God Has Not Given Us a Spirit of Fear Pt. 3

Carter, from the historic Times Square Church in New York City that all things work together for good to those who love God and are the called according to his purpose. I'm convinced God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power to accomplish what we been given to the law of that will allow us to speak even to our enemies and those who want to harm us. Thanks for being with us on a call to the nation with Carter Conlin today. Carter concludes his three-part message entitled, God is not given us a spirit of fear, hard times may be coming around the corner for you but always remember this, God won't leave you alone as you face that he promises he will always be with you.

Nothing will be able to separate you from the love of God which is in Jesus Christ. Let's doing harder now as he begins in second Timothy one verse seems unspoken for the last two weeks. Part one does not given us a spirit of fear than part two in this it would be part three God has not given us a spirit of fear and if I were to give it a sub topic. I would call it fear of things to come to start again in second Timothy chapter 1 verse six Folly apostle to his young protégé Timothy, it's understandable. Paul is an older apostle and Paul had made a decision along his life, not to be governed by fear. He had a ferocity in him. This, for that way, that was birthed there by God, given by God, and it it he had a vision that God had something ordained for his life that nothing of this world could triumph over Nonesuch is not always the case in every young disciple coming after those of us who are older it's it's hard being OU. For example, when Paul had a young disciple called Mark at one time was probably a teenager and and for Paul it was it was commonplace that have a riot every time he preached and have people angry and they want to kill them in the throwing stones at them and marks probably 1819 years of age, and he said I've had enough of this echo life to live on maybe was just afraid and need in the left and initially it angered Paul, but it changed later on and you see Paul initially intolerant with the fear and this young man Mark but later on very sympathetic to the struggle, and another young disciple called Timothy was was being called. It speaks of Paul becoming a man of deeper understanding us as he got older, more tempered in the spirit more aware or maybe even sympathetic to the struggles of others that are coming after him.

Second Timothy chapter 1 in verse six, Paul says, I remind you this is to Timothy to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord.

In other words fall Santa Timothy don't drop back. Don't be triumphed over by the fears of your own heart, nor of me his prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings of the gospel according to the power of God, so policy to Timothy. Timothy don't drop back because of the fear of the unknown in the future.

Don't try to find a comfortable place that you can stay in maybe exercise your gifts there. If God's called you to follow in my footsteps. There is going to be some hardship in your life but don't be ashamed and no drawback from me is saying no drawback for the pathway that I've taken before you, but share with me in the sufferings of the gospel according to the power of God. In other words, you may have to go through some hard times but God won't leave you alone is is not going to just forsake you. Because times might get tough in the days ahead of you might be dark is saved us and called us with a holy calling. In other words, it's a unique calling that's on your life.

It's an individual calling is a calling that through which he will be brought to glory in your life, not according to our own works. You don't have to find the strength in yourself to do this pulses God will give you the strength Timothy to do this it will be his stare that Macario would be his strength and will become yours. It will be his thoughts that will govern your thinking it will be it will be this glimpse of the future that only God can give that will become the source of your strength, not according to our own works, but according to his own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began in source code weeks ago and shared a personal testimony about being delivered from fear.

So I know what fears about. I wrote a book about called fear not a book which talks about the struggling and so many people's lives. It starts with the struggle in my own life. Nine years of of struggling with the terrible, terrible, almost paralyzing fear that would get a hold of my life, a fear of failure, fear of not measuring up to other people's expectations of foreboding in the sense that there be no real purpose accomplish through my life. Are they the purpose that maybe was there. I wouldn't find the strength to accomplish it. And I shared with you how when I turned to God and believe the word of God in less than a minute I was delivered from nine years of hell on this earth, and he set me free. The next thing and asserted last week was to be brought this not enough to be just brought out of where you used to be, but now he started to bring the in to where I needed to go and I shared with you about learning to speak publicly and in front of people in the they hit the battle without a husband, the fear, the paper wall is says, that is those traits that I had to get through to be able to to stand in front of people and to speak into the believe that God could give me the power to do that and he did he came through and in a miraculous and marvelous way and so the talking about being brought out of bondage out of bondage to fear into that miracle of the initial paper wall that we go through and we finally get into the game and were now starting to live that life in a sense of Christ is called us to live.

