How Fear Hinders Our Service To God

Introduction

Good morning.

Fear is something that is common to everyone. Everyone at some point has been scared of completing a task or getting up and speaking in front of the congregation on Sunday morning.

But it is something that everyone at some point in their life has experienced. And I did some research before coming today, and I found from a very untrustworthy looking website the top ten most common fears. So I’ll just read them off real quick.

So I’m sure some of you have some of these fears, and I know I have some of those fears, and it’s it’s just something that everyone has experienced. So while I was looking at some stories of fear and examples of fear in the Bible, I was reminded of uh John F. Kennedy’s book, Profiles and Courage. And it was kind of his claim to fame, but it was a book he wrote about leaders who had to have courage in certain situations. And in many cases, they defied their party and they defied what their constituents wanted them to do in order to do what they personally believed was right. So what I want to do this morning is give a somewhat modified profiles and courage of the Bible and look at several stories of characters who face great fear.

1. Jonah: Fear Can Prevent Us From Serving God

And while not all of them responded positively and were successful in face of this fear, I want to look at these stories. So the first one I want to look at is Jonah. So if you will turn with me to Jonah chapter one.

But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. So it would be really easy for me to say that Jonah is just afraid of going to Nineveh. And he’s afraid of them because they were a powerful city and it was a very big city, and he was just afraid of the consequences of traveling to that place. But that’s not really what he deep down was afraid of.

So Jonah had it so caught up in his mind that’s kind of Nineveh were guilty and they deserved his whole life. And uh he was kind of self-righteous, so he didn’t want the people of Nineveh to be given a second chance. But what he didn’t realize was that he was also guilty. And he was afraid of their repentance because it would prove to them that Nineveh gets a second chance through God’s grace, just like he does. So what we can learn from the story of Jonah is that fear can ultimately prevent us from serving God. We have all these obstacles that block us, and that’s kind of where our fear comes from. We’re afraid of these obstacles that are in our path, and we allow those obstacles to stop us from doing God’s will.

2. Physical Fear: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego

And in Jonah’s case, the obstacle was mental. He was afraid of his worldview being challenged and what his personal beliefs were being upturned. But uh these obstacles can be physical as well. So if you would turn with me to Daniel chapter 3.

Nebuchadnezzar, the king made an image of gold whose height was 60 cubits and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. And King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to gather together the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. So the Safetraps, the administrators, governors, counselors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered together for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And they stood before their image, before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Then Harold cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.

And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. So at that time when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, harp, and lyre, and symphony with all kinds of music, all the people, nations, and languages fell down and worship the gold image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. So, since this is written in the book of Daniel, Daniel’s kind of the main character, I guess you could say, throughout the book. But Daniel has three friends, uh the renamed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abidnego. And so they are here with the king at this time in his region, and they decided that they’re not going to bow down to the king’s image, because they want they they only want to worship God.

So if we keep going in verse sixteen, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abidnego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up. Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abinago. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. And he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abinnego, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace.

Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore, because the king’s command was urgent and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abidnego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abinnego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

And the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. So after Shadrach, Meshach, and Abinnego were cast into the fire, God delivered them. But I can still imagine that they had incredible fear when they were placed into this situation. Imagine standing in front of a furnace that is so hot that it has killed the men who are placing you in that furnace. Um these men had no guarantee of protection from God either. Earlier they said they had the faith that God would be able to deliver them, but they had no promise, saying that when placed in this situation, God would deliver them. God didn’t have to, and they knew that, and they were willing to die for what they believed in in face of this fear.

So skipping down to verse 28 real quick, Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abinago, who sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him, and they have frustrated the king’s word and yielded their bodies that they should not serve nor worship any God except their own God. Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abinago shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heat, because there is no other God who can deliver like this. So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abinago’s example, and their facing the fears that they had was able to create an incredible change in Nebuchadnezzar and the nation in which they lived.

