The Fear of Man

Micah Westby

Anxiety • Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago

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Introduction

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Invite for Easter (Strong attendance for Downtown)

Opening

We live in an anxious world

Statistic- 40 million adults have been diagnosed with some type of anxiety disorder in the US

The Fear of Man

Statistic- 40 million adults have been diagnosed with some type of anxiety disorder in the US

Anxiety disorders cost the US around 42 billion dollars per yearThe Fear of Man

Number One Disorder- According the the Journal of clinical Psychiatry it is the number one mental health disorder in the world

Anxiety disorders cost the US around 42 billion dollars per yearThe Fear of Man

The Next issue is a distant second place

Number One Disorder- According the the Journal of clinical Psychiatry it is the number one mental health disorder in the world

To The Women- Nearly two-thirds of the estimated 40 million adults with anxiety disorders are women. Main PointsThe Fear of Man

Anxiety is a real issue that plagues many even in our own church. I would encourage you to check out our facebook page and watch the video we put up for this series, it shows two stories, one of our lead pastor Rodney and the other of a mother named Amy.

Both are real people talking about a real issue.

This series seeks to engage in real stuff. Stuff you might be going through, stuff your neighbor or friend might be going through. this week we are talking through what is looks like to work through the anxiety of people pleasing, following Easter we will be dealing with fear of failure and then lastly the anxiety given through Trauma.

THIS IS REAL STUFF, WE ARE A REAL CHURCH

Everyone received a handout in your bulletin I would encourage you to give it to someone and invite them to church.

Get plugged into a lifegroup so we can talk about these things. Our Lifegroup probably had one of the best discussions we have ever had because of this sermon series.

We have groups getting started even for downtown were you can plug in and talk through these messages.

If you want to start a lifegroup, come talk to me,

If you want to join a lifegroup, talk to me.

The Fear of Man

The Next issue is a distant second place

Main Points

To The Women- Nearly two-thirds of the estimated 40 million adults with anxiety disorders are women. Main Points

People have expectations on your life.

Examples:

Your parents want you to be something

Your teachers want you to be something.

Your pastors want you to be something.

Jesus was not consumed by what people thought of him.

“To be concerned about people’s feelings is human; to be consumed by their opinion is idolatry.” (P. Rodney)

It is human to put expectations on others. Our culture does this, you must act a certain way, talk a certain way, and behave a certain way. The church has the same expectations. Everyone has an expectation and we have to ask the question, what does it look like to weed through the expectation of people and ultimately live out the calling that God places on our lives.

The Story

As we begin to step into the Biblical narrative, we must first recognize that today marks a very special day. It brings to mind the road Jesus took to the cross. It starts in a short lived celebration, where Jesus is literally the man! He will travel into Jerusalem with an entourage and droves of people will come out to see him and give him the celebrity welcome. But then shortly after they will turn on him and sentence him to walk the road of death.

Today’s story though is upbeat.

We get to walk through the “Triumphal Entry”.

12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,

15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion;

behold, your king is coming,

sitting on a donkey’s colt!”

16 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. 17 The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18 The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

Setting the Scene

The Passover Celebration

The beginning of the text brings to light an important fact. Jesus was entering Jerusalem to celebrate the passover feast. This was a week long celebration remembering the salvation God brought to the Israelites under Egyptian oppression.

This was a busy time for Jerusalem. The ancient historian Josephus records that during this time there could’ve been anywhere from 1-2 million people traveling to and dwelling in or around Jerusalem.

Interesting/Funny point = Passover is like their Sturgis!

Jerusalem was roughly 100,000 people. So this event would’ve dramatically increased their population. It was like their Sturgis! Everyone would travel to Jerusalem in their camel gangs (Haha).

A large group of people, jacked up on spiritual adrenaline, hear of Jesus’ coming to Jerusalem and they form a parade to welcome him in.

The people have an expectation about who Jesus is.

They want Jesus to be King

V13 tells us they went and found some palm branches and began waving them before Jesus and shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”

Palm Branches

Information taken from Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel according to John (p. 432). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans.

200 years earlier Simon the Maccabee drove the Syrian forces out of Jerusalem and he was welcomed by the people with celebration and they got palm branches and waved them to mark their political freedom.

Even after Jesus’ death coins were forged in Judea with Palm branches on them as they fought the Roman armies for freedom.

Palm branches were used as a symbol for national pride and freedom.

The people had an expectation for what they wanted Jesus to be.

Hosanna means “Save now!”

ὡσαννά, Hebr. exclam. (hôšî ‛ āh-nâ), save now !

Liddell, H. G., Scott, R., Jones, H. S., & McKenzie, R. (1996). A Greek-English lexicon (p. 2040). Oxford: Clarendon Press.

They call Jesus “the King of Israel”

Everyone in Jerusalem has an idea of what they want Jesus to be. He is the miracle worker, he cares for the poor and needy but today, they wanted him to free them from the tyranny of Rome. They wanted their freedom and Jesus was the guy who was going to give it to them.

