Don't Be Afraid

Can be dismissed for children's church this morning. Ryker, I think that's you. Alright. Amen. Alright.

Take your Bibles if you would. Turn to second Timothy chapter one. Second Timothy chapter one. We'll begin reading here in verse six. Just a moment.

Last week, I mentioned at least three things which I believe keep us as God's children from being all that we can be for Christ Jesus our Lord. We looked at the first one last week and that is selfishness. Our human nature is selfish. By God's grace, we can overcome that. But it is there.

And sometimes we allow our selfishness and self centeredness to get in the way of our service for Christ. And I'm afraid that is a big problem for many Christians today. We live in a very self consumed, obsessed society. Sometimes we can get a bit caught up in that and think, yes, this is all about me. But it's not all about me.

It's all about about him. That is one thing I think plagues Christianity today and keeps us from being all that we can be for Christ. Another is a a weak faith. I I believe we just don't trust God like we should or like we could. And if you don't trust him like you should, then you're not likely to obey him quite as well.

And we'll look at that next week. This week, I'm going look at this one. What else else is it that tends to trip us up as Christians and being all that we can be for Christ? Selfishness, weak faith. Number three, fear.

Fear. And these things are all kind of interconnected, okay? As many times often is the case. We fear sometimes because we doubt. We fear because we are consumed with ourselves and how we're treated or how something's going to affect us.

And so we allow fear to grip our heart, keep us from doing what we ought to do for the Lord Jesus Christ. Today, would like to address this issue of fear, which haunts so many of us and keeps us from doing what our Lord calls us to do and what we often want to do but don't. Fear is a terrible enemy, particularly fear of man. Timothy is dealing with that in his own ministry. Here, Paul is writing to this young man who has now become the spiritual leader of the church in Ephesus.

He has a lot on his shoulders. The apostle Paul anticipates that that could bring some fear into his heart and his life that could trip him up. And so the apostle Paul addresses that here. Second Timothy chapter one verse six, wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord nor of me his prisoner, but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God, who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. But now is made manifest by the appearance of our savior Jesus Christ who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. Whereunto I am appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher of the Gentiles. For the which cause I also suffer these things, nevertheless, I am not ashamed. I know whom I have believed and persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us. Let's go to the Lord in prayer once more. Lord, thank you for your word, for the message of Paul, preserved for us today because we struggle many of the same things that Timothy did. Lord, we need to be encouraged today, not be ashamed, not be afraid.

The Lord our God is with us wherever we go. Lord, you have abolished death. Death has no claim to us who have eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. We have nothing to fear. Lord, forgive us of our timidity.

Lord, give us faith. And, Lord, I pray that you would speak to each and every one of us in this passage today as we look to you to make us more like your son, Jesus Christ. And if there be one here today that is yet to receive you as Lord and savior, I pray that today would be their day of salvation. In Jesus' name we do pray, amen. Timothy, as I mentioned, was a young man, in his twenties or thirties, and now the pastor of the church in Ephesus.

The most influential church in that region, that region would be the western part of what is now today Turkey. Ephesus was a port city on a river that came inland off the coast a little bit. And there were several other cities in the surrounding area that the gospel had reached as well, but Ephesus was sort of the hub of that. It was probably a sizable ministry and a lot on the back of this young man, not only for the scope of the ministry, but also for the difficult environment. Ephesus was not only the hub of the Christian ministry there in Western Asia Minor, which it was in the day, But it was also a hotspot in clashing with paganism of the area.

There was a temple in Ephesus which was central to the worship of the regional goddess Diana. We read about a clash in the days of in the ministry of Paul in that very city over this issue. The silversmiths that built the little idols that people would take home of Diana and worship were losing business because Paul was preaching the gospel and people were turning from idolatry and they got rather upset. This a few years later is what Timothy is now dealing with himself. Paul anticipated the fear of the enemies of the gospel that could loom quite large in the mind of a young man along with thoughts of failure or concerns with just the responsibilities of dealing with with all of these people.

