Fear Less

hi everybody welcome to your move I'm Andy Stanley remember when you were kid and your parents used to say don't be afraid don't be afraid I mean that was really helpful wasn't it is it even possible to be fearless maybe not but while you can't be fearless you can fear less and today I'll explain how right here [Music] hey we are talking about fear and specifically our theme is fearless and here here's the deal and then you may not have thought about it this way before and in fact you haven't had time to think about it this way before because everybody's busy and everybody's going through life and we all have fears we all have worries we have anxiety some of you have anxiety attacks and in fact I've learned this about anxiety attacks haven't enough friends who've had you know anxiety attacks that if I talk about an anxiety attack long enough you'll have one so we'll just we'll just move on anyway so I'm here's the deal while it is impossible while it is impossible to be fearless because I think it's impossible to be fearless we'll talk about that in just a minute while it is impossible to be fearless it is possible to fear less and that's what we're gonna talk about I think it's impossible as we're gonna see it for the next few minutes it's really impossible to live a fearless life because the truth is and you know this year you're adults you get this now I'm fear is actually a good thing I mean you really don't want to live a life without fear um if you fear has kept you out of trouble fear has kept you away from some things that you need to be kept away from but here's here's the other reason that fear is really really a good thing and why it's never gonna go away you're never gonna totally conquer it because fear is actually a byproduct of something fear is the byproduct of our ability to project into the future and remember the past one of the greatest gifts that God has given you one of the greatest gifts that God has given the human race or if you're not a God person or a Christian person you know one of the greatest gifts that natural selection finally naturally selected for us that maybe we got here that way is simply this human beings have the ability to remember what happened in the past in fact we can remember way way way way back and because we have the ability to remember what happened in the past we just assume while animals do they don't we also have the ability to project into the future and it's our ability to remember what happened the last two Christmases that allows us to project into the future and look forward to the next Christmas or it's our ability to remember what happened the last two Christmases and dread the next Christmas okay so our ability as human beings to be able to remember what happened in the past and to project into the future is a wonder wonderful thing it's why we're able to make progress as a race that's why we're able to move forward it's why we're able to plan it's why you're able to hope the reason you have hopes is because you have memories you have memories from your life you have heard stories of what other people have done and as you think about your future you have hope you're able to project into the future it's why you're able to dream it's why you're eight why we're able to wish it's why we're able to anticipate imagine life without the ability to hope or to dream or to wish or to anticipate and the problem is our ability to do all of that is what enables us unfortunately and empowers us to be able to fear and here's the deal none of us no matter how fearful we are in no matter how big our fears are none of us would trade our ability to be able to do all that for a fearless life that's why I say it's it's you know you we're never gonna be fearless but we can as we're gonna see fear less because the other thing is fear is connected to this other incredible incredible thing that God has given us the ability to do and that is to imagine because imagination is tied to fear I mean what is fear fear is I begin to imagine what might happen I begin to imagine how bad it's gonna be I begin to imagine you know three or four more years like the last three or four years I begin to imagine how long it's gonna take me to recover I begin to imagine what it's going to be like if I can't pay my bills so our this powerful wonderful thing I mean who would trade imagination for you know for to get rid of fear none of us and yet it's our ability to imagine you know but you know I imagine what if I what if it doesn't work out what if this relationship doesn't work out then what I begin to imagine and what if this career doesn't work out and what if I don't get that job and what if they don't call me back what if she doesn't show up or what if she does show up or you know what if I what if I never have kids or what if I'm actually pregnant or what I mean you know we just imagine and your fear your ability to fear is tied to your ability to imagine and if I said hey if you come up here after hanging after I finished you can push a button and you lose your ability to imagine and you lose your potential to fear none of us I'm guessing none of us would trade that in which means we're stuck god bless you see you next time right it's like there's just really nothing you can do about it I mean fear is just a part of life and it's tied to some of the greatest things that none of us if we had the potential or the ability none of us would trade that in so here's the question and this is this is a big deal is there a way as I said up front is there a way if we can't be fearless is there a way to fear less and the answer is yes now if you're a Christian like I'm a Christian and you kind of look to God for leadership and you trust that the New Testament documents really you know tell us what Jesus actually said and we asked Jesus Jesus you know what do you have to say about fear Jesus is a little bit funny when it comes to fear in fact Jesus talked a lot about fear and even if you're not a Christian it's really interesting to read what Jesus said about fear because on the surface he doesn't seem to give us much help at all I would imagine based on what the Gospels say that Jesus said if Jesus were here and we were to say Jesus what do you have to say about fear he summed it up into words he would say fear not what do you mean or here's three words don't be afraid have a good day you know it's like that's it I mean when you look in the Gospels because Jesus talked a lot about fear and apparently he definitely believed that in this life there will be fear you're not gonna live a fearless life but clearly based on what he taught and how he lived and what he told those who were close