And then there's 1/3, and perhaps the final frontier medical data fear final paper wall that we have to break through. It's the fear of that which is yet to come. Now Paul saying to Timothy share in the sufferings of the gospel.

In other words, Timothy. There's I think Paul could see something ahead for Timothy that he couldn't see for himself yet that there was going to be some days ahead of him that were going to be hard he was going to need the strength of God and and by God's grace.

He had a mentor that went before him that was able to not only just endure the sufferings he had to endure, but he saw a divine purpose in the Paul wasn't just an optimist. He actually saw something of God. He knew that even imprisonment could not bind the word of God that there was something that had been ordained of God for his life and and so a summary of what the policy disguise strange, but he feels that captivity is somehow going to set others free. You and I know today that had he not gone to jail. Some of his prison epistles wouldn't of been written in the way they work. He was put in place for you just simply had the believe that all things do work together for those who love God and are the called according to his purpose. It was because of this that Paul could write in the book of Romans chapter 28 there's no mountain there's no valley.

There is no hill. There is no enemy.

There's nothing that comes against us that can separate us on the love of God, he could write it because the been through the storms of life. He had faced incredible opposition, almost all of his life and ministry and in the in the midst of all of this, the spirit of fear had lost its grip on this man and he understood that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, because he is not given me a spirit of fear but is given the power to accomplish that which my life is destined to accomplish is given me the love that causes the fear of man to be taken away from my heart that I can speak to all people anywhere under any circumstance. Even knowing he was about to be beaten by a crowd. It would never stop this man from speaking because there was such a love of God in his heart for the lost around him.

The soldiers, the Judaizers that those that were going to oppose them in causing physical harm. Yet he wouldn't stop he would continue to speak because this love of God compelled him to go forward and get a sound mind.

In other words, a sound mind is a mind is not governed by the fear of the future. A sound mind is governed by the word of God. A sound mind believes that there is a divine purpose to my life and that purpose cannot be overcome by anything of this world without purpose is ever lost is because I chose to forfeit ISOs to give it up because is no enemy can take it from me is no power of hell is no opposition is no government. There's no nothing that can take away the divine purpose that God has for my life and for your life today, tomorrow and forever only way it can be lost is if I choose to back away and I are trying to go back into my cave in and make the choice to be afraid, as opposed to stepping out with faith and believing God is able to do what I would never do in my own strength, knowing the gospel of John chapter 16 Jesus said beginning of verse 12 these words to his own disciples.

He said I have still many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when he the spirit of truth is, he will guide you into all truth for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak and he will tell you things to come is same to his own disciples I have I have things I wanted to tell you I wanted to share your you can't bear them, you can't receive them. Your hearts are not big enough to receive it yet. No part of the reason because it was because of fear of the future was still in the hearts of these disciples.

They each had a vision of what the future held in and suffering wasn't part of it. That's the reality of what what we face. Do you have a vision for your future note, do you consider suffering fellowship because Paul did. Paul said that III consider the fellowship of Christ Fellowship in the sufferings of Christ have put it that way and ofttimes we all have a vision of the future but but suffering is not part of our vision. Nobody wants to really suffer willfully. Nobody wants to. I would like to have an influence over the culture. For example, I would like to be used of God is my personal story to see children released from captivity. Under these godless ideologies of our present day. I'd like to see how teenagers find Christ and find a reason to live by. I like to see the kingdom of God go forward with power. I'd like to see prison doors open and blinded eyes see and wounded heart seal that love God, to use my life in a way that's far beyond anything I could even ask or think. But ofttimes it is hard to think it's hard to envision that suffering might be part of the pathway that it might be accusation might be hardship there might be even the loss of freedom. We don't know what that holds. But I tell you there is a cost to seeing other people set free.

We are living now in the day when the gospel is considered almost an enemy of this new found society that were creating living in a day when the people of God are going to be vilified were living in a day when hostility is becoming more and more open towards the people of God, so to think for a moment that the kingdom of God is going to advance through us without suffering is is a fallacy is not going to be that way.

