Overcoming the Fear of Man
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Overcoming the Fear of Man
Overcoming the Fear of Man
I want to begin today by thanking so many of you
Starting off with Pastor Trevor who preached the last 4 weeks delivering a series that I believe is foundational in what God is calling His bride to focus on
I want to thank the Teck team Matthew, Joshua, and Theresa who have week after week served the people both online and those here in person
I want to thank the Praise teams that have to endured to so may changes over the last 8 months
I want to thank the Sunday school teachers and workers who have risen to the challenge of leading our kids during this very difficult season.
I want to thank the greeters and other frontline ministers who ensure the safety of everyone here and make us all feel welcome.
I want to thank all those is the GAP ministry who intercede on all our behalves
I want to thank everyone who has given to the ministry of this Church, I know finances are tight for so many, yet I’m blowing away on how the church always has what it needs to cover its bills and to improve our facility.
I want to thank you for being here to worship with us.
I want to thank everyone who watches us online. If you weren’t watching most of what I’ve done in the last few months would be invain.
Lastly I want to thank all those who have stepped up and done their part to help someone get throught this trying time.
There is a light at the end of the tunnel, and I believe its time to start planning for this new phase of the church!
Intro
I believe one of the most important things we can do to prepare for what God’s calling us into. is by breaking the binds the enemy uses to ensnare us.
Then enemy uses many strategies to bind the people of God.
One of the most effective snares that greatly limit us is what the Bible refers to as the Fear of Man.
The fear of man brings a snare,
But he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted.
lets pray
The power behind the fear of Man is that many Christians do not even know that they are caught in the trap.
Its been a part of their being for so long, they think its normal for it to be there.
I want to tell you today, that’s NOT the normal God wants you to live in.
Let’s back up a step.
What is the fear of man?
its when the things you do are guided by what you believe people expect of you
its when the things you do are guided by what you believe people expect of you
The fear of man can immobilize us when we should take action,
and gag us into silence when we should speak.
It feels powerful, but its power is deceptive.
Whether you are an introvert or an extrovert,
a wall-flower or the life of the party, or anywhere in-between,
fear of man has its hooks in all of us. It shows itself in many different ways:
Need for approval/fear of disapproval
Need for acceptance
Peer-pressure
Need for honor
Need for recognition
Fear of criticism
Fear of humiliation
These things can lead us to:
These things can lead us to:
Second-guess our decisions
Or not even be able to make a decision
Become timid when we should be bold
Be disobedient to God
Have poor self-confidence
Judge our self-worth by other people
Be inactive
Not be ourselves
Unstable faith
Fear of man – the great crippler
Fear of man – the great crippler
Fear of man can be one of the greatest road-blocks to serving the Lord.
Most of us have it deeply rooted in our natures.
It shows itself in different ways in different personalities, but it’s there.
It can actually become like a form of slavery!
But is also a form of idolatry
Some people will even change and adapt according to what they think people want to see in them.
It can get to the point where people become a virtual “shape-shifter,” changing my opinions, personality, etc. according to who they are with.
That’s not the glorious freedom that is in Christ!
I can be so bound by it that I am blind to what is truly important.
So how do you know if you are caught in the trap of the fear of Man?
You can ask some revealing questions
do you often need something from others ?
do you crave compliments ?
are you ever afraid that you might be exposed as an impostor?
are you overly concerned with how you look or how much you weigh or how you are dressed?
do you think about your self worth or self esteem a lot?
do you often feel painfully unappreciated ?
do you make excuses for your bad behavior?
do you justify your mistakes or shift the blame because you can't handle the thought of failing in front of people?
do you show favoritism to certain people that you crave their approval?
are you over committed ?
do you have a hard time saying no ?
you've got to say yes to everyone because if you say no to someone you might let them down and to let them down is to lose their approval in your life and you can't do that
do you get easily embarrassed?
anybody get embarrassed sometimes?
do you compare yourself to others?
and feel good when you win and feel envious when you lose and someone else wins when someone else gets which you didn't get is this constant desire this constant this lust
Do you desire to be noticed and affirmed and approved and to matter in the eyes of people?
