Preached by Gregory W. Lee
1 October 2006
I. Introduction FEAR
-- turn in Bibles to 1 Samuel 17
-- can you remember a time in your life when you were really scared? -- when fear gripped your life and your heart was in your throat?
-- when I was growing up, my daddy was a volunteer fireman in Adel -- and every year, the fire department would have a swim party for all the members of the fire department and their families -- it was at one of these parties that I experienced a very scary situation
-- I don't remember how old I was, but I was probably around 7 or 8 years old -- I knew how to swim and how to dive and had spent the whole evening having a good time in the pool with my friends -- now the pool at Adel had two diving boards -- a regular diving board and a high dive -- me and my friends used the regular diving board while the older kids were using the high dive -- I watched them for a while, but I was scared to death of the high dive -- I couldn't imagine what it would be like to get up there and jump off
-- later that evening, my father encouraged me to go up on the high dive and to jump off -- I remember climbing that ladder and how high it seemed -- I walked out to the end of the board and looked out -- it was just as high as I imagined it -- I was absolutely scared to death -- I looked back and thought about chickening out and climbing back down, but the ladder was filled with other kids -- and I really didn't want to chicken out in front of them
-- I stood there for a long time, just looking down -- I had a choice to make -- I could let my fear overwhelm me and climb down -- or I could jump, even though I was scared -- while I was trying to make up my mind, I heard a voice -- I looked down, and my father was in pool with his arms open, encouraging me to jump in -- "I'll catch you -- just jump"
-- Daddy had always been someone I could trust -- he was always there for me -- he had never let me down -- he had never disappointed me once -- now he was asking me to do something I was scared to do -- jump from the high dive and into his arms in the pool below
-- what should I do? -- what choice should I make? -- should I play it safe and not jump? -- or should I conquer my fear, trust my daddy, and jump?
-- I knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that I could trust my daddy -- so I closed my eyes, held my nose, and jumped
-- now I'm sure my situation in this story is similar to something that you have faced in your life before -- every single one of us in here has faced times in our lives when we've been scared of the future -- scared of making the wrong choice -- scared of doing something that could possibly hurt us
-- and everyone of us had to make a decision -- whether to let fear control us and our actions or whether to go forward and conquer the fear that threatened to take over
-- make no mistake about it -- the world is a scary place -- there are lots of things in our daily lives that can cause fear -- and I'm not just talking about the fear of the big things like terrorism or war or crime -- there are also the mundane things of life that can cause us fear and concern
-- things like problems at work -- or financial worries -- or keeping our families together -- fear of losing our jobs -- fear of tests -- fear of speaking in public -- as the recent e-coli scare with the spinach proved, we even have to fear our food from time to time -- yes, this world is filled with things to fear -- things which cause us alarm -- things which cause worry and stress in our lives
-- but you know what? -- God knew that -- and He prepared us for this scary world in His word -- do you command of God is repeated the most in the Bible? -- it is not one of the ten commandments -- it is not love one another -- it is not love your neighbor as yourself -- it is, "fear not" -- time and time again -- 366 times to be exact -- God tells us in His word, "Fear not -- do not be afraid"
-- when God came to Abram to establish a covenant with him, His first words were "Do not be afraid"
-- when the Israelites faced enemies enroute to the Promised Land, God told Moses, "Do not be afraid, for I am with you"
-- when Joseph found out Mary was pregnant and thought of divorcing her, God told him, "Do not be afraid of taking Mary to be your wife"
-- and when the women first encountered Jesus after His resurrection, the first words He said to them were, "Do not be afraid"
-- Jesus had earlier taught His disciples in Luke Chapter 12 to not fear the world -- He told them in verses 4-6, "Don't be afraid of those who can kill the body but do no more -- not a single sparrow is forgotten by God -- so don't be afraid -- you are worth more than many sparrows"
-- God knew that this was a scary world -- He knew that there were times when our mortal frames would quake in fear and when our hearts would be in our throats -- He knew that there were going to be times that we would be terrified with life and with the future -- and, for that reason, He tells us time and time again in His word, "Do not be afraid"
-- fear is part of life -- but so is conquering fear
II. Scripture Lesson
-- if you would, look with me now in 1 Samuel 17 and let's revisit the story of David and Goliath
-- just to give you the context of this passage -- at this time in the history of the nation of Israel, Saul is king and the nation is at war with the Philistines -- they had been battling each other in minor skirmishes for some time, and now they had drawn up their armies against each other in battle -- the Israelite army was encamped on one hill and the Philistine army on another hill and they would meet daily in the valley for battle
-- every day, Goliath from Gath, a giant about nine feet tall, would come out of the Philistine camp and threaten the Israelite army -- he offered to meet their champion on the field of battle and to let the battle be decided between them -- whatever city had the victorious champion would be declared the victor, and the other nation would submit to them
-- look down at verse 8
8. Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, "Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me.