Now when self-preservation is at the core of our hearts. It closes our ears. Oftentimes the what God is actually trying to speak to us. That's the problematic part of the gospel of Jesus Christ and quite often were praying for God speak to me God show me my future but but were trying to shut off to the part that might talk to us about suffering my talk was about hardship. My talk is about things that we really don't want to hear because self-preservation is at the core of our heart still know Paul says to the church in Thessalonians in first Thessalonians chapter 5 verses 2 to 6.

He said for yourselves.

You know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night when they say, peace and safety, then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that this day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day and we are not of the night, nor of the darkness of Paul was saying to the, the, the believers, the Thessalonian believers, we are not children of darkness and difficult day should not overtake us. Unaware wish we should have an open heart.

We should not be afraid of the future which not just be seeking to preserve ourselves in thinking while these days are not going to come in my time. We we don't know what tomorrow's going to bring the Paulson if you're willing to listen. God can speak your heart, and he can tell you what is to come. We can speak to can show you what is to come to give you an example of this in the book of acts chapter 20. This is the apostle Paul and he says in verses 20 to 24 is that I kept nothing back from you. That was helpful but I proclaimed it.

You and taught you publicly from house to house, testifying to Jews, and also the Greeks, repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ and see now I go bound in the spirit of truth to Jerusalem. Not knowing the things it will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city saying that chains and tribulations await me, but none of these things move me nor do I count my life dear to myself so that I may finish my race with joy in the ministry, which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify of the gospel of the grace of God. Paul is saying there's is a testimony of the Holy Spirit is not just a witness in my heart, but other people are hearing it and seeing it as well that in every city. Everywhere I traveled there telling me that chains and trials are waiting me but Paul was able to say these things don't move me.

Another was they don't they don't alter my course they don't change the direction I'm going, and where God is leading me because Paul had this inner knowledge that you and I have that those are called of God have to have this inner knowledge that there is a purpose for my life that will be accomplice and that purpose will bring others into freedom. The purpose of my life is not just a lift to preserve myself if I if I seek to save my life. I will lose it. That's what Jesus and I will lose what I could have had in God of my whole reason for being a system preserve myself and live in confident and to preach the crowds are lovely and civilian places where there is safety. If that's my whole motivation, I will lose what God has for me as I still do some good, but I lose the fullness of what God would've had for my life.

I love the fact the apostle Paul could could see what was awaiting him and he could say that these things do not alter my course they do not move me from what God has called me to do because I don't count my life dear to myself so that I may finish my race with joy is not amazing. Here's a man is is is traveling headlong into difficulty, imprisonment, accusation, all kinds of things but there's is abiding joy in his heart because he knows he's in the will of God. That is the key that is the key that unlocks the door when God wants to speak to our hearts about maybe things that you and I don't necessarily want to hear. I don't want to hear about arch of all be honest with you, but I feel like the apostle Paul of God speaks into my heart is not going to alter my course, I'm not going to take an exit ramp off the highway. The God has me on because the highway he has known will bring people's lives into freedom. The highway has me on will will do something that only God can do chains and tribulations await me, but none of these things move me. I want to finish my race with joy and testify to the gospel of the grace of God is that I want to be a demonstration, even in captivity, to those who are my captors. I want to be a demonstration of the keeping power of God and the joy that is found in the heart of someone who is not given to a spirit of fear but is given to power and love and has a soundness of mind. Thanks be to God, then the very next chapter. Chapter 21, of acts, verse 10 he says. We stayed many days in a prophet named Agnes came down from Judea and when you come to us, he took Paul's belt bound his own hands and feet and said, thus saith the Holy Spirit, so shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles, that when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem, and Paul answered. What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart for. I'm ready not only to be bound, but also to Diane Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. So when he would not be persuaded. We see saying the will of the Lord be done all kinds of voices voices from without voices from within will always try to turn us from any place of affliction. I want to think about this. This is just after Paul has made this declaration that the Holy Spirit says that chains and afflictions abide me on this pathway that I'm going to see Paul was not afraid of things to come, and you know the devil will try to get this generation to be afraid of the future. A lot of students in the school. For example, youth going home to volatile countries.

Places that are unstable and the enemy will try to put you came here knowing you had a divine purpose in your own country that the enemy will try to put in you as happened here with the apostle Paul Fox and voices saying don't go there.

