They Must Be Giants – Part 3:
The Giant Named Fear
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
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SERMON INTRODUCTION
Most
of us are all familiar with the story of David & Goliath in 1 Samuel 17.
We
are continuing our series entitled “They Must be Giants!” Over the next
few weeks we will talk about;
†
Loneliness
†
Anger
†
Addiction
Today we are talking about Fear and how it can be the giant we
face in our lives.
Remember these points from David & Goliath over the next few
sermons;
I.
David had the Holy Spirit just as all of
those who belong to God have access to today.
II.
David had the right perspective and recognized
the battle was spiritual
III.
When David faced the giant, he knew the
battle was not a man against a giant, but a giant against the power of God.
We must remember these points in our lives as well when we face
things.
1.
It’s a spiritual battle
2.
We have the Holy Spirit if we belong to God
3.
The battle is the Lord’s
PREVIOUSLY
Part 1 - David and Goliath
Part 2 - The Giant Named Unforgiveness
TODAY’S SERMON
Part 3 - The Giant Named Fear
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE
Acts
10:34 – 36
“Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is
that God does not show favoritism 35
but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the
people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is
Lord of all.”
The overall message of this
series to the church is;
We wrestle not against
flesh and blood, the battle is Spiritual and the battle is the Lords.
I. THE
GIANTS NAME IS FEAR
1. This
Giant {fear} Causes
1.
us to make irrational decisions
2.
forget who we are in Christ
3.
not stand when we need to
4.
act out in anger or frustration
2. Or
worse, we may do nothing at all
1. When the Titanic sank, there were reports of how the
people reacted from survivors.
1. Some froze in fear, and were in a catatonic state
2. Some began to organize escape, prepare the lifeboats
and gather the women and children to board
3. Some ran for safety, knocking people over, leaving
loved ones behind and trying to save themselves with no regard for others
2. All of these people were on the same sinking ship.
3. This phenomena has been recorded throughout history at
tragic events.
1. I watched on the news as an enormous forest fire
destroying complete towns raged towards another as a man with a small bucket
threw water on his house which was completely engulfed in flames.
4. Fear can control how we react to dangerous situations
5. Fear in the face of danger had paralyzed the
Israelites
3. Why do
we forget so quickly;
1.
We are children of the most high God
2.
It is He who strengthens us
3.
All things are possible through Christ
Jesus
4.
Our battle is spiritual, and when we belong
to God, we have access to the Holy Spirit
II. WHO ARE
YOU IN CHRIST JESUS?
1. God
does not show favoritism
1.
Peter states in Acts 10:34-35 “... I now realize how true it is
that God does not show favoritism
but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.”
1.
He loves you JUST as much as He loved Moses!
2.
He loves you JUST as much as He loved Abraham!
3.
He loves you JUST as much as He loved Peter!
4.
And He loves you JUST as much as He loved Judas…
1. God’s love for you
will not make you fear Him and do what is right
2. That depends on you
and your obedience
2. God’s love for us
is NOT based on our behavior.
1.
“For ALL have sinned and fall SHORT of the glory of
God!” ~ Romans 3:23
2.
If God’s love was based on us, He would love none of
us.
3.
He loves us ALL, and does not show favoritism.
4.
However, to be “accepted”, we must fear Him and do what
is right
1. Remember, good
deeds did not save Noah, Obedience did
3.
What God makes available through the Holy Spirit
for one, He offers to all.
1.
We have the Whole Armor of God available - Ephesians
6:8-10
2.
We have the Spiritual Gifts - Romans
12; I Corinthians 12; 1 Peter 4
3.
We have the Fruit of the Spirit - Galatians
5
4.
The Holy Spirit is our intercessor - Romans
8:26 “ the Spirit helps us
in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit
himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.”
5.
When we belong to God, He gives us His
Spirit.
2. Why is
it important to know that God has no favorites?
1.
It’s easier to forgive others when you
realize God loves them as much as He loves you.
2.
You need to realize that you are no
different than the one you need to forgive.
3.
You will be judged by God in the same way
everyone else will be judged on that last day.
3.
The scripture says “He accepts men from EVERY nation, who fear
Him…”
1. Fear God? The Greek word used for fear here is fob-eh'-o, this is
where we get our Latin word Phobia.
1.
Phobia means to have a fear of something.
2.
Arachnophobia – Arachno (spider) Phobia (fear)
3.
Claustrophobia – Claustro (to shut or close in) Phobia
(fear)
4.
We need Theophobia - Theo (God) Phobia (fear)
2. So this
word used in the scripture here means to fear Him…God.
1.
This fear means to have respect, or reverence for.
2.
For instance, if there is a bomb on your kitchen table,
you have reverence (respect) for it.
3.
Not because of what it did, because it’s
done nothing. But for the power it does
hold, and what it could do.
1.
This fear (respect) is used in handling
firearms, delicate computer components, this fear and respect is also held
toward (or should be) your parents. This is the same concept.
