1 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:05,960 Welcome to the Liberty Baptist Sermon Archives. 2 00:00:06,200 --> 00:00:09,040 The message you're about to hear was preached at Liberty Baptist 3 00:00:09,040 --> 00:00:13,040 Church in Easton, MA. You can find out more about us 4 00:00:13,040 --> 00:00:17,280 or contact us at my libertybaptist.org or just look 5 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:19,760 us up on Facebook. And now we hope that this 6 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:22,080 message from God's Word will be a blessing to you. 7 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:28,040 Ezra chapter #3 In case you noticed, an astute student of 8 00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:30,120 the Word of God, Ezra is not second Peter. 9 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:33,800 And we'll be finishing second Peter next week and looking 10 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:35,240 forward to that. But we'll be outside of our 11 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:36,680 series this morning and this evening. 12 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:41,120 And Ezra chapter #3 and looking at a little bit of a different, 13 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:45,760 different thought this morning that I believe the Lord has for 14 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:48,720 us, that I hope will be a help and encouragement to you. 15 00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:52,760 And I'm going to start by saying something that might seem fairly 16 00:00:52,760 --> 00:00:57,280 controversial, not trying to be, but I really want us to hammer 17 00:00:57,280 --> 00:00:59,800 home this thought today. So follow me all the way through 18 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:03,760 if you would. And that thought is this fear is 19 00:01:03,760 --> 00:01:10,920 not rational. Fear is not rational. 20 00:01:12,320 --> 00:01:17,200 Now I know that fear teaches you that it is the most rational of 21 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:21,800 all emotions, isn't it? But fear in its very essence, is 22 00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:23,800 not rational. I'm not talking about the fear 23 00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:26,240 of the Lord. The Bible talks much about the 24 00:01:26,240 --> 00:01:28,880 fear of the Lord being the beginning of wisdom and the fear 25 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:30,680 of the Lord being the beginning of knowledge. 26 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:34,960 But I'm just talking about good old fashioned sinful fear. 27 00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:38,880 The type that helps us make bad decisions. 28 00:01:39,320 --> 00:01:44,120 The type that paralyzes us when situations call for action. 29 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:47,960 I think of a few different Bible verses that speak of this when 30 00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:53,760 it says in Second Timothy 17 the Lord hath not given us the 31 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:56,600 spirit of fear. And the question is, if the Lord 32 00:01:56,600 --> 00:01:58,600 is not the one who gave us the spirit of the fear, then who 33 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:00,960 did? I think we know the answer to 34 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:04,640 that. Psalm 56, verses 3 and 4 say 35 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:11,160 what time I am afraid. I will trust in the in God, I 36 00:02:11,160 --> 00:02:14,400 will praise His word in God. I have put my trust. 37 00:02:14,960 --> 00:02:18,680 I will not fear what flesh can do unto me. 38 00:02:20,920 --> 00:02:24,360 And just those two simple verses, or rather 3 verses that 39 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:28,520 I read should put the issue to a rest of fear and whether it's 40 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:32,960 rational and whether it's right. And the answer clearly 41 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:36,680 biblically is that it's not. But like many things in the 42 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:40,760 Bible, they are simple to understand, but not always easy 43 00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:43,880 to do. It's very simple to understand 44 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:47,360 that we should not be people who are governed with fear, not when 45 00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:49,760 we belong to the God of the universe. 46 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:53,760 It's easy to understand, or simple to understand rather. 47 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:57,840 But it's not always easy to do. Because while I think a lot of 48 00:02:57,840 --> 00:03:00,760 you are saying Amen on the outside, or at least wanting to 49 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:04,840 say Amen on the inside, maybe in your heart you're also 50 00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:06,520 realizing. I know. 51 00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:11,680 It, but I don't live it, and I know that's probably true of 52 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:13,560 you. Because I know very well it's 53 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:16,560 true of me. So what does the Bible say about 54 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:18,800 fear? This morning titled My Message 55 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:20,160 is this What? Do we do? 56 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:23,160 With fear we please stand for the reading of God's Word. 57 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:25,720 Ezra chapter 3 beginning in verse one. 58 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:31,400 Ezra chapter 3 verse one. And it says this. 59 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:34,120 And when the 7th month was come and the children of Israel were 60 00:03:34,640 --> 00:03:37,560 in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as 61 00:03:37,560 --> 00:03:41,400 one man to Jerusalem. Then stood up Jeshua the son of 62 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:44,840 Josidac and his brother the priest, and Zorrobel the son of 63 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:48,840 Shaltiel and his brethren, and building the altar of the God of 64 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:52,480 Israel to offer burnt offerings there on as is written in the 65 00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:55,400 law of Moses, the man of God. That may not sound like a big 66 00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:57,600 deal to you. I mean, they built an altar and 67 00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:00,640 they're worshipping, but I would say to you this morning, that's 68 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:05,040 a very big deal because of what the time frame is and why 69 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:06,440 they're building it. And we'll look at that in a 70 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:07,600 moment. Verse 3. 71 00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:11,120 And they set the altar upon his bases, for fear was upon them 72 00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:13,280 because of the people of those countries. 73 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:16,079 And they offered burnt offerings there on unto the Lord, even 74 00:04:16,079 --> 00:04:17,800 burnt offerings morning and evening. 75 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:20,040 They kept also the Feast of the Tabernacles. 76 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:23,160 It is written and offered the daily burnt offerings by number, 77 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:27,160 according to the custom, as the duty of every day required, and 78 00:04:27,160 --> 00:04:30,440 afterward offered the continual burnt offering both of the new 79 00:04:30,440 --> 00:04:33,800 moons and of all the set feast of the Lord that were 80 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:36,760 consecrated, and of everyone that willingly offered a free 81 00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:39,680 will offering unto the Lord. From the first day of the 7th 82 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:42,280 month began they to offer burnt offerings unto the Lord. 83 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:46,640 But the foundation of the temple of the Lord was not yet laid. 84 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:50,440 And that last sentence in verse number six gives us a hint of 85 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:54,200 the time frame that the temple as we once knew it doesn't 86 00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:56,960 exist. And the fact that the altar is 87 00:04:56,960 --> 00:05:01,960 being renewed upon its previous placement is a very big deal. 88 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:03,680 And there's a lot that's going on. 89 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:07,040 You say, pastor, what does this have to do with fear? 90 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:09,720 Well, I think we might have just seen that there was some fear of 91 00:05:09,720 --> 00:05:13,680 the people who were in the area, but also there was some fear 92 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:17,200 that was within their own heart about the situation they'd found 93 00:05:17,200 --> 00:05:18,920 themselves in. Why don't you be seated? 