Sunday sermon by Pastor Rajesh Mathew, 13 June 2021

1 Timothy 1 :7- 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

• God is destroying the spirit of fear tonight.

Isaiah 40:29-31- He gives power to the weak,

And to those who have no might He increases strength.

30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary,

And the young men shall utterly fall,

31 But those who wait on the LORD

Shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

They shall run and not be weary,

They shall walk and not faint.

Hezekiah king and prophet Isaiah prayed together. Sennacherib King was using a war tactic against the people. This involved building big towers/fortresses that the people would need to break down inorder to cross over and conquer. It was so difficult to break the fortresses that it would tire them out.

This king trained over 1000 eagles and after the training, a leather strap would be tied to their feet. The special commandos/ soldiers would come with these trained eagles, run with the eagles towards the fortress walls and make them fly. As soon as they would catch flight, these commandos would grab on to the leather straps and they would be raised up with the eagles to jump on the fortress wall. In such manner, they would scale the wall and cross over to the other side. Their energy would be intact to fight the soldiers inside the fortress!

Even this morning, if you are ready to worship, like an eagle you would go over that fortress, you will cross over victorious. God will airlift you!

Fear is removed by love, power and a sound mind. Today we will touch upon the following four aspects of fear:

1. Understanding the nature of fear
2. Understanding the source of fear
3. Understanding the effect of fear
4. Understanding the secret of winning over fear

UNDERSTANDING THE NATURE OF FEAR

We are living in times of great fear. But into the hearts of the children of God, He is releasing a great courage. When children are born, they are not scared. Fear is learnt.

1. The Oxford dictionary defines FEAR as an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger or pain. “Will everything end in my life as expected?” It could be family life, business issues. “Will I lose my job?” Fear is a spirit. Thoughts like “What will happen?” “Will I be defeated in my Christian walk?” will bother you.

o The Holy Spirit is saying not one who has looked unto the face of the Lord has been put to shame. The Lord who called you is faithful and will make you stand.

o Let every fear be broken in Jesus Name. Just worship and take this Word.

2. The fear of negative predictions and wishes and bad will coming to pass against you.o Long back a person called me for a prayer, he had just finished undergoing a brain surgery. I asked the man of God who was with me to pray for this person. He said, the issue of this person is that of fear. Though his condition was complicated, God in a glorious way brought this person out of that.

o Some people think they have the right to predict and prophesy. “I don’t think this marriage will work, I don’t think their children will succeed” etc. And these statements put fear in you.

3. Fear of repeating the family’s history of negative cycles.

o People have asked me, “Pastor, many in my family had cancer. Will I also need to go through it?” No, you will not! Be free in the Name of Jesus. “Will I become an alcoholic like my dad? Will I have the same disease as my mother had?”

o This morning the Holy Spirit is saying FEAR NOT! The Jesus in whom you believe is a faithful God.

4. FEAR of the past ruining your future.

o Are you worried that the history of your life will ruin your destiny? People tell me, ‘Pastor Imade a mistake. I went through an abortion before marriage, will I be blessed with a baby?Pastor, I lived a sinful life, will GOD bless me?’ Yes! Repent and confess your sin and Godwill bless. His presence will descend upon your life even this morning.

o God used a person with 6000 demons as an evangelist for 10 cities. He used a lady with 5 husbands living with the 6th who was not her husband to preach the good news across her town.

God is not interested in your past, He has a future for you. Lay your own hands upon yourself and declare that not my past but God’s purpose will be fulfilled in my life.

5. Fear of ending in shame and reproach

Isaiah 54:4- “Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame; For you will forget the shame of your youth, And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore.

o Will I end my life in shame and regret? No! Fear not. These are simple Bible verses, just receive them.

6. FEAR OF darkness: Will I be alone? Will I remain in darkness?

Psalms 91: 5- You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day,

Song of songs 3:8- They all hold swords,

Being expert in war.

Every man has his sword on his thigh

Because of fear in the night.

o Some people are scared of walking into a room alone. Scared of bats, snakes, door knocks etc. Is there some black magic that is working against me? No matter what, be assured that according to the Word none of that will touch you.

7. Individual specific fears: Some people are scared of heights, scared pf dogs, cats and some are even scared of the pastor. These are individual fears specific to certain people. Scared of closed rooms. This morning God will take it out of your lives.

UNDERSTANDING THE SOURCE OF FEAR

Fear has many sources such as the following:

1. The experiences from your past: You keep feeding your imagination with either your experiences of other people’s experiences.

