August 20, 2017 AM

8 days of driving The first day which was 3 weeks ago from today. I decided that my daughter needed more driving experience and that meant the first time she was on the freeway.

She did actually very good. I was very pleased with her.

But I know she was nervous because she had never gone 75 and 80 miles an hour down the highway.

But I got to tell you although I trusted my. My daughter. I didn't trust the other drivers. And I really didn't trust the road conditions.

you know most of us if if not all of us. There's a lot of things that we can be afraid of and it's not just driving on the highway.

Most of us will battle Fierce some point in our life. Sometimes it's almost a daily thing.

You know kids are afraid of. Of the storms teenagers worry about their parents marriage. adults agonize losing a job summer worried about health

relationships that

you know somebody going through some challenges.

When I look at this issue fear.

I look at for huge issues that so many people battle every single day.

the loss of a spouse a marriage child health job loss of control loss. Is this the fear that so many of us can be gripped with failure is a fear. Are we going to be able to measure up are we going to be able to keep up financially?

Or their spiritual failures that we wrestle with. Then there's the fear of rejection.

Being left out again. or will I ever marry or

or other issues that deals with rejection and then there's the unknown the fear of the unknown.

What about our health? What about our job? What about being in a relationship that's abusive?

You know, I don't know. But I do know I don't know all things, but I know this in in in 27 years of of pastoral Ministry.

There's so many of us that live day after day after day in the spirit of fear that we just sing a song. And I find it interesting because yesterday if you were at the Walker household, you would have seen your pastor in a near panic situation because I didn't know what to preach on. We got 3 weeks for this Sunday get my act together and nothing was coming to me. Okay, you know Riders have writer's block while sometimes preachers have sermon block. I didn't know what to preach on. I don't like, you know, Lord, I don't want to stand in front of everybody and it in and pull out some message. I preached, you know years ago just to get by Lord. I need you in there. There was my wife across from the table because I was panicking at the kitchen table staring at my computer. Nothing was coming and she says well, why not preach what we read today in our Bible reading and Psalm 46 And since I didn't have anything I was grabbing at everything and I said Angela. I'm going to just take that and run with it cuz I don't know what else to do. And Psalm 46 is based on the song that we just sang. So I'm just taking that as a holy spirit confirmation that this is what I need to preach to you this morning. Okay. So I'm 46 1 through 3 says God is our refuge and strength a very present help in time of trouble. Therefore we will not fear though. The Earth gives way though, the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea though its Waters Roar and for foam though the mountains tremble at its swelling.

With friends. This is not just an Old Testament declaration and promised. It is also a new testament principle found in 2nd Timothy chapter 1 verse 7. For God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power and of love and of self-control read that again because I think every single one of us in this room need to hold on to this because so often we are motivated by fear rather than by God, okay. For God gave who gave God gave this is very important. I want you to hold on to that God is the one who gives God is a giver. Okay. He is a generous Giver. In fact friends. Let me just put a parenthetical statement. Also is that his followers those that have put their faith in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ need to adapt need to embrace need to adopt the thought and the the personality and the characteristic that God demonstrates his attribute of giving we need to be generous givers in our life in every aspect of what we do because that is what God does. God gave us A spirit but it's not a fear when we are motivated by fear. And there's a lot of reasons to be motivated by fear. They even in the church setting we could be so motivated by fear. We can be afraid of attendance. We could be afraid of finances. We can be afraid of ministry participation. We can be afraid of what people may think of us. We may have all we can have all kinds of fear, even in the church setting but friends that is not of Gods. God has given us not a fear or a given us a spirit not of fear, but of power of love and of self-control power love and self-control if my memory serves me right? I I preached on that particular part of scripture several months back. Spear friends is not of God whenever you are afraid know this understand this this is not of God and I'm not talking about the the fear that God gives to us to Keep Us Alive. Okay some serious butt. you know going to our to a national park like Yellowstone and going near a cliff like you have any cemani California? It's good to have a fear that you are not going to get close to that edge. And just think oh nothing's going to happen to me because I will tell you something may happen to you and it's not going to be pretty okay, but I'm talking about the fear that we wrestle with day after day. on things that God says I don't want you to be afraid about those are not the fears that God gives to you. Don't some say that fear is the opposite of faith.

