Be Not Afraid
Ann Ratcliff
Midland SDA Church
April 30, 2016
In the book of John, after the Last Supper, Jesus says among many other wise things, “…let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid…” He was talking about the future—I get the idea he was a bit pensive because he know that his time on this earth was nearing the end. I also am a bit pensive, not because my time on this earth is nearing the end but because my time with you is nearing an end. Jesus was going to Golgotha to die and fulfill the great redemptive promise, I on the other hand am going to Tucson, Arizona to get warm and figure out how to be a retired person. So I’d like to ask your forgiveness in advance for the fact that this is a sermon I’m preaching to myself as I enter a new phase in my life. You all just happen to be listening in.
Let us pray: Dear Heavenly Father, You have been good to us! We thank you so very much for the gifts of life and health, and work and leisure and friends and family. You have given us all so much more than we can know. We ask you to help us always remember that and know that we are forever grateful for your watch care over us. Amen
John quotes Jesus as saying to his disciples “…let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid…” I don’t know about you but my heart tends to be troubled on a regular basis. And fear could be my middle name. I can remember as a child my mother soon learned not to make me pray at bedtime if I had to kneel down by the bed. You see, there were monsters under that bed and if I was kneeling down they would reach out and get me. For a while we would look under the bed and those monsters would go hide somewhere because we never saw them under there. The only thing we saw were a few dust bunnies. My mother told me over and over that there were no monsters under the bed. But even though I could not see them with my own eyes, I still knew they were there. My mother was mistaken. So we settled on a compromise—I got in bed, covered up with the covers, safe and sound and my mom would kneel down by my bed and then we could pray. That happened for a number of years like that.
I also grew up during the Cold War and so when I was in grade school we had those bomb drills where we had to get under our desks and cover our heads to protect ourselves if the Russians would ever drop a bomb on us. I thought that it was inevitable that those Russians were truly going to drop a bomb right on my town—actually right on my school, to be exact.
Then there were those crabs at the beach house that lived in my bed and were waiting to bite my toes—even though I never found any crabs in my bed. So I was a child and probably am an adult that has a propensity to inject some fear into all kinds of circumstances. I was afraid of all kinds of things that looking back—never happened—the monsters never came out from under my bed to get me, or even to get my mom. The crabs never bit my feet in my bed, and Russians never dropped a bomb on us.
And now, as an adult, as an older adult, I still find my heart troubled on a regular basis--fear creeps in. So today I want to share with you about the idea of fear and help us all explore what Scripture tells us about it and what we can do about it. In our world today, we can find fear wherever we look. We can find it when we think about our health, our neighbors, our food, our government, and yes, our church. I am reminded of those professions that have a built in fear factor like police, soldiers, firemen—these are traditionally the professions whereby these people put their own lives on the line to keep ours safe; professions whereby fear might easily be a real part of the job. But today even doctors and teachers and many others may face true fear as they too go to work. On the podiums in the classrooms at CMU where I teach there is a listing of emergency phone numbers in case things go ‘wrong’. A reflection of too many shootings on college campuses. I can remember at least one instance where we were admonished to actually lock the doors to the classroom once the students were inside.
I look at a news magazine every once in awhile and I find all kinds of things that engendered fear in me. Here were some of the headlines from last week:
· Floods in Houston
· Charges in the Flint Water Crisis
· Widespread racism in Chicago Police Force
· Impeachment looms for Brazil’s President
· More US troops head to Iraq
· What happens if Britain quits the European Union
· Hugh Laurie’s struggle with depression
· Our loophole riddled tax code needs reform
· Ecuador reels from devastating earthquake
· Saudi Arabia’s alleged terrorist claims
· Does the U.S. need to radically slash its dept?
· Intel announces big layoffs
· And I just couldn’t leave this last one out: Does an octopus have feelings?
With headlines like these, how can anyone not be afraid? Fortunately it seems that I’m not the only one out there who might have a propensity for fear. In His book, The Conquest of Fear, Basil King writes that during most of his lifetime he has been afraid. In his childhood he was afraid to go to bed in the dark. Later on he was afraid to go to school. Still later in life, when he would wake up in the morning, he was afraid of the amount of work that had to be done that day.
Some kind of fear, he says, dogs every one of us. A mother is afraid for her children, a father is afraid for his business, and many of us are afraid for our jobs. Mr. King declares that there is not a home, an office, a school, or a church in which some hangdog apprehension is not eating at the hearts of the people who go in and out. Most of us, he says, are always afraid—afraid of something, afraid of somebody.
