FEAR
I. Examples of people who feared.
1. Jacob feared Esau. Genesis 32:7,11
2. Israelites feared giants. Numbers 13:26-33
3. Saul feared peoples reaction. I Samuel 15:24
4. David feared Saul’s army. Psalms 27:1-3, 55:4-6
5. Jehosaphat feared armies. II Chronicles 20:1-3
6. Disciples feared storm. Mark 4:37-41
7. James feared Jews. Galatians 2:12
II. What experiences do we fear?
1. Fear what others will say. I Samuel 15:24;
Proverbs 29:25
2. Fear what others will do to us. Matthew 25:25, Matthew 26:69-74; Hebrews 13:5-6
3. Fear disaster. Psalms 46:2-3
4. Fear death. Psalms 23:4; Matthew 10:28; Mark 4:37-41; Hebrews 2:15
5. Fear of the future.
6. Fear of failing.
7. Fear of loss.
III. What are things the Bible says we should fear?
1. Fear God. Deuteronomy 6:2; Joshua 24:14; I Samuel 12:14; Psalms 96:4,9; Proverbs 3:7; I Peter 2:17; Revelation 14:7
2. Fear God’s judgments. Psalms 119:120
3. Fear commandments. Proverbs 13:13
4. Fear one who is able to send our spirit to hell. Matthew 10:28
IV. What are we not to fear?
1. Our enemy. Psalms 64:1
2. Destruction of wicked. Proverbs 3:25-26
3. Sudden calamity. Proverbs 3:25-26
4. Those who can kill our body. Matthew 10:28
5. The reaction of others if we are suffer for righteousness. I Peter 3:13-14
V. What are the consequences if fear is not resolved?
1. Causes anxiety. Mark 4:35-41, I John 4:18-19
2. Causes a person to not be able to love properly. I John 4:18-19
3. Causes physical ailments. Luke. 21:26
4. Causes a person to be trapped. (snared) Proverbs 29:25
5. Causes a person to anticipate evil. Proverbs 1:33
VI. What are we to replace fear with?
1. Put your trust and confidence in the Lord’s strength. Psalms 27:1-3, 56:4; Proverbs 3:25-26, 29:25
2. Gain God’s wisdom and a sound mind. Proverbs 1:20,33, 3:21,24-26; II Timothy 1:7
3. Seek the Lord. II Chronicles 20:3-4; Psalms 27:1,8, 34:4
4. Develop genuine love. II Timothy 1:7; I John 4:18-19
5. Visualize God’s personal presence in your life. Joshua 1:9; Psalms 27:1,4,46:1-2,7,10-11; Isaiah 41:10
6. Develop patience in waiting for God’s deliverance. Psalms 27:1,14
7. Focus your attention in prayer on God, and His power-not the thing feared.
II Chronicles 20:3-4,12,15-17; Psalms 27:1; Isaiah 41:10
VII. Passages of Scripture that focus on the solution to fear.
1. Isaiah 41:10,13-14 To Those Who Fear:
-God promises His presence. 41:10
-God promises His relationship to us. 41:10
-God promises His strength. 41:10
-God promises His help. 41:10, 13,14
-God promises to uphold and sustain us. 41:10
2. Hebrews 13:5-6
To Those Who Fear:
-God promises to never leave us.
-God promises to never forsake us.
-God promises to help us.
3. Psalms 46:1-11
We Need Not Fear:
-God promises His presence. 46:7,11
-God promises a refuge. 46:7
4. II Timothy 1:7
-The fear of others taking advantage of us (our
weakness) is overcome by depending on God’s power.
-The fear of what others will think of us (criticism) is overcome by a genuine
Christ centered love.
-The fear of the future (worry) is overcome by a sound mind centered on the
promises of God.
(Explanation to the counselor)
I. Examples of people who feared.
There are many examples in the Bible that can be used to illustrate different
kinds of fear. We may recognize similarities between the fear a person
experiences and that of the Scriptural illustration.
II. What experiences do we fear?
We fear many different things in life. A description of these experiences of
fear will help others to identify fears and begin to deal with them in their
lives.
Sample questions:
-Do you fear what others will say or do to you (1,2)?
-Do you fear that something tragic will occur to you (3)?
-Do you ever fear the ultimate experience of death (4)?
-Do you fear what may occur in the future (5)?
-Do you fear that you will fail (6)?
-Do you ever fear the loss of money, possessions, or a job (7)?
III. What are things the Bible says we should
fear?
The Bible clearly shares that there are certain things we ought to fear.
These are healthy fears that God created in us to motivate us. A fear
(deep respect) for God is important, if we are to submit to His authority in
our lives.
IV. What are we not to fear?
God encourages us not to fear certain things that we have no control over. Each
of these fears that we cannot control, God encourages us not to focus our
attention and thoughts on. We must learn to trust God in these areas.
V. What are the consequences if fear is not
resolved?
The Bible describes the consequences if we do not resolve our fear. Fear causes
inner anxiety. It also keeps us from having a genuine love for others. There are
also physical consequences to fear. Fear, in reality, ensnares a person so that
he will not be effective as long as his thoughts are controlled by fear. Fear,
if dwelt upon for a period of time, will cause a person to anticipate situations
that never occur.
VI. What are we to replace fear with?
In the context of each of these passages, on fear are the practical solutions to
the problem of fear. A person who is fearful must take his focus off of himself
and place his trust and confidence in God’s strength. He must seek to focus
his thoughts on God’s wisdom and on a sound mind, rather than on the fear.
Seeking the Lord will take a person’s attention off of the fear and place it
upon God’s strength. Developing a genuine love for God and others will give
one the support he needs to face the fearful situations in life. An excellent
way to begin the day is to visualize God’s personal presence with you
throughout the day. David did this regularly when he feared Saul’s threat on
his life. Patience must be developed as one waits upon God to take away the
thing he fears. As a person’s centers his focus on God and His power, the
thing feared soon goes away.
Copyright John Regier 1991
Notice: These materials are not intended to take
the place of professional, mental health services, but rather to provide
Biblical insight and helpful resources regarding various spiritual and emotional
problems. While we are glad to offer these resources for your personal
use, we encourage you to contact our pastor, Nolan
Jackson, Sr., for in-depth, free, Christian Counseling. If you are
interested in setting up an appointment, please call 770-786-8676 or e-mail
(be sure to include contact information).
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