Overcoming Fear in Times of Uncertainty

Part 1 of Sunday's video on Overcoming Fear

Part 2 of Sunday's video on Overcoming Fear in Times of Uncertainty

If both videos start simultaneously you'll have to press (pause) on the bottom video until the top one finished. Then play the second video.

Notes from Sunday Sermon 9-28-2008

There are many things to be afraid of in today's world.
Terrorism
Nuclear
Biological
Chemical
Conventional Weapons

Instability in the Middle East
August 2008
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
"We will witness dismantling of the corrupt regime (Israel) in a very near future," said Mamoud during World Mosque Week. He went on to say that Israel is "the main cause of all corruption and wickedness in the contemporary era." He has likewise described Israel as "a dirty microbe," "a wild animal," and "the West’s scarecrow."

• 
  A Quote from Adolf Hitler
  "The struggle for world domination will be fought entirely between us, between Germans and Jews. All else is facade and illusion. Behind England stands Israel, and behind France, and behind the United States. Even when we have driven the Jew out of Germany, he remains our world enemy.

A resurging Military presence from Russia
August 17th 2007 Russia continues to reassert itself on the world stage, announcing today that it has resumed the Cold War practice of sending strategic bombers on long-range patrols beyond its borders.
"We have decided to restore flights by Russian strategic aviation on a permanent basis," President Vladimir Putin.

Natural Disasters
Floods
Tornados
Earthquakes
Hurricanes
Asteroid Strikes
Tsunamis
Super Volcanoes

Accidents
Automobile
Falling
Trains
Airplanes

Economic Collapse
National debt of 10.5 Trillion dollars = $37,000 for every man woman and child in the USA.
I owe $185,000 for all the members of my family.
The good news is that half of the National debt is money the government has taken from itself. From organizations like social security.

Crime
Robbery
Violent Crimes

Sickness
Many different ways to get sick.

Controlling Fear
If you don’t get a grip on fear it will dominate your personality and keep you from apprehending the promises of God. Some fear is healthy but other fear is downright demonic and designed to control and manipulate you, keeping you in your box.

What to do to overcome fear

Pray
Ask God to speak to you what you are to do about your fears.

Use Wisdom
Read up on the situation
Know the possibilities
Have a plan prepared in advance for various scenarios.
For example, decide if you are going to stay or go and where are you going to go if you go?

Understanding God’s Nature
Exodus 8:22" 'But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where my people live; no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know that I, the LORD, am in this land. 23 I will make a distinction between my people and your people.
The Reason Noah was spared.
1 The LORD then said to Noah, "Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation.
Noah was considered Righteous in his generation
Righteousness is right standing with God and is established by faith
Romans 3:21(Amplified) But now the righteousness of God has been revealed independently and altogether apart from the Law, although actually it is attested by the Law and the Prophets,
22Namely, the righteousness of God which comes by believing with personal trust and confident reliance on Jesus Christ (the Messiah). [And it is meant] for all who believe.
Most translations translate the underlined section with one word, FAITH!

Psalm 91
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."
3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you make the Most High your dwelling even the LORD, who is my refuge-
10 then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation."

Conditional safety recognized in part by rest
dwelling in the shelter of the most high will bring rest regardless of your circumstances.
Not dwelling in the shelter of the most high will not bring rest.
No Rest=A person who’s not Dwelling in the Lord

Jesus perfectly illustrates rest in the midst of difficult circumstances
Matthew 8:24
Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.

Emotional stress means you’re not dwelling in the shelter of the Almighty God.

How do we dwell in the shelter of the Most High?
Taking Communion Properly is one ways we dwell in the shelter of the Lord
John 6:56
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.
Do this in remembrance of me
Recognize the body of Christ
Forgive offenses and make things right with people
1 Cor. 11:28 A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.

The results of dwelling in the Lord
John 15:4
Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

• The Fruits of the Spirit
  The fruit of converted maturing people
  Fruit production takes time

Abiding in the Lord gives us powerful prayers
John 15:7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.
We know we’re abiding when…
We declare because we believe "he is my refuge, my fortress, my God in whom I trust."
When fear controls you, you don’t say or believe the above.

• 
  Refuge- shelter or protection from danger or distress; a place that provides shelter or protection
  Fortress- a fortified place : stronghold ; especially : a large and permanent fortification sometimes including a town
  Trust- assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something; one in which confidence is placed

Love and acknowledgement are the conditions to the promise

Ps. 91:14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

Love=Rescue
Acknowledgement=Protection

Do you Love the Lord?
Love = Obedience

John 14:21,23-24 Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.
23Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
Do you acknowledge the Lord?
Luke 9:26If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

God will deliver us from…
The Fowlers Snare- The Devil’s schemes
Deadly Pestilence- 1: a contagious or infectious epidemic disease that is virulent and devastating ; like the bubonic plague

God will Deliver us From…
3. Fear of gun fire, terror and fear of the unknown.
Ps. 91:5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,

God will Deliver us From…
4. Mass death due to pestilence and plague mentioned in v.6
V7&8 You will stand while those around you who aren’t dwelling in the Lord die by the thousands.

God will deliver us from…
5. V 10-12 harm and disaster, you will not even strike your foot against a stone.
He will order the angels to protect you!
God will deliver us from…
6. V. 13 Animal attacks
4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

His protection is like a large angel that gives shelter under His wings. HIS faithfulness is your shield and rampart.

What’s a Rampart?
1 : a protective barrier; a broad embankment raised as a fortification; a wall-like ridge (as of rock fragments, earth, or debris)

Free Pass?
Sometimes we don’t get a free pass.
Hebrews 11 talks about a great group of righteous individuals who died in faith without seeing the manifestation of the fullness of their faith in this life.

Difficulty from ungodly people
John 15:18"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.
Matthew 24:9"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.

Prepare the Best you Can
Most times trusting the Lord means listening to his word and taking action. Had the Israelites not put the blood over the door post when the death angel came their firstborn would’ve died also.
Had Noah not built and entered the Ark he would’ve perished in the flood with the rest of the world.

Use what you think God’s telling you with wisdom to prepare for the future.
Then ABSOLUTELY move on the information you have.
Remember
Romans 8:15For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."

Love and acknowledge the Lord and the promises of Psalm 91 are yours!

Jubilee Family Church