Living, not in fear but in faith (Luke 12: 32-40)

Sermon: St. Margaret’s Church

Trinity 10 (8^th August 2010)

Theme: Living, not in fear but in faith (Luke 12: 32-40)

 

 

I have put up a theme for today as “Living, not in fear but in faith”.  I should be talking about faith, but first I want to deal with the thing that is an obstacle to faith – fear. Fear is a reality that we all experience. When Jesus consoled his disciples and told them not to have fear, it shows us even Jesus’ close disciples have fears.  So we have a question to answer: Is it okay to have fears as a Christian? 

Before we answer the question, let us first define what fear is.  The dictionary defines it as: an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger; be afraid or scared of; be frightened of; be uneasy or apprehensive; reverence: regard with feelings of respect and reverence; consider hallowed or exalted or be in awe of.

It was said that we are all born with two basic fears: fear of falling and fear of noise. And as we grow up we start developing other fears or phobias: fear of darkness, fear of insects or snakes; fear of enclosed space; fear of height and hundreds of other fears.

The Bible speaks of two kinds of fear.  First, there is the fear that is commanded. This is the fear of God, a fear that involves respect, honour, reverence and a sense of awe. We read of this type of fear in the book of Acts.  Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord (Acts 9:31 - NIV).  This kind of fear leads to the church, and to individual believers, becoming alive and active as they carry out their mission from God, a mission to lead a life of holiness and to reach others for Christ.

The second fear found in the Bible is the fear that is forbidden. This kind of fear is born of alarm, fright, terror, anxiety, distrust and dread. We are commanded to not to have these fears because they are the result of our lack of trust in God and in His purpose and plan for our lives.  Romans 8:31 tells us that if God is for us, who can stand against us?  In Luke 12: 4-5 Jesus said, "I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him".

However, there is a difference between fear and caution.  We take caution because it helps us to stay alive and healthy. It is this type of fear that makes us to be careful when we do things.  Caution protects us and keeps us from being harmed. And it is precaution that can keep us healthy.  For example, when our children are born we get them vaccinated against certain deadly diseases. When we have done that we no longer worry about them being infected by these deadly diseases as they grow up.  I shall not speak much about this positive fear because it is the negative fear that we should deal with and overcome.  Let us look at some of our fears and how we may react to those fears:

In Matthew 25 we read the story of the talents. Three men are each given some talents of silver to manage while their master is away. The first two men invested wisely and were able to show a profit which pleased their master. The third man was afraid and buried the talents. Then Matthew 25: 24-25 tells us: "Then the man who had received the one talent came; 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. ²⁵So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'  

He was afraid and went and hid the talent in the ground. In his fear he reveals some common fears we may suffer from.  First he showed a fear of failure. He was afraid that he would suffer losses, so instead of investing the money, he did nothing. Fear of failure can be a fear that paralyzes us.  In fact it can stop you from doing things that you can actually do.

He also shows a fear of taking responsibility.  He said to the master, “I know you are a hard man ... so I was afraid”.  He was afraid of what the master would say and think about him if he failed. This fear led him to avoid doing the right thing.  Sometimes we know that there are things that need to be done, but we don’t dare to make the first move – we fear what people will say.  Or we may have some good ideas, but we dare not speak out because we fear that people will laugh at us.

There are other fears that are common to many people. For example, we fear the unknown. There are many people who sit by wishing and hoping for change but don't dare do anything because they are afraid of the unknown.  They are dreamers, but they don’t want to take the risk because they fear things will not work out as expected.  But some dreamers don’t just dream: they turn their dreams into realities and making them into discoverers, pioneers and inventors.  

Another area of fear for many people is the fear of old age because old age brings with it a number of handicaps and a sense of helplessness. So that is why some people, instead of aging gracefully, they go for plastic surgery, face lifts, tummy tucks, implants and many other surgeries.  We fear old age because we are afraid that younger people will see us as irrelevant or as a hindrance to change and progress.

