Overcome Fear with Faith - Pastor Mark Finley

someone has said that fear worry and anxiety are our greatest enemies recently i read a fascinating story according to an ancient legend a peasant man driving one day to constantinople was stopped by an old woman she asked him for a ride he took her up beside him and as they drove along he looked at her became frightened and asked who are you the old woman replied i am cholera frightened the peasant ordered the old woman to get down and walk but she persuaded him to take her along upon her promise that she would not kill more than five people in constantinople as a pledge of the promise she handed him a dagger saying to him that it was the only weapon with which she could be killed then she added i shall meet you in two days if i break my promise you may stab me in constantinople 120 people died at the cholera the enraged man who had driven her to the city searched for her when he found her he raised the dagger that she had given him to kill her he shouted you promised that you would not kill more than five people and a hundred and twenty died but she stopped him saying i've kept my agreement i killed only five fear killed the others this legend is a true parable of life disease may kill thousands of people but thousands more die because they're overwhelmed by fear when we look to the future with fear expecting the worst rather than with confidence expecting the best we become crippled with anxiety and paralyzed with worry from the time we are born until the day we die fear often casts its dark shadow on our lives fear crushes our spirit breaks down our immune system weakens our will and renders us powerless in the battle with the enemy fear strangles our joy and destroys our dreams fear is a strong emotion closely related to anxiety and worry it often occurs as the result of some threat situation or danger that's apparently unavoidable one thing we learn from covid19 is how suddenly a pandemic can strike fear in the heart of an entire nation people became fearful that each person they met might be carrying the coronavirus and infect them each cough created anxiety that they might have the virus each time they sneeze their hearts beat faster they continually ask themselves do i have the virus and if i do is it my death sentence dealing with fear what can deliver us from our worst fears or it might be more accurate to say who can deliver us from those fears the ancient scriptures are filled with more than 3 000 promises of god's love and care many of the bible's promises are specifically encouraging in times of crisis clinging to the promises of god we're filled with hope when we face catastrophes we confront them with confidence in christ who stands by our side we have the assurance of the one who said i will never leave you nor forsake you hebrews 13 verse 5. one of the great bible stories on overcoming fear takes place in an oft-forgotten story tucked away in the bible's old testament the king of syria had surrounded the israelite city of dothan the king's intent was to capture elisha every time the king of syria had made a battle move the prophet elisha had warned the captain of israel's armies the syrian king was furious the only way he could win the battle was to capture and kill elisha he brought all the forces in his mighty army to surround the city so that escape was impossible when elisha's servant woke early in the morning and saw the city surrounded by the enemy armies with hundreds of horses and chariots he was seized with fear worry filled his heart death seemed inevitable trembling with terror he came to elisha he was so worried that it was difficult for him to speak but finally the words came out alas my master what shall we do elisha's answer is classic it provides a life-changing principle for all those who are gripped by fear it gives comfort to those who are consumed by worry and anxiety elisha simply stated do not fear for those who are with us are more than those who are with them despite an almost impossible situation god was still in control he was still on the throne he had a solution where there appeared to be no solution he could make a way where there seemed to be no way elisha prayed that his young servant would see what he saw the angelic armies of heaven surrounding them protecting them and eventually delivering them miraculously god struck the syrian armies with blindness and elisha and his servant escaped god has a thousand ways to deliver us from our worst fears if our eyes are focused on the problem fear will overcome us if our eyes are fixed upon jesus the emotion of fear may still be present but it will not us fear will no longer dominate our lives the answer to crippling fear is not that we'll never be afraid it is rather that we have won with us in our fears strengthening us to go on no matter how we feel we have one who is larger than our fears bigger than our worries and greater than our anxieties he is by our side and he has practical down-to-earth real solutions for our problems the sense of the presence of god is the antidote to fear we were created to live by faith not to be consumed by our fears e stanley jones a popular 20th century preacher once said i am inwardly fashioned for faith not for fear fear is not my native land faith is i am so made that worry and anxiety are sand in the machinery of life faith is the oil i live by better than anything else faith and confidence demolish my fear and doubt and anxiety in anxiety and worry my being is grasping for breath these are not my native