It's Not a Good Time to Be Afraid

And so look, look, here's the deal.

I want to talk to you about something that I believe it's the most perpetual reoccurring problem that that is attacking the body of Christ uh right now in a way that I believe we have to gain control over it, and it's this subject of fear.

Now, I know that a lot of us make mistakes, but what happens is when we make mistakes, we we feel like there's no way to get out of it.

We we're convinced that God is mad at us.

So let's do a quick survey to prove that you're not you're not the only one that's making mistakes.

Raise your hand if you've ever lied before.

You gotta raise your hand because if you lie in church, God will kill you.

Okay.

Okay, how many of you have ever procrastinated too much?

You probably won't raise your hand until next week because you're a procrastinator.

How many of you won't raise your hand no matter what?

Oh, gotcha.

I love that.

It reeled you in.

How many of you have ever stolen anything?

How about even a gateway ink pen?

Come on.

Okay, you busted.

Okay, how many of you have ever put God in a slot that wasn't the first slot in your life?

Think about it.

You just admitted to me that you participate in idolatry.

Uh, you steal things, you're a liar, you you put everything off.

Welcome to Gateway Church where we make people feel better about themselves.

All right, here's the deal.

I I make mistakes too.

My first year of marriage, it was it wasn't good.

Michelle and I were arguing all the time.

Uh being in the ministry, I didn't have any friends to tell.

Uh it was it was a difficult season.

We argued so much, it was like we had wars and rumors of wars at our house.

I remember reading that verse, don't go to bed with anger in your heart.

I was staying up for like 30, 40 days at a time.

And so when we make mistakes, we think that it's over for us.

And then if if you're paying attention to what's going on globally, there's a tendency for us to be petrified.

So I know that you do this at times, but I want you to turn to two different passages of scripture, uh, vintage Robert Morris.

All right.

Uh, first passage, turn to Psalms chapter 34, if you will, and then verse 4.

Psalms 34 · chapter mention

It says, I prayed to the Lord, and he answered and freed me from my fears.

Now, I am convinced, and before you speak to people, you have to assume something.

And I'm assuming, sorry about that, I don't know what I did, but I won't do it again.

But if you have to assume that people are trapped in something, or maybe you have to assume that people are having a certain tendency, and I'm assuming right now that many of you are afraid, perhaps afraid of the future, afraid of the future for your children, uh, afraid of your relationship with God.

Many people they believe, you know, I know that God loves me, but there's one or two things that I've done in my life that I don't know if God could ever forgive me for them.

And if you really zero in and you become friends with these people, they'll go, you know, I really believe that God is mad at me.

And when we get stuck and we feel like that there's no chance for us to grow again, a lot of times we're paralyzed.

Fear paralyzes people more than any other subject that I know of in the Word.

And the Bible says God hasn't given us a spirit of fear, but of love, power, and a sound mind, but yet we do have a spirit of fear.

So is this scripture wrong?

No.

Fear is illegally attached to you.

It's just like Paul said, there is no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus.

But yet there is.

It's the biggest battle that we have, even outside of this category that I'm speaking on now.

Condemnation and the weight of that.

So why is it there?

It's illegally attached to us.

So now turn to Luke chapter 12, and this is where we're gonna rest for a little bit as I build this idea that you can overcome fear.

Luke 12 · chapter mention

And in fact, if you believe that with me, give the Lord a hand right now.

You believe that you can.

You believe it.

All right.

In the Bible, this guy named Luke, if I was to ask you, name the 12 disciples.

Most Christians may struggle with that.

Perhaps you knew it at one time and then you forgot.

But but many of you would go, okay, uh, okay, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

You would do that.

And but you would already be wrong.

Uh, because Luke wasn't a disciple.

And in fact, Luke was a doctor, he was a full-time doctor, probably on a stipend.

Uh, many people believe that he gave his heart to the Lord on Paul's missionary journeys, maybe to Antioch, where we were first called Christians.

It could have been later on.

But but Luke, Dr.

