Jesus Wants Steadfast Faithfulness # 3

IV. We overcome fear and remain faithful by Relying on God's strength (v. 7)

Of all the things of which we need reminding, perhaps the most important this is the fact that we are not alone, we have been given the Spirit of God, and His Spirit is not one of fear but of power, of love and of sound judgment.

The strength of man will always leave you fearful. There is always someone bigger, someone better, someone stronger, someone of whom, in your own strength, you should fear. One of the reasons so many Christians give in to fear is because they look at things from the point of view of their own humanity. "Can I do it?" they ask themselves. "Can I afford it?" they question in their fear. And the answer is nearly always "No."

If you can do it without supernatural strength, it is probably not of God. What is not of faith is not of God. God does not call us to do things that we can accomplish without Him. In fact, Jesus tells us that without Him we can do nothing.

Timothy was fearful because the flame within him had burned low. The faith within him was weak and in need of exercise.

Instead of giving in to fear, which is inconsistent with the very nature of the Spirit of God, we are told that we have been possessed by His Spirit, one of power, of love and of sound judgement.

Power - A force of character, which if not natural to one's character should be inspired by the fact that God has appointed you to serve Him and you go forth in His name.

Love - Not to be confused with weakness, love is strong it that it does what is best for others, even if that is not always the popular thing to do. In Timothy's case some of the decisions he made as a pastor were undoubtedly unpopular, but he was to make those decisions with the best interest of God's family in mind. He was to serve God and others with a heart of love.

Sound judgment - Ministry always requires self discipline, good judgment and sound decisions.

Let me paraphrase: "Timothy, this fearfulness and timidity that is holding you back and keeping you from accomplishing your God-given mission is not from God. God's Spirit within you is one of Power, that is, He will give you the confidence you need to be assertive and certain as you lead, it is a Spirit of love, that is, you will make decisions based on what God shows you is His best for His people, not always what is popular, and it is one of sound judgment, you will need to practice discipline in your personal life by praying faithfully and studying diligently. "

Application

1. Be an encourager

For some morbid reason our human nature seems to be more delighted when others fall than when they succeed. But this is not in keeping with God's Spirit. As Christians we are to support one another, to hold each other up in prayer and encouragement. Look around you. Take note of the people God has brought into your life and you will find there are those who need a word of encouragement, those who are paralyzed by fear and doubt. God has sent you to them as His emissary, to encourage and strengthen them. Be an encourager.

2. Be mindful of the past

Look back on where you are and where you have been. Yes, you may be in a difficult position now, but if you'd be honest, you've been in difficult times before. Has God not always been faithful to you before? And will He not continue to be faithful to you in the future. Even as Timothy was encouraged to recognize that which God had done in his life, this morning God is calling upon each of us to look to all He has done, to remember that He who has been faithful will ever be faithful. He will never leave you or forsake you. He will not leave you alone. He will accomplish in you all He has ordained.

3. Be active in the present

One of the best ways to overcome fear is to step forward in action. Make no mistake - young David was afraid when he went to fight Goliath. He was human and therefore it was natural for him to be afraid, but he did not let his fear immobilize him. Stepping out in faith he took action. The only way to overcome your fear is by exercising your faith, and faith without action is not really faith. You may be here this morning and God has given you clear instructions as to what He wants you to do. He has shown you what it is He wants to accomplish through you. But fear has gripped you. It has intimidated you and is keeping you from the blessings of obedience. This morning God is telling you to exercise your faith, to step out in action and as you exercise your faith, as you put that faith in action, your fear will disappear like a midst before the warmth of the sun. If you want to overcome your fear this morning you must take action.

4. Be reliant on the Spirit

This is the spiritual realm where we walk by faith and not by sight, where we trust in God and not in ourselves, where we are not calculating our success based on what we can do, but rather by what we know God can do through us as we yield to His Spirit and trust in His strength.

If you are feeling defeated this morning, succumbing to the empty threats of fear, trust in God. The Spirit of God, given to you at the moment of salvation is not one of fear. It is not one of timidity or apprehension. You have been given the Spirit of the Living God, He is in you, He is for you and He will give you confidence, victory and triumph. He wants to do great things through you. To lead you to places you could never go on your own, to do things through you humanly impossible. God has given you His Spirit to enable you, to equip you and empower you for success in ministry.

So when the dark whispers of the enemy try to freeze your very soul, when the shadows of fear cast darkness across your appointed path, trust in God, look to Him Who is in you for greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.

Trusting in your own strength will always lead to failure, exercising your faith will lead you to victory. Trust in God, rely on His Spirit and He will use you in ways you cannot even imagine.

~Pastor Calvin Wittman~