But I want to suggest to you. That fear is faith in the wrong things.

Fear is faith in the wrong things. I know that some of you have been gripped with Theory and worry. You're worried about your finances your business. You're worried about your marriage. You're worried about your health. There's a lot of things we could be worried about. But I want you to know this God brought you here today to experience his presence. To hear the truth from his word. He is brought you here today to set you free from the bondage of fear. See friends. God has not given us a spirit of fear. Not at all. He's given us power.

Power to overcome power to press through power to deal with whatever the enemy is going to throw at us power. He's he's giving you love. I love unconditional love I seen God for how he wants to be seen but also seeing others how God sees them compassionate love and a sound mind.

Understanding and seeing things as God sees them. If God is going to empower us to overcome fear. The first thing we need to do is to fine. What is fear? We could say that fear is placing faith in the what?

Fear is placing faith in the what ifs?

This is exactly what Moses did when God called him and asked him to go on God's behalf to the Israelites who were held in captivity in Exodus 4 1 Moses responded to God's God's Will and God's declaration and Don's guidance and God's God's purpose in reaching out to the Israelites and bringing them freedom. God. Moses answering since what if see that what if they're what if they do not believe me or they listen to me or they say the Lord did not appear to you.

Instead of placing faith in God's promise Moses put Faith in the whatever. What if they don't listen to me? What if what if the economy drops? What if I lose my health? What if I lose my job? What if my my spouse cheats what if I can't have kids? What is my kids get hurt? What if I get in a car wreck? What if I never marry?

I have this in my notes, and I probably shouldn't say it. I'm not going to say it.

fill in the blank

So, why do your what-ifs matter?

Listen to me very carefully. What you fear the most reveals what you value the most?

What you fear the most reveals what you value the most? If you are afraid of losing your marriage, what do you value u-value marriage? What if you worried about something happening to your child? It shows that you love and you value your child. Frayed the pay the bills losing your job or or or whatever. You made bow you Financial Security.

What you fear the most reveals what you value the most but secondly. What you fear the most reveals where you trust God the least? What you fear the most reveals where you trust God the least? Now what that sink in just a little bit.

afraid of losing your marriage

Don't trust God with your marriage.

Something happening to your child. You struggle to trust God with your children. Terrified at not having enough you. Don't trust God to be your provider.

I want to encourage you right now. To be honest for a moment and truthfully acknowledge where fear in the what of what ifs is strong or stronger than your faith in God. I want you to take an inventory right now. Usually in a message you're watching and I'm preaching but this is one that you got to be a little interactive. I want you to think through very carefully what? Are the what ifs in your life? That are stronger. Then your faith in God.

So so let's give it a name got to give it a name. I'm not trusting God with and put that blank in their feel that blank out. I'm not trusting God with what?

To be your children your future your health. Someone that you love your aging parents the future. What are you not trusting God right now for?

What worries you what causes you to live in fear? You got to give it a name. Why is this important? You can't defeat what you can't Define.

Think about it give it a name write it down. And as you do remind yourself of this truth, God has not given you a spirit of fear. He's giving you the power love and a sound mind now, let's get practical.

How will God Empower you and myself? To overcome our fears. How is God going to do that? How do we overcome our deepest fears? Here it is. acknowledge your fear and choose to trust God anyway.

Acknowledge your fear and choose to trust God anyway. In other words, you're not going to close your eyes or put your fingers in your ears and say over and over again. This isn't happening to me. But what you're going to do is tell the truth. I'm nervous about the situation.

I don't know if I want to do this this terrifies me. Be truthful be on Scott can take honesty.

But sometimes we buy into this.