Luke, he never saw one miracle that Jesus did.

And in fact, he had to investigate it.

He he didn't write the book of Luke so he could write about the most popular and be in the most popular book that was ever read or written.

He he wrote it because he had a friend Theophilus, that he wanted Theophilus and he wanted himself to know the truth.

He wanted to know the orderly accounts of what happened with Christ.

Over 50% of the book of Luke is just words from Jesus.

And in fact, if you was uh to study this out, you would know that Luke has written more than anyone else in the New Testament.

A lot of people think it is Paul, but it's not.

Paul wrote the most books.

Luke, he wrote the most words.

But since he never saw anything that happened, he just had to go out and investigate.

So he found Mary.

And he said, Mary, now look, how did you find out?

I'm a doctor.

How'd you find out you were pregnant?

Did a doctor tell you?

Oh no, it was an angel.

Oh, an angel, okay.

Well, tell me about that.

What did Joseph say when he found out about it?

Well, he was mad.

Well, how mad?

He was saying, Hide your kids, how'd your wife?

I mean, he was upset.

Okay, then what else happened?

Okay, then he went around, he said, All right, now 5,000 people were fed.

Let's find some people that were there.

And so he went to them.

He said, Now, this was catered in food, correct?

Right?

And they said, No, no, no.

Well, then how did he feed them?

Was there a lot of food on hand?

No, there was just one kid who had some lunchables.

That was all they had.

And God multiplied it.

Okay?

Did Jesus swim over to y'all one time when you were in the boat?

No, that's not how it happened.

He actually walked over to us.

Well, tell me about that.

Well, we we would always get aggravated with Peter.

He we were jealous of him.

He would try anything.

He made a lot of mistakes, but the Lord loved him.

One particular time he actually walked out to Jesus and we were jealous, but then he sunk and we were happy.

And then Jesus grabbed him and we were jealous again.

This is who Luke is.

He was thinking about how he could communicate this to his friend Theophilus, who didn't know truth, who wanted to know truth.

He was a governing official, and so Luke, methodically, he went through writing down some of these stories, and we're gonna take up the passage of scripture.

But what you must need to know, you've got to know that what I'm about to give to you is not some sort of a tip of the day.

The Lord, when he spoke these words about fear, it wasn't it wasn't like in the church I grew up in, they would use the word nugget a lot.

I hate that word.

The lady would say, I've got a nugget from scripture today.

How many know we need to bury that word, all right?

But but Jesus never stood up and said, I have a nugget for everyone.

No, it wasn't a tip, it wasn't a helpful hint.

It was an idea that you could be set free from fear, and that fear was a recurring problem, that you could do something about it right now.

So this is what he said in Luke chapter 12 and verse 22.

Luke 12 · chapter mention

And Jesus said to his disciples, he said, Alright, he said, I'll tell you the truth.

Do not worry about your life.

Do not worry about what you're gonna eat, or about your body, about what you're gonna wear.

For life is more than food, and the body, it's more than clothes.

Then he said, Consider the ravens.

Now this is huge because a raven, he's getting ready to talk about how ravens are taken care of, and a raven is really nothing more than a rat with wings.

And God is trying to let you know if he's gonna take care of a rat with wings, how much more will he take care of you?

So let's continue.

He said, So they do not sow or reap, talking about ravens.

They have no storeroom or born, yet God feeds them, and how much more valuable you are than birds?

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?

We'll talk about that.

Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

Consider how the wild flowers grow.

They do not labor or spin, yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all of his splendor was dressed like one of these.

If that is how God clotes the grass of the field, where it's here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you?

You of little faith.

And do not set your hearts on what you'll eat or drink, do not worry about it, for the pagan world runs after all these such things, and your father knows that you need them.

But now he gets into solutions.

But but seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you as well.

Do not be afraid, little flock, for your father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.

Sell your possessions, give to the poor, provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, and treasures in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near near, and no moth destroyed, for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Now, everybody look here just for a minute.

Have you noticed that these are weird times that we live in?

