Quiet Times Search

The other emotional response that undermines our love for God

Perfect love drives our fear - 1 John 4:18
Fear greatly affects our ability to love; renders lifeless our love for God

Fear one of the most powerful and universal tools Satan uses for:

• Keep man from the knowledge of God
• Experience of God's power
• Experience grace in our lives
• Taking our eyes off of God and onto our circumstances and insecurities

There is healthy fear (like fearing God) but unhealthy fear is one that controls us and causes us to turn away from God's direction
Fear is rarely rational

• Why are you so afraid - Matthew 8:26
• Don't be afraid - Matthew 14:27
• Don't be afraid - Matthew 17:7
• Don't be afraid - Matthew 28:10
• Don't be afraid - Mark 5:36
• Don't be afraid - Luke 5:10
• Don't be afraid - Luke 8:50
• Don't be afraid - Luke 12:7
• Don't be afraid - Luke 12:32
• Don't be afraid - John 6:19-20
• Don't be afraid - John 12:15
• Don't be afraid - John 14:27

God understands the destructive nature of fear
He simply commands us to deal with our fears through our relationship with him

God wants you to grow up - some grow older but never grow up (Ephesians 4:14-15)

Nothing shapes your life than the commitments you make
Many are afraid to commit to anything and drift through life

God's part and your part

Our part is to: Continue to work out our salvation with fear and trembling - Philippians 2:12-13

Our role = "work out" salvation (grow - in a body workout we have our body but we make it better)
God's role = "work in" us

Changing your autopilot

Becareful what you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts - Proverbs 4:23
Changing what you think, changes you

Going on a diet, exercising does not work if you do not change your thinking - "I am going on a diet"

The way you think determines the way you feel - which influences how you act - Ephesians 4:23

Babies by nature are completely selfish
Many never grow beyond that kind of thinking

It is not the amount of biblical information and doctrine you know
Deeds must be constant with our creeds / Beliefs backed up with Christlike behavior

• Reminded the Israelties not to be afraid
• Memorials and Feasts that were setup by God
• Jesus reminded the disciples time and time again to have faith
• Paul's letters remind Christians about the cross and resurrection
• Communion for us to remember the cross and resurrection

• A new life -  we too may live a new life - Romans 6:4
• Eternal life - we will not perish and nothing compares to it - 1 Peter 1:3-5

• Women of Proverbs 31 - skills ranged from homemaking to business and management
• David - shepherd, soldier, political leader, songwriter, and musician

• Teach your children to act differently - to not turn people off
• Or steer them to toward another group

We want to be know but we keep a safe distance
Jesus has X-ray vision to our hear and see right our heart

John 4:39 - Samaritan women:

• She was minding her own business
• Ran into Jesus and was never the same
• Will you give me a drink he asked - the fact that he (a Jew) spoke to her told her (a Samaritan) that there was some very different about Jesus
• Whoever drinks from living water will never thirst again - John 4:13-14
• He confronted her sin and help her see the emptiness of her life
• He wanteed her to see who she was without God
• Due to her discomfort, the woman tried to change to subject
• Jesus skillfully drove out her fears with his love -  brought her back to the conversation of life
• She shared with others

We too can be afraid of seeing who we really are
When we opened up and were forgiven,  we couldn't wait to tell other either

To set people free, we must be like Jesus:

• Relate to them in deep ways
• Not studying the Bible superficially - not helping them see who they are without God
• Ask the difficult questions
• Expose sin so they will see their deepest need for Jesus

Jesus' love and acceptance allowed the woman/us to be real and to change

Effective with the crowds

Mark 3:7-12

• Jesus was approachable.
• He was known as a man who meet people’s needs
• What are we like in front of a crowd?
  • Become self-conscious?
  • Concerned about how people will perceive us?
  • Lose ability to think or speech clearly and passionately?
• Jesus was not anxious, afraid, insecure

Reinvestment of Dividends

Mark 5:18-20

• Jesus didn’t surround himself with people who owed him a great amount of debt.
• We viewed their gratitude to him to channeled to help others
• Few people are grateful for the Lord when He work powerfully, yet fewer accept their obligation to proclaim.

Tenderness

Mark 5:21-34

• The women was afraid that she had done an evil thing in touching Jesus’ clothes
• She had suffered from the effective treatments that the doctors had given her.
• Greek word for healed = saved.
• He didn’t babble but told the woman what she needed to hear.

Assertiveness

Mark 5:35-43

• He took charge of the situation and his surrounds
• Why have we not acted as Jesus did?

