Fear Not | Ep. 7

When doing counseling you find that fear is a root issue in so many people's lives

So if someone's listening now, and they've struggled with anxiety and maybe some kind of anxiety disorder and all of these things

They're not alone right you know I think that's just part of you know you as a child You don't condemn a child, but even as an adult

You're in a world where? Terrible things can happen And welcome to off -the -cuff average

Joe Gormley here with Master Jeff cleaver welcome back Jeff glad to be here.

I'm glad to be a little uncomfortable though your average Joe And I'm pastor Jeff cleaver. That's like this weird kind of dynamic here.

We got False humility is better than no humility yes So all right, so we're talking about what we're going to talk about this weekend

I was really inspired by listening to Daniel Yeah We talked about Daniel and this topic of fear came up a couple times really this was the fear of a of an angel right that situation, but Just get a sense that there's probably a lot of people out there that would like to learn a little bit more about how to Manage their fear when is fear a sin when is it hmm something that?

We want because we want the fear of the Lord, right? That's where all wisdom starts off if all wisdom starts with fear of the

Lord But at the other side of the spectrum if it is a spectrum say it's not Cowardice hmm, and what's what's everything in between is that too broad a question.

That's a great question so fear You want fear of the Lord. It's the beginning of wisdom Fear of man is

Condemned right in Scripture And it's what holds I think a lot of people back from doing what

God calls them to do For fear of man wanting to look good in front of friends

Many people will never evangelize Because of fear of man, but that's our

Commission right and yet fear is holding people back So I think one of the key places to go

To overcome the fear of man is Psalm 118 Psalm 118 it begins with that praise and Israel is not to fear, but then it says

What can man do to me? I think it's around verse 6 okay, Psalm 118 verse 6

Okay, what can man do to me that that idea that? man can do nothing to you apart from what

God allows and To overcome the fear of man man is really the key to being effective as an evangelist

As a minister in all the areas of your life that God is calling you to serve him is it a sin to be afraid hmm,

I think there's a difference between kind of the natural anxiety of Perceiving danger or even there being a kind of having a fearful spirit and anxious kind of spirit

Yeah, when the command is given not to fear. It's not in the same sense of one of the

Ten Commandments of God's moral law Okay It is more of a paternal command

It is meant to encourage More so than to condemn, okay, so the command that comes

I think you've probably heard this that the the command do not fear appears 365 times right or 366 times in the

Bible right right it is a command so anytime you disobey that there's a sense that there could be sin

Attached with it there. I would say there is sin attached with that okay? But it comes more as a paternal kind of fatherly

Encouragement do not be afraid so the angel will appear in John in Daniel chapter 10 and twice say to Daniel Do not fear right it is to strengthen him

It is to build him up and even in the speaking of those words Yeah all of a sudden he he goes from trembling on his hands and knees to being able to stand and then he can hardly breathe he's

Overwhelmed and can't even compose his thoughts and the angel says do not fear and now he can think and he can talk right so it is more of a

It's not the same kind of thing as do not commit adultery but God seeing us in our natural frailness and Condescending to speak courage to us when we hear that command

Immediately it does something to our fear right it's actually eliminating our fear in hearing the command

So in Isaiah, I believe Isaiah says fear not hmm for I am with you

Be not afraid for I am your God, so what's he doing there? He's saying get your eyes off of this circumstance that looks so daunting look at me

I am with you be not afraid I am remember who I am look at me look my child.

You know so it's a father Condescending to say fear not it's not in a condemning way

Sometimes in Scripture there is condemnation Associated with the command you know with idolatry and sexual sins there.

There's a heavy hand of judgment there I don't read the command do not fear in that way

You know as you look through each of these occurrences in the Bible it tends to carry with it an encouragement a lifting up It's not a crushing kind of thing, but it's rather kind of the opposite of that.

It's it's meant to Speak strength into you in the giving of that command Wow and it almost sounds like there are

Certain sins that are I Mean there's still sins

But God in God's mercy or his or his grace, or yeah

He's he manages that he addresses us differently well. There are some things that aren't sin

That are associated with fear the idea is like okay you have a child mm -hmm a little child three years old in the dark alone

Experiences fear right is that sinful or is that just the the nature of being a small frame almost wisdom?

Yeah, and then fear can be wise Yeah Exactly like oh, there's not condemnation in a three -year -old being afraid of the dark mm -hmm a 45 year old afraid of the dark there's sin in that Okay, because at some point you need to face that fear as you're growing up Mm -hmm, and you need to overcome that I remember when

I was a little kid. I was afraid of looking into a mirror in The dark because my friends had told me that like some demonic

Manifestation would happen if you did that they saw it in some movie or something like that for the longest time I couldn't do that, but growing up to become a man means you overcome that fear right?

