Fear
Fear
Introduction
The Bible says a lot about Fear. Our society tends to think of fear as something to be ashamed of, something to hide. The Bible view is a bit different, fear can be bad or fear can be good.
First I want to look at a few verses that show what fear does.
Fear Sometimes Leads to Action
Acts 27:29 29 Then, fearing lest we should run aground on the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern, and prayed for day to come.
Acts 23:10 10 Now when there arose a great dissension, the commander, fearing lest Paul might be pulled to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them, and bring him into the barracks.
Colossians 3:22 22 Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God.
Fear causes people to do things. The things they do may be good, bad, or neutral. We see here that fearing God would cause a Bondservant to obey his master.
Fear Sometimes Leads to Inaction
Acts 18:9 9 Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.”
Mark 9:32 32 But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.
Matthew 25:25 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’
John 7:13 13 However, no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.
Galatians 2:12 12 for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision.
1 Samuel 3:15 15 So Samuel lay down until morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision.
2 Samuel 12:18 18 Then on the seventh day it came to pass that the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead. For they said, “Indeed, while the child was alive, we spoke to him, and he would not heed our voice. How can we tell him that the child is dead? He may do some harm!”
Again a variety of results, but we certainly see a lot of negatives in avoiding action out of fear. In many of these examples we are tempted to ask, what were they really afraid of? That can be useful for us, as well. When we are afraid to do something good, we can ask who and what are we afraid of? Is it a realistic fear or is our imagination running away from us? When it is something good, we can’t let fear stop us.
James 4:17 17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.What good things have you missed doing because of fear? We tend to dismiss this acting like it is a minor item, but remember what is said in Revelation 21
Revelation 21:8 8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
The cowardly who were fearful will have what result? They will have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone. Fear is not a minor item.
Two Kinds of Fear
When the Bible speaks of fear, we can divide it into a good fear and a bad fear. The primary difference is who the fear is based upon.
Psalm 56:11 11 In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
Luke 12:4-5 4 “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!
Matthew 10:27-28 27 “Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Psalm 89:7 7 God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, And to be held in reverence by all those around Him.
Ecclesiastes 12:13 13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.
We see that we shouldn’t fear man (those that can kill the body), but instead we should fear God. Man is limited in what he can do to us. Even our whole physical life is really but a vapor that vanishes away
What We Shouldn’t Fear
Ezekiel 2:6-7 6 “And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you dwell among scorpions; do not be afraid of their words or dismayed by their looks, though they are a rebellious house. 7 You shall speak My words to them, whether they hear or whether they refuse, for they are rebellious.
Don’t be afraid of what people will say about you or how they look at you. Yes they can make things difficult. Here it was compared to briars, thorns and scorpions. But we need to remember man shouldn’t be feared.
Deuteronomy 18:22 22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.
Don’t be afraid of false prophets, of liars. People can say many things in an attempt to make us afraid, but remember false words don’t mean much of anything.
Proverbs 29:25 25 The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.
Don’t be afraid of man. If we let this control us it will be a snare, a trap, for us.
Isaiah 51:7 7 “Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, You people in whose heart is My law: Do not fear the reproach of men, Nor be afraid of their insults.
Don’t be afraid of the reproach of men.
Matthew 10:24-26 24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! 26 Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.
Don’t be afraid of name callers.
Hebrews 11:23 23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command.
Hebrews 11:27 27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.
Don’t fear authorities who are working against God
1 Samuel 15:24 Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.
Don’t fear the people around you. The majority is on the broad road that leads to destruction. Why would we fear what they think or say.
Luke 10:41 41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about ny things.
Results of Fearing God
Deuteronomy 5:29 29 Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!
Deuteronomy 6:24 24 And the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is this day.
Joshua 24:14 14 “Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord!
2 Chronicles 19:9 9 And he commanded them, saying, “Thus you shall act in the fear of the Lord, faithfully and with a loyal heart:
Job 1:8, 2:3 8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” 3 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause.”
Psalm 9:20 20 Put them in fear, O Lord, That the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah
Psalm 22:23 23 You who fear the Lord, praise Him! All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!