Don't don't risk your life, don't do this to try to cause you to deviate and take some other path and the path God has for you because of fear. The fear of rejection the fear all kinds of fears and and you can see the whole crowd. All of these voices. They call don't go Paul Dunkel. Aren't you glad he didn't listen to them tonight if you listen how much of the New Testament, would we not have today, how much of of the testimony from God's keeping power would we not have had he not gone any had he chosen that the road of safety. But yes, Paul did ultimately lose his head in prison. We know that but but the word of God through him was never bound. Yes, he did suffer yes affliction was part of his journey.

But God did something through him at the last moments of time that is affected the lives of hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of millions of people all over the world have been brought to faith brought the courage brought to safety through the words that God gave this man to put on the parchment and send to his friends in the church is because he believed that all things work together for good, because he loved God he was the called according to a divine purpose as he was trying to tell Timothy God said to apart for divine purpose.

Do not be afraid to them if they do not be afraid you been given grace before time even began in Christ Jesus you will finish your course. Don't be triumphed over by fear don't draw back from those of us who have gone before you. Throughout history they've handed us the gospel with their blood. To understand people are doing it. Yet even still today, God forbid, what was handed to us with hands that had their own blood on them that we should try to pass it on to the next person while living on the counter and handed God forbid that we should draw back in this the most needy generation of all time. One of the most captivated moments in history, a time when there is a battle in the heavenly between evil and good a time when the devil is God is not out seeking to scooping stars and stars and stars of families and minds and dancing teenagers and young people into an eternal hell for all of eternity was to draw back at this time that a spirit of fear would be allowed to donate our lives and we would choose to drop back in the comfort we would choose to be ashamed of those have gone before us and seek to save ourselves here to the voice of God because the voice of God might want to speak something we don't want to hear these voices are trying to turn Paul away from going to Jerusalem. Nurses steer people when you decide to go all the way with God. There will be sincere believers to try to turn you back from your journey.

They are very sincere and they're not wrong in what they're saying and along that you're going to suffer as your hands and feet are going to be bound to the fact of the matter is that they're just wrong in the total perception as it is of what the kingdom of God is and how God uses various people the try to turn them back from a place of affliction because of their own fears, I think, is an inner fear that if this man goes into it kinda carves a path for the rest of us with to start thinking about not just living to preserve ourselves. We have to start living for the benefit of others is the theme.

As of this Bible school. Some people are motivated because of the loss of friendship. There was very comforting having Paul in their midst and he was about to tell them you're going to see me no more. We want to be around people that make us comfortable wheat we don't like change. That's just the nature of our humanity, we would like to be a comfortable place and we don't want any anything to change it. We love our present comforts and wheat we always seem to gravitate to a place where it's always about me.

I feel good now.

I didn't feel good.

Now I feel good and in the Lord starts speaking to us about a place warming baby is going to be difficult and we are so loath to hear him when he speaks. But to see the apostle Paul was the one who could tell us in the book of Romans these things. I believe we know that all things work together for good to those who love God and to those who are called according to his purpose. Verse 35. This is who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword, as it is written, for your sake we are killed all the day long and were candidacy for the slaughter. Get all these things were more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death or life, nor angels, nor principalities, or powers, nor things present, nor things to come. No height or depth or any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. He knew these things because he wasn't afraid it wasn't afraid to go into the future because he knew God had them in the palm of his hand, and as such his future was secure at some point we have to stand and say what we need to say some point we have to call this new ideology evil. Some point we have to stand for truth, whether the price is the price is God is not given us a spirit of fear but power of love and of a sound mind if I get sent to jail one day. That means is somebody that it is so Christ it's really that simple. Not sales can be easy probably won't be, but I want to finish my course with joy, persona challenges and one challenge those at home online. You have to move beyond just trying to preserve yourself. Sometimes people don't get free because there are not willing to go beyond just getting on freedom. God sees and God knows it and he waits for that moment of desperation whether or that the prayer is Lord, if you will take me out where I am. I will go into whatever you're calling me to do what you call immediately.

Admit that you need a Savior believe that Christ died in your place in open your heart and confess Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior confessing was the one was only promised to forgive you but he has the rights to your future confessing as your Lord and confessing is your God. The message today has been brought to you by Carter Conlon from Times Square church.

For more information log onto TSC.NYC TSC.NYC plan to be with us next week for a call to the nation with Carter,