You know what what kind of man can't stand alone in the dark and look into a mirror, right?

That would be sinful for a 45 year old to not have grown enough And so this is what we were studying in Daniel 10, okay strength for a battle, right?

Yeah, Daniel in himself as he's as he is in the world Has no strength

He's just a puddle of fear on the ground in the presence of an angel He can't engage in spiritual war and even converse with this angel, but the angel strengthens him

By stages by degree mm -hmm in the same way we had come into the Christian life, and we're like babies

Okay, we're fearful. We're children in the world, but to become a man is to lose

Your fear of man hmm a little child is afraid of a grown man a stranger right right?

But a grown man should be able to sit face to face with a stranger without fear of man right because you you've matured to that You've grown to that and this applies to all things spiritual as well spiritual warfare

Many people don't want to engage because they're afraid of Demonic activity

Wow yeah, what would you do if you saw a demonized person right you know as a man of God?

You should recognize. What can man do to me even this demon? That's that's tormenting this person right is nothing compared to my

God Yeah, right so getting your eye back on who God is and thinking that way sure it'd be scary

If you had to cast a demon out you saw some kind of manifestation But you have to overcome that fear because of your eyes set on who

God is right so right and the promises we have as Christians about Demons and yeah speaking of demons.

Yeah, we just got done with a Holiday where people are celebrating demons and celebrating the dead.

I mean how big of a problem is it for a Christian to? Celebrate fear or seek fear and say as a method of Enjoyment or So what is a horror movie?

Yeah? You know you you watch this horrifying killing and slaughter of a person To put yourself kind of in the position of the person who's running from them

And you feel fear of this because there's something satisfying about Being afraid but hanging in there, and then you know you overcome it or something like that Yeah, but there's something perverse that you're you're seeking the fear right, but what does

Deuteronomy 18 say? it talks about witchcraft and sorcery and Contacting the dead right and so if you're gonna watch the movie the exorcist

You are exposing yourself to things that Deuteronomy 18 tells you to avoid hmm

There was I was just reading this book here by you bank, so that's not a good manual for getting rid of No this book called

Overcoming the adversary by Mark Bubeck Oh it opens with the story of a young person who watched the movie the exorcist, okay?

And from that time began to experience these kind of troubling demonic Manifestations in their life, and what the the pastor does here is talks about how

You opened a door to that okay when you watch that movie you opened a door now you need to shut that door

By the name of Jesus which is greater And to renounce all the works of the devil and to no longer participate in the works of darkness

But have nothing to do with it. Yeah, so yeah like people playing with tarot cards or horror movies or Even exposing themselves to sexual perversity right right by opening pornography.

They're opening a door For the devil to come take a foothold in their life, and what you're saying in that book you're talking about that that whole concept of Taking off and putting on putting off and putting on Yeah, except in the

Bible. Yeah, putting off the works of darkness and putting on the Lord Christ. Yeah, okay? Yeah, I think

Ephesians four and five yeah Yeah, yeah, and that's um I mean that goes for all kinds of bad habits that you open up into right and Maybe a lot of them start without a fear of the

Lord. Oh wow and Those bad habits start and you open up that door. I mean

I'm thinking of yeah quitting smoking Trimming down the waist yeah You've got some insulation talked about that in your last sermon

I've got a lot more insulation than you though, but I do have that six -pack underneath the insulation. Oh, yeah

So What about fear of what's so what's an unreasonable fear right now in our culture that you think people are?

Experiencing well the culture itself exerts so much pressure To conform right being pressed into the mold of the world to kind of tow the party line

With regard to whatever the political issue is right? Systemic racism yeah

To say that there is no such thing as systemic racism in our culture right or to say that the examples that are given

Of it are Unsubstantiated right we'll get you canceled. Yeah, you can lose your job

Yep, you can be your friends could call you racist your friends could Make fun of you, or you know post something on Facebook to shame you so there's a shame

Well, it's a real feeler fear because the world will do these things But right if you come to the place in your relationship with God where Psalm 118 verse 6 is your guiding principle?

What can man do to me right whatever give do your best? Yeah? You know the

Lord is a warrior yeah, and when I tell the truth The Lord is on my side, and you'll be fighting him not me

Yeah, I'm gonna say what's true, and if you want to come fight me on that you're fighting against the truth

You're not fighting against me, so whatever these the hot political issue is often about sexuality

Yeah in our culture right about gender about the nature of God making them male and female

And there's no third or 37th gender right to say these kind of things and to speak clearly and boldly about them

Yeah requires fearlessness you have to overcome the fear of the world the fear of man of what will man do to you?

