Do Not be Afraid – 5

Do Not be Afraid – 5

Subject – The Fear of the Lord

by Rick Welborne

Deuteronomy 6:1‑15 (NKJV) 

1 "Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the LORD your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess, 

2 that you may fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. 

3 Therefore hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it, that it may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as the LORD God of your fathers has promised you‑‑'a land flowing with milk and honey.' 

4 "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! 

5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 

6 "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 

7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 

8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 

9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. 

10 "So it shall be, when the LORD your God brings you into the land of which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you large and beautiful cities which you did not build, 

11 houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, hewn‑out wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant‑‑when you have eaten and are full‑‑ 

12 then beware, lest you forget the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. 

13 You shall fear the LORD your God and serve Him, and shall take oaths in His name. 

14 You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are all around you 

15 (for the LORD your God is a jealous God among you), lest the anger of the LORD your God be aroused against you and destroy you from the face of the earth. 

1. You are to “Fear the Lord Your God” and to keep all His commandments.

Dake’s Definition of the Fear of The Lord: This kind of fear is not the dread of a vengeful Being standing over man to punish for the least infraction of His law; it is more to do with respect and reverence of God as Father and Provider. Men must learn to respect God as the Lawgiver and Judge, keeping in mind the justice of God as well as His mercy and longsuffering. No man can walk with Him conscientiously or safely who has lost the fear of God.

–We exemplify our fear of Him by our obedience to His Word...His commandments.

–One of the benefits of fearing God is prolonged lives...that is directly related to God’s blessings and our choices because we love Him...we will choose what is best for us.

–Fear the Lord your God is manifested by your love for Him (all your heart) and by your willingness to teach his laws to your children at home and church.

–He says to be faithful even when you inherit cites you did not build and blessings you did not work for...a word for us...be faithful because others paved the way.

–To fear Him is to understand that He is a jealous God...you can’t be His bride and run around with the world ...He will not tolerate it.

2. You are to “Fear The Lord Your God” in such a way that you have influence on those around you.

Deuteronomy 10:11‑13 (NKJV) 

11 Then the LORD said to me, 'Arise, begin your journey before the people, that they may go in and possess the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.' 

12 "And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 

13 and to keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes which I command you today for your good? 

–Possessing only happens as we follow the Lord...Israel was to go in and possess the land.

–What is it you want to possess? Your children being saved, family members right with God, reconciliation with family, a new job...etc. Then Fear the Lord your God!

–Respect and honor God in all you do...how do we do that...walk in all His ways. How do we do that...Know His Word and walk in the Spirit.

–When Saul was converted to Paul and began to preach and the rest of the church accepted him:

Acts 9:31 (NKJV) 

31 Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied. 

–When they walked in the fear of the Lord and in the Spirit...they were multiplied...souls were being saved ...they were possessing the land.

Galatians 5:16, 22-25 (NKJV) 

16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 

23 gentleness, self‑control. Against such there is no law. 

24 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 

25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 

–If you want to have influence and possess the lost around you...fear the Lord and walk in Holy Spirit.

3. You are to “Fear the Lord Your God” in such a way that you never let Him go.

Deuteronomy 10:20‑22 (NKJV) 

20 You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve Him, and to Him you shall hold fast, and take oaths in His name. 

21 He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen. 

22 Your fathers went down to Egypt with seventy persons, and now the LORD your God has made you as the stars of heaven in multitude. 

–How hard is it to see someone who fears the Lord? Find someone who is serving Him with all their hearts and who is holding on to Him no matter what is going on.

–Someone who only makes oaths to Him: a solemn promise, often invoking a divine witness, regarding one's future action or behavior. To fear the Lord your God is someone who is willing to hold fast in these last days.

Hebrews 10:21‑25 (NKJV) 

21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 

22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 

23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 

24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 

25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. 

4. You are to “Fear the Lord Your God” by bringing your tithe to Him every week.

Deuteronomy 14:22‑23 (NLT) 

22 “You must set aside a tithe of your crops—one‑tenth of all the crops you harvest each year. 

