Fear Not For I Am With You

FEAR NOT FOR I AM WITH YOU

Mount Hope UMC

Sunday, March 22, 2020

Philippians 4:6-17 Amplified Bible (AMP)

⁶ Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours].

⁸ Finally, ^[a]believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart]. ⁹ The things which you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things [in daily life], and the God [who is the source] of peace and well-being will be with you.

God’s Provisions

¹⁰ I rejoiced greatly in the Lord, that now at last you have renewed your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned about me before, but you had no opportunity to show it. ¹¹ Not that I speak from [any personal] need, for I have learned to be content [and self-sufficient through Christ, satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or uneasy] regardless of my circumstances. ¹² I know how to get along and live humbly [in difficult times], and I also know how to enjoy abundance and live in prosperity. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret [of facing life], whether well-fed or going hungry, whether having an abundance of being in need. ¹³ I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.] ¹⁴ Nevertheless, it was right of you to share [with me] in my difficulties.

¹⁵ And you Philippians know that in the early days of preaching the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of ^[b]giving and receiving except you alone; ¹⁶ for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs. ¹⁷ Not that I seek the gift itself, but I do seek the profit which increases to your [heavenly] account [the blessing which is accumulating for you].

                 

                  It is said that the phrase “fear not” is in the Bible 365 times.  That’s one verse for every day of the year.  Yet, we say we are Christians; we say we believe in Jesus Christ; we say we love God; we say we stand on His Word.  Yet every day we live in fear of one thing or another.  When we’re not fearing about something for ourselves, we take on fear for others.

Right now, we are in a season where there is mass hysteria about the pandemic caused by COVID-19 – the coronavirus.  We are quarantined in our homes, unable to go anywhere, unable to work.  God put us all on a time out.  And we don’t know how to deal with it so, we are afraid.  And to some extent I get it.  You’re worried about your job, your bills, your health, your ability to move about freely; you’re worried about you family – especially if you have children who are no longer in school; when will schools reopen; when will the stores reopen; when will more food, water and toilet paper be in the stores.  I get it.  Some of you are worried what will happen with your income if the quarantine lasts longer than a week or two.  Some are worried about the project or work you left on the job.  Fear of the unknown – what’s next.  And if you listen to the news all day like I do, and the constant breaking news updates about those who have been tested and confirmed to have contracted the disease and the rising death totals in this country and worldwide, you then fear that you or someone you love will be next on the list.

But God told us 365 times that we are not to fear, not to doubt and not to have anxiety.   Jesus told his disciples in John 16:33 as he was preparing them for his departure, “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace.  In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world.” [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.]”  or The Message, “Jesus answered them, “Do you finally believe? In fact, you’re about to make a run for it—saving your own skins and abandoning me. But I’m not abandoned. The Father is with me.  I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace.  In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties.  But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.

Just like the disciples, at the first sign of trial or a test, we run in the opposite direction of Jesus.  We forget that he is always with us and will never leave us.  We run for the hills in fear that whatever terrible catastrophe comes about will come knocking on our door.  And even in the midst of our own catastrophes, we doubt that Jesus is our very present help in times of trouble because we are guilty of sinning and falling short of God’s glory and we think God is punishing us.  We lose faith.  We abandon faith as we try to fix or avoid the trouble that comes knocking on our door.

God told Joshua when he was chosen to lead the Israelites after Moses death, “Don’t get off track, either left or right, so as to make sure you get to where you’re going.  And don’t for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind.  Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you’ll get where you’re going; then you’ll succeed. Haven’t I commanded you?  Strength!  Courage!  Don’t be timid; don’t get discouraged.  God, your God, is with you every step you take.”

We have to keep our eyes focused on the prize which is in Christ Jesus.  This world is not our home.  Don’t become too comfortable here.  We have a home over yonder – our eternal home – and we need to keep our eyes fixed on getting there. 

Recently I shared this message in a Facebook post – Don’t be distracted by the distractions.  What do I mean?  Everyone is focused, and in many instances, frantic, in the distractions that we have been recently trying to grapple with.  Before the coronavirus, it was the impeachment hearings; before the impeachment hearings it was the hearings leading up to the impeachment hearings; in the midst of that it was the state of our United Methodist denomination and the upcoming General Conference and the implications of a possible split in the denomination; in the midst of that it was the deep divisiveness in our legislative branch of government; before that it was the influence of a foreign governments in our democratic process.  STOP!  Step back and use some wisdom.

                  These are all distractions meant to stir up our emotions into a frenzy of fear.  Remember what I told you?  F.E.A.R. is False Evidence Appearing Real.  Here is what fear does to us who give in to it.  Fear creates doubt; doubt creates distrust; distrust creates division.  Once we are in the mindset of division we are open to the attack of the enemy whose job is to kill our hopes, steal our joy and destroy our faith.  Fear is not of God and God is not the author of confusion.

                  Yes, we face many trials and tribulations in life.  Yet we are given the assurance in the Word of God that “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind.  And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”  1 Corinthians 10:13.

                  During this season of uncertainty, when anxiety and fear of the unknown is high, lean on the promise in Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

                  Jesus has given us power and authority as overcomers.  As Paul’s message to the Philippians states, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”  Let Christ be your Strength, your Rock and your Redeemer.   You are more than conquerors in Jesus Christ. 

                  Isaiah 43:1 says, “Don’t fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine.”  1 John 4:18 tells us that “Perfect love casts out fear.”  In his first inaugural address on March 4, 1933, President Roosevelt said, “So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”

                  Fear paralyzes us and prevents us from moving forward.  It is a spiritual attack of the enemy to keep us bound so that we will not fulfill our God given purpose and he can go about killing, stealing and destroying.  When we lose faith and trust in the God, we tell the enemy that God’s promises are null and void; they have no meaning.  Then he has a foothold and a field day with us and our actions. 

                 

                  God gave Isaiah 41:10 (NKJV) and us the confident assurance to “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

            So as I close this morning, here are 5 points to take with you today.

            1.  Don’t get caught up in the distractions meant to take you off your course of your mission in life.  Whenever you are distracted from your goals and your mission, it’s because the enemy sees your value, your worth and he wants to take your eye off the prize.  Not because he cares about defeating you, but because He wants to defeat God.  There is always something else going on in the background; some amazing blessing, that the enemy doesn’t want you to see or benefit from, so stay WOKE folks!

            2.  Be confident in the promises that we can do ALL things through Christ which strengthens us because we are all traveling on this road together and, as we know, there is strength in numbers.  But if one link of the chain is compromised and broken, the entire chain fails.  It’s like with the coronavirus – you may not have it, but you may be a carrier and if you have contact with someone who has a compromised immune system, you have infected them.  So, the safety measures are to keep you and others safe and vice versa – someone could be asymptomatic - a carrier - and you have an encounter with them and you become infected.

            3.  Remember that NO weapon formed against us will ever prosper and we are not to be alarmed, afraid or dismayed.  The enemy – whether it is coronavirus of something else – only has as much power as you allow it to have.  Remember, these light afflictions are just for a moment.  This too shall pass.

            4.  God will never leave us nor forsake His children.  You are the inheritance of the Lord.  This world cannot harm you.  The enemy has been defeated and we have victory in Jesus Christ because of his sacrifice on Calvary.  We have been bought with a price.

            5.  Don’t give the apocalyptic theorists the attention they seek because no one knows the day nor the hour, but let wisdom build your house and keep your lamp oils trimmed and burning bright.  Don’t let your light go out because you will need to be the light for someone else.  Be safe, not sorry.