Fear Not
Introduction:
Read Hebrews 13:5-6, "Let your conversation be
without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have:
for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 6 So
that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear
what man shall do unto me."
KJV
For those who pay attention to the news and keep up
with world events, it's pretty scary out there in the world we live
in today.
We are seeing a dramatic increase in hostility toward Christians and
Christianity on a worldwide scale. Islam is the fastest growing world
religion on the planet and in 2009 it was estimated that about 23%
of the world population was Muslim. This has a particular
significance to Christianity in that Islam is violently opposed to
Christianity. The Koran contains roughly 109 verses that call
Muslims to war with with nonbelievers for the sake of Islamic rule.
Some are quite graphic, with commands to chop off heads and fingers
and kill infidels wherever they may be hiding. Muslims who do not
join the fight are called 'hypocrites' and warned that Allah will
send them to Hell if they do not join the slaughter.
Here are just two:
Quran (9:29) - "Fight those who believe not in
Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been
forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion
of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book,
until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel
themselves subdued." "People of the Book" refers to Christians
and Jews. According to this verse, they are to be violently
subjugated, with the sole justification being their religious
status.
Quran (8:12) - "I will cast terror into the hearts
of those who disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads and strike
off every fingertip of them"
The Islam religion is denominated and some of these
denominations stress peace and co-existence with all people, but the
Koran itself specifically teaches that unbelievers should be treated
brutally and murdered. There will always be those who are of a
violent nature who are going to justify genocide in the name of the
teachings in the Koran which promote it. And as Islam spreads
and becomes more and more influential on the world stage, we have
seen a marked increase in violence by some members of this
religion both here in the United States and abroad.
So what do we as Christians have to fear from this?
And what should we do about it?
Many today have witnessed the moral decay of our own
society here in the United States. God has been expelled from
our schools. Prayer in school was made illegal on June 26, 1962.
The entertainment industry pumps sex and immodesty in to our homes
24/7/365. Most of our media outlets condemn any
public display of faith in God but praise the public display of sin.
Acts of violence are on the rise across our nation. Our law
enforcement officers are being criticized and condemned for doing
their jobs. God is being systematically removed from every
facet of our government and from the public eye.
It is obvious to any of us who have faith in God that
the moral decline and the rising level of violence in our society is
linked with the lack of God's influence. When God was kicked
out of our society, His principles of morality, honesty, integrity,
personal accountability, respect for authority and love for one
another went with Him. A Godless society will inevitably be
ruled by Godless principles. There will be no morality, no
integrity, no honesty, no personal accountability, no respect for
authority and no love for one another. Without these guiding
principles, there is no outcome possible other than self
destruction. Our society is self destructing and those of us
who see it and recognize it for what it is seem to be caught up in
the middle of it with no way to stop it. One way of
illustrating it would be a grass hopper riding on the front of a
passenger train heading towards disaster and the passengers
shoveling more coal on the fire. The solution is so obvious to
the grasshopper but everybody is so busy shoveling coal on the fire,
they can't, or won't, see the coming train wreck.
We have some big problems in the world today.
We all know this unless we live with our heads in the sand and know
nothing about world events. There are some things going on
that quite frankly are pretty scary. Given the
direction things are heading, what will this world look like in 10
years, 20 years, 30 or more? Our country is a free society,
governed by elected officials and it is being infiltrated by people
of different cultures and values. What is going to happen in
the future when enough of these people are living in our free
society that they can elect officials who will change our laws to
theirs? More specifically, what is going to happen to our way
of life and our culture when our country is being presided over by
Muslims? What's it going to be like as a Christian living in a
society that is hostile and violent to Christianity? We don't
have to ask. All we have to do is watch the news because it's
happening in other parts of the world and it's coming here.
So what do we as Christians have to fear from this?
And what should we do about it?
We have two questions to answer. The title of
this lesson is to fear not. When someone I am working with
comes to me with a problem, I often tell them that identifying a
problem without offering a solution is whining. So we are
going to look at the problem facing us and then we are going to look
at what God says to do about it.
The first question we are going to answer is "What do
we as Christians have to fear from this?"
In 64 AD, under the reign of Nero, there was a
devastating fire in the city of Rome that burned a very large
portion of the city. In a political move to transfer the blame
for this fire to someone else, Nero blamed Christians for it.
Here is a direct quote from the historian Tacitus who by the way was
not a Christian. Tacitus, born in 56 AD, was a young boy
living in Rome during the persecutions so that makes him a
contemporary eye witness to the events he wrote about.
Tacitus wrote, "Therefore, to stop the rumor [that he
had set Rome on fire], he [Emperor Nero] falsely charged with guilt,
and punished with the most fearful tortures, the persons commonly
called Christians, who were [generally] hated for their enormities.
