It’s now been a week and a half since the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, and all over America, life is returning to normal – even as we realize that our definition of "normal" will have to change. The airlines are flying again, even if the planes aren’t very full. The stock market is operating again, even though it was down quite a bit this week. Football and baseball are back on television, as are Letterman and Leno. But despite the resumption of our daily routines, we know that things will never really be the same again – either for our country, or for us. It’s going to take a while before we fully understand what all of this means, for America and for us as citizens. But one thing that seems obvious already is that we’re going to have to become more vigilant as a nation; more watchful, more aware of the dangers that face us, so that we can be better prepared to protect and defend ourselves.
And that’s not a bad thing. The better we understand the reality of the world we live in, including its dangers, the more we’ll be able to make wise decisions about our safety, and the safety of our loved ones. There’s a common misconception that Christians are rubes and simpletons. But God doesn’t want us to be naïve. He doesn’t want us to just stick our heads in the sand and pretend that everything is OK when it’s not. In fact, when Jesus sent the Twelve disciples out to preach, he warned them,
"I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves." – Matthew 10:16
In other words, he wanted them to understand the ways of the world, including the very real presence of evil in the world, yet without committing evil themselves. Jesus wanted them, and us, to be discerning, shrewd, alert, the kind of people who are not easily deceived or taken in. Which is completely consistent with the rest of the Bible. If you read Proverbs or Ecclesiastes, they’re entirely devoted to helping us understand how the world works – the good, the bad, and the ugly. God wants us to know that there’s evil in the world so that we can recognize it and avoid it. Yes, God wants us to be innocent – but not by being naïve or foolish. He wants us to be pure in heart and holy in our behavior, but at the same time to understand and guard against the evils around us.
This isn’t easy. Maintaining purity of heart while keeping our eyes open to the reality of evil in the world is difficult, even perilous. The first peril is that we will not only become aware of evil, but become fascinated by it, captivated by it. The risk is that we will deceive ourselves into thinking we need to get closer and closer to evil in order to fully understand it, until eventually, we get drawn in and become participants in the evil ourselves. What began as an attempt to quell our curiosity becomes an addiction, an obsession. We told ourselves that we were merely doing "research," trying to better understand the power that these sins have over other people. But instead, we end up corrupted and enslaved by those sins ourselves. That’s the first danger, and it’s very real. We have to resist the temptation to draw close to evil for the purpose of observing it, lest in the end we become ensnared by it.
But there’s another peril, which is what I want to focus on this morning. The other peril is not that we become involved in evil ourselves, but that we become fearful and anxious in the face of evil. The risk is that as we emerge from our blissful ignorance, as we begin to see all the dangers around us, we will start to focus on those things to an unhealthy degree. That we will become obsessed with trying to protect ourselves from every conceivable harm (which, of course, is impossible). And so the world becomes to us, not a place of peace and security, not a place where God is in control and watching over us, not a place where we can live confidently and freely as sons and daughters of the King; but instead, a dark and dangerous place with evil lurking around every corner.
This is what sometimes happens when someone who has lived a relatively sheltered and protected life experiences a significant loss, or some kind of harm comes to them. Suddenly, they become convinced that the world is nothing but a stinking cesspool of evil, filled with danger. And they become committed above all to protecting themselves, to making sure nothing like this can ever happen again. They become hard, and suspicious, and cynical. And that’s not what God wants either.
There are many kinds of dangers in the world. Crime. Disease. Being killed or injured in an accident. One we’ve just been reminded of in a horrible way is the danger of terrorism. Before last week, I’m sure that very few people working in tall office buildings were worried that the building might be destroyed by an airplane. It was literally inconceivable. Yet now, people all over the country who live and work in skyscrapers are nervously looking out the windows, scanning the horizon for the sudden appearance of a Boeing 757 headed in their direction. And it’s not just that specific threat. People are talking about biological and chemical warfare; they’re asking where they can get anthrax vaccine; they’re talking about moving out of the city and into the country so they won’t be such a target. They’re nervous and fearful. They wonder what will happen next. And President Bush addressed these fears head-on in his speech on Thursday. He said,
"I ask you to live your lives and hug your children. I know many citizens have fears tonight and I ask you to be calm and resolute, even in the face of a continuing threat. I ask you to uphold the values of America and remember why so many have come here.
After all that has just passed, all the lives taken and all the possibilities and hopes that died with them, it is natural to wonder if America’s future is one of fear. Some speak of an age of terror. I know there are struggles ahead and dangers to face. But this country will define our times, not be defined by them. As long as the United States of America is determined and strong, this will not be an age of terror. This will be an age of liberty here and across the world.
Great harm has been done to us. We have suffered great loss. And in our grief and anger, we have found our mission and our moment. Freedom and fear are at war. The advance of human freedom, the great achievement of our time and the great hope of every time, now depends on us."
