1 00:00:00,500 --> 00:00:03,300 You know, the subject of fear. And I got to tell you, the 2 00:00:03,300 --> 00:00:06,200 reason that I thought about preaching on a subject, like 3 00:00:06,200 --> 00:00:10,500 fear is because fear is a subject that is often times 4 00:00:10,500 --> 00:00:14,800 mentioned, but very seldom. Do we hear what the Bible says 5 00:00:14,900 --> 00:00:17,900 about fear? In fact, I went home this from 6 00:00:17,900 --> 00:00:20,900 my meeting and Idaho, and I spent a lot of time this week 7 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:25,000 and I came up with a whole lot of stuff regarding fear and what 8 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:28,600 does God say about that? You know, it's very interesting 9 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:33,500 that psychologists say, Say that we are born into this world with 10 00:00:33,500 --> 00:00:37,000 only two fears. Number one, we have the fear of 11 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:39,800 falling. And number two we have the fear 12 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:43,100 of noise and that's why when we get these little infants, we 13 00:00:43,100 --> 00:00:46,700 want to make sure that we don't have it too noisy around them. 14 00:00:46,900 --> 00:00:49,600 And often times if they're going to be placed in a great big 15 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:53,200 Stadium or whatever with there's a lot of loud noise, they put 16 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:56,900 headphones on them because they're afraid of noise and 17 00:00:56,900 --> 00:00:59,800 that's why also we take a little child and we wrap them up and we 18 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:04,599 hoped Our feel secure because they have a fear of falling. 19 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:09,200 What happens though, over the process of time, we find that we 20 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:13,200 develop many more fears. In fact, it would be very 21 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:16,000 interesting to note and I don't know the answer to this. 22 00:01:16,300 --> 00:01:21,100 How many phobias are described and defined in the dictionary. 23 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:24,900 Let me just mention or suggest a few of these miss. 24 00:01:24,900 --> 00:01:29,200 A phobia is the fear of dirt Hydrophobia is the fear of 25 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:31,800 water. Nakhla phobia is the fear of 26 00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:35,100 darkness, acrophobia is the fear of high places. 27 00:01:35,200 --> 00:01:38,400 Taxa phobia is the fear of being buried alive. 28 00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:40,500 Xenophobia is the fear of strangers. 29 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:45,100 Necrophos obeah is the fear of the Dead claustrophobia, is the 30 00:01:45,100 --> 00:01:50,300 fear of confined places and triskaidekaphobia is the fear of 31 00:01:50,300 --> 00:01:56,400 the number 13 and there are many, many more today. 32 00:01:56,400 --> 00:02:00,500 People are Frederick with fear members of psychology class, Got 33 00:02:00,500 --> 00:02:02,900 together one time that a project, you know what they did? 34 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:08,100 They went out and they asked 500 people what are you afraid of? 35 00:02:08,900 --> 00:02:11,900 And some of those people would list a whole long list of things 36 00:02:11,900 --> 00:02:15,700 that they were afraid of. But of the 500 people that were 37 00:02:15,700 --> 00:02:19,500 asked, get this, that project came up with this, and they came 38 00:02:19,500 --> 00:02:26,900 up with seven thousand fears, that 500 people actually had You 39 00:02:26,900 --> 00:02:28,400 know, it doesn't have to be that way. 40 00:02:28,700 --> 00:02:31,400 Jesus Christ came to Deliver us from our fears. 41 00:02:32,600 --> 00:02:35,200 And I have to make this point, though, that, in our sermon, 42 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:38,100 we're going to notice, the two kinds of fear that are, that are 43 00:02:38,100 --> 00:02:40,500 described. And when I say about fear, when 44 00:02:40,500 --> 00:02:42,400 I talk about fear, I'm not talking about phobias. 45 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:45,400 By the way, you know, there's very little, you can do with 46 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:48,400 having a fear of heights. If you if you afraid of heights 47 00:02:48,500 --> 00:02:49,900 very little, you can do with that. 48 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:52,600 What I'm talking about is I want to talk about what the Bible 49 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:56,400 says about fear. That always comes with the 50 00:02:56,400 --> 00:03:00,800 choice. Fear that comes with a choice. 51 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:05,500 Here's the point. Fear and faith are at odds with 52 00:03:05,500 --> 00:03:06,800 each other. And I'm going to say this is the 53 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:09,400 very beginning of this lesson. Say it again. 54 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:15,700 Fear and faith are at odds. If you are fear-driven, you are 55 00:03:15,700 --> 00:03:19,300 not faith-driven. If you're a person of Faith, you 56 00:03:19,300 --> 00:03:23,400 can't be a person of fear. If you and your life, it fears 57 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:26,300 what drives you. If fears, what motivates you, if 58 00:03:26,300 --> 00:03:28,500 fear is what makes you what you are. 59 00:03:28,500 --> 00:03:31,600 You are not a person of Faith. You need to add your faith. 60 00:03:31,700 --> 00:03:33,000 You get better. Of that. 61 00:03:33,300 --> 00:03:36,200 But that's a whole other lesson in this sermon, though. 62 00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:38,300 We want to notice the following that. 63 00:03:38,300 --> 00:03:42,300 The Bible does consider two kinds of fear. 64 00:03:42,900 --> 00:03:46,400 And the first one, by the way, the first one actually is 65 00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:50,100 commanded in the scriptures. And that is this. 66 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:54,700 It's the kind of fear that involves respect honor 67 00:03:54,900 --> 00:03:58,900 reverence. And even a sense of all in 68 00:03:58,900 --> 00:04:03,200 Ecclesiastes, chapter 12, Beginning there in verse 13. 69 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:07,800 It says, let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. 70 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:11,500 Fear God, and keep his Commandments. 71 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:16,500 For this is man's all for God, will bring every work into 72 00:04:16,500 --> 00:04:21,800 judgment including every secret thing, whether good or evil. 73 00:04:22,100 --> 00:04:25,700 How about in the book of Acts Acts chapter 9 and verse 31? 74 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:30,000 Then the churches throughout all Judea Galilee and Samaria had 75 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:34,800 peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the 76 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:37,200 Lord. And in the comfort of the Holy 77 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:41,400 Spirit, they were multiplied. The Hebrew writer writing to 78 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:45,800 those Jewish Christians in the book of Hebrews wrote, this by 79 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:49,900 faith and verse 7 being divinely warned of things yet. 80 00:04:49,900 --> 00:04:55,700 Not seen moved with Godly fear prepared, an ark for the saving 81 00:04:55,700 --> 00:04:59,400 of his household, by which he condemned the world and became 82 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:03,800 heir of the righteousness, which is according According to Faith. 