"FAITH THAT CANCELS FEAR"
Intro: There are two fears that seem to constantly assail our souls. Fear of the future, fear of the present. Moses in these final talks has been encouraging them, "Fear not, be of good courage, be not dismayed."
I. THE NATURE OF OUR FEARS.
A. Fear of the future.
1. Why do we fear future?
a. Always a certain fear of unknown.
b. We fear because we look to the wrong place, to the uncertainty.
2. We fear for future of this world, church, Christ, ourselves.
a. What is this world coming to?
b. The Church seems so apostate.
c. People seem to reject Jesus more & more.
d. What's going to happen to me?
B. Fear of the present.
1. How am I to escape my present dilemma?
2. It seems at times the bottom has fallen out from under us.
3. I fear those forces around me that seem to threaten the things I love.
4. Daily we are faced with situations that would tempt us to fear.
II. THE ANSWER TO OUR FEARS.
A. As to the fear of the future "the eternal God is our refuge" or dwelling place.
1. Word eternal interesting, root is (sun rising), hence the beginning.
2. How would God help me as I fear what tomorrow might hold?
a. He would have me look at the past, He was there at the beginning.
1. World (He brought order out of Chaos).
2. Church (He founded it on Rock & gates of hell cannot prevail against it);
3. Christ (To an unbelieving world filled with paganism He manifested His power to heal & to save...)
4. Myself (It was God who drew me to Himself to begin with.) He did not draw me so He could later cast me away.
"looking unto Jesus..."
The God of the beginnings is my refuge.
B. As to fear of present "underneath are the everlasting arms."
1. How low can you get?
a. What is the point of absolute bottom?
2. When you get down to the very lowest possible position "underneath."
3. Arms always a symbol of strength.
a. Next time fear grips your heart and you begin to wonder if God can hold you up in this situation-look up: See the heavens. "When I see the heavens the work of thy fingers.
b. The heavens are work of His fingers, but underneath of you is everlasting Arms.
c. Word everlasting in Heb. much stronger than eternal vanishing point.
III. WHY DO WE BECOME GRIPPED WITH FEAR?
A. I fear what I don't know & fear what I do know.
B. Fear is the result of an absence of faith.
C. We have our eyes on wrong things, "They endured as seeing the invisible." Start looking to God!