Christus, the founder of that name, was put to death as a criminal
by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea, in the reign of Tiberius,
but the pernicious superstition - repressed for a time, broke out
yet again, not only through Judea, - where the mischief originated,
but through the city of Rome also, whither all things horrible and
disgraceful flow from all quarters, as to a common receptacle, and
where they are encouraged. Accordingly first those were arrested who
confessed they were Christians; next on their information, a vast
multitude were convicted, not so much on the charge of burning the
city, as of "hating the human race."
"In their very deaths they were made the subjects of
sport: for they were covered with the hides of wild beasts, and
worried to death by dogs, or nailed to crosses, or set fire to, and
when the day waned, burned to serve for the evening lights. Nero
offered his own garden players for the spectacle, and exhibited a
Circensian game, indiscriminately mingling with the common people in
the dress of a charioteer, or else standing in his chariot."
Nero reigned from 54 AD to 68. Under the reign
of Nero, Peter and Paul were put to death and Christianity
became illegal in the Roman Empire. What we fear is coming to
our way of life and our service to God in Heaven, was already
happening to the Christians in Rome. This is especially
significant to us today in that how they were instructed to deal
with their fear of the things happening to them is relevant to us
today.
Rome was not the only enemy Christians had at the
time either. The Jews were intent on destroying them all.
Paul gives us a picture of what they were enduring in the first few
years of Christianity in 2 Corinthians 4:8-11, "We are troubled
on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in
despair; 9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not
destroyed; 10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord
Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our
body.11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus'
sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our
mortal flesh."
Christians had it rough in the 1st century. The Jews who
rejected Christ were trying to kill them and the now the Roman
government declared it illegal to even be a Christian. Things
were really looking grim for Christians. It was under these kinds of
circumstances that they were instructed
on how to deal with fear. Let's take a look at some of those
inspired instructions.
Peter, who was killed for being a Christian wrote in
1 Peter 5:6-7, "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand
of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7 Casting all your care
[Anxieties] upon him; for he careth for you."
Paul, who was also killed for being a Christian wrote in Philippians
1:28-29 "And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is
to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and
that of God. 29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ,
not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake..."
and then again in Philippians 4:6, "Be careful [anxious]
for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."
And this is all a reflection of what Jesus Himself said to the
severely persecuted church in Smyrna in Revelation 2:10, "Fear
none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil
shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye
shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I
will give thee a crown of life."
Christians of the first century were told by those
who suffered horrible persecution and death at the hands of man, not
to fear persecution and death at the hands of man. Peter said
cast your anxieties on God. According to non-canonical writings
Peter died a violent death, having been crucified upside down.
Paul taught by direction of God not to fear persecution and he went
on to say that they were going to suffer for Christ's sake.
Paul suffered for Christ's sake at both the hands of his own
countrymen and at the hands of the Roman authorities, being finally
put to death for being a Christian according to tradition by
beheading. So what these men taught about fearing persecution
and death counts just as much today as it did then.
So, Instead of fearing persecution and death at the
hands of man, what are we to do instead?
1) Love them
Jesus said in Matthew 5:44, "...Love your enemies,
bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray
for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you" and in
Luke 6:27-28, "But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies,
do good to them which hate you, 28 Bless them that curse you, and
pray for them which despitefully use you." Jesus said when
our enemies persecute us, we are to love them, we are to do good to
them, we are to bless them and we are to pray for them. When
we are cursed, Jesus said to bless. When we are hated, Jesus
said to return that with good. When we are persecuted, Jesus
said to pray for them.
In 1 Corinthians 4:11-13 Paul wrote, "Even unto
this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are
buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; 12 And labour, working
with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we
suffer it: 13 Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of
the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day."
KJV
Paul wrote concerning our enemies in Romans 12:19-21,
"Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place
unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay,
saith the Lord. 20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he
thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of
fire on his head. 21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome
evil with good."
Peter and some of the other Apostles were beaten for
preaching in the name of Christ. Afterward, they rejoiced and
ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. They loved their
enemies by trying to save them. (Acts 5:35-42).
Paul and Silas were beaten and chained in stocks in a
Philippian prison and when they were freed, they ended up baptizing
their captor and His entire household. Paul did good to his
enemy. We never know when an act of kindness may lead a lost
soul to Christ. Acts 16:23-33
Paul was stoned and left for dead at Lystra. He
got up, went back in to Lystra, left for Derbe, preached the gospel
there and returned to Lystra again and worked there. He did
good to his enemies. He continued to try and reach them with
the truth. Acts 14:19-22
Stephen prayed for the souls of the people who were
stoning him to death. Stephen prayed for His enemies.