All of these responsibilities could seem quite daunting. Reminds me a little bit of Joshua as he is leading the leading Israel into the promised land. And God comes to him and and God says to Joshua, he says, have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage. Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

God said to Joshua, yes, I know this task is a bit daunting. It was. 2,000,000 people he was leading into Canaan. 600 an army of 600 and some thousand, but he was leading them up against armies that were twice or three times their size who had walled cities and chariots of war that they didn't have. But greater is he that's in us than he that's in the world.

God said to Joshua, don't don't be afraid. I will be with you. And if God is with us, who can be what? Against us. Don't be afraid, Joshua.

And indeed, all they had to do was walk around the walls of the city of Jericho 13 times in seven days, and the walls came down, and the city was theirs. And many other incredible stories in the book of Joshua. How God intervened and won the victory for them. Later on, it says the battle is the Lord's. Likewise, we wade into the fray in our lives, particularly in service for Christ.

We might also be a bit timid and fearful of failing or dealing with others or combating the enemies of the gospel. All of these are legitimate concerns. Paul is dealing with Timothy with these things because he knows they are concerns and they are legitimate. But they are ones which should not guide our decisions or control our actions. We cannot let fear win.

We must be courageous for Christ who gave himself for us and gave us this ministry as he gave Timothy his ministry and Joshua his ministry and Paul his ministry. He will be with us. We need not let fear control us because truly greater is he that's in us than he that's in the world. So Paul penned these words of encouragement and challenge to Timothy so also to us. God has not given us a spirit of fear and that's what we're going to focus on this morning.

The Greek word for fear is delayus. Now, that's not the common word for fear in the Bible. Matter of fact, this is the only place this particular specific version of this word is used in Scripture. Most of the time, the word for fear is phobos. This is a different word, delaios.

Used only here and can also be translated timidity or cowardice. Timidity or cowardice. It is fear which causes us to shrink from our service for Christ and living the life living our life to the fullest. It is negative fear. Phobos is not negative or positive.

It's just fear. This is negative. Phobos can be positive. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Now, that's in Hebrew, but that sentiment is repeated using the Greek word phobos in the New Testament.

The fear of the Lord, in other words, having a reverence and respect for the God of heaven who created us all, that's not a bad thing, that's a what? Good thing, especially if it draws us to the Lord and causes us to see our sin for what it is and repent and accept Christ as our savior. That is a good kind of fear. This is not a good kind of fear. This is a kind of fear that stops us from doing the things that we ought to do because of timidity or cowardice.

I have one of those fears. I do not like flying on planes. I just now I know I'm much more likely to die in a car accident than I am to die in a plane crash. But nonetheless, the car is already on the ground. The plane is 30,000 feet in the air.

If my car engine stops, my car just stops. If the plane engine stops at 30,000 feet, that's a different story. It will eventually stop, but it might not be a good ending. So I I I have this fear of flying, but I have to lay that fear aside when it would stop me from doing the things that I need to do. A few years ago, several years ago now, my dad had open heart surgery and I wanted to be there.

The only way I could get there in time was to what? Fly. So I did. And I survived and I'm still here. A few years back, parents' church was going to Israel and and my dad offered to pay for myself and my brother to go with them.

I couldn't turn that down. That's fourteen hours in a plane. But I did it because it was something I felt the Lord wanted me to do and would be profitable to my ministry. And I thoroughly enjoy being in Israel. To see the places where Christ walked, talk, to be on a ship on the Sea Of Galilee where He walked on the water, stand on the corner of the floor of a synagogue where Jesus actually stood and quoted from Isaiah 61.

That that was incredible. And I'm glad I did it. But I had to get over my fear of flying in order to do it. And I'm still afraid of flying, but if I have to, there are some things that are more what? That are more important.

If you play baseball and you're afraid of the ball, how well are you going to do it playing baseball? Not too well. If every time the pitch comes toward the plate, you step back, you're never gonna hit the ball. If every time somebody hits the ball and it comes flying at you, you duck, you're never gonna catch the ball. Don't let fear.

Don't let fear stop you. We haven't all been called to play baseball and maybe you don't have to fly on an airplane. But if you're a Christian, you should be serving the Lord. Don't let fear, whatever fear it may be, control you. For God hasn't given us a spirit of peer but of power, of love, and of a sound mind.