Way of thinking is if I admit that I'm afraid of something than that positive that's negative confession. And when I have negative confession, I'm him drink the power of God in my life.

That's not biblical. It isn't.

You will not see that in scripture. That's false Doctrine. God wants us to be truthful. He's not looking for liars that serve if he wants on his people to serve him. Go through go through the sauce and you see David and there are times in Davis like he is panicked over what's going on in his life. But there's God and God did not abandon him. We could be honest and truthful with God. Why do we feel like we got to hide from God our fears. We need to give it to him. Thank God. I'm afraid. I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know how I'm going to get through this. Friends, that's not negative confession. That's a positive confession because what it's saying is Lord. I don't have the answers, but you do and my eyes are on you. See that's where Victory comes in our life not this false sense of I got it all together friends. None of us have it all together.

And I know that because I know some of your stories.

None of us in this room if your gas, by the way.

I want you understand. We're not a perfect church. We don't pretend to be a perfect Church. We don't pretend to have it all together, but we serve the one who does have it all together in his name is Jesus Christ. And that's how we can worship Him how we can praise him not because that we have it all together. But God does and we trust in him and we trust in him alone, but we can be honest and truthful with God lord. I am terrified.

Every time I come to this Pulpit, I'm terrified. I'm terrified over several things number one. I'm terrified. I'm going to put you to sleep.

I listen to my messages.

I'm like, why did I say that or what was I doing? Where was I going with this?

How much does Fred Ward I can easily bored? I can say something that's not true for or give my opinion and that's not based in your words.

Be honest with God.

See an honest person can be pliable in the Master's hands.

Do we need to acknowledge our fear before the Living God and then we need to choose. To trust in him anyway. anyway Lord, I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know how I'm going to get through this. My heart is broken. I'm filled with so much pain. I don't know how I'm going to to manage my God. I trust you anyways.

This is what David did in the Old Testament. Before David was King.

Saul was jealous of all the attention David was getting and he tried to kill David.

And David was terrified. He was actually. Could be very confusing for David because see David was anointed to be king. Samuel went to Dave and said you are going to be king koil on him. Samuel didn't do what we do on Sunday morning. When we we annoy people with oil, you know, we put a little dab but I mean he poured it over yet. saturated with the anointing of God and then what happens? is running away in fear of his life because Saul wants to kill them.

So I was jealous of all the attention David was kidding.

But David chose to put his faith in God, this is what David said in Psalm 56 2 through 4 my adversaries pursue me all day long. Enterprise Vinny are attacking me. But look at this when I am afraid I put my trust in you and God whose word I praise. In God, I trust Eminem Not Afraid what can mere mortals do to me?

David Icke what can mere mortals do to me Now if we're honest they could kill him.

right

David ship Earthly perspective to an eternal one and that's what we need to do.

Now you can trust God and you could do it well and still a bad thing might happen to you. from a certain perspective watch if we focus on God's perspective that Eternal perspective

It doesn't matter what is done to you? it doesn't we're on this globe for a very short time.

But eternity is a very long time.

But often we put more stock on. few decades that were on planet Earth

rather than the endless time that follows.

It seems to me that we should focus on God's perspective his eternal perspective rather than our Spank us. On this planet for the short amount of time that we're here. Does that make sense?

Sure. Thanks could happen now. They could have killed David. They could have done some terrible things, but eternally speaking. God is on the throne and his will will be done.

I'm reminded of the time about 4 years ago.

when I sense that God was putting a steering in my heart.

That change was going to happen. In my life and the life of my family concerning our ministry.

I was very concerned.

That I I did not want to hear my emotion. in my feelings And my perspective of things I desperately wanted to hear from God.

And God laid on my heart. That he was going to speak to me. At a conference that I was going to the same conference that I went to a couple weeks ago in California. This was in Orlando, Florida.

And I so desperately wanted to hear from God now. I'm not going to go into the Nitty Gritty detail, but I will tell you God laid on my heart how he was going to do that.