What happens is it robs you from living with confidence and living with a secure foundation for a real self-esteem and self-image that's only found in the creator of the universe
why live for the approval of people on the earth that are here today and gone tomorrow when you can live from the approval of the creator of heaven and earth
who's been here before you got here who's gonna be around even after you're gone that's the kind of foundation we should stake our identity and see when we when we put too much emphasis on what people say about us or don't say about us what they say to us or don't say to us
Allow me to illustrate this further by showing you a portion of Max Lucado’s book
You are special
Video 10:46 Punchinello: You Are Special - narrated by Tim Melton
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DI-kS4q8VB8
You are Special, because of who created you.
God created you unique and with a purpose
“If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.
The fear of Man leads us to do some stupid things, it can cripple us from doing the right thing
but know we are not alone.
Peter
Peter
The great Apostle Peter demonstrated he was caught in this snare.
But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.
For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision.
The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.
But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, “If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?
Saul
Saul
Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; I have indeed transgressed the command of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice.
Michal
Michal
And David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, and David was wearing a linen ephod.
So David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouting and the sound of the trumpet.
Then it happened as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.
So they brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent which David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.
When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the peace offering, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts.
Further, he distributed to all the people, to all the multitude of Israel, both to men and women, a cake of bread and one of dates and one of raisins to each one. Then all the people departed each to his house.
But when David returned to bless his household, Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel distinguished himself today! He uncovered himself today in the eyes of his servants’ maids as one of the foolish ones shamelessly uncovers himself!”
So David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel; therefore I will celebrate before the Lord.
“I will be more lightly esteemed than this and will be humble in my own eyes, but with the maids of whom you have spoken, with them I will be distinguished.”
The parents of the cripple man
The parents of the cripple man
His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone confessed Him to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.
But for all the examples the bible gives us for people succumbing to the fear of man. It also gives us many examples of believers not falling into the trap.
The interesting thing about these examples is God always shows up in power when His people obey him instead of people.
When they had brought them, they stood them before the Council. The high priest questioned them,
saying, “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.”
But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.
“The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross.
I believe this to be the season where this is just as vital as it was in the book of acts
I’ve never imagined that I would be living in a country where government officials tell the church we cannot gather together, or that we cannot sing Gods praises
I realize they have their fears/reasons but we all need to hear from God
We can’t be afraid of what other’s may think, if God has told us otherwise.
now before you turn me off, or getup and leave.
We cannot just override the fear of man by not caring what others think.
that’s just as dangerous as being in the trap
You don’t want to become the person who just simply stops caring what others think.
the Bible has a name for those people.
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.
That’s right a fool
Without consultation, plans are frustrated,
But with many counselors they succeed.
Listen to counsel and accept discipline,
That you may be wise the rest of your days.
Many plans are in a man’s heart,
But the counsel of the Lord will stand.
The key to overcoming the fear of man, is not ignoring, but rather focusing on what is right.
You can only replace the fear of man, with the fear of God
If you reject what people think about you, but don’t replace it with what God thinks about you.
You are a fool!
The point is not to simply disobey man, but rather the point is to obey God!
So how do we overcome the fear of Man?
Embrace the Fear of the Lord
Embrace the Fear of the Lord
It’s all too easy to forget our identities as children of God. So we develop practices that help us actively resist the fear of man and embrace the fear of the Lord:
1. Remind yourself about God.
1. Remind yourself about God.
Take time on a regular basis to remember who God is, what He controls, and why He is for you. Meditate on passages like Luke 12 that reveal God’s power, authority, and care.
2. Interrogate your fears.
2. Interrogate your fears.
When you notice the fear of man, pinpoint the fear. Tease out the human consequences of trusting God in that situation. Often our fear of man is not only sinful but exaggerated and unfounded.
3. Embrace God’s promises.
3. Embrace God’s promises.
These words from Moses to the nation of Israel are so precious:
“Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.”
The reason the people don’t need to fear is because God will be with them.
Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,”
so that we confidently say,
“The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.
What will man do to me?”
4. Don’t fight alone.
4. Don’t fight alone.
We need allies in this battle. We don’t often notice our fear of man. So, we need to share honest conversations with friends who can help us see our fears.
O fear the Lord, you His saints;
For to those who fear Him there is no want.
Conclusion
You are unique, you are special, you have a calling on your life that only You and God can fill.
The enemy know this, and is trying everything possible to prevent this from coming into being.
one of his greatest weapons is to keep us in fear, and one of the most common ways of doing this is through the fear of man.
Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
“Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.