But Jesus actually said that there'll be many afflictions for the righteous people, but I will deliver you from them all.

He actually said, Do not worry, for I've overcome the world.

In this world you will have trouble.

It's so easy for us to look around.

There's never been a time for us to be more afraid.

That's the bad news.

The good news is 90% of what we're worrying about never happens anyway.

But yet we're afraid.

So Jesus looked at us, and again, this topic has been mentioned in the Word more than any other topic, from Genesis to Revelation.

More than money, more than prayer.

Why?

Why would he talk about this so much?

Because he knew in our life we were just going to be going from worry to worry, from fear to fear.

We'd finally get over one thing and we'd be afraid of something else.

There's a lady in our church over the last three years, she's had four kids and she hasn't had twins or triplets.

I went up to her and I said, It's amazing how many kids you have.

It's like you get pregnant while you're still pregnant.

It's like the doctors say, It's a boy.

You're pregnant.

You know, it's amazing.

But this is what happens.

We're impregnated with fear, and then again.

And now it's out of control as it multiplies in our life.

I believe this subject, the reason why it's talked about so much is because the Lord knew that you're gonna deal with this more than anything else.

It's like my fourth grade teacher.

My fourth grade teacher said, if I say it a lot in the class, it's probably gonna be on the test.

And this is the reason why the Lord talks about it so much.

If you think about the encounters that he had with people that he was trying to mentor, what one time he told the disciples, some of them, he said, Let's go to the other side.

We're gonna go to the other side.

Let's get in a boat and go to the other side.

That was the word of the Lord.

We're gonna go to the other side.

But about halfway there, they they were afraid because there was a storm that was kicking up.

And in fact, they were very wise about storms.

Usually it's what you know most about, is where you're most afraid.

The storm started kicking up, and Jesus was sleeping.

And they were panicking.

You can imagine the faces and the fear, and finally they said, Let's wake up, Jesus.

They woke up Jesus, and then they said, Don't you even care what we're going through?

Don't you even care?

Jesus looked at them and said, Why are you so afraid?

Then he looked over at the storm and he said, Peace be still.

Not only did the wind stop, but every wave stopped.

These guys were messed up right before they were just screaming, and now you talk about awkward.

It was awkward.

The Lord looked at them and said, Why are you so afraid?

Look, either you're gonna listen to the to the elements that are around you, to the culture that you live in, or you're gonna listen to God's word and his promises.

How many want God's word to be what you listen to?

Well, you don't want to listen to culture.

I'll prove it to you.

Ladies, remember in the 80s, culture told you your hair would look really good if it's very, very tall.

Remember that?

What about guys?

Remember that?

In the 80s short shorts, tube socks, reebox shoes, a fanny pack?

Come on.

If you saw that guy now, you'd walk over, call him a pedophile, and slap him upside his head.

Culture lied to you.

It's probably lying to you right now.

It's the reason why we need God's word to guide us.

So I feel like that the first thing that we could talk about around this fear is that worry, please write this down.

Worry, it places huge limits on your life.

This is why you said you can't even add a single hour to your life when you worry.

Now, quickly, please.

How many of you, you hope to go to heaven someday?

One.

That's gonna be a great day, right?

You get to heaven, you see the enormity of God.

You're gonna be so glad you made it.

Come on, you know that's gonna be good.

And but when you look around, because every one of us are gonna die.

The stats are showing now, one out of one.

It's up there.

So you're gonna die.

Even if all you do is eat organic food, you're still gonna die.

The only difference is you're gonna die in a nasty taste in your mouth where I'm not.

That's the only difference.

That's the only difference.

Fear.

That's funny right there.

I don't care what you say.

Fear is a nasty taste that is in our hearts.

So many people, especially those of you that are under 30 years of age, the way the fear grips you, I'm amazed at how many young people they they won't apply for a job that they could probably get.

They'll choose a major in college that they do not want because they're afraid to do the one that they want.

And dreams are deteriorated.