What do you say to Christians who say well? I'm not really fearful of Speaking to that speaking truth to that person just trying to be polite, or I'm just trying to write nice I mean, where did where do you where do you draw the line on nice?

You know that'll is that the 11th commandment. Yeah, I'll be nice Yes, I mean, but people are really serious if they take that seriously because the culture pushes it up, and you know right

So and that's just more a matter of tact Mmm. There. There is a way to approach a person to discuss the gospel or anything

That's kind and friendly right right so when we go to Princeton or to Roman to evangelize our opening question is a question it's not a

Condemnation we don't come and say You're you're a sinner that deserves the wrath of God.

That's not our opening line, right, right? There's a matter of interpersonal skill there and kind of the emotional quotient right your

EQ so what Phil and I do is we say Can I get your opinion on something?

And then you start engaging and talking and respecting them as a person and as a fellow image bearer

Right and you you treat everybody with gentleness and respect yeah But if they say something regarding sexuality or gender you have to address that you can't shy back and Water down the gospel with some kind of half message, but ultimately you're going to call them to repentance of all sin

Yeah, and to faith in Jesus Christ and to renounce all the works of the devil in every false religion

So it's very confrontational what you're doing You're confronting them with a command

To repent and believe the gospel right, but that doesn't mean you come in without any like social

Ability or any skill that way you know you come in with the question you come in kindly And it's not unkind to call them to repentance right

But it does require overcoming your fear of man because most people will in that conversation at some point

Reject what you have to say otherwise they'd already be a Christian right yeah, they're already rejecting Do you think do you think when you go out and do that?

I mean, that's so a lot of people say that's just that's planting seeds. Yeah, see what yeah fruit comes from that Yeah, you do you think that's good practice for engaging people who you really might fear like maybe your parents or relatives?

Oh, yeah, that are not Christians that yeah, you know because that does it help you overcome the fear of?

Absolutely people who are close to you Maybe you maybe you tried sharing the gospel with before or many times or over decades even

Yeah, so it's a lot harder to share with your close friends and your family than it is a stranger actually

Yeah, like they're saying so definitely yeah, so tomorrow I get to go have lunch with a guy in Princeton who came to faith last year

He was coming back to a faith of his youth, but had departed from because of Princeton teaching who you know

But he's back now praise the Lord But that you do gain boldness from seeing that when you see the

Lord at work right now You're much less likely to have fear of man with other strangers or with your own family

But one of the things I learned in my evangelism class At Dallas was kind of a chart relative to how close a relationship you have with the person on one axis and How aggressive you should be along the other access and it's actually inverse so that if you are

Very close with someone right you actually have to tread a bit You know much more carefully right with your your wayward son, or your your aunt or something like that Yeah Then a complete stranger the more distant the relationship the more aggressive you can be at the outset

And that's because you value that the friendship the relationship And you're trying to protect that at the same time as bringing that truth, and you'll have so yeah

You'll have more opportunities later. Yeah, if you need someone on the street. You may never see them again, right?

You don't want to neglect telling them the gospel, and it actually turns out to be Respectful of them to cut to the chase right meaning this stranger doesn't know why you're approaching them

But as soon as you've made it clear through you know your opening question or whatever That you're there to tell them about Jesus, and you're now now.

It's not like you're trying to sell them something You're not trying to you have no other motive. You've kind of disclosed that right away

So being more aggressive in that in that situation is actually the more respectful and kind and You know socially appropriate thing to do yeah, that makes a lot of sense

Yeah, is what now what what would those people when you're when you're engaging people? About the gospel do you sense any fear in them?

I mean, what are they afraid of what do they share are their fears yeah? I there are people that you'll run to at the colleges that they're almost trembling

Just like you you get a sense that they're they're fear they're afraid of this conversation I mean, that's because in our generation this younger generation.

They spend so much time in front of a screen, okay? You know that actual human interaction is like intimidating

That could be yeah, but it's probably just more personality thing individual personalities.

You'll run into fearful people, okay? That way and I think a lot of people in our culture mask their fear with other things they're living in a constant state of anxiety, which is kind of a

Form of fear sure you know an anxious person is afraid of something. Yeah, and maybe anything

So it being says do not be anxious, but would that would probably fall in that category you were talking about yeah?

It's not like can anxiety be sinful So again, that's back to like that Philippians 4 do not be anxious about anything.

There's a command So you can't say that a command disobeying a command is anything, but sinful, okay?

But the approach that that verse takes do not be anxious about anything, but by prayer and petition

So it's giving you this path. It's it's a it's not a condemning verse It's saying you don't need to be anxious about anything pray learn to go deeper in prayer

Go pray with your friend. Go go to the why aren't you there at the prayer meet if you're struggling with anxiety in your life

Why aren't you at a prayer meeting on Sunday night at the church at 6? Because it says by prayer and petition submit your request to God yeah, and the promise comes with that you might

Maybe you need to be praying with other people, so it's it's not meant to be a condemning verse

Okay, as all of these do not fear do not fear. It's always associated with the building up of faith

Do you think God addresses our sin different types of sin in different ways then yeah?