94 00:05:18,920 --> 00:05:25,760 Let's pray together. Heavenly Father, do pray that 95 00:05:25,760 --> 00:05:28,000 you would just help me this morning as I'm back in the 96 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:29,520 pulpit. I'm so thankful to be able to be 97 00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:33,320 back amongst these people, My friends, my family. 98 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:36,360 I thank you for them. I do pray that you would just 99 00:05:37,280 --> 00:05:40,080 speak to us today. I really feel that this issue of 100 00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:41,920 fear is something that many of us grapple with. 101 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:45,080 And although many of us don't want to acknowledge it, it's 102 00:05:45,080 --> 00:05:47,200 true. It's something we deal with. 103 00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:50,160 I do pray that you help us to be able to trust you more for 104 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:52,080 really that's truly what it comes down to. 105 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:55,400 People trust you for who you are and what you can do for us in 106 00:05:55,400 --> 00:05:57,720 our lives. And we ask this all in Jesus 107 00:05:57,720 --> 00:06:01,920 name, Amen. Verse #3 says and they set the 108 00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:06,600 altar upon his bases for fear was upon them because of the 109 00:06:06,600 --> 00:06:10,800 people of the countries. Now again, it does seem like 110 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:13,680 we've just come right into the middle of a greater story that's 111 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:16,280 taking place and that's because well, that's exactly what's 112 00:06:16,280 --> 00:06:19,840 happened is that the book of Ezra takes place in the post 113 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:22,520 exile history of the people of Israel. 114 00:06:22,520 --> 00:06:25,280 No, you remember that the people of Israel during the times of 115 00:06:25,280 --> 00:06:29,840 Saul and David and Solomon, they were unified as 12 tribes 116 00:06:29,840 --> 00:06:32,200 together as one, the way God intended it to be. 117 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:35,560 But that after Solomon died, the Kingdom was broken into two. 118 00:06:35,560 --> 00:06:40,000 And that the northern Kingdom, that 10 tribes had no good kings 119 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:43,680 and the 2 tribes to the South had some good kings and some bad 120 00:06:43,680 --> 00:06:45,400 kings. It ended up over a period of a 121 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:48,640 couple 100 years that the Israelites to the north were 122 00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:52,160 taken into exile. And then finally Jerusalem and 123 00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:56,360 Judah and Benjamin were also destroyed and they were taken 124 00:06:56,360 --> 00:06:59,920 into exile as well with a very few people remaining in the 125 00:06:59,920 --> 00:07:02,520 promised land. But then after a certain period 126 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:05,040 of time, God looked upon the people of Israel. 127 00:07:05,040 --> 00:07:08,400 And it says at the beginning of the book of Ezra that King Cyrus 128 00:07:08,400 --> 00:07:13,280 of Persia was stirred up by God to allow the Jews to return to 129 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:15,480 Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. 130 00:07:15,520 --> 00:07:18,200 By the way, that was a miracle in and of itself, that a Gentile 131 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:22,400 king who had the Israelites in captivity within his own 132 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:27,120 dominion decided to let them go back to their own country and to 133 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:29,160 be able to rebuild again. But it wasn't just that he 134 00:07:29,160 --> 00:07:32,600 allowed them to go back. He allowed them to take many of 135 00:07:32,600 --> 00:07:36,680 the vessels that were previously taken by Nebuchadnezzar in the 136 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:40,440 Babylonian Empire, which was then taken over by the Persian 137 00:07:40,440 --> 00:07:42,440 Empire. He allowed them to take many of 138 00:07:42,440 --> 00:07:44,240 those same vessels back with them. 139 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:46,640 And so he gave them building supplies. 140 00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:49,080 He gave them materials. He gave them the hallowed 141 00:07:49,080 --> 00:07:52,040 things. And he says, go back, repopulate 142 00:07:52,040 --> 00:07:55,680 Israel, go back, rebuild Jerusalem and go back and 143 00:07:55,680 --> 00:07:57,880 rebuild the temple. And again, we just ought to take 144 00:07:57,880 --> 00:08:01,280 a moment to just acknowledge that a Gentile king to be able 145 00:08:01,280 --> 00:08:03,080 to say this was an incredible thing. 146 00:08:03,080 --> 00:08:05,880 It's just not something that conquering kings would do. 147 00:08:05,880 --> 00:08:09,120 But yet God had moved in such a way that this is exactly what 148 00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:11,720 happened. And so there was a group of of 149 00:08:11,720 --> 00:08:15,160 people who went from the Persian Empire back to Israel. 150 00:08:15,160 --> 00:08:17,400 And the Bible actually gives us the total. 151 00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:23,840 It was 42,360 with another 7000 plus servants. 152 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:28,720 Now that's around 50,000 people. And that sounds like a lot of 153 00:08:28,720 --> 00:08:33,440 people, but really it was just a remnant of who were previously 154 00:08:33,440 --> 00:08:36,520 there when you consider the population of Jerusalem was many 155 00:08:36,520 --> 00:08:40,280 times fold more over that at any given season. 156 00:08:40,280 --> 00:08:42,840 And now you're looking at not only that, the population of 157 00:08:42,840 --> 00:08:46,360 Jerusalem, but also the surrounding towns and cities as 158 00:08:46,360 --> 00:08:48,240 well. Because remember in verse #1 of 159 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:52,320 chapter 3, it says they all came together to Jerusalem as one. 160 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:54,720 And so that meant they would have been spread out over the 161 00:08:54,720 --> 00:08:58,240 land of Israel. And so there's just a a small 162 00:08:58,240 --> 00:09:02,080 group of people who were there and there, it's a small band of 163 00:09:02,280 --> 00:09:05,560 people who are very far away from the king who told them to 164 00:09:05,560 --> 00:09:08,080 be able to go. There's no Internet, there's no 165 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:10,360 means of communication like we have today. 166 00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:14,800 There's no phones, there's no, there's there's no Telegraph, 167 00:09:14,800 --> 00:09:16,680 there's no smoke signals. They got nothing. 168 00:09:17,800 --> 00:09:21,920 They're on their own. And they are surrounded by 169 00:09:21,920 --> 00:09:25,080 hostile nations who want them destroyed. 170 00:09:25,080 --> 00:09:27,800 What doesn't sound much different than today, does it? 171 00:09:28,720 --> 00:09:33,000 Israel surrounded by hostile nations who want to see them 172 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:35,720 destroyed. And so they are there, and they 173 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:39,720 realize that they are few, that the enemies are many, and 174 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:42,920 they're afraid and they're afraid. 