What would you do if you weren’t afraid?

Sermon from 02/14/2010

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Amen, Amen, Amen. Sorry I’m just trying to get it all out of my system now because with Lent quickly approaching I am going to miss those Hallelujahs.

I would like for everyone to think about a question for a moment. And think about what it is you are afraid of. I am not talking about Monsters or Aliens but the things that hinder you from doing something.

For some it could be I am afraid to quit my job because I don’t know how I could support myself or my family. Or maybe we are afraid to tell someone how we love them because we are afraid of rejection, which could be the same reason some of us may not talk about our beliefs. Perhaps some of us are afraid to move because of what we would leave behind. Or maybe we are afraid to go on that vacation we wanted to because we are afraid of spending that kind of money or because we are afraid to fly. And I am sure there are a few people who are afraid of death or the unknown.

I have a simple answer to all of these things that each and every one of you here already know.

“Because HE is and was and evermore will be, I AM…”

Think about that that and lets say it out loud together so we can let it sink in. “Because HE is and was and evermore will be, I AM…”

But what does that mean? Well it’s just like the song said:

Through You the kingdom's come, Through You the battle's won, Through You I'm not afraid, Through You the price is paid, Through You there's victory, I am free to run and I am free to dance and I am free to live for YOU.
       

How awesome and glorious is that not only are we free to live but we are free to live for HIM. It just blows my mind on how wonderful that is. We are FREE to live for Jesus not only because of where we live here the United States. But because our Lord Jesus has already paid the ultimate price for us and because he already paid for us we are Free, See how that works? We are free from the bonds of sin and the curse of the sinful. We can live for him in a glorious and righteous way.

The first fear I mentioned was I am afraid to quit my job because I don’t know if I could support myself or my family, which ties in well with being afraid to get up and move. I am not going to tell you to go ahead and quit your job or to leave your houses, because I understand that we are in tough economic times here and having a job is a blessing in itself.  But this is an actual fear some of us have and it could keep us from doing what GOD is calling us to do. Let’s look for a moment at the prophet Elisha you want to talk about quitting your job and picking up and hitting the road for a new calling, this man had it down.

The Call of Elisha

1Kings 19:15-21

 ¹⁵ The LORD said to “”Elijah””, "Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. ¹⁶ Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. ¹⁷ Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. ¹⁸ Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him."

 ¹⁹ So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. ²⁰ Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. "Let me kiss my father and mother good-by," he said, "and then I will come with you."
      "Go back," Elijah replied. "What have I done to you?"

 ²¹ So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his attendant.

Yeah so he slaughters 12 yoke of Oxen, each yoke held 2 oxen so that’s 24 oxen then proceeds to break up all his plowing equipment and light it on fire so he could cook the oxen. Talk about being sure of something… Well Elisha knew something that we also know and as Psalm tells us:

Psalm 23

¹The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.   

²He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters.

  ³He restoreth my soul; He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

Well what does that mean? It means “Trust in the Lord and The Lord will provide”. The Lord is our shepherd and our protector of course he is going to provide for us. And because he is our shepherd his rod and staff protect us from the “wolves” and those trying to cause us harm. And it could be any kind of harm, physical, mental, or spiritual, he will always protect us. And because he protects and provides for what more can we ask for?

“He leadeth me beside the still waters” Well thank the Lord, because if he lead us beside the overflowing banks of a turbulent river a couple of us might just be swept away. But for HIS NAME’S SAKE he leads us down the paths of righteousness. It is because of his love from us, “FOR HIS NAMES SAKE” he leads us down our path, from glory to glory.

So because HE IS MY SHEPARD, I AM FREE TO LIVE.

On to another fear, the fear of Rejection. Are you afraid to tell someone what we believe in or our feelings? Is it because of what they might think about us, or perhaps they will cast their “judgment” upon us? Well friends I can tell you that the only Judgment we have to fear is that of the Creator’s or the Redeemer’s.

In the Gospel of John Chapter 13 Jesus says:

³⁴"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

 

Isn’t amazing how as we get older we become more reserved? And because of these reservations, the harder it is for us to approach someone and share the love of Christ. Even though we know we have been told to “Love one another?”

One day when my family and I were walking through Wegman’s I had Veronica up on my shoulders and she had her arms stretched out wide and a huge smile on her face while she is singing “Hallelujah” and just keeps repeating it. Of course this draws some sideways glances and I just returned their looks with a smile. It is so easy for us to pass this off as her just being a child.

