Real Courage — Thaddeus Barnum

The Promise of Courage for the Anxious Heart

Give your servant, David, courage and faith to stand in front of Goliath. Give us courage. Give us faith. Pour down from on high all that we need in these days through your servant, your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, whom we need today.

In Jesus' name we pray it, amen. Good morning to you. I would like to take up just a verse here in Isaiah chapter 35, where we see the promise here before Christmastime of the coming of Messiah, that when He comes, He will strengthen the weak hands.

He will make firm the feeble knees. He will say to those who have an anxious heart, be strong, take courage, fear not, behold your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God, He will come and save you.

I thank the Lord for this. I thank the Lord that on Christmas, the Savior would come to deal with the anxious heart. I would like your patience with me this morning. I would like to talk about something that cripples us all, a condition of the soul.

The Physical and Emotional Reality of Fear

So many of us that deal with fear and anxiety, that monster comes and roars at Goliath, there he is, smelly, fat and ugly, breathing down us and teaching us, showing us, scaring us. Nobody had to teach me about him.

I found out about him all by myself, just growing up. The moment the lights went out, that monster, the goblins, the goblins, the ghosts and all the others just came out, give me a light in the room that I can see it, so I don't have to be afraid.

All of us know this. All of us know what it's like to be afraid. The heart begins to race, the breathing becomes labored, kind of a cold sweat comes over you, the mouth goes dry, almost a metallic taste in the back of your mouth, the lightheadedness, the weakness, the knees that start to knock, the sense of panic in the mind as you dart here and there to figure out how to take control, what to do, how to behave, what to, and God help us if we can sleep.

So many of us deal with this because at some point we face something bigger than us, something stronger, taking control from us so that we cannot manage our story and it frightens us, it scares us, it doesn't take much.

When I was advanced in education up to the elementary school, I was told to beware of strangers, that they would drive up, that they would come and they would say, your mama has said for you to come into the car, she wants me to take you home, and we trust the stranger.

That was my fear growing up, I'd be taken from my family, no safety, no security, no home, lost and trapped by something else. Just that same feeling as the Egyptians came rushing down upon Israel, trapped by the sea, trapped by the Egyptians, and all the Bible says in Exodus 14 is they were scared, they were trembling.

And then Moses stands up and says, fear not, and it's like, so doesn't work. It just doesn't, it just so doesn't work. Stand firm, fear not. How many mothers have taken your daughter, your son into your arms when the thunders roll and the child is scared, and you say, oh, don't be afraid, boom.

No, no, no, no, no. Heart is racing, the mind, oh, I love this, and I love it for men especially, because we're in control of all things. And then at three o 'clock in the morning, there you are, out of control.

It can happen so easily, money, finances, debt, job insecurity, unemployment, what we call a health scare. What happens when those who trust in relationship betray us, turn against us, break with us, slander us, the feeling of open shame.

All of us know this. And so we go about our life, and we do our best to control the world that we're in, and a crisis happens, and we try to control the crisis when another crisis happens, and we try to control this crisis, and this crisis, and then a third crisis, and then this happens, and all of a sudden, you can feel it, out of control, afraid.

Fear in Broken Homes and a Fearful World

My dear friends, there are people who live all their days like this, born in homes with an alcoholic mother or father, and you cannot trust safety in the home, child is not cared for. A boss who just simply torments you, tyrannizes, there have always been the dominations, those who have taken the vulnerable and come down upon them, scaring us.

All over the world today, India, Africa, children are waking up without food, some without parents, some in times of war, children just simply grown and born in a world of fear. Oh, I've known that monster, known what it's like to feel afraid.

Nobody taught me these things. Nobody taught me. And then, actually, my fears all came into being, and I stood at 16 years old in front of my mother's casket, my dad gone to Europe on business, and living abroad, my sister, my brother grown, and I was tossed into boarding school by myself, alone, no security, no happy, no place I could find that's trusted.