to him there is a way for us to fear less and thing than he one time he was speaking and he I think he had a big grin on his face when he taught his disciples this he said do not be afraid maybe you've heard this before do not be afraid of those who can only kill the body weight that's like that's like the whole thing kill the body that's like you killed all of me it's like oh it's just my body I'm fine let me know how do you just the body says you don't be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul and what does that even mean rather be afraid so we are supposed to be afraid of something rather be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell okay we're there it is again it's not like you you're not helping us you're supposed to say don't worry nothing's gonna happen don't be afraid twice now you said something Bad's gonna happen don't be afraid and your whole body might be killed but don't be afraid of the people who can kill your whole body you're supposed to rather be afraid of this one who can take care of and ultimately satisfy and save your body and your soul what is he talking about now this is such a big deal Jesus takes us to a place that I'm telling you I've met some people who've been there I'm gonna tell you about one in a few minutes you've met some who've been there some of you are just all about this you've already been you know where I'm going with this because this isn't theory for you this isn't a message for you this is this is your experience he goes on he says are not two sparrows sold for a penny and they're all go and yes and we're going I don't know yet not one of them not one of these sparrows will fall to the ground outside of your father's care like really mean that's a lot of detail like God really cares that much in other words he's saying your heavenly father this is this is kind of he's kind of taking this to his bottom line your heavenly father he says has the final say your heavenly Father has the final say your heavenly father has the final say your heavenly Father has the final say so let me review bad things are gonna happen to some good people don't be afraid bad things are gonna happen to some really good people don't be afraid your heavenly father is the ultimate decision maker your Heavenly Father's will holds sway and even and he goes on and even the very hairs of your head are all numbered so don't be afraid you're worth more than many sparrows so let's see if we get this straight so Jesus you're not you're not like sugarcoating this you're staying up front things are gonna be bad there's gonna be pain there's gonna be sorrow there's gonna be grief there's gonna be death there's gonna be all kinds of bad things that happen and somehow we cannot be afraid you're not promising to keep bad things from happening so what's the point now Jesus was all about illustrations he wasn't just about teachings about illustration so on a couple of occasions he took his disciples on a on a sort of visual a boat ride and these are very famous stories from the New Testament okay these visual aid boat rides one of them went like this it says then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him and suddenly you've heard this story before suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake so that the waves swept over the boat but Jesus remember this but Jesus was sleeping now if you're a Christian this is one of your greatest fears right here isn't it in fact some of you this is you feel like he's going that you feel like no this is my life I'm in trouble Jesus is sleeping I'm in trouble God is sleeping I bet there's a storm that's a physical storm it's a health storm it's a job storm it's a relationship storm it's a financial storm it's something going on my extended family storm I mean there's a storm and I'm praying like crazy and Jesus is sleeping that this is so important okay and if you don't hear anything else I say this is so important okay when you feel that way the good news is you're not the first person to experience that the people Jesus knew the best and loved the most experienced that very thing not sort of sort of theoretical like you know I've been praying I haven't heard from anything no they are you know six feet away and they are on a gonna literally drown and he is actually sleeping which means when you kind of feel that sense of distance from God and where's God and what's God up to it's as if Jesus left us this story's saying it's okay it's okay you're not alone it's not as bad as you think you are not the first to feel this to fear this or to experience this and the disciples you remember the story and the disciples went and welcoming us saying lord save us we're going to drown and then he replied what an insult you have a little faith why are you so afraid okay see God your father gave us the ability to both remember and project and we remember some friends who got caught in a storm and they drowned we know what's happened to us in the past we know what has happened to other people in the past how can we not project the past on the future because there's no way for us not to do that that is why we are afraid and there again we with this is our experience than Jesus is so down to earth both feet planted firmly on the ground illustrating for the people he loved the most and then recording this in such a way that 2,000 years later here we are still talking about it this is so powerful and then he got up the text tells us and he rebuked the wind and the waves and it was completely calm and the men were amazed and they asked what kind of man is this even the wind's and the waves obey Him and the answer is super that's what kind of man he is he is a super man he has the ability to control nature and in this moment his point isn't to just show off because there was just a handful of people on this boat his point was to teach them a lesson that would stand the test of time and here we are 2,000 years later still talking about this extraordinary extraordinary event because here's what happened for them and here's what what ultimately happened for them and here is what I believe our Heavenly Father wants to happen for me because I'm sitting here with you tonight listening to this is you're gonna see in just a minute and I think what God wants all of us to take away from these fabulous fabulous narratives that have been preserved for us through all these years is that in the midst of all the what that causes us to fear there is a who that says I want you to look at me and in this moment here's what happened their focus went from the what of the storm to the who of the person who could calm the storm their focus went from the what of