"All Things New," Part 2 with Pastor Chad Stuart - September 12, 2026

Many years ago at an evangelism training for uh Billy Graham crusade in North America, a survey was distributed and the question was asked.

Oh, sorry, I'm going backward.

And the question was asked.

My slides aren't up, but I know what the question was asked anyways.

What is the greatest hindrance?

Oh, well, wait, there we go.

What is your greatest hindrance to witnessing?

How would you answer that question?

What is your greatest hindrance to talking about Jesus?

Many answers were given, but the number one answer that was given at that time, and then when this survey was repeated in the 2020s, the number one answer that was given why people are hesitant to witness was fear.

Can I say to you that if your reason for uh hesitating to witness is fear, you are not alone.

Whether you fear not knowing enough or the fear of saying something wrong, or the fear of rejection, or the fear of awkwardness, whatever your fear is, listen to me, you are not alone in this.

The reason why I know that is because about one minute ago, when I had to walk up here, I had to overcome fear to stand in front of you all.

Every time I get up in front of people and I share, whether it's a larger crowd or a smaller crowd, I am scared.

I am nervous.

I've shared this before and I've had people say to me, Oh, that's not true.

You don't seem nervous.

Well, I'm glad that you don't see it, but it doesn't make it not true just because you don't see it.

Or some people have said to me, You don't need to be nervous, you do a good job.

Well, thank you.

I appreciate the compliment, but that doesn't help.

I'm still nervous.

And right now, looking out at all of you, I get nervous, I get anxious.

There's a fear about it.

But let me reiterate, you are not alone.

So where does this fear come from?

There are many reasons, I'm sure, that fear exists, but I want to highlight three places that I think that fear comes from.

The first one, actually, in its right context, in its right uh format, or it at to the right degree, might actually be somewhat of a healthy fear.

And that is the fear of the enormity of the task of witnessing for Jesus.

Many of us, a lot of people, can all of us probably can talk about the weather or sports or clothes or movies, and we can have free conversations with this, but there's something inside of us, whether consciously or subconsciously, that we know that there is nothing more enormous than a conversation with someone about Jesus and their relationship with Jesus.

All over the Bible, you see moments where people who are asked to speak for Jesus are fearful.

In Jeremiah chapter 1, Jeremiah is called by God to speak for him, and he says, Lord God, behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.

Jeremiah 1 · chapter mention

I'm anxious, I'm nervous, I'm scared of this.

When I was at Southern Aventus University, I actually probably had more preaching experience than the majority of my peers, and that was because my first year at college, which was actually at Union College in Nebraska, uh, a guy by the name of Buell Fogg.

Any of you from Mid-America know who Buell Fogg is?

A guy by the name of Buell Fogg uh saw me speak somewhere and he invited me to be a part of a witnessing team there at Union College.

So at least once a month, sometimes twice a month, I'd be somewhere in the Mid-American Union, in churches all over the Mid-American Union, preaching sometimes to just a few people, five or six people, sometimes maybe a hundred people or more in these small little churches in South Dakota and North Dakota and Iowa and Missouri and Kansas, all over the Mid-America Union.

Then when I went to Southern uh after a couple years there, I would traveled with a Christian band by the name of Catch 77.

And they would do concerts and I would preach.

And every week for four months, I would preach at least twice a week, sometimes three, sometimes four times a week.

So then when I came back to Southern and I would get up to speak, and I found myself still scared or nervous, I thought there must be something wrong with me.

And so I spoke to my advisor, Ron Cluse.

And here is what Ron Clusey said to me.

Dr.

Clusey said, he said, Chad, if you are speaking on behalf of God and the moment doesn't make you a little nervous, that is when you need to be scared.

That is when you need to be scared.

So this fear, actually, in proper perspective, is okay.

But sometimes we let this fear paralyze us.

We let this fear overcome us.

I don't know enough.

I can't, I don't know what to say, I don't know how to say it.

It's it's too big for the moment.

I am fearful.

That's one fear that keeps us from witnessing for Jesus.

A second fear is this truth.

Because we are sinful people, we all probably are a little bit too much focused on ourselves.

And so we go into those moments and we know maybe we should say something, or we we think we should say something, but but we're worried about how people will feel about us.

Some of us say things like, I don't care what people think of me, but that's not true.

We all want to be liked.

We all want to be liked.

