Erasing Fear

 

“Fear defeats more people than any other one thing in the world.”                                                   Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Back in the wild West, a stranger stands at a saloon bar. Suddenly a cowboy runs in screaming, “Hey, everybody, Big Bad John is coming to town.” Several others exclaim: “Big Bad John is the meanest, toughest, biggest outlaw in the West. Let’s run for it.” Everyone heads for the door except the stranger and the bartender. The bartender says, “Are you deaf, Mister? Big Bad John is coming!” The stranger replies, “I don’t know who he is, but he can’t be all that big and bad. I’m not afraid.” So the stranger and the bartender wait. Soon the saloon doors fly open and off their hinges, and a mountain of a man stomps through the door. Covered with scars and sporting a scowl, he demands a drink. The bartender meekly complies. The stranger nervously thinks to himself, “Now I wish I’d run away; this guy is the biggest, meanest-looking outlaw I’ve ever seen.” The outlaw downs the drink in one gulp, slams it the glass down on the bar, then turns and looks the stranger coldly in the eye to announce, “I don’t know about you, stranger, but I’m gettin’ outta here. I don’t wanna be here when Big Bad John comes in!”

Fear is a strong and complicated emotion. It can cause us to react and overreact. It can cause us to do things, say things, and feel things quickly and powerfully. It doesn’t go away quickly, sometimes for good reason. Fear is complicated because we’re not all afraid of the same things. Sometimes we’re not even sure why we’re afraid. At other times, our bodies and minds respond with fear for a variety of reasons. Fear is universal. As 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man…”

Alasdair Groves and Winston Smith, in their book Untangling Emotions, explain that it’s insightful how many different English words we have for fear. Words like uneasy, worried, nervous, anxious, tense, uptight, spooked, haunted, scared, afraid, panicked, terrified, and petrified occupy slightly different points on the spectrum, yet all express some version of the same core experience… Fear is everywhere and everyone deals with it.  There’s not a single person who doesn’t deal with fear in some way. We must compassionately acknowledge that fear is complex and recognize that strategies for dealing with fear are also complex.

Today we’re beginning a new sermon series: Fear: The Invisible Enemy. During this series, we’ll be looking at the broad spectrum of fear. One message might be the one that you need and be life-changing for you. For others, this series might be one piece of a really big puzzle that you’re putting together. Because of the power of God’s Word and the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, I believe that all of us will find this series helpful.

Anxiety and fear show up in surprising ways. Sometimes we don’t even know why we’re anxious. Sometimes we find ourselves going to bed feeling anxious. Other times, when we wake up we feel anxious, but nothing has happened. There are times when anxiety can be debilitating.

All of know what that’s like. For some fear is a much larger problem. Worry and fear aren’t just around the corner; they’re the clothes you wear every day, and maybe for good reason. Perhaps something traumatic happened to you, and now you find yourself being self-protective and hyper-vigilant. Others simply have a disposition—a family background, personality, physical make-up, body chemistry— that inclines them toward anxiety. And, for some, it’s not just a struggle; it’s nearly your identity. You don’t just struggle with worry; you’re a worrier.

My prayer is that this study will be used by our loving Heavenly Father to help each of us. Fear is a true enemy. And while worry, fear, and anxiety were a huge struggle before COVID-19, they’re enormous struggles now.

While fear is the invisible enemy, faith in the invisible Presence is the cure. Our Heavenly Father has promised us, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).

The prescription for fear is the promises of God. Just this one promise, “I am always with you” means that we’re never alone, never abandoned, never deserted. God is always with us. This promise is listed as the reason that God’s people are commanded not to fear. Our Heavenly Father’s promised presence is the reason we are told not to fear.

Consider each of these words: I. Am. With. You. The sovereign God, who is orchestrating all the events of life, walks with His people through their sorrows. Isolation, abandonment, and being alone are contrary to the very nature of our humanity. How many of you remember a moment in your childhood where you were lost and you thought you were all alone? Or how many of you know the sick feeling of people not standing up for you?

Satan loves to tempt us into believing that God has abandoned us. But the Bible tells us that, while we can’t see God and while we don’t always know what He’s doing, we can rest our souls and bank our lives on the fact that He’s always with us.

Often it’s a struggle to trust His promises. Someone has referred to it as a “promise battle.” Worry and fear are a battle, but the first step in winning that battle is rehearsing over and over again who’s ultimately in control.

In this series, we’ll explore the most common worries and fears that we experience, consider practical steps for overcoming these fears, and reflect upon fear in the light of God’s Word and a faith that promises again and again that we don’t need to live in fear. We want to experience the power of God to overcome our fears and live in peace with courage and hope.

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address.