83 00:05:04,500 --> 00:05:08,600 So when you have this kind of respect When you have this kind 84 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:12,600 of fear for God, which is reverence respect and honor, it 85 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:15,400 leads to some things that are of great benefit to you. 86 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:18,500 And I Here, stop to consider that. 87 00:05:18,500 --> 00:05:22,500 When God tells us to do something, it not only is that 88 00:05:22,500 --> 00:05:27,100 we obey what he said, but it's also a tremendous practical 89 00:05:27,100 --> 00:05:31,100 benefit for us in our life. You know, the Bible says about a 90 00:05:31,100 --> 00:05:34,400 Christian when you obey the gospel, sometimes people think, 91 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:37,400 well, once I'm saying, once I obey the gospel, that's it. 92 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:41,800 I'm just saved. But our life begins as a babe in 93 00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:44,000 Christ. So, everything in our life just 94 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:47,500 begins, it's not a destination. It's a journey and it begins at 95 00:05:47,500 --> 00:05:49,200 Birth, and that's it. Baptism. 96 00:05:50,300 --> 00:05:52,900 And you have heard me preach this in the past, you've heard 97 00:05:52,900 --> 00:05:56,000 me say that when a child of God comes from the Waters of 98 00:05:56,000 --> 00:05:59,400 baptism, he's now a child of God, he has a three-fold 99 00:05:59,600 --> 00:06:02,800 Responding obligation. I'm going to be very brief one. 100 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:06,500 He has a responding obligation to himself to desire. 101 00:06:06,500 --> 00:06:09,100 The sincere, milk of the word to grow. 102 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:13,700 Number two, he has a responding obligation to others to Bear one 103 00:06:13,700 --> 00:06:16,700 another's burdens. But remember what the Bible says 104 00:06:16,700 --> 00:06:21,600 about are responding obligation to God are responding obligation 105 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:25,100 to? God is to live a holy life. 106 00:06:25,900 --> 00:06:28,100 In fact, God said I am Holy live. 107 00:06:28,100 --> 00:06:30,800 Holy be holy. For I am. 108 00:06:30,900 --> 00:06:34,900 Holy Poli in 2nd Corinthians 7:1. 109 00:06:35,100 --> 00:06:39,400 If a person is going to have this kind of fear and reverence 110 00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:43,300 and respect, it's going to help us with Holiness. 111 00:06:43,600 --> 00:06:46,900 Therefore, having these promises sankranthi and seven and one. 112 00:06:47,300 --> 00:06:51,900 Beloved let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the Flesh 113 00:06:51,900 --> 00:06:56,200 and spirit perfecting Holiness in the fear of God. 114 00:06:57,300 --> 00:07:00,400 They go together. Have you ever stopped to 115 00:07:00,407 --> 00:07:02,700 consider if you're struggling spiritually and you're 116 00:07:02,700 --> 00:07:07,100 struggling living a holy life? Maybe it's because you don't 117 00:07:07,100 --> 00:07:09,500 have the proper reverence and respect for God. 118 00:07:10,900 --> 00:07:13,800 If you're trying to live your life day by day, just as it 119 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:18,400 comes and you're struggling with living a holy life, have you 120 00:07:18,400 --> 00:07:22,300 ever stopped to consider that? The reason for that is you don't 121 00:07:22,300 --> 00:07:26,700 have the proper fear of God, you don't have a proper reverence 122 00:07:26,700 --> 00:07:29,900 and respect for God, you don't have a proper honor for God. 123 00:07:29,900 --> 00:07:33,500 You don't look to God with awe in your heart. 124 00:07:34,900 --> 00:07:37,200 You know, the Bible talks about godliness and we know what that 125 00:07:37,200 --> 00:07:40,000 means. It's a practical awareness of 126 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:43,400 God in every aspect of your life, so by that, you're going 127 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:46,900 to make better choices and it will always demonstrate itself 128 00:07:46,900 --> 00:07:49,500 in outward Behavior, which is righteous living. 129 00:07:49,900 --> 00:07:53,800 If you're struggling spiritually with a holy life, maybe it's 130 00:07:53,800 --> 00:07:57,900 because God is not at the Forefront of your thinking. 131 00:07:58,200 --> 00:08:02,600 But there's more not only will having the proper reverence and 132 00:08:02,600 --> 00:08:06,400 respect for God help us in living a holy life but it will 133 00:08:06,400 --> 00:08:09,900 also help us do something else at the Bible commands us to do 134 00:08:10,100 --> 00:08:13,400 and that is to work out our salvation with fear and 135 00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:18,500 trembling therefore my beloved as you have always obeyed, not 136 00:08:18,500 --> 00:08:22,300 as in my presence only but now much more in my absence. 137 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:28,800 Paul said, work out your own salvation with fear and 138 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:31,600 trembling I got to make a point about this work out okay? 139 00:08:32,299 --> 00:08:36,299 Work out your salvation. It doesn't mean as somewhat 140 00:08:36,299 --> 00:08:40,600 assume and suppose that what Paul was talking about is you do 141 00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:44,000 it your way and I'll do it mine. It doesn't mean that at all. 142 00:08:44,700 --> 00:08:47,400 Sometimes people say, well, you know, the Bible says work out 143 00:08:47,400 --> 00:08:49,300 your own salvation with fear and trembling. 144 00:08:49,300 --> 00:08:51,800 That means this, I have a personal relationship with the 145 00:08:51,800 --> 00:08:54,000 Lord. I'll do it my way, this guy over 146 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:56,300 here, he's got his relationship with the Lord. 147 00:08:56,400 --> 00:08:58,900 He'll do it his way and so on and so forth. 148 00:08:59,900 --> 00:09:02,900 But working out your own salvation deals with your own 149 00:09:02,900 --> 00:09:06,300 personal. Ability to what the word of God 150 00:09:06,300 --> 00:09:08,600 says. In other words, I can't do it 151 00:09:08,600 --> 00:09:11,300 for you and you can't do it for me. 152 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:14,200 I have to work it out in my life. 153 00:09:14,700 --> 00:09:17,400 I have to work it out in my life with the things that I do, in 154 00:09:17,400 --> 00:09:20,200 the things that I say, and the things that I'm involved in and 155 00:09:20,200 --> 00:09:22,600 so do you, that's what that means. 156 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:24,800 But I want to notice this right here. 157 00:09:25,400 --> 00:09:29,800 What does it mean fear and trembling you know I think about 158 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:34,200 these words and it sounds like almost it's a matter of in the 159 00:09:34,400 --> 00:09:39,200 Owner scared out of your mind and trembling and shaking. 160 00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:43,300 I got to tell you something years and years and years and 161 00:09:43,300 --> 00:09:48,000 years ago, I got up to give a five-minute talk at a big 162 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:52,300 meeting and I will never forget how I felt. 163 00:09:53,700 --> 00:09:56,000 I was so nervous. I was so scared. 164 00:09:56,000 --> 00:09:59,000 I'm not kidding you. My knees were actually going 165 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:01,900 like this. I was trembling. 166 00:10:03,400 --> 00:10:05,600 And you know, that's just kind of what happens to us when we do 167 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:08,800 something new, we try something new and we have nerves when 168 00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:12,100 we're just getting going. I was extremely nervous. 169 00:10:12,100 --> 00:10:16,700 So I was trembling, is that what this verse means though? 170 00:10:17,700 --> 00:10:21,100 No, it doesn't fear. And trembling here does not mean 171 00:10:21,100 --> 00:10:24,700 what I just described to you the phrase fear and trembling is an 172 00:10:24,700 --> 00:10:29,100 Old Testament expression and it denotes the following, it means 173 00:10:29,100 --> 00:10:34,900 this it is a humble reverence and It's and Devotion to God. 174 00:10:34,900 --> 00:10:38,200 That's what it means. Then me scared to death. 175 00:10:38,200 --> 00:10:40,600 Kind of like that movie, You Know, The Ghost and mr. 176 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:44,700 Chicken, you know, with a and, you know, Barney, Don Knotts 177 00:10:44,900 --> 00:10:46,900 shaking all the time. It's not what that means. 