175 00:09:44,920 --> 00:09:47,080 Say, well, pastor, what does this have to do with me? 176 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:50,480 Because I'm not dealing with anything like the people of 177 00:09:50,480 --> 00:09:53,920 Israel are dealing with here. I mean, they're afraid because 178 00:09:54,040 --> 00:09:58,000 their lives were at stake, but I'm not dealing with anything. 179 00:09:58,520 --> 00:10:02,320 Like that within my own life. They're afraid because they had 180 00:10:02,320 --> 00:10:05,200 already been wiped away from the land once, and they were afraid 181 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:07,640 it was going to happen again. And they saw how weak they were. 182 00:10:07,640 --> 00:10:09,440 They saw how strong the other nations were. 183 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:12,560 Like, what on earth does this have to do with me? 184 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:17,720 Well, it has to do with you. Because their fear may not be 185 00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:24,200 your fear, but your fear is just as real as the fear they're 186 00:10:24,200 --> 00:10:26,520 dealing with. I'm not saying your fear is the 187 00:10:26,520 --> 00:10:28,000 same. I'm not saying your fear is 188 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:30,280 equivalent. We're not comparing ourselves to 189 00:10:30,320 --> 00:10:31,960 each other this morning. I'm just saying this. 190 00:10:32,160 --> 00:10:35,520 Your fear doesn't feel better because someone else has 191 00:10:35,520 --> 00:10:39,240 something greater to fear. You don't ever say to yourself, 192 00:10:39,240 --> 00:10:41,320 boy, I'm really afraid. You know, there's not much money 193 00:10:41,320 --> 00:10:43,080 in the bank account. I'm not getting paid for another 194 00:10:43,080 --> 00:10:43,840 week. But you know what? 195 00:10:43,960 --> 00:10:45,560 There's a lot of people who have it worse. 196 00:10:45,560 --> 00:10:47,200 No, no, we can tell ourselves that. 197 00:10:47,360 --> 00:10:49,560 And it's probably a good thing to remind ourselves of something 198 00:10:49,560 --> 00:10:51,920 like that is it's kind of ground us into reality. 199 00:10:51,920 --> 00:10:55,440 But listen, that doesn't just make the fearfulness go away. 200 00:10:56,640 --> 00:10:59,760 It may put it into context, but it doesn't just dissolve. 201 00:10:59,760 --> 00:11:02,640 You don't just say, oh, I never thought about it like that. 202 00:11:02,640 --> 00:11:07,120 And oh, I feel so much better. Well, no. 203 00:11:09,400 --> 00:11:14,600 Listen, fear on it's very basis is irrational. 204 00:11:16,280 --> 00:11:19,920 Now hear me, some of you might want to argue with me, but fear 205 00:11:19,920 --> 00:11:22,920 and it's very basis is irrational. 206 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:27,560 I think of several things that I deal with as far as fear goes. 207 00:11:27,560 --> 00:11:30,360 I remember we first moved here. I had a great fear of driving in 208 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:34,160 Boston. So you know what we did? 209 00:11:34,320 --> 00:11:37,000 We took the traps of, hey, we're all, maybe we have a support 210 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:38,840 group after church. All right, that sounds like. 211 00:11:40,040 --> 00:11:42,800 And I started working Uber and I didn't realize when I started 212 00:11:42,800 --> 00:11:45,120 doing Uber, I did it sometimes at nights. 213 00:11:45,600 --> 00:11:47,880 I was still pastoring, but just needed to be able to have some 214 00:11:47,880 --> 00:11:49,600 more funds. And so I would do that. 215 00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:51,600 I didn't realize you couldn't put in the Uber app. 216 00:11:51,600 --> 00:11:56,120 I don't want to drive in Boston. And so I picked someone up at 217 00:11:56,120 --> 00:12:00,400 Easton and they wanted to go to the North End on a Friday night. 218 00:12:01,160 --> 00:12:02,760 You're groaning. I didn't know what it was. 219 00:12:02,760 --> 00:12:07,000 I know what it is now. And I found out what Hanover 220 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:09,560 Street was real quick. And I got down there and I 221 00:12:09,560 --> 00:12:12,040 couldn't move. The people just said, hey, we're 222 00:12:12,040 --> 00:12:14,040 like 3 blocks away, but we're just going to get out of the 223 00:12:14,040 --> 00:12:15,320 car. And they just got out of the car 224 00:12:15,320 --> 00:12:18,600 and walked. And I was still stuck there, but 225 00:12:18,600 --> 00:12:20,600 I learned. Pretty quick to be able to 226 00:12:21,160 --> 00:12:23,360 handle that and I'll be honest, I drive in Boston now and it's 227 00:12:23,360 --> 00:12:24,920 not a big deal. I kind of enjoyed the sport of 228 00:12:24,920 --> 00:12:31,040 it now, to be honest with you. I'm also afraid of heights. 229 00:12:32,520 --> 00:12:34,040 Anybody want to join me in Ralph? 230 00:12:34,640 --> 00:12:38,000 Yeah. I I don't, I don't like I don't 231 00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:40,720 like heights at all. I don't like ladders. 232 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:41,800 Look, look. God. 233 00:12:41,840 --> 00:12:43,560 God made us to have two feet on the ground. 234 00:12:43,560 --> 00:12:46,000 Amen. You know what I'm saying? 235 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:50,760 And and I, I've been on Ferris wheels before, and, you know, 236 00:12:50,760 --> 00:12:53,480 it's amazing to me. No matter how many times I go on 237 00:12:53,480 --> 00:12:58,360 Ferris wheels, the next time is just as scary as the one before. 238 00:12:59,520 --> 00:13:02,840 Because again, man wasn't made to be going in little carts that 239 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:05,640 wiggle back and forth going around in circles like that. 240 00:13:05,680 --> 00:13:07,800 It's just that God never intended that. 241 00:13:09,920 --> 00:13:11,800 What I'm saying is this. You're some of you are. 242 00:13:11,880 --> 00:13:15,600 Some of you totally get the fear of driving in Boston. 243 00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:18,760 Some of you totally get the fear of heights. 244 00:13:19,520 --> 00:13:22,240 Some of you think I'm a lunatic for fearing either one. 245 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:26,200 But every single one of us have fears. 246 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:32,000 And what you would laugh at at me, I could maybe laugh at in 247 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:35,720 you, because your fear would seem irrational to me. 248 00:13:36,480 --> 00:13:40,320 My fear seems irrational to you. But I would tell you that. 249 00:13:40,440 --> 00:13:43,600 All fear is irrational. Fear of heights is it's 250 00:13:43,600 --> 00:13:46,440 important. And fear of fear of electricity. 251 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:50,240 Well, no, listen, I get, you know, I fear no electricity. 252 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:53,520 I'm going to put this fork in a, in a, in an outlet and see what 253 00:13:53,520 --> 00:13:55,960 happens. We should have a healthy respect 254 00:13:55,960 --> 00:13:59,080 for electricity. We should have a healthy respect 255 00:13:59,080 --> 00:14:01,000 for heights. I mean, listen, you want to be 256 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:03,560 careful if you're in a place that's high and you could be 257 00:14:03,560 --> 00:14:05,160 precarious. I think there's healthy to have. 258 00:14:05,160 --> 00:14:09,040 We're not talking about playing risks and playing it loose and 259 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:10,960 free with all of those types of things of life. 260 00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:12,160 No, no, that's not what I'm saying. 261 00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:15,200 I'm talking about an irrationality that comes with 262 00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:17,640 fear of certain elements of our life. 263 00:14:18,080 --> 00:14:19,440 And listen, people will just say this. 264 00:14:19,440 --> 00:14:22,360 We'll just conquer your fear and listen, Some of them we can get 265 00:14:22,360 --> 00:14:24,240 better at, others of them we struggle with. 266 00:14:24,480 --> 00:14:27,840 Others of them we do well with for a while and then six months 267 00:14:27,840 --> 00:14:29,280 or. A year comes later and it's like 268 00:14:29,280 --> 00:14:31,040 we're right back at it where we were before. 269 00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:36,040 What do we do with fear? Yeah, you can conquer fear. 270 00:14:37,560 --> 00:14:39,320 But what do you do when you have fear? 271 00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:41,400 That you have a test that's coming back and you're not sure 272 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:46,120 if it's cancerous or not? What do you do when you have 273 00:14:46,120 --> 00:14:49,360 fear because you're going to be rejected by someone that you 274 00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:50,680 love or you're afraid you will be? 275 00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:54,760 What do you do when you have fear about losing your 276 00:14:54,760 --> 00:14:59,920 possessions or your finances? There's no simple way to just 277 00:14:59,920 --> 00:15:02,360 conquer it. Just get over it. 278 00:15:03,400 --> 00:15:08,880 It's not that simple, is it? Israel had a fear of the people. 