How to Handle Your Fear | Part 2

This includes losing Roger. Here's a word with those who are experiencing the spirit of the article to myself as I feared you bridged before you throw them up before you widen your sermon were the well operator to Magana student all live fearlessly. I said I'm I have a current life and preaching something that is not true, why, why am I right now. Welcome to love by featuring profound truth.

Simply stated by Adrian Rogers part one of today's message. We began studying the apostle Paul's instruction to Timothy show us how to handle fear caused Timothy to forget who he was in Christ. So Paul reminded him of how gifted he was and what God had done in him. Likewise, Pastor Roger says when we ought to succeed. Many of us fail, for one reason we listen to that sinister minister of the devil. Rather than listing to God.

If you have your Bible turned out a second Timothy chapter 1 as Adrian Rogers shares part two of how to handle your fear. I want to talk today about how to handle your fear. Actually, not only how to handle your fear. But how to conquer fear. But I don't want to tell you what Ann Landers has to say about our tell you about what God's word has to say about overcoming fear and conquering fear and facing fear with faith and how to live a future free from the bondage of fear right now in second Timothy chapter 1 beginning in verse six I read these words, Paul is speaking to Timothy and he says wherefore I put the and remember that thou stir up the gift of God which is in the Bible putting all of my hands, for God has not given us the spirit of fear, power and of love and of a sound mind, be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God.

Now think about the destruction power of the destructive power of the spirit of fear. I want you to notice three basic things that fear will do to anybody here.

I'm talking about a spirit of fear not productive. Fear� Destructive fear. For example, I notice what I would call fear and forgetfulness.

Notice in verse six, the apostle Paul says to Timothy, wherefore I put them in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God which is in the by the putting on of my hands. Now Timothy was a very gifted man, usually equipped and anointed to do the work of God.

He had a remarkable gift of God, but he failed to use and why did he fail to use the gift that he had forgotten about. So the apostle Paul says I put the in remembrance you forgotten who you are, you have forgotten your ability. You have forgotten what God has done for you and what God was to do through you, Timothy.

You're very gifted man, but you forgotten what caused him to forget it was this is fear. You see, if you will, and see how verses six and seven are connected by a says now wherefore I put in remembrance of thou stir up the gift of God which is in the by the putting out of my hands for my little work for connects those two verses for God is not given us the spirit of fear that the idea is that fear had caused him to forget. When you focus on fear and that takes all the blue out of your sky and and you don't see you don't understand who you are what you can do and that that that that fear just causes you to forget all the blessings of God. Some of you are immensely gifted, tremendously blessed, but there's something you're afraid of, and it is because you forget all the blessings and the gifting's of God in your life because you have focused on your fear, rather than trusting in the Lord and focusing on the Lord. Now Timothy at this time to have much to be afraid.

Not had anything to be afraid of it was. Paul wrote this newer Paul was when he wrote this Paul was in prison I looked in verse eight he says be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner.

Now Paul was a prisoner of the Lord in the metaphorical sense and that he was a bondslave to the Lord Jesus was also present in the literal sense in that he was imprisoned, Paul was in prison when he wrote this branch waiting to be executed, but Paul is not quaking notice in verse 12, Paul says that which cause I also suffer these things.

Nevertheless, I'm not a shame, for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he's able to keep that which I committed to him against that day.

Paul said I know whose I am. I know what I committed to the Lord I'm in prison yes I'm in prison but I had not forgotten who God was and how great God was different. Paul had his eyes focused on the Lord and even though Paul is writing in prison you could just feel the breath of heaven flowing through that prison and if you're free today if you're free today. I won't tell you. Your friend that your fear your fear is because you forgotten God is and what God is done for you okay now let me move on and talking about fear and forgetfulness. Verse six, but also fear and failure. Verse eight. Notice in verse eight. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me his prisoner. Now what happened to Timothy was that Timothy had failed to share Christ, and he had failed to stand up for the apostle Paul. Why Paul was in prison, and Timothy was afraid of what might happen to him and feared shut his mouth and fear had paralyzed him. Did you know different that when we ought to succeed. Many of us fail, for one reason, because we listen to that sinister minister of fear.

The devil rather than listening to God and that fear has paralyzed us no matter how gifted we are now let me talk to you not only about fear and forgetfulness. What we just didn't forget who we are in the giftedness of God in fear and failure that makes us our shame and afraid to do what we could do and ought to do, but also fear and frailty. Did you know that fear can literally seconds week in our bodies that you're in second Timothy turned the first Timothy chapter 5 and look in verse 23 Paul says to Timothy drink no longer water but use a little wine for my stomach's sake and mine often infirmities here was a man who was sickly mouth. Was he afraid because he was sickly.

