Overcoming Fear :Obstacles, Oceans and Obedience
Overcoming Fear
Obstacles, Oceans and Obedience
Opening Illustration:
The other day I heard a story about a man who was struggling with a childhood fear. Growing up, he had been afraid of monsters hiding under his bed. Sadly the fear had persisted all the way through his adult years. He began to go to counseling and therapy and nothing seemed to help. He went to doctor after doctor and no one seemed to have the answers. He went one doctor who asked how he was doing doing and he informed the doc, “Im doing terrible doctor, this fear has me up at all hours of the night. Is there anything you can do to help me?” The doctor prescribed him some medication but it didn’t work either. Finally this man went to a special therapist who had expertise in this type of problem. Weeks went by and the troubled man went back to his original doctor. The doctor asked if visiting the new therapist had helped and the trouble man replied “yes”. “In fact doctor, this therapist has solved all my problems. The doctor was a bit stunned and asked “do tell, how did this therapist solve the problem of the monsters living under your bed?” “Simple” the man said. “He told me to cut the legs off of my bed.”
Point:
Fear is a funny thing isn’t it. Fear is universal. It is something that everyone deals with at some point in their lives. Fear is unique. What may create and stir fear in me may not make you afraid at all. I am afraid of frogs, always have been but snakes and spiders don’t bother me a bit. Some of you may laugh at my fear of frogs but you are deathly afraid of snakes and spiders. Fear can be unusual. Do you know that many of us fear things that never come to pass? We fear that we will lose our jobs even though we are in no danger of being fired. We are afraid that our spouse may abandon us even though our husband or wife have never given us any reason to doubt their faithfulness. We fear that God will not meet our needs even though God has met every need in our lives. Lastly, fear, any fear is unfortunate. Do you know why? Fear has the uncanny ability to freeze us, paralyze us, keeping us from moving forward in our lives. Fear is unfortunate because it dismantles faith and unwinds our spiritual fortitude. I have heard it said before that “fear makes all men mortal”. It’s true. I have been serving as pastor of Eastern Shore Baptist Church for the better part of 12 years. During that period of time, I have conducted numerous counseling sessions. I would say that 8 to 9 out of 10 counseling sessions deal with fear, worry, or bearing our earthly concerns. Think about the characters of the Bible. Nearly everyone of them battled fear. Jesus even battled fear. Thankfully He was not overcome with fear, but He did battle it. That’s one reason that I love the Bible. The Bible gives us examples of ordinary people doing extraordinary things, overcoming obstacles, overcoming fear.
Noah
Abraham
Isaac
Jacob
Joseph
Moses, who we are talking about this morning. One of my favorite Bible characters
King David
Jeremiah the Prophet
Nehemiah
Peter and the Disciples
Paul
The list is endless of Bible characters who had to overcome fear. Yes, fear may be universal, unique, unusual, and unfortunate, but it does not have to undo you! You can beat it with the Lord’s help. For where the Lord is there is no room for fear. His perfect love casts out all fears. So, ask yourself these questions this morning, are you overwhelmed with dread, overpowered by doubt, over analyzing your difficulties? Fear not! With God you are an over comer!
One of my favorite authors is Max Lucado. I have read nearly all of his books. My boys have heard countless devotions by Max Lucado as we drive to school in the mornings. So familiar with Max Lucado’s words, we refer to him as Uncle Max in my family. Lucado says this about fear, “The presence of fear does not mean you have no faith. Fear visits everyone. But make your fear a visitor and not a resident.”
That’s right friends, fear may be natural and normal, but it is never neutral. Fear is a tool that Satan uses to disrupt your relationships, destroy your witness, and discourage you from living your best life in the Lord. Just because fear knocks on all of our doors, that does not mean that we have to invite it in.
Today’s Thought:
Overwhelmed With Dread?
Overpowered by Doubt?
Overanalyzing Your Difficulties?
FEAR NOT!
With God You Are An OVERCOMER!
