The Unbearable Weight of Fear

Well, it is awesome, awesome to be with you guys uh today as we begin this new series titled Fear Not.

And um so thankful to be with my church family.

My name is Russ.

If I hadn't met you, I'm one of the pastors here at Church of the Grove, and we want to say a big welcome to all of you that are with us today.

And and more than anything, we want you to have an encounter uh with Jesus.

And so as we begin uh this series, um I I was thinking back to when I was a child, there were a few places that I just didn't like to go to on our family property.

And I was often asked or given responsibility as one of three boys to try to help with something.

One place that I that I hated to go was to the barn out behind our house.

Because why did I hate to go to the barn?

It was dark and it smelled awful and it was full of old stuff.

And so I hated to be asked to go into the crawl space under our house to repair something, which my parents finally learned not to ask me because I just couldn't do it.

But sometimes it was to go get an animal or a varmit, which or a snake or those things, and I'm like, I didn't.

I've got two older brothers, let's send one of them.

And but it but it looked a little bit like this, and this might be a sweet memory for you.

Hello, Uncle Frank, Uncle Frank, you such a joke, Megan, Lenny.

Is this a joke?

That is our obligatory home alone video clip for the Christmas season.

Uh, you gotta you gotta share something or refer to home alone at least once during the Christmas season.

But I don't know if you have ever been in that position as a as a as we think about children, we're afraid of a lot of things.

And there's something about fear that that is so evil and so uh strategic in the life in the life of the enemy and what he wants to do to keep God from getting the glory that he deserves and from seeing your life transformed.

Fear is one of the major tools of the enemy.

And we all can identify with that reality of us being afraid of a closet or afraid of something under our bed, or or we've got children that have experienced those same fears.

But and we we we might laugh at this video clip.

We might laugh when we think about the stories with ourselves or our kids, but very often it's the grown-up fears that grip our heart.

It's the grown-up fears, and they're not funny.

It may not be the closet, but it's the bank account.

It may not be the dark, but it's a diagnosis.

It may not be a clown at the fair, but it's a conversation that you know you've got to have, and it's not a pleasant one.

It's the job that's not stable, it's the marriage that is strained, the child you're that um that you're raising or or you are watching as they wander away.

Uh this world can provoke fear in our hearts and our lives, this world that feels unstable.

And here's what I've learned: one of the greatest fears we can have is is the fear of life not going as we have planned.

And for some of us, you know what I'm talking about.

You had plans when you were 16, you had plans when you were 21, you had plans when you were 30 and 35 and 40, and and and you're thinking maybe at the place you are as you look back that it hasn't turned out the way that you thought it was going to turn out.

And for many of us, our greatest fear is not a monster under the bed, but it's the reality of our lives not going according to the plans that we had.

And listen, we we love a God, we're we're excited about a God, we want to explore a God who will bless our plans.

And we struggle with a God who changes our plans.

And we love it when prayers are answered quickly, when doors are opened, and when things simply make sense according to us.

But when God reroutes us, when things slow down and says, you know, God may say no, he may say not now.

Whatever his response to our prayer, fear can grip our soul.

And I don't know if it's fear that will absolutely go away, but sometimes we've got to be willing to step forward in faith in spite of the fear.

So some of our some of us are living in fear.

There's something going on in our life, and it it provokes fear.

It stokes fear in our hearts.

It may be a relationship that you thought would end differently.

It might be a a job that didn't feel uh that wasn't as secure as you thought it was.

It might be your health, hoping your health will bounce back.

It might be a child that needs to take a turn.

You thought a move somewhere or a job change would make life a little bit easier.

Maybe you thought a dream from years ago would have happened by now.

And some say that fear, listen, listen to this.

Some say that fear is the opposite of faith.

But when you think about it, fear is faith.

But it's faith in worst-case scenarios.

And that's not from God.

Fear is not from God.

2 Timothy 1.7 says this, for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, power, love, and sound judgment or a sound mind.

And so as we approach this season, regardless of where you are and what's happened to this point, as you approach this season, we're gonna look at three specific places in the Christmas story over the next few weeks where an angel appears and says, Fear not.

Do not be afraid.

You do not have to give in to the fear that the enemy wants you to be plagued with.