And if you talk to people in your generation, they won't look you in the eye and they're not confident in the future.

Even guys, the way they talk to girls, they'll they'll text them to ask them out and text to break up with them because they don't know what to say.

Look, this church is loaded with single people and they're good looking.

If you're a single person here, you gotta bump it up a little bit.

So, guys, here's the tip of the day.

If you don't know what to say, just go over to her, find somebody that loves God, go over to her, there's scones or donuts, something out there, just go over to them and say, You want a scone?

That's all you gotta say.

That as the tip of the day.

You you can get a date that way.

Number two.

Number two.

I believe that God wants us seeking his kingdom first, and it gives us a clear view.

Look, I was talking about heaven a while ago.

When we get to heaven and we see how big God is, there's a strong chance that we'll look back to these days, and we'll think, why didn't we go for it more?

Why do we hesitate so often?

Why was I a ball and chain to the vision of the church?

Why didn't I dream bigger dreams and then try harder, get up and move?

In verse 30 says, for the pagan world runs after all these things, and your father, he knows that you need them.

But then in verse 31, but seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

Look, in front of all of us.

This is in front of me as well.

I have two choices daily, every day.

This side is like the way of the world.

It's it's it's constantly a pull.

I would love to be able to tell you that the world never fascinates me.

The lights, the ideas, the strategies that go with it, sometimes it's just so intriguing.

But I promise you that if you go down that road, that you'll find that it's false advertisement, that you'll be tricked, it's trickery.

You head down that road, and at some point you realize, man, what's going on?

And then a lot of people they don't realize how good God is at forgiving people, so they don't know that they can actually travel down a different road, the road that the Father would want you on.

It's the road towards the kingdom.

Scripture says, this one is similar to it, seek first the kingdom of God, and all things will be added unto you.

The problem is we we we don't believe that if we seek God first, that everything will be added unto us.

As a result, we're trying to do it all.

We're moving through life at a high rate of speed, at Mach II.

How many enduring relationships can be built at Mach II?

How many times can you apologize to your wife and make it up with your kids when you're traveling at Mach II?

We're busy, busier than we've ever been.

Our children are busy.

A lot of times it's related to fear because we don't want to miss out, and we don't want our kids to miss out.

So we put them in soccer and then we put them in music lessons, and then we put them in football, and then we drive them around.

They're involved in every different type of club because we do not want them to miss out.

We're afraid.

Look, what we're missing out on is a great life.

A lot of our kids can't even go to the youth group because they're so busy.

The Bible says you seek first the kingdom of God, and all things will be added unto you.

Can it have an amen?

Listen, I pastor a church that is large.

It's not as large as this church, but every now and then somebody will come over to me.

Robert and I have not talked about this, so I don't know if it happens here.

But somebody will come over to me and they'll say, New Life Church is getting, it's getting too big.

It's getting too big for me.

So you may think that that I don't like that because our church is big, but I promise you that's not the reason.

Because before we were a big church, that statement would bother me when someone would start attending our church from a large church in town.

I would catch them in the foyer and they'd say, We're coming here because we're leaving that big church.

We wanted to come here to this church, it's smaller.

And I'd say, Well, do you know what do you want to leave in that church for?

Well, it's just too big.

All they care about is numbers.

I'm thinking, what's too big about it?

Is there is it's children's ministry too big?

Are too many marriages being healed?

Are there are there too many people getting saved?

Is that what it is?

Oh, the lines are too long to get coffee?

What's too big?

Well, all they care about is numbers.

Well, God cares about numbers.

He knew how many people were saved in the early church every day.

He must have counted.

He knows how many hairs are on your head, even the original color.

That's hard to keep up with.

There's a book in the Bible called Numbers.

Okay, that's out of context.

I get it.

I tell people, I said, look, you can find a church anywhere where you can park right up next to the building.

But I'm gonna tell you that God's hand is on this church.

It's no accident.

It's related to the teaching of the word for the innocence, the impure, the purity, the integrity, the way that they honor people.