You may say, I don't care what they think, but but that's not true.

Deep in our hearts, we all want to be liked.

And I'm not gonna sugarcoat it.

Talking about Jesus at times can lead people to dislike you.

It can lead people to reject you, it can it can cause people to want to avoid you because it makes them uncomfortable.

And those moments when we feel that rejection, when we feel that shunning, that hurts.

And that recognition of that potential causes us to hesitate in our witnessing because we're worried about how we feel and how that makes us feel.

My friend Greg, who led me to Jesus, him and I had had a conversation about Jesus in a previous year, and he had said to me, What do you think about Jesus?

And I had said to Greg, if you ever bring this subject up with me again, this will be the end of our friendship.

And Greg, when he heard God tell him, You need to speak to Chad, Greg told a group of kids that he was with, he said, God told me that I spoke to supposed to speak to my friend Chad, but I'm scared because Chad is mean.

And he's going to turn everyone against me.

And you know, he probably was close.

This fear that we have sometimes is self-focused.

I don't know if I want to say anything because I don't want the ramifications.

Now, if you don't think this is this is you ever, uh, then then think about this.

We like to say when it comes to witnessing, we like to say sometimes, I've heard people say this, maybe you said it yourself, you know, it's their life, it's really none of my business.

It's between them and God.

Can I tell you that that statement for most people is just a statement of fear?

You know how I know that?

Because one of the number one businesses, one of the most uh one of the most lucrative businesses in this world is the business of gossip.

And if we really believe that it's just their life, it's none of my business, then we would never read anything that's gossip about someone else.

We would never listen to anything that's gossip about someone else, we would never share a story about someone else that is not ours to share.

We would never talk about a bad decision we thought someone was making when they aren't around.

If we really believe that it's just their life and it's none of my business, then none of this would happen.

But we say that in moments of spiritual tension because we're actually worried about ourselves and how it will affect us if we say something.

So there could be many reasons for fear, the magnitude of the moment, self, and our concern about ourselves rather than the message that we are supposed to deliver.

And then the instigator of all of this is that Satan is the primary source of fear in our witnessing for Jesus.

Satan wants to prevent every single one of you that are followers of Jesus from sharing him with others.

And the reason for this is because Satan understands.

Jason, um, there we go.

Satan understands from Romans chapter 10 and verse 14 how are they to believe in him of whom they have not heard?

Romans 10 · chapter mention

Satan knows the power of someone hearing about Jesus.

No one's life's gonna be changed if they hear the name Chad.

It's not gonna happen.

No one's gonna hear life is gonna be changed, Judy, if they if they hear the name Judy.

No one's life is gonna be changed if they hear the name Erwin.

No one's life is gonna be changed if they hear any of your names.

But Satan knows that the name of Jesus and and and the understanding of Jesus has the power to change lives.

Because the Bible says there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven or earth by which one must be saved.

Satan understands this, and thus that is why Gloria Gaither, she sang in that one of the first hymns that Bill and Gloria wrote.

She said, At the name of Jesus, I've seen sin-hardened men melted, derelicts transformed, the lights of hope put in the eyes of the hopeless child.

At the name of Jesus, hatred and bitterness turn to love and forgiveness.

Arguments cease.

Jesus, Jesus.

She says, There shall come a final day when every voice that has uttered a sound and every voice of Adam's race shall raise in one mighty chorus to proclaim the name of Jesus.

For in that day every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Your name doesn't have that power.

My name doesn't have that power, but the name of Jesus has that power.

Satan knows us, and he wants no one then to hear the name of Jesus, and so he puts fear into us.

He builds walls of fear to keep us from sharing the hope that we have in Jesus.

So three causes of fear the the enormity of the task, self, self-protection, and of course, above all, Satan.

And if one of these is the cause of your fear, or maybe it's something else, what is the solution?

I invite you to turn your Bibles to 1 Peter chapter 3, 1 Peter chapter 3, and we'll begin verses 14 and 15.

1 Peter 3 · chapter mention 1 Peter 3 · chapter mention

1 Peter chapter 3, verses 14 and 15.

1 Peter 3:14

Peter here is writing to a church that's going through difficult times, going through persecution.

They have reasons, physical, external reasons, to be fearful.

And in 1 Peter chapter 3, verses 14 and 15, Peter says this but even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed.