But here comes Jesus, rolling in on a donkey.

Jesus strolls into town in front of big crowd, seated on a feeble, stout, ugly donkey, a gloriless (I just created this word) animal. People don’t get excited about donkeys. In that day, people got excited about horses. Horses were symbolic of power and authority. a general, when he conquered would come strolling into town atop his noble steed, triumphant and victorious, but our mighty messiah comes trotting into town on a humble donkey.

Jesus understood their expectations, knew they were wrong and instead gave them what they needed. The people wanted a sword but Jesus’ Kingdom brought peace.

Jesus was reject, you will be rejected.

Jesus gave them what they needed, not what they wanted.

The people cry out for Jesus as “King of Israel” but then in chapter 19 the leaders turn the people against Jesus and Pilate asks, “do you want to crucify your King?” the religious leaders cry out and convince the people to cry out, “he is not our king”

Jesus has boundaries, we can have boundaries

Jesus path was determined by Scripture

Jesus knew who he was. He knew his identity.

Jesus was living out Scriptures!

The reason it hurts so bad

15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion;

behold, your king is coming,

sitting on a donkey’s colt!”

Jesus knew who he was

Long before they said it, you believed it. (What’s your identity in?)

He understood the expectations people had and he didn’t budge when they projected that on him.

The Crisis Cycle

Jesus never gets caught in someone else’s crisis cycle.

This happens two ways:

What does this look like?

We spiral out of control because of someone else’s dysfunction.

We see their problem and try to step in and help, but we don’t really know what to do or we are not strong enough to do it and we spiral out of control with them.

We live in fear....

We quickly ralize

Of hurting another person

abandonment

another person’s anger

punishment

Shame

Disappointment

The Byproduct

If fear is at the core of your relationship then it will at best be superficial.

Imagine if Jesus would’ve had no boundaries and engaged in what the people wanted.

He would’ve abused his powers, he would’ve replaced God’s plans with the people’s. He never would’ve died the death of a thief, he never would’ve paid for our sins.

When you build your relationships on fear. you are robbing God of control. you are robbing God of His plan, you’re robbing him of his authority in your life and you give it someone else

Boundaries help you keep the control of your life in God’s hands.

Because Jesus had good boundaries, he didn’t get swallowed up in the people’s crisis cycle.

Purpose of Boundaries:

Boundaries bring you closer together, not push you farther away.

Some times boundaries seem cold and superficial, yet they will help to maintain the relationship.

Boundaries help you open up about your own dysfunction

Boundaries help you keep control where it needs to be.

Jesus lived on mission, we live on mission

This point deals with focus on the mission of God.

Jesus was able to walk through people’s expectations because he was focused on the fathers will.

God had the ultimate opinion

If people’s opinion of you has the power to cripple you than they have been elevated to a God like status.

Jesus was consumed by god’s opinion, no one else’s.

Parents do you teach this to your children?

Jesus knew the path he must take.

Jesus knew his identity, he knew the scriptures, and he knew his path.

Jesus’ plans always dictated his priorities. (What were Jesus’ priorities)

Prayer

Scriptures

Community

Mission

What are your priorities?

In a culture where you determine your identity. You can be whatever you want, and do whatever you want.

Christian, what are your priorities?

Jesus was rejected, you will be rejected.

At the heart of people pleasing is the fear of rejection.

Jesus was God and was still rejected. Do you think you can work hard enough to earn acceptance by everyone around you?

People will often turn on you if you don’t meet their standard.

There are certain people who should’ve loved you no matter what but their love had strings attached.

the reason rejection hurts is because often

This is what happened to Jesus.

Jesus glorious entry was short lived. Notice how the people quick move from love to hate.

Comparison:

Jesus is King! (12:13) - Crucify Him! (19:15)

Jesus is treated like royalty - Jesus will be killed as a thief.

Jesus was mistreated, he was abused, he was eventually murdered.

Why?

Because Jesus’ plan was dictated by his priorities.

What were Jesus priorities in this moment?

Bring glory to God

YOU!

Jesus didn’t shy away from anxiety. He embraced it. he took it and he conquered it.

Jesus was able to overcome the anxiety of people pleasing because his heart was to please the only one that really mattered, God.

Jesus conquered the ultimate rejection so you could have the ultimate acceptance.

Matthew 27:46 NASB95

About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

Matthew 26:

Forsaken - Abandoned, deserted, rejected, left,

You have sin in your heart where you have given the control of your life to everything but God and your ultimate destiny was rejection from God.

Yet God had a plan, he had priorities,

John 16:32–33 NASB95

“Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

John 16:32-33

English Standard Version Chapter 16

32 Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. 33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

John

Jesus desires that you have peace from the expectations of other by finding your boundaries in him.

Jesus knew his disciples would face the same rejection he would.

Ending thought:

“Jesus walked through the anxiety of the cross. That means he is more than qualified to bring you through yours.” (Micah Westby).