So while we may not face persecution to the level of being thrown in a fiery furnace, uh fear of danger such as this and negative consequences in a physical sense also are able to hinder our service to God.

3. Social Fear: Ananias and Sapphira

Explore how fear can affect us socially reading from verse one, but a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, and they kept back bar and they kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep that part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained was it not your own, and after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God. Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last.

So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. And the young man arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him. Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Then Peter answered her, Tell me whether you sold the land for so much. She said, Yes, for so much. Then Peter said to her, How is it that you have agreed together to test the spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out. Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband.

So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things. So it’s my personal belief that fear was the primary motivator for Ananias and Sapphira to lie.

But they didn’t necessarily want to do that, which was okay. They didn’t have to give everything they owned to the Lord to be acceptable to him. But they were afraid that if they didn’t match the same example of others, there might be some kind of judgment, or they wouldn’t be looked at as highly as everyone else. They were afraid that since they aren’t giving as much as the person next to them, that they’re not going to be revered the same way by their fellow Christians. So social fears also have the ability to hinder our service to God, in addition to the physical and mental ones, like we’ve seen with Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego and Jonah. Ananias and Sapphira were afraid of being judged for their contribution.

Ultimately, this led to their sin and their ultimate downfall.

4. Moses Had All Three Versions of Fear

So if we’ll read in Exodus chapter 3.

And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. Then Moses said, I will now turn aside and see this great sight why the bush does not burn. So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, Moses called to him from the midst of the bush and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here I am. Then he said, Do not draw near from this do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground. Moreover, he said, I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.

And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God. And the Lord said, I have surely seen the oppression of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hizzites, and the Amorites and the Perizzites, and the Hevites and the Jebisites. Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression which with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come now therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh, that you may bring my people, the children of Israel out of Egypt.

But Moses said to God, Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the people the children of Israel out of Egypt? So he said, I will certainly be with you, and this shall be a sign that I have sent you. When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain. Then Moses said to God, Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they say to me, What is his name? What shall I say to him them? And God said to Moses, I am who I am, and he said, Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, I am has sent me to you.

Moreover, God said to Moses, Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob has sent me to you. This is my name forever, and this is my memorial to all generations. Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and say to them, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared to me, saying, I sh have surely visited you and seen what is done to you in Egypt. And I’ve said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Parasites and the Hivites and the Jebisites, to a land flowing with milk and honey.

So Moses was somebody that had all three versions of the fear that we had previously discussed. He was mentally afraid because he didn’t really see himself as a leader. He didn’t think that he was capable to go all the way to Egypt and to bring these people out.

You see him saying, Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt? Egypt at the time was a great and powerful country, and the Pharaoh had a lot of power. And I’m sure Moses was afraid of going and challenging this great leader.

Moses never wanted to speak in front of large groups of people. He didn’t want to be this social leader for them. But eventually he was able to overcome all three of these fears and devote his life to the Lord.

By ultimately realizing that God will always be there for you, and that he is ultimately powerful.

5. By Faith They Faced Great Fear

And the Bible has many examples of people who have done this, and some of the best, in my opinion, are uh recorded in Hebrews 11. So we’ll just jump there real quick to look at a few of those.

Looking in verse 7, it says, By faith, Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household by which he condemned the world and became the heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. Noah had to face uh great fear against the people who were constantly telling him that he was wrong. Uh verse eight mentions Abraham again, who had great fear to for leaving uh his home. In verses twenty-three to twenty-five, we see Moses again, uh, who many times had to face fear through his life. And uh real quick, I’ll read verses thirty-two through thirty-eight, uh, which says, and what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked with righteousness, obtained promises, stopped them out of the blinds, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens, women received their dead raised to life again.

All these situations mentioned here are ones where people had to face great fear. And the theme of this chapter is that they were able to use their faith to do so. So the belief in God’s power and love gives comfort to appease any fear, and the hope of heaven can ultimately outweigh any earthly fear that we face here.