Sunday, January 29, 2006

Afraid So!

Intro.: Have you ever noticed how often we associate colors with our emotions.

  1. Green - jealousy

  2. Blue - depression

  3. Red - anger

  4. I can think of two colors that can be connected with today's emotion - “Fear”

  5. Negatively, we often associate “ YELLOW ” with fear. Sadly, we use the term “yellow” or “yellow bellied” as a put down for someone who is scared. It's one of the ways that we use to discourage people, and particularly men, to express their emotions.

  6. But there is another color associated with fear – white. We might say a person who stuck through a difficult circumstance “white knuckled it through”. Or have you ever looked at a person coming off of roller coaster. They are white with fear – though I suppose it could be their stomachs. That doesn't deter them from asking mom and dad, “Can I do it again?”

  7. Fear is one of those emotions that we don't like to feel. We want to avoid it if we can.

  8. We will fear most often when life feels “out of control”. I suppose that I am like a lot of you. I like to be in control of my life. It can be stressful for me when I am in a situation that leaves me feeling lost or alone. I don't like feeling scared.

Pray

Trans: I began to build this series of sermons last November. I built the calendar that laid out the six sermons that are allowing us to look at our emotions as Christians

  1. And then it happened. The very thing I feared the most. I stumbled onto a conversation in the church between a couple of friends that centered on one the emotions in my list. And, you guessed it, that emotion was fear.

  2. Let me make it clear, that if you have been dealing with fear this week, or with any of the emotions that we are discussing this month, I have not chosen to address that emotion because of you. Rather, go back two or three months and know that God was more aware of what might be coming your way, than I ever could be.

  3. In the next few minutes, I want to take a look at three principles that can be illustrated by the events in Jesus life.


  1. Fear is a natural consequence of the unknown

(Ill.) It is reported that the newspaper counselor, Ann Landers, receives an avenge of 10,000 letters each month, and nearly all of them from people burdened with problems. She was asked if there was any one of them which predominates throughout the letters she receives, and her reply was the one problem above all others seems to be fear.

People are afraid of losing their health, their wealth, their loved ones. People are afraid of life itself. i

    1. Somehow I would expect that Jesus' birth would be rather solemn, holy event. And when I think of solemn and holy, I think quiet and relaxed.

    2. But when I look at the events surrounding the birth of Christ, I see lots of people who are afraid.

    3. I guess I am not surprised that the shepherds were afraid, they had to hear the angels calming voice. Look at Luke 2:10: But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.ii” It got their attention, they were ready to listen. And it gave them what they needed to obey.

    4. But it wasn't only the angels who were afraid, there were others. There was Zechariah. We don't hear much about Jesus' uncle. We know much more about his son – John the Baptist. And when the angel steps in front of Zechariah to explain his role in the events that are about to transpire Zechariah is said to be gripped with fear. Luke 1:13 tells us that the first words from the angel are “Do not be afraid ...”iii

    5. The shepherds, Zechariah – they needed to hear the message, “Do not be afraid.” But there was one more person that had to hear the calming words of the angel on that first Christmas morning. It was Mary. Here was a girl of 15 to 18 years of age. And suddenly an angel appears. The first words out of the angel's mouth - “Do not be afraid, Mary...”iv

(Appl.) It is something we all need to hear. There are times in all our lives when we all experience fear. And when we do, we need to hear the calming voice say, “Be not afraid.”

  1. Sometimes fear is the correct response.

    1. Jesus sums it up in Luke 12:5 - But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.v

    2. One of the great dangers for us as believers is to focus so much on the love of God, that we forget that He does hold our future in His hands.

    3. We begin to take our faith for granted – we begin to take God for granted. Yet Jesus makes it clear we must never forget to fear God

(Ill.) I think Daniel Webster understood this truth when he wrote: If we work upon marble, it will perish; if on brass, time will efface it; if we rear temples, they will crumple into dust; but if we work upon immortal minds, and imbue them with principles, with the just fear of God and love of our fellow men, we engrave on those tablets something that will brighten to all eternity.vi

  1. Even as God is to be feared, He is also to be loved

    1. I lied to you. Well, actually I did not tell you the whole story.

    2. You see, Jesus continues His words in Luke 12 with some that bring some balance to what he had just said.

    3. Luke 12:5-7 says “But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”vii

    4. The very same God whom we are to fear, knows you and cares for you more.

    5. Life gets tough, there are times when life seems uncertain.

    6. And fear is a part of that life.

    7. Yet we have a God who is willing to see us through the fear. I Peter 5:7 reminds us, “Cast all your concerns on Him, for he cares for you.” Are you willing to do that this week?


Conclusion: I am always leery of preaching a sermon like this mornings'.

  1. I expect that there were some that came this morning with some real loads. I did preach it for them.

  2. But then there are some whose current life seems far removed and today's topic seems far removed from their current expereince.

  3. And there is the danger – because maybe God is ready to teach you something, and now that you have some of the tools, He can do so.

  4. Let me leave you with the words of the Angel, spoken three times during that first Christmas -

“Be not afraid.”

Pray

========================================================================

iTan, P. L. (1996, c1979). Encyclopedia of 7700 illustrations : [a treasury of illustrations, anecdotes, facts and quotations for pastors, teachers and Christian workers]. Garland TX: Bible Communications.

iiThe Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Lk 2:10-11). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

iiiThe Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Lk 2:12). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

ivThe Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Lk 1:50). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

vThe Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Lk 12:5). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

viTan, P. L. (1996, c1979). Encyclopedia of 7700 illustrations : [a treasury of illustrations, anecdotes, facts and quotations for pastors, teachers and Christian workers]. Garland TX: Bible Communications.

viiThe Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Lk 12:5-7). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

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