 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
      |
 | ||
 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
'An Independent Baptist Church' FACING THE GIANT OF FEAR AND ANXIETY There are many 'GIANTS' that we will face in our lifetime that would take away our joy and hinder us from being all that the Lord would want us to be and hinder us from having all that the Lord would want us to have.....in this lifetime. Today, in Deuteronomy 1:21 we're going to see how to face the GIANT of FEAR.....and ANXIETY....as we walk with Joshua and Caleb and the people of Israel as they leave the slavery of Egypt and attempt to enter the Promised Land of Canaan! I wonder what you are fearing today. FEAR is a terrible thing. Syndicated Columnist Ann Landers received at one time up to 10,000 letters a month and someone asked if there was one dominate theme....a common denominator...that was in the problems that people wrote about in their letters. She replied, "Yes, the over-riding theme is FEAR." People fear about several things: The uncertainty of the future.....what does the future hold? Will I be lonely? Will I have someone to love? How will things go with my job? Will I still have my job? What stresses and pressures lie ahead with my job? Will I be able to financially provide for my family and meet all of the expenses that will come? We fear Failure.... What if I fail at my job? Will I be a success? What if I fail at School? What if this business venture I'm in fails? What will people think? We fear about our children? What lies ahead in their future? Will they be okay? Old Age brings a whole new variety of fears.....that are obvious.... Illness? Will I face old age along? The fear of death itself. The Bible says a lot about fear, and one of the most helpful portions in Scripture on Facing Fear is found in Deuteronomy 1 where the Israelites were about to enter the Promised Land of Canaan. They decided to send a delegation of 12 spies to go on a reconnaissance mission to check out the land before they enter. The spies come back with their report.....and 10 out of the twelve say, "THERE ARE GIANTS IN THE LAND! WE ARE LIKE GRASSHOPPERS IN THEIR SIGHT! THE LAND WILL DEVOUR US!" And that fear spread like a cancer in the whole nation......and because of that....the unbelief of the people.....they weren't allowed to enter the Promised Land! The only ones of that generation who got to enter were the two spies who said, 'Let's go for it!' Those two were Joshua and Caleb. The rest of that generation of people wandered in wilderness for forty years until all of them had died! Let's look at the passage and see if we can find some principles on how to deal with the GIANT of fear and anxiety in our lives; Deuteronomy 1:21 Behold, the LORD thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged. First of all, I learn that, WE WILL ALL HAVE FEARS IN LIFE. As I look back in my life, I recall things that I feared and had anxiety about. I feared certain classes in school. I feared giving speeches in classes because I had a stuttering problem as a child and young man. I feared going to college at Purdue.....and then starting out in marriage and being able to hold a job and support a family. I recall when I proposed marriage to my wife, Lisa. Her father asked me if I could support a family. I said, "I believe so, I hope so." He said, "Are you sure, there are FIVE of us...." I also learn that, THESE FEARS WE FACE WILL NOT VANISH ON THEIR OWN. WE MUST FACE OUR FEARS AND DEAL WITH THEM BEFORE THEY WILL GO AWAY ON THEIR OWN. We, like David, must gather our stones and put them in our sling and face the Goliath, with God's help, that is standing before us if we are to get victory over that GIANT of fear and anxiety. Next I see, FEAR IS COSTLY. It prohibited the People of Israel from entering the Promised Land! It was there. They just had to enter and take it! God wants to give you and I so much. It wants us to be happy and full of joy if we would only serve Him and get in the center of His will for our lives! My friend, are you in the center of God's Will for your life? If you and I will only take Him at His promises and trust Him.....He knows best.... Fear is also costly to us because.... FEAR PRODUCES ANXIETY ABOUT TOMORROW If I am worrying about tomorrow, how can I be happy about the future? FEAR TAKES AWAY THE JOY FROM TODAY How can I be happy today if I am worrying about something tomorrow? It's impossible. Fear is also costly because, FEAR AFFECTS OTHERS AROUND ME Have you ever been around a person who is controlled by fear and anxiety? Are they any fun to be around? They can affect an entire office! Fear can contaminate a whole church! FEAR CAN AFFECT YOUR CHRISTIAN TESTIMONY If you are Christian who is full of fear and anxiety about things, will anyone want to become a 'Christian' like you? Is your faith a good 'PR' for the Lord? FEAR AFFECTS YOUR HEALTH I am told that fear and anxiety has such an effect on our entire body system that it can destroy our health! In someway we don't exactly understand, fear and anxiety affects our blood pressure, our nerves, our immune system and ability to fight disease and even cancer we're told by medical science! FEAR KEEPS US FROM BEING ALL THAT GOD WANTS TO BE It produces doubt..."I can't do that particular ministry God is calling me to do..." I wonder how many people who have WANTED to do something for the Lord, but fear has convinced them that they just can't do it..... FEAR of what OTHER PEOPLE will think....has kept many people from serving the Lord and being all that He wants us to be! Does proverbs 29:25 say something about the FEAR OF MAN? Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe. FEAR HAS CAUSED A LOT OF PEOPLE TO NOT SERVE THE LORD IN THE WAY THEY SHOULD Because of FEAR and not willing to trust the Lord to help them, the Israelites refused to enter the Land God has instructed to enter so they could serve Him there! I would suppose the most common reason why many people do not serve the Lord the way they should is because of ...........FEAR. I can't do this..... I will be a failure......I Don't have the ability... I have found out that God will help you and enable you to do whatever He calls you to do.... Fear of what other people will think....What will my friends think? What will my boyfriend.....my husband think? My co-workers? My friend, it is so much more important WHAT THE LORD THINKS! The next thing I learn from this passage.... WHEN I FEAR AND HAVE ANXIETY IT IS BECAUSE I AM NOT TRUSTING THE LORD Putting it frankly, I'm just not believing the Lord's promises to help me and see me through this situation! He promises to fight the battle for us! I must remember the next principle.... GOD DOESN'T GIVE US THE SPIRIT OF FEAR That fear and anxiety we have is not coming from the Lord! 2 Timothy 1:7 says, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." If the fear we have is not coming from the Lord, then where is it coming from? That Fear, anxiety, and worry that is taking away your joy right now! If if is not coming from the Lord, as the Bible here clearly says, then where is it coming from? Fearful of the future? Uncertainty? It is not coming from the Lord! Next I learn from v27 that... FEAR CAUSES US TO MURMUR AND COMPLAIN ....And doubt care and His Love! How many times have I found myself guilty of worrying about the future... How will I pay these bills? How will I handle this added responsibility at my job? I begin to murmur, complain, and doubt God's care and love! Listen what the Israelite people did... v27 And ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because the LORD hated us, he hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. God Doesn't love me or He wouldn't have allowed this to happen! How many times have we been guilty of saying (or thinking) the same thing? You see, FEAR causes us to doubt God's Love and care! FEAR DISTORTS OUR PERSPECTIVE ON THINGS Notice how silly it is for these people to think at v27 says that God brought them to this place to destroy them! How ridiculous to think that? Have you ever been around some who is full of anxiety and fear and the things they were saying....and their reasoning was IRRATIONAL! You can see, as an observer, that what they are thinking is irrational! But you see, that is what fear does! It distorts our perspective on things.....to think that God doesn't love us or He wouldn't have let this happen.... Yes He does Love you and me! The next thing fear does is found in v28... FEAR AFFECTS OTHERS AROUND US Fear not only affects us, but it affects others around us. It affects our family, your family, your work environment, your church, your performance at work...and on and on it goes....... v28 Whither shall we go up? our
brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, The people is greater and
taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we
have seen the sons of the Anakims there. The word 'discourage' means the opposite of 'courage'... Fear affects everyone around us like a cancer.....if people around us see that we're not trusting the Lord in difficult situations.... Parents, our children are getting a spiritual lesson from us every week as they see how we respond to difficulties, anxieties, trials, and fears.... Do we trust the Lord with calm, confident resolve.....or worry and fret? When these spies came back from little trip to Canaan they brought a 'giant' back with them.....FEAR! Their report affected an entire nation! I wonder if the 'giant' of fear is taking away your joy today? FEAR CAUSES US TO GET OUR EYES OFF THE LORD AND ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES AROUND US. Would you admit that when you fear and are full anxiety you are not keeping your eyes on the Lord? We get to looking at the circumstances around us.... FEAR DOUBTS GOD'S ABILITY TO HANDLE THE SITUATION. What we're really saying is 'God I don't think you are really able to handle this'... Imagine what an absurd thought! Look at verse 30 Then I said unto you,