Here in context, Paul is encouraging Timothy to be bold and confident in his service for Christ and not to be ashamed of the Lord or afraid of serving him. After all, has done for you, has done for us, all that he has promised us in his word. We must not be afraid. Not unlike the instruction that Moses gave to Joshua in Deuteronomy or God gave to Joshua in Joshua chapter one. There are many reasons for this fear in the Christian life.

One should not be for sure. Christian, if you are a child of God, you should not fear eternity. Christ has abolished death, so Paul says to Timothy here. And you need not be afraid of eternity because your eternity is secure in who? In Jesus Christ, if you have received him as the Lord and savior of your life.

Your soul is secure in whose hands? His hands. And he will not let you go. Paul says it like this in verse 12. He says, for the which cause I also suffer these things, persecution for the faith.

Nevertheless, I am not ashamed nor afraid. For I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. What day? That's the day of judgment. What is it that Paul had committed to Christ?

His soul. And Paul did not fear the persecution or the affliction that might come because the most important thing was secure is eternity. And Jesus would not let him down. And he needed not fear that and neither do we. John ten twenty eight, John wrote, Jesus said, I give unto them eternal life and they shall, what, never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

If you're in Christ Jesus, if you are a child of God through faith in him, you will never perish. Don't be afraid. God's got you, and he will take care of you. Fear of the unknown. Something else that really should not cause us to stop in our service to the Lord or to hesitate, but sometimes does.

Fear of the unknown. Let me ask you a question. Is it known to God? Mhmm. It's just unknown to who?

Just unknown to you, but it's known to God. God knows what's gonna happen tomorrow. God knows what's gonna happen next week. He's known He knows what's gonna happen next year. Maybe I won't be here next year.

Maybe the rapture will happen and I'll go home that way. Yeah. Maybe that that car accident thing will get me, I don't know. But I'm here today and I'm in the hands of my savior who loves me. And I don't know what tomorrow may bring, but praise God, he does.

And I don't need to be afraid of the unknown because I'm in the hands of a God who loves me and he knows it all. If he needs to intervene, he will because he loves me and he wants what's best for me and you. Some worry so much about the future, they live in a bubble, essentially exiling themselves like a hermit or a monk in a monastery. There was a famous inventor and businessman named Howard Hughes. The story goes that the last several years of his life, Howard Hughes lived completely off the grid.

Nobody even knew where he was or and the reason was he was deathly afraid of germs and deathly afraid of of any kind of being close to anybody that that he completely turned into a hermit, exiled himself. Don't you be that. Now it it's it's okay to be concerned about germs. Yeah. Germs are a bad thing.

You know, don't don't get them on purpose, you know. You know, use that we have what's that stuff called you put on your hands that we yeah. Sanitizing. I anyway. Use that stuff.

You know, wash your hands, but don't don't live in a bubble. You know, don't don't isolate yourself. Don't allow fear of the unknown, fear of accidents to keep you from traveling or fear of disease to keep you from being around people. The only way you're going to have a positive effect on other people is by being around people. Leave that.

You do you wash your hands. You you use that stuff. You do your part. But the rest of it, you're just gonna have to leave to who? Have to leave to God.

So many people don't enjoy their life in Christ or or step out in faith to serve him for fear of what the future may bring. We needn't be afraid of eternity or the future. We will face neither of them alone. For my God has said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. And God is bigger than any of those things.

The safest place to be is in the center of God's will, Whether that be in a jungle somewhere where there's snakes and lizards and tarantulas or mosquitoes, whether that be in nice home in Clearwater, Florida, wherever it is, being God's will is the safest place to be. He has said, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Right? Take time to read Matthew chapter six and see what Jesus had to say in the latter half of that chapter to his disciples. I don't have time to read it this morning, but that's where that verse is found.

That's the centerpiece of that passage. God cares about the flowers of the field and cares about the sparrows of the air. He cares about you far more than he cares about them. And we need not be worried and stressed about tomorrow. Just do what God wants you to do today.

Plan, but leave it in his hands. Be not dismayed, whate'er be tied, God will take care of you. Beneath his wings abide, wings of love abide, God will take care of you. Song we sang just a moment ago. Sometimes it's the unknown that trips us up.

What if? Well, you you don't you can't fix the what if. You just follow the Lord now. Failure. Failure.