the storm that's about to take our lives and kill our bodies as if there was more than to life than our body and suddenly in a moment they're asking the question not did you see what happened where did the storm go it certainly came up quick they're like what kind of man is if there is anyone that demands and deserves our respect and our off if there is anything we should fear it is not storms it is the one who has the ability to calm the storm what kind of man is this well the disciples that apostles you know I'm not critical of them who knows what many of us would have done but they didn't get it they just they didn't so when Jesus was arrested they didn't stand by their man you know they hide they lied and they denied and they fled and they there did they disappear and then a little while later this same group of people who just disappeared into the night and kind of left their guy literally hanging they show back up and their courageous and they go into the streets of Jerusalem even though they are facing people who killed the son of God's body and have the potential to kill their body as well and somehow they've learned the lesson and somehow they are they become seemingly fearless regardless of the fact that all of their lives were you know at risk and they go into the streets of Jerusalem they say you know you killed him God raised him we've seen them say you're sorry you know you killed them God raised and we've seen them say you're sorry and we're not afraid anymore it's like what happened to you it's that we saw a resurrected Savior and we got it we got it we got it we finally came to grips and we could finally came to terms with the question that we asked on the boat what kind of man is this this is a man sent from God and if there is anyone and anything we ought to fear respect all reverence it's him and it's exactly as he said we have suffered and we have lost but somehow we are no longer afraid because the someone replaced something this is how you become not fearless this is how you begin to fear less because when their faith in someone exceeded their fear of something fear lost its grip and when your faith in that someone exceeds your fear of the something fear it is a completely vanished but it loses its death grip it loses its choke hold on you now that is very easy for me to stand up here and say and so last night literally last night our community group met and right now there's a gentleman in our group that I've known for about maybe eight or nine maybe longer that eight or nine or maybe 10 years named Tim and three and a half years ago three half years ago Tim was diagnosed with ALS it's a disorder that involves the death of the motor neurons that you know control the voluntary muscle so what happens is over time your muscles atrophy all of your muscles and generally what happens it can you know work its way out in different ways but generally what happens is a person loses their they get weaker and weaker because their muscles get weaker and weaker eventually you begin to you lose the ability to speak and then you lose the ability to swallow and then you lose the ability to breathe and then you pass away so three and a half years ago Tim was diagnosed with ALS so our community group is kind of their support group as Tim slowly goes to meet his maker last year our family and a bunch of us were part of his team for the the ALS walk and at the walk I took this picture so I want to show you this picture this is not Tim this is Tim I have watched this man for three and a half years take one step after another closer and closer and closer to meeting his god and his attitude is ridiculously ridiculously ridiculously inspiring it's it's he it's like he refuses to give up on life even though his body has given up on him so last night we're in a community group and and I said hey Tim there were there were two over there five couples in our group two couples didn't show up so there's three couples were sitting in my living room and I'm supposed to lead the discussion I said hey Tim tomorrow night I'm gonna meet with a whole bunch of folks in the city and we're gonna talk about fear what would you tell them what would you say to them so I just started good friends so I can ask very specific questions I mean there's no secret there they're wide open about this whole thing I said come on how do you deal come on Tim I want you to be specific how do you deal not even use the words fear I said how do you deal with the terror how do you deal with the terror of knowing how this will end for you and I just started taking notes and he and Carla just started talking and we're crying and I'm writing and we're trying and writing so I want to tell you what he told us and what he told me specifically to tell you so life lessons and Tim LIF here's what he said if you spend time with fearful people you will adopt their fear mask you question what are the people that you spend most of your time with most concerned about because here's what Tim said last night he said the people that you spend time with the thing that they're most concerned about will eventually become your concern you will adopt their fear whether it's looks status income what are the things that the people you spend time with most concerned about those concerns will become he said your concerns but what come on what is most valuable what's most important what really matters that's why those of you who invest a slice of your time investing in the lives of other people you get this you get this because part of your concern is other people and part of your concern is the welfare of another generation but some of you you are surrounded with people and it's not that they're concerned about bad things they're just not concerned about really important things and Tim says fear is contagious and the things that the people around you fear the most will eventually become your fears and the reason he said that he said there are so many people in the city that when they are confronted with ALS they can play go into complete denial he says they won't even come to a support group he said and then when they find each other it's like fear feeds fear and you've got to find people who fear the right thing and are concerned about the right thing the second thing he said is this you wouldn't be surprised for this when he said ALS makes everything I worried about in the past seems silly and then he looked at me sitting on my hip sittin in my big you know like every dad has like the chair he was in my chair he's in the Santa Claus chair last night and I'm sittin on the couch you know and all of us in there he looked at me and here's a quote he spoke to you last night