Fear - Part 1

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ miss out on opportunities.

But God says in his word choice. If you're not right. Instead of having fear. I want you to have courage. I went to that conference piece instead of fear. Joining us today on this additional Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana Pastor Bill Gebhardt now again he shows us God's word meets our work began in 1929 crash in the stock market FDR had just been elected president of the United States and he made a statement that literally lifted the spirits of millions and millions of Americans at that time, Roosevelt said, we have nothing to fear but fear itself and those words contributed to America lifting itself out of the Great Depression. So today we live in a different world, but a world of all kinds of reasons to be afraid of global warming. We have fires everywhere. We have hurricanes more often and bigger than normal.

We have: 19 and its new variant, whatever that happens to be.

We have five carjackings happening in our own city that a lot of people keep talking to me about about how afraid it makes them so we have all these reasons to be afraid. So I'm here this morning to tell you this, let me tell you, you have nothing to fear but fear itself.

Now you might be thinking that you're not exactly FDR no I don't have any authority to say that because I'm not the one saying it.

I'm paraphrasing the Bible.

What does the Bible say about that to us. You realize that over 100 times in the word of God over 100. The Bible tells us to fear not. While it's one of the favorite phrases Jesus Christ uses over and over again.

Fear not in yet we find ourselves paralyzed by many of us I believe. Fear was a gift that God gave mankind he gave it to him after the fall she before the father was nothing to be afraid, but after the fall.

Fear become something that's important to us. We live in a fallen world accursed world surrounded by sinful people. A lot of terrible things happen and we need to have be able to use fear, but our problem is we get over run by fear. If you have excessive, irrational fear, whatever they call it phobias. Maybe some of you have those, but all some of them are so irrational like this week. I was looking a list of phobias, and as some people have a phobia there, terrified of flowers like just one thing that be on the other hand there another phobia you can have as of a fear of numbers. Maybe a particular number bothers you. I don't know that. But the one I find to be the most difficult to have is to have a phobia you can have a fear of gravity. So what you go.

I'm in what you do every irrational and fear. Fear can cause us to miss out on opportunities fear interferes with relationships between husbands, wives, parents, children, friends, fear keeps you up at night. There's a lot of terrible things but God says in his word and what I want you to do is I want you to overcome your fear twice if you're not I instead having fear. I want you to have. I want you to have courage. I want to have confidence when you have peace instead of fear and that's what I want. I want to talk about. I want to start another very likely place. I want to start and Mark chapter 4 verse 35 Mark four verse 35 what I want you to see is the Jesus Christ relationship with his own disciples. So much of it hinges around one thing fear he's determined to try to get them to fear not, and is not very successful. Strange as it sounds.

So here we find in Mark four verse 35 it says on that day when evening came, he said to them, let's go over to the other side. Sea of Galilee. Now remember many of his disciples are to see full-time fishermen professionals there will not make every day of their life. They understand the lake. That's what they do and so they just jump in the boat with him and it says and leaving the crowd. They took him along with them in the boat. Just as he was in the other boats were with them and there arose a fierce gale of wind and the waves were breaking over the boat so much. It the boat was already filling up. This is in a normal storm may have terrible storms in the CA galley do the demographics you have mountain passes with air comes on sinks very fast creates high wind is not it's it's a something that they are used to on a regular basis. This seems a little bit unusual and so here is the response so that they give it says Jesus himself. He was in the stern sleep when aggression and they welcome. Now this is kind of interesting that either he was really tired or is asleep on purpose to try to make his point which is more likely exceeds one of those things and they wake him up. You send the little front part of the boat underneath it dishonestly, but I want you to watch the response.

They welcome and they said the still rabbi or teacher. Do you not care that we are perishing. Does that make sense to they believe Jesus Christ Peter says becomes the same as the son of God, they believe is the Messiah. They've heard him teach. They seem to do miraculous things and they asked the question, don't you care were nine. Don't you care what were they asked that kind of question there afraid. See that's why there afraid they're very much afraid that that's a very big point of doing with fear Max of Cato as a great quote for this. Max writes that he said fear gives us spiritual amnesia and boy have run into that my whole life trying to help people once you're afraid you don't think about spiritual things. All fear description takes over your heart. That's why God wants to do open heart surgery metal series were in on your heart because if you have fear so they say don't you care that we are perishing, and he got up and rebuked the wind ended C said Husky.