When I went to Africa for the first time, another pastor told me not to take any pictures and not to forget any of my things in the hotel rooms. People would use it to do black magic against me. This would keep playing in my mind. Then the Lord told me, I have given you authority and power over all the power of the enemy and nothing by any means will hurt you.

In the name of Jesus, whatever be the black magic or no matter where it is originating from, it shall not touch you. So, cast down all imaginations that rises against the knowledge of God and bring it into captivity into the obedience of Christ.

2. Information that reaches your ears

Deuteronomy 17:13- 13 And all the people shall hear and fear, and no longer act presumptuously.

Deuteronomy 19:20- 20 And those who remain shall hear and fear, and hereafter they shall not again commit such evil among you.

Deuteronomy 21:21- 21 Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death with stones; so you shall put away the evil from among you, and all Israel shall hear and fear.

o Both faith and fear originate from what you hear. Since the start of the pandemic, God told me to keep feeding the church with the Word, so that people will be full of faith and not full of fear. Otherwise the news that you see on TV and on WhatsApp will only instil fear in you. So, keep declaring the Word giving no room for fear.

o There are some people after conversing with whom, will only make you more fearful. The greatest expert is the Lord and He has said that no evil shall befall you, you shall not die but live to proclaim God’s praises, fear not! For I am with you. The Lord is the greatest expert.

Don’t receive fuel for your fear. Receive the Word to build your faith.

3. By the sight of your eyes

Deuteronomy 20:1- “When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.

o You see statistics of how many have died and how many new infections are occurring every day. When you see these numbers do not fear. When the enemy comes against you in one direction, he will flee from before in seven.

Luke 21:11- And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.

o When you see these kinds of dreadful sights on the internet, WhatsApp, you will feel fearful. Do not pay attention to all that. Pay attention to prayer, Word and worship.

When we were children, we would watch horror movies at nights. Then we would be fearful to sleep. Do not watch brutal, violent and scary movies. That is an avenue for fear.

4. The thought of your heart

Job 4:12-13- Now a word was secretly brought to me,

And my ear received a whisper of it.

13 In disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night,

When deep sleep falls on men,

5. By your own convictions: By calculating everything in your head and figuring out the consequences and the outcomes from different aspects of your life, you only become fearful. Learn to trust God.
6. The threat of the enemy

Nehemiah 6:19- Also they reported his good deeds before me, and reported my [a]words to him. Tobiah sent letters to frighten me.

o Those days it was letters; Nowadays it would be comments or messages on Facebook or WhatsApp. How do you respond to this? You respond by praying in the Holy Spirit.

Sometimes either you stay away from responding to such threatening messages or you write back in tongues!

7. Fearful emotions of others

It is Acquired Fear Sufficiency Syndrome! (my own terminology!). You see someone else’s fear and that makes you afraid. You act on someone else’s fear. That wasn’t your fear originally, you acquired it.

Isaiah 8:12-13- “Do not say, ‘A conspiracy,’

Concerning all that this people call a conspiracy,

Nor be afraid of their [a]threats, nor be [b]troubled.

13 The Lord of hosts, Him you shall hallow;

Let Him be your fear,

And let Him be your dread.

Do not be afraid based on someone else’s fear. Do not possess someone else’s fear

Deuteronomy 20:8- 8 “The officers shall speak further to the people, and say, ‘What man is there who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go and return to his house, [a]lest the heart of his brethren faint like his heart.’

o If you are fearful, go back home. Don’t give other people your fear.

A faith filled person should never keep company with a fear filled person. Not even have long phone conversations with them!

8. Rumours in the land

Jeremiah 51:46- And lest your heart faint, And you fear for the rumor that will be heard in the land (A rumor will come one year, And after that, in another year A rumor will come,

o It means unconfirmed evidences. Do not be afraid of the rumours in the land. When you receive a message, verify how factual that information is before you send it to ten other people blindly. Don’t believe everything you see in WhatsApp.

o People don’t believe the Word but they believe WhatsApp more! You forward every other message but you will not forward the Word of God.

Romans 8:17- You have not received a spirit of fear but a spirit of sonship

o Some mothers are so scared for their children. They want updates of every milestone in their child’s journey. They think that it is their fear that is protecting their children. The truth is that it is the Lord’s mercy that is protecting our children. I am not destroyed because of the mercies of God.

UNDERSTANDING THE EFFECTS OF FEAR

1. Fear is a magnet. It attracts the powers of the enemy.

o You connect with God through faith but when you are in fear you are connecting with the wrong spirit.

