FEAR - A Robber of God's Goodness - Pastor Cameron Butler

• 23/05/2019
• SLC Stuart Price

 

 

 

    God says that His people are not of fear but of faith. Yet often; we can

    allow fear to shape our responses. Fear will rob us of God’s goodness in

    our lives through our insecurities. FAITH & FEAR are similar in that

    they are attracting forces, one to the positive & the other to the

    negative. The choice is ours as to which one we will let drive us.

 

    God’s Word says in Hebrews 10:35 – 39 AMP “Do not, therefore, fling away

    your [fearless] confidence, for it has a glorious and great reward. For you

    have need of patient endurance [to bear up under difficult circumstances

    without compromising], so that when you have carried out the will of God,

    you may receive and enjoy to the full what is promised. For yet in a very

    little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay. But My

    righteous one [the one justified by faith] shall live by faith [respecting

    man’s relationship to God and trusting Him]; And if he draws back

    [shrinking in fear], My soul has no delight in him. But our way is not that

    of those who shrink back {=FEAR} to destruction, but [we are] of those who

    believe [relying on God through faith in Jesus Christ, the Messiah] and by

    this confident faith preserve the soul.

 

    “The people of Israel let fear keep them from the promised land when they

    doubted God’s Word. Even though it was God’s good will to give it to them

    there & then, they were robbed of what God wanted to do for them by

    their “shrinking-back” in fear for 4o years & missed it all, except

    Joshua & Caleb. Ps Cameron shined a light on this thief of fear in the

    Word, bringing out the following - Read Numbers 13: 27-33.

 

    (1.) Fear will cause a person to take on man’s identity for themselves;

    & not God’s. How do we see ourselves? More than conquerors or

    grasshoppers? Are we conditioned to being who God’s says we are through the

    renewing of our mind?

 

    (2.) The facts or our eyes can deceive us; allowing fear to fill our

    hearts. Grasshoppers can be very destructive at times.

 

    (3.) The bedfellow of fear is deception, dishonesty & fear mongering.

    See V.27 -29 Notice how the spies story changed. The world’s / enemy’s

    story it tells is destructive but turn & believe only Gods Word for

    true direction. Allowing it to purge out fear & cleanse our soul.

 

    (4.) Fear resonates with the masses. For 40 years they wandered in the

    wilderness & consulted each other in why it needed to be that way. Fear

    will always end in judgement, punishment & death. But perfect love

    casts out fear -1 John 4:18 Cry out to God to fill your heart with His

    perfect love each day. Fear can’t stay when you trust God fully.

 

    (5.) So often those closest to us foster our fears. God is faithful to

    complete the work He has begun in us, but it may require taking us through

    some wilderness where we learn to trust in Him & not ourselves or men.

    There are things that need to be cleaned out of us by His Spirit. Fear is a

    very real thing indeed & negative causing us to run away or shrink

    back. But there is a positive fear to motivate us for good. Proverbs say

    that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom – that reverential fear of

    Father God where we ‘fear letting our Father down’.

 

    Meditate on & declare “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but

    of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7

 

    “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with

    thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; & the peace of

    God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds

    through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

 

    The Hebrew meaning of ‘fear’ shows to not run from fear, but in our fear to

    turn to God who is able to deliver us from that fear. God has not left us

    to make it alone; as orphans but has given us His greatest gift; His

    Spirit.

 

    Read again John 14: 18-27 Jesus told us plainly that we have ‘a Helper’ who

    brings peace & truth by teaching us what is holding us back from Gods

    goodness. Trust the Holy Spirit, talk to Him about everything.

 

    Let our prayer be today: “Father, I don’t want to let you down. Please help

    me by Your Spirit to navigate through this fear of freedom in Your perfect

    love. I yield myself totally to your leading. Purge me from all my

    insecurities & fears that hold me back from receiving all that You have

    for me. I want to live a life walking in the spirit, in faith & make

    you proud.” Proverbs 3:5-7 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart &

    lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him &

    He shall make your paths straight.”

 

    Love & trust Him with all your heart today & forever more…He will

    never let you down!!

 

    Ray Price

 

    Have an awesome week

 

    Pastor Stuart & Colleen