So today I think you would agree with me that there is plenty to fear. Since we are here in church, I’d like to ask what about the church? Do we have anything to fear as Seventh day Adventists? This Seventh-day Adventist church has been a wonderful vehicle where I have known and communed with God. I have learned about the character of God and have been aware of God at work in my life and in the lives of others at all kinds of levels. I must say that the Adventist lens is an excellent way to focus on why we are here, how we got here and where we are going, as well as how its all going to end up. But we as Seventh-day Adventists are not immune to engendering fear. As a matter of fact, our somewhat unique lens, might make us more susceptible to fear because some lifestyle choices and behaviors stem directly from our doctrines, in terms of actual mandates and strong suggestions. Over the years I have spoken with many folk in the church. Some have expressed fear about not ‘being ready’ for Jesus to come again—not being saved or savable. Perhaps you are afraid of more and more blue laws that will take away freedoms to conduct business on Sunday. Maybe you are afraid of being judged by others or afraid of not being bold enough to hold others accountable to proper standards. You might be afraid of being ‘found out’ to not be holding up the expected life style behaviors; or believing the proper doctrines. I remember shopping in the Loma Linda market on Friday afternoon and wondering if what was in my grocery cart would pass inspection if I were to meet a fellow church member. Of course everyone in the store was an Adventist. Some of us really stew and fear that false doctrines might be entering our church. For example there are authors who write books and pamphlets capitalizing on this fear factor that has to do with conspiracy theories, or ideas that seem so innocent but are really the work of Satan.
So while members of our church have a great sense of the loving character of God, they also can find some pretty good reasons to be full of fear. That seems sort of an oxymoron to me. I believe that going to the scriptures might shed some light on this conundrum. So I did a little bit of research first asking about fear in the Bible. Who was afraid and why? Then I asked ‘so what’—what difference does fear make in one’s life. And third, I asked what are the best passages in Scripture that would help us let go of fear.
First, what about fear in the people of Bible times? Who needed to be told to calm down and not to be afraid. I wondered whether people have always been as afraid as we have reason to be today? Here’s what I found:
Abram had to be told by God “Do not be afraid.”
Joseph told his own brothers “Don’t be afraid.”
God told Joshua “Do not be terrified.”
Samuel said to the Israelites “Do not be afraid.”
Jahaziel the prophet told the Israelites “Do not be afraid…”
God spoke to the Israelites through Isaiah saying “Fear not, for I have redeemed you.”
In his instructions to the disciples, Jesus says, “So don’t be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.”
The angel said to Paul “Do not be afraid, Paul.”
These examples just scratch the surface of both the New and Old Testaments.
So yes, people had lots of reasons to fear in the Bible. All the way though the whole canon of scripture. In some ways this was a bit heartwarming to me—fear is nothing new and it is prevalent among those featured throughout the Bible. At least that made me realize I wasn’t alone. My next question was about the effects of fear. Now that I was certain many many folks experience fear and have throughout history, I wondered really what fear does to us. Now, it isn’t like fear is ‘wrong’ necessarily. In some ways it is a good thing because of the ‘fight or flight’ reflex it provide us. It can be a technique for survival. But as a chronic condition, it takes away much more from us than it provides—it robs us of the present because we are projecting out to the future.
I heard somewhere that an acronym FEAR is False Expectations Appearing Real. What happens when you have chronic fear? These false expectations can impede love and trust of our fellow man. Fear and selfishness then follow. Fear and selfishness could result in unjust activity. There was a story the other day about a man from Syria who was tapped for a humanitarian award from an organization in the United States. He flew over to this country to collect it but was not allowed through customs because officials were afraid, so he had to go back to his country without collecting his award. Remember the Japanese who were put into internment camps. Many lost their jobs and home just because they were Japanese and we were afraid.
Then I realized that fear and selfishness cannot move us closer to mercy, compassion or peace or grace. Fear is just the opposite. Fear begets more fear, revenge, or retribution. Fear replaces reason with emotion. Fear means Satan has us in his control; he has won. I think this concept is important when we think about our fear of ‘false doctrines’ creeping into our church.
Most importantly, fear closes our heart and minds. It makes us turn away from those who may need us. It makes us do unchristian things like refuse to help others, or judge those around us. Fear makes us stop listening. So chronic fear is not a good thing.