Fear of making the wrong decision or getting tripped up so we just don't try at all. I remember a Nike commercial from several years ago. I'm not advertising for Nike here, but it just happened to be a Nike commercial. And it just happened to be Michael Jordan. It was one of the people on the commercial.

And he was standing in front of the camera and he says, I missed so many buckets, so many shots in my in my lifetime. They were they were in the thousands of shots he had missed. So many dozen times, that final shot to win the game was in the hands of Michael Jordan, and he missed it. But did he did he say, oh, I missed it. I'm done.

I'm not playing basketball anymore. No. He went back and the next time he tried what? Again. And maybe he missed it.

But he's not known for the times that he missed it. He's known for the times that he what? That he made it. And you're never gonna make it if you don't sometimes what? Miss it.

I'm afraid that fear of failure holds so many Christians captive to it. That we fail to try because, well, what if I fail? Well, sometimes you will fail, but we learn from the failures and we do better next time. And you're not alone. If it were left up to you, if you if it was just all you had was the flesh and you yeah, we'd fail again and again and again.

We'd never succeed, but we're not alone. First few times I preached. First few times I even thought about preaching, scared me to death. I remember watching a movie, this Christian movie about a guy, an evangelist, traveling evangelist named Sheffy. He's put out Bob Bob Jones University a while back.

He he came to do this church that needed somebody to preach and he got up there to preach and he couldn't remember his name, he couldn't remember what he was gonna say, he stuttered and finally he ran out of the church and one of the people in the church ran after him and they tackled him on the ground. And he said, I can't do it. I can't do it. I failed. Said, well, failed this time but you don't have to fail now.

Now get up and let's try again. And he dragged him back. I don't know if he actually dragged him back in the church, but he eventually got him back in the church and after a little humiliation, humbling, he succeeded. Sometimes we we we need a little bit of that humbling experience to remind us that it's not us, it's all who. It's all him.

But don't be afraid of failure. Many people in scripture failed. It's our pride that is often the cause of that. I don't want to I don't wanna take a chance that I might get embarrassed. Get over yourself.

There's more bigger things here at stake. Don't let that fear stop you. The Bible says the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down. The Lord upholdeth him with his hand.

Did Abraham fall? Read the story. Abraham failed several times. Is that what Abraham's known for? No.

Joshua, mentioned Joshua earlier. Did Joshua fail? Oh, yeah. He blew it big time a couple times. Is that what Joshua's known for?

Or is he known for the walls of Jericho that that fell down or the the day the sun stood still so Israel could win? Or the words of his last message, choose you this day whom you will serve as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. We all fail, but don't allow the fear of failure stop you from stepping out of faith and serving Christ. He will not fail you. He will not fail you.

Fear of man. Fear of man. Our biggest enemy. Proverbs nine twenty nine twenty five says, the fear of man bringeth a snare, but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe. The fear of man bringeth a snare.

There's nothing more that ensnares you and keeps you and trips you up in doing what's right than the fear of man. Fear of persecution, possibly. For the most case, it's just fear of somebody looking at us funny or fear of somebody telling us they don't care or to get out of their face or slamming their door or fear of a relative maybe not writing us back or showing up for a a family reunion or looking at us funny. Fear of man. One of the most difficult things in being a pastor, at least for this pastor, is something called confrontation.

I have no problem whatsoever confronting all of you this morning up here in this pulpit preaching. No fear. One on one, little little bit different. And that's not just this preacher, that's most. There's a little bit more fear in looking dealing with somebody face to face one on one than there is in this environment.

She can't let that fear stop you from doing what you must do Because if you do, people's souls could hang in the balance. Their their their growth in the in the Lord and their joy, their service for Christ, their testimony. And there are times when confrontation, no matter how uncomfortable, particularly in the ministry, particularly for Timothy, it was necessary. But it can also be scary dealing with people in general, but particularly people you think don't wanna hear what you have to what? Say.

And so what is the tendency? I'll put it off. I'll let it go. If you let it go too long, the problem doesn't get smaller. It gets what?