1 Peter 3:14

Have no fear of them nor be troubled.

But in your hearts, honor Christ, the Lord, as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.

Peter here is actually referencing a text in the Old Testament.

It's from Isaiah chapter 8, verses 12 and 13, where Isaiah said, Do not fear what they fear, nor dread, nor be in dread.

Isaiah 8:12

But the Lord of hosts, him you shall honor as holy, let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

The answer, the solution to our fears of being willing to speak up and and share for Jesus is that our fear of God must overwhelm our fears of this earth.

Now, when I say fear, we're not talking about uh fear of that God's gonna be angry with us or fear that God's going to punish us.

Human fear is overcome only by divine fear.

And the fear that God, the fear that the Bible speaks about from God, is to be in awe, to be in wonder, to be amazed by God.

If you're a sinner, it should be amazing to you that the perfect one wants to be your best friend.

That should be amazing to you.

Looks at you as the pinnacle of his creation.

We should be in awe that the one who knows everything about you.

There's probably something in each one of our lives that no one else knows.

Some thought we've had, something we've done, something we've said that we don't want anyone else to know about.

And that God, our God, knows all those things, and He still says, You are my child.

Enter into the joy of the Lord.

Isn't it amazing?

This should bring us awe and wonder and amazement that the King of the universe feels that way about us.

John Stott said, Honor him in your hearts, speaking about 1 Peter chapter 3 and verse 15.

1 Peter 3 · chapter mention

Honor him in your hearts as Lord, as the Lord who is in control of the situation, even of a situation of persecution.

Honor him as the Lord whom you have confessed in baptism and who brooks no rival.

You have confessed Jesus as Lord at your baptism.

Honor the same Jesus as Lord in your hearts.

Don't deny his lordship.

Set him apart as your Lord, honor him.

Desire to see him glorified as Lord in that situation.

Stott here was writing about this text, and he's saying, if you're in a moment where you have an opportunity to share Jesus with others, don't hesitate to share him, but desire to see him honored as above all things.

Peter tells us what having godly fear produces in our lives.

Says, but in your hearts, honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to give a defense.

Always being prepared to give an answer to anyone who asks you for the reason that you hope, have hope in Jesus.

Dr.

Kelly in Black's commentary wrote, The courage which springs from deep-seated reverence for Christ shows itself in a readiness to testify for him.

When we truly fear God, then the fear of God overwhelms our natural fears, our fears that are external, and the fear of God compels us to share him with others.

The fear of God overwhelms our human fears because we're so in awe and wonder that this king of the universe loves us that we're compelled to share him with others.

This is what Peter is teaching.

This is also what Paul teaches.

Paul in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 14, Paul wrote this Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others.

2 Corinthians 5 · chapter mention

Let me get a little bit nerdy on this uh Greek word here, persuade.

This Greek word is in what's called the present active indicative form.

And I want you to know I love the indicative.

Just so you know, and I know you all want to know why I love the indicative so much.

I'm going to tell you why.

I love the indicative because the indicative, the indicative is not a maybe, it's an absolute, it's an actuality.

In other words, it's it's not that that I might persuade people.

It's not that I I may share this with people, but but the fear of God leads me to persuade others through him.

It would be like if I said God loves the world.

That's an absolute truth.

And what Paul is saying is that if you have the fear of God in your life, it's not an if you share Jesus or I'll think about sharing Jesus.

He's saying you won't help be able to help but share Jesus with others.

The indicative affirms Jesus' witness in your life.

Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others.

Not that I'll think about persuading others, not that I'll I'll consider it, but that I will be overwhelmed to share that with others.

Now, some of you might have the problem with the word fear.

And so I want you to see a synonym that Paul uses.

For the love of Christ controls us.

It's just a synonym further down in 2 Corinthians.

For the love of Christ controls us.

In other words, that when I've experienced the love of Jesus in my life, I can't help but share that love with someone else.

Again, controls is the indicative.

It's not an if, it's an absolute.

So I would say to us that we need to examine our lives.

Are we willing to share Jesus anywhere and everywhere, at all times and in all places?

If we are, what Paul is saying is that comes from having a love of God that has transformed our lives.

When the love of God gets a hold of your heart, even the fears of this world can't stop you from talking about Him.

I get up here and I talk, not because it's easy or because my fear is gone, but because God's love is bigger and more powerful than my fears.