Still the wind died down and became perfectly calm know what's Jesus response and he said to them, what are you afraid you still have no faith to why you afraid he asked them see what would you say if you there with you to see the storm.

But what Jesus would say is you have no faith what you mean you don't believe what I tell you. In Jesus, they were to go to the other side they say that were going to the other side. What's that mean were going to the other side on that unless he's a liar.

You see said you don't have any faith.

That's what's wrong with you don't show any faith at all is as they were very much afraid and they said to one another. Notice who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey another friend of Jesus. And that's not a bad thing necessarily, but because that's what it point he wants to make another afraid of him. It's called but how they do that see how does that work well. What you end up seeing that happening.

Is it he's going to start all the way through these Gospels will just walk a few of the day and is going to continue to try to teach them some things so want to go with me to Matthew chapter 10 now Matthew chapter 10 verse 16. The Mark passage teaches us that they are still filled with fear. Now Jesus is going to talk to his disciples and it's going respond little bit of fear.

He starts out and he says behold, one of his favorite words, you do!

This is big. It's like, listen, listen up, behold, he said, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves now for us.

That's just a word picture that's an interesting thing, not for them.

They live in the world of sheep in wolves. What happens when you put sheep and with a pack of wolves at the death penalty wolves rhythm is right.

Jesus just told that's going to be there life. So what you think would afraid. He says so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. He said, but you need to be where men, for they will hand you over the course and scourge you in the synagogues, you might even be brought before the governors and kings for my sake, as testimony to them end of the Gentiles all by the way, you may not get torn apart, but they may bring into the synagogue and scourge you see, you might be turned over the Romans and no torture you. He's the governor I just want you know this is what's coming for you.

See how you respond to that, he says them, but when a hand you over. Do not worry about what you are to say for it was given to you in that hour what you will say, for it is not you who speak but it is the spirit of the father who speaks force. Now it's interesting with what he saying is look, I'm going to send you.you need to have a message, and learning more about what you're going to say another Bobby thinking I would be worried about what I was saying I still but I'm still worried about the scourging and sheep in wolves. So it goes down and notice in verse 22. He says you will be hated because my name, but it is the one who was endured to the end, it will be delivered or saved. And whenever they persecute in one city, flee to the next so please tell them is this is the life I'm going to have for you know the number changed. By the way, that's their history. Paul writes to Timothy for us. Anyone who wants to live a godly life will be persecute.

Now that's a fact. That's part of being a follower of Jesus Christ. That's what he says is for my namesake.

So Jesus tells them these words and he tells them in such a way that he's trying to warn them of what their life is going to be like, but he understand something about it like that there afraid notice where he picks up in verse 24 he said a disciple is not above his teacher, nor slave above his master. It's enough for a disciple and that he become like it is teacher in a slave like his master. If the called the head of the house be eligible, how much more will they malign the members of the house.

You can expect to be persecuted because I'm persecuted and Johnny writes the world will hate you because at first hated me. These are just normal expectations for Christian you see details about what they don't like that, many more than we like it. You see, notice ways, what is trying to get at here, he says, and 26. Therefore, do not fear them with these people going to scourging you don't fear them. These people and execute me yet right dumped on them for you CF your works in our hearts. How can I not be afraid to take it scourge me. He said do not fear them.

There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed or hidden that will not be known. When it he said I tell you in darkness speak in the light and what you hear whispered in your you proclaim when the housetops hears his first reason why you should be afraid God just it will be just in the end, when emitters they still want to scourge me. Yes, you can still commit yet but it's good I'll be just and in God's gonna make sure it's all just does that alleviate your fear. See, that becomes an interesting problem. Then he goes on, and he says to them the watch. Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul. Rather fear him who is able to destroy the soul in the body while don't fear those who kill you if you want to have fear. You need to fear God because I ended think about it he's trying to be practical here. How many in this room are going to die right this. That's impressive monthly one out of one of us die seems good to die, you may not be scourging may not be killed. You might not be a sheep among biggest of them to die is a don't be afraid everybody dies with you and have fear what you better have fear of his God.