Job says what I feared has come upon me. (Job 14) A man in the US was perpetually fearful about getting into planes and experiencing a plane crash. This fear kept him from alighting o flights till he was 90 years old. Finally, at the age of 90 he for on a plane and that ended up crashing. His fears were fulfilled!

o Job was protected by God. God had put a hedge around him. But he always had this fear inhis mind about whether he would lose his health, his children and house. That attracted the devil to him. Don’t allow fear to magnetize the enemy.

Job 3:26- I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came. The fear of the wicked will come to pass and the desire of the righteous shall be fulfilled.

Some of your desires are going to be successful. You will magnetize and pull into your life the answers to prayers because of the Blood of Jesus.

o But the fear of the wicked will come upon him. Will I become COVID positive? In the name of Jesus, even if you get infected you will come out of it.

2. FEAR is a pathway to defeat in life battles.

o Faith brings victory and fear brings failure.

Deuteronomy 20:8- The officers shall speak further to the people, and say, ‘What man is there who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go and return to his house, [a]lest the heart of his brethren faint like his heart.’

o Soldiers are not allowed to cry. What if the soldiers fear to shoot at the enemies? Such are asked to go back, otherwise they will spread their fear to other soldiers. When Gideon was asked to raise an army, 32000 came. God asked him to send those home that were fearful. 22000 were sent back. The Holy Spirit is keeping 300 for the next revival!

o There is saying that it is better that 100 sheep are led by a lion than 100 lions led by a sheep. In the name of Jesus, no matter what has rising up against you, you are victorious.

3. Fear paralyses your mind.

o Some children study hard but when they see the question paper, they forget everything because of fear. Fear is a trap

Proverbs 29:25- Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.

Isaiah 24: 17-18– Terror and pit and snare await you, people of the earth. 18 Whoever flees at the sound of terror will fall into a pit; whoever climbs out of the pit will be caught in a snare.

o Fear and pit and then trap. Once you give in to fear, it will lead you to the pit and eventually trap you. Jeremiah also says the same thing in Jeremiah 48 verse 3.

4. Fear will stop you from possessing your life inheritance.

Deuteronomy 1:20-21- 20 Then I said to you, “You have reached the hill country of the Amorites, which the Lord our God is giving us. 21 See, the Lord your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

o If you want to possess the land, fear not! Blessing, wholeness and peace are yours. Health and long life are yours. Fear not, take it by faith. Many things that belong to people are not taken hold of because of fear and timidity.

5. Fear is contagious: Don’t motivate kids with fear. Fear is not a motivation
6. Fear will make you flee

Judges 9: 21- Then Jotham fled, escaping to Beer, and he lived there because he was afraid of his brother Abimelek.

o Though David had killed the lion and the bear and then when he was fearful, he ran. This morning all those who ran in fear, came back to the Lord in boldness. Fear not!

7. Fear will attract anxiety, diseases and death.

o Hypertension, migraine headaches, palpitation result from fear. More people have died, notbecause of the virus, but the fear of the virus. Many people died of HIV just by fear afterlooking at the report. There are people who have died in accidents due to fear. Autopsies

reveal that there were no broken bones, no haemorrhage, no internal bleeding, just the fear when the vehicle skid.

May the Blood of Jesus protect you in your many journeys. Stand bold and courageous. I am commanding and God confidence to come into your life.

UNDERSTANDING THE SECRET OF WINNING OVER FEAR

1. God’s presence

o Though I walk through the valley of shadow of death, I will fear no evil for God is with me. God is the one who descends into the deepest pit and into the fire to keep you.

Psalms 46- God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth is transformed and the mountains are toppled into the depths of the seas, 3though their waters roar and foam and the mountains quake in the surge.

o Live in the consciousness that you are not alone. Such people need to keep saying that I am not alone. Jesus is with me.

When you have distance with God, that is when fear comes

2. Word of God: When the Word of God comes, fear leaves.

Proverbs 1:33- but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.”

3. Instruction from the Holy Spirit: To not be fearful is a choice. No matter what I will not fear.Make that your declaration, no matter what I have to face in life, I will not fear.
4. Recognise the ministry of the priest and the pastor.

Deuteronomy 20:1-4- 20 When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. 2 When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army. 3 He shall say: “Hear, Israel: Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by them. 4 For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”

When the pastor tells you something value it.

Jeremiah 23:4- I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the LORD.

o This is the ministry of the shepherd. So, stand with your shepherd. It is a big protection against fear.

There are 3 stages of a believer

1. Deer stage- where you jump from one place to another
2. Goat stage- where you are a bit independent
3. Sheep stage- where you stand close to the shepherd.

o God has kept green pastures and still waters for us. Even today, the Lord has kept everything that you and your children need.

Take instructions and take counsel. Assurance and strength will come.