When we think about the Christmas story, it's wrapped in fear as we look at these characters and the circumstances.

And part of that is God is interrupting all the plans, interrupting Mary's plans, interrupting Joseph's plans, interrupting the life of shepherds and King Herod, even, and the wise men, the magi.

Everyone's surprised, everyone is confused, everyone's plans get wrecked in this story.

Troubles everywhere they turn.

And we, I think we could be encouraged by what we're gonna read as we as we spend the next few minutes in scripture.

Let's pray, let's just pray that God would speak to us.

Father, I believe that this Bible that we have in our hands, whether it's paper and leather or electronic, it is your word.

And God, when we open up the Bible, you open up your mouth and you speak to us.

And Lord, I think, and I desire and I believe that there's probably some people here that can be encouraged by the words.

Fear not, fear not.

Because maybe they found their place, they're they're they're at a place in their life where fear is a reality.

So, Lord, speak to us, encourage us in Jesus' name.

Amen.

So as we look, we're gonna be in Luke chapter 1.

Luke 1 · chapter mention

If you want to turn and um in your copy of God's word, Luke chapter 1, we're looking at the story of Mary.

Luke 1 · chapter mention

Mary is the mother of Jesus, but when we find her in this story, she's a teenage girl.

Um, it's a it I would imagine from her perspective, this this is a very traumatic experience.

She's in a relationship with a young guy named Joseph, and Mary had a plan.

Mary had dreams, just like any young woman, young girl, or young man would have.

Vision for how her life was supposed to go.

She was gonna marry Joe.

Right?

She had a vision for how things were gonna go.

He was gonna start a carpentry business from scratch.

And he would, they would get things going in their life.

It would be hard, as it has been and is for all of us, but Joe was a hard worker, and she had faith that he would work hard to support the family.

She was engaged to be married.

She's got the ring on her finger.

Maybe it's not as the big a stone as she would like, and that Shane and Shane, or whoever it is, the jewelers that tell you that you have to have certain times your paycheck, and if you do the math, it's always a lot.

But they were they were blessed.

Probably had a date booked in the spring, just right after Passover celebration, April 26th.

It was going to be cool, but not too hot.

I mean, this is our story.

They had a venue booked, they had the dream location, they had big enough for the whole family.

They had set aside money for a honeymoon.

They were going to the coast of the Mediterranean.

Put their toes in the sand.

She had a dream of what their life would look like and how things would go.

They couldn't afford to start off with a house, they'd probably have to get an apartment for a season and save some money.

And they had dreams of having kids.

You ever been there?

I don't know exactly how things went, but I'm sure that there was a plan, but I'm also sure of this that God interrupted their plans.

And if you ever thought, why did God do that?

Why does God often interrupt our plans?

It's been said, if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.

And so why?

Why do we remember that God, because God is sovereign, God is the creator.

Listen, we've got to remember who God is, what his mission is, what his plans are for us, and we've got to make sure we segue, we yield, we surrender to what he has for us.

And so I want to look at this story and I want to highlight about six realities for us.

And the first reality is this God's purpose is often very different from our plans.

Very, very basic, understood principle.

He says in Luke 1, verses 26 through 29, 99, 26 through 29, in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph of the house of David.

Luke 1:26–29

The virgin's name was Mary.

And the angel came to her and said, Greetings, favored woman, the Lord is with you.

But she was deeply troubled.

Star that, underline it, draw a circle around it.

Deeply troubled by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be.

And that that those two words, I'm bringing out of the Christian Standard Bible.

Those two words, deeply troubled, easily translated also as confused and disturbed.

You could say ponder.

Deeply troubled, confused, disturbed.

Understandably so.

This teenage girl is deeply troubled.

An angel has appeared to her.

I'm sure she's freaked out to see an angel, but she's also disturbed, confused by this interruption in her life.

I don't understand, God.

I feel like you're taking me in a direction that I don't want to go.

Ever been there?

Which leads us to the second reality.

What we call God's disturbing interruptions are often God's divine invitations.

God's taking, is taking us out of our plans, but he's putting us into his purpose.

We see this all the time in stories in the Bible.

It's not a one-time event.