Today’s Quote:
“The presence of fear does not mean you have no faith.
Fear visits everyone. But make your fear a visitor and not a resident.”
~Max Lucado
Background and Context:
This morning we are reading from one of the most exciting chapters in all the Bible. We are reading from Exodus 14:10-31. Let me catch you up on what is happening. The Israelites have been held captive in Egypt for the better part of 500 years. During this time they have been horribly oppressed and enslaved. The mighty Egyptians have used the Israelites to build their grand cities and they have forced God’s people to build temples to idols and false gods. We see the birth of Moses in Exodus 1 and 2 and we see how God spared Moses from the blood thirsty Pharaoh. Moses is raised as a Prince of Egypt along side his adopted brother Ramses III. Moses comes to the realization that he is a Hebrew. He murders in cold blood an Egyptian guard who is beating one of his fellow Hebrews forcing him into exile. While in exile he encounters God in the burning bush. God tells Moses to return to Egypt, to set his people free, and to be God’s instrument of judgement on the Egyptian people. Moses tells the Pharaoh to let his people go and he refuses. Egypt experiences 10 plagues the last being the presence of the Angel of the Lord killing the first born of every living thing in Egypt. This breaks the will of the Egyptians and they relent, allowing the Israelites to leave. That is where our story picks up this morning. Israel stands at the shores of the Red Sea. Bearing down on them is the Egyptian army who desires to kill them all. The Israelite are fearful thinking that God has set them free only to see them killed along the shore of the Red Sea. So, let’s read this morning from Exodus 14:10-31. I am reading this morning from the ESV.
Today’s Scripture:
Exodus 14:10-31 ESV
10 When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord. 11 They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” 13 And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”
15 The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. 16 Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. 17 And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. 18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”
19 Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, 20 coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the night without one coming near the other all night.
21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23 The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 24 And in the morning watch the Lord in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw the Egyptian forces into a panic, 25 clogging their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily. And the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from before Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.”
26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.” 27 So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. And as the Egyptians fled into it, the Lord threw the Egyptians into the midst of the sea. 28 The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea, not one of them remained. 29 But the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
30 Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.
4 Lessons To Learn When Fear Knocks On Your Door!
I. Valleys vs. 10
Exodus 14:10 ESV
10 When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord.
Point:
There is a lot of debate among theologians and Biblical scholars about where exactly the Israelites crossed the Red Sea. From my research it seems mostly likely that they crossed at the tip of the Gulf of Suez. This particular route would have been the most shallow point of crossing but still providing the correct distance to the other side as provided in the Bible. This crossing would have also provided enough water to drown and destroy all the Pharaoh’s horses and men. What is interesting about this particular area is that the Gulf of Suez is hemmed in by a mountain range. So this area sits in a valley.
It seems appropriate that this story takes place in a valley. It is in the valleys of life, the low points of our existence, where fear seems to take root and bloom in our spirit. That certainly happens here. The Israelites are being chased down with murderous intent by the Egyptians. They are facing certain death from one direction and drowning in the Red Sea from the other. Neither choice seems great as both directions court death.
Have you ever faced a valley? A death in the family? A divorce? You lost your job? Betrayed? Your finances are dwindling but your debt is growing? You have had to endure a sudden job change and you are not certain how you will provide for yourself, your spouse, or your kids? You are in the valley and there does not seem to be any good choices. I just performed a funeral for Mrs. Helen Thomas on Wednesday and at her graveside I prayed Psalm 23.
Psalm 23:4 KJV
[4] Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Even David walked through valley’s in life. The comforting thing to know is that when you are walking in one of life’s valleys, when things are at their very worst, God is present. If God is present then you have power. If you have power then fear cannot persist.
The apostle Peter wrote, “There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while.These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold — though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world” (1 Peter 1:6b-7, NLT).