178 00:10:46,900 --> 00:10:50,200 It means this, if I'm going to work out my salvation with fear 179 00:10:50,200 --> 00:10:52,800 and trembling it means this, I'm going to have a humble 180 00:10:52,800 --> 00:10:56,400 reverence, I'm going to have dependents and I'm going to have 181 00:10:56,400 --> 00:11:01,400 total Devotion to God. So having the proper reverence 182 00:11:01,400 --> 00:11:05,400 for God leads to not only a holy life, not only being able to 183 00:11:05,400 --> 00:11:07,300 work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. 184 00:11:07,300 --> 00:11:13,700 But one more, it even helps with our responsibility of evangelism 185 00:11:14,300 --> 00:11:19,600 in 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 11 knowing therefore the 186 00:11:19,600 --> 00:11:23,000 terror of the lord, we persuade men. 187 00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:27,300 But we are well known to God. And I also trust are well known 188 00:11:27,300 --> 00:11:31,100 in your consciences. Now this Looks like a scary word 189 00:11:31,100 --> 00:11:35,000 hear the word Terror. And if we use that, in a sense 190 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:38,900 that we might know in a common vernacular, we might talk about 191 00:11:38,900 --> 00:11:44,400 being terrified and again, we're talking about frightened, we're 192 00:11:44,400 --> 00:11:47,500 talking about things that just scare us out of our mind. 193 00:11:48,100 --> 00:11:51,300 Again, that's not this word. This word In this passage 194 00:11:51,300 --> 00:11:57,900 literally means fear, reverence respect and honor In other 195 00:11:57,900 --> 00:12:00,700 words, it's not telling you to be afraid of God. 196 00:12:01,100 --> 00:12:03,900 In fact, Robinson further Explains It In this passage to 197 00:12:03,900 --> 00:12:09,500 me in this deep and reverential feeling of accountability to God 198 00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:11,900 or Christ. Can't you see the Practical 199 00:12:11,900 --> 00:12:14,400 benefit people? Sometimes struggle, I need some 200 00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:17,200 practical stuff. I'm giving you practical stuff, 201 00:12:17,800 --> 00:12:20,700 and it all begins with having the proper reverence and respect 202 00:12:20,700 --> 00:12:24,000 for God, and it leads to Holiness, it leads to working at 203 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:26,700 your salvation with fear and trembling, and it even works 204 00:12:26,700 --> 00:12:31,400 toward Helping others and letting others persuade men or 205 00:12:31,400 --> 00:12:36,600 showing others about the Lord. Now. 206 00:12:37,900 --> 00:12:42,300 Paul felt that way. I will add this though. 207 00:12:42,300 --> 00:12:45,600 Before we go any further, I remember. 208 00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:51,700 Daryl used to say I'm a, I fear or I'm afraid of what God can do 209 00:12:51,700 --> 00:12:53,700 to me. That's true. 210 00:12:56,100 --> 00:13:01,900 God is so awesome and Powerful. That he can do anything that he 211 00:13:01,900 --> 00:13:05,700 wants to do. And in his Providence, he does 212 00:13:05,700 --> 00:13:09,000 that he can do it directly, he can do it, indirectly, he can do 213 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:13,300 whatever he wants to. But when you talk about the fear 214 00:13:13,300 --> 00:13:17,400 of God, yes, we understand that God can do things to us, that 215 00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:21,700 are not not good for us. But if you think about it this 216 00:13:21,700 --> 00:13:26,200 way, if you have the right, kind of fear a reverential feeling of 217 00:13:26,200 --> 00:13:28,800 respect, for God, you understand, look it. 218 00:13:28,900 --> 00:13:33,800 I'm accountable to God and Jesus Christ, I'm accountable. 219 00:13:34,700 --> 00:13:37,800 All right, so that's the kind of fear by the way that is 220 00:13:37,800 --> 00:13:39,900 commanded and I said that we're going to notice two. 221 00:13:40,300 --> 00:13:43,600 And I have to say this again, I'm not talking about phobias, 222 00:13:43,600 --> 00:13:45,500 okay? Not talking about that, not 223 00:13:45,500 --> 00:13:47,800 talking about caution more on that in a minute. 224 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:50,500 I'm talking about what is found in the Bible. 225 00:13:50,600 --> 00:13:55,100 One is commanded and get this. The other one is forbidden. 226 00:13:56,700 --> 00:14:00,900 It's forbidden. What's forbidden, what is it? 227 00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:07,200 Stay with me on this. It is the fear that is that of 228 00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:14,300 dread alarm fright, Terror, apprehension, anxiety, 229 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:19,700 perplexity, and distrust. I'm going to prove this stuff. 230 00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:21,500 Okay, I'm gonna prove this to you. 231 00:14:22,700 --> 00:14:23,900 You know what? I got to thinking, there's a 232 00:14:23,900 --> 00:14:26,100 word up there that hit me right between the eyes. 233 00:14:27,500 --> 00:14:30,000 There's a word on that screen right there. 234 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:31,500 The hit me right between the eyes. 235 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:39,500 I had never put that word with perhaps fear or forbidden fear. 236 00:14:39,900 --> 00:14:42,800 Not going to tell you what you want to do is go by the way, we 237 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:44,000 all got probably someone up there. 238 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:46,700 I'm not going to tell you, but I'm going to tell you this. 239 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:49,700 It's up there. I got to work on that. 240 00:14:50,400 --> 00:14:51,800 Maybe you see some words up there. 241 00:14:51,800 --> 00:14:53,900 You got to work on to remember this. 242 00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:58,700 It's the fear in the Bible that is forbidden and will notice why 243 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:02,800 it's forbidden. These are synonymous terms that 244 00:15:02,800 --> 00:15:04,800 are on the board with this kind of fear. 245 00:15:05,100 --> 00:15:08,200 This kind of fear is forbidden Psalm 91 in verse 5. 246 00:15:09,300 --> 00:15:16,100 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night nor the arrow 247 00:15:16,100 --> 00:15:18,800 that flies by day. Now notice what he's saying 248 00:15:18,800 --> 00:15:24,900 here, we're talking about two things, this is danger, this 249 00:15:24,900 --> 00:15:29,700 represents danger, that's Arrow Terror represents fear of 250 00:15:29,700 --> 00:15:32,400 danger. So, what the psalmist David is 251 00:15:32,400 --> 00:15:37,200 recording in the long ago, is this do not be afraid of the 252 00:15:37,200 --> 00:15:41,500 fear of danger and do. Not be afraid of the danger 253 00:15:41,500 --> 00:15:44,600 itself. Interesting. 254 00:15:45,700 --> 00:15:50,000 In other words, these things will never affect the one that 255 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:53,700 puts his trust in the Lord. Now, I'm not saying that, if you 256 00:15:53,700 --> 00:15:56,600 put your trust in the Lord, everything will work out and you 257 00:15:56,608 --> 00:15:59,300 won't have bad stuff that sometimes happens not saying 258 00:15:59,300 --> 00:16:01,700 that at all. What I'm saying is it doesn't 259 00:16:01,700 --> 00:16:04,500 matter. If you put your faith and trust 260 00:16:04,500 --> 00:16:08,800 in the Lord completely you are true or putting your life in 261 00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:11,400 God's hands and both Time and Eternity. 262 00:16:11,600 --> 00:16:17,000 So notice Fear of danger, won't matter, danger itself, won't 263 00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:20,500 matter because you put everything in God's hands and it 264 00:16:20,500 --> 00:16:26,000 won't matter. Listen to this again. 265 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:29,300 Are we going to be a person of fear or we going to be a person 266 00:16:29,300 --> 00:16:32,700 of faith? Let me just ask you this. 267 00:16:32,700 --> 00:16:35,800 Can you ever think of a time? Can you ever think of a time 268 00:16:35,800 --> 00:16:38,900 that you made a scared decision? That it was probably the very 269 00:16:38,900 --> 00:16:41,900 best decision for you? You made it out of fear. 270 00:16:42,800 --> 00:16:44,400 Maybe you made it out of desperation. 