Yeah, we know these things. I used to call, and I still do, he's just a monster, scares us. I saw it in my grandfather's eyes when my family moved away from home, and my dad took another job. I was all of five years old, and my grandfather, a mighty man, strong man, successful man, the man that never cries, the man in control, but he was losing his family, and he embraced us as if he knew this would be the last time, and my grandfather wept, and I knew I had no hope.

You don't outgrow these things. You don't come to a place where suddenly you wake up and go, ah, it's all over, I don't have to fear anymore, I'm in control, I'm a man now, I'm a man of power now. But you see, that is what the world teaches, it's exactly what the world teaches, always, always has.

The World's Message of Inner Strength

It's always the same message. If you're afraid, what you need is courage, and they're exactly right. When you're afraid, what we need is courage, but the world's message isn't our message. The world's message is that courage is found within, it's found inside of you.

You can handle your fear, you can take back control, you can win victoriously, oh no, there is no battle too strong, there is no enemy too big, there is no mountain too tall that you cannot overcome. All it takes is hard work, fierce determination, clear focus, perseverance, you make you.

That's what the world says. Don't believe me, there's a book, bestseller right now, New York Times list, by a TV anchor, famous woman, anchor woman, and you read her book, and she's done it, she's accomplished all things, and she tells us, I made myself, I made myself.

All I need is determination, strong, hard work. That book sells. The book that I kind of grew up on, I might have told you, was An Ancient Philosopher. I have always loved the ancient philosophy. I was four years old, I was nurtured on the great philosophies of the little engine that could.

The little engine that could. This is the great message of the world, hard work, optimism, doesn't matter the mountain in front of you, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can. And Goliath sits back and waits for his moment, snickering to himself, because all he has to do is stand and look at me, and that's all it takes.

Christmas, the Cross, and Freedom from Fear

My message has always been the same message I've always had, I can't. It is that fear, it is that moment of being so paralyzed and so alone, without home, without security, without anything, that led me to Jesus Christ.

This is the great message of Christmas. The Son of God has appeared to destroy the works of the devil. He has come to herald the news, strengthen the feeble hands and the weak knees, say to the anxious heart, take courage, fear not.

That's Christmas. Oh, that's the cross. He came to deal with our fears by taking our fears, our shame, our sin, the darkness, the evil, all of it. He came, the last Adam. He says what he came to do, because the very first Adam tells us the whole story, does it not?

Adam, hiding behind a tree in the Garden of Eden, Adam, what are you doing hiding behind a tree? Do you remember what Adam said there in the garden after he had sinned against God, he had rebelled against his commands?

He stood behind that tree, and what does he say? He says, I am afraid. That's the world we were thrust into, out of Eden, and into a world of dark and sin, a world of evil and death, a world of torment.

With the new captain of our life, the tormentor himself, the devil himself, who always keeps us in the bondage of the fear of death, Hebrews 2, 14 and 15, he's the one that renders us powerless to the power of death, the fear of death, leaving us subject to slavery all our lives, here in the valley of the shadow of death, and if it's not just outside us, this is the worst part, it's inside us.

It's inside us. We were born for Eden, born for home, born for peace and security, born with the breath of God, the Spirit of God poured into us, and when sin came into the world, and death through sin, out went the Spirit of God, and in went the spirit of fear.

You'll find that in Romans 8 and 2 Timothy 1, this definition of us, the spirit of fear upon us, the world's treatment is simply wrong, there's nothing that we can do to defeat it. But when Jesus Christ comes into your life, it isn't just a message, it is power.

Why do I say that? Because his first word to us, when you become a Christian, is this, peace be to you. He breathes upon us the Holy Spirit of God, he says, peace be to you. Why does he say peace? He says peace because he knows our fears, he knows our warfare, he knows our struggles, he knows us.

And now it's over, he's done with it, he's dealt with the monster, straight on, full force. That's what he came to do, and when he breathes the Spirit of God upon us, freedom comes, the breath of God back into us.

Christian Faith Does Not Deny Fear

And I cannot tell you the liberation I felt. Old Goliath would get up from his seat, snicker, smelly old fat Goliath right into my face, and I felt a strength I'd never known before. And I thought, oh, thank you, Lord, I'm in my twenties, all things are now possible, not as the world said, that all things are possible to us, no, no, all things are possible through Christ who strengthens us.