heir but in faith and confidence i breathe freely these are my native air we were created to live a life of trust in the one who made us look beyond your fears to the christ who cares for you more than you'll ever know faith versus fear there is another fear breaker found in a story on the stormy sea of galilee that teaches us the importance of faith not fear the sea of galilee is about 13 miles long and eight miles wide at times fierce winds blow in and quickly turn the once calm sea into a torrent of raging fury as jesus disciples crossed the sea on a starlet night the waters were calm suddenly inky black clouds filled the sky the winds whipped the waves into a fury huge waves crashed against the boat matthew's gospel puts it this way but the boat was now in the middle of the sea tossed by the waves for the wind was contrary now in the fourth watch of the night jesus went to them walking on the sea you find that matthew chapter 14 verse 24 and 25 the fourth watch of the night is between 3 a.m and 6 a.m in the morning they set sail in the early evening they could have made it across the sea in two or maybe three hours but they battled the wind and waves for eight long hours evidently the wind blew against them and they were no closer to their destination than when they started they were weary tired and exhausted they felt they could battle no longer their strength was gone there are times in life when the battle is fierce when the storms rage all around us and we are so exhausted with the battle that we feel we cannot fight any longer here is the incredible good news where was jesus during this time what was he doing during their intense struggle he was praying for them he was asking the father to increase their faith to give them strength to face the storm to give them the courage to go on jesus knew what they did not know the cross was coming and the storm that they were going through now would increase their faith for what would lie ahead in the storms of life that we face daily jesus is preparing us for greater crisis that will break upon the world in the future the disciples saw the storm jesus saw them their eyes were fixed upon the waves jesus eyes were fixed upon them to the disciples everything seemed out of control but jesus was still in control amid the storms of life his eyes are upon us when the thunder roars and the waves are high he is still mighty to save in the darkness he is the light of life in verses 25 and 26 the scripture says now in the fourth watch of the night jesus went to them walking on the sea and when the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were troubled saying it's a ghost and they cried out for fear the greek word here for fear translated in verse 26 is an extremely strong word it can be better translated terrified here's the problem the disciples feared what they did not know they saw what they thought was a ghost belief in evil spirits was common in the first century palestine the idea of ghosts and goblins and phantoms was widespread these disciples had spent years with jesus but in a time of storm their fears overtook their rational thinking they were afraid of the unknown and you know the unknown often creates fear and the problem is that sometimes our worst fears come true though there are those who say don't worry about it everything's going to be okay but you and i know that everything may not always turn out as we desire so we play the what if game what if i do have cancer how will i handle it if my physician tells me i must begin treatment immediately my husband was not home for supper at 5 p.m and at 7 00 p.m and he's not called what if he's been in a terrible accident my company is making severe cut backs what if i lose my job and can't pay my bills my teenage son is on a camping trip and it's been three days and he's not called what if he's lost to the mountains the what if questions must give way to the voice of christ who proclaims in the midst of the raging sea the blowing winds amid the overwhelming darkness be of good cheer it is i do not be afraid have you ever noticed how many times jesus says be of good cheer throughout the gospels jesus uses the expressions be of good cheer and do not be afraid repeatedly jesus is the answer to the overwhelming fears that consume our energy rob our joy and ruin our health fear must give way to faith as we adjust our focus fear is an emotion we cannot necessarily control our emotions emotions come and emotions go they often suddenly sweep over us faith is an attitude faith is trust in god as a well-known friend believing he loves us and will never do us any harm a personal illustration may help you understand this and let me give you just a very personal illustration of trust in my own life it was necessary for me to get some medical treatments for a particular condition that i'm facing one of those treatments that my medical team recommended was in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber this necessitated being placed in this hyperbaric oxygen chamber for about two hours a day for 35 to 40 treatments when the owner of the clinic explained the treatment to me he said the problem many people have going into this chamber is not claustrophobia it's trust because after you're placed in the chamber there's no way you can get out by yourself alone you must have absolute confidence that the chamber operator will get you out when your treatment is over if you trust the operator you'll be fine when i entered the hyperbaric chamber for to get my oxygen i placed my trust