23 Bring this tithe to the designated place of worship—the place the LORD your God chooses for his name to be honored—and eat it there in his presence. This applies to your tithes of grain, new wine, olive oil, and the firstborn males of your flocks and herds. Doing this will teach you always to fear the LORD your God. 

–At the Experience Conference we went to in Lakeland...a pastor teaching in one of the breakout sessions said...the very first thing that should be taught to someone just saved was tithing.

–Most of us probably thought praying or reading your Bible...why tithing?

–He said right from the get go this new believer needs to understand Lordship and obedience...who he is (a servant) and what he has belongs to God.

–If we cannot get this...it will be hard to be a disciple...this sets forth discipline in our lives and shows that we fear the Lord our God because we honor Him first.

–Putting God first in our finances is a ‘biggy’ because if we can trust Him with our money we can trust Him with everything else...shows we really fear (respect) Him.

–Just came to my heart...I guess many fear the bank, the electric company, the cable company, the insurance company more than God...we fear them first.

5. You are to “Fear the Lord Your God” and realize that it is something that can be learned.

Deuteronomy 31:10‑13 (NKJV) 

10 And Moses commanded them, saying: "At the end of every seven years, at the appointed time in the year of release, at the Feast of Tabernacles, 

11 when all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God in the place which He chooses, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. 

12 Gather the people together, men and women and little ones, and the stranger who is within your gates, that they may hear and that they may learn to fear the LORD your God and carefully observe all the words of this law, 

13 and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God as long as you live in the land which you cross the Jordan to possess." 

–Gather the people to hear...hear what? The Law or the Word of God. Hearing God’s Word taught, preached, or even read will help us learn to fear the Lord our God. I wonder if we know His Word is enough?

Psalm 119:9‑16 (NIV) 

9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. 

10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. 

11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. 

12 Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your decrees. 

13 With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. 

14 I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. 

15 I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. 

16 I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word. 

–It is imperative that our children hear and learn God’s Word...not just from Pastor Mark or Sunday School teachers but also from parents who share His Word with their children.

–Children grow up with a healthy reverence and respect for God and His Word because mom and dad have read it and modeled it in front of them. They can learn to fear God.

6. You are to “Fear the Lord Your God” and to set up memorials for your children so they can learn to fear Him also. 

Joshua 4:20‑24 (NKJV) 

20 And those twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal. 

21 Then he spoke to the children of Israel, saying: "When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, 'What are these stones?' 

22 then you shall let your children know, saying, 'Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry land'; 

23 for the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over, 

24 that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever." 

–I hope you are setting up memorials for your children so that they will fear the Lord...it may be reminding them how God touched them in children’s church, youth, or on a mission’s trip.

–It may be telling them stories of God’s visitation and miracles in your life...how He came thru just in time.

–It may be reminding them how the doctor had given them such a bad report but the Healer (Jesus) showed up and showed off and healed their body.

–It may be reminding them that “code blue” was called on them in the hospital but God spared them for a reason...for a purpose...a destiny.

–It may be when they received salvation or were baptized in Holy Spirit...keep reminding them...keeping building memorials...keep teaching them to fear the Lord.

Ecclesiastes 3:11‑14 (NKJV) 

11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. 

12 I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, 

13 and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor‑‑it is the gift of God. 

14 I know that whatever God does, It shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, And nothing taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him. 

Do Not be Afraid – 4

Do Not be Afraid – 4

Subject – The Fear of the Lord

by Rick Welborne 

Isaiah 33:5‑6 (NIV) 

5 The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness. 

6 He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure. 

–How powerful is this?  Holy fear is the key to God’s sure foundation, unlocking the treasures of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. We spoke about this right before Covid 19.

–Place the fear of God alongside the love of God and the two compose the very foundation of life and godly living.

–As we continue this series we will see that we cannot truly love God until we fear Him; nor can we properly fear Him until we love Him.