That he was going to confirm his will to somebody we never met.

And he told me exactly who the person was going to be.

It was the district superintendent. Of South Carolina that was going to tell me. Or confirm God's will for my life never met this person. Didn't even know the person's name. Don't drop that into my spirit and how often do we have God dropped something in our spirit and we try to explain it away. So I just set it aside. But I was angrily sent seeing if actually this was from. So we went to this conference.

Nothing. That was a good conference. but there was no confirmation nothing so I'm like

Am I on now? Thank you, Bob.

Things you asked me to get carried away and that's what happens.

At this conference. I'm waiting for my wife to get done with the conference. Or you get done with the meeting, so I'm sitting down at the bench waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting, but I wanted to be a good dutiful husband and wait for my wife and she came out. She said I said, how was your meeting always wonderful is great. And let you know when I got there there was no seats available and I was just walking through and guess what I met this wonderful lady. And she invited me over to her table. She gave me such so encouraging words I say who is this lady? cheap the district superintendent's wife from South Carolina

I can't even talk.

No, I didn't mean that I was going there but what it did mean was God you something so out of the usual so out of the ordinary to get my attention and say what I mean pressing on your heart. It's from me.

When we got back. I found out that there was a church in Wisconsin that was looking for a pastor. So I contacted the district superintendent of that of Wisconsin and he forwarded my resume to a pastoral search committee. a Christian Assembly of God No, I will tell you through this whole process. There was a lot of fear going on fear of going to a new place fear of will my family adjust fear. Will the church be good to my family. All kinds of fear will I adapt to the culture fear?

As we trust in God no matter what our fears no matter how difficult our fears may be able to how big are our fears. Maybe there is a God in heaven who will help us if we're going to trust in him. It doesn't mean that we have to figure it all out, you know, and it's frustrating me with. That's my complaint against God is sometimes he doesn't tell us what the what two steps are. You just tells us the next up sometime what really gets me frustrated. He tells us just lift your foot.

Okay, and I will tell you that. I don't I don't learn the first time but every time that I would listen to God. Amazing things happen. It's when I ignore God. That problems happen.

See I was afraid. What what if my house won't sell?

I was afraid of Finance afraid of all kinds of things. But what do we do? We acknowledge our fear and we choose to trust in God. and them we need to seek God with your fears with our fears until he takes away our fears. Okay, now we don't stop seeking God, but when it comes to this fear that you're wrestling with. God wants you to be persistent. Now again, there's another false Doctrine out there that if you have the right kind of face, all you need to do is pray for something one time and God gives it to you.

What would happens if you Embrace that you make Jesus Christ to be a liar because in The Sermon on the Mount he talks about that. We need to ask he says you'll receive seek and you will find knock and the door will be open to you. But in the in the land we talked about this before but in the the verbage there in the in the words there ask seek knock it's really saying is keep on asking keep on seeking keep on knocking for somebody that's going to be persistent and not give up and not quit. I think too often we quit right before the answer comes.

And so this is exactly what David did.

He trusted in God and he grew closed close to God. And God began to remove his fierce.

See, that's what David wrote.

Feel the power of face. in psalm 34:4 I sought the Lord. And he answered me. And he delivered me from all my fears.

I sought the Lord. And he answered me and he delivered me from all of my fears.

This past week and a half. The world has been gripped. with fear

the

the demonstrations in Virginia

The fear, are we going to go back to those days? Subdivision in segregation or is that where we're heading beer?

The fear of what happened in Barcelona Spain the other day.

Terrorist drove van into a crowded Plaza killing at least 14 people injuring over a hundred. beer

there's a lot of things to be afraid and when we are motivated by fear. Rather than trusting in God, we make horrible decisions all the time. all the time

But what we do is we trust in God. And we live confidently in his truth. not holding our head down in shame but lifting our head up not because of who we are but because of who God is

As a church, we can easily live in fear.

