Fear - Where Do We Begin?

Well, we're here for the next several weeks to talk about fear and worry. I might add that that's not just because of the situation we find ourselves in, in the big picture, but just because knowing this congregation, I have found that there are tons of people that struggle in this area. So we're going to talk about it. So where do we begin? That's what we want to talk about today.

Let's pray, shall we? Lord God of heaven, we come to you now and ask that you would begin to teach us and help us, not primarily so we are delivered from fear and anxiety, but primarily that we will show the world the face of a people whose confidence is in God, who can face what happens with confidence, who can face the circumstances of life looking to our God so that we look different. So would you please give us attentive hearts?

In this series we pray that we would pay particular attention so that the holiness that you will bring in us by your grace will be evident to all. Help us now particularly today we pray in Jesus name. Amen. What is fear and anxiety and how do we start to deal with this whole issue? fear says there's a real threat it says something or someone is in danger your money your reputation your soul your body the life and well-being of someone you love and you are not in control anxiety means you're afraid but it seems to have so many reasons for fear that it hard to locate a specific cause You have no idea where to start The basic theme is the same Danger threats some foreboding action for which you have to take some kind of action And so you pace and you flit from one thing to another.

You feel like you're going to jump out of your skin. Sometimes you just feel like screaming. Panic attacks. Some are intense and sudden. shortness of breath, chest pains, heartbeat, rapidly going, dizziness. Some are quieter, numb fingers and toes, chest tightness, restlessness, irritability. Some identify the problem as stress.

Stress usually has the circumstances of life in view. You feel stressed when you bear responsibility for things that are challenging, when you bear responsibility for things that are important to you and they just seem too numerous. Like, I can't do it all. So where do we start with this whole issue? Where do we start? Let's start with our goal.

Our goal is to learn wisdom. And wisdom can be defined as skill in living. fear and anxiety demand immediate relief when you're afraid or when you're anxious you want it to go away now right isn't that how you experience it immediate relief but wisdom lays out a path to take that changes you each step of the way and that means that we're talking about spiritual growth, not magic bullets that eliminate fear and anxiety immediately. Okay?

Don't come thinking some Sunday you're going to get the magic bullet that will make worry and fear disappear. That's not going to happen. What you have to learn is to take steps of growth. And we're going to talk about how to understand it, what to do about it, and taking steps of growth, steps every day that build so that you begin to see how to handle fear and anxiety.

We're talking about spiritual growth, not magic bullets. And how will we achieve that spiritual growth that leads to wisdom that quells anxiety and fear Well remember those familiar verses from 2 Peter 2 Peter chapter 1 verses 3 and 4 Around here, if you've been here for any length of time, these will be very familiar verses. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises so that through them we may become partakers of the divine nature having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

Okay? It tells us we will have the power to deal with fear and anxiety as we engage with God in Christ. We have all things that pertain to life and godliness through our knowledge of Him. As we know God in Christ more and more and more, we will gain more power for life and godliness. So it has to be to get to know God more. we must have faith to grasp the promises notice that it says that through these promises we become partakers of the divine nature through these promises we have to learn to have faith in the promises of god if we're going to escape the perniciousness of fear and anxiety And so we're talking about wisdom, growing, spiritual growth, taking steps every day, learning more, building, continuing, discipline, all those things that will help us to quell fear and anxiety.

I want to begin this morning by laying a foundation for our studies, and that foundation is the foundation of God himself. himself. God himself. Note, 2 Peter has said that we'll have all the power. His divine power has granted us all things that pertain to life and godliness through our knowledge of him. And so we're going to begin with God himself. Turn in your Bibles to that very familiar psalm We all know it We know it well Psalm 46 Psalm 46 is going to lay the foundation for us today This is an important psalm This is a very important psalm.

You follow as I read. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.

God is in the midst of her. She shall not be moved. God will help her when morning dawns. The nations rage. The kingdoms totter. He utters His voice.

The earth melts. The Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our fortress. Come, behold the works of the Lord, how he has brought desolations on the earth. He makes war cease to the end of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear.

He burns the chariots with fire. Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our fortress.

Well, here's the first thing that the psalmist tells us. We have much to fear. We have much to fear. Do you see what the psalmist says here about the troubles you face? Your troubles seem like cosmic destruction. What's he saying in verses 2 and 3?

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved in the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Imagine standing on your porch, in your cabin, in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, sipping your coffee on a bright sunny day. And then you say, there's not a more secure place than this, nestled in these formidable mountains.