Some of us think that we are too old to be of any good. But the Bible tells us that God respects the elderly.  Sometimes, God purposely wait for you to become old before he starts using you for a special purpose. For example, he used Moses at age 80 to lead Israel out of Egypt, and called Abraham and told him to go to the Promised Land when he was 75 years old.  Last Sunday I spoke to elderly people about young people. Now I have something to tell to those who are young about elderly people. Those of us, who live with elderly people, should not regard it as a burden: we are blessed because there are so many things we can learn from elderly people – if we care to ask them. Those of us who still have elderly parents, I also have something to say to you: our children are watching how we take care of our elderly fathers and mothers.  If they learn that you are treating your elderly parents or in-laws lovingly, that is how they are going to treat you when you get old. So even if you don’t live with your parents, you must try to visit them regularly with your children or invited them to your homes.  This one way how we overcome our fears of old age – teach our children to take care of us: when we know our children are going to take good care of us when we get old, we have no fear that we shall be neglected and abandoned.

I try not to tell too many personal stories in a sermon, but last night I received a message from my sister in Sri Aman through Facebook.  I feel that I have to share with you what happened.  My sister told me that our mother has lost much of her memory – and the sad thing is she cannot recognise my sister who is looking after her.  She thinks that she is staying with a kind stranger.  But she remembers me, and she keeps on asking the same questions everyday - when will I visit her again?   When a personal matter like this is related to a sermon you are going to preach, it is hard not to do anything.  I may have to apply for a short leave this week.    

Perhaps the most common fear that many of us have is the fear of death.  If you think hard about it, it is funny that we are afraid of the one thing that nobody can avoid.  As Christians we shouldn't fear death.  I know that death is sometimes connected with illness and pain, but we also need to see that death is part and parcel of the plan of God. It will happen at the proper time in our lives, the time that God decided is right for us.  Paul, in 2 Corinthians 5: 6-8 has a reminder for us.  He says, “Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”

We need to confront our fears, no matter what fears we face.  If we do not confront them and handle them properly, then we shall live with the negative consequences.

First, fear has the power to make our lives a wretched experience and can even warp our personality.  In the story of the talents, the third man had a negative viewpoint of his master. He saw things in his master that caused him to fear and eventually these fears developed to the point where he was afraid to function. He feared displeasing his master and eventually his fears came true.

Another man who let his fears overcome him is found in Matthew 14.  It was the story of Peter who was out in the boat one night with the other disciples; and they saw Jesus walking across the water towards them. The disciples cowered in fear thinking that they were seeing a ghost.  But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" (Matthew 14:27-30).

Peter knew that a man could lose his life on the waters. He also knew that Jesus could also stop him from sinking in the water.  But he allowed fear to take the upper-hand. He stopped walking, took his eyes off of Jesus and started looking at the waves, and therefore began to sink.

We often do this in our own lives and in the lives of others.  We say or think negative words that speak to our fears so much so that what we fear will eventually happen to us.  Some people say that it is like putting a curse upon ourselves.

Researches conducted all over the world have shown that fear can also cause illness. It has been estimated that up to 85% of the emotional and physical ills that people suffer are brought on by unhealthy fear in their lives. Stomach ulcer is one of them.  When people let fears consume them they become more anxious: they can’t eat or sleep properly; and eventually the stress will take a toll on their bodies.

Now, how do we overcome our fear?   There are a few things to keep in mind as we live to overcome fear in our lives.  First, we need to remember that irrational fear is forbidden in the Bible. Proverbs 28:1 tells us that it is the wicked people who have such fear: “The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion”

Second, we need to make sure that we are putting Jesus Christ on the throne of our lives. Peter gives a good advice, "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened. But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord” (1 Peter 3:14-15).  When we put Christ in the proper place of our lives we learn to trust in God. Faith is the enemy of fear. You cannot have faith and fear together; it is either faith or fear. So trust in Christ, have faith in God and fear will lose its power over you. And that is what our epistle reading reminds us of this morning.  Therefore, we need to make sure that we are leaning on Christ and trusting in His strength.

Finally, we need to pray. Prayer reminds us that God is big and we are small. Prayer reminds us that God does care and He can do all the things we cannot do.  Paul tells the Ephesians to keep on praying. He writes, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should” (Ephesians 6:18-20).

To conclude, I want to point out one thing in life that feeds our fears more than anything else. That one thing is worry. Christians should not be burdened by worries.  Jesus said, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?"

If you always worry about a lot of things you need to reflect on the words of Jesus recorded in Luke 12: 22-34. Let His words carry you through life, a life where worry and fear will have less of an effect on you with each passing day.