Today we continue talking...

... about “Do Not be Afraid” but today we are discussing the importance of having a godly fear of the Lord. Isaiah 33:5‑6 (NIV) “The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness. He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure.” How powerful is this?  Holy fear is the key to God’s sure foundation, unlocking the treasures of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. Place the fear of God alongside the love of God and the two compose the very foundation of life and godly living.

1. Jesus needed to live by the fear of the Lord and we should too. Isaiah 11:2 (NLT) “And the Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. This verse in Isaiah is obviously a prophecy about Jesus. The Spirit will rest on Him...Holy Spirit...the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. If Jesus needed Holy Spirit...how much more will you and I need Him. Maybe one of the reasons we have lost our fear of the Lord is because we are not filled with Holy Spirit. 

2. We must approach Him with reverence and awe. Isaiah 29:13 (NKJV) “Therefore the LORD said: "Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men.” Ever since I have been a Christian I have often been very troubled by how people treat God so disrespectfully ...no fear or reverence.

3. We should have the fear of the Lord because no one else compares to Him. Psalm 89:6‑8 (NKJV) “For who in the heavens can be compared to the LORD? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened to the LORD? God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, And to be held in reverence by all those around Him. O LORD God of hosts, Who is mighty like You, O LORD? Your faithfulness also surrounds You.” We must honor Him, fear Him, revere Him because there is no one else like Him. Pastor Rick, I am a believer but I am hurting...go to the One that no one else can compare to: Isaiah 40:29‑31 (NKJV) “He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.”  Do not be afraid!

Today we continue speaking...

... about “Do Not be Afraid” and God has much to say to encourage us. Psalm 34:1‑5 (NKJV) “I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together. I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed. 

The foundation work in dealing with fear based on Psalm 34: I will be a worshiper of God at all times no matter what is going in my life. My boasting or lifting up will be in the Lord...not my fear or circumstances.  

My lifting up of the Lord will be open and it will be a testimony to God. I will connect with others who are struggling and we will exalt Him together. When I am fearful and hurting I will seek the Lord and find Him. 

I will seek Him, find Him, and not be ashamed in my situation.  

1. We should not fear poverty. Psalm 34:6 (NKJV) “This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles.”

2. We should not fear troubles. Psalm 34:6 (NKJV) “This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles.” 

3. We should not fear lack of substance. Psalm 34:9 (NKJV) “Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him.” 

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4. We should not fear not having a good life. John 10:10 (NKJV) “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”      

5. We should not fear abandonment by God. Psalm 34:18 (NKJV) “The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.” Nothing...nothing has helped me more than knowing that Jesus was only a whisper away, even in times when words were not easily forth coming...He understood and was there. Do not be afraid!

Today we continue with another article

... about “Do Not be Afraid” and I pray it will be an encouragement to you.

1. What to do when fear knocks. Max Lucado: “Fear, it seems, has taken a hundred-year lease on the building next door and set up shop.  Oversize and rude, fear is unwilling to share the heart with happiness. Happiness complies.  Do you ever see the two together? Can one be happy and afraid at the same time? Clear thinking and afraid? No. Fear is the big bully in the high school hallway: brash, loud, and unproductive.” For all the noise that fear makes and all the room it takes, fear does little good. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to walk out of the prison that fear makes? Wouldn’t it be great that when fear knocks we refuse to answer the door?

Imagine your life wholly untouched by fear and anxiety. What if faith, not fear, was your default reactions to threats? Imagine living a day, just one day, absent of the dread of failure, rejection, calamity, and insecurity. 

2. Why be afraid. Matthew 8:23‑27 (NKJV) “Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. 

And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!" But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?" 

Jesus asked...Why are you fearful...why are you so afraid? Is He serious...He must be kidding. Teasing obviously. Like one swimmer asking the other one - why are you wet? Jesus is not kidding...He is sincere...why are you so afraid? You see, believers in Christ are not set apart by the lack of storms...they are set apart by Whom they find in the storm with them. He was sleeping.

3. Does God care when we are fearful. Mark 4:38 (NKJV) “But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" This is very interesting...they do not ask Jesus about His strength...Can you still the storm? Or His knowledge - Are you aware of the storm? Or His know how - Do you have any experience with storms? They raise doubt about Jesus’ character...Do you not care? Fear does this! Fear corrodes our confidence in God’s goodness...if God can keep His eyes shut when mine are wide open and He can sleep when I think I am going under...Does He really care? Fear unleashes doubts, anger stirring doubts. Lucado – “Fear creates a form of spiritual amnesia. It dulls our miracle memory. It makes us forget what Jesus has done and how good God is.” Do not be afraid!

On Wednesday nights we

... have been doing a series on “Do Not be Afraid” so for the next few weeks I want to share with you what we have been talking about. Isaiah 41:10 (NLT2)  “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” What would you guess would be one of the most common commands in the Scripture? The single command in Scripture that occurs more often than any other—God’s most repeated instruction is formulated really in these words…Do not be afraid or fear not.

1. Let’s look at why God tells us to not be afraid. I believe the number one reason God tells us to “not be afraid” is because fear is the reason humans are tempted to avoid doing what God asks them to do...to trust Him.

2. We must know based on God’s Word that He can be trusted even when we are afraid. Isaiah 43:1‑2 (NKJV) “But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.” Father God can be trusted as long as we acknowledge Him. John Ortberg – “I believe the reason God says “fear not” so often is that fear will sink us faster than anything else.  Fear disrupts faith and becomes the biggest obstacle to trusting and obeying God.”

3. Fear and the cost of living in fear. When we are not willing to face our fears...it will definitely cost us...What? Fear will cost us our self-esteem. Fear will cost us a loss of destiny. Fear will cost us a lack of joy. Fear will cost us a sense of real intimacy. Fear will cost us our availability to God. –This is key: you will never know God is trustworthy if you do not risk obeying Him. When you come to the end of your life all those “what ifs” becomes “might have beens”. What might have been if I had trusted God? Fear gets passed from generation to generation. What are we passing to our children...faith or fear? Psalm 103:15‑18 (NLT) 

“Our days on earth are like grass; like wild flowers, we bloom and die. The wind blows, and we are gone— as though we had never been here. But the love of the LORD remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children’s children of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who obey his commandments!