Perhaps so, but I think is more reasonable to say that he was sickly because he was afraid.

I think he had a fearful disposition and I believe that fearful disposition literally made him sick limited. What a well-known American internist Dr. said at a roundtable discussion on psychosomatic medicine.

He said this in spite of what they say 90% of the chronic patient to see today's physicians have one common problem that trouble did not start with a call for chest pain or hyper acidity. And 90% of the cases. The first symptom was fear.

Fear. Fear in your life is like sand in machinery faith in your life is like oil a lubricates life fear will do the same thing to you that San will do machinery so I've talked to you about fear and the destructive power of the spirit of fear. Now let me talk to you little bit about the delivering power of the spirit of faith. I thank God that Paul doesn't just tell us the problem, but he gives us the answer. He's giving Timothy the answer, but what is giving Timothy the answer.

He's also giving you the answer for a says in verse seven for God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of power and of love and a sound mind I here are the three elements that if you take them and put them in your life.

These three things, our love a sound mind. You can have a future free from the bondage of fear when I say the bondage of the I'm not saying a future free from fear. I would want future free from fear. I know about productive fear productive fears good so years ago our phone rang in the middle of the night I answer the phone and was one my son's roommates in college down in Texas and Waco, Texas.

He said Mr. Rogers. Isn't David supposed to be coming back to school today and I said what yes he left early this morning.

Patient had plenty of time to be there. I would've thought a me that by eight or 9 o'clock.

It was after midnight. He said well Mr. Rogers. I just thought I'll let you know he's he's not here.

I got to thinking about that old rattletrap car he was driving was a dark stormy night and all those things a go through that is mine. I thought well maybe some blowup maybes in a ditch maybes been around maybes minaret maybes at a gas meter talk. He said Mr. Rogers you have any idea where he is. I said no son I don't I said please call me an hour.

Let me know if using early morning he called back Mr. Rogers. He's not here. Howlers before then he should've been how you going to find someone in hundreds of miles of road what you want to do and I thought to myself as I felt that spirit of fear coming to me Adrian you preach the people you told not to be afraid you told him that because I given us a spirit of fear in your freight widen your sermon work is a well operator to Magana student work all at fear was there I said in my hypocrite why have I been preaching something that is not true, why, why am I afraid right now and I realize that the fear as I analyze it was a legitimate fear that God gave me a legitimate fear that says all right do something, just don't go back to sleep. If there is anything you can do doing well in that case, it was nothing I could do a limited I had committed to the Lord and what happened but no Misko had known the Dallas in Dallas. He met somebody looking for directions and he's driving all over Dallas trying to help this man out to find his way, figuring that he would know where they got there in time or not. So what that he didn't know what hurting but that he didn't now I'm not talking about legitimate fear that will calls you to motivate you to do something that you ought to do to protect your loved ones and so full now, there's a difference. Also, point fear and worry.

I realize also I began to worry. And I said, Lord, I can do that. I just put that in your hands, and I did and and committed it to the Lord what I am talking to you different about that that non-productive negative spirit. You know the difference between legitimate fear. The spirit of fear. Legitimate fear is like a thunderstorm for lightning flashes the rolls the water pours down and then the storm passes and the clouds rolled back in the sun shines again. Spirit of fear is just a constant darkness, a gristle if all you live in God is not giving you a compass.

That's not productive that's negative that's unreasonable that does not help to make us what we ought to be.

Now, dear friend, God gives us three things that will enable you to have a future free from the bondage of fear. First of all, God has endued us with power without notice. God has not given us the spirit of fear but of power.

Remember, Jesus said you shall be endued with power from on high. The power that he's talking about is the power of the Holy Spirit of God, that you why we're afraid when we're afraid we're afraid that we do not have the resources to meet our enemy.

I mean it. If we have a flow that we feel is bigger than we are then referring but if I understand I have greater strength than my folding is no need for me to be afraid, for example, when you were little kid, if you walked home from school and there was a bully who picked on you. You might've been afraid to walk home from school I remember I used to have this kid picked only this bully would pick on me.

Make me afraid and everyday. This bully followed me home from school just picking it meant picking at me. I was scared to death. One day I decided I'd had enough and I turned around I told her you leave me alone in all seriousness, if you were walking home from school and there's somebody was picking on you, but your daddy walks home from school with you then you no longer freight because greater is he that is with you. Then I got was picking on Allison greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world are greater is he that is in you. If you have the spirit of fear is because you have not focused on the Lord you have forgotten the gift of God that is in you by whatever means God has come upon you and gifted you so dear friends remember that God has given us the spirit of power greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. That's the reason the psalmist puts it this way and I I think this is such a beautiful Psalm and Psalm 27 in verse one.