They're building relationships with God and one another, just like the early church.

Yes, they had the power of God, but the Bible says they met together with glad and sincere hearts.

I've never been around Robert and the staff.

I know a lot of the staff and the leaders here.

I have friends that attend here.

They're aiming to be above suspicion in the eyes of God and man.

They're humble.

When I talk to Robert, it's not about how great he is.

He doesn't go down that road.

He's telling me about something that he needs prayer for.

Something that he's believing God to do.

He's sincere.

God has touched this church and it's advancing, but God doesn't want to leave anyone out, and fear paralyzes.

So many people say, I can't be used by God.

There's no way.

There's no way.

He doesn't want to use me.

He wants to use other people, but not me.

Fear paralyzes.

Number three.

Seeking God as a father, it changes everything.

We've mentioned this, but in verse 32 it says, Do not be afraid, little flock, for your father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.

Now, look here for a minute.

I don't know what your biggest fear is, but but I have noticed a lot of times where you're most gifted is where you're also most afraid.

My wife was petrified to become a senior pastor's wife.

She's probably better at it than anyone I've ever met.

Except maybe Debbie.

In fact, she's a lot like Debbie.

I don't know what the enemy was telling my wife.

I'm I'm a speaker, I'm a preacher, I communicate, this is what I do.

I'm like the mouth to the body of Christ, to our church.

Well, growing up, it was the biggest intimidation of my life to speak.

I would hyperventilate, I would run out of air.

A lot of times, right where you're anointed is where you're most afraid.

And God is saying, stop being afraid.

It's time to start going for it again.

We just do not have time to be afraid.

Can I have an amen?

Look, I got a dog in my house.

He's a Yorkie, he weighs four pounds, he's not all that.

But how many have a dog?

How many have a cat?

Why would you have a cat?

Okay, back to you.

Okay, back to you.

This dog, if you this dog loves my whole family, but he doesn't like me.

Uh if he only knew how much I loved him, I've never kicked him, I've never cussed at him, I've never swung at him.

I love him.

I want him to be my friend.

I tried to give him treats, I tried to be nice to him, I've tried different ways to pronounce his name.

If if I get too close to him, he turns upside down and he'll pee right over my head.

If that dog only knew how I could hook him up.

What about God?

Give him something to work with.

Why are you so afraid?

The Lord is looking at you, the Prince of Peace, and saying, stop it.

We have a lot to do.

I don't want you out of this.

Look, the hand of God is on this church, and we know it's a favorable church, but the vision of this church was never for 50% of the people to tap in on what God is doing.

It's never been for 75.

It's always been 100% of the people involved and being blessed.

I mean, some churches may say, hey, if you're not gonna get involved here, then we want your seat.

Gateway's not like that.

They don't want your seat, they want you.

And if you get up every day afraid that you can't do it and that you will fail, then you're gonna give up.

And the greatest moments of being a Christ follower won't be around you.

And I'm telling you, these are the greatest days to be bold in our faith.

Are y'all out there?

And number four.

Your treasure is your measure.

Now I know it's a little too fancy, kind of, kind of uh a little, a little quirky, but look, your treasure is your measure.

In verse 33, the Lord goes, I have books on fear I like to read.

I have books on fear that you can stack them up higher than my head.

But Jesus goes to a tactic to solve fear differently than anyone else.

Years ago I read this book, it was called The Upside Down Kingdom, and it described very, very clearly that in corporate America, if you want to be number one, you better be number one.

If you want to be the greatest, you better be the greatest.

This is just the way it is.

But in the kingdom, in around the things of God, around gateway, it's not who's the greatest.

If you want to be first in the kingdom of God, you've got to be willing to be last.

If you want to be the greatest, you gotta be willing to be the least.

If you want to live, you gotta be willing to die.

Well, if you want to have freedom, you've got to be able to give something away.

And the Lord looks at them and says, Sell your possessions and give to the poor.

Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, and treasures in heaven that will not fail, where no thief comes near, and no moth destroys, for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Jesus is saying, every book that I've ever read on fear, it says, Take care of yourself, you better cover your back, you gotta know how to care for yourself.

Get up every day and look out for yourself.

Jesus flips it, and he says, No, if you want to get rid of fear, pay attention to the needs that are around you.

Pay attention.

I had this man in our church recently, and I wish I could go into the details because this is a very moving story, but he came to me and he said, Rick, I've been coming to this church for five years, and I realized that I was, I'm a hindrance around here.

Every time you have any vision, every time you share about leadership, I'm like a ball in chain.

I just hold back, I never go with it.

He said, and then it hit me, why am I a hindrance to the most important thing to God?

The bride of Christ.

He said, So I changed the way that I get up and the way that I think.

And he said, it's changed my mindset, the way I, the way I father my children, the way I love my wife, the confidence that I have.

And we were talking about, he said, he said, it's like, it's like I just dropped all this fear, that this fear that was overwhelming me about the future and the reason why I would hold on.

It was like I dropped it, and immediately God replaced it with confidence.

And I reminded him of a scripture that I love.

Look at this.

In Psalms 55, in verse 22, it says, cast your cares.

Everybody say cast.

Cast your cares on the Lord.

That word cast, this is what it means.

In a minute, we're gonna pray for different people that are here.

This word cast, it literally means walk into the presence of God and drop it.

And never pick it up again.

You know how long it's been since some of you have heard a voice from the Lord, even in Scripture?

Some of you, your prayer life, it's not strong because you're not convinced that God even wants you involved and engaged with Him.

And then you're afraid and you think there's no way out of this.

So many have given up on their relationship with God and walked away.

And then others, they are fake in their relationship with God.

And perhaps that's you right now.

I love this scripture because he said, Cast your care, just bring it to me and drop it.

God, he will replace the fear with an honor of his name.

Job said, What I fear most has come upon me.

Well, if we fear God the most, he will be with us and work with us and move and have his meaning, and you'll know who you are and the identity of Christ.

And that's when we change the way that we live, the way that we pray, the way we interact, the way that we dream, how we schedule our day, the way we love our wives, the way we love our church.

And if you believe that, give the Lord a hand.

Come on right now at Gateway.

I love this church.

I love everything God is doing.

Let's bow our heads.

Please, no one looking around.

We're gonna give you a chance in just a few moments to come up.

It's it's actually this church's favorite moment because we get to pray for needs, and just about everybody in this church has been up here to be prayed for at one time or another.

But right now we've exposed a truth.

It's a truth that fear it destroys.

It's also a truth that you don't have to live next to it with it.

The Lord says, just call on my name and I will be there.

All around this room, no one, no one looking around.

Let's be as respectful as we can, but let's just go ahead and assume that some of you, you have never been in a relationship with the Lord.

Or some of you, perhaps you walked away.

And you have a lot of trouble thinking that God wants you back.

And then others of you, you you've forgotten how good the Lord is at forgiving people.

You've forgotten how good He is at setting people free.

He can overwhelm you in this service tonight.

The hand of God is amazing, and it doesn't matter how far you've been running, some of you are exhausted because of this fear.

Because of your distance between where you are and where God is.

And the Spirit of God is saying, Come back.

I want you close to me.

This is where I prefer you to be.

Lord, I thank you for everyone that is here in this church.

I thank you for your hand that is on this church.

Thank you, Lord God, for everything our church has learned about this church and how to grow a church.

Lord, I also want to thank you how this church doesn't just care about the numbers, but they care about the one.

And Lord, even if there's only one person that is here, that is away from you and bound by these chains of fear.

I give you the glory, Lord, that when you set someone free, they are free indeed.

They're never the same.

God, I ask for you to overwhelm people.

And then when they get in their car and they go home, Lord, I pray that they'll drive differently.

They'll go to sleep differently, they'll wake up tomorrow differently.

They'll know that you're with them and you're the lifter of our head, and that we do not have to be afraid.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen and amen.