Too often. We have been motivated by fear. We've made decisions based on fear, but friends, we need to make decisions on fit but by faith in God the Living God, who is the lord of the church? God has called this church to reach Racine Racine and Mount Pleasant and Caledonia and other parts of this community. I was looking at it the other day when we have close to 200,000 people in this County alone.

And so many of them are lost in their sin.

And I don't need a church that thumbs its nose at them and think we're better than they are. We need to be at church of the redeemed of the forgiving and realize this same message that transform to transform any life and we need to be that kind of church. That's not a church motivated by fear see a church motivated by fear. We begin to look inwards. We begin to complain over everything. We be getting frustrated over everybody. What's in that is not the calling that God has placed on this church. God is called this community of Believers to be men and women of faith believing that God is able to overcome any situation and nnn be able to penetrate any kind of darkness and set people free and that we become this institution this family that invites people to discover about Jesus Christ and build one another up in safe. That's what we're called to do. But as long as we live in fear, As long as we are motivated by fear, we will miss the plan of God for this church every single time low. Now, let's get personal. We will miss the plan of God for your life every single time when we are motivated by fear.

We need to we need to do one David yet. I sought the Lord I kept seeking God. And he answered me and he delivered me. Not from some of my fears. Not for the little fears. But he delivered me from all my fears.

God wants to deliver you from your greatest fear.

God wants to give you hope again.

And give you the opportunities to believe and trust in him that all things are possible.

God wants to do something in your life eternal. wants to empower you overcome your temporary fears It's possible because he's able. Perhaps that's why he brought you here today.

So, what is your fear?

What?

Are you doing in placing your faith in the what else?

What? You fear the most reveals what you value the most? What you fear the most reveals where you trust God the least?

So I ignored your fear and choose to trust in God anyways. Seeking with all your heart. See, I believe that God wants to deliver you. from the Captivity of fear God wants the seat wants you to seek him and that is the key friends.

So back to song 46.

What's 10 + 11 7? Be still and know that I am God. And I will I will be exalted among the Nations. I will be exhausted on Earth. The Lord of hosts is with us. The god of Jacob is our Fortress.

These are strong tower.

He's the clap in the rock.

He is the one who will guard our heart. And be our strength. FBR in couragement

friends

What this scripture tells us?

May not be always what we think it is be still and know that I'm God will be quiet. Just listen to soft music. No, it's up to me and it's infatic.

You know what God is saying stop.

stop

Be quiet and he is not just talking to the believer. He's talking to the enemy. Be still and know that I am God.

That's going to be your victory in your life.

Helmet, would you come?

I still got 35 minutes.

front listen

it's a dangerous thing when the pastor is away for 3 weeks.

Because he thinks about a lot of things.

But there's something on this trip that God taught me.

It was actually the last day of our trip Friday. I'm going to tell you I'll probably share a lot of different stories about this these last 3 weeks because God God really spoke to my heart on a lot of different things. But it was it was the final trip the final leg of our trip. We are driving through, Iowa. We visited the Amana Colonies, which is just incredible. How many if you've ever been there, so if you've done is any credible Place actually from I told my wife I said we got it. We got to spend our anniversary there. Just just the two of us so we can just spend all kinds of time there. Mmm, so we left and I know I I knew that it was crunch time, Ricky Dillard watched our dog and and and he needed relief.

So we driving back. And as we're driving and and by the way, just to give you a little bit full texture on this. Angela was reading a book to me for 2,000 miles. On hearing the voice of God, by the way, that's going to be one of the classes were going to have this fall. I mean it really spoke to our our hearts at one of the Sunday classes were going to have this fall my wife going to teach on hearing the voice of God.

And so we're driving. 75 miles down the highway on I-80 and God spoke to my heart. He says I want to teach you something right now. So what if I were to tell you get off the road right now, what would you do? And so I'm thinking in my my my mind, I'll probably just want to still be on the road because I want to get home as fast as possible since you're right. You said so if I were to say to you, I want you to get off the road right now. Most likely you would ignore that or to just convince yourself. That wasn't from God.