How does this happen?

Well, Peter wrote this always being prepared to make a defense to anyone or give an answer to anyone who asks a reason for the hope that you have that is in you.

Folks, this fear, this love, this amazement only comes when Jesus' hope is personal to you.

And that only comes as you accept the gift that Jesus wants to give to each person.

And the gift that Jesus wants to give each and every person is that He wants to make all things new in your life.

And the place he wants to begin, folks, where he wants to start, is in your hearts.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.

The old is passed away.

Behold, the new has come.

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself.

The new doesn't come because you work harder or because you plan better.

The new comes as you accept Jesus' gift, God's gift of Jesus in your life, and you are reconciled to God through Christ, and he makes you this new creation.

The newness of life only becomes, only comes as we look at Jesus.

As John said, behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

How often, brothers and sisters, are you beholding the Lamb of God?

When you get up in the morning, are you thinking about Jesus?

When you're going, driving on your way to work or on your way to school, are you thinking about Jesus?

When you're sitting in class and your mind starts to wander, is your mind wandering towards Jesus?

When you're driving home in the afternoon after a stressful day, are you thinking about Jesus?

How often are you beholding the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world?

Brothers and sisters, if fear paralyzes you from witnessing, if fear keeps you from sharing Jesus with others, I can't offer you any training to make that better.

Sometimes we have tried to accomplish this.

We say, well, people will witness if we just have the right training seminar.

If we just give them the right resources and show them how to do it.

I don't actually think that's true.

I was at a conference once and Rick Warren was speaking there, and Rick Warren said, A lot of you are binder pastors.

I don't know if you know what a binder pastor is.

He said, Binder pastors are church leaders who attend ministry conferences.

Collect leadership binders or strategy manuals, and then you fail to implement any of these ideas once you return home.

He said, Some of you have a whole shelf full of binders of all this knowledge you have, but nothing's happened, he said, because you don't believe in the power behind any of those things.

And folks, the power is only as we are made new creations in Jesus Christ.

You can have all the training in the world, we can have all the seminars in the world, but we can't train you out of fear.

What will take away the fear?

Behold the Lamb of God who takes away your sin.

In the year ahead, we're gonna spend the year reading through the gospels and the desire of ages.

This is part of our One Voice 27 initiative for all.

You might remember our three things.

We want to be praying for Jesus to be in our hearts and for him to give us a passion for others.

We want to be reading about Jesus and keeping our eyes focused on Jesus day in and day out.

And then, of course, we want to share Jesus, which is that natural outflow of falling in love with Jesus.

But the reading, we're we want you to read the desire of ages and the the text, the scriptures that that are listed there that accompany or that are based, the chapters of the desire of ages are based on.

And I want to say this to you that anyone in here doesn't have your own, hear what I said.

If you don't have your own hard copy of the desire of ages, we have some for you after the worship service out here.

Not janky copies either.

Nice, nice desire of ages.

Even if you got a janky copy, those are still good.

The words are all good, but we've got some nice copies out there for the desire of ages.

And anyone who does not have one, I want to encourage you to take it home and read it.

We're going to read through the desire of ages and the chapters of the Bible that those uh that those desire ages chapters are based upon.

Because we believe this.

In fact, we don't just believe it, we know it.

It's indicative that you only become changed by beholding Jesus, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.

Ellen White wrote in commenting on 1 Peter chapter 3 and verse 15 this idea of always be prepared to give an answer to anyone who asks.

1 Peter 3 · chapter mention

In her commentary on this, she says, We must know Christ.

What's the word there?

Personally.

Then, what's the next word?

Only can we rightly represent him to the world.

Let the prayer constantly ascend.

Lord, teach me how to do as Jesus would do were he in my place.

And in another place, she writes this, which I love.

She says, Why fear?

Connect firmly with Christ.

Why fear?

Connect firmly with Christ.

All of us are fearful in some way or another.

But if the fear of God, if the love of God, if the love of Jesus is in your heart, that fear will supersede all the other fears.

So let us read and study and learn of Jesus.

Brothers and sisters, allow Jesus to come into your heart, that you're always prepared to give an answer for the hope that you have in Him.

Lord, help us each one to find the reason for our answer, for our hope in Jesus.

And to be willing to share that with others at all places and at all times.

Lord Jesus, and may you receive all the honor and all the glory.

Amen.