Psalm 64:9 9 All men shall fear, And shall declare the work of God; For they shall wisely consider His doing.
Psalms 111:10 10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.
Proverbs 1:7 7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 2:5 5 Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, And find the knowledge of God.
Proverbs 8:13 13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate.
Proverbs 10:27 27 The fear of the Lord prolongs days, But the years of the wicked will be shortened.
Proverbs 14:16 16 A wise man fears and departs from evil, But a fool rages and is self-confident.
Proverbs 14:26 26 In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, And His children will have a place of refuge.
Proverbs 14:27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, To turn one away from the snares of death.
Reasons Not to Fear
Deuteronomy 1:17 17 You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small as well as the great; you shall not be afraid in any man’s presence, for the judgment is God’s.
We shouldn’t fear because the judgment is God’s. We know that even more than this everything belongs to God. Why be afraid of some small infinitesimal speck out of all of what God created.
Deuteronomy 31:6 6 Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”
Not only did God create everything, he goes with us. He loves us with an incomprehensible love and will never forsake us. Instead our only risk is of us forsaking God.
Conquering Fear
2 Timothy 1:7-8 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God,
Even in all the bad that is around us. Even after the warnings of trouble and persecutions in this world. We don’t need to fear. God didn’t give us a spirit of fear. Next he tells us what we have instead. Power - remember God is in control. Love - remember that our purpose isn’t dependent on the physical things of this world. Sound mind - God’s word helps us see the light, how things really are. Seeing reality how can we be fearful.
Exodus 14:13 13 And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever.
Sometimes conquering fear is a matter of standing still. Take a step back from all of the troubles swirling around us and reflect on what is real. We’re often so busy trying to handle everything ourselves that we forget to stop and remember that God is in control
Deuteronomy 7:18 18 you shall not be afraid of them, but you shall remember well what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt:
Deuteronomy 20:1 “When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.
We shouldn’t be fearful because of all the past examples we’ve seen, both in the Bible and in our lives and those around us.
2 Chronicles 20:17 17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.”
Joshua 11:6 6 But the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid because of them, for tomorrow about this time I will deliver all of them slain before Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.”
Don’t be afraid, God knows the future. We don’t know the future, but God does and already has a plan.
Joshua 1:9 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Deuteronomy 31:6,8 6 Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” 8 And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”
Wherever we go, whatever situation we face, God is with us.
Psalm 56:3 3 Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.
Psalm 112:7 7 He will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
We have to remember where we’ve put our trust. Trusting in the things of this life is vanity. The things of this world aren’t permanent. The situations we face aren’t permanent.
Psalm 118:6 6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?
We are on God’s side. Between God and anything else, we know who wins.
Proverbs 31:21 21 She is not afraid of snow for her household, For all her household is clothed with scarlet.Sometimes conquering fear involves being prepared, making sure we have done our part.
John 14:27 27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.Not afraid because Jesus gives us peace
Deuteronomy 3:22 22 You must not fear them, for the Lord your God Himself fights for you.’God can fight for us
Psalm 34:9 9 Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him.God takes care of his people's needs.
Psalm 46:1-2 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;God is our refuge and strength. The situation isn’t dependent on our strength
2 Kings 6:16 16 So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”With God on our side, we already have an overwhelming majority
Luke 12:29 29 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.Matthew 6:25-32 25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.Don’t fear or worry, God knows what we need and will take care of us.
Philippians 4:6 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;Don’t fear or worry, we can talk to God the creator of this whole universe.
Psalm 34:4 4 I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.Don’t fear, we know God hears us
1 John 4:18 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.What We Should Fear
Psalms 19:9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.We should fear God whose judgements are true and righteous.
Acts 24:25 25 Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, “Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you.”Felix heard a lesson about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come and was afraid. But being afraid wasn’t enough, he took no action.
Hebrews 10:31 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.A judgment is coming and there is no escape for the unrighteous.
Hebrews 10:26-27 26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.If we aren’t prepared the only thing we have is a certain fearful expectation of judgement.