But as Mark tells us in Chapter 10 verse 15:

Mark 10:15 Jesus says "Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."

BUT as we read in the Epistle Lesson 1 Corinthians 13 Paul tells us.

¹¹When I was a child, I talked like a child; I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. ¹²Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known

As we read these two passages, at first glance they appear to contradict each other to some. But take a look at this Exegesisly? Exegesically? I may have just invented a word but that’s ok. The Definition of Exegesis is a critical explanation or interpretationof a text or portion of a text.

  

        So let’s think about this, Jesus is not telling us that if we do not accept him when we are children we will never get into the Kingdom. He is telling us we need to accept him as a child would, or child-like, just as a child accepts their parents’ words and lessons. It is an acceptance with blind faith, trusting that no harm will become of them because we are their protectors, just as Jesus is our protector.

And on the other hand, what Paul is telling us is we must put away childish things. We have to become disciplined in our faith we need to understand what it is that we are called to do. We are called to be mature in our faith, and as my Sunday school class can tell you, we are called to “Fight the Good Fight.” And our defenses can be found in here, the Scripture, the Words of GOD are our Swords and Shields. It is our Knowledge and wisdom that we gain through disciplined study and devout faith which will fend off the enemy.

What is important to remember is there is a vast difference between child-like as Jesus tells us, which is the blind, undoubting faith in him; and Paul’s childish which is what we are before we are mature enough to become disciplined in our own faith.

 

Veronica can tell you, when you ask her “Veronica who protects us?” She will answer “Jesus” and then ask her “Is there anyone bigger than Jesus” her response is “The Father”. “And with them protecting us is there anything to be scared of?” And she will say no. Now of course Katie and I helped teach her that Jesus is our protector but the very first time she told us that “The Father” was bigger than Jesus that was all on her own. How it is a 3 year old child can know these things and truly believe in them and tell you if you ask, but as adults we sometimes hesitate?

Each and Every one of us have been called to fight the good fight, and we are told that we are to Love thy enemy, and it is this love that will conquer all. Because as it is written in 1 Corinthians 13:13

¹³And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

So because HE WAS OUR GIFT FROM GOD, I AM NOT AFRAID TO LOVE.

This by the way is a rather redundant statement, as Father Bob can confirm, said another way is:

Because He was Gods gift of Love or God’s Charity, both of which can be translated from Agape in Greek, I am not Afraid to share this love or charity or Agape. You see it is the perfect gift to keep re-gifting.

I need to share something with you all, I am not afraid to die. But this does not mean that just because I am not afraid of it, that I welcome it. I want to spend as much time as God will allow me on this earth with my family and all of you but to face the facts, we are here on barrowed time and one day we will be called home. Now although I am not afraid of death, I am worried about what will become of my wife and children after I am gone. And this is natural; it goes along with the fear of the unknown. And even though as I said earlier I know that The Lord will provide I still hold that fear.

So why am I not afraid of death? I am glad you asked, it is summed up pretty well in The Gospel of John chapter 14:1-4 where Jesus tells us,

John 14:1-4 (KJV)

 ¹"Let not your heart be troubled. Ye believe in God; believe also in Me.

 ²In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
 ³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also.
 ⁴And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know."

So the Lord will call to us and we will go where to a place that HE HIMSELF has prepared for us. We will receive the call and we will go home. It is a place of happiness and love. A place where there is no pain and our bodies are restored; A Place where all those who came before us await our arrival, to welcome us with a loving embrace.

 Heaven and Earth are as far from each other as the East is from the West. And to most people that seems like a pretty far distance to travel. But as Christians we need to remember it only depends on where you start or where you end. You see it doesn’t really matter because no matter how far East you walk all you have to do is turn around and take a step to be west of where you stopped. And as we know our path to heaven is through Jesus Christ our Lord. HE is the way, the truth and the life, he is our Savior, and our redeemer and any step in his direction is the one we take into his glory. Yes our journey between where we start and where we end could be filled with a lot of twists and bumps, but as long as we are always taking that step to or back to Jesus then we have nothing to fear. 

SO Because HE IS AND WAS AND FOREVER MORE WILL BE, I AM HIS AND HE IS MINE, I AM A CHRISTIAN.

 And until He returns or calls me home, here in the power of Christ I’ll stand.

Amen.