Bigger. It becomes a trap that traps us, that causes us not to hand a track or witness to our neighbor or that causes us not to confront the friend that needs it, the fear of man. In some other places in the world, many other places in the world, Speaking for Christ can lose you your job. In some cultures, you become a Christian and get baptized, the family holds a funeral for you as though you were dead. I mean, literally, funeral.

Never acknowledge ever again that you are alive. In some cases, people thrown in prison, and sometimes in some countries, just speaking up for Christ can get you executed. We have little to fear here by comparison. And most of the time, it's just somebody looking at us funny. Don't allow the fear of man to control you.

It's a trap. Trust in who? Trust in the Lord. Do what's right. Don't be ashamed.

Paul says to him, don't be ashamed. I'm not ashamed. Don't you be ashamed. Speak the truth in love, but speak the truth. Preach the word.

Don't be ashamed of it. Don't allow fear to win. We often do. Couple other verses. Deuteronomy 20 verse one.

When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies and seest horses and chariots and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them for the Lord thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. Look at all of everything that God has done for you. Why all of a sudden are you gonna quit trusting him and let fear have its way? Don't do that. Jeremiah forty two eleven, be not afraid of the king of Babylon of whom ye are afraid.

Be not afraid of him, saith the Lord, for I am with you to save you and to deliver you from his hand. Jeremiah, just do what I tell you to do. Keep preaching the word. Keep being my messenger. It wasn't just the king of Babylon that he had to fear.

It was his own king and his own people. They tried to kill him. They they threw him in prison more than once. Always he got out, and he kept going. Sad to say he outlived many of them.

They died when Babylon attacked because they wouldn't listen to God's message, they wouldn't repent, and so judgment came. So God says to him, said to Jeremiah, don't be afraid of their faces. They they may look stern. They may they may have a big bark. But God says, I have the last word.

Don't be afraid. The apostles were successful in turning the world upside down for Christ because they chose not to allow the fear of man to keep them from the service of the Lord. And if we are to have an effect for Christ for the in our homes, our families, our communities, our schools, our workplace, our church, we must choose the fear of the Lord over the fear of what? Over the fear of man. So Paul encouraged Timothy, preach the word, Confront the sinner, warn the wayward, encourage the weak, engage the enemy, stand resolute for the Lord, endure persecution, remain faithful.

For God has not given us the spirit of fear, a fear that binds and imprisons one in the bondage of the lusts and passions of the flesh. No, he has given us a spirit of power, Victory of love, for we are loved and a sound mind. A spirit, his spirit, one who affects our own spirit in such a way as to liberate us from the slavery of sin and the bondage of fear. The law of Christ sets us free, free from the fear of men, free from the fear of the unknown, and the fear of failure, in the fear of eternity because Christ is our victor. Christ is our protector.

We need not be afraid. We will talk more next week about the power, the love, and the sound mind. I just don't have time to get into those. I knew I would, and we'd have been here till 12:30. But come back and we'll talk more about those next week.

But how about you? Are you allowing fear to hold you back? Don't. If it's keeping you from obeying God, it's a sin, confess it and trust him. His love, his care, his promises, you're not alone.

You need not let fear win. Trust in the Lord and step out in faith. He will not fail you. And if you're here today and you don't know Christ as savior, don't let the fear of somebody knowing that you need Christ stop you. Don't let the fear of walking down an aisle stop you.

They are not worth your soul. As we sing a hymn of invitation in just a moment, if you've yet to receive Christ as savior, I'll meet you right down here. You need not be afraid. I love you and God loves you more. Trust him.

He will take care of your eternity. You'll never have to fear it again. Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, thank you, Lord, for all that you've done for us and that you overcame fear of death and conquered it on the cross for us. You are our risen savior and Lord.

You have abolished death in your flesh that we might live by your spirit for all eternity. Lord, help us to to see a bigger picture than our popularity or how somebody might respond to us or even a bit of persecution we might suffer and trust that you know what you're doing, that you are watching out for us, particularly when we are serving you and putting your righteous way first. And Lord, I pray if there's one here today that is yet to receive Christ as savior, that they would come in faith, accept what you did for them on the cross of Calvary, accept you as the Lord and savior of their life, that they might walk out of this place no longer in fear for eternity because it has been settled in Jesus Christ. In Jesus' name we do pray. Amen.