in the medical technician i had no fear because i had confidence in the one who was operating the machine i believe the one in charge knew what he was doing as we enter trying experiences as fears rise as anxiety threatens our joy we can have absolute confidence in christ he is the one in charge and he knows what he's doing the answer to the fears in our life is faith faith that jesus is there in the storms of life and will take us through any situation and get us out the other side fears and emotion faith is an attitude and focus is a choice peter did not allow his fears to overwhelm his faith so that he would lose focus amid the storm and the raging waves peter cried out to jesus lord if it's you command me to come to you on the water faith leads us out of the boat faith leads us to walk on the stormy seas with jesus faith leads us to face the winds and rain with our eyes fixed on the master of the wind and the lord of the heaven and the earth faith triumphs over fear trust triumphs over trials faith overcomes the obstacles in our way and enables us to walk on the stormy seas with jesus jesus responded to peter's request with one word come jesus never says stay away jesus never says you deal with it jesus never says that's your problem not mine jesus never says stop troubling me with that i've got enough big problems to deal with in the world jesus says come jesus says step out of the boat come by faith and walk on the water come my arms are strong you're not going to drown peter responded to christ's invitation and stepped out of the boat he ventured out into the unknown with christ he flung himself into the jaws of death in face of the howling wind peter did not allow his fears to paralyze him what are your greatest fears what do you worry about most christ is greater than our fears he's bigger than our doubts he's larger than our questions he invites us to come to him on the stormy seas of life when peter kept his eyes fixed on jesus he walked on water but something happened to him that often happens to us in the storms of life peter lost his sense of focus in verse 30 in that story the gospel says this but when he saw that the wind was boisterous he was afraid when peter kept his eyes fixed upon christ and trusted his word he walked on water when he focused on the waves and the treacherous situation he was in he sank either we look at our difficulties from an earthly perspective with our human reason and weakness or we look through the eyes of faith at the promises of god when we are dominated by fear we sink and the sinking of our spirits is the result of the sinking of our faith we fear when we forget when peter began to sink beneath the stormy sea there was only one thing that saved him it was not his skill as an experienced fisherman it was not his knowledge of the sea of galilee it was not his wisdom in solving problems it was not his ability to swim back to the boat as peter began to sink he cried out lord save me matthew an eyewitness of a miracle matthew was an eyewitness of this miracle he writes from firsthand experience matthew was in the boat watching the entire scene play out and he writes and immediately jesus stretched out his hand and caught him you find that in matthew 14 31 when peter cried out jesus immediately responded jesus is there in the storms of life he is there when the waves are high and the night is dark did you notice in these passages that there are two cries the cry of fear and the cry of faith when the disciples saw what they believed was an apparition according to verse 26 they cried out in fear when peter was sinking in the waves he cried out in faith we can have absolute confidence that jesus never turns away from those who cry out in faith his strong arm holds us up david describes this beautifully in the psalms now i know that the lord saves his anointed with the saving strength of his right hand you find that in psalm 20 verse 6 we are safe in the hands of jesus now notice what jesus does not say to peter he doesn't say peter where's your faith or peter you have no faith he says o you of little faith matthew 14 31 a little faith is better than no faith it reminds me of jesus statement in matthew 17 verse 20 if you have faith as a mustard seed you'll say to this mountain this mountain of difficulty this mountain of problems this mountain of trouble move and it will move when we exercise the little faith we have our faith in christ's power to get us through the storms of life will grow into a mighty force that enables us to walk on the stormy seas of life's challenges notice this point peter had enough faith to get out of the boat but had not enough faith to get through the storm jesus often allows the storms of life to blow upon us to increase our faith if we would believe more we would doubt less the work of faith is to resolve our doubts so we place our confidence in christ and christ alone whether we are consumed with fear or filled with hope all depends on where we're looking if we're looking at our problems or our problem or the problems of this world our hearts will be filled with fear jesus says look up why when we look to heaven's sanctuary we see jesus and discover strength in his promises in christ we find confidence in christ we experience assurance in christ we are lifted above life's uncertainties and concerns and our hearts are filled with security in the one who loves us with an everlasting undying unfathomable exhaustless love trusting god's promises the bible says do not fear fear not repeatedly is part of the scriptural