Yeah, very much, so okay. I think that there are Degrees of sin in the economy of God, and I think we as Protestants kind of mess this teaching up, okay?

Because we you know salvation is by grace alone through faith alone, and that's that's a legal declaration of righteousness

Justification right yeah, and that's associated with Condemnation being for even one sin if you break one law you're guilty of the whole law of God So then people will say well a sin is a sin is a sin right and justification

It's either you have it or you don't it's a legal declaration That's all true in the context of the the legal judicial or God's view yeah

God's me yeah, but different hurts happen down here from different sins right well that's what

I'm getting at that so you need to distinguish as the Reformers did between justification and Sanctification right so there are sins that are very different from other sins and God deals with them differently yeah in the

Christians life Fear is a perfect example of that fear. He deals very differently with than Homosexual behavior or head of a heterosexual behavior outside of marriage, right?

That's very damaging to the soul right because of the nature of what sex is right so God has made that to be

To bring union between a husband and a wife yeah, and when people outside of marriage kind of cheat that system

Right the the tearing apart. I use the analogy of duct tape mmm If you have two pieces of duct tape and you stick them together

Yeah, then pulling them apart is very difficult right there's just this strong bond Yeah But if you were to take that duct tape and put it on this shirt and that shirt and this pair of jeans and that piece of cloth 20 times and and then push those two pieces of duct tape together.

They don't stick nearly as well, right? It's very damaging right to to break the command one of the commandments of God thou shalt not commit adultery, right?

And the consequences of that at the earthly level right you're still justified if a person is born again They're gonna go to heaven, but sanctification any sexual sin.

Yeah has severe Earthly consequences right into your sanctification of progress, right?

Not so it's not as severe as forgetting to tithe your mint and dill yeah Yeah, right

Yeah, so I mean every sin. We don't want we never minimize sin right, but we recognize that there are sins that are

Particularly damaging to the soul yeah Do you think Jesus was trying to be funny when he said you should have you know you should have?

Tied your mint and dill too, but you should have been more concerned with the weightier matters of the law love and justice

I don't know that's we've talked about this. I think on a sidebar about yeah Jesus is humor, and I know we're going from fear to humor, but I don't think he's being humorous there

I think that the people who build such a teaching on tithing as being a New Testament doctrine right they draw a lot of capital

From that is it Matthew 21 somewhere 23 do they really yeah that that see

Jesus affirms tithing here You need to tithe and then just like Malachi chapter 4 But I actually think he he is saying that yeah, you should that's good that you're tithing you're do that, okay?

Yeah, there's nothing wrong with that. I thought it's sarcastic Yeah Yeah, I've never taken that as being

So well, I think we covered a lot of things we never fear and a lot of things in the culture

That people fear we covered I mean I didn't mean to get into this But I thought it was really interesting to to deal with you know these different sins.

I've always felt like There was a sense of God's mercy when

I didn't think of sins until later down the road I'm like boy. I I mean yeah

Had been a Christian for a long time and God never put that in my face, and I said you know right why why didn't

I? Know that right from the get -go well When doing counseling you find that fear is a root issue in so many people's lives

So if someone's listening now, and they've struggled with anxiety and maybe some kind of anxiety disorder and all of these things

They're not alone right you know I think that's just part of you know as a child you don't condemn a child

But even as an adult You're in a world where? Terrible things can happen mmm.

You know and these fears that are kind of like inordinate fears That you know they're afraid of a spy

Later by you know what are the odds you can comfort yourself by saying things to yourself like you know what that really could happen

But I'm not going to worry about that now because the chances are so small right that's a helpful thing to think through But ultimately even more fundamental and rooted than that is your walk with God in prayer so these problems 365 promises you know and commands do not fear

Yeah, you should write those down and memorize you know is it is that Isaiah 41 fear not for I am with you

Be not afraid for I am your God. I will comfort you. I will help you I will uphold you with my righteous right hand

You got it. You've got a quote that if you're struggling with fear you have to say that to yourself so that you're replacing

That mindset and and saying things what can man do to me? So then then you go for the thing that's been causing you fear and so many people do so I just think that's awesome

That's so helpful so 365 yeah or 366 one for leap year one for leap year so that that's how many times it says fear not in the

Bible So yeah, we're not gonna list all those in the notes, but you definitely should reach Maybe we can't find a list of that.

I'm sure someone yes That's great. Well. Thanks for joining us today on Off the cuff my name's average