271 00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:47,000 You didn't think about it. He didn't weigh it. 272 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:49,400 All out, you didn't make it with faith in mind. 273 00:16:49,400 --> 00:16:51,200 You didn't make it with trusting, God in mind, you made 274 00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:52,600 it with fear because you were scared. 275 00:16:54,200 --> 00:16:58,200 What Jesus say. Do not fear. 276 00:16:59,700 --> 00:17:03,600 Little flock. Now obviously in the context of 277 00:17:03,608 --> 00:17:09,400 this Jesus is talking to his disciples, he's talking to 12 278 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:12,300 men. So in the context, what he's 279 00:17:12,300 --> 00:17:17,400 saying is he says Little Flock, meaning small in number and he 280 00:17:17,408 --> 00:17:21,000 was talking about a time before the kingdom, or the church was 281 00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:23,300 established. And what did he tell them? 282 00:17:23,400 --> 00:17:27,099 He said don't be afraid, don't fear Little Flock. 283 00:17:27,200 --> 00:17:30,700 He said for it is your father's. Good, pleasure to give you the 284 00:17:30,700 --> 00:17:33,100 kingdom. That's For the kid, the church 285 00:17:33,100 --> 00:17:38,000 or the kingdom was established. Now interestingly about that. 286 00:17:39,300 --> 00:17:41,500 Bowls wrote. This bowls of this. 287 00:17:42,700 --> 00:17:47,500 Disciples are not to worry about their spiritual food and support 288 00:17:48,400 --> 00:17:51,500 the apostles were the charter members of the church. 289 00:17:52,100 --> 00:17:53,900 They are. The church is the Earthly 290 00:17:53,900 --> 00:17:58,300 institution of the Heavenly Kingdom and just say this to we, 291 00:17:58,300 --> 00:18:02,900 now have the kingdom in place. It's the church and let me just 292 00:18:02,900 --> 00:18:07,900 ask you this. When the Bible says that the 293 00:18:07,900 --> 00:18:10,100 church will be handed back over to his father. 294 00:18:10,100 --> 00:18:14,500 And we have that promise. We may be a small band of 295 00:18:14,500 --> 00:18:19,500 believers. But Jesus says, Don't Fear. 296 00:18:21,500 --> 00:18:25,500 He said, don't be afraid. Don't be afraid. 297 00:18:27,500 --> 00:18:30,700 Now, this type of fear is not to be confused with caution, make 298 00:18:30,700 --> 00:18:34,700 this point. If you fear that you're going to 299 00:18:34,708 --> 00:18:38,100 get run over in the road, okay, you'll look both ways when you 300 00:18:38,100 --> 00:18:43,100 cross the street. if you have a fear of polio, you'll get a 301 00:18:43,300 --> 00:18:47,400 vaccine, These types of fears are normal and good. 302 00:18:48,100 --> 00:18:51,800 In fact, the Bible talks about being sober and sober, in the 303 00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:55,100 Bible, in the New Testament means of sober mind. 304 00:18:55,700 --> 00:18:59,400 It literally means to be seriously minded. 305 00:18:59,600 --> 00:19:03,100 So, if a person is seriously minded, they are cautious. 306 00:19:03,100 --> 00:19:06,400 How do I know that? Because the word sober also 307 00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:10,200 means circumspect big word. What's it mean? 308 00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:15,400 Circumspect literally means this in practicality it As a matter 309 00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:20,400 of evaluating every possible circumstance of my choice before 310 00:19:20,400 --> 00:19:22,800 I make the decision, that's caution. 311 00:19:22,800 --> 00:19:26,100 That's good. So that's not the fear I'm 312 00:19:26,100 --> 00:19:30,100 talking about. Fear does not mean caution 313 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:33,700 caution is not condemned. I'm talking about the things 314 00:19:33,700 --> 00:19:37,600 that are forbidden. Well, first of all, let's talk 315 00:19:37,600 --> 00:19:43,000 about some areas where in fear operates, Fear sometimes keeps 316 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:44,300 us from being all that we can be. 317 00:19:44,300 --> 00:19:50,200 And you know what one of those is fear of failure I'm going to 318 00:19:50,208 --> 00:19:55,800 tell you this gets a lot of us. It gets a lot of men and makes 319 00:19:55,800 --> 00:20:00,200 them afraid to try because they don't want to fail. 320 00:20:01,900 --> 00:20:03,200 I got to tell you a little story. 321 00:20:04,500 --> 00:20:07,100 Years ago, I don't know. It might be 25 years ago. 322 00:20:07,100 --> 00:20:09,900 I don't know. But I'll just tell you, one of 323 00:20:09,900 --> 00:20:13,000 the things that I was always uncomfortable with, as a young 324 00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:15,700 person, I was always uncomfortable, getting up and 325 00:20:15,700 --> 00:20:18,100 leading a song, Especially a song that I didn't really know 326 00:20:18,100 --> 00:20:21,100 that well and I was very, I don't know. 327 00:20:21,700 --> 00:20:24,700 I don't know what you call that, but I was always nervous about 328 00:20:24,700 --> 00:20:27,500 that and I'll never forget, I went up to Terry and Terry said, 329 00:20:27,500 --> 00:20:29,500 won't you leave this on us? I don't think I can Terry. 330 00:20:29,600 --> 00:20:31,100 That guy was trying to get him to lead it. 331 00:20:31,900 --> 00:20:34,200 You'll eat it. You're better than I am. 332 00:20:35,500 --> 00:20:39,000 Terry said, no you do it and I said, but you don't understand. 333 00:20:40,200 --> 00:20:44,000 I don't want to mess it up. And I'll never forget what he 334 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:46,700 said. He said, you know, Terry is an 335 00:20:46,700 --> 00:20:50,100 outstanding song because we all know that, you know, Terry said 336 00:20:50,100 --> 00:20:53,300 to me, he said I have gotten up in front of huge crowds and I 337 00:20:53,308 --> 00:20:58,000 have butchered songs. And nobody has ever branded me. 338 00:20:58,000 --> 00:21:05,200 Terry, Osburn song record I'll never forget that sometimes 339 00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:08,600 people don't try because people are afraid to fail. 340 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:11,600 Jesus dealt, with this very thing. 341 00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:14,200 The one Talent, man, Matthew 25. And 25. 342 00:21:14,200 --> 00:21:18,800 Notice I was afraid and I went and I hid your talent in the 343 00:21:18,800 --> 00:21:21,000 ground. Look, there you have. 344 00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:25,200 What is yours? Now, we always spend time 345 00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:30,300 talking about the burial of the talent and we say this, the five 346 00:21:30,300 --> 00:21:34,100 Talent guy went out and got five more got 10, the to Talent guy 347 00:21:34,100 --> 00:21:36,600 went out and got double that he got for. 348 00:21:36,600 --> 00:21:41,800 But the one Talent man, went and buried the talent and sometimes 349 00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:45,100 we leave it right there and we say what Jesus said, and we move 350 00:21:45,100 --> 00:21:47,100 on. But have you ever stopped to 351 00:21:47,100 --> 00:21:50,400 consider the one Talent, man? If he would have done something 352 00:21:50,400 --> 00:21:56,100 with his one Talent he had to? Have you ever stopped to 353 00:21:56,100 --> 00:21:59,500 consider that? You may have a talent or an 354 00:21:59,500 --> 00:22:04,100 ability that is not really readily aware or available or 355 00:22:04,100 --> 00:22:07,700 what you see or what other see in you it has to be developed. 356 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:11,500 Sometimes we say this, oh man, he's got a lot of ability. 357 00:22:12,800 --> 00:22:14,200 That guy right there is got a lot of ability. 358 00:22:15,400 --> 00:22:18,600 Okay, he does. But I'ma tell you right now, 359 00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:23,700 sometimes we have abilities and we don't know what we can be 360 00:22:23,700 --> 00:22:26,100 with that until we go and work and try. 361 00:22:26,900 --> 00:22:29,500 Sometimes, fear keeps us from being all that we can be for the 362 00:22:29,500 --> 00:22:30,800 cause of Christ. Why? 363 00:22:30,900 --> 00:22:36,600 Fear of failure Are you using your talents or are you just on 364 00:22:36,600 --> 00:22:40,300 cruise control? In the last 10 years. 