And then imagine for a moment that the earth suddenly starts moving and quaking and trembling. And as you're standing on your porch, the whole front yard disappears in front of you. And you can't even see to the bottom of the hole. This is gone. You look up at the mountains and the snow-capped peaks start to run down the face of the mountains, start to crumble down, and the face of the mountain itself follows those snow-capped peaks.

And where do they go? They go into the ocean. The rest of the continent has disappeared and the Rockies are going right into the ocean, where everything is roaring and foaming as the waves crash against all those mountains falling into the sea. your troubles are no small things, are they? When you talk about your troubles, that's what they seem like to you, don't they?

Let's face it, they do. They're not small things. They're things of cosmic destruction. You lay awake at night. You can't sleep because your mind's running. What's going to happen if?

What will do then? And your stomach is in a knot. You want to get up and throw up. You are so worked up. These are not small things, are they? your troubles are like an attacking army laying siege against you look what he says in verse six the nations rage the nations rage your troubles are like an attacking army laying siege against you now think of yourself in a walled city the nation's army rage outside the city walls as they lay siege, seeking to starve you out, battering the gates with their rams, hurling fiery missiles over your defenses.

Your troubles seem dangerous to you, don't they? They're no small thing. They just seem downright dangerous. Your troubles are like weapons of war arrayed against you. Look at verse 9. he makes wars cease to the end of the earth he breaks the bow and shatters the spear and he burns the chariots with fire they're like bows and arrows and chariots that are coming against you and attacking you your troubles don't seem like mere irritations to you right But as you experience your own fears do they not seem like what you find described here When you think about your own fear and anxiety and the things that you think cause those they no small things to you They no small things They gigantic things You feel like the world is crumbling around you and you're losing the battle for calmness and tranquility.

Frankly, the psalmist recognizes that we have much to fear. We do have much to fear. We're in the midst of a pandemic that seems to turn life upside down, and we wonder if anything will ever be the same again, or if our job's going to disappear in the next wave. Strife and violence convulse our nation, and we wonder if this means the end of freedom and stability and the beginning of chaos.

And let's not forget the everyday anxieties that plague us, the safety of our children, the loss of our reputation, the right decision you know you have to make, but you also know it's going to make your life harder. Making ends meet. Having to confront someone over their sin. All the responsibilities that just seem to overwhelm you. They just seem to keep getting more and more and more, and pretty soon you think there's more.

I can't handle anymore. That unpleasant meeting tomorrow. And on it goes. Right? we have much to fear. They beat against the gate. They look like mountains crumbling into the sea.

They seem dangerous and destructive. That's what we're facing. We have much to fear. But note this. The answer is not to quell the troubles. You notice that?

To rid ourselves of the pandemic and the violence and the everyday responsibilities that produce fear and anxiety. The answer is not to get rid of all those things. The answer is not suddenly to end all the troubles. The answer does not involve the sudden disappearance of those troubles with the resultant eliminations of all the fear. What is the answer?

Finding refuge in God. That's the answer. How do you pray when you're afraid? I'll bet you most of you pray this way, because I know I'm tempted to do it too. Lord, take this away. Take this away But God not saying He going to take it away He not saying The answer to your fear and anxiety is to get rid of all the things that you think caused them His answer is find your refuge in Me The troubles aren going to go away right now so find your refuge in me God is our refuge when we have much to fear That's what he says in verse 1.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. What is a refuge? A refuge is anyone or anything who promises to shield you or to protect you from harm. We have many refuges. It can be lies. People take refuge in lies.

You've done something at work. It may cost you your job. What are you going to do? You take refuge in lies. You deny you did it. You deny that it's your fault.

You deny. You lie. And you take refuge in that. If I lie, I'll be saved. Right? Sometimes it's people.

Get to know the right people who protect you. People who can arrange things. you. Money, right? Oh, if only I had more money, then I would not think about where my food is coming from. I wouldn't think about it. I wouldn't worry about clothes.

I wouldn't worry about my job. I wouldn't worry about anything if I had enough money. Revenge is a refuge. You know what? If I get that guy for what he did, he will never do it to me again. I will be safe if I get him. an unforgiving spirit can be our refuge i'm not going to forgive that guy i'm not going to forgive that guy why so we can be reconciled so he can hurt me again no way he's out of my life worry is a refuge can you believe that i'm speaking as a veteran now if i think about that anticipated event enough then i'll come up with the surefire way to protect myself when I have to be there.

Sometimes it's activity, busyness. I get so busy that I don't have time to think about what I'm afraid of. So I just push the fear out by being busy. That's a refuge. And finally, here's another one. Right?