That’s good advice. We must not become consumed by fear, whether it’s the fear of terrorist attack or any other danger. Some of you here this morning are facing very different dangers and different fears. But whatever your situation may be, God’s will for his people at all times is that our hearts be controlled by His peace. It’s never God’s will for us to be anxious, and worried, and afraid. On the contrary, we’re frequently commanded in the Scriptures to be strong, and courageous. Listen:
"For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." – Romans 8:15
"For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." – 2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT)
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." – John 14:27
In other words, fear is not from the Lord. The Holy Spirit, who lives in the heart of every believer, is not a Spirit of fear; He is a Spirit of power and love. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we can have a childlike confidence and trust in God, our Father.
Why is fear never from God? Because fear and faith are mutually exclusive. You can’t trust God, and at the same time be worrying that He isn’t trustworthy. Fear is an implicit vote of "no confidence" in God’s ability to care for you. It says that God either isn’t able, or isn’t willing, to protect you from harm. And that is the opposite of faith. It represents a denial of all the promises in Scripture that God will protect his people. Just listen to some of those promises now:
"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." – Psalm 23:4
"The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? . . . Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident." – Psalm 27:1, 3
"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging." – Psalm 46:1-3
"when you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared." – Proverbs 3:24-26
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. . . For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you." – Isaiah 40:10, 13
Why is it that we are not to fear? Why is it that no matter what our circumstances – a soldier preparing to parachute into Afghanistan; a New Yorker wondering when the next attack is going to come; a middle manager in his fifties who just got laid off; a wife wondering if her husband is going to leave her; a cancer patient; the parents of a handicapped child – no matter what our circumstances, why is it that we, as Christians, are not to fear? Because God has pledged Himself to watch over and protect us. And if we choose to fear, we’re saying that his love and care are inadequate. They’re not enough. We’re saying that we don’t trust all his promises and assurances. And that’s a failure of faith, and that’s a sin.
"But," you ask, "how can I not be worried? How can I not be fearful? How can I not be anxious, when I’m facing the very real possibility of suffering and loss? Are you telling me that if I place my trust in God, nothing bad will ever happen to me?" No, I’m not saying that. Christians suffer pain and loss and sorrow, just like anyone else. What I’m saying is that the peace God gives is independent of our circumstances. What I’m saying is that we can be free from fear, even when we are not free of suffering. How is that possible? Consider these principles:
First, remember that if you belong to Christ, then no one can take away from you that which is most valuable, that which has eternal worth. Yes, you may suffer loss. You may experience pain. But no one can rob you of anything that you weren’t going to lose eventually anyway. The most they can deprive you of is your physical, earthly life, which had at most sixty or seventy years to go before it ended. What they can’t steal is your eternal life; and what they can’t touch are the fantastic rewards stored up for you in heaven. Those are safely stored away, in a place "where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." (Matthew 6:20) They are completely out of reach; they are far beyond the power of any evil. Our eternal life, our salvation, our hope, is "stored up for us in heaven" (Colossians 1:5); it is "hidden with Christ in God." (Colossians 3:3). It cannot be lost or stolen. No matter what happens, no one can separate us from Christ and His love.
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." – Romans 8:35-39
Therefore, the Lord tells us that we should not fear any man, because comparatively speaking, even the worst that anyone can possibly do to us is ultimately of no consequence. They can’t take away our eternal life; they can’t invalidate our forgiveness; they can’t steal our eternal rewards stored up in heaven; and they can’t separate us from Christ. The worst they can do is inflict some temporary pain and suffering, or bring an end to a life that would have ended in not too long anyway. Listen:
"I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him." – Luke 12:4-5
"So we say with confidence, ’The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’" – Hebrews 13:6
"But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened." – 1 Peter 3:14
The second way to avoid worry is to remember that you are God’s child. And as His child, He is committed to protecting you, just as a human mother or father is committed to protecting their own children. Think for a minute – if you had the power to prevent it, would you, as a parent, allow one of your children to suffer unless there was a good reason? Would you allow your child to be hurt, or rejected, or betrayed; would you allow them to come to any harm whatsoever, if there wasn’t a purpose in it that made it worth the cost? No, of course not. You might allow them to experience the pain of a polio vaccine, in order to protect them from the worse suffering of getting polio. Or you might allow them to experience the negative consequences of their own misbehavior, in order to train them and build their character. But if you had the power to prevent it, you would never allow them any unnecessary pain or sorrow. One of the most difficult things about being a parent is that we don’t have the power to protect our children from these things. But God does have that power. And God feels the same way toward us as we feel toward our children. He loves us more than we can possibly comprehend. And He will never allow any harm to befall us; never permit any suffering or sorrow into our lives; except what which, in his perfect wisdom and love, he knows is necessary to accomplish some greater blessing in and through us.
So in conclusion, whether your greatest fear has to do with global events and terrorist attacks, or whether it has to do with something much more personal, remember to place your trust in God as your loving heavenly Father, and remember that no one can take from you that which is most valuable, your eternal life in Christ. Make plans for the future, but most importantly, place your future in God’s hands. And God will grant you His peace, even in the midst of difficult circumstances.
(For an .rtf file of this and other sermons, see www.journeychurchonline.org/messages.htm)