365 00:22:40,300 --> 00:22:45,400 If you grown at all, I'm talking to the men, young men old men. 366 00:22:45,500 --> 00:22:47,400 I'm talking to all of us. Me too. 367 00:22:48,200 --> 00:22:51,800 Have you grown have you reached outside your comfort level? 368 00:22:51,900 --> 00:22:55,100 Have you decided to go out and be better and do all you can do 369 00:22:55,200 --> 00:22:59,500 or are you in cruise control doing the same thing over and 370 00:22:59,500 --> 00:23:01,400 over again? Year after year? 371 00:23:01,400 --> 00:23:05,800 After year, after year? I don't know what you got. 372 00:23:07,200 --> 00:23:10,900 But God wants all of it, he wants, whatever that it is. 373 00:23:11,900 --> 00:23:15,700 Sometimes people fail because they are afraid to fail. 374 00:23:16,400 --> 00:23:19,900 First Corinthians 15:58, here's a great encouragement. 375 00:23:20,700 --> 00:23:24,700 Therefore, my beloved Brethren be steadfast immovable, always 376 00:23:24,700 --> 00:23:28,400 abounding in the work of the Lord notice knowing that your 377 00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:31,000 labor is not in vain. In the Lord. 378 00:23:31,100 --> 00:23:34,100 Don't be afraid of failure. Everything you do for the cause 379 00:23:34,100 --> 00:23:36,300 of Christ, none of it is in vain. 380 00:23:38,700 --> 00:23:42,800 And God can use it. It's our duty to do the best we 381 00:23:42,800 --> 00:23:45,700 can. And leave the results in the 382 00:23:45,700 --> 00:23:49,600 hands of God. Number 3. 383 00:23:49,800 --> 00:23:53,600 Next also, sometimes men fear not only failure, but they feel 384 00:23:53,600 --> 00:24:00,100 fear responsibility. you know, I don't want to Sometimes people 385 00:24:00,100 --> 00:24:02,400 say I don't want the pressure of responsibility. 386 00:24:05,300 --> 00:24:09,300 I don't want to be responsible. I don't want to take on that 387 00:24:09,300 --> 00:24:11,600 task because I don't want to be responsible for that. 388 00:24:13,100 --> 00:24:16,400 I don't want to do that because maybe I have to change how I am 389 00:24:16,400 --> 00:24:20,600 and who I am a little bit. Maybe people will look at me 390 00:24:20,600 --> 00:24:24,100 differently, maybe they'll expect more out of me sometimes 391 00:24:24,100 --> 00:24:27,600 people don't do what they should do and they have fear because 392 00:24:27,600 --> 00:24:32,200 they fear responsibility that was the same thing that was true 393 00:24:32,200 --> 00:24:35,600 with Matthew. 25 and 25 with the one Talent man. 394 00:24:35,600 --> 00:24:39,600 But there's more fear will keep us from our responsibility of 395 00:24:39,600 --> 00:24:42,500 being Fishers of Men. Notice what Jesus said in Luke 396 00:24:42,500 --> 00:24:47,300 Chapter 5, and verse 10. And so also were James and John 397 00:24:47,300 --> 00:24:52,400 the sons. the sons of Zebedee who were partners with Simon and 398 00:24:52,400 --> 00:25:00,000 Jesus said to Simon, don't be afraid. from now on you will 399 00:25:00,100 --> 00:25:05,500 catch man that's our responsibility of doing all that 400 00:25:05,500 --> 00:25:10,100 we can the next one here, sometimes people feared this and 401 00:25:10,100 --> 00:25:15,900 I'll tell you this anybody that gets to be around 30 You start 402 00:25:15,900 --> 00:25:21,000 thinking about this but good news in time you realize it's 403 00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:22,900 not really a problem, you're not really old. 404 00:25:23,800 --> 00:25:27,800 But one of the problems that people have is this The fear of 405 00:25:27,800 --> 00:25:30,500 old age you've heard me say this. 406 00:25:30,500 --> 00:25:34,500 I used to think when I was 24 that 50 was old as dirt. 407 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:37,700 I don't think that way at all. Now, I'm 52, man, I'm in my 408 00:25:37,700 --> 00:25:40,900 Prime. Great stuff not old at all, 409 00:25:41,900 --> 00:25:44,500 sometimes people are held back for all. 410 00:25:44,500 --> 00:25:48,700 They could be because they fear old age. 411 00:25:48,700 --> 00:25:52,600 But did you know, the Bible teaches that honor and Glory are 412 00:25:52,600 --> 00:25:57,800 attached to old age. Listen to Leviticus 19. 32, 413 00:25:58,100 --> 00:26:02,600 listen to this, you shall rise up before the grey-headed and 414 00:26:02,600 --> 00:26:06,300 honor the presence of an old man and fear. 415 00:26:06,300 --> 00:26:10,500 Your God. I am the Lord in Proverbs 16 and 416 00:26:10,500 --> 00:26:13,800 31. The silver-haired head is a 417 00:26:13,800 --> 00:26:17,600 Crown of Glory if it is found in the way of righteousness. 418 00:26:17,600 --> 00:26:22,500 And I got to say, if you're a young person here Don't ever 419 00:26:22,500 --> 00:26:24,400 forget the two passages I just showed you. 420 00:26:27,500 --> 00:26:30,600 You know, you get wisdom and I do too. 421 00:26:31,900 --> 00:26:36,600 When we ask of God, okay, when we ask of God and the Bible 422 00:26:36,600 --> 00:26:39,500 says, he gives it liberally. Number two. 423 00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:44,000 I also get wisdom when I go mess up and I make mistakes to make 424 00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:46,500 the wrong choice, and I survived the wrong choice. 425 00:26:46,500 --> 00:26:49,300 And I learned from my experience, I get wisdom, that's 426 00:26:49,300 --> 00:26:52,300 number two. But I like what one man said, 427 00:26:52,300 --> 00:26:57,700 one time you cannot mess up enough and recover and have all 428 00:26:57,700 --> 00:26:59,300 the wisdom that you're going to need. 429 00:26:59,300 --> 00:27:01,100 So, you know what, I need to go talk to brother. 430 00:27:01,100 --> 00:27:03,700 Ruben Creek, mom a little bit. You to learn a little wisdom 431 00:27:03,700 --> 00:27:08,000 from him or Jack holiday. I need to go talk to people that 432 00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:10,500 are older than me. I'm talking to young people 433 00:27:10,500 --> 00:27:12,500 here. Look at those that are older 434 00:27:12,500 --> 00:27:15,100 with dear respect. They've got so much knowledge 435 00:27:15,100 --> 00:27:18,200 and experience and wisdom and we can all learn from that. 436 00:27:18,700 --> 00:27:20,500 That's precious. I love it. 437 00:27:20,600 --> 00:27:25,300 The the silver-haired head is a Crown of Glory if it is found in 438 00:27:25,300 --> 00:27:29,000 the way of righteousness. So if a child of God is an older 439 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:33,000 person, it is precious. Not only in the eyes of God, but 440 00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:37,900 his Priceless for you and me. I read an article by the way, 441 00:27:37,900 --> 00:27:41,100 it's entitled listen to this. It's entitled rethinking 442 00:27:41,100 --> 00:27:44,400 retirement. I want to read you this little 443 00:27:44,400 --> 00:27:48,000 excerpt from it. Rethinking retirement, The 444 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:50,600 author wrote currently the average life expectancy in the 445 00:27:50,608 --> 00:27:53,100 United States is seventy eight point seven years. 446 00:27:54,500 --> 00:27:59,400 This means that most of the 3.65 million persons in the United 447 00:27:59,400 --> 00:28:04,300 States are projected to turn 65 this year. 448 00:28:04,600 --> 00:28:08,500 May expect to live a dozen or more years. 449 00:28:09,400 --> 00:28:15,200 Some will likely live another 35 years or more interesting. 450 00:28:16,600 --> 00:28:22,300 So this author said this but life is more than years as the 451 00:28:22,300 --> 00:28:25,400 Irish author. Jonathan Jonathan Swift States 452 00:28:25,500 --> 00:28:28,300 may you live all the days of your life. 453 00:28:28,900 --> 00:28:32,300 He went on to say that many folks today view, retirement, as 454 00:28:32,300 --> 00:28:36,500 nothing more than an extended time of leisure as one, man. 455 00:28:36,500 --> 00:28:41,600 Quipped when I retire, I'm going to do absolutely nothing. 456 00:28:42,600 --> 00:28:45,100 And I'm going to start that about 2:00 in the afternoon. 457 00:28:47,600 --> 00:28:49,200 Compare that with the Bible, widget. 458 00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:53,200 Compare that with the Bible. How about Psalm 92? 