1. One of the problems of life, even the Christian life, is fear.

• Psychologists tell us that we are born with two fears:

• The fear of falling.

• The fear of noise.

• We soon develop many more.

• Members of a psychology class asked 500 people, "What are you afraid of?"

• They listed 7,000 fears.

• This is sad because Jesus came to deliver us from fears.

2. Let us make a study of fear and how the Christian can overcome it.

The Bible speaks of 2 kinds of fear.

1. There is a commanded fear. (Eccles. l2:13; Prov. l:7; Rom. 3:l8; Heb. 11:7; Acts 9:31; 10:2, 22, 35).

• Leads to holiness. (2 Cor. 7:l; Acts 2:43-47).

• Working out salvation. (Phil. 2:12).

• Evangelism (2 Cor. 5:11).

2. There is a forbidden fear.

• This fear is synonymous with dread, alarm, fright, terror, apprehension, anxiety, perplexity and distrust.

• This fear is condemned. (Psa. 91:5; Lk. 12:32).

• Love casts out this fear. (l Jno. 3:19).

• This kind of fear is not to be confused with caution.

• The fear of overdose causes one to read the label on a prescription bottle.

• The fear of getting run over will cause one to look both ways before crossing the street.

• The fear of measles or polio will cause one to take the vaccine.

• These types of fears are normal and good.

1. Men fear failure.

• Fear of failure caused the one talent man to do nothing. (Matt. 25:25).

• Many today are afraid to fail.

• Career

• School

• Athletics

• Leadership

• The greatest failure is not trying and failing, but it is never trying!

2. Men fear the unknown future.

• This fear has kept many congregations of the Lord from growing, expanding, building, adding missionaries, and otherwise doing more work for Christ.

• Some are afraid to build or afraid to add a work program because they fear a depression or something else looming on the horizon.

3. Men fear truth.

• Truth often puts us or someone else we love in a bad light.

• Truth demands we admit we are wrong and demands change.

• It is tragic when men fear the light.

• John 8:32; James. l:l8.

4. Men fear responsibility.

• The one talent man did not out of fear want to assume responsibility. (Matt. 25:25).

• Fear kept the Israelites from their responsibility of conquering the land. (Deut. l:22-46).

• Fear will keep us from fulfilling our responsibility in fishing for men. (Lk.5:l0).

• We are not required to be successful, but to try.

• We are not required to know all the answers, but to sow the seed in love.

5. Men fear old age.

• Yet, the Bible teaches us that honor and glory are attached to old age. (Lev. l9:32; Prov. l6:31; 20:29; l Tim. 5:l).

• Men often achieve some of their greatest accomplishments in old age.

• Old age is an indication that one is nearer his home.

• It is not wise to fear what God has planned for us.

6. Men fear insecurity.

• They fear hunger and not having enough.

• See Matthew 6:24-34; Psalm 37:25; Philippians 4:l9).

7. Men fear growth.

• Some fear the church will become sinful if it gets "too big."

• Sinfulness has little to do with "bigness" or "littleness."

• It relates to our love for God and His word.

• It may be possible to get too big, but many congregations have been destroyed by dividing or by being afraid to grow.

8. Men fear what others will say and think about them, or do to them.

• Jesus forewarned us that men would speak against us and warned us against all men speaking well of us. (Lk. 6:26).

• Fear led Peter to deny Christ. (Matt. 26:69-75). See John l9:38.

• Fear leads people to smoke, drink, use drugs, steal, commit fornication, etc.

9. Men fear death. (Heb. 2:l5).

• The Christian need not fear death. (l Cor.l5:50-58; l Thess. 4:l3-18)

• See Matthew 5:10-12; Psalm 23:4; Revelation 21:4.

1. Fear makes life a wretched experience and warps the personality.

• Fear has torment. (l Jno. 4:l8).

2. Fear will prevent one from doing the will of God.

• Talents

• Confession

• Teaching & personal work

• Forming friendships or relationships

3. Fear renders one useless.

• God told Gideon, "Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from Gilead." (Jud. 7:3).

• There is no place in the kingdom for the fearful.

4. Fear brings defeat. (Matt. l4:28-31).

5. Fear brings on the very thing we fear.

• Peter's fear of sinking brought on his sinking.

• Fear of dropping the pass often causes the player to do that very thing.

• Fear of disease often brings on illness.

6. Fear spreads and is contagious. (Deut. 20:8; Josh. l4:8).

• The fear of one elder or a few members can permeate the church and keep some great work from being done.

• Fear can paralyze.

• "I was so afraid that I could not move."

• Fear can virtually immobilize a church and make it inactive.

7. Fear kills and destroys.

• Thousands kill themselves every year.

• Many say, "I am afraid to go on living.

8. Fear will cause a person to be lost. (Rev. 21:8; Matt. 25:25,30; Deut. l:26-46.).

1. Remember fear is strictly prohibited. (Deut. 1:21; Gen. l5:l; Isa. 44:8; Psa. 91:5; l Pet. 3:13-15; Lk. 12:4,7, 32; Jno. 14:27; Rev. l:l7,18; 2 Tim. l:7).

• It is a characteristic of the wicked. (Prov. 28:l).

2. Enthrone Christ. (l Pet. 3:l4, l5).

• With Christ enthroned in our hearts we need not fear to live, for He is the living one.

• We need not fear death, because He died and is alive forevermore.

• We need not fear the hereafter, for He has the keys of Hades and death. (Rev. l:l7, l8).

3. Put faith and trust in God. (Prov. 3:25, 26; 29:25; Psa. 56:11; 112:7; 46:l-3; Matt. 8:26; 2 Tim. l:12; Isa. l2:2.)

• Faith is the foe of fear.

• It is either faith of fear! (Isa. 26:3).

4. Conceive of God as a Father. (Matt. 6:9; 7:7-12; Rom. 8:l5).

5. Never lose sight of the fact that we are in the presence of God and His help is nigh. (Psa. 46:l,2; 23; Gen. 26:24; Isa. 35:4).

• Courage is the very opposite of fear, and fear is eradicated by the consciousness of the Lord's presence.

• Josh. l:9; Isa. 41:l0; Matt. l4:27; Acts l8:9, l0; Heb. l3:5,6.

• Deut. 20:l; 3l:6; Neh. 4:l4; 2 Kgs. 6:l6; Exod. 4:l3, l4.

• *Psa. 118:6; Rom. 8:31.

6. Rid ourselves of sin.

• Sin and fear are inseparable. (Gen. 3:6, l0).

• Much fear comes from a sense of guilt. (Acts 2:37-47; l Jno. l:7-10; Acts 8:22.).

7. Work at the job of living a day at a time. (Phil. 3:l3, l4; Matt. 6:34).

8. Fill our heart with love.

• The more we love, the less we fear.

• The mother who has a child in a burning house will forget her fear of fire, and rush to rescue her child.

9. Pray (Psa 3:4,6; 55:4,5,l6, l7, 22).

• Fear led Peter to deny the Lord 3 times. (Matt. 26:69-75).

• Later we see him fearlessly preaching Christ. (Acts 2).

• What made the difference?

• Resurrection.

• Prayer (Acts l:13, l4).

1. Yes, the Christian has a problem of fear.

2. But he can overcome it with the help of God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.