My next task was to think about ways to combat my fears? For some reason one of the first things I thought about was right in my own profession. Many of you know that I am a speech language pathologist. I work occasionally with clients who are anxious or fearful—particularly those children with Autism. One thing we do to help lessen that fear, is to provide them a roadmap about what is going to happen during our time together. We call it a visual schedule—it is a series of pictures of the activities we are planning. The pictures are lined up on a piece of paper or poster board with pictures of those activities attached with velcro. That way the child knows what is coming and when he is finished with an activity he takes the picture away so he knows what is left. I have found that time after time, when the child can see what he has left to do, and what he has already accomplished, that his anxiety diminishes greatly. I think the Bible is God’s visual schedule for us, particularly for us more anxious types. It lets us know where we are and where we’re going.
Another technique to help lessen a child’s fear is called a social story. This is a little story with pictures that walks the child through a new experience or an experience where he has previously been afraid. Maybe he has to go to the doctor or a new school etc. The story often is told in the first person so it is like the child is talking to himself. For example the story might say something like, “I am going to see the doctor. I will get in the car and ride to the doctor’s office. When I get there, I will wait while my mother signs the papers. I will sit and wait my turn. When I get into the little room I will get up on the table and the doctor will come in. She will listen to my heart beat with her stethoscope. It may feel cold but I will be ok.” The story also suggests ways to feel about things e.g. “I am going to the doctor. I will not be afraid. I will not worry. I know the doctor will listen to my heart. I will cooperate and be ok.” Many times these stories are very helpful in guiding the child through what otherwise might be a difficult experience. Likewise I think the Bible might be sort of like God’s social story for us. It is like God is saying “Here are the way marks and you will be ok.”
I read somewhere that “Do not be afraid” is written in the Bible around 365 times. That’s like God telling us this every day not to be afraid—every single day. Isn’t that comforting! Every day! Listen to following Biblical passages and let the words wash over you and cleanse you from any fears you may have.
In Genesis 15:1 even though Abram was recently victorious in war he was still fearful. God in a vision of Abram, says: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”
God said to Joshua, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go”. (Joshua 1:9)
Samuel said to the Israelites “Do not be afraid..you have done all this evil; do not turn away from the Lord but serve the Lord with all your heart.” (1 Samuel 12:20).
Jeremiah said in Jeremiah 17:8 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
When the whole nation of Israel was trembling like the leaves of the forest before a mighty invading army, Jahaziel, the prophet, said under the inspiration of the Lord: “Listen….this is what the Lord says to you. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army, for the battle is not yours but God’s.” 2 Chronicles 20:15.
In Psalm 46 1-3 it says “God is our refuge and strength, A ever present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way, and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea; Though its waters roar and foam, and the mountains shake with their surging.” This Psalm is what Martin Luther paraphrased when he wrote A Mighty fortress is our God. This Psalm was ‘sung’ by the Israelites after a victory in the days of Jehosaphat. John Wesley repeated portions of is as he was dying. It reminds us that our strength is not in our self nor in secular powers but in God alone.
David again had wonderful words to say in Psalm 56:3 “When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God whose word I praise. In God I trust I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?”
In Proverbs I:33 “But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, and will be secure, without fear of evil.” This means that those who follow God’s council can find peace in a world of woe. They look forward with confidence to the salvation that has been promised. Just reading these words makes me less fearful, how about you?
And in Isaiah 41:10 he says “So do not fear, for I am with you, do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
And in Isaiah 43:1 he says “But now, thus says the Lord, who created you O Jacob, and He who formed you O Israel: Fear Not, For I have redeemed you: I have called you by your name; You are mine.”
New Testament:
In I John 4:18: (NIV) “There is no fear in love; but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” In this passage we are told that fear is self centered, fear cannot exist in presence of true love.
In Mark 5:36 (NIV) “…Jesus told him, “Don’t’ be afraid. Just believe.” Jesus is speaking to Jairus whose daughter had died and Jesus resurrected her. Where there is fear, there is little faith. Faith drives out fear. When fear haunts our souls and taunts our feeble faith, let us do as Jesus told Jairus “only believe”. We have evidence that when we believe all things are possible.
Back to John 14:27 (NIV) when Jesus is talking to the disciples telling them how he will be leaving and the Holy Spirit will come to them. He says “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” The group had anxieties about the future that were swallowed up in implicit trust in God. They may not have understood exactly but they knew enough to trust.
Paul said in Hebrews 13:6 “So we say with confidence, the Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”
When I hear these words I am once again reminded that while we don’t know everything, we can rest in God knowing he will be with us no matter where we go. He has bigger and better things for us to concentrate on that will keep our minds and hearts open and turned toward him. He will convict us if we let him that there are no monsters under the bed, no crabs in our bed and we can rest confidently in his love.
Let me leave you with the words of Psalm 139: verses 23 and 24: “Search me O God and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Amen