459 00:28:54,400 --> 00:28:58,000 Verses 13 and 14. Look at this passage here. 460 00:28:59,900 --> 00:29:02,100 Those who are planted in the house of the Lord. 461 00:29:03,600 --> 00:29:06,700 Shall flourish in the courts of our God? 462 00:29:08,300 --> 00:29:16,500 They shall still bear fruit in old age, bear fruit. do you know 463 00:29:16,500 --> 00:29:18,500 some of the greatest accomplishments in life have 464 00:29:18,500 --> 00:29:22,500 been accomplished by people that were older mr. 465 00:29:22,500 --> 00:29:25,000 Webster, wrote his dictionary at the age of 70. 466 00:29:26,200 --> 00:29:32,100 Moses was eighty 80 when he led Israel out of bondage. 467 00:29:33,100 --> 00:29:36,400 So listen, let's not fear old age, it's precious, it's 468 00:29:36,400 --> 00:29:39,800 Priceless and I'm telling you right now, older person we need 469 00:29:39,800 --> 00:29:44,500 you with all you can do. Okay, here's another one though. 470 00:29:44,500 --> 00:29:47,800 This gets a lot of us. Sometimes we are fear-driven. 471 00:29:47,800 --> 00:29:53,100 Sometimes fear is in our life because of this, because we fear 472 00:29:53,100 --> 00:29:56,000 what others will say do or think. 473 00:29:57,800 --> 00:30:00,400 And sometimes we're afraid because we're scared to death. 474 00:30:00,400 --> 00:30:04,600 What somebody else might say do or think? 475 00:30:07,600 --> 00:30:10,600 Luke chapter 12. Beginning in verse 4, notice. 476 00:30:12,600 --> 00:30:16,100 And I say to you, my friends do not be afraid of Those Who Kill 477 00:30:16,100 --> 00:30:19,600 the body. And after that have no more that 478 00:30:19,600 --> 00:30:22,700 they can do. But I will show you whom you 479 00:30:22,700 --> 00:30:28,100 should fear fear Him who also he has killed has power to cast 480 00:30:28,100 --> 00:30:32,700 into hell, yes. I say to you, fear Him are not 481 00:30:32,700 --> 00:30:36,900 five sparrows, sold for two copper coins and not one of them 482 00:30:36,900 --> 00:30:40,900 is forgotten before God, but the very hairs of your head are all 483 00:30:40,900 --> 00:30:42,600 numbered do not. Fear. 484 00:30:42,600 --> 00:30:47,000 Therefore, you are of more value than many sparrows. 485 00:30:47,100 --> 00:30:54,500 Notice what we have here? Don't be afraid. do not fear, 486 00:30:55,900 --> 00:31:01,700 but Fear Him that's reverence and respect and honor and awe 487 00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:08,100 for God, fear Him. Now, oftentimes, this type of 488 00:31:08,100 --> 00:31:12,800 fear causes us to do wrong. It causes us to make mistakes 489 00:31:12,800 --> 00:31:16,500 causes us to sin. Because this is the same kind of 490 00:31:16,500 --> 00:31:20,200 fear, by the way, where Peter denied the Lord notice. 491 00:31:21,300 --> 00:31:25,100 Now this is an apostle, the Apostle Peter watch what 492 00:31:25,100 --> 00:31:28,500 happened to him because he, feared what other men would say 493 00:31:28,500 --> 00:31:33,300 or do, or think notice now, Peter sat outside the courtyard 494 00:31:33,300 --> 00:31:37,800 and a servant girl, came to him saying you also were with Jesus 495 00:31:37,800 --> 00:31:42,100 of Galilee, but he denied before them all saying. 496 00:31:42,100 --> 00:31:44,700 I know not who you are. What you are. 497 00:31:45,000 --> 00:31:48,600 Saying and when he had gone out of the Gateway, another girl saw 498 00:31:48,600 --> 00:31:50,300 him and said to those who were there. 499 00:31:50,500 --> 00:31:53,200 This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth. 500 00:31:53,200 --> 00:31:57,600 But again, he denied with an oath, I do not know the man and 501 00:31:57,600 --> 00:32:00,300 a little later. Those who stood by came up and 502 00:32:00,300 --> 00:32:04,900 said to Peter, surely you also are one of them for your speech 503 00:32:04,900 --> 00:32:09,500 betrays you, then he began to curse and swear saying I do not 504 00:32:09,500 --> 00:32:12,600 know the man. And immediately, the rooster 505 00:32:12,600 --> 00:32:15,500 crow. And Peter remembered the word of 506 00:32:15,500 --> 00:32:19,600 Jesus who had said to him before the rooster crows, you will deny 507 00:32:19,600 --> 00:32:23,600 me three times or Thrice. So he went out and he wept 508 00:32:24,600 --> 00:32:28,800 bitterly. This is a kind of fear that can 509 00:32:28,800 --> 00:32:32,300 get all of us. It got Peter, one more time, one 510 00:32:32,300 --> 00:32:34,100 more passage, you got Peter, one more time. 511 00:32:35,100 --> 00:32:37,600 You remember that? Peter was the instrument of God 512 00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:40,600 that took the gospel to the Gentiles for the very first 513 00:32:40,600 --> 00:32:44,500 time. Everybody up to act 10 was a 514 00:32:44,500 --> 00:32:47,500 converted Jew. In other words, they had Jewish 515 00:32:47,500 --> 00:32:49,100 blood running through their veins. 516 00:32:49,400 --> 00:32:51,600 They were Jews. The gospel went to the Jew 517 00:32:51,600 --> 00:32:55,400 first, but as it says, it was also to the Greek or the 518 00:32:55,400 --> 00:32:58,400 Gentile. Peter was the instrument in the 519 00:32:58,400 --> 00:33:02,600 household of Cornelius to bring the gospel to the Gentiles. 520 00:33:02,700 --> 00:33:05,000 If anybody would have known better, it was Peter. 521 00:33:05,100 --> 00:33:06,700 Look what happened to Peter though. 522 00:33:08,000 --> 00:33:12,700 Galatians 2 11 through 13. Now, when Peter had come to 523 00:33:12,700 --> 00:33:14,800 Antioch, I withstood him to the face. 524 00:33:14,800 --> 00:33:16,900 Why? Paul, because he was to be 525 00:33:16,900 --> 00:33:20,500 blamed. Why Paul for before certain men 526 00:33:20,500 --> 00:33:25,300 came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles, but when they 527 00:33:25,300 --> 00:33:30,100 came he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were 528 00:33:30,100 --> 00:33:33,100 of the circumcision, that's the Jews. 529 00:33:33,200 --> 00:33:37,200 In other words, when the Jews showed up, I'm afraid of what 530 00:33:37,200 --> 00:33:39,600 men will say. I'm afraid of what men will do. 531 00:33:39,700 --> 00:33:42,000 I'm afraid of what will come upon me. 532 00:33:42,800 --> 00:33:46,900 So he refused to eat with the Gentiles and notice and the rest 533 00:33:46,900 --> 00:33:51,500 of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even 534 00:33:51,500 --> 00:33:55,000 Barnabas was carried away with hypocrisy. 535 00:33:56,900 --> 00:34:01,100 Today, fear. This kind of fear keeps one from 536 00:34:01,100 --> 00:34:06,000 taking a stand, for the truth. Listen young person. 537 00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:11,699 Let me ask you something. When you are in the midst of 538 00:34:11,699 --> 00:34:16,699 your friends, And they are doing things, you know, are not right? 539 00:34:17,800 --> 00:34:21,400 And they are behaving in ways that are not right and they're 540 00:34:21,400 --> 00:34:24,300 wearing things. They should not wear me. 541 00:34:24,300 --> 00:34:29,000 Ask you something, you go along with it because you're afraid or 542 00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:33,100 do you stand for what's right? When they do things that are 543 00:34:33,100 --> 00:34:35,600 wrong. Do you stand for what's? 544 00:34:35,600 --> 00:34:37,100 Right? Or are you afraid? 545 00:34:38,100 --> 00:34:41,199 What happens is we get afraid and we're scared to death? 546 00:34:41,199 --> 00:34:45,000 What other people say, listen, this is real stuff me. 547 00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:47,100 Tell you, let me tell you about something happened. 548 00:34:47,100 --> 00:34:51,000 When I was in 7th and 8th grade. Remember this like yesterday 549 00:34:51,199 --> 00:34:53,699 there were some good friends of ours called the sand. 550 00:34:53,699 --> 00:34:56,800 Their last name was the Sanders. They had five boys. 551 00:34:57,100 --> 00:35:00,700 Okay, me tell you about peer pressure, in a ridiculous sense. 552 00:35:00,900 --> 00:35:03,900 Five boys, do you remember? You might remember, remember 553 00:35:03,900 --> 00:35:08,300 Ocean Pacific shirts, Opie and And you aren't cool. 554 00:35:08,300 --> 00:35:10,900 If you didn't have a shirt, had opee on it, remember that? 555 00:35:10,900 --> 00:35:13,400 Okay. Well, they were very expensive 556 00:35:13,400 --> 00:35:17,600 and the ope that was sown on the shirt cost about double or 557 00:35:17,600 --> 00:35:19,300 triple. What you can buy a shirt for, 558 00:35:19,600 --> 00:35:23,000 okay? So the sender's boys, all five 559 00:35:23,000 --> 00:35:26,500 boys they didn't want to go be made fun of at school. 