Wednesday, April 13, 2016

SERMON: OVERCOMING FEAR




13 March 2016

I.  Introduction
            -- turn in Bibles to 2 Timothy 1:3-10

2 Timothy 1:3-10 (NIV)
3 I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.
4 Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy.
5 I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.
6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
8 So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God,
9 who has saved us and called us to a holy life--not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,
10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

            -- last night we were watching The Amazing Race, one of my most favorite TV shoes of all time -- I really enjoy following the teams as they travel around the world and face the various challenges in each country -- it is very interesting watching the teams have to navigate through foreign lands and foreign customs and then face challenges that test the very limits of their strength and internal fortitude -- it’s really interesting watching the different people have to confront their fears as they faced these challenges
            -- this week’s episode required the teams to go up to the top of an 11,000 foot mountain in the French Alps on a cable car, and traverse a knife’s-edge mountain summit to deliver supplies to an avalanche crew -- and, as seems always the case, the team member who was selected to do this challenge was the one that has a fear of heights -- several of the people literally broke down and were sobbing because they were scared to death of what they were being asked to do -- it was only because of the encouragement of their team members, the lure of the $1 Million prize, and knowing millions of people at home were watching and judging them that enabled them to overcome their fear and complete the challenge
            -- that’s one reason why I like The Amazing Race -- because you get to see people face their greatest fears and overcome them, and it causes you to think about your own fears and what it would take for you to overcome them -- last night as we were watching this episode and saw them taking that cable car 11,000 feet up the side of that mountain on that little wire, Kim said, “There’s no way I would do that” -- and I understand
            -- As most of you know, I’m heading out of town tomorrow to go to Pittsburgh for a conference -- I usually go to one of these conferences every year, and when I do I always face one of the greatest fears in my life -- fear of flying
            -- I have always been somewhat scared of flying -- even though planes don’t really crash that often, when the plane starts rolling down the runway, it’s always there in the back of your mind -- you worry about crashes and accidents, and not just in a general way -- you worry that you’re going to be in a crash or accident -- that the plane that you are on is going to have an accident
            -- you’re already in an uncomfortable situation -- you’ve already been poked and prodded and x-rayed like you’re a terrorist hiding something -- I feel guilty every time I go through the TSA checkpoint even though I’m doing nothing wrong -- and when you finally get to the gate and board the plane, they put you in a tight little cramped up seat with absolutely no leg room
            -- and, as they get the plane ready to take off, you don’t really know what’s going on -- as the plane takes off and gets into the air, it lurches and jerks -- you hear motors whine and then pieces clicking into place and you don’t know if that’s supposed to happen or if there’s a problem -- and sometimes the plane takes an immediate hard bank as it turns sharply to the left or the right, and you just don’t know whether it’s doing that on purpose or if there is a problem and you’re about to crash
            -- it’s a very scary time for someone who isn’t used to flying, and I’m not -- I only fly one time a year, so I’ve never gotten comfortable with flying -- thinking about it rationally, I think one of the reasons I fear flying is the lack of control -- I don’t know what’s going on, and because I’m not in control of the situation and I have to trust someone else that I don’t know, it adds an extra level of worry and fear as I head into the unknown
            -- one time several years ago, I got to listen to the air crew go through their checklist as we took off -- I had plugged in my headphones into the plane sound system so I could listen to music and drown out the noise of the airplane as we were getting ready to take off, and I found a channel on their sound system that actually let you listen in on the pilot and his crew -- and listening to the crew go through their checks, and hearing them explain what all the different lurches and bumps were as they talked to one another, removed the fear because I knew we were in control -- someone was watching out for us who knew exactly what was going on and what was going to happen

            -- fear is one of our primal emotions -- it’s something that we’ve had with us since the Garden of Eden -- fear is a deep-seated anxiousness and worry about the unknown -- we all have fears in our lives, and it takes different forms depending on who you are -- fear of being alone -- fear of getting married -- fear of driving -- fear of getting hurt -- fear of heights -- fear of spiders and snakes and tigers and bears, oh my -- fear is common to all people everywhere
            -- perhaps that's why the Bible talks about fear so much -- the most common command in the Bible is not one of the Ten Commandments -- the most common command in the Bible is not even "Love one another" -- no, the most common command in the Bible is "fear not"
            -- 366 times, in one form or the other, we are told by God, "Fear not" -- from the beginning of man in the Garden of Eden to our end in the Book of Revelation, over and over God has repeatedly told us, "Do not be afraid -- trust in Me -- Believe in Me -- Have Faith in Me"
            -- when God came to Abram to establish a covenant with him, His first words were "Do not be afraid"
            -- when the Israelites faced enemies on their way 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 -- that’s the message that Paul is giving Timothy in this passage -- fear should not control you

            -- so let’s look at this passage together again and see what we can learn about fear from Paul’s instructions to Timothy
            -- we’re probably all pretty familiar with 2 Timothy 1:7 -- “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity -- [or fear, as the KJV puts it] -- but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline” -- but usually we hear that verse out of context, so this morning I wanted us to look at it and consider it in context with Paul’s whole message to Timothy in this passage, using verse 7 as the hinge for what comes before and after

            -- let’s look back at verse 3-7

2 Timothy 1:3-7 (NIV)
3 I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.
4 Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy.
5 I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.
6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