Moses was interrupted by God by a burning bush and told to redirect his life to the ultimate mission of leading God's people out of Egypt.

David was interrupted by God while he's out tending the sheep.

And he is to be anointed as the next king of Israel.

Paul was interrupted by God on his way to persecute Christians by a bright light and a personal encounter with Jesus.

And his life was forever changed.

And he went from a murderer of Christians to an apostle.

You get this?

They had plans.

We all have plans, we have dreams, we have a career direction.

We want to do this and we want to meet the right person and we want to carry out our life.

But God had a purpose.

Verse 29.

She was deeply troubled by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be.

I say this, this is quoting one of my pastors who was married, had they they were troubled with infertility, finally got pregnant, and Ike, Pastor Ike, lost his wife and his child in the labor and delivery room.

And so he wrote a book called Treasures from the Dark.

And he he said this, and I say this all the time: God, when we can't trace God's hand, we have to simply trust his heart.

And that's when we don't know what the next step is around the corner.

We don't know what God has in store because he's already interrupted our plans.

But I believe if we could trust him, we can put our faith in the fact that what he has for it is exactly what he desires for us, and it is in our best interest.

He will take us on a journey.

If we knew all the details, we probably wouldn't want to go on this journey, but but we go on it by faith.

We step into this purpose.

In verse 30, it says, Then the angel told her, Do not be afraid.

Do not be afraid.

I think it's the King James that says, Fear not.

Fear not.

Mary, for you have found favor with God.

What is favor?

What is the favor of God?

Despite what preachers might say, it's not connected to your bank account.

It's not directly related to a car or a house or a lifestyle.

Here's a way to describe favor from a biblical perspective.

It's demonstrated delight.

Demonstrated delight.

Another way of saying it is visible evidence of God's blessing.

And the fourth reality is this favor is the undeserved blessings that God lavishly pours out on his children.

And this is a reality, it's a promise as well.

And it can look a number of different ways.

It can be pulling into a shopping center and you're on the front row and somebody pulls out, right?

You think that's that's your that's the lower level of favor.

But hey, there are times where we'll take the favor that God provides.

It can be financial.

We kind of tend to go there, but favor can be just great relationships.

A blessed family.

It can be a blessed church family.

A community of people that we're look where people love and can be loved, where people celebrate and they're celebrated, where people are served, they serve and they are uh they are served.

They're they're they're known and they can know others.

That's this idea of community.

That's fate, the favor of God.

Mary had the favor of God.

Maybe not the way that she thought that she was going to have it, but look at verses 31 through 33.

Now listen, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.

And he will be great, and he will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.

He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end.

You have chosen, he has chosen Mary for something that is huge.

It's more responsibility, maybe, than she feels like she should be given.

How would you feel if you were told you were going to have to raise the Son of God?

Oh, but a favor.

It's a blessing.

I mean, we have all parented.

Those of us that have parented, all of our kids have been sinners, right?

It had to be the favor of God to be raising Jesus.

Because he was perfect.

And I know that's meant to be a little bit funny, but which it wasn't, obviously.

But I mean just think about it.

And I would have loved to have raised a perfect child.

I would have liked to have been a perfect child.

Fifth reality.

Sometimes God's favor doesn't seem favorable at first.

Maybe finding out that you have a fertility issue.

Finding out that the job that you really felt you deserved is not offered.

Sometimes the favor of God didn't seem favorable at first.

Verse 34.

Mary asked the angel, How can this be since I have not had sexual relations with a man?

And understandably, this is absurd.

Absurd.

I follow the way of God.

This can't happen.

She isn't resisting the plan, she's just stating the obvious.

There's no way that I can be expecting a child.

Which is a miracle.

This is the miracle of God.

Right?

This is a virgin.

It is a fulfillment of the promise of God and a prophecy of God.

Verses 35 and 37.

Then the angel replied to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.

Therefore, the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.

For nothing will be impossible with God.

Nothing will be impossible with God.

The angel's saying, No matter what you're facing, nothing is impossible with God.

God can intervene.

Even when things seem overwhelming, God will bring the right person across your path.

God can change the wrong person into a better person.

God can provide.

I do not deserve the favor of God.

