NO FEAR

 

No fear

 

    We have just two messages left in our summer in the Psalms series.  We have been looking at Psalms 111 which is an acrostic psalm talking about the characteristics of God and then Psalm 112, which is our response to the truth we learn from Psalm 111.  Ezra who is the author of these two psalms had an objective.  He was using the Hebrew alphabet in two forms.  One, to teach the people how to learn the Hebrew language, and secondly, to also learn about their God who they really did not know.  They had just returned from being in captivity for 70 years in Babylon.  They did not know their own language, religion, and culture.  Ezra chose this method to accomplish is aim and goals.  Today we will learn five truths from these two verses.

 

1.      They will have no fear of bad news.  When someone knows the Lord fear is no longer part of our vocabulary.  We are given a spirit of fear but love, power, and a sound mind.  From Paul, we learn that fear is a spirit and must be overcome with God’s love which as John puts in 1 John 4:18, casts it out.  Then fear is rendered powerless through God’s power and lastly, it is neutered by a sound mind.

 

a.      The reason the righteous do not fear bad news is because they know God is with them.  They trust him with all their heart, acknowledge Him and let Him direct their path.  They know will never leave or forsake them.  That all things work together for good even if the thing is not good.  Bad news does not shake them because they have the presence, power, peace, and promises of God.

b.      The righteous always anchor themselves in the love, faith, and hope of God.  Love never fails and so bad news causes no fear.  Their hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness.  Angels are camping around the righteous.  We are the apple of God’s eyes and in the psalm of his hand.  God is directing our path.  No accusation, temptation or deception will work because we have the Bible, prayer, armor of God, anointing, power, authority, enablement, and divine help so we do not have to fear bad news.

 

2.       Their hearts are steadfast.  The righteous have a heart that is secure in God.  It has the rock, fortress, and refuge of the Lord.  Remember from the heart is where the issues of life come.  The heart is where the treasure is.  When you have a heart you have the will, intellect, and emotions.  You have the time, talents, and resources of a person.  When a heart belongs to God the past has been forgiven, the present is a gift and the future is eternal.

 

a.      The righteous heart is steadfast, loyal, faithful, committed, devoted, dedicated, and dependable.

               The righteous have maturity, stability, resolve, firmness, and are unwavering.  They can sing in

               prison-like Paul and Silas, They trust like Abraham.  They fight like Gideon.  They worship like  

               David and are wise like Solomon.

 

3.       They trust in the Lord.  Ezra wants his audience to trust the Lord.  Trust means a firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone in our case the Lord.  The most familiar verse is Prov 3:5-6.  Trust has so many benefits.  Delight, freedom, peace, joy, faith, love, grace, and blessing.  Faith and trust are interchangeable.  You know the world, the flesh, and the devil want to destroy you but you know God is working on your behalf and like a child you simply trust Him.  Like Noah, you take God at His word even though you don’t see the rain.

 

a.       You have a firm conviction that even when things are bad it will turn out good.  The psalmist said sorrow is for a night but joy comes in the morning.  He also said the mercies of God are new every morning great is the faithfulness of God.  A new day is a new start.  Moses trusted the Lord for 40 years.  There were times his faith was tested and stretched but in the end, God and he built a nation ready to take the land. 

b.      Trust says I trust you God and the process.  You know what you are doing and in the end, I win.  I came across this FB post this week, At this point, Jesus doesn’t need to take the wheel, He needs to pull over and spank some of you all with his Flip flops.

 

4.      Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear.   Mankind has three areas of basic needs.  Food shelter, clothing, and transportation are the first.  The second need is safety and security and the last is self-esteem and actualization.  When these three needs are met we feel fulfilled.  When a heart belongs to God these needs are not only met but exceeded.  Paul said in Eph 3:20, that God can do exceedingly, abundantly beyond what we can ask or imagine.  

 

a.      When we feel secure we have no fear.  Fear is caused by insecurity, the feeling of being unloved, loss of power and control.  The natural state of man when faced with uncertainly, danger or fear is to fight or flee.  When you feel secure, empowered and in control, you have no fear.

b.      David when he found Goliath he could beat him.  He had already beaten a lion and bear and this experience is a big factor.  Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.  He also knew he was fighting Goliath in the power of God.  With God for us who can be against us.

 

        3.   In the end they will look in triumph on their foes.  Ezra remind his audience and us that in the

              End we win.  At the end of the book, the people of God are victorious.  Ezra says don’t lose hope

              in the middle of the battle.  You have to run the whole race, fight the whole battle, do the whole        

              competition to win the tournament.  This last week a young phenom named Leylah Fernandez

              got the finals of the US Open.  Two years again Bianca Andresscu won it.   They had to play

              through a week of grueling tennis matches to get to the finals.  You cannot quit in the middle. 

              Life does give you a ribbon for trying.  There are two rules in life.  “Never give up and Remember

             rule number one.”

 

a.      Did you know there are crowns given for those who finish the race as believers and Christians.

 

1.      Crown of righteousness – Those love His coming.

2.      Incorruptible crown – Being saved

3.      Crown of life – Endured testing, persecution, and trials.

4.      Crown of glory – Those who carried the gospel.

5.       Crown of rejoicing – Given at the end for faithful service.

 

b.      There are of course the rewards given to the overcomer.  Some people asked what is in it for me.  Everything church.  You get eternal and abundant life, a declaration of being a good servant, and a reward of resting in the Lord.  On the other side of the veil, peace, beauty, love, friendship, and security.  That is what I got from my vision and dream of heaven.