it seems, has taken a hundred-year lease on the building next door and set up shop.  Oversize and rude, fear is unwilling to share the heart with happiness. Happiness complies.  Do you ever see the two together? Can one be happy and afraid at the same time? Clear thinking and afraid? No. Fear is the big bully in the high school hallway: brash, loud, and unproductive.

–For all the noise that fear makes and all the room it takes, fear does little good.

Lucado: Fear never wrote a symphony or poem, negotiated a peace treaty, or cured a disease. Fear never pulled a family out of poverty or a country out of bigotry. Fear never saved a marriage or a business. Courage did that.  Faith did that. People who refused to consult or cower to their timidity did that. But fear itself? Fear herds us into prison and slams the door. 

–Wouldn’t it be great to be able to walk out of the prison that fear makes? Wouldn’t it be great that when fear knocks we refuse to answer the door?

–Imagine your life wholly untouched by fear and anxiety. What if faith, not fear, was your default reactions to threats? Imagine a day absent of the dread of failure, rejection, calamity, and insecurity. 

2. Why Be Afraid. 

Matthew 8:23‑27 (NKJV) 23 Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. 

24 And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. 

25 Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!" 

26 But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 

27 So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?" 

–Jesus asked...Why are you fearful...why are you so afraid? Is He serious...He must be kidding. Teasing obviously. Like one swimmer asking the other one - why are you wet?

–Jesus is not kidding...He is sincere...why are you so afraid? He has forgotten a small detail...And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. 

–Matthew remembers well following Jesus onto the boat and then a great storm hitting so quickly and massive waves coming over the boat.

–The word Matthew uses bypasses your typical words for a storm...a shower, squall, cloudburst, or downpour ...none of these fit this storm.

–The word he used was Seismos - a quake, a trembling eruption of sea and sky. A great Seismos arose on the sea and they were in the middle of it.

–We still use the term today...seismologist study earthquakes, seismograph measures them and Matthew and the crew felt shaken to the core by a wet and wild earthquake.

–Only two other occasions was this word used...Once at Jesus death when Calvary shook and again at Jesus resurrection when the graveyard trembled.

–This occasion was comparatively part of a trilogy of Jesus earth shaking events where he defeats sin on the cross, death at the tomb, and here He silences the sea. Amazing.

–The storm comes suddenly, no preparation time...sudden fear catching you off guard. When you get a board with Jesus that you can get wet and afraid. We can expect rough seas and strong resistant winds.

John 16:33 (NKJV) 33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." 

–Believers in Christ are not set apart by a lack of storms...they are set apart by Whom they find in the storm with them. He was sleeping. His sleeping was premeditated...He knew the storm was coming. 

3. Does God Care When We Are Fearful. 

Mark 4:38 (NKJV) 

38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" 

–Interesting...they do not ask Jesus about His strength...Can you still the storm? Or His knowledge - Are you aware of the storm? Or His know how - Do you have any experience with storms?

–They raise doubt about Jesus’ character...Do you not care? Fear does this!

–Fear corrodes our confidence in God’s goodness...if God can keep His eyes shut when mine are wide open and He can sleep when I think I am going under...Does He really care? Fear unleashes doubts.

–Fear, at its center, is a perceived loss of control. In the storm we start grabbing for something to hang on to. The more insecure we feel, the meaner we become. We do not like being out of control.

–When Pastor Martin Niemoller was asked about meeting Adolf Hilter and what he had learned, he responded:

Niemoller:  I discovered Herr Hitler is a terribly frightened man.

–Fear releases the tyrant within...frightened and insecure people become mean. The disciples had every reason to believe and know that Jesus cared and was good.

Lucado - Fear creates a form of spiritual amnesia. It dulls our miracle memory. It makes us forget what Jesus has done and how good God is. 

–When fear shapes our lives, safety becomes our god. We take no risk.

–The fear filled person cannot love deeply. Love is risky. They cannot give to the poor because they fear benevolence has no guarantee of return. The fear filled person cannot dream big dreams.

–Out of 125 Christ issued imperatives...21 of them tell us not to be afraid...it is His number one statement...2nd was love God and neighbors.

Matthew 10:31 (NKJV) 31Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. 

Matthew 6:25 (NKJV) 

25 "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 

Matthew 14:27 (NKJV)                                                                                                                                        27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid." 

Matthew 10:28 (NKJV) 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 

John 14:1‑3 (NKJV) 1 "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 

2 In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 

John 14:27 (NKJV) 

27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 

2 Tim. 1:6‑7 (NKJV) 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.