Fear Sensitivity

• Jesus didn’t say a word to those who doubted
• Assertiveness without sensitivity can be offensive and counterproductive

A Simple charge

• “Don’t be afraid, just believe”
• He didn’t burden him with lots of words
• Excessive amount of teaching may cloud the main issue

Privileging

• Peter, James, and John were closest to Jesus
• Jesus narrowed his focus to help the build leaders to their full potential.

Consideration

• A little consideration can go a long ways
• Ideas: buy someone lunch, remember people’s birthdays
• Be alert to meeting other people’s needs

Sounding the Alarm

Mark 7:1-13

• Living by traditions = living in vain, a waste of time.
• Jesus was not afraid to rebuke people, to “lay it out” when it was necessary.
• When stirring up things, some people wake up to discover a true relationship with God or they will become furious
• People of impact do not hesitate to raise their voices in order to shake people out of their slumber.
• They are not afraid on how people react when they are disturbed from their sleep.
• It is wrong to be silent and leave people comfortable in their false sense of security

Protectiveness

• He stood up for his followers.
• Jesus took responsibility for his disciple’s actions
• When a leader stands up for and protects his followers, a strong loyalty is forged

Firmness and Flexibility

Mark 7:24-30

• Are you able to say “no” to people? Jesus was.
• Some of us are unable to deny anybody anything.
• Others are too inflexible and become unwilling to make any exceptions.
• Jesus was not afraid to change his mind.
• We need to think for ourselves and make the right decisions.
• If we want to make a difference, we must be willing to disappoint some people.

Second effort

Mark 8:22-26

• Jesus was not afraid to show affection to people in public.
• Jesus is the kind of friend who would take us by the hand.
• Jesus didn’t allow unsuccessful first try to discourage him from trying again.
• He did not doubt himself but figure that the problem lied in the blind man’s lack of faith

Cockiness

Mark 12:18-27

• Every one of these phrases cut like a knife:
  • Are you not in error?
  • You do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.
  • Have you not read?
• He comfort the disturbed, he also made it his goal to disturbed the comfortable.
• He was not afraid to rock the boat.
• In order to have lasting impact it is necessary to be willing to challenge our opponents to their face.

• She wants control of the adventure
• Her relationships
• Her God
• No longer vulnerable
• Fear that no one will speak on our behalf or protect us or fight for us
• Manipulate our surroundings so we don’t feel so defenseless.

• My strength – Psalms 18:1
• Come quickly to help me – Psalms 22:19
• I watch you, my loving God – Psalms 59:9

• There is not shame that you need healing
• No shame to another for strength
• No shame to feel young and afraid inside
• It’s not your fault

• Where does your sense of power come from?
• Is it your position?

• We may not be conscious of the plan of every action
• Actions invariably unfold some kind of pattern at the center of things.
• Our objective that we can discover may not be very satisfying
• We should seek to find a way to incorporate the wisdom of Jesus’ strategy into our own preferred method of evangelism.
• Variety is in very structure of the universe
• Master gives us an outline to follow but He expects us to work out the details.(local circumstances and traditions)
• One unwilling to fail in the determination to find a way will never get started
• People afraid to try and try again will not make much progress.
• Finding and training men to reach men

• To seek the person out
• Speak frankly
• Make every effort to build unity - Ephesians 4:3
  

• NIV = spur on
• KJV = provoke
• CSB - promote
• NASB - stimulate

1. Stirring up, provoking - only used here in the NT
2. irritation, sharp disagreement - only Acts 15:39
3. Attack of high fever - not in NT

1. Sudden violent outburst
2. Fit of violent action or emotion
3. A severe medically attack

• Pray for their needs and let them know that you are
• Share scripture that you believe will be relevant
• When they share struggles - ask them about it consistently
• Do not be afraid to give someone a bold challenge

• Landlord
• Boss at work
• Teacher

Matthew 9:27-34

• When ever you do something right
  • Some is telling you you are doing it wrong
  • You need to feel good about what you are doing
    • The religous did the taring down
    • They were afraid of losing their members

Do you believe that you will receive everything that you ask for in prayer?
Do you doubt more than you believe?

5 Faith Killers:

1. Hesitation - when accidents happen
2. Doubting syndrome - not expecting anything to happen
3. Pessimistic attitude - everything will go bad (from childhood)
4. Ingraditude - not being grateful
5. Fear - can be overcome by love

• leb = heart
• shabar = broken

• Describes a bush whose twigs are broken off - Isaiah 27:11
• Describes idols of Babylon shattered on the ground - Isaiah 21:9
• Describing a broken bone - Isaiah 38:13