I certainly don't deserve the blessing of leading God's people and shepherding God's people.

There's a reason I left my hometown to go plant a church.

Everybody else knew my background.

And that God would come and save me, forgive me, use me.

It tells me all things are possible with God.

And so what's God possibly giving you favor for?

What's the purpose?

What is it?

To start a ministry, to go back to school?

Let me tell you, I don't care where you are in life, what's happened in your life, God is not finished with you if you are here.

He is not finished with you.

Restore a relationship.

Give something.

Trusting God.

Entering into a way of life that includes generosity.

It might be breaking up with someone that you've dated or been in a relationship that doesn't honor God, mending a broken family relationship, believing for healing.

Witness or share your faith.

Which leads me to the last reality, and it's this the outcome is God's responsibility.

Obedience is our responsibility.

And so, verse 38, he says, See, I'm the Lord's servant, said Mary.

May it happen to me as you have said.

She surrendered her heart.

And then the angel left her.

She had to come to a point where she had to surrender her plans for the purpose that God had for her.

I love what Charles Stanley says.

Sometimes we're perplexed by how we should live and what the outcome could be.

God tells us how to live, then he says, trust him with the outcome.

Charles Stanley said it this way He says, obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.

Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.

That means you can step out with courage and faith and not give in to the fear of the enemy and be obedient to God, knowing that He's the one responsible for the outcome of your obedience.

And that's good.

That's good news.

And so, where are you this morning in this story?

Are you needing the favor of God?

Maybe you need to recognize that God's favor is already upon you.

Maybe there's a challenge or an interruption or the divine invitation where God has interrupted your life, but he's got a purpose, and you may not be able to see completely what that is, but you trust him on this side of clarity, knowing that when you have clarity, you'll look back and you'll thank him and say, Glory to God.

And he promises to use everything for the good of those who are called according to his purpose.

And so let me tell you this.

Let me close with this.

Don't be afraid.

Don't be afraid.

I don't.

But I know the God who is sovereign over your situation.

Don't be afraid.

Don't be afraid.

It may just say, you know what, God, I'm not going to be afraid.

It may start out with you verbally just stating, By faith, I am not going to be afraid.

And you can say that with confidence.

Why can you say that with confidence?

Because God loves you so much that he gave his son Jesus to die on the cross for you.

That one thing is enough for you to know that you have the favor of God on your life.

You've been able to hear the gospel, respond to the gospel.

Your identity is new through the gospel.

And if you don't know what I'm talking about, maybe you need to take that first step and put your faith in Jesus, who lived and died and rose again to prove that He has power over sin and death and the grave.

And there is hope in every situation, regardless of what your circumstances are.

There is hope.

And that's what Christmas is all about.

It's about the incarnation of Christ.

He has come, born as a human, to reconcile us back in the right relationship with our Heavenly Father.

And this might be your first Christmas like it is for me without either my mom or my dad.

There's the empty chair at the table.

And we all have those stories.

I don't know.

You have circumstances I don't know about.

But here's the truth.

He is with you.

And he wants to give his favor to you.

So can we spend a moment just in prayer?

Just close your eyes and maybe hold out your palms in your lap.

And I want you to just imagine that God is coming by every seat this morning, and he is wanting to place his favor in your hands and upon your life.

And he wants you to know that he loves you and he is good and you do not have to be afraid.

Fear not.

Fear not.

So, Father, we love you.

We surrender our plans to your purpose, knowing that you have our best interest in mind.

And God, would you pour out your favor?

You've already poured it out.

We know that you love us because of your son Jesus.

But God, help us to walk in it.

Help us to walk upright.

Help us to walk according to your word.

Help us reflect love to this broken world.

Help us to be the salt and the light.

Help us to be a city on a hill.

It's in Jesus' name.

I pray.

And as we finish, as we close this time, I want to encourage you, come and pray at the altar if the Lord leads you.

If you want to one of us to pray for you or with you, Jonah's right here.

I'm right here.

Um I've I've I know there's there's a multitude of people that would be willing to come and pray with you that are in this room right now, Pat, others.

So so don't don't just go through the motions of singing the final song, thinking about what you're going to do when you leave here.

Let's let's let's see what the Lord wants to do in the next few moments.