When God assured Moses He would be with him as he led the Israelites to the Promised Land, God said, “I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest — everything will be fine for you” (Exodus 33:14b, NLT). I love Moses’ reply: “If you don’t personally go with us, don’t make us leave this place” (Exodus 33:15b, NLT). Amen, Moses — that’s exactly how I feel about going to strange, new places too.
What encourages me is that God never asks me to go through a valley alone. The Israelites were not alone in their valley and neither are you. God is with you, holding your hand.
Psalm 34:4 ESV
I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.
4 Lessons To Learn When Fear Knocks On Your Door!
I. Valleys vs. 10
II. Vices vs. 11-12
Exodus 14:11-12 ESV
11 They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”
Point:
I have said it before many times behind this very pulpit, while the Bible may be an old book, the principles and the people are still extremely relevant today. This story proves that point. The Israelites have their backs against the wall. On one side, the Red Sea. On the other, the mightiest army in the known world. How did they react? After all they have also witnessed the 10 devastating plagues that have set them free. Did they respond with faith? Did they trust in God’s power to provide for them and protect them? Of course not. Collectively the Israelites reveal one if not the greatest of all human vices, fear! “What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt?” “It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”
Imagine what Moses must have thought.
“You ingrates!”
“You bunch of ungrateful people! Maybe God should have left you back in Egypt!”
Now that is probably how Stuart would have reacted but thankfully that is not how Moses or God reacts.
How grateful are you this morning that God looks beyond our worst moments? “Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God’s grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God’s grace.”
When I read this story I see a lot of me in it. No, I am not Moses and I am certainly not like God. When I read this story I find myself looking more like the Israelites. Fearful. Doubting. Restless. I am so thankful that God looks beyond my sinfulness and offers me sanctification and security.
God’s grace is stronger than our worst sins, and his blood is deeper than our lowest days. This does not make us stop pursuing holiness — it makes us pursue it all the more. We hate the sin he died for, and love to see his beauty, his righteousness, and his glory increasingly reflected in our lives. We do not celebrate or settle for failure, but we do rejoice in a love that is stronger than our worst days.
Mark 7:20-23 ESV
And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
4 Lessons To Learn When Fear Knocks On Your Door!
I. Valleys vs. 10
II. Vices vs. 11-12
III. Voice vs. 15-18
Exodus 14:15-18 ESV
15 The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. 16 Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. 17 And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. 18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”
Point:
The valleys of life can and often do reveal the vices of life. Thankfully God sees beyond our vices and speaks into our lowest points. That’s what happens next in this story. God’s voice is heard. Things are at the very darkest. It appears that it is over for the Israelites. Then, suddenly, God steps in and changes everything. You might think that the most important part of this text is where God tells Moses to hold up his staff. Maybe it is the part where God tells Moses that He will harden the hearts of the Egyptians. In truth, the most important part of the story is “tell the people of Israel to go forward”. Now realize that God is going to deliver His people. He is going to send and angel and a pillar of fire will meet the ground. He is going to do more than the people could have ever expected but in order for them to receive His salvation, they are going to have to move forward.
Why do you think that the Lord told Moses this, why did God speak this command to Moses? The reason this is in the text is because it is normal and natural in the face of dire adversity for us to move backward not forward. Our natural inclination is to run, retreat, retire in the face of certain defeat. God is telling Moses that if the people want to be saved, they are going to have to get their feet wet. They are going to have to not have mind over matter, because their minds were already defeated. They would have to have spirit over matter. They were going to have to choose faith not fear.
Brothers and sisters, that’s what God is telling you and I today. Maybe you are overcome by fear. You are racked with anxiety. You are struggling with doubt and discouragement. You are wondering “where is God” or “why doesnt God show up”? Friends God is here, present, and powerful. He cannot be defeated or overcome but He is telling you that you must move forward. You must advance not backtrack.
Maybe you are like me today and wondering why God didn’t just pick up the Israelites with His mighty hand and place them on the other side. Why did He make them move through the waters when He could have just magically put them on the other side. Why did He allow them to suffer for so long and why did He allow them to hurt so badly? Why so much pain God? Why are you allowing me to suffer so badly today Lord? Why am I hurting and why am I in pain?
