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. 

It’s Time

It’s Time

Subject – The Power of Synergy

By Rick Welborne

Deuteronomy 32:30-31 (NIV)
³⁰  How could one man chase a thousand, or two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, unless the LORD had given them up?
³¹  For their rock is not like our Rock, as even our enemies concede. 

Leviticus 26:7-13 (NLT2)
⁷  In fact, you will chase down your enemies and slaughter them with your swords.
⁸  Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand! All your enemies will fall beneath your sword.
⁹  “I will look favorably upon you, making you fertile and multiplying your people. And I will fulfill my covenant with you.
¹⁰  You will have such a surplus of crops that you will need to clear out the old grain to make room for the new harvest!
¹¹  I will live among you, and I will not despise you.
¹²  I will walk among you; I will be your God, and you will be my people.
¹³  I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt so you would no longer be their slaves. I broke the yoke of slavery from your neck so you can walk with your heads held high. 

--Next Sunday is going to be very exciting and I hope everyone of you will plan to be here. Sunday School at 9:00AM and the church service at 10:00AM. It’s time for us to come back together.

--We went to two services to accommodate social distancing during Covid, but thank God, Covid is gone. It’s time for us to worship together again. Everyone say, “It’s Time!”

--If you got into the habit of watching church through live streaming, it’s time to come back and to worship with your brothers and sisters in the Lord.

--How can we use the gifts God has given us for the edification of the Body, if we remain absent from attending church? It’s time for you to come back. We love you!

--Next Sunday is going to be a celebration of being together to worship God and to have wonderful fellowship together. Everyone say, “It’s time.”

--Pastor Neftali, Shelia, and LaVida Church will again be joining us as One Church/ Una Familia. Have you ever noticed the power in the house when we are together? Everyone say, “It’s time.”

--We will also be breaking bread together (Picnic together) here on our grounds immediately following the service. This will be our annual church picnic. Everyone say, “It’s time.”

--Pastor, it is obvious that the theme of these events is “It’s time.” But what are you talking about when you say “The Power of Synergy?” So glad you asked.

1. It’s Time for the Power of Synergy.

Synergy - noun, 1. The working together of two people or things to produce an effect which is greater than the sum of their individual efforts or of working separately.  2. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

--The phenomenon can be seen in nature. When geese fly in a ‘V’ formation: Experts calculate that the flock can go 71 percent farther than if each bird flew alone.

--If two horses can pull about 9,000 pounds, the ‘math’ says that four horses could pull 18,000 pounds. But, the four horses (using a ‘synergetic teamwork) can pull over 30,000 pounds.   

--We also see it throughout Bible scripture as it relates to our interactions with fellow human beings and our relationship with God. Stay with me.

Deuteronomy 32:30-31 (NIV)
³⁰  How could one man chase a thousand, or two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, unless the LORD had given them up?
³¹  For their rock is not like our Rock, as even our enemies concede. 

--I love God’s crazy math and the power of synergy when we understand it from God’s perspective. Remember the definition of synergy.

Synergy - noun, 1. The working together of two people or things to produce an effect which is greater than the sum of their individual efforts or of working separately.  

--The world’s rock (little r) is not like our Rock (Capitol R) and He is the One Who makes the math so crazy in our behalf.

--In our mind, if one can put a thousand to flight, then, two could put two thousand to flight. Right? But when the Rock gets involved and there is unity, the two put 10,000 to flight. Watch:

Leviticus 26:8 (NLT2)
⁸  Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand! All your enemies will fall beneath your sword. 

--Let’s be rational…if five can put 100 to flight…how many fives are there in a hundred? 20. 20 times 100 would be 2000. Not with God’s math. 100 puts 10,000 to flight.

--God’s math and our synergy (being in unity) produces wonderful results for God’s Kingdom. It really gets exciting when you start applying God’s math to our unity (synergy).

--let me dream if I may. We bring LaVida Church and Life Church together; our math says we can have 4-5 hundred people. God’s math says that could be 4-5 thousand. Say what?

--We bring LaVida Church and Life Church together for missions, our math says we can have between 3-4 hundred thousand dollars. God math says it could be a million dollars or more.

--It’s time. It’s time. It’s time. When we mix unity (synergy) with the Rock of our salvation, the numbers begin to blow our minds because of what God does. 

--Think about it in terms of Pentecost. On the day of Pentecost there were 120 in an upper room praying as they waited for the Promise of the Father…Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:1 (NKJV) ¹ When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 

--One accord (synergy and unity) spiritually, emotionally, and physically together. They were one. Let’s say each person led one person to Christ that day. There number grows to 240. Amazing.

