SHOWDOWN: The Distorted View of Fear - a podcast by C3 Church Southwest WA

SCRIPTURE: Genesis 3:8–10 (ESV) And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.”

PRAYER

We have a built in mechanism for our survival: FEAR

• We see something dangerous

• We experience FEAR

• It protects us when we experience heights, fire, large animals, etc.

That mechanism is often exploited...

1. We see a CHALLENGE

2. The challenge experiences DISTORTION

• The challenge is distorted, appearing larger, more threatening than in reality

• Illus: the low light that casts tall shadows

• Illus: Granville Mass. monument on small wooden bridge.

• The tactic of every army

  • Judges 7:20–22 (ESV) Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars. They held in their left hands the torches, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow. And they cried out, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!” Every man stood in his place around the camp, and all the army ran. They cried out and fled. When they blew the 300 trumpets, the LORD set every man’s sword against his comrade and against all the army. And the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath.

• The challenge is distorted, appearing larger, more threatening than in reality

• Distortions are deceptions - This is the enemies playground

3. The distortion activates the mechanism of FEAR

• An emotional response

• Initially based on distortion

• FEAR is experienced by everyone, even the most heroic

• FEAR is It is not a lack of faith

4. The DECISION must be made,.. what to do?

• This can happen over a few minutes of a few days, few years

• AFRAID - sees the distortion and decides to honor it as real

  • Will keep you from God’s best every time

• COURAGE - sees the distortion and disregards it as a lie

So often the challenge and distortion is of a spiritual nature

These can be one-off experiences, but the can be exploited into strongholds

3 PREVALENT FEARS FOR TODAY

The Fear Of Bad Outcomes

• Causing us to ignore God because His way might not work

• Specifically - if I stick to what God says, this may not work

• Exodus 16:19–20 (ESV) And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it over till the morning.” But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them.

• Examples:

  • Lying on a resume

  • Sabotaging a colleague to level the playing ground

• Honor God’s Word and His Word will honor you.

• God’s math equation will always work out.

• Joshua 6:20 (ESV) So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they captured the city.

The Fear of Injury & Death

• pressuring us to avoid risks associated with winning God’s BEST.

• Numbers 13:1–2 (ESV) The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel. From each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a chief among them.”

• Numbers 13:30–31 (ESV) But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.”

• Numbers 14:1–3 (ESV) Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?”

• We are so pain adverse. We are so afraid of dying?

• Jesus’ pain/death were the prerequisites to life

• A previous attribute we honor: COURAGE IN BATTLE

  • Noble wars, fought to protect the underdog

  • Young men sent men into battle to fight for someone else

  • When faced with death, these men marched forward

• Protections in the US have afforded current generations have never faced a real enemy.

• We’ve had to create them; we’ve define them with long lists; we’ve created therapeutics

• In previous generations they would have overcome them.

• The media distorts them

• We are so consumed with safety and safe spaces - THEY ARE OUR GOD

• Helicopter Parents Turn Into Snow Plow parents

• Illus: family what had not left their home

• Worse than dying is the failure to live an abundant life.

• DON’T BE RECKLESS, BUT LIVE & THRIVE

The Fear of Man’s Opinion

• pressuring us to dishonor God to win the honor of men.

• Matthew 26:69–75 (ESV) Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.” And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.” After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.” Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

This was one of Peter’s worst life experiences.

Why did Peter Deny Knowing Jesus?

• Fear of physical pain

• Fear of incarceration

• Fear of rejection

  • Plagues the church

  • We water down who we are and what we are about so as not to offend (we say it is in order to win them over first) that it renders our lives without power

  • What will my coworkers think if they see my bible, see me pray, invited them to church?

  • We will even go to the point to go against God’s word

• Fear of the optics: How will this be viewed by others?

  • Following Jesus experienced the flip flop of the mob

  • Fear of being disliked?

  • Fear of being punished?

  • Fear of being marked - affect popularity,

  • How does heaven view this is the first question we need to ask ourselves

Our BEST LIFE begins as we focus on God’s opinion

Acts 4:18–20 (ESV) So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”

Closing

This is a season for courage

Joshua to spies: Numbers 13:20 (ESV) Be of good courage and bring some of the fruit of the land.”

Moses to Joshua: Deuteronomy 31:6 (ESV) Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

John 16:32–33 (ESV) Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

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