9. If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us."
10. Then the Philistine said, "This day I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other."
11. On hearing the Philistine's words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.
-- Goliath sparked fear in the Israelites -- he filled their hearts with terror and none would stand against him -- but can you blame them? -- Goliath was a giant -- who could possibly go against a giant and win? -- who wouldn't be terrified to face such a man?
-- we all have Goliaths in our lives -- giant problems that we don't know how to handle -- issues of the future that we are concerned about -- things that we daily come against and that lead us to say, "who could possibly go against these and win? -- what can I be expected to do in this overwhelming situation?"
-- right now at work we are facing a similar situation -- they have announced that there is a very good likelihood that my office may be reorganized next year -- there is a very good chance that some of us might lose our jobs -- and there's nothing that we can do about it -- and you can imagine the fear that a lot of us have at the moment
-- maybe you are facing something similar -- maybe you have some situation in your life that is looming over you like a giant on the battlefield and you just don't know what to do -- that is exactly the situation that the Israelites were faced with when Goliath would go forth every morning and issue his challenge to the army
-- the question, then, is how to respond to this scary situation -- what do you do when the giants of life rise up against you? -- how do you respond?
-- the nation of Israel responded to Goliath with fear -- verse 11 says that they were dismayed and terrified -- the KJV says they were "greatly afraid" -- and so, they did nothing -- they hid in their tents and behind their shields and they allowed their fear to overwhelm them
-- that is what happens when we look at the giants of life through the eyes of men -- we see no possible help in our situation -- we see no way out -- we see no answer but death and destruction and disaster -- and that causes us to become paralyzed in our fear
-- but not everyone in Israel thought that way -- skip over to verse 32
32. David said to Saul, "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him."
33. Saul replied, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth."
34. But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock,
35. I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it.
36. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God.
37. The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." Saul said to David, "Go, and the LORD be with you."
-- David was no stranger to fear -- he was a shepherd, herding his father's sheep in the wilderness of Israel -- spending days and weeks in the wilderness -- protecting the sheep from the dangers of predators like bears and lions -- David says that there were times when these ferocious animals had grabbed a sheep from the flock and it was his job to save his sheep
-- was it a scary situation? -- you bet -- was it a situation where David could be hurt or killed? -- yes, these were extremely dangerous times -- David couldn't have been faulted for being afraid -- but, instead of letting his fear overwhelm him and keep him paralyzed, he trusted in God's help and attacked the bear and the lion to save his sheep from harm
-- and now, having trusted God in the past and knowing that God would not let him down if he trusted Him again, David has gone to Saul and said that he would take on the giant -- this little shepherd boy would stand up against Goliath -- not in his own strength, but in the strength of the Lord -- not fighting from fear, but fighting through fear to give God the glory and the honor
-- Saul recognized his courage -- Saul recognized his faith and trust in the God of Israel -- perhaps Saul recognized his own failure to trust in God -- and Saul bid him to go and face the giant
-- now, we all know the story -- Saul gave David his armor, but it didn't fit him -- it wasn't what he was used to -- so David took it off and trusted in God and in his sling -- he stooped down and picked up five stones from the riverbank and stood to face the giant
-- by the way, do you know why David picked up five stones? -- if he really trusted God, why did he pick up more than one? -- it was because David realized that the situation was even potentially more scary than the rest of the army thought -- Goliath had four brothers -- and David was preparing himself to take on all five of the giants if he had to -- not only was he trusting God to handle Goliath, but he was trusting God to handle all the giants in his path
-- what gave David such faith? -- what gave David such trust? -- look down at verse 44
