Series Structure
• The Giant – What is it?
• What does it do to us?
• How do I kill it?
– “Facing” vs. “Slaying”
The Corrupting Seed
• The Single Woman
• The Perfect Steak
• 4,000,000 Lost on Account of 10
– Deuteronomy 1:19-40
What is Fear?
• There is such a thing as a healthy fear.
– The fear of the LORD is the beginning of
wisdom.
• Psalm 111:10(a)
– Fear provides momentary and near
supernatural reflexes and strength.
– Some things are dangerous and are natural for
us to desire to avoid.
• This is all known as “rational fear.”
Irrational Fear
• a.k.a. “Phobias”
– Let’s explore for a second, yeah?
• Ablutophobia
– Fear of bathing or washing.
• Agyrophobia
– Fear of crossing roads.
• Anthrophobia
– Fear of flowers.
• Atichiphobia
– Fear of failure.
• Ballistophobia
– Fear of bullets or missiles.
Irrational Fear
• Blennophobia
– Fear of slimy things.
• Cacophobia
– Fear of ugly things.
• Caligynephobia
– Fear of beautiful women.
• Coulrophobia
– Fear of clowns.
• Ebulliophobia
– Fear of bubbles.
• Glossophobia
– Fear of speaking in public.
Physical Effects of Fear
• University of Michigan Study
– 30% of students who watched particularly
scary movies experienced heightened levels of
anxiety, loss of sleep, and avoidance of
circumstances portrayed up to a year after
viewing.
– Prolonged adrenaline response produces:
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Increased illness and infection
Sexual dysfunction
Aches and pains
Loss of appetite
Spiritual Effects of Fear
• Fear Disregards God’s Plan
– Fear prevented the Israelites from obeying the
command to “go up and possess it.”
– Fear can prevent us from following God’s plan
for our lives.
• How many “almost” missionaries?
– The Bible clearly tells us that fear is not part of
God’s plan for our lives.
Spiritual Effects of Fear
• Fear Distorts God’s Purposes
– Joshua and Caleb followed God’s purpose…to
bring back an enthusiastic report of the
wonderful land God had given them.
– 10 of the 12 spies instead returned with the
seed of fear.
– Likewise, fear can distort God’s purpose for
your life, replacing it with a fixation on the
object of your fear.
Spiritual Effects of Fear
• Fear Discourages God’s People
– Fear is a communicable sin.
– 10 men corrupted millions of minds and
sentenced a generation to death in the
wilderness.
– What kinds of fear discourage God’s people
today?
Spiritual Effects of Fear
• Fear Disbelieves God’s Promises
– Had God done anything prior to this event to
merit the trust of His people?
– A delivered nation soon begins to question
God’s very nature, and disbelieve His
promises.
• It is spiritually more acceptable to expectantly
doubt circumstances than to doubt the wisdom,
love, or intent of our Creator.
Spiritual Effects of Fear
• Fear Disobeys God’s Principles
– Disbelief  Disobedience
– When God tells us “fear not” or “do not be
afraid,” we are sinning when we fear.
– We’ve been conditioned today to be
sympathetic and understanding toward fear,
rather than treating it as an enemy.
How to Kill It
• Step 1: Identification
– You may not grasp exactly what type of fear
you live with.
– You may be dealing with all the symptoms, but
have not come to understand your classic case
of fear.
– If you have a nagging sense of mal-ease, ask
the Holy Spirit in prayer to identify your fear.
How to Kill It
• Step 2: Confess your Sin
– Yes, sin. If God tells us to “fear not” and we
fear, we have fallen short.
– Remember that obedience is “doing” it, not
necessarily “feeling it,” especially right out of
the gate.
• Where the will goes, feelings will follow.
– Confession and forgiveness of sin gives you
freedom from its dominion.
How to Kill It
• Step 3: Claim God’s Promises
– Now that you’ve cleared the negative, hold
fast to the positive.
– In your Bible studies, seek out, write down, or
memorize God’s promises. Claim them in the
face of the enemy when the weapon of fear is
deployed.
• Jesus perfect defense against Satan’s temptations.
How to Kill It
• Step 4: Draw Closer to God
– What made Joshua and Caleb the dissenting
vote?
• The Bible identifies them both as men who “wholly
followed the LORD.”
• They viewed the size of the giants compared to
their God, rather than themselves.
– A vibrant relationship with God gives little
space for fear.
– What is the anti-matter element for fear?
How to Kill It
• Step 5: Be Fearless about Death and Work
Your Way Backwards
– The greatest fear we can have is of death.
– With the gift of eternal salvation bought by
the blood of Christ, we have nothing to fear in
death.
– If we have nothing to fear in death, the
remaining giants of fear look a whole
lot
smaller.
Bonus Slide
• Examine in your life the root of your fears.
– What are you afraid of losing or experiencing?
– Do you have it to lose in the first place?
– Does the Bible warn us that we are to
experience the hardships you’re trying so hard
to avoid?
– What does the Bible say about prioritizing the
things that we are fearful of losing?
– What did the lives of the Bible’s greatest
champions look like compared to your own?