And I arose up victorious, I was the man of the hour, I could do anything, all things. Oh, I was wonderful, until the monster roared again. I was on a plane ride from hell. That little plane was Bapanen, and all of a sudden it all happened again.

The heart beating, the breath, the cold sweat, the fear, the... I looked over at the flight attendants, I said, we're gonna die, she said, we all do. I found that quite encouraging. The monster whispering in my ear, I thought you were a Christian, you're not a Christian.

If you're a Christian, you have faith, not fear. So I went and attended the church, and I got counsel from the church of Job's friends, because there's a section of the church today that teaches us that if you do have fear and are afraid, you're not really a Christian, or you're a weak Christian.

You've not stood on His promises, you don't have the armor of God, you don't have the Spirit of God, look at you, you've allowed fear to overwhelm faith, this is your fault. And I felt goosebumps all over, now that I was dealing with fear, now I could deal with guilt too.

It was my fault, it's my fault this is happening. It was completely condemning. And I would walk out and I made the resolve, from now on, I'm going to be a Christian always, with the mask of the victory of Christ all over me.

I'm not telling anybody I'm afraid. No more. Because it's gonna make people think I'm not really a Christian. I'm here to tell you this, if you take nothing else from this message, be a strong Christian, be a mature Christian, but I promise this, it is alright to be afraid, Christian.

Absolutely, there's nothing wrong with it, why? Because the monster still is, the monster still roars, oh, he knows his time is short, he knows he doesn't have long, but I'm telling you, in my own world, in my own life, I still can't handle him.

There are these days that it just takes my breath away, something happens, an event happens, and there I am at three o 'clock in the morning, my heart's racing, I can't sleep, my mind going, I'm not in control, the enemy is bigger than me.

The Bible and the Family of God as Help in Fear

This is why I run to the Bible, this is why I run to the family of God, the church, because I can't do this on my own. Oh, look at Joshua, standing in front of the giants, the Lord having to tell him, don't be afraid.

Look at Paul, telling young Timothy, you've not received the spirit of fear, but a spirit of power. Timothy, why this fear? For me, I ran to the river Jabbok, and spent 18 months as I wrote this book, simply because I wanted to go to Jacob, I wanted to have Jacob teach me what it's like to be a man of God, full of faith, yet full of fear, because that's his story.

What a wonderful man he is. This is a man that when you see him in Genesis 32, this man is facing his brother, his twin brother, and that's always the way, the devil always knows how to get us from the things of the past, but the last time he heard Esau's voice, Esau said, I'm going to kill you.

And now Esau's coming, Esau's coming with an army of 400, and all Jacob has is 11 sons under the age of 14, and farmhands, and he knows he cannot win the battle. You'll find in Genesis 32, verses 9 to 11, the most extraordinary prayer, a prayer of a man of God, a prayer of a man of faith, he knows the Lord, he knows the God of Abraham, and what the Lord did with Abraham, he knows the faith of the God of Isaac, his father, he knows the God of Jacob, and what he has done with Jacob all these years, the Lord has been faithful, the same Lord who appeared to him at the top of the ladder, and gave him promises, what a beautiful prayer, but in the midst of the prayer, he says these words, I'm afraid of my brother Esau.

Jacob’s Wrestling and the Surrender of Control

I love the story of Jacob, because Jacob does so much what I do, and by the way, Eugene Peterson from 32, 7, Genesis 32, 7, he says this is Jacob's reaction, Jacob was scared, very scared, panicked, I kind of like that, but what Jacob does is so traditional of me, I pray, I surrender, I take back control.

I pray, I surrender, I take back control. And that's what Jacob did. After saying his prayers, he still was trying to control the story, send his brother gifts, waves and waves of extravagant gifts, just to see if he still in his strength could deal with his brother.

