FEAR OR FREEDOM...THE CHOICE IS YOURS

LISTENING TO THE WORD -- I JOHN 4:18 - 19

Luke recounts Jesus' last conversation with His disciples in Acts 1. He instructed them to wait at Jerusalem for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. At that point they asked Him this: "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" Their question revealed a gross misunderstanding of the truth concerning the kingdom of God. Was it because of a lack of knowledge? No, for in Luke 8, Jesus said to them, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God." And in Luke 17, He said to them: "The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed . . . behold the kingdom of God is in the midst of you." What motivated their question? I believe it was fear. Let me explain. In the previous 45 days, Jesus had been arrested, put to trial, humiliated, beaten, crucified, and resurrected. Now, after a brief reunion, He was about to leave the disciples again. It's easy to understand why they craved a tangible kingdom of familiar dimensions. They wanted something they could understand and hold on to. Fear does that to us. Fear is the choice of tangible old securities over the promises of love. Are circumstances against you? Has your health collapsed . . . the economy . .. your job . . . your grades.., your family.., your church? Do old answers seem not to fit new questions? Fear chooses not to believe that God's love will deliver what is promised. Fear looks back, wanting to touch, to cling to, to claim what is gone. Fear will destroy us and our relationship to God. Is there a circumstance threatening you today? Don't choose fear. Choose the promises of God's love. Seek His kingdom. It will give you what the world cannot give you and cannot take away. All you will ever need is in His love!

READ AND DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING 4 POINTS
  1. What is fear? What will you seek when it grips you?
  2. Why does fear alienate you from God and His love?
  3. How can you move away from fear toward God?
  4. Re-read, then memorize, I John 4:19 today.
CHOOSE THE PROMISES OF GOD'S LOVE
LISTENING TO THE WORD -- MATTHEW 10:29.31 The New Yorker magazine once published a cartoon that depicted a gathering of dignified business leaders. The caption contained the words of a single speaker who said, "Oh, for the good old days when there was nothing to fear but fear itself." Harry Overstreet has written, "Fear is the consuming illness of our time." Mr. Overstreet may be right. But for those who belong to God through faith in Jesus Christ, the power of fear is broken. That's a fact established on authority o f Christ's own word and it concerns fear in its specific forms. For example, read through Matthew 10, and you will discover that Jesus promised His disciples freedom from the fear of anxiety, incompetence, hatred, persecution and pain, failure and death. "Do not be anxious," He told them, "have no fear," "do not fear," and "fear not." The fact is that the kingdom of fear has been defeated and disarmed by the kingdom of God. Jesus' healing of the diseases of the body, mind and spirit, His forgiveness of sins, His casting out of demons and His raising of the dead to life were signs of the heavenly kingdom's reality, presence and power. Fear was, and is, finished for those who would let go of it and enter into the kingdom of His love. Then why are we so often afraid? One reason is that we allow the material uncertainties of this frightened world to overpower our trust in God's promises. It's been said that "love is a decision." So is fear. We need not be its victim, but we are when we choose to be in vulnerable and faithless moments. It's too easy to let loose of the promises of God and assume the inferior alternatives that fear produces. God urges you to trust Him for what you cannot yet see. You have the promises of His love. Live in the confidence of His love. It is His gift to you today!

RESPONDING TO THE WORD
Read the promise of God's love to you in Hebrews 13:5. and release a fear of yours to Him as you trust His promise.