INTRODUCTION
• GEICO COMMERCIAL CLIP
• SLIDE #1
• When we are wrought with fear we can make some bad choices in life. We may end up hiding behind the chainsaws!
• Fear is one emotion that grips all of us at one time or another. Fear can be debilitating in some cases, fear can also motivate some.
• There are so many things we can fear in life. The economy, the lost morality, death, taxes, public speaking, aging, not aging, Ebola, crime, spiders, snakes, CHANGE, among other things.
• I some instances a little fear is good, it can keep you from doing things that could injure you; however, an inordinate amount of fear can be harmful, it can hold one back from enjoying life to the fullest.
• The country was in shambles, FDR is elected President and in his famous Inaugural Address, March 4, 1933, the President stated; “that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.
• A 2011 article lists the top 10 things people fear, the top 3 were rejection, death and failure. http://listverse.com/2011/09/30/top-10-strong-human-fears/
• Is fear paralyzing you? God can help you to calm your fears.
• I want to take us to Romans 8:12-17 this morning as we look at the issue of fear together.
• Paul is trying to encourage his readers to leave their past life without Jesus behind, he reminds them they possess the Spirit of God within them.
• There are some fears that are healthy and we will look at one of those to begin with then we will see what God can do to eliminate that fear from one’s life.
• SLIDE #2
• Romans 8:12–13a (HCSB) So then, brothers, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, for if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die…
• SLIDE #3
SERMON
I. Living without God is the foundation for fear.
• There is one thing that should send a chill up our spine, living a life without Jesus.
• In the 1st verse of chapter 8 Paul reminds us there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ.
• In verse 5 he encourages us to set our minds on the things of the Spirit.
• In verses 9-10 we are reminded the Spirit dwells within those in Christ.
• And in verse 12 is a reminder we are not obligated to live in the flesh.
• An obligation is a debt imposed from within whereas duty is imposed by an outside authority.
• When we are in Christ we no longer have a debt within us to live for the flesh or to live like there is no God.
• One of the things we probably do not fear enough is living like there is no God, living as if we have no obligation to live for Him.
• As a Christian, one cannot mix the world ways with God’s ways. On the other side of the coin we also need to maintain a loving and compassionate heart for lost people.
• If we are the only Jesus people see, we must make sure we reflect the trues Jesus in attitude, action, and by living by the truth of the Word of God.
• Verse 12 is actually a broken sentence in the Greek. Half of the verse has been suppressed by Paul.
• The context suggests we are to mentally supply the other half, the obligation to live for Jesus.
• By suppressing the positive half of the sentence Paul forces the reader to step back and consider where their obligations ought to lie.
• The point made here is how contradictory it is for the Christian who has been delivered from the bondage of sin, and has been given the indwelling gift of the Holy Spirit at baptism, to yield in obedience and service back to that from which we were freed!
• Now I want to bring in the first part of verse 13.
• “for if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die…”
• This is where a healthy fear should reside. If one chooses to live by the flesh the result WILL be death, separation from God.
• The word “LIVE” is a present tense verb indicating a habitual way of life currently being lived.
• SLIDE #4
• Romans 6:16 (HCSB) Don’t you know that if you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of that one you obey —either of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness?
• A Christian who thinks he or she can live according to the flesh has death hanging over them because they have given themselves back over to the bondage of sin.
• Death is something people fear, mostly it is a fear of physical death; however, I believe the fear is rooted in the fact people do not know what is going to happen after death.
• The thought of ceasing to exist is scary; however, an eternity separated from God is an even worse prospect.
• I sense that some of the hostility people hold towards Christianity is that there is a possibility Christianity is right, there is a heaven and hell, that Jesus is the way the truth and the life and that no one comes to the Father except through Him.
• Because of the ever so slight chance to the lost the Bible could be true, it is easier to get angry over it and write it off so that you can live your life as you choose.
• If you ignore the truth, it may go away.
• Why do atheists get so worked up about Mangers, Christmas, Easter, etc…
• If these things are false, then why worry about people following it?
• Well if you chose to follow the path of the World, you will die without Christ.
• God has a way to help you.
• SLIDE #5
• Romans 8:13b–15 (HCSB) 13 ... But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 All those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!”
• SLIDE #6
II. God desires to eradicate you fears.
• When I was a child, I was raised in a faith that seemed to try to scare me me into following Jesus. I was scared to die.