560 00:35:26,500 --> 00:35:30,300 When Mom and Dad got him some knockoff brand and they wore 561 00:35:30,300 --> 00:35:34,100 that shirt even though it looked the same You know what she did? 562 00:35:34,200 --> 00:35:37,800 I'll never forget this. She said I buy the shirts and 563 00:35:37,800 --> 00:35:43,200 Ice oop on the shirt. So that they don't have to be 564 00:35:44,300 --> 00:35:48,000 criticized or put down. You know why? 565 00:35:48,500 --> 00:35:52,600 Because people are held back for the fear of what people will 566 00:35:52,600 --> 00:35:55,400 say. Let that not trickle into your 567 00:35:55,400 --> 00:35:58,100 spiritual life. Let it not trickle over into 568 00:35:58,100 --> 00:36:01,100 your spiritual life. We talk about some tragic 569 00:36:01,100 --> 00:36:03,600 effects of fear. I read some stuff I want to read 570 00:36:03,600 --> 00:36:08,300 to you. Briefly one man wrote this fear 571 00:36:08,300 --> 00:36:12,700 is a dark room where negatives are developed Another said fear 572 00:36:12,700 --> 00:36:15,000 will prevent one from doing the will of God. 573 00:36:15,700 --> 00:36:18,400 Another said, fear, renders one useless. 574 00:36:18,400 --> 00:36:21,700 I've got to use that word. We got to talk about that word 575 00:36:21,700 --> 00:36:25,500 useless because you know what society says, nobody is useless. 576 00:36:27,500 --> 00:36:31,600 What does the Bible say? Do You Remember When onesimus 577 00:36:31,700 --> 00:36:35,600 The Runaway Slave left? Philemon, And he went and he 578 00:36:35,607 --> 00:36:39,100 heard the gospel from Paul and he was baptizing changed his 579 00:36:39,100 --> 00:36:40,500 life. Do you remember what happened? 580 00:36:40,700 --> 00:36:44,100 Paul writes, the letter back to Philemon and Paul said he was 581 00:36:44,100 --> 00:36:49,300 once unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you. 582 00:36:49,300 --> 00:36:55,100 And to me, in fact, the word onesimus and many times in the 583 00:36:55,100 --> 00:36:58,300 Bible, the word, the names meant something onesimus. 584 00:36:58,400 --> 00:37:02,900 Literally means useful. So if I say someone's useless, 585 00:37:02,900 --> 00:37:04,300 it's because they're being unprofitable. 586 00:37:05,200 --> 00:37:08,000 It's a were bad person and say they're rotten. 587 00:37:08,700 --> 00:37:11,300 It's a there were no good. Didn't say they need to have low 588 00:37:11,300 --> 00:37:15,000 self-esteem and say that what I said is useless means 589 00:37:15,000 --> 00:37:19,300 unprocessed unprofitable. We're either one of the other 590 00:37:20,200 --> 00:37:25,200 but fear can make us useless. We are an important battle and 591 00:37:25,200 --> 00:37:28,900 we need people of Courage. Fear brings on the very thing 592 00:37:28,900 --> 00:37:31,800 that we fear. Did you ever think of that you 593 00:37:31,808 --> 00:37:34,400 ever think of that fear brings on the very thing that we fear 594 00:37:34,400 --> 00:37:40,600 the most Remember when Peter was in the boat and the disciples 595 00:37:40,600 --> 00:37:41,500 are scared. They see. 596 00:37:41,500 --> 00:37:44,400 Jesus walking on water and they're scared. 597 00:37:44,400 --> 00:37:48,200 They think they saw a ghost, Jesus said don't be afraid. 598 00:37:48,200 --> 00:37:50,400 There's that phrase again. Don't be afraid. 599 00:37:51,700 --> 00:37:54,900 It is. I Peter said if it's really you 600 00:37:55,100 --> 00:37:56,600 did that. I would come out to you and he 601 00:37:56,607 --> 00:38:00,100 says come on and Peter for a little while walked on water 602 00:38:00,100 --> 00:38:03,200 too. What was Peters, biggest 603 00:38:03,200 --> 00:38:04,800 problem? He lost. 604 00:38:04,800 --> 00:38:07,500 Number one. His focus on Jesus. 605 00:38:08,000 --> 00:38:10,700 He turned his eye to the peripheral issues that were 606 00:38:10,700 --> 00:38:13,300 around him. His fears, overtook him, which 607 00:38:13,300 --> 00:38:20,100 means what he has no faith. And his greatest fear was 608 00:38:20,100 --> 00:38:22,100 thinking, you know what happened? 609 00:38:23,400 --> 00:38:28,000 He sunk. And he says, Lord saved me. 610 00:38:29,200 --> 00:38:32,600 And Jesus reaches out and says, Peter wanted out. 611 00:38:33,400 --> 00:38:35,900 Oh, you of little faith. Don't you see? 612 00:38:36,000 --> 00:38:37,400 Fear and faith. Don't go together. 613 00:38:38,500 --> 00:38:41,800 They don't go together. I got to read this to you boy, 614 00:38:41,800 --> 00:38:45,500 learn something. Fear of disease or illness 615 00:38:45,500 --> 00:38:50,500 brings on illness. Research has shown that 85% of 616 00:38:50,500 --> 00:38:54,800 the emotional and physical ills of men are brought on by feared. 617 00:38:55,400 --> 00:38:57,800 Okay, it's no secret. I've had cancer. 618 00:38:59,100 --> 00:39:01,000 I want to tell you something. I'm going to admit something to 619 00:39:01,000 --> 00:39:02,300 you. I think maybe Tina's going. 620 00:39:02,300 --> 00:39:07,800 I probably said this to over the years, but I'll admit this for 621 00:39:07,800 --> 00:39:10,900 15 years of my life before I got sick. 622 00:39:11,500 --> 00:39:16,500 My greatest fear was cancer. I would pray to God. 623 00:39:16,500 --> 00:39:22,000 Please don't let me get cancer. Now, all I know is this. 624 00:39:22,600 --> 00:39:25,200 I got cancer. Did it have anything to do with 625 00:39:25,200 --> 00:39:26,400 it? I have no idea. 626 00:39:26,400 --> 00:39:30,900 But I will tell you this Statistics show that 85% of the 627 00:39:30,900 --> 00:39:35,200 ills that we are afraid of often times, contribute to us getting 628 00:39:35,200 --> 00:39:36,700 them. I'm going to give you example 629 00:39:36,700 --> 00:39:41,600 number two, so after cancer. And after God healed me through 630 00:39:41,600 --> 00:39:45,700 means of medicine and I was cancer-free I remember you got 631 00:39:45,700 --> 00:39:47,600 to get those checkups. It starts with every three 632 00:39:47,600 --> 00:39:51,300 months and then every six months and so fourth and I would 633 00:39:51,300 --> 00:39:54,500 literally go in and I would sit before my doctor and I'd be so 634 00:39:54,500 --> 00:39:56,500 nervous that I get that. I get him a test. 635 00:39:56,500 --> 00:39:58,700 You haven't? She said you have to stop doing 636 00:39:58,700 --> 00:40:02,200 that. You cannot be afraid of cancer 637 00:40:02,200 --> 00:40:05,800 anymore. Man, she was right. 638 00:40:06,600 --> 00:40:10,400 She said when people are scared to death to get it again, many 639 00:40:10,400 --> 00:40:14,800 times they do. All I'm saying, I'm not saying 640 00:40:14,800 --> 00:40:16,800 anything. I'm just saying this. 641 00:40:17,900 --> 00:40:25,100 If attitude helps you in the recovery of it. then just maybe 642 00:40:25,100 --> 00:40:32,900 attitude contributes to some of the ills that we have to Don't 643 00:40:32,900 --> 00:40:37,800 be afraid. Don't worry, but here's another 644 00:40:37,800 --> 00:40:41,400 one and we're almost finished. This is kind of spooky here. 645 00:40:43,000 --> 00:40:47,200 It will cause us to be lost. I want you to notice some of the 646 00:40:47,200 --> 00:40:51,800 things that are here but the Cowardly unbelieving abominable 647 00:40:51,800 --> 00:40:55,500 murder sexual immorality. Immoral Sorcerers idolaters and 648 00:40:55,500 --> 00:40:58,100 all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with 649 00:40:58,100 --> 00:40:59,800 fire and brimstone which is the second death. 650 00:40:59,800 --> 00:41:03,200 We get all that all bad stuff. Look at the word that's there 651 00:41:03,200 --> 00:41:06,800 too. The Cowardly. 652 00:41:09,600 --> 00:41:13,200 And what that's talking about is, it's talking about someone 653 00:41:13,200 --> 00:41:16,300 that is a coward and won't do what's right. 654 00:41:17,300 --> 00:41:20,000 It's talking about somebody that won't earnestly contend for the 655 00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:21,800 faith. It's talking about somebody that 656 00:41:21,800 --> 00:41:25,000 won't be faithful unto death. It's talking about someone that 657 00:41:25,000 --> 00:41:28,800 will not stand up and do what's right and be saved there in that 658 00:41:28,800 --> 00:41:31,800 list too. There in that list too. 659 00:41:33,200 --> 00:41:36,700 You know, what the difference between, please get this. 660 00:41:37,200 --> 00:41:41,500 The difference between a courageous man and a coward. 661 00:41:42,000 --> 00:41:44,300 What's the difference? What makes you either one? 662 00:41:44,300 --> 00:41:46,500 Here it is. What determines? 