3. We have reverence
for God, not because He has come down on us with His strength, but because He
IS the creator of the universe.
1.
He is the Almighty.
The beginning and the end!
2.
And although He has every right to destroy
each one of us because of our disobedience, He chose love us, and give us a
way, through Him, to escape judgment.
4. There
is a RIGHT and a WRONG way to fear the Lord
1. The
fear we should have is;
1.
The respect and reverence for Him.
2.
So He offers all of us each His love because He does
not choose favorites.
3.
And we are to have a right fear for Him.
4.
What happens when we worry, or fear
something other than God?
5.
We are saying that we think whatever we are
worrying about or fearing is greater than the power of God.
2. We have
the wrong fear in our lives.
1.
The wrong fear is fearing or worrying about
anything.
2.
When we fear or worry about something, we
are saying “I have more reverence (respect) for the thing that may or may not
come against me, than I do for the Lord.”
III.
THE RIGHT PERSPECTIVE (CORRECT FEAR)
1. David
had more respect (fear) of the Lord than for Goliath.
1.
When the Israelites were facing the
Palestinians, they feared them.
2.
They made irrational decisions, such as let’s
do nothing, which lasted for 40 days.
1.
They could have sent for reinforcements.
2.
They could have formulated an attack plan.
3.
They could have done SOMETHING.
4.
But instead, their fear of something other than God caused
them to do nothing.
3. They forgot who
they were. The children of the Living
God!
4. They forgot who was
with them…the LORD!
5. They forgot who the
battle belonged to.
6. Their fear of
something other than God caused them to forget.
2. Their
fear caused them NOT to stand when the Lord their God was being mocked and
blasphemed!
1. For 40 days the
Lords name was dragged through the mud in the face of His children, and their
fear for the Palestinians, caused them to stand silent to the smear campaign.
2.
They stood mute, the army of the Lord.
3. They
had the wrong fear.
1. They feared
something other than the Lord.
2. Their faith was
misplaced.
3.
That’s what fear and worry is, misplaced faith.
4. Misplaced
Faith
1. When you worry or
fear something other than the Lord, you are saying “I have more faith in what MIGHT happen, than
faith in what God CAN DO.”
2.
The Israelites had MORE FAITH in the
Palestinians destroying them, than in GOD PROTECTING THEM and making them
victorious!
5. Having
the WRONG fear gives strength to the devil.
1. We GIVE power to
the devil!
1.
The Devil has NO POWER OR AUTHORITY in our lives!
2.
WE GIVE IT TO HIM!
1. Every time we
choose sin over righteousness.
2. Every time we
choose hate over love.
3. Every time we
choose flesh over spirit.
4. Every time we
choose WRONG fear over RIGHT fear.
5. Every time we
submit to our enemy instead of submitting to the Lord.
6. Every time we chose
disobedience over obedience
2. We hand authority
over to the devil in our life, then whine…
1.
Things are going bad, what am I to do?
2.
Lord, why is this happening?
3.
Lord please take it away…Lord answer my prayers…Lord
are you listening?
4.
And the Lord says, “EVERY TIME I TAKE IT
AWAY, YOU TURN AROUND AND GIVE AUTHORITY IN YOUR LIFE BACK TO SATAN!” … “STOP!”
6. Remember,
the battle is SPIRITUAL
1. Remember what
Goliath, the Giant of Satan, said; “come and face me, and if I win, you will
become my slave!”
1.
Every time we submit to worry or fear of anything other
than right fear of the Lord, we become the slave to it.
2.
Like the Israelites, we are frozen, forgetting who we
are, doing nothing as the Lord is mocked by one of His children handing
authority in their life back over to Satan.
3.
And the Devil laughs, as you give more and more
authority to him.
2. The devil cannot
take anything from you freely! He has to
STEAL it...
1.
He has no power or authority in your life.
2.
You have to GIVE IT to him!
3.
We give it to him all the time.
1. We know to do
right, but we choose wrong.
2. We know to love,
but we hate.
3. We know to forgive,
but we don’t.
4. We hold on to our
anger, our hate, or bitterness, our resentment.
3.
And every time you sin, the devil has a
little more authority in your life.
1.
And you become enslaved to your sin
FEAR OF ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE LORD IS SIN
Fear of anything other than God is saying, “I have more faith in
what may or may not happen, than in what God CAN DO!”
1
John 4:2 – 4 “This
is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that
Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that
does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the
antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the
world.”
CONCLUSION
God
is in you, if you belong to Him. And He
that is in you, is greater
than he that is in the world.
Do
not be fooled by the devils lies.
Do
not fear the giant the devil places before you, for he is nothing more than an
illusion to distract you from God.
Do
not forget who you are, a child of the Most High.
Stand
against the devil, resist him and he WILL flee. ~ James 4:7
If you have fear facing you today, stand against that giant, and
release the power of God in your life, and return to a right fear of the Lord,
and submission to the most high, giving Him the FULL authority in your life!
Next week we will look at the giant named anger.
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