April 13, 2008

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 Scripture KJV

Reverend David S. Huffer

Westwood Baptist Church - 2124 Davis Road
 Waynesboro, VA

Isaiah
12:2    Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.

 

Problems: Fear

Isaiah 12:2

 

I believe it was F.D.R. who said in an address to the nation following the attack on Pearl Harbor, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

·           At first that may sound like double-talk, but it is really a good statement.

·           A lady told D.L. Moody that she had found a wonderful promise in the Bible that helped her over come fear.

·           Her verse was Ps. 56:3, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.”

·           Mr. Moody replied, “I have a better promise than that!” and he quoted Is.12:2, “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid; for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation.”

I ASK YOU THIS MORNING DEAR FRIENDS:

·           WHICH WAS THE GREATER PROMISE?

 

Jesus told us that in the end times men’s hearts will fail them for fear of the things about to happen;

·           And I believe we are seeing some of these things take place today!

·           Many psychologists are writing books and magazine articles about overcoming fear

I want us this morning to examine what the AUTHOR of THE BOOK has to say about fear.

 

SOME KINDS OF FEAR ARE GOOD

A. Fear Is A Good Safety Emotion

1.         It keeps us from falling off cliffs

2.        It alerts us to other dangers

3.        We warn our children not to go near busy streets and we put within them a healthy dose of fear about being hit by a car

B. Fear Of Punishment Is One Basis For Discipline

1.         It is not the highest motive for doing good – but it is a start

2.        “One more time and I am telling your father (or mother) when they get home

Why do we travel at or near the posted speed limits?

C. Fear The Lord

1.         It is the beginning of knowledge and the fountain of life

2.        This is proper respect and reverence for God

3.        It is the kind of fear that opens the way to abundant life in Christ

4.        But the kind of fear that Isaiah 12:2 is talking about is the fear that paralyzes people

·      The fear that gets into the heart and mind and creates tension and worry

·      The fear that keeps people from enjoying life

5.        A fear experience is unpleasant

·      Phobias attach fear experiences to a variety of things: height, water, flying, crossing bridges, elevators, etc.

·      The experience is so unpleasant that a person begins to fear having such an experience again

·      The very thought of the fear experience produces fear

FRIENDS – This is what F.D.R. was saying in his address to the nation

1.         Fear produces fear

 

WHAT CAUSES FEAR IN OUR LIVES?

A. Sometimes Fear Is Caused By A Guilty Conscience

1.         Adam and Eve felt guilty when they had sinned

2.        They became afraid and tried to hide from God

Genesis 3:6-10 - So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you? So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself."

There is an interesting sequence here:

  1. Eve – “saw that the tree was good for food”

·      She succumbed to the lust of the flesh

  1. She realized “it was pleasant to the eyes”

·      She succumbed to the lust of the eyes

  1. She perceived it was “a tree to be designed to make one wise”

·      She succumbed to the pride of life

DEAR FRIENDS – The world’s system of ungodliness, sin, and disobedience based on rebellion had its roots in the very Garden of Eden.

B. Often Fear Is Caused By Ignorance

1.         Children are afraid of the dark because of shadows that appear to be monsters or ghosts

2.        People are often afraid of dying and the future because it is unknown to them.

C. The Real Cause Of Fear Is Unbelief

1.         After stifling the storm that had frightened His disciples out of their wits, Jesus said to them, “Why are You fearful, O Ye of little faith?”

DEAR FRIENDS – Note the correlation of fear and faith.

1.            As faith decreases – fear increases

2.           If we are afraid – it can be a sign of weak faith

Isaiah 12:2 - “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid; for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation.”

VICTORY OVER FEAR = FAITH IN GOD

A. We Must Look By Faith At God

1.         If we are to overcome our fear, we must get our eyes off ourselves – our feelings – and our problems

2.        We must fix our eyes upon Jesus

3.        The ten spies became afraid when they were sent to spy out the promised land

·      They saw the enemy soldiers were Giants

·      They saw the walls of the city as too high

DEAR FRIENDS – If they had only lifted their eyes a little higher they would have seen God who was far above them all.

B. We Must Lay A Hold Of God’s Word

  1. Romans 10:17 – “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”

·      The principle of faith is rooted in the Word of God

·      The word translated as word here is rhema – which refers to the spoken word.

·      The context then is one of preaching the Word – thus the spoken Word – hence hearing

  1. When we read and study God’s Word we feed our faith and strengthen it
  2. Remember the formula: As Faith Increases – Fear Decreases!

C. We Must Pray And Surrender To The Holy Spirit

  1. Fear is sin and sin must be confessed and repented of to be forgiven

Timothy 2:7 – “For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

·      God has not given us a spirit of timidity

DEAR FRIENDS – God has given us (1) The Spirit of Power; (2) The Spirit of Love; and (3) The Spirit of a Sound mind.

  1. The latter has the sense of a clear and disciplined mind, or “self-control” “mental focus”
  2. All three are gifts of God and are on standby, ready for our needs

Once gain hinted at is that Timothy was discouraged in the ministry.

  1. Paul reminds him that God has given him the spirit of power, love, and mental focus.
  2. That promise remains for us today

The Holy Spirit can give us the power and love we need to overcome the fear in our lives!

 

1 John 4:18 - “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”

  1. A mother, who may be frightened of a tiny mouse, will stand between her child and a tiger because of love

DEAR FRIEND – We must learn that only the power of love can overcome fear!

 

CLOSE

Fear is an emotion – a feeling.

  1. We are commanded to be led by the Spirit – not by the flesh

 

The fear of God – which means loving and respectful obedience towards Him – is the one fear that will eliminate all others.

 

WHAT DO YOU FEAR TONIGHT?

  1. The answer is to love God enough to overcome it!
  2. Focus upon Him
  3. Lay hold of the promises in His Word
  4. Yield to the Holy Spirit

 

DEAR FRIENDS – When we will do that – there is no room for fear in our lives!

 

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