Acts 7:60
"And he [Stephen] kneeled down, and cried with a loud
voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge." KJV
The night Jesus was betrayed, Peter took a sword and
cut off the ear of Malchus, a servant of the high priest.
Jesus had just spent the night pleading with God in the garden of
Gethsemane to "let this cup pass from me" (Matthew 26:39). He
knew what was in store for Him. He knew what was coming and He
knew exactly how badly He was going to suffer doing it. When
Peter struck Malchus with his sword, Jesus immediately told Peter to
put that sword away and He healed the ear of the man who came to
lead him away to His execution. Jesus always lived what He
taught. Many were the times that Jesus served as the perfect
example of what we as Christians should aspire to be. And on
the eve preceding His mock trial and execution, He told Peter to stand down and He
healed one of the men who came to lead Him away to His death.
What an example Jesus left for us to follow. He was indeed the
master teacher. Not only did He teach peace and righteousness,
He lived it with every breath He took on earth. I have always
heard the best sermons were lived instead of taught. Every
preacher I know of stands in the pulpit and preaches better than he
lives. We all try our best to live as good as we preach, but
we fail. Jesus never failed. He never sinned and He
always lived as good as He preached. And on the night of His
betrayal the evening before His crucifixion, He did good to His
enemy. (Matthew 26:51; Mark 14:47; Luke 22:50; John 18:10)
Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 2:24, "And the servant of
the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach,
patient" Paul said "unto all men", Who is
left out of all? The Christians in the first century
suffering intense Jewish and Roman persecution were commanded to
love their enemies, to pray for them, to bless them and to do good
to them. What else are we supposed to do?
2) We are commanded to FIGHT.
Well now wait just a minute there preacher. You
just got done telling us we have to love and do good to ALL of our
enemies, and now you are telling us to fight? Indeed I am.
But before we go out and draw a sword and cut our neighbor's ear
off, maybe we should take a closer look at the weapons we are to use
and the way God wants us to
fight.
If we want to change the direction our nation, our
world is going, we need to fight and we need to be fearless in our
offensive. God indeed told us to love and do good to our
enemies but we need to keep in mind that loving and doing good to
them includes trying to save them from condemnation. That's
the ultimate display of love that we can show for our enemies.
Lead them to the truth. That's the only way this messed up
world we live in is going to turn around. We are told to
fight, we are told to be aggressive, we are told to be on the
offense and to carry the fight to the enemy and we are told to be
bold and fear not.
Let's have a look at the Christian's weapons of war.
Paul wrote concerning Christian warfare in 2 Corinthians 10:3-4, "For
though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For
the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to
the pulling down of strong holds;)" Paul says the weapons
of the Christian is not like the weapons of our enemies. They
are mighty, they are better.
The Hebrew writer wrote concerning this in Hebrews
4:12, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper
than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of
soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of
the thoughts and intents of the heart." The Hebrew writer
says the word of God is sharper and more powerful than any sword our
enemies could wield. He says our weapons are better. We, as Christians are to carry the fight
to the enemy using the most powerful weapon ever conceived which is
the word of God. Let's read Paul's description of the
Christians arsenal in Ephesians and the lesson will be concluded.
Ephesians 6:10-17
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of
his might.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand
against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, [Governments, Civile authorities]
against the rulers of the darkness of this world, [Evil Leaders]
against spiritual wickedness in high places [The devil].
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be
able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and
having on the breastplate of righteousness; [Breastplates
protect our hearts, therefore lets guard our hearts with what's
right].
15 And your feet shod with the preparation [Knowledge] of the gospel
of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able
to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God:
KJV
Our defensive weapons are truth, righteousness,
Knowledge, faith and salvation.
Our offensive weapons are our hearts and minds, love
and the most powerful weapon ever conceived, the sword of the Spirit which
is the word of God.
We live in a scary world today. Our way of life
and our freedom to worship is in danger of being taken away.
Evil is overtaking the whole earth and it looks like in a few short
years Christianity will be a death sentence to many.
What do we as faithful Christians do about it? How do we turn
it around?
1) We Love our enemies, we do good to them, we bless
them, we pray for them, we do whatever we can to win them to Christ.
2) We fight!!! We fight against the
powers of darkness and we fight for the souls of our enemies using
the spiritual weapons of God.
1 Timothy 6:11-12
11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after
righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life,
whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession
before many witnesses.
3) Fear Not!!!
Hebrews13:5-6, "Let your conversation be without
covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he
[Jesus Christ] hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake
thee.6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will
not fear what man shall do unto me." KJV