Food. Some of you are thinking, wow, some of you folks really are afraid a lot, aren't you? if you're taking refuge in food, it's obvious. We have all kinds of refuges that we run to But God is your refuge God is your refuge God is the one who promises to protect you from harm Now note He is your refuge because of His strength Because of His strength God is our refuge and strength Who can hold back the arm of God?

A Category 5 hurricane can destroy a city, but a Category 5 hurricane is nothing but a puff of wind when it's compared to God. if even that. God can't only destroy cities. He can eliminate the world with just a thought. And the whole world is gone. This is the God who's powerful. Look at whatever troubles you face and ask, can God deal with this if He wants to?

Can this hold back His arm? There have been many times where I have been fearful and anxious and I think, God could deal with this like that if he wanted to. Why can't I trust him? Right? He is present help. He is with you.

He is near you. Listen, God comes close to you. As I meditated on this psalm, I think God comes close to you. He is not far away. He is our present help. Can you think that thought?

God comes close to you. You know what's fascinating about that? God has walked in our shoes. and whatever it is that's stirring up fear in your heart Jesus has experienced it and he knows he knows exactly what it is to be in your place Hebrews 4.15 we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses but was in every way tempted like we were but without sin.

He knows exactly what you are going through. God is near not just close by God is near in the face of sin. that he's inside and he knows what you feel like. He knows what you've been through. God comes close to you. How can you find refuge in him? How can you find refuge in him?

That's what this series is going to be about. How do we walk the path of wisdom? How do we find refuge in God? You take refuge by faith. First of all, you take refuge by faith in Jesus and what he has done at the cross. You must find refuge from God in God.

Do you know why so many people are afraid today? I was listening to a guy on NPR on my way home from Dayton yesterday. I was down at Clear Creek teaching yesterday. I was on my way home from Dayton. The guy was on NPR, wrote a book, and he asked everybody as he's getting the research done for his book, what's the greatest emotion that you feel right now?

You know what it was? Fear. people are terrified and why are they terrified? because they don't want to die everybody has a sense of judgment and the place to begin to deal with your fears is to understand that the God who will judge sinners God who will bring down the force of his wrath and his anger on sinners you find refuge from him in him in Jesus in Jesus the God man you find refuge from God himself for God now sees you in his son and God then is for you and never against you so that's where you start you have to start by fleeing to Christ how is he a refuge by knowing him are the walls strong enough in this refuge are the walls strong enough does he understand my enemies and what they can do is he good or will he hang me out to dry what is he like when you know him you'll find him as a refuge part of them being a refuge is trusting god in his promises what are his promises we're going to see that over and over as we continue that one of the bedrocks of the refuge of God is the promises that he makes These are all the truths that we going to discover together in the weeks to come How does God become our refuge? Now, notice the vantage point.

Where? You're looking out. Notice, you're looking out and seeing the mountains crumble and the earth disappearing at your feet. you're looking out from the refuge that is God. From inside the walls of this refuge you can look out on those cosmic catastrophes and have no fear of what they can do to you. Because you're looking out from inside the refuge.

Here's the next thing we see. We remain secure when we have much to fear. Verses 4-7 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her. She shall not be moved. God will help her when morning dawns.

The nations rage. The kingdoms totter. He utters His voice. The earth melts. The Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our fortress.

We remain secure when we have much to fear. The scene changes from cosmic destruction to a besieged city. So He's changing the scene now. Now, instead of the mountains disappearing now, He says, imagine yourself within a walled city. And you're besieged. It's the city of God.

It's Zion. She is surrounded by enemy forces attempting to overcome her defenses. These forces seek to starve out the inhabitants by keeping food and water from getting in. That's how a siege works, by the way. You surround that city so no water, no food can come in, so that they're reduced, if you will, to eating themselves until finally they surrender.

But this city, verse 5, shall not be moved. Excuse me. That's the same word used of the mountains in verse 2. Right? In verse 2. Though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved, though the mountains are moved, this city will not be moved.

It will not slide. It will not be defeated. Mountains may slip into the sea, but God's dwelling place remains secure. To take refuge in God is to be in the city of God the most secure dwelling place He says you find security here because God dwells there God is there What God is close God is near He is there Just imagine right And I trying not to make you into idolaters but imagine if you will God standing here or surrounding you Who's going to?

The infinitely powerful, infinitely knowledgeable, infinitely wise, infinitely everything is surrounding you. He's going to touch you. Come on. Seriously? That's what he's saying here. God lives here.