You see, you have their fear of God. Why, because God cannot not only can I physically die but I can spiritually as Jesus says spend eternity in hell that's on the be fearful so he gives a perspective is going to be justice.

If you want to fear anyone fear God and often I remember when I was in seminary I was doing a paper on the fear of God that I wrote a master's thesis on establishing the fear of God in the congregation.

I didn't do well then and I you haven't done well since okay it's it's pretty hard to get people to do that but I always thought every time I ever heard talk about. So when you feel got me to just give him respect is not. Are there passages that use a word for respect for fear yes there are but there are other patches. There's Hebrew words that say you fear God and the word for fears terror. I'm in terror of God. You see, it's like, well, he's formidable you see in that sense Jesus and yet you going to fear anyone just fear God, but then he says he goes another angle. Do he said, and are not two sparrows sold for a set way hi, what's a context for that.

How much is the cost to have two sparrows.

He said by Penny in our culture, what to tell you about a sparrow didn't have much value do they I mean even if you want to have a family meal with me at the Bobby spend a dime you know in a culture because there spells no meaning once what he says and he said, and yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your father what you mean by that God is intimately intimately involved with his creation.

Sparrow doesn't follow anywhere in the world, the gods, not completely aware of was a sparrow while why she told me that notice were goes, he says in first you the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

Well, what's that mean you have any idea, any idea how intimately God is involved in your life. He said he knows every area.

Now for those of you turmeric here some of the doing lunch time. Okay, try to guess how many hairs are on the head of your spouse more weight you are too intimate with them that's that's Jesus point that I God is because as I know how many hairs every person has. That's how valuable you are to me. Sparrows not worth anything. I know it when anyone falls. I know this. You see what's wise he trying to tell me to comfort me that God Almighty God is intimately involved with my life. He said every aspect of my life.

So he says do not fear you more valuable than a sparrows. In other words, why would I be afraid when God nothing is going to happen to Bill happenstance anything it happens, the bill is going through a sovereign God.

You see, so I can't say I can't be worried about being afraid of something God space a godsend look right here I'm intimately involved with member Paul wrote about it. What could ever separate me from the love of Christ. He said nothing, my life, not death, not angels that nothing can separate me. His point is don't you understand your value to Almighty God. So he said don't fear there's no reason for you to become afraid. He said while so he uses his words and what he does with his words as he is trying to give us confidence and courage and peace. Next go with me now to mark chapter 6 now this is interesting is going to use another angle to try to help the disciples there with their fear.

This was kinda fascinating. Verse 33.

The people saw them going and recognize them and ran there together on foot from all the cities and got there ahead of them. That's Jesus and the disciples when Jesus went ashore, he saw a large crowd, he felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. He began to teach them many things. When it was already quite late, his disciples came to him and he said this place is desolate and it's already quite late, send them away so that they may go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat. There's a practical guy Jesus teaching and byways teaching 5000 men. So there's likely 12 13,000 with women and children in nursing look at this crowd that tell them to go and so you can find an evening meal for themselves.

They gotta love Jesus response.

He said to them I you give them something this.it's always your freedom they could to see the disciples looking at each other like notice the response to they said, shall we go and spend 200 Marilyn bread and give them some the if we just gave them a piece of bread.

It cost us two thirds of a year's wages.

We get money like that even he said to them, how many loaves do you have go look and when they found out they said we have five loaves and two fishes and 12 13,000 people. He commanded them to all sit down in groups on the green grass they sit down in groups of hundreds and 50s, and a took five close to face looking up to heaven, he blessed the food broke the lows and Giving them to the disciples, the set before them, and he divided up the two fish among them all. They all wait and all were satisfied and they picked up 12 full baskets of broken pieces and also fish. There were about 5000 men who ate the lows not that's a pretty phenomenal thing.

Now he wants and understands who could do that for me, son of God to do any shoes and them did he have the user note. Could you just created the food in front of the people and money.

He wants to use them.

In fact, when I'm telling you is this. He did this feeding primarily nothing for the disciples pastor broke apart on the radio ministry of fellowship in the world.

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