1. Jesus needed to live by the fear of the Lord and we should too.

Isaiah 11:1‑5 (NLT) 

1 Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot— yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. 

2 And the Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. 

3 He will delight in obeying the LORD. He will not judge by appearance nor make a decision based on hearsay. 

4 He will give justice to the poor and make fair decisions for the exploited. The earth will shake at the force of his word, and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked. 

5 He will wear righteousness like a belt and truth like an undergarment. 

–Obviously this is an Old Testament prophecy about Jesus and it has much to say to us about what is needed in our lives. First, it says that Jesus was connected to God...shouldn’t we be connected to the vine?

John 15:5‑7 (NLT) 

5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 

6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. 

7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 

–Second, the Spirit will rest on Him...Holy Spirit...the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. 

–If Jesus needed Holy Spirit...how much more will you and I need Him...maybe...just maybe one of the reasons we have lost our fear of the Lord is because we are not filled with Holy Spirit.

–Out of this Spirit resting on Him flowed obedience, justice, fair decisions, and the Word was strong in His mouth...what about us? Jesus even put on the armor of God...how much more should those of us who fear the Lord? Our earnestness to seek God has to be of a great priority in our lives:

Jeremiah 29:11‑14 (NLT) 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 

12 In those days when you pray, I will listen. 

13 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. 

14 I will be found by you,” says the LORD. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.” 

–Please get in your mind that God wants to do good for you:

Jeremiah 32:37‑41 (NLT) 

37 I will certainly bring my people back again from all the countries where I will scatter them in my fury. I will bring them back to this very city and let them live in peace and safety. 

38 They will be my people, and I will be their God. 

39 And I will give them one heart and one purpose: to worship me forever, for their own good and for the good of all their descendants. 

40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me. 

41 I will find joy doing good for them and will faithfully and wholeheartedly replant them in this land. 

2. We must approach Him with reverence and awe.

Leviticus 10:1‑3 (NLT) 

1 Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu put coals of fire in their incense burners and sprinkled incense over them. In this way, they disobeyed the LORD by burning before him the wrong kind of fire, different than he had commanded. 

2 So fire blazed forth from the LORD’s presence and burned them up, and they died there before the LORD. 

3 Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD meant when he said, ‘I will display my holiness through those who come near me. I will display my glory before all the people.’” And Aaron was silent. 

–How many of you would agree that it is important how we approach God. Sometimes I feel that we have lost our awe of God and our reverence for Him and His house...we have little godly fear of Him. 

–How many of you know that Aaron’s sons learned the hard way that how you come before God can be life or death...there was a reason Aaron was silent...Fear of God.

Isaiah 29:13 (NKJV) 

13 Therefore the LORD said: "Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men, 

John Bevere - He said, “Their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men.” He is saying that the people had reduced the glory of the Lord to the glory of corruptible man. They served God in the image they had created–not by His true image, but by their own standards.

–Ever since I have been a Christian I have often been very troubled by how people treat God so disrespectfully ...no fear or reverence.

–I worked with a young man in Irvin, Texas at a freight company who would often refer to Jesus as J. C.  Yes, I love Him and He loves me just the way I am.

–He would cuss, tell crude jokes, laugh about partying, and was so proud that he never had to go to church ...even would brag about his freedom to mess around. He would say to me...JC understands who I am.

–I told him that he was just kidding himself and please do not tell anyone else that he was a Christian...talk about influence...they draw near with their lips but their heart far from Me.

2 Corinthians 6:14‑18 (NLT) 

14 Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? 

15 What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? 

16 And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 

17 Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the LORD. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. 

18 And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty.” 

–I have heard people refer to Him as The Man Upstairs...Big Daddy in The Sky...I have even heard people say that when they see Him they will run and jump in His lap.

–The prosperity movement has made Him out to be like Santa because He will fill your every wish list...all you have to do is name it and claim it.