45. David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
46. This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.
-- David trusted in God -- David knew that by himself, there was no way he could win -- by himself, there was no way he could kill a trained fighting man, let alone a giant warrior -- but David didn't go in his own power -- he didn't trust in his own ways -- he trusted in God
-- and God didn't disappoint -- David twirled his sling -- the rock flew out and struck Goliath in the ground, killing him on the spot -- and then, I guess to make sure that Goliath was dead, David ran over, drew Goliath's sword, and cut his head off
-- Jesus said that with God, all things are possible -- even allowing a shepherd boy to slay a giant warrior in the name of God with nothing more than a sling and five smooth stones
III. Closing
-- when God tells us in His word, "Do not be afraid," He is not telling us that we will never face fearsome things -- when He tells us, "Do not be afraid," He is not telling us that we will be able to conquer giants on our own -- that is not the message of the Bible
-- no, what God is saying when He says, "Do not be afraid" is, "Trust me -- have faith in me -- allow me to take care of this problem for you"
-- no matter what the situation is that you are facing -- no matter how hopeless it might seem, God is saying, "You don't have to face it on your own -- don't fear -- I will take care of it for you"
-- how do you conquer fear? -- you conquer fear through faith -- through trusting God -- through trusting that God can and will work on your behalf -- John tells us in 1 John 4:18, "perfect love drives out fear" -- God is love -- and His perfect love drives out our fear -- we know that we don't have to fear the future, because God will take care of it for us -- He has promised to never leave us or forsake us -- and no matter how big the obstacle may seem -- no matter how scary the future may look -- God says, "Do not be afraid -- trust in me"
-- in his book "Riding the Heavens," Max Meyers tells the story of the time he had to fly four Papua New Guinea natives from their village to a hospital in a larger town -- the men were extremely sick and desperately needed help -- and even though they had never flown before, they agreed to go with him on the 20 minute flight to the regional hospital
-- Max writes that the weather turned bad, and right after takeoff, rain began to fall and the clouds grew ominous -- he was worried that if he tried to rise above the clouds he might not be able to find a way down again -- so he threaded his way through the clouds down the narrow valleys in that mountainous region
-- suddenly, he heard a low drawn-out moan coming from the backseat -- he glanced back, and looked at the terror-filled eyes of the three men in the backseat -- they were locked in a speechless embrace of abject fear -- he glanced at his fourth passenger who was sitting in the front seat by him -- in contrast to the three in the backseat, this man was staring ahead, contemplative and detached -- he even looked casual
-- Max asked him, "aren't you afraid?" -- the man responded, "only my skin is afraid" -- "what about the rest of you?" he asked
-- pointing out the window, the native answered, "I see the mountains -- they are so close -- I see the trees and the rocks as they rush by -- I see the rain and I hear it beating on the glass -- I see the clouds all around us -- I didn't know that this big bird of yours shook like this -- there is much to be afraid of here -- but, my fear is only as deep as my skin."
-- "What about under your skin," Max asked.
-- "I'm not afraid under my skin -- I know the One who made the mountains -- I know the One who made the rocks and the trees -- I know the One who made the clouds and the rain -- He's told me that I don't need to be afraid? -- Why? -- Because He lives inside my skin. -- And He has promised to never leave me. -- Because of that, I am not afraid"
-- God knew that there would be times in our lives when we faced fearsome things -- He knew that if we let them -- if we looked at them only through our fleshly eyes -- if we only faced them in our own strength -- that we would be overwhelmed and paralyzed by fear
-- He knew that we would be afraid in our skins from time to time
-- so that is why He told us, "Do not be afraid" over 366 times in His word -- one for each day of the year, even leap years -- This command is a promise to us -- a promise that He will take up our battles for us -- a promise that we will never have to face the giants alone -- so we have no reason to fear
-- I want to close now by sharing with you a poem that I found on the internet -- "I refuse to be discouraged -- to be sad or to cry -- I refuse to be downhearted -- and here's the reason why
I have a God who's mighty -- who's sovereign and supreme -- I have a God who loves me --
and I am on His team
He is all wise and powerful -- Jesus is His name -- though everything is changeable -- My God remains the same
My God knows all that's happening -- Beginning to the end -- His presence is my comfort --
He is my dearest friend
When sickness comes to weaken me -- to bring my head down low -- I call upon my mighty God -- into His arms I go
When circumstances threaten -- to rob me of my peace -- He draws me close unto His breast -- where all my strivings cease
And when my heart melts within me -- and weakness takes control -- He gathers me into His arms -- He soothes my heart and soul
The great "I AM" is with me -- My life is in His hand -- The Son of the Lord is my hope -- It's in His strength I stand
I refuse to be defeated -- my eyes are on my God -- He has promised to be with me -- as through this life I trod
I'm looking past all my circumstances -- to Heaven's throne above -- my prayers have reached the heart of God -- I'm resting in His love
I give God thanks in everything -- my eyes are on His face -- the battle's His -- the victory's mine -- He'll help me win the race" -- LET US PRAY
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