One of the most interesting realities of suffering is that our personal pain also speaks to those around us. Our pain becomes God’s megaphone to a watching world. The world gravitates to the cancer patient who has hope and peace. Bystanders are astounded over the parents who cling to the Good Father as they bury their own child. My friends are taken back when I can shrug off hateful words of my enemies and turn my focus to what God says about me.
Our pain gives us a platform. The question becomes then, what am I saying to the world in the midst of my pain? Do I let my faith become the product of my circumstances or is God still good even if my circumstances are not? The scope of his character and grace do not change when suffering comes. As I trust God, even in my heartache, I let my life speak of a hope that extends well beyond what we can see or touch.
John 5:25 ESV
“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.
4 Lessons To Learn When Fear Knocks On Your Door!
I. Valleys vs. 10
II. Vices vs. 11-12
III. Voice vs. 15-18
IV. Victory vs. 30-31
Exodus 14:30-31 ESV
30 Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.
Point:
The Lord saved Israel that day. It was the first time but it certainly would not be the last day that Israel would be saved by God. It was not Israel who was victorious. It was not Moses who was victorious, it was God Himself. Here is the great news, we get to share in His victory. Isn’t that amazing? Isn’t that awesome? We get to partake in the victory of God.
He is victorious of evil.
He had defeated death.
He has won the battle.
The Israelites, facing certain death, were delivered by God’s righteous right hand. Talk about and underdog story of Biblical proportion.
Notice again that before Israel could share in God’s victory, they first had to surrender. They had to surrender their fears. They had to let go of their intellect. It made no sense for them to move through the waters of the Red Sea but they surrendered their intellect, their knowledge, their logic, and they believed. Im sure that some of the men had weapons, weapons that they had probably constructed themselves. God did not tell them to take arms and move against the Egyptians. Nope. He told them to move forward through the Sea. These warriors had to surrender their skills, their knowledge of battle, their weapons, and they had to let God fight for them.
By the way, God wants to fight for you as well. He wants to fight your battle against depression and anxiety. He wants to fight your fear. He wants to overcome your obstacles and dismantle your discouragement.
Brothers and sisters, God wants to give you VICTORY!
The battle is His, let Him win what He has already defeated on your behalf.
Illustration:
One of my favorite songs right now is called “Goodness of God”. It is all about God’s victory and our surrender. Today we will close with the lyrics of this song. This will be our prayer. As I read these lyrics I invite the band to come to the stage. We will have our invitation directly following this prayer. If you would like to respond to today’s message, come forward. If you would like to embrace Jesus Christ as your Savior, come forward. Join the church today. Seek baptism. Come and pray. You can come pray during this song if you like.
Oh friends, God is faithful. Faithful to overcome your fears. He has been so so good. Sing of the goodness of God today!
I love You, Lord
For Your mercy never fails me
All my days, I've been held in Your hands
From the moment that I wake up
Until I lay my head
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God
And all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God
I love Your voice
You have led me through the fire
In the darkest night
You are close like no other
I've known You as a Father
I've known You as a Friend
And I have lived in the goodness of God (yeah)
And all my life You have been faithful (oh)
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God (yeah)
'Cause Your goodness is running after
It's running after me
Your goodness is running after
It's running after me
With my life laid down
I'm surrendered now
I give You everything
'Cause Your goodness is running after
It's running after me (oh-oh)
'Cause Your goodness is running after
It's running after me
Your goodness is running after
It's running after me
With my life laid down
I'm surrendered now
I give You everything
'Cause Your goodness is running after
It keeps running after me
And all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I'm gonna sing of the goodness of God
(I'm gonna sing, I'm gonna sing)
'Cause all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I'm gonna sing of the goodness of God
Oh, I'm gonna sing of the goodness of God
Play Goodness of God
Deuteronomy 20:4 ESV
For the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.
Fear Not! Have Faith!
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