–John the Revelator fell before Him as though he was dead...Ezekiel and Daniel fell in His presence...when we see Him we will fall on our faces. 24 elders around the throne fall constantly. 

–If we intend on approaching God with reverence and fear there has to be a difference between us and the world. We have drifted so far from His truth and holiness.

3. We should have the fear of the Lord because no one else compares to Him.

Psalm 89:1‑8 (NKJV) 

1 I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever; With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations. 

2 For I have said, "Mercy shall be built up forever; Your faithfulness You shall establish in the very heavens." 

3 "I have made a covenant with My chosen, I have sworn to My servant David: 

4 'Your seed I will establish forever, And build up your throne to all generations.' " Selah 

5 And the heavens will praise Your wonders, O LORD; Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the saints. 

6 For who in the heavens can be compared to the LORD? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened to the LORD? 

7 God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, And to be held in reverence by all those around Him. 

8 O LORD God of hosts, Who is mighty like You, O LORD? Your faithfulness also surrounds You. 

–When I was lost and so heavily addicted to so many things...no one had the power to set me free...to deliver me from the strongholds of the enemy.

–I remember my doctor telling me...you are going to die within the next few months if you don’t stop what you are doing...the doctor couldn’t help me. My parents were telling me I was out of control and I needed to change. 

–I was in the pigpen of life and it seemed that there was a spiraling vacuum right in the middle of it and there was no stopping the inevitable end to my life.

–The more people would tell me to quit the more I would take or drink...hopeless and lost.

–I am so glad that God put those in my life who had the answer...I mocked them...made fun of them and even scoffed at a Savior being born of a virgin.

–Many times, thru tears, Ronnie Chunn would tell me how much Jesus loved me and that God had a plan for my life...I wanted to believe it but who will deliver me from this body of death?

Romans 7:24-25 (NLT) 

24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 

25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.

–Finally when I was at the end of myself I promised Ronnie I would go to a revival with him...just to get him off my back. That night everything changed!

Psalm 89:6-7 (NKJV) 

6 For who in the heavens can be compared to the LORD? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened to the LORD? 

7 God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, And to be held in reverence by all those around Him. 

–We must honor Him, fear Him, revere Him because there is no one else like Him. Pastor Rick, I am a believer but I am hurting...go to the One that no one else can compare to:

Isaiah 40:25‑31 (NKJV) 

25 "To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?" says the Holy One. 

26 Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing. 

27 Why do you say, O Jacob, And speak, O Israel: "My way is hidden from the LORD, And my just claim is passed over by my God"? 

28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. 

29 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. 

30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, 

31 But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. 

Normal or Supernatural - 4

Normal or Supernatural - 4

Subject – Don’t Circle the Wagons

By Rick Welborne

Mark 16:15-20 (NKJV)
¹⁵  And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
¹⁶  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
¹⁷  And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
¹⁸  they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
¹⁹  So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.
²⁰  And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen. 

--I grew up like many of you watching old cowboy and Indian shows where the adventuresome settlers would be moving westward across the US for a new life, a new frontier.

--Their wagon train, with family and supplies, would be making their way westward when all of a sudden they would be attacked by Indians wanting to kill them and take their supplies.

--Before anyone loses their mind and accuses me of not having compassion on our native Americans, I am just talking about TV shows or movies. We support missionaries to our US native Americans.

--The wagon master or leader (possibly John Wayne) would shout, “Circle the wagons”. The settlers would, as quickly as possible, get the wagons in a circle for protection. Women and children in the middle for safety.

--I loved how the Indians were so good at riding their horses. They would scoot down on the opposite side of the horses for protection, and shoot their arrows at the cowboys. 

--The cowboys hunkered down behind the wagons would attempt to shoot the wild savages as they rode around and around the wagons like shooting at ducks at the fair. 98% of the time the cowboys won. Yippee!

--Okay, Pastor Rick, we know you are heading somewhere with this but we are struggling to see where you are going. With God’s help I want to help us understand we don’t have to circle the wagons. 