• When I grew to adulthood I realized I did not have to be afraid, that I should not follow Jesus just because I was scared to die and go to hell.
• I learned I should follow Jesus because He loves me and I should love Him.
• The way to eradicate a fear of death is to allow yourself to be led by the Spirit.
• The Spirit will help you to put to death the deeds of the flesh. The last part of verse 13 tells us that if we allow that to happen, we will live!
• You can walk with God from day one of your life in Him.
• If we continually put to death the deeds of the flesh, we will continue to live in Him!
• Verse 14 tells us that all who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons!
• The leading is a present tense passive verb indicating a habitual pattern of life.
• WE need to allow the SPIRIT to lead. The Spirit will not force you to follow!
• It is important we grasp this thought.
• The SPIRIT has to be allowed to lead on one’s life.
• When one is led by the Spirit it does not mean that we take the lead and ask the Spirit to tag along, we allow the Spirit to ACTUALLY lead, and WE follow!
• That is as hard to do at times.
• Verse 14 is an encouraging reminder as to one’s status with when one allows God’s Spirit to lead!
• 14 All those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons.
• For one to allow the Spirit to lead implies there is a special connection with God, that we trust Him enough to allow the Spirit to lead even with it may not seem to make sense to do so.
• You become a son/daughter of God when you put on Christ at baptism!
• SLIDE #7
• Galatians 3:27 (HCSB) For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ like a garment.
• This takes us to verse 15, this is the main point of all we are examining today!
• SLIDE #8
• Romans 8:15 (HCSB) For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!”
• We are told we did not receive a spirit or mindset of slavery to fall back into FEAR!
• We received a spirit or mindset of adoption. We will hit this in a minute.
• Notice Paul equates one’s life without Christ as being in a mindset or slavery which equates to FEAR.
• Slaves by nature fear abuse and punishment. A slave to sin has the same fear, I believe this is what sets many of them off to anger because Christianity reminds them of their bondage to sin.
• This attitude, spirit, mindset was one we possess BEFORE we come to Jesus. Paul warns that if we fall back to the old ways we will fall back into fear.
• God wants to remove that fear from you by adopting you into His family!
• In Roman society during the first century when this was written, adoption was a special process.
• Today when we adopt it is usually children and teenagers. In Roman society it was not unusual to adopt an adult male to carry out the family name.
• When one was adopted in Roman society the past life and ANYTHING that followed it were wiped away.
• You were fully part of the new family, no less a son than a natural born child would be, so it is when you are adopted into God’s family through Jesus!
• The fears of the past are gone because your Heavenly Father is the creator of all and He has a permanent home for you!
• Death is no longer the fear it once was because we know death just begins our new life with God, it continues the relationship we start on earth!
• So what do we have to fear being an adopted child of God?
• When we are in locked into fear, we can cry out to our God and He will be there.
• The phrase ABBA FATHER literally means DADDY. When my girls were young they would cry out to me when they were afraid and I would come to their side because I am their father.
• There is a special bond with my daughters. That is just a taste of the bond we have with God when we are His!
• SLIDE #9
• Romans 8:31 (HCSB) What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
• As FDR stated, “that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself
• SLIDE #10
• Romans 8:16–17 (HCSB) The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, and if children, also heirs —heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—seeing that we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
• SLIDE #11
III. The things we fear are no cause for fear in Christ.
• WE are God’s and no one can take you away from God.
• The Spirit testifies as to our status with God.
• We are heirs with Jesus!
• Verse 17 refers to the things we suffer in this present life, although not fun, they are nothing to fear because God is with us.
• WE cannot allow the present distresses of life to separate us from God!
• SLIDE #12
• Romans 8:35–39 (HCSB) Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or anguish or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: Because of You we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things we are more than victorious through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that not even death or life, angels or rulers, things present or things to come, hostile powers, height or depth, or any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!
CONCLUSION
• What do you fear? What do you do when you are haunted by fear?
• I would encourage you not to hide behind the chainsaws, cry out to God, if you are in Christ, He is your Father!
• He is not a father who will abuse you, or abandon you, He loves you like no one else can.
• WE do not have to be haunted by fear!
• If Jesus is not your Lord and Savior today, honestly, you do have something to fear; however, that fear should not be the main reason for coming forward today.
• One should come forward because they need Jesus, one should come forward because they know they need salvation.
• You should come forward because their creator, the God of heaven and earth loves YOU and wants to have a relationship with you that will last for eternity!