here's what he said tell him stop worrying live your life the sooner they accept what can't be changed the easier it becomes stop worrying and live your life stop come on come on what is it that you're home so come through stressed out and then turned on he's gonna you know he would get face to face with unique are you kidding that is so silly live your life and stop trying to live somebody else's life here's what he said he said you know he said I've met so many people in this ALS community here's what he said he said they put all their effort not don't miss this okay they put all their effort and energy into fighting striving and denying rather than living and they're disappointed in the end he said there's so many Feliz community there they're just thriving they're fighting this they're denying there's there's so much tension in the end he said in the end they lose anyway so let me come on ask you is there a fear is there a concern is there a worry and you're you're just constantly striving and constantly fighting and constantly worrying a little bit in denial here's what my buddy Tim would say it's it come on just gotta let that go I know what everybody else - come on let it go quit trying to live somebody else's life with somebody else's out expectations because of something somebody told you let it go and live your life but then he said something I won't ever forget this was like the I wouldn t know there were just too many tears cuz I said come on Tim okay but what are you afraid of I mean what's come on let's talk about I'm gonna talk about fear tell me about the fears usually would here's what he said regarding his fear ready for this it's the fear of the unknown and he paused and then he made a statement I'm telling you I don't I don't know how to communicate this with the gravity and the weight and this may just kind of be like what's so big deal here and here's what he said he said it's the fear of the unknown and then he chuckled and he said this but the truth is very very little is really unknown here's what he meant he chuckled he said I have ALS what is there not to know I know how this ends and so I'm no longer afraid of the unknown because very little as I know now listen to this look up here ladies and gentlemen there is no mystery as to how it ends for us either there is very little unknown this is why Jesus this is so amazing this is why Jesus could say to his closest followers and why he can say to us that you don't need to be afraid because the unknown isn't unknown to me and at the end of the day we all know how it ends so fear not Superman is with you and the worst thing that can happen is that your body is destroyed and there's no unknown about that either but why would we spend our life striving and fearing things that the worst they can do is destroy our body when we have been introduced to the super man the some one who died for our sins and claimed to be able to save our soul that immaterial part of us that isn't brain and that isn't body that is eternal once it's been created by God he says why would you spend your little itty-bitty 70 80 90 year-old years on this why would you spend it striving and fearing because there isn't really that much anyway at the end of the day we all end up the same so just let it go and live your life and knowing that loosens the stranglehold of fear because the unknown come on it's not really that unknown if that why we're sitting there and he said that his wife Karla she was sitting to the left of me she said this she said you know Andy but every once in a while she said and I can she didn't say at night but I could tell she min at night she said every once in a while the fear creeps back in and then she said this and she said I just have to re-release them to God the fear starts creeping back and it doesn't ever completely enjoy we're never gonna be fearless that career starts creeping back in and I just have to let it go you know what she was saying come on there is a someone who overwhelms see something there is a someone that I have learned to trust it and if I can trust into someone the some thing stays smaller and I can live my life and as Jesus said I'm not promising you bad things aren't gonna happen I'm just promising to be with you through them I'm not promising that everything's gonna work out the way everybody says it's supposed to work out because you have faith and believe in God I'm just telling you I there is a who that will keep your fears in their proper place if you will continue to put your trust in me because when your faith and someone exceeds your fear of something fear loses its grip the Apostle Paul said it this way and we're done he's the come-on will be anxious about anything this is in the book of Philippians where he spent time in jail and Philip I don't be anxious about anything but in every situation here we go don't be worried come on don't be anxious about any thing but in every situation thing by prayer and petition with Thanksgiving present your requests to someone and the peace of God not the peace of circumstance not the peace of enough money in the bank not the peace of oh she called me back not the peace of it all worked out and the peace of God which transcends all understanding Tim are you serious I mean how many times did this attempt some time seriously Tim how do you keep your attitude I do not understand how can you have such peace in the midst of your dying and the peace of God that transcends above and beyond all human understanding the way I memorize it as a kid was all human comprehension that transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in a who Christ Jesus like many of you I've seen that peace firsthand many of you could stand up and tell us your story of how the peace of God overwhelmed circumstances that filled you with fear until you understood that there is a someone who puts fear in its place Tim and Carla would assure you tonight it is very very real there is a peace that surpasses human comprehension because it comes from someone a super man it enables us to move from fearful to fear less because there is someone who is with [Music]

Channel: Your Move with Andy Stanley

Views: 57,729

Keywords: Andy Stanley, Your Move with Andy Stanley, Your Move, better decisions, fewer regrets, fear, fearless, No Fear, life, achievement, panic attack, anxiety, afraid, anxiety attack, inspiration, future, past, fear of the future, fear of the past, hope, how to stop fearing the future, do not be afraid, doom, you are not alone, worry, how to stop worrying, phobia, stress, panic attack symptoms, fears, scared

Id: ofAEVxAqWj8

Length: 27min 53sec (1673 seconds)

Published: Thu Jul 26 2018