            -- I think the easiest way to sum up what Paul is saying in these verses to Timothy is that, because we know God, we should have no fear in our lives
            -- Paul begins with the statement that he is a servant of God -- that his conscience is clear -- in other words, the fear of guilt and shame and sin and death have all been overcome through the presence of God in his life -- his eternity is certain -- his faith is sure -- his future is set -- so what does the man or woman who knows God truly have to fear? -- what threat can this world offer up that is not already overcome through God?
            -- Paul makes the case here that faith trumps fear -- he reminds Timothy of the faith of his grandmother and mother -- he reminds Timothy that he shares this same faith in the promise of God so fear should have no part in his life
            -- the message here is clear -- God didn’t give us a spirit of timidity or fear -- this is not the way He intended us to live -- to overcome our fears, He gave us a spirit of power -- a spirit of love -- a spirit of self-discipline -- that is activated through faith
            -- without God, you cannot leave a fearless life -- without God, you are still bound by fear’s dread power -- the key to living fearless lives is knowing and trusting God and standing on the promises He has given

            -- verse 8

8 So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God,

            -- in this verse Paul points out to us the two areas of fear that we all share -- even though we are Christians, even though God has given us a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline -- even though He promises power over fear -- too many of us continue to live our lives defeated by fear -- we cower in our sanctuaries and never see the gifts of God fanned into flame in our lives -- we never experience the power of God in our lives because we remain gripped by fear of the immediate -- we don’t trust God enough to leave fear behind

            -- in this verse Paul says our fear takes two forms -- spiritual and temporal
            -- the first one he talks about is spiritual -- look at what Paul tells Timothy here -- “don’t be ashamed to testify about our Lord” -- if you were to ask Christians what their number one fear is, it would be telling others about Jesus -- in the Great Commission, Jesus told us to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all the things He commanded -- and the church is failing to do this for one reason:  fear
            -- we fear sharing the gospel with others -- we fear being mocked as Christians -- we fear we don’t know enough or we’ll say the wrong things -- and we let this fear keep us from doing what God has commanded
            -- although called to be pastor, Timothy apparently had a problem with witnessing to other people and telling them about Jesus -- I can relate to that -- that’s a fear in my life, too
            -- Paul tells Timothy here to stop it -- he writes, “Stop being scared of testifying about the Lord -- stop being ashamed of telling others what Jesus has done for you -- remember, Timothy,” Paul says, “God has not given you a spirit of fear -- He has given you a spirit of power -- so go forth and testify in His name”
            -- if we are to live the lives Christ has called us to live -- if we are to be His servants and fulfill the Great Commission as He commanded -- then we are going to have to depend on God’s power to help us overcome the fear of testifying to the gospel of Christ -- and that means testifying with our lips as we share the good news of Christ, but that also means testifying with our lives as we live out Christ’s commands and do what He says as we go about our daily lives

            -- now Paul talks about our temporal fears -- he mentions how he has personally suffered for the gospel -- why? -- why does he bring this up? -- because this is the other great fear of Christians, and it obviously was a fear of Timothy -- we worry that we are going to suffer for our faith -- that we are going to be persecuted because we are Christians -- we worry about being hurt by this world -- we worry about accidents and crime and violence and sickness and death -- we worry about the temporal -- about what is going to happen us here and now
            -- my fear of flying is a temporal fear -- the fear of heights that I saw so clearly portrayed on The Amazing Race? -- a temporal fear -- in both cases this is a fear of getting hurt -- a fear of being killed
            -- but Paul tells Timothy here to not worry about sufferings or temporal fears -- he tells him to join with him in his suffering -- to find joy in the midst of it -- and then he goes on to tell Timothy why

            -- verse 9-10

9 who has saved us and called us to a holy life--not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,
10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

            -- why do temporal fears hold no power over us? -- because of Christ and His grace in our lives
            -- think about it like this -- what is the worst thing that can happen to me when I fly? -- let’s say the plane does crash -- what’s the worst thing that could happen? -- I could die, right? -- what’s the worst thing that could have happened to one of the teams on The Amazing Race if they had fallen from the top of that mountain? -- they could have died, right?
            -- but here’s where faith comes in -- death holds no fear for the Christian -- Philippians 1:21 says, “to live is Christ and to die is gain” -- and Paul wrote over in 2 Corinthians 5:8, “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord”
            -- the worst thing the world can throw your way -- death and the fear of death -- has already been defeated by the cross of Christ -- as Paul says in verse 10, Christ Jesus has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel
            -- Paul’s point in this message to Timothy is that there is no fear in death because of Jesus -- there is no fear in suffering, because these are light and temporary afflictions -- there is no fear in this world, because Christ has overcome the world
            -- fear has no part with the Christian because the gospel has conquered fear

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"
            -- I like what the editors of the Thompson Chain Bible put together to summarize God’s reasons why Christians should not fear -- they call this list the “Fear Nots”

1.  Christians should not fear because God blesses us as we follow Him -- Genesis 26:24
2.  Christians should not fear because God supplies our needs -- 1 Kings 17:13
3.  Christians should not fear because God protects us in our peril --2 Kings 6:16
4.  Christians should not fear because God provides strength in our weakness -- Isaiah 41:10
5.  Christians should not fear because God is our ever present help in trials -- Isaiah 43:1-3
6.  Christians should not fear because God provides constant care -- Matthew 10:30-31
7.  Christians should not fear because God provides victory over death -- Revelation 1:17-18

            -- no matter what the situation is that you are facing -- no matter how hopeless it might seem -- no matter how big or fearsome it might look, God says, "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 and standing on His promises -- 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 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"

            -- Let us pray

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