The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear I live sense and that in the Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear the Lord is the strength of my life. Shall I be afraid. You see, God is given us the spirit of power, that is, the Lord is the strength of my life.

Now the fear of God therefore removes really all of the fear the man who can kneel before God can stand before any man okay now. First of all, when you checklist here am I remembering God's power shown to me. Do I know just how great my God is you need to glance at your problems and days at your God, the fear of man makes all account, the fear of God made David a hero when he went against the line okay now.

Secondly, not only has God given us the spirit of power, but God is also given us the spirit of all analog also is a mighty mighty force to deal with. How does love you with fear. Well, the Bible tells us very clearly in the Scripture how love deals with fear in first John chapter 4 and verse 18 and first John chapter 4 verse 18. The Bible says perfect love casts out fear. Well, as I've told you before that were used to bother me didn't help me much at all. I used to interpret that verse to mean that I love God perfectly. I would be afraid because it why don't do anything perfectly except sin. But that doesn't mean if I love God perfectly all not be afraid. It literally means that I don't have to be afraid because God loves me perfectly. Now let me give it to you in the living Bible. Remember the living Bible is a paraphrase, but here it I think amplifies beautifully what the Scripture says in first John four verse 18 we have no fear of someone who loves us perfectly. You see, we have no need of fear of someone who loves us perfectly is a perfect love for us, eliminates all grant of what he might do to us if we are free is for fear of what he might do to us and shows that were not fully convinced that he really loves us frame when you see on the one hand, God's mighty power and on the other hand, God's mighty love and fear seem to melt away. A man God and dues us with power God and reaches us with love now. I just rest in my love I say Lord no matter what happens to me. I know that I know that you love me. And because you love me because you're all powerful, all things work together for good to those who love God with the called according to his purpose.

But there's one other thing that is necessary. Not only does God induce with power and not only does God enrich us with love, but God enlightens us with a sound mind. Because God is not given us the spirit of fear but number one of power. Number two, of love and number three of a sound mind. Now this word sound mind literally means God is given us discipline or self-control or aid is earnings spirit, wise discretion. That's what the word sound mind means you see so many of the things that we afraid of where afraid of not on the basis of reality but because the deceiver has made us afraid motivational speaker zig Ziglar says fear at the AR is often false evidence appearing real. And indeed it is. And the devil so many times causes us to be afraid when there's nothing to be afraid of, you know the Bible says the wicked flee when no man pursues. Have you ever been out and I just got the idea someone was behind you. I just feel that way when his little boy mom and Amit carry out the garbage way out to the back alley be about 8 o'clock at night and be dark out there and all way back the house and idea somebody was chasing me they have been. I didn't have any real basis for that fee now listen, God gives us a sound mind. That is this that were able to take these things and look at them in the clear light of God's word and many times you have to take yourself by the nap of the neck and make yourself analyze these things to say we have to we have to look past what might happen to us at the immediate moment and see that God is ultimately victorious.

That's what Paul did in first Timothy chapter 1 beginning in verse 12 he says, to which cause I also suffer these things. Nevertheless, I'm not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he's able to keep that which I committed on him against that day. Timothy you are ashamed of the testimony of our Lord I'm not ashamed why because I know whom I have believed I am persuaded that he's able to keep that's a sound mind right that's a sound mind.

He wasn't blown away by all these things that the devil was doing that he had a commitment, a faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I was reading about a Japanese soldier during world war two 1944, when the tide began to turn it this soldier was living on the island of Guam when the tide began to turn and he thought that the Japanese were going to lose. He deserted the Japanese army and hold up in a cave in the jungles of Guam and for 28 years this soldier stayed in that cave and he would only come out at night and eight for all and eight rats in a shrimp that he could catch in puddles made while fruit anything get his hands on and for 28 years he lived as a prisoner of his fear of war was over where driving Toyotas watching Sony's hand taking vacations to Tokyo and here's this guy living down there in fear because he didn't know the wars over a friend I won't tell you the wars over and Jesus is one and it's finished. It's finished and he's offered amnesty and forgiveness. We all come home with that.

What I want you to know that feel the reason a lot of people don't come to God. They're afraid of God about healthy fear of the Lord they just thinking negatively about God bring the wars over and Jesus is Victor and your Sam is been painful and the devil doesn't want you to understand these things with the apostle Paul says nevertheless I know whom I have believed I am persuaded, he's able to keep that which I committed him to him against that day.

Have you committed everything to him, then don't be afraid.

What a powerful and encouraging word from God's word today maybe today you have questions regarding your faith in Jesus.

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If you have been neutralized by a spirit of fear.

Remember that you have the power of the Holy Spirit within you also have his perfect love lavished upon you, and Roger said the man who can kneel before God can stand before anyone else. Thanks for listening. We hope will join us next time. For more on love with.

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