narrative you find this expression fear not again and again although i've not personally counted the number of times the bible uses this expression one author has counted 365 times that fear not or similar expressions are used throughout the bible that's one fear not for every day of the year god has the entire calendar year covered for you he invites us to rest in his love trust in his grace and rejoice in his power in one of the bible's most reassuring promises isaiah encourages us by echoing the words of our lord fear not for i am with you why don't we fear because jesus is with us wherever we go and whatever we must go through he's by our side fear not for i'm with you be not dismayed for i am your god i will strengthen you yes i will help you i will uphold you with my righteous right hand isaiah 41 verse 10 when we see sickness and suffering and disease all around us we need not fear because jesus is with us earlier in the book of isaiah the inspired word states say to those who are fearful hearted be strong do not fear behold your god will come with vengeance with the recompense of god he will come and save you isaiah 35 4. why don't we need to fear the reason we are not afraid is not that we believe we'll never get sick we're free from paralyzing fear because we believe that whatever state we find ourselves in christ will be with us remember that job experienced a terrible pestilence that horribly afflicted his body during his suffering he cried out in confidence for i know that my redeemer lives and he shall stand at the latter day on the earth and after my skin is destroyed this i know that in my flesh i shall see god job 19 25 job had the absolute assurance that a better day was coming and that one day he would see god face to face until then with hope and assurance he could exclaim though he slay me yet i will trust him job 13 verse 15 job lived a life of trust in the god who promised that he would be with him each moment of each day of his life and a god who promised him that a better tomorrow was coming even if we develop a life-threatening disease our faith clings to his promise that one day jesus will come again to take us home like job we believe that one day we will see him face to face jesus speaks these reassuring words to us let not your heart be troubled you believe in god believe also in me in my father's house are many mansions if it were not so i would have told you i go to prepare a place for you and if i go and prepare a place for you i will come again and receive you to myself that where i am there you may be also john 14 verse 1 to 3. one day jesus will come again and on that wonderful day we will be caught up in the clouds in the sky to meet him in the air sickness and suffering will be eradicated forever disease and death will be eradicated in the presence of our loving god one of the major reasons we do not live in fear is that we know the end game we know that sickness will not have the last word christ will we know the coronavirus or any other virus natural disaster calamity or nuclear war will not destroy all life on planet earth we have the promise of jesus return we see famines we see earthquakes we see distress of nations we see the rise of nuclear war we see the potential of nuclear disaster we see climate change we see pestilence taking the lives of thousands we see these things but we have a hope that enables us to thrive in life's toughest times there is a sense of confidence that takes us through because we've read the last chapters of the bible we know how the story ends in revelation chapter 21 verse 4 and 5 john writes and god will wipe away every tear from their eyes there shall be no more death nor sorrow nor crying there shall be no more pain for the former things have passed away then he who sat on the throne said behold i make all things new we believe in the blessed hope in titus 2 verse 13 that christ is coming again so we look beyond what is to what will be we look beyond today to tomorrow we look beyond sickness to health we look beyond pestilences that are carried through the air to the pure air where there will be no more pestilences god has a purpose in permitting these calamities to occur he is calling us to totally completely depend on him he is revealing to us that there is no certainty in the world we live in christ is our only assurance he is our security he is our savior our redeemer our deliverer our coming king what does this virus do when we see it spreading so rapidly it calls us to our senses this world is not all that there is christ is speaking to you and me our lives are fragile every single one of us lives in these fragile earthen bodies but beyond what is there's something better yet coming and that is the glory of christ there's something worth living for beyond this life and that's jesus christ allow him to fill your heart to take away your fears to strengthen your resolve and to prepare you for his soon return [Music] you

Channel: Seventh-day Adventist Church

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Keywords: mark finley, hopelives365, bible, Hope for troubled time, seventh day adventist, pastor mark finley, seventh-day adventist, sda, christianity, jesus, god, mark finley sermons, bible study, mark finley sermons 2020, hope, seventh day adventist church, sermon, christian, end times, fear, Book Mark Finley Hope for Troubled Time, book Hope for Troubled Time, Chapter 2 Overcoming Fear Worry and Anxiety, faith

Id: 436D7qF-S7I

Length: 28min 59sec (1739 seconds)

Published: Wed Feb 03 2021