God lives here. By the way, that should remind you of something else. Where does he live? In you. Not just surrounding you. He's in you.

This is the habitation of God. You find security because God dwells there. You find security because God provides sustenance and refreshment. Verse 4, there is a river that makes glad the city of God. You find refreshment and help in your troubles as God reveals himself in his word. You find refreshment and help in your troubles as God reveals his promises in his word.

You find refreshment and health in your troubles as you fellowship with God's people. That is to say, your troubles will not drain you. It will not drain you. You find security because God deals with your enemies. God deals with your enemies. Look at the end of verse 5 and verse 6.

God will help her when morning dawns. The nations rage, the kingdoms totter. He utters His voice, the earth melts. you're in a besieged city surrounded by all your enemies surrounded by all your troubles it is the last watch of the night that's what dawn means it's the last watch of the night it all seems lost at the dawn your enemies surge toward the city but they collapse in front of the gates as God's voice rings out and they are eliminated you can conquer your fears as you believe that God is the God who will bring an end to all your troubles.

He hasn't brought an end to them yet, but He will bring an end to them. I mentioned to you, I was down at Clear Creek. The counseling class is going on and they usually have me come and lecture for a day And so I was down there and my dear friends Becky and Greg Cook were there Greg used to head the counseling ministry at Clear Creek Great just a great guy And he ran the counseling ministry.

He was a good counselor. Oh, he was good. A couple, some years ago he had these three seizures. From then on, things just didn't seem right. He's a great musician. He couldn't read music anymore.

It just didn't make sense. He told me it would just look like jumbles on a page. I couldn't make any sense out of it. I can't. And I think it was last year they told him, you're just going to lose all your cognitive abilities. so I saw him yesterday and we were talking and Greg I said how you doing he says I'm slipping I'm slipping away fast and we talked for about 10 minutes you know and he said this is unusual I normally can't talk this long I can't read anymore I read a word but the next word and I've forgotten everything I've read before that.

I can't think of words. He said, when you came in, I didn't remember your name. He said, you know, there's no, there's no, and he just sat there and went, there's no, there's no light, light at the end of the tunnel. I said, Greg? Greg, there is light at the end of the tunnel. It will be glory.

It's going to be heaven, Greg. That's the light. He says, you know, I can't see any, but I know that's true. That's how you handle your fear. There's coming a day when everything is gone. Can you live with that promise?

Can you live with that promise? That's as real as your trouble right now. Someday, He will wipe the tears from every eye. For death will be no more, neither will there be mourning, or crying, or pain, for the former things have passed away. You see, God speaks, and the enemy melts, and that will certainly happen again, or that will certainly happen in the future.

The Lord of hosts. Note verse 7. Look again at this God. He is the Lord of hosts. When you read that term, Lord of hosts, in the Bible, it should be, it could be translated host. What is a host?

A great number, right? When you read Lord of hosts, think Lord of armies. That's what it means. Lord of armies. the Lord of armies is powerful beyond imagination when the Old Testament term Lord of hosts comes at you you need to think power conquering, power that's what Lord of hosts means he is the Lord of armies he is powerful beyond imagination he is the God of Jacob he made a covenant with Jacob that he would be his God and his descendants would be his people He is our covenanted God in the new covenant in Jesus.

He is our God. He will use His armies on our behalf. He will always use them for us, never against us. And notice, the Lord of hosts is what? With us. God draws near.

God comes close to us. He is what? That's our fortress. Notice the last thing. God will be exalted when we have much to fear. God will be exalted when we have much to fear.

8 through 11. Come, behold the works of the Lord, how he has brought desolations on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear. He burns the chariots with fire. Be still and know that I am God.

I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us The God of Jacob is our refuge Now look he says in verses 8 and 9 come and see what God has done and come and see what he will do The works of the Lord I love Ed Welch He got this little book, which I read through the other day. It's called The Little Book for an Anxious Heart, a small book for an anxious heart.

And in that book, he writes this. Now look around, says the psalmist, the empires that once brought terror are rubble. The injustices of those that take their place will not stand before his power and justice. Right? Behold the works of the Lord. He's brought desolations on the earth.

All empires that caused you trouble have tottered. Any that take their place cannot stand before his power and his justice. Do you want refuge in the midst of fearful and anxious things, then look at what God has done. All right. Now, this is a key and we're going to explore this later. But one of the answers to your fear.

Speaking as a veteran now. One of the answers to your fear is to look back. Look back. Look at what God has done. You look back. God has delivered you from the captivity of sin, hasn't he?

