OVERCOMING
FEAR!
Reading:
Matthew 6:25-34
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about
your life, what you will eat or drink; or
about your body, what you will wear. Is
not life more than food, and the body
more than clothes? Look at the birds of
the air; they do not sow or reap or store
away in barns, and yet your heavenly
Father feeds them. Are you not much
more valuable than they?...
Overcoming Fear!
Can any one of you by worrying
add a single hour to your life?
“And why do you worry about
clothes? See how the flowers of the
field grow. They do not labour or
spin. Yet I tell you that not even
Solomon in all his splendour was
dressed like one of these…
Overcoming Fear!
If that is how God clothes the grass
of the field, which is here today and
tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will
he not much more clothe you—you
of little faith? So do not worry,
saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or
‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What
shall we wear?’…
Overcoming Fear!
For the pagans run after all these
things, and your heavenly Father
knows that you need them. But
seek first his kingdom and his
righteousness, and all these things
will be given to you as well…
Overcoming Fear!
…Therefore do not worry about
tomorrow, for tomorrow will
worry about itself. Each day has
enough trouble of its own.
Overcoming Fear!
Our world is a "fearful" world.
• There are at least 75 legitimate
phobia’s
• Acrophobia • Fear of heights.
• Arachnophobia • Fear of spiders
Overcoming Fear!
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Hydrophobia –
Fear of water
Phalacrophobia Fear of becoming bald.
Alektorophobia –
Fear of chickens
AutodysomophobiaFear of someone that
has a vile odour.
Overcoming Fear!
•2 Timothy 1:7 "For
God hath not given us
the spirit of fear; but of
power, and of love,
and of a sound mind.“
Overcoming Fear!
• 1. The Reason For Fear.
• 2. The Results Of Fear.
• 3. The Remedy Of Fear.
Overcoming Fear!
• 1. The Reason For Fear.
• A. Fear Is A Result Of Sin.
• The first evidence of fear in the heart of man
came when Adam & Eve sinned:
Gen 3:8 “And they heard the voice of the LORD
God walking in the garden in the cool of the day:
and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the
presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of
the garden. And the LORD God called to Adam,
and said to them, Where are you? And he said, I
heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid,
because I was naked; and I hid myself.”
Overcoming Fear!
• B. Fear Is A Result Of Separation.
• C. Fear Is A Result of Selfishness.
• Matt 6:25-34 Therefore I say to you,
Take no thought for your life, what
you shall eat, or what you shall drink;
nor yet for your body, what you shall
put on. Is not the life more than meat,
and the body than raiment?
Overcoming Fear!
• D. Fear is a result of Satan.
• Satan implied to Adam and Eve that their
disobedience would lead to more knowledge,
and that they would be better as the result of it.
• Satan is a liar. He knew exactly what would
happen. Satan wants us to be controlled by fear
rather than being controlled by the Spirit of God.
• He wants our lives to be governed by fear and
anxiety rather than being governed by the word
of God!
Overcoming Fear!
• 2. The Results Of Fear.
• A. Fears Causes Us To Panic
• Fear causes panic! It causes us to think
irrational thoughts, and make irrational
decisions.
• We cease to be led by the Lord, and
instead are led, and controlled by our
feelings. We act impulsively as a result of
our fear!
Overcoming Fear!
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b. Fear Causes Us Paralysis
Fear imprisons, Faith liberates;
Fear paralyses, Faith empowers;
Fear disheartens, Faith encourages;
Fear sickens, Faith heals;
Fear makes useless, Faith makes
serviceable;
• Fear puts hopelessness at the heart of life,
while Faith rejoices in its God.
Overcoming Fear!
• 1. Fear will keep us from loving!
(1 John 4:18 - “Perfect love casts out fear”)
• 2. Fear will keep us from leaving! (our
comfort zones)
Some folks are afraid of leaving their house
some believers fear leaving their comfort
zones.
• 3. Fear will keep us from living!
(Fear drains us of life!)
Overcoming Fear!
• C. Fear Makes Us Prisoners
•Fear imprisons us
while Christ came to
set us free.
Overcoming Fear!
• 3. The Remedy Of Fear.
• A. Consider the Fowls. (Vs 26)
• “Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow
not, neither do they reap, nor gather into
barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds
them. Are you not better than they?
Overcoming Fear!
• B. Consider The Father.V26
• ....your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not
better than they?
• Said the wild flower to the sparrow:
"I should really like to know
Why these anxious human beings
Rush about and worry so."
Said the sparrow to the flower:
"Friend, I think that it must be
That they have no heavenly father
Such as cares for you and me."
Overcoming Fear!
• C. Consider The Flowers.
Vs 28-30 – “See how the flowers of the field
grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you
that not even Solomon in all his splendour
was dressed like one of these. If that is how
God clothes the grass of the field, which is
here today and tomorrow is thrown into the
fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of
little faith?
• D. Consider The Faith. ...O you of little faith?
The problem with worry, anxiety and fear is
one of faith!
Overcoming Fear!
• E. Consider The Foremost.
V25,33 Jesus says "Take no thought for your
life“
• He instructs that we be not anxious about our
life as far as what we shall eat, or what we
shall drink nor yet for our bodies what we shall
put on.
• Rather than focus on these things, and being
worried, anxious, and fearful over them, he
instructs us to focus on the foremost = GOD.
• V33 “But seek you first the kingdom of God,
and his righteousness; and all these
things shall be added unto you!
Overcoming Fear!
Though troubles assail us and
dangers affright, though friends
should all fail us and foes all unite,
yet one thing secures us, whatever
betide, his promise assures us,
"The Lord will provide."
Overcoming Fear!
The birds, without garner or
storehouse, are fed; from them
let us learn to trust God for our
bread. His saints what is fitting
shall ne’er be denied so long as
’tis written,
"The Lord will provide."
Overcoming Fear!
When Satan assails us to stop up
our path, and courage all fails us,
we triumph by faith. He cannot take
from us, though oft he has tried,
this heart-cheering promise,
"The Lord will provide."
Overcoming Fear!
No strength of our own and no
goodness we claim; yet,
since we have known of the
Saviour’s great name, in this our
strong tower for safety we hide:
the Lord is our power,
"The Lord will provide."
Overcoming Fear!