--I love last days’ prophecy and I have a deep appreciation for those who have spent years and years of study investigating the Scriptures and present day events and how they tie together.

--Don’t misunderstand me, I believe we are in the last days and I believe Jesus could return at any moment. The key for us is make sure we are ready and to reach out to the lost. 

--What I want to share with you in my introduction is by no means an exhaustive list of events that have happened over the last forty years but I want to mention a few to help make my point.

--When I first came into the Kingdom (1974) Bible prophecy was very strong and there were a large number of Christians at that time who were circling the wagons. 

--The first Christian book I read (given to me by our pastor) other than the Bible was the book, The Day the Dollar Dies (1973) written by Willard Cantelon. Put fear in people’s hearts to buy silver, gold, and property.

--In Bible College in Waxahachie Tx.1976 I was invited to teaching on the Alumina Tee. A bunch of friends invited me to a meeting in Dallas where the guy said sell your TV and get a gun. Stockpile food and ammo.

--He even said that when people came to take your food or supplies that you should take your gun and shoot them. I had only been a Christian a couple of years but I had read my Bible. I raised my hand and read it.

Romans 12:18-21 (NIV)
¹⁸  If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
¹⁹  Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.
²⁰  On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."
²¹  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. 

--He told me I just didn’t have the understanding he did. I told him I was just reading the Bible. We left.

--In 1988-89 (about the time we came to Life Church), Eighty-eight reasons Jesus was Coming. Christians circled the wagons. Sold their homes and other crazy things. Oops Eighty-nine Reasons. Believers listened.

--I hope you are aware that Jesus did not come then or all of us are in a heap of trouble. The church just helped another person get wealthy off their ignorance of the Word.

Matthew 24:35-36 (NKJV)
³⁵  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
³⁶  "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 

--Then 20 years ago…Y2K. What a frenzy from the church as we once again circled the wagons. People were in a panic and believers (who are supposed to have peace) were going nuts.

--Our computers will not work, our cars won’t crank, planes will crash, and our economy will crash and we will have to take the mark of the beast to buy and sell. 

--The pastors who were not caught up in all the fear mongering were trying to calm done believers who should have known better. Pastor, what are we doing to get ready? Are we buying food for the apocalypse?

--If I had done every crazy thing people would have wanted me to do, the church would have lost its mission and purpose and would have been a laughing stock. Stop circling the wagons.

--For sake of time, let me skip a few other crazy things the church has swallowed hook, line, and sinker, let’s get to Covid 19. Once again the church is circling the wagons. Everyone knows what this is all about.

--You know they know because they send you a different video every day on messenger or by email. Some of you wonder why I don’t respond. I have hidden your junk so I don’t see it. We will answer for this:

Matthew 12:35-37 (NKJV)
³⁵  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.
³⁶  But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.
³⁷  For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

--Don’t misunderstand me, this could very well be a part of the end day prophecies, this could be a part of an evil world trying to stop the church, but what I fear most, it is another distraction for the church.

--Let’s face it, Satan has been trying to destroy the church since the beginning. If the enemy of our souls can get us to major on minors and to get us off mission, he will laugh every time a soul is lost. 

--Please listen to someone who has seen a lot of crazy things come and go in our world and in the church, we cannot afford to get off message and spend our time on dung that doesn’t matter.

1. The danger of circling the wagons. 

Circling the Wagons – It is when the Church forgets there is a lost world outside the walls and we turn inward concerning ourselves with self-preservation instead of the Great Commission. It is when no one goes out and no one comes in. We spend our time taking shots at the heathen outside our circle.

--But, Pastor Rick, there are wolves outside our circle and we possibly will die if we leave these walls. True!

Matthew 10:16-20 (NKJV)
¹⁶  "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
¹⁷  But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.
¹⁸  You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.
¹⁹  But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak;
²⁰  for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

--Matthew 28 and Mark 16 Jesus said…Go! But we cannot go because we have to figure out what Bill Gates and all the other people are up to first. We can’t go because we have circled the wagons. Hold the fort!