God has given you a new life in Jesus when you trust in him you find your heart transformed God did a marvelous thing you see what he did look at the history of God look at the history of God which is recorded in the scripture and notice how he delivered his people he delivered them from Egypt you remember our study in Genesis maybe that's too much to ask of you right now but you remember the theme of that book, the theme of that book was how the promised seed was never extinguished. From the very beginning, with all the dangers that came, the dangers of a flood, the dangers of overwhelming sin, the dangers of his people getting wiped out, every place you turn, you see the seed preserved. Deception, sin could not extinguish it.

The whole book is a story of God making sure his purposes are accomplished. And you read the Old Testament and you see he delivered his people from Egypt. Remember, the babies were going to be killed. But he delivered them. The seed was saved. He delivered them from Egypt.

He vanquished their enemies and judges He destroyed the Assyrians and the Babylonians Look how God the history of God is delivering his people He helped them even as they went into exile Some of them were captured by the roaring horrible enemies that they had, but God went with them into the exile, did he not? And he eventually returned them to their land. Look at God's history with you.

You want a preview on what we're going to talk about? Here's one and start doing Look at God's history in your life. Look back at all the fearful events and anxious moments you've experienced. And guess what? You're here today. Did you die?

No. And you look back at those fearful events and anxious moments. And as you look back, you see time after time after time that your horrible visions of gloom and doom did not come true. But you see the hand of God. some of you who are older have a whole lot more to look back on look back at God's history with you at those fearful events and anxious moments and see how the hand of God has worked look at what God has done and then in verse 9 God will speak someday and all that troubles us will be gone in judgment and force forcible disarmament The chariots are burned.

The bow and the spears are shattered. Bows and arrows are shattered. You can handle today's trouble with that promise in mind. And then note, verse 10, God will be exalted. This is God speaking to the nations of the earth. Be still, He says to these raging nations.

Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth. to our enemies as God says. Be still. Cease your useless warfare and know that I am God. God will be exalted.

The end in view. Do you notice that the end in view is not stated in terms of your deliverance but in terms of God's glory. Do you notice that? I'll be exalted. It's not, hey, by the way, everything's going to be okay for you. It's I will be exalted.

But listen, His exaltation is our longing and His glory is our deliverance. When God is glorified, we will be delivered forever. How can this be Again the refrain verse 11 The Lord of hosts is what It with us The God of Jacob is our fortress. God will exalt himself because he is powerful and he has covenanted to be our God. Listen to Ed Welch again. This is just a comment he makes, but I love this because it speaks to us worriers.

It speaks to us fearful people. He says this, there's a repeated refrain in the psalm where God is identified as the God of Jacob. A perfect choice. Jacob preferred to respond to hard times with clever manipulation. What do you do when you worry? Oh my, you start thinking.

You start running with your mind. You're going to figure out the answer to this horrible event that's just on the horizon. This thing that's going to happen. Oh, you're going to think. You're going to come up with something clever. I love that when he says a perfect choice.

Jacob preferred to respond to hard times with clever manipulation. Yet he was allowed to see God. If God comes close to Jacob, you can be sure he will come close to you. Once more, you see God comes close to you. so here we begin our journey to wisdom the wisdom god will provide to deal with our fears and our anxieties and the first step is to know god the one who comes close you may think that this psalm promises too much and under deliverers yes you say i believe in the ultimate end to the threats of life.

And yes, you say, I believe in the final peace when we're with Jesus and He reigns over a perfect earth. But what about today? What about today? You know what? The psalmist is not naive to the tragedies of life. But what is he saying?

He wants us to walk with our eyes open. There is much to fear. There is much out there that's dangerous. right? but he wants us to see that the Lord of hosts is our God is our fortress and the troubles may not disappear here, but you will find refuge. You will find tranquility. You will find peace. And so we're going to walk with God.

We're going to learn how He becomes our fortress. We're going to learn the way of wisdom. Father, thank You for Your Word. Thank You that You are our fortress, our refuge, a very present help in times of trouble. We thank You that You have covenanted to be our God and that you will be with us. Thank you for your word.

Lord, I pray that as we step into this series, that it would truly help your people. Father, I fear that this can become nothing more than lectures on an interesting topic. as opposed to the life-transforming truth that will cause us to be confident, faithful people. So I pray that You would use this to change us. We beg You to do that. We're not interested in just stuffing our heads with facts.

We want to be changed. so by your spirit working through your word as it's preached in these weeks to come change our hearts and give us confidence in the god who is our refuge and present help in times of trouble we pray this in jesus name amen Thank you.