An end so as I'm driving I'm driving along and there's this off ramp. Okay, and there is a fire at a barn. Lisa so if I call you to get off right now, you probably wouldn't And again, I mean, I really don't know if I'm talking to God or myself right now, but after the fact I know I was really talking to God the most high God.

So I kept on the road. As soon as we passed that over, you know that we went under the overpass.

We hit traffic. It was a standstill. I mean where you had to slam on the brakes quickly to stop? Know how my wife saw this. I don't know because she's in the passenger seat. She's looking at the mirror on the passenger side mirror. She said Ed. You see that truck coming. He can't stop.

And so we're almost stopped and so I'm trying to get into the other link Builders cars already there. This truck could not stop.

It had to go to the shoulder and it went and zoomed almost passed us. And then God spoke again. He says I want you to know that I'm going to be speaking to you. And I want you to listen and I want you to learn to Oglebay.

now I will tell you the rest of the trip went by very quickly because

I'm trying to listen to God.

See God wants to do something powerful in our life and in this church.

But it's not for the faint of heart. It isn't.

One day Jesus is coming back. But until that day his church. You and I need to be about the Master's business.

We need to do what God says.

We need to start reaching people. with the gospel message of Jesus Christ We need to help one another. become strong followers of Jesus

We need to worship Him in spirit and in truth.

We need to when we come together. We recognize were two or three gathered in his name. He is in our myth we come together. We are in the very presence of God. It does not matter if the sound system doesn't work. It doesn't matter if it's too hot in the place temperature while I'm sweating like a SIV up here.

It doesn't matter.

If the lights are not on the right setting or if there's a light bulb out.

What matters are we going to be a community of Believers that will set our focus on the purpose and plan of God and that we will do it for his glory and for his honor that is where it's at. So we got to we got to let go of fear and hold on to God.

This is what happens when you do that. Listen to me, very carefully when you let go of fear too many of us right now are living in fear. We're in fear over our health. We are in fear over relationships. We are in fear over our finances. We are in fear of everything and I will tell you as long as we live in that fear Victory will not come will not come. But when we sat down our fields. And say God it's about you not about me. It's not about what people may even think of me. It's about what you are doing God in my life. And in your church, you will begin to see Miracle after Miracle after Miracle. You will begin to see the supernatural work of God.

I want to see the supernatural work of God.

I want to see the power of God flowing in our lives.

Friends God is doing something in our church. Or I would say he wants to do something in our church, but in His Infinite Wisdom in his sovereignty. He is also giving us a choice. Will we choose to have faith in God over our fears? Can we live by faith and trusting in God completely?

Can we trust him so much that it does not matter what they say your ears May here, but we will acknowledge that you got our Supreme you God or the Lord of my life. I'm going to trust in you in all things.

I can be your hand extended in this world that you're trying to reach.

But I can be your hand to the poor. Did I could be your 10 to the disenfranchised that I can be your hand to the lonely and the discouraged and the depressed? I could be your hand to the one who feels so low, I could be your hand to every single person that desperately needs to hear it the message of God the message that says that by Christ we have salvation.

The God is doing the stirring. Something incredible is happening. Here is the Dilemma. Will we? Get on board with God. Or will we cherish our fears more? That's the question. Ansel and I last Sunday, we don't skip church when we're gone when we're on vacation or when we're at a conference we go to church. I went to our home Church 2 weeks ago last week. We went to a Baptist a Baptist Church.

I heard the best message on the Holy Spirit I have ever heard in my life.

I found out later that the speaker's daughter hit the speaker. His son is the pastor of Church. The speaker's daughter is married to an Assembly of God Pastor. He host a holy spirit conference in Wisconsin every single year ugly.

And this is what he said. he said as the Church of the Living God should we expect? that God will do the miraculous.

Or we going to embrace something that is dead and boring and lifeless.

Prince God is going to do something in our life when we let him.

What's the weather?

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