663 00:41:46,500 --> 00:41:49,100 Whether you are a courageous man, or a coward. 664 00:41:49,400 --> 00:41:55,400 Is your response to fear. So, it's normal, its natural, 665 00:41:56,000 --> 00:41:58,000 your response determines what you are. 666 00:41:59,900 --> 00:42:03,900 Your response. So finally in closing how we can 667 00:42:03,900 --> 00:42:06,000 overcome it, let's talk about that. 668 00:42:06,000 --> 00:42:12,200 It's not about overcoming it. First of all, understand that 669 00:42:12,200 --> 00:42:18,000 fear is a characteristic of the wicked in Proverbs 28 1, the 670 00:42:18,000 --> 00:42:21,600 wicked flee when no one pursues but the righteous are bold as a 671 00:42:21,600 --> 00:42:22,800 lion. I love that. 672 00:42:22,900 --> 00:42:27,400 Now if somebody has a guilty conscience because they do bad 673 00:42:27,400 --> 00:42:32,900 things, They're fleeing when no one's pursuing they're scared. 674 00:42:32,900 --> 00:42:35,500 They're paranoid looking over their shoulder where the cops. 675 00:42:38,200 --> 00:42:42,400 Because why? The things on which they do. 676 00:42:44,900 --> 00:42:49,700 But a God-fearing person. A Christian, a good person. 677 00:42:51,300 --> 00:42:54,900 Righteous. They are bold as a lion. 678 00:42:56,200 --> 00:43:00,000 Bold, as a lion. You know, the words fear not or 679 00:43:00,000 --> 00:43:04,400 be not afraid. Appear in the Bible 180 times. 680 00:43:05,900 --> 00:43:07,300 You don't we do though this what we do? 681 00:43:08,700 --> 00:43:11,500 What we say is, we say Well, when the Bible says, don't do 682 00:43:11,500 --> 00:43:13,900 this that's a command got to stick to it, right? 683 00:43:13,900 --> 00:43:15,500 Don't do that. That's a command got to stick to 684 00:43:15,500 --> 00:43:16,300 it. Do this. 685 00:43:16,300 --> 00:43:17,600 That's a command gonna stick to it. 686 00:43:18,100 --> 00:43:21,200 We get all that, but when it comes to fear, this is what we 687 00:43:21,207 --> 00:43:21,900 said. Oh no. 688 00:43:22,100 --> 00:43:26,800 Oh no, that's just encouraging suggestions. 689 00:43:29,100 --> 00:43:32,300 Jesus said over and over fear, not Don't Be Afraid. 690 00:43:32,300 --> 00:43:37,200 All those are just encouraging suggestions, no, their commands, 691 00:43:38,900 --> 00:43:43,400 180 times in the New Testament. So what are we going to do 692 00:43:43,400 --> 00:43:46,100 practically? We need to enthrone Jesus 693 00:43:46,100 --> 00:43:47,400 Christ. In our life. 694 00:43:47,500 --> 00:43:49,800 Will get to the practicality of that in just a second. 695 00:43:50,000 --> 00:43:52,200 First Peter chapter 3 and verse 14. 696 00:43:53,700 --> 00:43:57,000 But even if you should suffer for righteousness, sakes, you 697 00:43:57,000 --> 00:44:01,000 are blessed and do not be afraid of their threats. 698 00:44:01,000 --> 00:44:04,600 Nor be troubled, then in verse 15. 699 00:44:04,800 --> 00:44:08,200 But sanctify, the Lord God in your hearts and always be ready 700 00:44:08,200 --> 00:44:10,900 to give a defense to everyone. That asks you a reason of the 701 00:44:10,900 --> 00:44:15,800 hope that is in you with meekness and fear notice don't 702 00:44:15,800 --> 00:44:20,100 be afraid and then do so with meekness and fear. 703 00:44:21,900 --> 00:44:24,400 How you going to do that? Here it is. 704 00:44:25,300 --> 00:44:26,700 Here it is. This is how you do it. 705 00:44:27,900 --> 00:44:30,100 You have to sanctify the Lord God in your heart. 706 00:44:31,600 --> 00:44:33,700 You have to sanctify the Lord God in your heart. 707 00:44:33,700 --> 00:44:36,900 How do you do that? It literally means to render or 708 00:44:36,900 --> 00:44:40,200 acknowledged to be sacred in your heart. 709 00:44:40,200 --> 00:44:44,500 It means to give the Lord a permanent place of Reign and 710 00:44:44,500 --> 00:44:47,300 rule in your heart. It's a matter of putting your 711 00:44:47,300 --> 00:44:50,500 faith and trust in God. And remember that faith is the 712 00:44:50,500 --> 00:44:54,400 foe of fear. It's either Faith or its fear. 713 00:44:55,300 --> 00:44:59,500 Isaiah 26 and 3. You will keep him in. 714 00:44:59,500 --> 00:45:01,900 Perfect peace. Whose mind is stayed on you 715 00:45:01,900 --> 00:45:10,800 because he trusts in. You also never give counsel or 716 00:45:10,800 --> 00:45:15,300 be guided by your fears. A general, one time was fearful 717 00:45:15,300 --> 00:45:19,000 of an attack planned in the Shenandoah Valley, and he 718 00:45:19,000 --> 00:45:21,100 expressed his fears to Stonewall Jackson. 719 00:45:22,600 --> 00:45:27,100 Who told this General? He said General never take 720 00:45:27,100 --> 00:45:32,100 counsel of your fears. Don't be driven by your fears 721 00:45:33,100 --> 00:45:35,900 Philippians 4:13. Do you believe it or not? 722 00:45:35,900 --> 00:45:37,600 I can do all things through Christ. 723 00:45:37,600 --> 00:45:39,900 Who strengthens me? Do you believe that or not? 724 00:45:40,500 --> 00:45:43,100 Have you been thrown Jesus in your heart as he raining over 725 00:45:43,100 --> 00:45:44,600 your heart? Do you really trust him? 726 00:45:44,700 --> 00:45:49,300 Do you have any faith at all? I can do all things. 727 00:45:49,300 --> 00:45:51,300 That's not talking about running a track meet. 728 00:45:52,100 --> 00:45:54,700 It's almost spiritual things. I can do all things that pertain 729 00:45:54,700 --> 00:45:57,900 to life and godliness, I can do that, I can do that. 730 00:45:57,900 --> 00:46:02,600 Jesus said, I can do that through Christ, Philippians 4, 731 00:46:02,600 --> 00:46:05,800 and 6, be anxious for nothing. But in everything by prayer and 732 00:46:05,800 --> 00:46:08,300 supplication with Thanksgiving, let your requests be made known 733 00:46:08,300 --> 00:46:09,900 unto God. You got to be a person of 734 00:46:09,900 --> 00:46:11,500 prayer. Want to be a person of Faith, 735 00:46:11,500 --> 00:46:14,200 got to be a person of prayer. And by the way, if you want to 736 00:46:14,200 --> 00:46:17,700 notice the first eight verses of Philippians chapter 4, Where we 737 00:46:17,700 --> 00:46:20,800 get into the specifics of that, it's my turn on Wednesday night 738 00:46:20,800 --> 00:46:23,300 to direct our study and we're going to talk about that. 739 00:46:23,500 --> 00:46:25,000 So please come back and hear that. 740 00:46:26,100 --> 00:46:29,500 Let's learn what the Bible says in closing, and I'm finished. 741 00:46:31,800 --> 00:46:34,200 For years. Derek Redmond had trained for 742 00:46:34,200 --> 00:46:39,200 the 1992 Summer Olympics. Hopes ran high for his taking 743 00:46:39,200 --> 00:46:44,300 home gold. however, in the semifinal heat of the 400 meter 744 00:46:44,300 --> 00:46:50,000 event, 65,000 Spectators as if in shock witnessed Derek's body, 745 00:46:50,000 --> 00:46:55,000 give way to a torn hamstring. Then in all the observed, this 746 00:46:55,000 --> 00:46:57,500 courageous man demonstrate for the whole world. 747 00:46:58,600 --> 00:47:06,300 That a broken body does not mean a broken spirit. as he hopped 748 00:47:06,300 --> 00:47:09,900 behind his father, To cross the finish line. 749 00:47:11,600 --> 00:47:16,600 Millions then, and now Admire his courage and commitment. 750 00:47:18,400 --> 00:47:21,500 His example, challenges, all of us to do all that we can within 751 00:47:21,500 --> 00:47:24,600 our power to finish the race. And to do. 752 00:47:24,600 --> 00:47:28,400 So, regardless of setbacks a metaphor of sorts for all 753 00:47:28,400 --> 00:47:31,200 persons who may even be in the latter part of life's race. 754 00:47:32,300 --> 00:47:36,600 With their bodies giving way but they still muster the will and 755 00:47:36,600 --> 00:47:39,500 inner strength to finish life. Strong. 756 00:47:40,600 --> 00:47:46,500 May we forever be Faith Griffin and may we never anymore be 757 00:47:46,500 --> 00:47:49,700 fear-driven. We thank you for listening to 758 00:47:49,700 --> 00:47:54,500 our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans. 759 00:47:54,500 --> 00:47:58,000 Road in Bakersfield, if you would, like any additional 760 00:47:58,000 --> 00:48:01,300 information, or you would like to receive a free Bible 761 00:48:01,300 --> 00:48:06,800 correspondence, course by mail. Please email us at info at her 762 00:48:06,800 --> 00:48:09,200 Church of Christ Bakersfield.com. 763 00:48:09,900 --> 00:48:15,100 Our service times are Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and 764 00:48:15,100 --> 00:48:19,500 Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Please make plans to join us. 765 00:48:20,100 --> 00:48:22,300 We would love for you to be our honored guest.