279 00:15:10,360 --> 00:15:12,560 They could wipe them out, by the way. 280 00:15:12,560 --> 00:15:14,640 There was a history of that very thing happening. 281 00:15:15,520 --> 00:15:19,520 They were afraid. But Israel in this text gives us 282 00:15:20,040 --> 00:15:23,240 a blueprint of how you and I can also handle fear. 283 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:25,680 And maybe you need to write this down in your Bible. 284 00:15:25,680 --> 00:15:27,440 Maybe there's something you need to write in the flyleaf of your 285 00:15:27,440 --> 00:15:29,960 Bible or, or on the back of the bulletin or something to help 286 00:15:29,960 --> 00:15:32,840 you to deal with fear. Because how Israel dealt with 287 00:15:32,840 --> 00:15:36,400 fear biblically is the same way that you and I can deal with our 288 00:15:36,400 --> 00:15:39,480 fears here today. And the first is this #1 289 00:15:39,640 --> 00:15:43,160 acknowledge it. Acknowledge the fact you deal 290 00:15:43,160 --> 00:15:44,800 with fear. I'm not afraid of anything. 291 00:15:44,800 --> 00:15:48,680 Well, then you're a fool, because every single one of us 292 00:15:48,680 --> 00:15:51,200 should at least be able to acknowledge that there are 293 00:15:51,200 --> 00:15:53,240 things we're afraid of. I'm not saying, again that fear 294 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:55,560 is rational, but I'm saying this we should all be at least be 295 00:15:55,560 --> 00:15:57,080 able to acknowledge we deal with it. 296 00:15:59,040 --> 00:16:03,160 We should all be able to say that we deal with this issue of 297 00:16:03,160 --> 00:16:05,360 fear. Acknowledging it may seem like a 298 00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:05,920 small. Step. 299 00:16:05,920 --> 00:16:07,560 But it's an important one. And here's why it's so 300 00:16:07,560 --> 00:16:09,760 important, because it's something that must be 301 00:16:09,760 --> 00:16:14,080 confessed. Fear is sin. 302 00:16:17,640 --> 00:16:19,160 Again, you might need to chew on that for a second. 303 00:16:20,120 --> 00:16:21,720 Again, I'm not talking about, well, I have a fear of 304 00:16:21,720 --> 00:16:23,760 electricity and we're not talking about having a healthy 305 00:16:23,760 --> 00:16:26,880 respect for something that could take your life if it's used 306 00:16:26,880 --> 00:16:30,520 improperly. We're talking about good old 307 00:16:30,520 --> 00:16:36,440 fashioned irrational fear. Romans 14 verse 23 says for 308 00:16:36,440 --> 00:16:39,360 whatsoever is not a faith is sin. 309 00:16:40,840 --> 00:16:44,880 Proverbs 2925 the fear of man bringeth A snare. 310 00:16:44,880 --> 00:16:46,840 You know what it means when it says a snare? 311 00:16:47,080 --> 00:16:51,120 It's like trapping an animal. Fear of man is like. 312 00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:55,480 Getting trapped. But whosoever putteth his trust 313 00:16:55,480 --> 00:17:01,000 in the Lord shall be safe. You know it says in Revelation 314 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:03,280 21 verse 8. But the fearful, the 315 00:17:03,280 --> 00:17:06,280 unbelieving, the abominable, the murders, the whoremongers, the 316 00:17:06,280 --> 00:17:09,480 sorcerers, idolaters, all liars, which have their part in the 317 00:17:09,480 --> 00:17:10,720 lake which burneth with fire, and. 318 00:17:10,720 --> 00:17:12,839 Brimstone. Which is the second death. 319 00:17:12,839 --> 00:17:14,760 You say, Pastor, you're saying everyone that's afraid is going 320 00:17:14,760 --> 00:17:16,079 to go to hell. No, no, that's not what I'm 321 00:17:16,079 --> 00:17:18,440 saying at all. But I am saying this, that there 322 00:17:18,440 --> 00:17:21,119 is a route to fear that is quite abominable. 323 00:17:22,079 --> 00:17:24,000 There's a. Route to fear that is quite 324 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:27,440 damnable. And I'm not saying that everyone 325 00:17:27,640 --> 00:17:30,440 that here has ever dealt with fear is going to go to hell. 326 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:33,840 No, no, what I'm saying is this. That is a fear that must, or 327 00:17:33,840 --> 00:17:36,960 rather it is a sin that must be forgiven by the blood of Jesus 328 00:17:36,960 --> 00:17:40,560 Christ. We just need to put it out there 329 00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:42,720 that you and I deal with this issue of fear. 330 00:17:42,920 --> 00:17:46,040 We fear physical pain. We feel fear the loss of a loved 331 00:17:46,040 --> 00:17:47,600 one. We can fear other people. 332 00:17:47,720 --> 00:17:50,520 We can fear financial ruin. We can fear the future. 333 00:17:50,520 --> 00:17:53,640 There's so many different things that you and I can fear, but at 334 00:17:53,640 --> 00:17:56,040 least we need to get out there first of all and acknowledge it 335 00:17:56,240 --> 00:17:59,040 that we're afraid. And by the way, often times we 336 00:17:59,040 --> 00:18:01,160 get to this place where we think that if we acknowledge we're 337 00:18:01,160 --> 00:18:02,880 fearful that it makes us look weak. 338 00:18:04,200 --> 00:18:06,480 If I acknowledge that I'm afraid of something, that that, that 339 00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:09,000 I'm a nobody, I'm a coward, that people will look different at 340 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:11,200 me. You know, sometimes you need to 341 00:18:11,200 --> 00:18:13,320 be able to acknowledge your fear to be able to help someone else 342 00:18:13,520 --> 00:18:16,640 deal with their fear, because life isn't just about you. 343 00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:21,160 These Israelites obviously had a conversation with each other. 344 00:18:21,240 --> 00:18:24,000 Hey, we're afraid. We're afraid. 345 00:18:24,920 --> 00:18:27,560 They had to acknowledge it, that they came to this conclusion 346 00:18:27,560 --> 00:18:31,200 together because what they did that came up next, they also did 347 00:18:31,200 --> 00:18:33,000 together. So they couldn't have done what 348 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:34,840 they did with the altar. We'll explain what that is in a 349 00:18:34,840 --> 00:18:36,280 minute. But they couldn't have done what 350 00:18:36,280 --> 00:18:38,320 they did with the altar together if they hadn't had a 351 00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:40,080 conversation. You know, we're afraid of all 352 00:18:40,080 --> 00:18:41,160 these people. You're afraid of that. 353 00:18:41,160 --> 00:18:42,240 Why I am too. Why I'm too. 354 00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:45,200 They at least need to say it and verbalize. 355 00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:47,840 And there is something helpful about people being able to 356 00:18:47,840 --> 00:18:50,160 acknowledge. Yeah, I'm afraid of some things. 357 00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:54,720 I'm being honest, we all deal with these things. 358 00:18:55,360 --> 00:18:59,080 Again, I found it helpful over the years and teaching folks how 359 00:18:59,080 --> 00:19:01,880 to win other people to Christ to just say, you know, I get 360 00:19:01,880 --> 00:19:06,440 nervous and fearful in explaining the gospel message to 361 00:19:06,440 --> 00:19:08,800 other people. Well, you're a pastor. 362 00:19:08,800 --> 00:19:10,080 You've been doing this for how many years? 363 00:19:10,080 --> 00:19:12,200 I know I've been in full time ministry for 20 years, but every 364 00:19:12,200 --> 00:19:15,080 time I talk to someone about the gospel, I realize their soul 365 00:19:15,080 --> 00:19:21,840 hangs in the balance. And sometimes that gravity can 366 00:19:21,840 --> 00:19:26,280 turn into fearfulness. No Should we understand the 367 00:19:26,280 --> 00:19:27,720 gravity of it? Absolutely we should. 368 00:19:27,720 --> 00:19:29,360 We should understand how important it is. 369 00:19:29,560 --> 00:19:32,520 But that's gravity can sometimes turn into paralyzing fear where 370 00:19:32,520 --> 00:19:35,920 instead of making sure I say the right thing, I'm so worried 371 00:19:35,920 --> 00:19:38,040 about saying the right thing that I say nothing. 372 00:19:41,360 --> 00:19:44,320 Or I'm afraid that they'll say no and reject the Lord. 373 00:19:44,680 --> 00:19:46,800 But really, I'm not as worried about them rejecting the Lord as 374 00:19:46,800 --> 00:19:51,480 I am them rejecting me. But I found. 375 00:19:51,480 --> 00:19:53,600 That it's been helpful for me to explain that to people sometimes 376 00:19:53,600 --> 00:19:56,000 because when I do, I can see just as I see right now. 377 00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:58,400 Sometimes the lights turn on. Oh, you deal with that, too? 378 00:19:59,280 --> 00:20:00,680 Yeah. That doesn't just go away when 379 00:20:00,680 --> 00:20:02,120 you get a degree from a Bible college. 