Managing the Emotion of Fear

What is fear?

Fear is the #2 problem emotion

Fear is the response to feeling you aren’t in control

Fear is the absence of faith – there are 211 Bible references to fear

Genesis 15: ¹ After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.

Revelation 1:¹⁷ And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:¹⁸ I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

What does fear do?

Fear brings loss-of-control-feelings and doubt God can/will help

Fear prevents expression of honest feelings

Fear stops you from appropriate responses to threatening situations

What should You do with your fear? –Trust the LORD

Remember Who He is –

Psalm 4: ⁸ I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.

Remember His faithfulness –

Psalm 34:⁴ I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

Psalm 56:³ What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.

1 John 4: ¹⁷ Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.  ¹⁸There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. ¹⁹ We love him, because he first loved us.

Romans 8: ¹⁵ For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Remember where the spirit comes from –

2 Timothy 1: ⁷For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Reasons not to Fear

the LORD thy God is among you –

Deuteronomy 7:²¹ Thou shalt not be affrighted at them: for the LORD thy God is among you, a mighty God and terrible.

The LORD is with you –

Psalms 23: ⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

The LORD is your strength –

Psalms 27: ¹(A Psalm of David.) The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

The LORD is on your side –

Psalms 118: ⁶ The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?

The LORD is your helper –

Hebrews 13:⁶ So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

God is your refuge and strength –

Psalm 46:¹ (To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth.) God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.² Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;³ Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

God loves you with an everlasting love –

Jeremiah 33:³ The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

There are no strings attached to His love for you!

God has a good plan for your life –

Jeremiah 29:¹¹ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

God is able to work good in your circumstances-

Romans 8:²⁸ And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Good for you

Good to you

Good through you

Saul’s example with fear-

1 Samuel 18: ¹¹ And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice.¹² And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul.¹³ Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.¹⁴ And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him.¹⁵ Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him. ²⁰ And Michal Saul’s daughter loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.²¹ And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Wherefore Saul said to David, Thou shalt this day be my son in law in the one of the twain.

What do you learn from Saul?

David’s example –

1 Samuel 17:³² And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. ³³ And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou [art but] a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. ³⁴ And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:³⁵ And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered [it] out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught [him] by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. ³⁶ Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. ³⁷ David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee. ³⁸ And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail. ³⁹ And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved [it]. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved [them]. And David put them off him. ⁴⁰ And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling [was] in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine. ⁴¹ And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield [went] before him. ⁴² And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was [but] a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance. ⁴³ And the Philistine said unto David, [Am] I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.⁴⁴ And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.⁴⁵ Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.⁴⁶ This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.⁴⁷ And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle [is] the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hands.⁴⁸ And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.⁴⁹ And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang [it], and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.⁵⁰ So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but [there was] no sword in the hand of David.⁵¹ Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.

What do you learn from David?

What you fear right now is not a surprise to God. He is all-knowing

1) What are you afraid of losing?

2) What are you afraid you can’t control?

3) Before David faced Goliath, he slew the lion and the bear. Are you facing a lion or a bear or Goliath?

4) How has God prepared you to face this lion or bear or Goliath?

5) What feelings are prevented from expression by your fear?

6) What types of situations are emotionally threatening to you?

Read Zephaniah 3: ¹⁷ The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

Are there times you need His might?

His will is to save you – How and when does He do that?

His will is to rejoice over you.  Why is He rejoicing?

In what will He rest?

His final word is love – What does that mean to you?

His will is to sing over you (It won’t be about your mistakes or failures because His song is joyful!)

What words might He sing over you?

A lullaby?

Encouragement?

Your future? (It won’t be death, destruction)

Our focus – Hebrews 12:¹ Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Our challenge – Dearly Beloved,

Run with your eyes on Jesus alone!

Run in faith that Jesus loves you, has uniquely designed and created only one you, has a good  plan for your life, runs with you and will accomplish His purposes for you and through  you!

Run in His strength alone!

Run with your eyes on the prize!

Run with the desire to finish strong!

Run with the desire to finish with your lamp burning!

Run with the expectation of being in His physical presence when you cross your finish line!

Run to His glory alone!

Run and keep on running!

Coach Patti