--Our text said our Rock is not like their rock and He gets involved. Why? Because they were in unity and because they were, God said it’s time. Time to pour out Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:41 (NKJV)
⁴¹  Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.

2. It’s Time for a Triple Braided Cord

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (NLT2)
⁹  Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.
¹⁰  If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.
¹¹  Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone?
¹²  A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

--Lone Rangers (according to God’s Word) are in real trouble in the Kingdom of God. Someone who falls alone is in real trouble. 

Proverbs 18:1 (NKJV) ¹ A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; He rages against all wise judgment. 

--In other words, every Lone Ranger needs a Tonto in his life. I try very hard to be a strong leader but the absolute truth is, I need people who stand with me and have my back.

--Whether you believe it or not, we all have blind spots, and we need people who have the strength and courage to point those out and to help fill those gaps. 

--A husband can raise his kids and a wife can raise her kids but the truth is, they need each other and they need to be in unity to raise the kids in the fear and admonition of the Lord.

--The truth is, we need each other, and sadly we do not even know how much we do.

Ephesians 5:21 (NLT2) ²¹ And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 

--Solomon was saying loud and clear how much we need each other but he didn’t stop there…Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

--It’s time to see three are better than two…husbands and wives are strong together but they need more. They need Holy Spirit because the three of them gives them the power and strength to be a family.

--Pastor Neftali is a great pastor and he and I are strong together but we are not strong enough. We need Holy Spirit to come and give us power to lead and to multiply God’s church.

--LaVida Church is a great church and Life Church is a great church and when we come together there is love and unity. But we need more. We need Holy Spirit.

--Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. When we come together with synergy, unity, and love, Holy Spirit finds an atmosphere where He is welcomed. 

--I love the Book of Acts and I love how Holy Spirit was poured out as the 120 were in one mind and one accord (unity and synergy). God began to add to the church daily. Beautiful. 

--As the church continued to walk in unity and synergy, and as they welcomed Holy Spirit in everything they did, something amazing happened. Chapter 6 says the church began to multiply. 

3. It’s Time

--Next week we are coming together and what an exciting time it will be. It’s time to come worshiping, it’s time to come believing, it’s time to be together in one mind and one accord!

Hosea 10:12 (NKJV)
¹²  Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the LORD, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you. 

Conquering Fear – 1

Conquering Fear – 1

Subject – Biblical Reasons Not to be Afraid

By Rick Welborne

Isaiah 41:8-10 (NLT2)
⁸  “But as for you, Israel my servant, Jacob my chosen one, descended from Abraham my friend,
⁹  I have called you back from the ends of the earth, saying, ‘You are my servant.’ For I have chosen you and will not throw you away.
¹⁰  Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. 

–What would you guess would be one of the most common commands in the Scripture? It is not for us to be loving even though that may go to the core of God’s desire for us.

–Those who write about our spiritual lives often point to pride as being the root of our human fallen-ness but God’s most common command does not tell us to avoid pride.

–Walking in integrity and keeping oneself pure sexually is so important to God but these are still not what God commands us the most about.

–The single command in Scripture that occurs more often than any other—God’s most repeated instruction is formulated really in these words…Do not be afraid or fear not.

1. Why God Tells Us to Not Be Afraid.

–When you think about it, fear does not seem like one of the more serious vices in the world...it does not even make it into the seven deadly sins that God names.

–As far as I know, no one has received church discipline for being afraid. So why does God tell human being to stop being afraid more than anything else?

–This hits me as humorous...God does not tell us to “not be afraid” because He is trying to spare us from emotional discomfort...usually what He asks us to do causes greater fear.

–I believe the number one reason God tells us to “not be afraid” is because fear is the reason humans are tempted to avoid doing what God asks them to do...to trust Him.

–All of us have more than likely played this game with our children when they were young...you are in the water trying to get your toddler to jump into the water.

–You can trust daddy...go ahead and jump...I will catch you...you will not fall! There is inner conflict in the child...their brain is saying don’t do this it’s dangerous!

–On the other hand it is daddy who is in the water...he is bigger and stronger and is relatively trustworthy...in most cases...The battle is between fear and trust.

–The child can’t stand there forever...the moment of decision...trust says “jump” and fear says “no”. Either he will jump or he will walk away.