380 00:20:04,280 --> 00:20:06,320 I was shocked it didn't go away the day I got ordained. 381 00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:09,240 I still deal with it. Why? 382 00:20:10,320 --> 00:20:14,480 Because Satan wants to make sure that we are so afraid that we 383 00:20:14,480 --> 00:20:15,840 don't share our faith with anybody. 384 00:20:17,480 --> 00:20:18,600 So what do we do? First, we acknowledge it. 385 00:20:18,600 --> 00:20:19,600 That's what the Israelites did here. 386 00:20:19,600 --> 00:20:22,560 I believe there had to have been a conversation here to bring 387 00:20:22,560 --> 00:20:24,640 them to the place where they got to the next step. 388 00:20:24,640 --> 00:20:27,440 And the next step was this give it to God. 389 00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:33,800 OK, we can talk about how afraid we are all day, but if you don't 390 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:38,800 give it to God, it's worthless. I can admit that there are times 391 00:20:38,800 --> 00:20:41,400 that it makes it. I get very nervous being able to 392 00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:43,800 give the gospel to someone else, but if I don't actually give it 393 00:20:43,800 --> 00:20:46,160 to the Lord and then give the gospel to someone else, what's 394 00:20:46,160 --> 00:20:47,400 it? What have I accomplished? 395 00:20:48,440 --> 00:20:50,600 It's one thing to acknowledge we have fear, but it's another 396 00:20:50,600 --> 00:20:52,080 thing to, quote UN quote, conquer it. 397 00:20:52,080 --> 00:20:55,160 Well, what does that mean? Give it to the Lord because He's 398 00:20:55,160 --> 00:20:57,800 the Conqueror. He is the one that is the God 399 00:20:57,800 --> 00:21:00,360 who can cast out the fears that we deal with in our life. 400 00:21:00,840 --> 00:21:03,680 You see, they decided the best way to handle this was to stop 401 00:21:03,680 --> 00:21:06,280 being afraid and start doing right. 402 00:21:06,880 --> 00:21:09,880 Well, what do you mean? Go back to verse #3 it says 403 00:21:09,880 --> 00:21:12,560 this. And they set the altar upon his 404 00:21:12,560 --> 00:21:15,960 bases, for fear was upon them because of the people, those 405 00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:17,880 countries. And they offer burnt offerings 406 00:21:17,880 --> 00:21:20,320 there on unto the Lord, even burnt offerings morning and 407 00:21:20,320 --> 00:21:22,040 evening. That you understand that God had 408 00:21:22,040 --> 00:21:25,720 called the people of Israel to offer sacrifices every day, but 409 00:21:25,720 --> 00:21:28,840 then also offer specific sacrifices during different 410 00:21:28,840 --> 00:21:32,240 festivals and feasts, 3 in particular major ones that God 411 00:21:32,240 --> 00:21:36,560 had called them to do. But but after they had left into 412 00:21:36,640 --> 00:21:39,920 exile, or rather had they been taken into exile and come back, 413 00:21:40,040 --> 00:21:43,080 the temple is gone. The altar is gone. 414 00:21:44,040 --> 00:21:46,280 It's rubble. Jerusalem is rubble. 415 00:21:46,280 --> 00:21:48,760 In fact, you go as far as Nehemiah and you'll find that 416 00:21:48,760 --> 00:21:51,880 even the walls are still rubble, even as the temple has been 417 00:21:51,880 --> 00:21:58,200 repaired. So they realize we're afraid and 418 00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:00,960 we're afraid. So what are we going to do about 419 00:22:00,960 --> 00:22:03,680 it? They said, you know what, we 420 00:22:03,680 --> 00:22:07,400 need to honor the Lord. So they put the altar on its 421 00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:10,360 bases. And what that means is this. 422 00:22:10,440 --> 00:22:14,880 They basically found the place in the rubble where the old 423 00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:20,200 altar used to be. And on the base of the old altar 424 00:22:21,040 --> 00:22:24,640 they built the new altar. Now, why was this so 425 00:22:24,640 --> 00:22:28,000 fundamental? Why was this so important? 426 00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:31,360 Why was it so important that in the midst of their fear, and 427 00:22:31,360 --> 00:22:34,160 again verse #3 acknowledges they were afraid of the people, Why 428 00:22:34,160 --> 00:22:36,680 was it so important that they were to offer sacrifice during 429 00:22:36,680 --> 00:22:40,440 that time? Well, what is a sacrifice? 430 00:22:41,200 --> 00:22:44,240 Particularly the sacrifices that they were making was an 431 00:22:44,240 --> 00:22:48,560 atonement for sin. You know, I think almost 432 00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:52,880 visually it was like this. They were laying their fear on 433 00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:56,600 the altar and they were giving it to God. 434 00:22:57,680 --> 00:23:00,480 I'm not just acknowledging it, I give it to you. 435 00:23:01,640 --> 00:23:04,320 I'll lay it here and I'll let the fire consume it. 436 00:23:04,320 --> 00:23:06,680 You know what some of you need to do today? 437 00:23:07,840 --> 00:23:12,480 Some of you need to lay your fear at the altar and give it to 438 00:23:12,480 --> 00:23:15,720 God. Listen, you want to conquer your 439 00:23:15,720 --> 00:23:17,280 fear on your own. Good luck. 440 00:23:19,040 --> 00:23:21,160 You want to conquer those fears that you have. 441 00:23:22,040 --> 00:23:24,920 Fears. Fears of failure Fears. 442 00:23:25,680 --> 00:23:30,800 Of a marriage crumbling, fears of children not doing right, 443 00:23:31,840 --> 00:23:37,640 fear of, of, of your of, of going to school and fearing what 444 00:23:37,640 --> 00:23:41,240 your school think of you. If you live for Christ, you, 445 00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:44,840 you, you have these fears. Well, what can I do with him? 446 00:23:45,080 --> 00:23:47,920 I've acknowledged I've got him. Sure, Pastor, You twisted my 447 00:23:47,920 --> 00:23:48,920 arm. Of course I have him. 448 00:23:49,040 --> 00:23:51,880 So what do I do with it? Listen, God has given us an 449 00:23:51,880 --> 00:23:53,640 altar. God has given us not just this 450 00:23:53,640 --> 00:23:56,000 altar here, but God has given us a place. 451 00:23:56,000 --> 00:23:59,720 God has given us a method to be able to go to him, to go to the 452 00:23:59,720 --> 00:24:03,360 very throne room of God where he beckons us to be able to speak 453 00:24:03,360 --> 00:24:05,240 to him. That the partition has been 454 00:24:05,240 --> 00:24:08,560 taken away, that we can boldly go before the throne of grace. 455 00:24:08,600 --> 00:24:10,520 You know what you and I need to do with our fear? 456 00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:13,280 Lay it on the altar. Could call it what it is. 457 00:24:13,280 --> 00:24:15,800 It's sin. Lord, forgive me. 458 00:24:15,800 --> 00:24:19,440 Yes, that's good. I'm weak. 459 00:24:21,080 --> 00:24:25,440 Man, I'm weak. I thought I'd get more events 460 00:24:25,440 --> 00:24:29,200 with that, to be honest with you, but you are too. 461 00:24:30,200 --> 00:24:33,640 This flesh is weak. Paul struggle with it. 462 00:24:35,080 --> 00:24:37,040 Paul struggle with it. You think you're not going to 463 00:24:37,040 --> 00:24:39,400 struggle with it? You think I'm not going to 464 00:24:39,400 --> 00:24:42,920 struggle with it? In fact, Paul, you want to talk 465 00:24:42,920 --> 00:24:46,040 about Paul, he goes to Corinth. Remember, we've been looking at 466 00:24:46,040 --> 00:24:48,680 this and Wednesday nights and he goes to court. 467 00:24:48,680 --> 00:24:51,520 He's already been beaten up and he's already been expelled and 468 00:24:51,520 --> 00:24:53,720 thrown out and jailed and all these things have happened. 469 00:24:53,880 --> 00:24:57,040 He finally gets to court and the things are lining up. 470 00:24:57,040 --> 00:24:58,720 He's like, well, here, it's going to happen here too. 471 00:24:58,720 --> 00:25:01,280 And what does that happen? The Lord appears unto him and he 472 00:25:01,280 --> 00:25:03,200 says this. Be not afraid. 473 00:25:05,240 --> 00:25:07,160 Well, why would God say that? Well, Cohen didn't because he 474 00:25:07,160 --> 00:25:11,160 was afraid. Paul was afraid in his flesh. 475 00:25:11,160 --> 00:25:12,920 What do you do? You got to acknowledge it. 476 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:15,240 You got to give it to God. These people said we're going to 477 00:25:15,360 --> 00:25:18,080 build an altar. Even though it's going to be an 478 00:25:18,080 --> 00:25:20,560 offense to those people, even though those people aren't going 479 00:25:20,560 --> 00:25:22,560 to like it. Listen, we've got to obey God 480 00:25:22,560 --> 00:25:24,680 rather than man. We've got to acknowledge him. 481 00:25:24,680 --> 00:25:26,840 And listen, God is greater than those people. 482 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:29,280 And this is really the secret of all of these things. 