Live Ready #2
Jesus Will Never Leave Us or Forsake Us
Hebrews 13:5-8 – Victory Fellowship
May 2, 2021 - Rev. Roderick Grabski
I. Introduction: Live Ready Series
a. We were never promised a life without pain, suffering, tragedy or trials. We will all experience hard times while we exist on this earth. (4-part series)
i. The good news is that Jesus did promise us that he had overcome the world.
ii. We were promised that he would never leave or forsake us.
iii. Because of Jesus’ presence with us, we can live ready to face whatever life may throw at us.
iv. God gives us guidance to help us live ready and we would be wise to follow it.
II. Today, I want to remind us of Jesus’ promise to never leave us or forsake us so we have nothing to fear from the world.
a. What is fear? Wikipedia says: Fear is an emotion induced by perceived danger or threat, which causes physiological changes and ultimately behavioral changes.
b. Fear in human beings may occur in response to a certain stimulus occurring in the present, or in anticipation or expectation of a future threat perceived as a risk to oneself.
c. The fear response arises from the perception of danger and leads either to confrontation with or escape from the threat (also known as the fight-or-flight response).
III. Illustration:
a. Years ago, fear began to take hold of the people of Moline (Mo-lean), Illinois. First came the stories of a wild cougar on the loose. The news sent women and children into hiding, and even made brave men tremble.
b. Next came a similar story about a huge beaver, estimated to be 80 pounds and 5 feet tall.
The monster beaver had been spotted tearing up trees on the city’s parkway. “It’s as big as a Volkswagen!” one man said. Then finally the “giant” beaver was caught. When the trap was pulled from the drainage ditch on the parkway, there was a very unhappy beaver in it. The beaver that had created such fear was just 40 pounds and not even 3 feet tall.
c. It’s so easy for fearful people to see giants where they don’t exist – that’s what fear does.
IV. Some scientists and psychologists categorize fear into three types.
a. The first type of fear is: Rational Fear
i. Rational fears occur where there is a real, imminent threat. If someone is brandishing a knife at you, the fear of being stabbed is a rational fear. On a less extreme note, losing a child in a very crowded venue is a rational fear.
b. The second type of fear is: Primal Fear.
i. Primal fear is defined as an innate fear that is programmed into our brains. For our survival and wellbeing, God has programmed us with healthy fear for our safety.
c. The third type of fear is: Irrational Fear
i. Irrational fear makes no sense to the onlooker and usually doesn’t make sense to the one who is afraid, either, and yet they are afraid nonetheless.
V. Ultimately, fear is something that all of us experience and have to learn to deal with.
a. It’s been said that all fear can be boiled down to two fears: #1 - the fear of dying, and #2 - the fear of living – truly, life is full of things that can make us afraid.
b. Before we go any further, we should understand that some people deal with such crippling fear that they might need to see a counselor and they might benefit from medication because their problem may have organic or physiological issues involved.
VI. So, what can we do when fear envelops us?
a. It’s good to remember that God created us with the capacity to have the emotional response of fear. When properly embraced and employed, fear can protect us from harm and it can motivate us to positive action, and help us reach out for the help we need.
b. A proper response to rational fear keeps us from doing things that we shouldn’t be doing – like driving at 200 mph, jumping off a building, or playing with rattle snakes. That kind of fear is our protection against unnecessary harm.
c. But most importantly, the ability to fear is important in our relationship with God.
i. Ecclesiastes 12:13b says, “Fear God and keep his commandments because this is the whole duty of humanity.”
ii. Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge...”
iii. Jesus said, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)
d. So from these few examples, we see that we should appropriately fear certain dangers, and we should have a holy respect and awe for God, our maker.
VII. There is also a kind of fear in life that can become overwhelming. When you think about it, we do live in a scary world.
a. Think about the number of tragedies, catastrophes and crisis’s occurring around us. We live in a world where there are terrorist attacks and violent crime. We also have to live in a world where there is corruption and pollution, disease and death.
b. How can we keep fears about these things or about anything else from overwhelming us?
c. We need the faith to know that not only has Jesus overcome to world, but He has promised to never leave us or forsake us. Faith and courage are not the absence of fear, but the management and control of fear.
VIII. Ultimately, fear is helpful when it leads us to depend on God – faith helps us manage fear.
a. The fact that we can’t see God doesn’t mean that God can’t see us. God may feel distant from us, but He is near and present more than we know.
b. We trust that faith in God can provide what we need when we are afraid. God is bigger and stronger than the storms we go through.
c. If we will just stop and review how God has been with us in the past, and remember all the times God helped us overcome our fearful situations in the past, then we would experience the peace that comes from faith in God.
IX. Uncontrolled fear can put us into a personal prison and stunt our personal life and spiritual growth.
a. There’s a sad story about a man named Shoikoi Yokoi who spent twenty-eight years in a prison.
But it wasn’t a prison of walls, rather it was a prison of fear. As World War II was nearing the end, Shoikoi was a Japanese soldier on the island of Guam. Fearing capture by American forces, he ran into the jungle and hid in a cave. He later learned the war was over by reading one of the thousands of leaflets that were dropped into the jungle by American planes. Nevertheless, he still was afraid of being taken as prisoner, so he remained in his cave. For over a quarter of a century he came out only at night. It was only when some hunters discovered him 28 years later that he was convinced that it was safe to leave the jungle.
X. As we experience the emotion of fear, let’s not allow it to imprison us. Instead, let’s allow God to direct our thinking.
a. Let’s begin by remembering that experiencing fear is normal and potentially helpful.
b. Then let’s remember that God is with us and that God is faithful.
c. Reflect of the promise of our call to worship from Psalm 46:1-3: God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble. Therefore we will not be afraid, though the earth trembles and the mountains topple into the depths of the seas, though its water roars and foams and the mountains quake with its turmoil.
Prayer
Song: Oh My Soul
Hebrews 13:5-8 HCSB
5 Your life should be free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for He Himself has said, I will never leave you or forsake you. 6 Therefore, we may boldly say: The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? 7 Remember your leaders who have spoken God’s word to you. As you carefully observe the outcome of their lives, imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