--We can’t go because now the government is recording every sermon the preachers are preaching on-line and they will use that against us some day. Someone has to listen to find what we are saying. 

Romans 10:14-18 (NIV)
¹⁴  How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
¹⁵  And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"
¹⁶  But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?"
¹⁷  Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
¹⁸  But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did: "Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world." 

--If we circle the wagons and if we turn to self-preservation, how will they hear, who will call on the Name of the Lord, how will anyone be saved? This is why we cannot lose focus.

--We must be a soul winning mission’s church who will not be distracted from our mission no matter what comes. Whether it is Covid 19 or any other persecution. We have a job, Life Church!

2. The Great Commission will take us going from normal to supernatural.

Acts 1:8 (NKJV)
⁸  But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." 

--It will take more than the church’s ability to keep up with Hollywood and the music industry. Just getting the live-streaming right won’t do it. It will take supernatural power.

--Again the disciples were in trouble. They were not in trouble for circling the wagons. They were in trouble because people were being saved and healed supernaturally. The lame man.

--They were being persecuted and told by the authorities to stop preaching in the Name of Jesus. Did they circle the wagons? No, they prayed for more power!

Acts 4:24, 29-31 (NKJV)
²⁴  So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: "Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them,
²⁹  Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word,
³⁰  by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus."
³¹  And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. 

3. We must stop being distracted and keep things in proper perspective. 

Hebrews 12:2 (NIV)
²  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

--For those of you who feel we have had it so bad with Covid 19 imagine you were born in 1900. When you are 14, World War I starts, and ends on your 18th birthday with 22 million people killed. 

--Later in the year, a Spanish Flu epidemic hits the planet and runs until you are 20. Fifty million people die from it in those two years. Yes, 50 million. 

--When you're 29, the Great Depression begins. Unemployment hits 25%, global GDP drops 27%. That runs until you are 33. The country nearly collapses along with the world economy. 

--When you turn 39, World War II starts. When you're 41, the United States is fully pulled into WWII. Between your 39th and 45th birthday, 75 million people perish in the war and the Holocaust kills six million. 

--At 52, the Korean War starts and five million perish. At 64 the Vietnam War begins, and it doesn’t end for many years. Four million people die in that conflict. 

--Approaching your 62nd birthday you have the Cuban Missile Crisis, a tipping point in the Cold War. Life on our planet, as we know it, could well have ended. Great leaders prevented that from happening. 

--As you turn 75, the Vietnam War finally ends. Think of everyone on the planet born in 1900. How do you survive all of that? Yet, during that time the Azusa Street Revival breaks out. Millions saved.  

--At this time there are almost 300 million Pentecostals in the world not counting those who have been saved because of their Holy Spirit witnessing!

--So what’s my point? Covid 19 has been tough but comparatively not that tough. We need to grow up, stop whining, and fulfill the Great Commission thru the power of Holy Spirit. 

--Fix your eyes on Jesus and on the lost!

Do Not Be Afraid – 3

Do Not Be Afraid – 3

Subject – Biblical Reasons Not to be Afraid

By Rick Welborne

--So far we have looked at this: First week:

1. Let’s look at why God tells us to not be afraid.

2. We must know based on God’s Word that He can be trusted even when we are afraid.

3. Fear and the cost of living in fear.

Second week:

1. What to do when fear knocks.

2. Why be afraid. 

3. Does God care when we are fearful. 

–This week (3) I want to talk to you about - Fear or Not to Fear? 

–Before we answer this question...let’s do some foundation work in Psalms 34. 

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.

–Dr. Vicky...when you would say to her “God bless you!”  She would always respond, “I receive that” - We must receive God’s blessings as He sets us free from trouble.

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 lack or 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 not 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.

–Having the Lord and living by the fear of the Lord should be what makes it good. The fruit of the foundational relationship with God should be:

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.  

–To worshipers He says:

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.

Psalm 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. Watch this:

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.