483 00:25:29,280 --> 00:25:31,520 Listen, God is greater than your fears. 484 00:25:32,280 --> 00:25:33,800 God is greater than these people. 485 00:25:34,080 --> 00:25:36,880 God is greater than your fear of the future because God is in the 486 00:25:36,880 --> 00:25:38,840 future. God is greater than your health 487 00:25:38,840 --> 00:25:41,360 concerns because God is the giver of life. 488 00:25:41,520 --> 00:25:44,520 Listen, God is greater than your fears about your children 489 00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:47,880 because God is the one who gave the life to those children and 490 00:25:47,880 --> 00:25:50,800 allowed you to be their parents. Listen, God is greater than your 491 00:25:50,800 --> 00:25:53,880 problems with your finances or your possessions because God 492 00:25:53,880 --> 00:25:57,240 owns the cattle on 1000 Hills. What are you afraid of? 493 00:25:58,800 --> 00:26:01,320 And what am I afraid of? Listen. 494 00:26:02,440 --> 00:26:08,640 He is good, he is great. And you put those things 495 00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:12,040 together, the greatness of God. There's no one more powerful. 496 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:15,840 The goodness of God that he is holy. 497 00:26:16,880 --> 00:26:19,080 Now listen, what do we have to be afraid of? 498 00:26:20,400 --> 00:26:25,520 Jesus says this Matthew 1128 to 30 come unto me all the labor 499 00:26:26,280 --> 00:26:29,360 and are heavy laden and I will give you stress. 500 00:26:33,640 --> 00:26:36,720 You were listening and you thought I made a mistake because 501 00:26:36,720 --> 00:26:38,160 I wasn't looking, but I know this one. 502 00:26:39,160 --> 00:26:44,640 I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn 503 00:26:44,640 --> 00:26:49,080 of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and you shall find rest 504 00:26:49,080 --> 00:26:53,520 unto your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden is light. 505 00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:55,880 Some of you thought I thought this pastor a new doctrine. 506 00:26:55,880 --> 00:26:57,760 He's he's going off. Joanne was like, did I find the 507 00:26:57,760 --> 00:27:01,240 right church? All right, So hey, but but we 508 00:27:01,240 --> 00:27:06,720 act like that's what he says, but he'll give you rest. 509 00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:09,800 So what do we do? We got to we got to acknowledge 510 00:27:09,800 --> 00:27:11,440 it. We got to give it to him. 511 00:27:12,040 --> 00:27:14,760 And then third, we listen, we got to get to work. 512 00:27:16,040 --> 00:27:18,200 Get to work. You know what they did? 513 00:27:18,280 --> 00:27:20,680 They built an altar. You know what they did in the 514 00:27:20,680 --> 00:27:24,640 verses following that verse 4, verse 5, verse six, they got to 515 00:27:24,640 --> 00:27:26,680 work. They had the altar. 516 00:27:27,360 --> 00:27:29,920 They used the altar. It was a 7th month. 517 00:27:30,280 --> 00:27:32,360 That meant it was a very busy feast month. 518 00:27:32,360 --> 00:27:34,720 They had the Day of Atonement. You also had the Feast of 519 00:27:34,720 --> 00:27:36,560 Tabernacles that are mentioned there as well. 520 00:27:36,560 --> 00:27:38,800 You know what they did? They used the altar. 521 00:27:39,880 --> 00:27:41,480 You know what, they had daily sacrifices. 522 00:27:41,480 --> 00:27:43,720 They used the altar. Look at verse #7. 523 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:46,240 They gave money under the Masons into the carpenters, the meat 524 00:27:46,240 --> 00:27:48,240 and the drink and the oil and them aside. 525 00:27:48,240 --> 00:27:51,440 They have a tire to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the Sea of 526 00:27:51,440 --> 00:27:55,320 Joppa, according to the grant that they had of Cyrus, King of 527 00:27:55,320 --> 00:27:56,480 Persia. You know what they did? 528 00:27:56,480 --> 00:28:01,560 They got to work. Maybe some of you are right now. 529 00:28:01,560 --> 00:28:04,000 You're like, man, I love this pastor. 530 00:28:04,320 --> 00:28:06,400 I'm all about this. I know I need this in my life. 531 00:28:06,920 --> 00:28:09,600 I know I need this. I need to give this to the Lord 532 00:28:09,600 --> 00:28:11,320 today. What here's the problem. 533 00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:15,560 You can give it to the Lord today, but Satan's going to give 534 00:28:15,560 --> 00:28:17,040 it return to sender to you tomorrow. 535 00:28:17,040 --> 00:28:20,600 I know he's going to come back tomorrow and like this, this day 536 00:28:20,600 --> 00:28:22,960 never happened. Like pastor, can you just can 537 00:28:22,960 --> 00:28:25,600 you like, can you just hype me up every morning? 538 00:28:25,600 --> 00:28:31,840 I was like, listen, no. I got to hype myself up, man, 539 00:28:31,840 --> 00:28:33,960 before I get to you. I'm going to try my best, but, 540 00:28:33,960 --> 00:28:36,280 you know, listen. Pastor, what do I do? 541 00:28:36,360 --> 00:28:41,840 Listen, just get to work. Fear will come back tomorrow. 542 00:28:42,720 --> 00:28:44,800 What do you do? Just keep going forward. 543 00:28:45,760 --> 00:28:46,880 The fear will come back tomorrow. 544 00:28:46,880 --> 00:28:50,280 You just keep going forward. 1st Corinthians 16, verses 13 and 545 00:28:50,280 --> 00:28:52,960 14, says Watchy. Stand fast in the faith. 546 00:28:53,360 --> 00:28:55,000 Quit you like men. Now we think of that. 547 00:28:55,000 --> 00:28:56,800 Quit you like men, it sounds like, well, I just need to quit. 548 00:28:56,800 --> 00:28:58,360 And a lot of times that's what fear makes us do. 549 00:28:58,640 --> 00:29:00,680 We need to quit. But actually the word quit here 550 00:29:00,720 --> 00:29:02,360 in our King James Bible means this. 551 00:29:02,360 --> 00:29:05,640 To strengthen yourself, strengthen yourself like men. 552 00:29:05,880 --> 00:29:09,840 Be strong. Let all your things be done with 553 00:29:09,840 --> 00:29:12,120 charity. As I mentioned, even Paul needed 554 00:29:12,120 --> 00:29:13,640 encouragement. And what did he do when he got 555 00:29:13,640 --> 00:29:16,320 encouragement? He went to the workout for 18 556 00:29:16,320 --> 00:29:17,000 months. He did what? 557 00:29:17,240 --> 00:29:19,880 Nothing but preach the gospel to the people who were there in 558 00:29:19,880 --> 00:29:23,520 Corinth. Everyone needs encouragement. 559 00:29:23,520 --> 00:29:27,440 You need to go to the work. Moses had excuses, but what did 560 00:29:27,440 --> 00:29:31,320 God say get to work. Gideon had excuses, what did God 561 00:29:31,320 --> 00:29:34,640 say get to work. John Mark had excuses in the 562 00:29:34,640 --> 00:29:35,640 book of Acts. What did he do? 563 00:29:36,760 --> 00:29:41,200 He was afraid and he quit and he missed the blessings that God 564 00:29:41,200 --> 00:29:43,480 had for him. Now thank the Lord near the end 565 00:29:43,480 --> 00:29:44,840 of his life. We don't know exactly what 566 00:29:44,840 --> 00:29:48,280 happened, but Paul said this bring John Mark for he is 567 00:29:48,280 --> 00:29:49,840 profitable for me to the ministry. 568 00:29:50,120 --> 00:29:53,120 There had been some sort of renewal in his life. 569 00:29:53,120 --> 00:29:55,360 And that's what's great, is that even if you have dealt with fear 570 00:29:55,360 --> 00:29:57,520 in the past, maybe if you've given into fear in the past, 571 00:29:57,760 --> 00:30:00,000 maybe you're given into fear in your present, you can get it 572 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:03,360 right and God can restore you and renew you and make you 573 00:30:03,360 --> 00:30:06,520 profitable as a servant. He sure can. 574 00:30:07,840 --> 00:30:11,680 Don't be paralyzed by fear. Don't be paralyzed by fear. 575 00:30:12,920 --> 00:30:16,520 It was amazing to me. We were at a church last week 576 00:30:16,520 --> 00:30:19,840 and at the end of the message, they brought up a missionary and 577 00:30:19,840 --> 00:30:23,000 there was a missionary in town. This missionary was in his 70s. 578 00:30:24,080 --> 00:30:27,720 He was a missionary to Haiti. And of course, we have much 579 00:30:27,720 --> 00:30:31,000 familiarity with our church with, with Haiti and, and, and 580 00:30:31,000 --> 00:30:35,880 Haitian folks. And, and we know it is pretty 581 00:30:35,880 --> 00:30:39,920 dangerous there when the State Department tells you get out and 582 00:30:39,920 --> 00:30:42,560 stay out, That's what you need to know. 583 00:30:44,400 --> 00:30:49,040 But this man said this. I thought he'd been a missionary 584 00:30:49,040 --> 00:30:53,000 to Haiti for like 50 years. And he said this. 585 00:30:53,320 --> 00:30:57,720 I've been a layman all my life, me and my wife, he said we're in 586 00:30:57,720 --> 00:31:00,640 our 50s and we're thinking about retirement and what to do next. 587 00:31:00,640 --> 00:31:03,360 When that phase of life came, he said the Lord. 588 00:31:03,360 --> 00:31:05,880 Burned our hearts. To become missionaries to Haiti 589 00:31:07,120 --> 00:31:10,840 and you could just see people's faces in their 50s. 590 00:31:12,240 --> 00:31:15,280 That's young, right? All right, Yeah, that's good. 591 00:31:15,280 --> 00:31:16,560 I thought I'd get a better reaction than that. 592 00:31:16,560 --> 00:31:20,120 All right, closer I get the younger it seems. 