Dread not, neither be afraid of them. When we fear, we doubt that God is able to handle our particular problem. What if....what if..... What if I'm alone forever? What if I never find that person to spend the rest of my life with? What if I fail in this business venture? What will other people think? What if I can pay my bills? My God is the God of the future as well as the God of my past. v30 tells us our last point... FEAR IGNORES GOD'S GUIDANCE, CARE, AND PROVISION IN THE PAST. V30 The LORD your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes; As I look back in my past and see how God has helped me in all of my 'impossible' situations, How can I doubt Him now! Who would think I would be up in front of a crowd speaking the way I am now.... You wouldn't have thought that possible if you would have known the stuttering problem I had earlier in life... God is able to take care of any fear....any problem.....you are facing right now....in ways that you can not even now imagine...if we'll only trust Him and allow Him to do so. Let's close the message now by looking a few steps on how to handle fear and anxiety. What do I do to face this giant of fear that is enslaving me and taking away my joy? This Giant that is affecting my family, my personal life, my performance at work, and not to mention my service for my Lord down at my local church and my testimony? I have found out one thing about fear and anxiety in my life...... It is not going to vanish and disappear on its own. FEAR must be faced head on and dealt with just like David took the five smooth stones to face Goliath, if we are ever going to have victory over it. Giants like FEAR and ANXIETY do not go away on their own. HOW TO HANDLE THE GIANT OF FEAR AND AND ANXIETY IDENTIFY THE CAUSE OF THE FEAR Pinpoint what it is exactly that is causing fear in your life. Identify it, admit that it is causing fear and anxiety in your life. Ask the Lord to help you pinpoint the real problem and help you with it! We can't face something until we know and admit what is exactly causing the problem. CONFESS THE FEAR AS A SIN Throughout the Word of God It says, 'Fear not....Fear not...Fear not...' James 4:17 'Him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin' Fear is not trusting the Lord and that is sin. Confess it to the Lord and say Lord I am sorry.... DO WHAT YOU CAN TO FIX THE PROBLEM THAT IS CAUSING THE FEAR AND ANXIETY If you are fearing a test, study hard for the test... If you have a term paper, get it done early...don't put it off...do it now and take the pressure off...don't wait till the last minute! If you have said or done something to someone that is wrong...go make it right. If you are alone now, do what you can to fix it.. Don't mope around my yourself in isolation....get out around people. I remember in high school and college, when I was heartbroken over a lost girlfriend, it was amazing what effect finding another girlfriend would have on my disposition!! That is why we are starting our S.M.S (Singles Meeting Singles) in our church for this area....a opportunity for Christians to meet other Christian singles! Do what you can to fix the problem. If you have debt, let's get a step by step plan to deal with that problem. There are people who can help you. Now there are some things we can help and something we have no control over. REALIZE THERE ARE SOME THINGS WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER... and we must go on! We can't control the weather. Certain things are going to come in our life we have no control over! Some people are going to turn on us and do us wrong. Some people we thought we could count on are going to let us down. Some people who were once close to us and our friends are going to abandon us and actually maybe even begin opposing us and even try to destroy us! We cannot control the actions of other people....but we can control how we react and respond to them. Some things we just have to turn over to the Lord. Some people fear because of guilt over actions of the past....something that happened years ago! Listen... some things we have just got to turn over to the Lord and leave it in His Hands and move on. Lord I am sorry about that failure in my past. I confess it to You and turn it over to You. The Devil is using it now to take away my Joy and I don't want to allow him to do that anymore. TURN THINGS WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER......TO THE LORD AND LET HIM DEAL WITH THEM. When the devil brings it back up, remind your self and the devil that you have turned that matter over to the Lord. You have confessed it to the Lord and He is going to take care of it for you now. Don't let the devil use it to rob you of your joy any more! MEDITATE ON SCRIPTURES THAT DEAL WITH THAT SUBJECT. Here are some Scriptures that have helped me with fear and anxiety..... Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and of a
good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is
that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. GET BUSY AND SERVE THE LORD That is what the devil wants! He'll work on your mind! Don't stay idle. As we follow the story, Joshua and Caleb 'wholly followed the Lord'! I can't overemphasize this point. A lot of people are full of fear and anxiety because they are not in the center of God's Will for their life and serving Him in the way they should be down at their local church. Simple as that. Find out what you can do at your church and get busy doing it for Jesus! Be faithful to the preaching services and hear and learn everything you can about God's Word. First of all to face the giant of fear and anxiety, my friend, you need to know Jesus as your Savior. I hope that you will realize your sinful condition and call upon Him to save you today! Follow these principles from God's Word
and you can overcome the GIANT of fear and anxiety!
|