–The choice he has will have great consequences...if he chooses to jump now he will trust his father more and will be more likely to do it again...Do it again...100 times.

–On the other hand...deciding not to jump also has consequences...he loses the opportunity to discover his dad can be trusted and also will live a more cautious life.

–Everyone should have a healthy fear of water...of stepping out into the deep but we must work on our trust. We never want the no of fear to be greater than the yes of faith...God can be trusted.

2. God Can Be Trusted Even When We Are afraid.

Isaiah 43:1‑6 (NKJV) 

1 But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. 

2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. 

3 For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. 

4 Since you were precious in My sight, You have been honored, And I have loved you; Therefore I will give men for you, And people for your life. 

5 Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east, And gather you from the west; 

6 I will say to the north, 'Give them up!' And to the south, 'Do not keep them back!' Bring My sons from afar, And My daughters from the ends of the earth‑‑ 

–Father God can be trusted as long as we acknowledge Him...

Proverbs 3:5‑6 (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. 

–The key word here is trust...trust is the opposite of fear. Remember when Peter asked Jesus could he could come to Him on the water...Come.

–Trust said to Peter “Jump!” Fear said no...Peter jumped!  Peter got out of the boat and for a while everything went smoothly...then fear struck a second time. Peter saw the wind and he became frightened. 

–He lost his sense of confidence (trust) that Jesus was the Master of the situation. He did not just sink in the water...He sank in his own anxiety and fear.

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.

–Everyone of us will face those moments when we must choose between trust and fear. Trust and fear have been battling for supremacy in your heart for a long time...eventually one or the other will win.  

3. Fear and The Cost of Living in Fear.

Ortberg - At is simplest and most benign, fear is an internal warning cry that danger is nearby and we had better do something about it. It is designed to be what researchers call a “self-correcting mechanism”–to be unpleasant enough to motivate us to take action and remove ourselves from whatever is threatening us. It readies our bodies to flee, hide, or fight.

–When we are not willing to face our fears...it will definitely cost us...What?

A. Fear Will Cost Us Our Self-esteem.

–Avoiding our fears kills a sense of confidence and esteem. Not even praise from others will encourage when we are stuck in fear. 

–We go into “impression management” pretending to be what others accept...allusion. In our hearts we think...If you knew the real me and my fears you would not compliment me. 

–When you take on a fear or challenge, it builds the core of who you are ...Witnessing. 

–Every time you wimp out to a perceived fear you die a little on the inside. If this continues you will learn to live in fear and avoidance. You will feel bad about yourself.

B. Fear Will Cost Us a Loss of Destiny.

–If you live in fear, you will never experience the potential and destiny God has planned for you. The truth is that growth always requires risk. Fear always makes us ask the “what ifs?”  

–Some are afraid of success...higher expectations and more pressure from others. We don’t move until we get a guarantee we will succeed...we stay stagnate.

–If this pattern continues you find yourself at the end of your life looking back wishing you had not been so careful. Fear will cost you your destiny...and that is too high of a price to pay. 

C. Fear Will Cost Us a Lack of Joy.

–Fear destroys joy...if you choose to live in fear you will join the multitudes who live in constant paralyzing anxiety...look to pills for help. So sad how many are addicted because of anxiety.

–Have you ever noticed that the people who live next to the edge in their businesses, in their sports, in their lives are the people who are having the time of their lives. They seem slightly crazy!

–You see, trusting in the face of fear and challenge produces joy! On the other hand, those who give in to fear see that it is a joy killer. Imaginations running wild...worry!

Psalm 16:11 (NKJV) 11You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. 

D. Fear Will Cost Us a Sense of Real Intimacy.

–Fear has a way of making us hide from those in whom we should be close...Adam and Eve...Where are you?  I heard You in the garden and I hid myself because I was naked.

–We have been hiding ever since...behind fake smiles...behind agreeable words we don’t believe, behind things we feel but are too afraid to say.

–We hide behind what people might think of us, we hide by not saying what we feel at church, the lack of conflict does not equal peace.

–A husband and wife may choose to not argue...to play the quiet game...but what is lost is the intimacy that God has for them.

E. Fear Will Cost Us Our Availability to God.

–Fear whispers to us that God is really not big enough to take care of our problems, that we are not safe in His hands, and it causes us to distort the way we think about Him.

–God has promised that if we go thru the water or the fire that He is with us but fear tries to convince us that it is not so. Fear and Satan are big liars. 

Isaiah 43:1‑2 (NKJV) 

1 But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. 

2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.