593 00:31:20,120 --> 00:31:24,760 I'll tell you. That, but this is what happened. 594 00:31:25,320 --> 00:31:29,240 They've been there 20 years and they've been faithful. 595 00:31:29,800 --> 00:31:32,120 And I thought, well, you know, they're back right now because 596 00:31:32,120 --> 00:31:33,800 they're, you know, they can't go back. 597 00:31:33,800 --> 00:31:35,640 He said, well, we're going to be going back here soon. 598 00:31:36,760 --> 00:31:40,600 You know, I look at that and I think in my mind is that crazy? 599 00:31:42,560 --> 00:31:43,720 But the Lord is laid on their heart. 600 00:31:44,160 --> 00:31:48,640 People, He said this. The only thing I have to fear is 601 00:31:48,640 --> 00:31:52,120 to not do the will of God. That's powerful. 602 00:31:53,200 --> 00:31:56,400 That's powerful. How many of us in our later 603 00:31:56,400 --> 00:31:58,720 years would be willing to stand up to our fear? 604 00:32:00,320 --> 00:32:02,440 We're just so set in our ways. This is what I do. 605 00:32:02,440 --> 00:32:04,120 This is how I do it. This is who I am. 606 00:32:04,120 --> 00:32:06,680 God, you'll have to take me for who I am because it's baked in 607 00:32:06,680 --> 00:32:07,240 the cake. Now. 608 00:32:07,240 --> 00:32:08,680 This is the way I've been for so long. 609 00:32:08,840 --> 00:32:12,720 Or maybe just say this, I'm going to get about the work. 610 00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:15,520 Hey, people need to hear your voice. 611 00:32:17,120 --> 00:32:22,360 People need to hear your voice. People need to see you present 612 00:32:22,360 --> 00:32:24,680 Christ. I'm not just talking about it 613 00:32:24,680 --> 00:32:28,120 outreach on Saturdays. I'm talking about in your daily 614 00:32:28,120 --> 00:32:30,160 life. They need to see you present and 615 00:32:30,160 --> 00:32:34,800 represent Jesus Christ. It's fearful. 616 00:32:35,840 --> 00:32:38,560 We deal with all kinds of fear, but what do we do? 617 00:32:38,640 --> 00:32:42,520 Get to work when we deal with it tomorrow will then by God's 618 00:32:42,520 --> 00:32:46,440 grace get to work again, but I'll probably still deal with it 619 00:32:46,440 --> 00:32:47,800 a few months later or years later. 620 00:32:48,280 --> 00:32:51,720 Get get back to work again. Ask God to help you. 621 00:32:52,440 --> 00:32:55,080 Ask for the power of the Holy Spirit who lives inside if you 622 00:32:55,080 --> 00:32:59,720 or if you're saved. I'm afraid I'm afraid to give. 623 00:33:00,920 --> 00:33:03,240 I'm afraid to give. I don't know what it'll do to to 624 00:33:03,240 --> 00:33:05,840 our our life. Listen, just give. 625 00:33:07,320 --> 00:33:11,480 Just follow God and do what he's called you to do. 626 00:33:12,160 --> 00:33:13,920 I would tell you this, our family's gone through a journey 627 00:33:13,920 --> 00:33:17,480 of giving over the years and we tie, then we give to missions. 628 00:33:17,480 --> 00:33:20,160 And I will tell you this, I never look at that, at this 629 00:33:20,160 --> 00:33:23,760 place where I am now and say, Lord, what am I going to do? 630 00:33:24,880 --> 00:33:27,840 I look at the say, Lord, thank you for the privilege and the 631 00:33:27,840 --> 00:33:28,960 opportunity. Thank you for taking. 632 00:33:28,960 --> 00:33:32,840 Care of us. In such a way, I'll be honest, I 633 00:33:32,840 --> 00:33:39,680 would almost be afraid not to because God takes care of us so 634 00:33:39,680 --> 00:33:42,640 good. Afraid of family? 635 00:33:43,240 --> 00:33:50,360 Listen, be a believer no matter what your family thinks. 636 00:33:52,440 --> 00:33:54,680 Be a believer no matter what your extended family thinks. 637 00:33:56,480 --> 00:33:59,640 Listen, when you go to a gathering with your family who 638 00:33:59,640 --> 00:34:02,200 are not believers, don't try to fit in with them. 639 00:34:04,800 --> 00:34:09,960 OK, I'm coming down. You know, when you get together 640 00:34:09,960 --> 00:34:13,920 with your family and maybe they're not believers, don't try 641 00:34:13,920 --> 00:34:17,440 to be like them. No, I'm not talking about being 642 00:34:17,440 --> 00:34:21,239 rude or unkind to them. No, there's nothing Christian 643 00:34:21,239 --> 00:34:26,719 about that. But show them Christ, show them 644 00:34:26,840 --> 00:34:29,080 Jesus Christ. How will you win them if they 645 00:34:29,080 --> 00:34:36,239 don't see Jesus Christ in you? Listen, if family wants you to 646 00:34:36,239 --> 00:34:40,120 do things that are not Christian, like apologize and 647 00:34:40,120 --> 00:34:45,639 say you can't do it, listen, if family tells you, hey, we want 648 00:34:45,639 --> 00:34:52,600 to do this thing during church time while I go to church 0 man, 649 00:34:52,600 --> 00:34:54,199 I'm just going to turn around now because this is it. 650 00:34:54,440 --> 00:34:56,800 Because I know I was not going to be very popular, but I just I 651 00:34:56,800 --> 00:34:59,080 will say this, I'm going to say this, I'm going to say this to 652 00:34:59,080 --> 00:35:01,040 the pulpit here. Listen, I would say it's the 653 00:35:01,040 --> 00:35:01,960 Pope. I would say it's the water 654 00:35:01,960 --> 00:35:03,000 bottle. This water bottle right here 655 00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:04,240 looks good. Whoever brought this up, by the 656 00:35:04,240 --> 00:35:05,560 way, thank you. Let's say this is the water 657 00:35:05,560 --> 00:35:07,320 bottle. One of the best ways that you 658 00:35:07,320 --> 00:35:11,280 can show your family that you are serious in your faith is to 659 00:35:11,280 --> 00:35:13,600 be able to tell them that you're serious about the House of God. 660 00:35:14,240 --> 00:35:18,240 But when everything else revolves around what everybody 661 00:35:18,240 --> 00:35:20,480 else wants to do instead of Lord, what would you have me to 662 00:35:20,480 --> 00:35:22,000 do? First, how are they going to be 663 00:35:22,000 --> 00:35:23,720 able to see Christ in you? The hope of glory? 664 00:35:26,080 --> 00:35:30,840 Amen. All right, I'm not, it's, I'm 665 00:35:30,840 --> 00:35:34,680 not getting on anybody. I'm just saying that we can't 666 00:35:34,680 --> 00:35:39,400 allow our fear while ostracize them, while people will think 667 00:35:39,400 --> 00:35:41,720 I'm holier than thou. No, no, you'll love them. 668 00:35:42,800 --> 00:35:45,800 You show them, love you show them Jesus. 669 00:35:47,600 --> 00:35:50,680 Don't be afraid. Don't be. 670 00:35:50,920 --> 00:35:53,120 Some of you are making some bad decisions because you're afraid 671 00:35:53,120 --> 00:35:56,160 of what other people will say about you, what your extended 672 00:35:56,160 --> 00:35:59,440 family will say about you, what your spouse may say to you. 673 00:36:00,240 --> 00:36:02,120 Listen, some of you may be afraid to even act like a 674 00:36:02,120 --> 00:36:05,120 Christian or be a leader in your home because you're afraid that 675 00:36:05,120 --> 00:36:07,880 your spouse will. Guys will say, well, they, they 676 00:36:07,880 --> 00:36:11,440 see me for who I am and you're afraid to be the man that you 677 00:36:11,440 --> 00:36:13,840 need to be. I get that. 678 00:36:15,240 --> 00:36:20,200 You know the answer to that. Give it to God, confess it. 679 00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:24,480 Be honest with your wife. Tell her where you failed in the 680 00:36:24,480 --> 00:36:28,720 past, by the way, she knows. Put this on. 681 00:36:28,720 --> 00:36:32,960 I said she already knows. So just go ahead and confess it 682 00:36:33,800 --> 00:36:35,200 and be right with her. Well, I could tell I've been 683 00:36:35,200 --> 00:36:38,560 gone a couple weeks, man, I'm feeling no. 684 00:36:38,560 --> 00:36:46,440 But listen, don't be afraid. Israel knew they were afraid, 685 00:36:46,440 --> 00:36:47,480 but they said we got to move ahead. 686 00:36:48,120 --> 00:36:51,800 We got to do what's right. Do not be paralyzed by fear. 687 00:36:52,760 --> 00:36:55,000 I, I know I've gone long. I just give me a couple minutes 688 00:36:55,000 --> 00:36:59,040 and I'm and I'm done. As some of you may know this, I 689 00:36:59,040 --> 00:37:03,040 heard it was announced on church at church last week, but the 690 00:37:03,040 --> 00:37:05,600 gentleman that I've been asking to pray for for some time, Steve 691 00:37:05,600 --> 00:37:08,360 Baker passed away. He was the man who led me to 692 00:37:08,360 --> 00:37:13,240 Christ. December 2nd, 1998, we found out 693 00:37:13,360 --> 00:37:16,080 the very first day of vacation. We, we received the call 694 00:37:16,080 --> 00:37:20,480 literally when we pulled in, I got the call that he had gone to 695 00:37:20,480 --> 00:37:23,320 be with the Lord. And there's so much that I could 696 00:37:23,320 --> 00:37:27,000 say about Steve Baker, what he meant to me and how he patiently 697 00:37:27,000 --> 00:37:31,120 won me to Christ as a teenager when I had no clue about 698 00:37:31,120 --> 00:37:33,440 anything and really didn't want to have a clue about anything. 699 00:37:33,440 --> 00:37:36,400 But he loved me anyway. But I remember when I went to a 700 00:37:36,400 --> 00:37:38,200 program called Neighborhood Bible Time. 701 00:37:38,200 --> 00:37:41,120 When I graduated high school, I got to travel the country for a 702 00:37:41,120 --> 00:37:43,560 summer and do vacation Bible schools in different states. 703 00:37:43,560 --> 00:37:46,400 It was an amazing opportunity. I was gone for two weeks. 704 00:37:46,400 --> 00:37:49,920 Remember, I was an only child. I hadn't even seen the I didn't 705 00:37:49,920 --> 00:37:52,920 been out of the Eastern Time zone in my life. 706 00:37:53,520 --> 00:37:58,800 And now I'm in Boulder, Co, which is next to Cambridge, one 707 00:37:58,800 --> 00:38:02,200 of the most crazy cities and liberal cities on the earth. 708 00:38:03,560 --> 00:38:06,440 And so I'm there in Boulder. I'm by myself. 709 00:38:06,440 --> 00:38:08,760 I mean, there's other people there, but I just, I'm so alone. 710 00:38:09,160 --> 00:38:12,880 I, I, I want to quit after like a week. 711 00:38:13,440 --> 00:38:16,120 I was done. I'm going to do this by myself. 712 00:38:16,120 --> 00:38:17,920 I'm going to go, I'm 18 years old. 713 00:38:17,920 --> 00:38:20,120 I'm going to go to churches and they're giving me this program 714 00:38:20,120 --> 00:38:21,160 to be able to teach and to preach. 715 00:38:21,160 --> 00:38:22,080 I don't know how I'm going to do this. 716 00:38:22,080 --> 00:38:24,440 And I was so homesick. I was so alone. 717 00:38:24,440 --> 00:38:27,440 I just, I was done. And I remember getting on the 718 00:38:27,440 --> 00:38:30,360 phone and back in those days, you know, it had a cord still. 719 00:38:31,200 --> 00:38:36,720 And so I had got a calling card and I called Steve Baker and I 720 00:38:36,720 --> 00:38:39,760 said, I'm done. He said, you're done. 721 00:38:40,520 --> 00:38:42,960 It's been a week. I said, I know, like, I already 722 00:38:43,000 --> 00:38:44,240 tell where this is going and I'm done. 723 00:38:44,240 --> 00:38:48,640 I don't want to do this. And he said, I don't think 724 00:38:48,640 --> 00:38:51,800 that's the right move. He says you do whatever you feel 725 00:38:51,800 --> 00:38:53,640 like you need to do. I'll pray on it. 726 00:38:53,800 --> 00:38:56,160 You pray on it. But take a couple days, you read 727 00:38:56,160 --> 00:38:58,880 your Bible, you pray, and then you do whatever you feel the 728 00:38:58,880 --> 00:39:00,760 Lord wants you to do. And I'm like, oh, now I got to 729 00:39:00,760 --> 00:39:06,880 do what the Lord wants me to do. And that's not a good sign. 730 00:39:06,880 --> 00:39:13,680 I remember the next day went up onto a mountain and again, I'm 731 00:39:13,680 --> 00:39:17,040 from Florida, I'm a flat Lander. It will go up on the side of a 732 00:39:17,040 --> 00:39:23,720 mountain, probably 8000 feet up. I looked out over God's creation 733 00:39:23,720 --> 00:39:26,080 and I don't even know if I can fully explain this to you from 734 00:39:26,080 --> 00:39:29,560 the mind of an 18 year old. And I had my Bible in my hand. 735 00:39:29,560 --> 00:39:32,680 It was like 5-6 in the morning. We were all out there to be able 736 00:39:32,680 --> 00:39:35,080 to read our Bible. They took us up on this hill or 737 00:39:35,080 --> 00:39:37,680 this mountain. And I remember reading the book 738 00:39:37,680 --> 00:39:42,880 of Joshua chapter #1 and I got to verse #9 which has since 739 00:39:42,880 --> 00:39:46,120 become my life verse. And on that day it became my 740 00:39:46,120 --> 00:39:47,440 life verse. I didn't know what a life verse 741 00:39:47,440 --> 00:39:49,720 was before then, but I realized that's what it was because it 742 00:39:49,720 --> 00:39:53,440 changed my life. Said, have I not commanded thee? 743 00:39:54,240 --> 00:39:58,960 Be strong and of a good courage, Be not afraid, neither be thou 744 00:39:58,960 --> 00:40:03,040 this maid, for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou 745 00:40:03,040 --> 00:40:05,440 goest. And I realized that the God of 746 00:40:05,440 --> 00:40:09,560 Tampa was the God of Boulder, who would be the God of Oklahoma 747 00:40:09,560 --> 00:40:09,960 City. Amen. 748 00:40:11,200 --> 00:40:16,360 Will be the God of East. And do I still deal with fear? 749 00:40:17,040 --> 00:40:20,440 I do, Unfortunately, Israel did too. 750 00:40:20,440 --> 00:40:25,280 You know what's going to happen in the next chapter, by the end 751 00:40:25,280 --> 00:40:30,640 of chapter #4 those enemies are going to appeal to a new regime 752 00:40:30,640 --> 00:40:33,560 in Persia, and they're going to get shut down. 753 00:40:33,560 --> 00:40:37,640 And they're going to get shut down for the tune of about 16 754 00:40:37,640 --> 00:40:39,640 years. They're not going to build 755 00:40:39,760 --> 00:40:43,360 anything. What I'm saying is this, you can 756 00:40:43,360 --> 00:40:45,280 make a decision today that you're not going to be afraid 757 00:40:45,880 --> 00:40:50,440 and you still could deal with it tomorrow or a week later or a 758 00:40:50,440 --> 00:40:52,400 month later. Keep giving it to God. 759 00:40:53,080 --> 00:40:57,120 And the last thing I'll say is this, the greatest thing that 760 00:40:57,120 --> 00:40:59,920 you might be afraid of is what am I going to do with my 761 00:40:59,920 --> 00:41:02,840 eternity? What do I do when this life is 762 00:41:02,840 --> 00:41:05,600 over? When this life is over, what, 763 00:41:05,600 --> 00:41:09,120 what happens next? Can I tell you, the Bible makes 764 00:41:09,120 --> 00:41:12,600 it clear that there are only two places that people go after 765 00:41:12,600 --> 00:41:15,600 death? There is heaven and there's a 766 00:41:15,600 --> 00:41:18,560 lake of fire. There are only two places. 767 00:41:19,080 --> 00:41:21,400 And that those who have called upon Jesus Christ to save them 768 00:41:21,400 --> 00:41:23,720 will spend an eternity in heaven, and those who have 769 00:41:23,720 --> 00:41:26,520 rejected the free gift of salvation will spend an eternity 770 00:41:26,520 --> 00:41:29,640 in the lake of fire. That is not God's plan for 771 00:41:29,640 --> 00:41:31,120 anyone, You say? How could you say that? 772 00:41:31,480 --> 00:41:36,240 Because Jesus Christ died for all that all might be saved to 773 00:41:36,240 --> 00:41:39,160 conquer even the fear of eternity. 774 00:41:40,520 --> 00:41:42,920 So today, if you don't know Jesus Christ your Savior, and 775 00:41:42,920 --> 00:41:47,600 maybe this all sounds like like such a far out way of thinking 776 00:41:47,600 --> 00:41:49,760 you can't even understand it. I would tell you the reason you 777 00:41:49,760 --> 00:41:52,320 can't truly understand it is because maybe you don't know 778 00:41:52,360 --> 00:41:55,120 Jesus Christ your Savior. Because for those of us who are 779 00:41:55,120 --> 00:41:58,160 saved, it resonates because we know, hey, he is big enough to 780 00:41:58,160 --> 00:42:01,040 save me for eternity. So he can probably handle a bank 781 00:42:01,040 --> 00:42:02,200 account. That's a little low. 782 00:42:04,400 --> 00:42:07,560 He saved me for all eternity. He can probably handle people 783 00:42:07,560 --> 00:42:08,840 who are being mean to me at school. 784 00:42:10,400 --> 00:42:13,800 He saved me for all eternity. He can probably handle my car 785 00:42:13,800 --> 00:42:18,760 problems. So if we get it, even if we 786 00:42:18,760 --> 00:42:21,320 don't live it, we understand it because the Holy Spirit inside 787 00:42:21,320 --> 00:42:23,480 of it's making clear. But if you don't know Jesus 788 00:42:23,480 --> 00:42:25,320 Christ your Savior today, if you don't know where you spend 789 00:42:25,320 --> 00:42:28,840 eternity, do not leave this building without talking to me, 790 00:42:28,840 --> 00:42:31,360 without talking to someone else in this building that would be 791 00:42:31,360 --> 00:42:34,160 able to tell you, open a Bible and tell you what it means to be 792 00:42:34,160 --> 00:42:36,320 saved. There's no greater decision you 793 00:42:36,320 --> 00:42:41,040 can make than that. Fear God first in salvation. 794 00:42:41,240 --> 00:42:45,480 Not the fear that makes you shake or quake, but the fear of 795 00:42:45,480 --> 00:42:50,280 reverence, awe and respect that He is the God that we read about 796 00:42:50,320 --> 00:42:52,360 in Isaiah chapter 6, who's high and lifted up. 797 00:42:53,720 --> 00:42:56,400 Thank you for listening to the sermon from the pulpit of 798 00:42:56,400 --> 00:42:59,320 Liberty Baptist Church. If this message was a blessing 799 00:42:59,320 --> 00:43:02,800 to you, or if there's any way we can serve you, please let us 800 00:43:02,800 --> 00:43:07,400 know by contacting us at info@mylibertybaptist.org. 801 00:43:07,680 --> 00:43:12,200 Or you can visit us this Sunday at 800 Washington St. in Easton, 802 00:43:12,200 --> 00:43:15,040 MA. May the Lord bless you as you 803 00:43:15,040 --> 00:43:16,240 grow in His Word.