And the Lord answered his prayer, the Lord answered his prayer uniquely, in the dark of night, God became man and wrestled all night. When you're scared and when you're afraid, it is so hard to let go of control, and that's the story of the wrestling match.

Even at one point in the night, the great wrestler takes his finger and touches the socket of Jacob's thigh, he breaks his hip, don't you think when the Lord comes to break us in some way, to discipline us in some way, we say, okay, give up.

Jacob still fights on, still Jacob says that roar of control inside of us, I will not let you go until you bless me. It makes no sense, because he knows the one he's wrestling with is greater than he is, he cannot yet see his face, but he knows he's got power to bless him, and yet he's still in control, he will not surrender.

Have you found this true in your life? Always in control, always trying to manage, surrender is so hard. Time does not allow me today to walk through the story of how the Lord gave Jacob his name, Israel.

Time does not allow the infusion of faith and courage that the Lord would give Jacob there on that night of wrestling. When Jacob would come to know he is no longer the one to control, but to surrender all things to him who is the one who controls, Elohim, or the word El in the singular, he's now going to be called Israel, the one who rules is El, he's not Israel Jacob, he's not Israel Thad, he's not Israel you, he's put a name inside of us that is Israel, the El, the Lord strengthens us, the Lord is the one, the one who makes all things, we can do all things, but only through the power, the strength, the wisdom, the courage that comes from above.

Courage Comes from Above and Through the Church

I'm here to tell you so simply, the world does not have the message. If you believe for one moment that determination and control will take care of fear, death, that's the world's message, and that message sells, it's selling everywhere, it's always sold, you can do it, you can make something of yourself, but it's not the message that saves.

The message that saves is that courage does not come from within, courage comes from above. There are times I don't have it, and all I can do is turn to my brothers and my sisters and say, I'm afraid, I don't have control of this, I need your help, this is the whole pulse behind celebrate recovery, hurts and habits and hangups, AA for addictions, it's always the same message, I've come to the place, I can't, I'm powerless, I'm dependent upon the Lord, I am surrendered to His will, but I'm afraid, I'm afraid and I need help, and that's when we roar, that's when we come together, because my friends, if you're afraid, listen to me, don't go alone, if you don't have faith today, it's okay, we've got the faith for you, all that can supply, if you feel like you're not really a good Christian, that's fine too, everything is good, come into the family of the Lord and we shall pray with you, we shall wait with you, and if you're stubborn, as I know some of you are, as I know that person in the mirror is, sometimes it comes with a break in the hip, sometimes it comes with pain, I know, weeping may last the night, but there's a shout of joy that comes in the morning, the Lord shall reign over you, we will stand with you until the monster sits back down, because he cannot have you, soon enough, no matter what you're facing, no matter how big you're Goliath, no matter how strong he thinks he is, no matter what he whispers into your ear, no matter even if it's death itself coming to your door, if you're scared, it's okay, we'll be with you, we'll watch the Spirit of God come upon you, and you will know what it's like to see fear gone, courage come, because the Lord wants that for us, oh, be strong, fear not, for the Lord will save us, he's the one that will rescue us, we always do it together, and what a beautiful picture it is, I love this image, here he comes, Jacob, here he comes, the mighty man of faith, here he comes, he's been with Jesus, he's been with the Lord, hip broken, and now he's gonna go, he's tired, he's fought all night, he's now gonna go face his twin brother with a limp, powerless, helpless, but it doesn't matter, no matter what happens, he has been with Jesus, and if Esau ravages him and kills him, yet shall he live again, weeping lasts for the night, but take heart, take courage, don't be afraid, the Lord is with you, he will not leave you, he will not forsake you, his love will come upon you, and perfect love will cast out fear, and you will know the peace of the Lord that passes understanding, be anxious for nothing, together with the body of Christ we pray, and let the Lord take us, hold us, move us, his power come upon us, and the peace of God drives the fear away, glory to the Lord who has saved us, thanks be to God for Christmas, who came to deal with the monster himself, and did so on Calvary's hill, he wants you to know freedom from fear today, in Jesus Christ, in Jesus name, let's stand together, we believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty.