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“Facing Our Fears ”
(II Timothy 1:3-7)
I. Introduction.
A. There’s a song you may be familiar with, from the musical
“The King And I.” Anna sings it: “Whenever I feel afraid,
I hold my head erect, and whistle a happy tune, so no one
will suspect I’m afraid. The result of this deception is
very strange to tell, for when I fool the people I fear, I fool
myself as well.”
1. Fear is a part of people’s lives. And fear can take
many forms, and affect us in many ways. But, is it
always bad to be afraid?
a. Commonly-held belief is that fears are what
hinder us; what keep us from growing,
emotionally and otherwise. Our fears hold
us back. Not altogether wrong point of
view. In fact, that’s the view of Paul in
II Timothy 1:7 (Re-Read).
b. Word “fear” here means “cowardice” or
“timidity”, and is never used in a good
sense, or positive way.
2. But, still are there circumstances, are there
situations, where some fear is good? Where it
necessarily serves a good purpose? If there are no
such circumstances or situations, then:
a. Why do we teach children to be afraid of the
dangerous traffic on the streets? Is it to
stifle their growth or, possibly, to save their
life?
b. It’s pretty-well established that when drivers
fear accidents (as in bad weather), they may
drive more carefully.
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c. When citizens have developed a fear (or
deeper respect) for the law and those who
enforce the law, the crime rate goes down.
d. When people fear health hazards, or disease,
there will be more done to protect ourselves
physically.
e. Fear can be a deterrent to war among nations
(e.g. the fear of nuclear destruction.)
f. And in a spiritual context, when people
develop a sense of some fear about
inevitable judgment, it can change the whole
nature of their lives.
3. There is, indeed, a positive aspect to fear which
helps us avoid that which is harmful, or destructive,
to us – physically or spiritually. In that respect, fear
is like pain; acts as a “warning signal.”
B. But, fear taken to an extreme, fear that dominates our
thinking and our life, can be paralyzing, devastating,
destructive, and it certainly can, and will, hinder us.
1. Synonyms for the word “fear” are fright; dread;
horror; panic; not words that conjure up pictures
that are pleasant.
2. Fears accumulate as we grow older. We’re born
with only two innate (natural) fears: that of falling
and of loud noises. As we age we acquire other
“phobias” (fears): of the dark, about people, of
death and so on.
3. Add to this our “imaginary fears”, those that prey
on peoples’ spirits and create all sorts of anxieties.
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C. We’ve known fear as part of the experience of life.
Whether it be of disease, or of accidents, of a lack of
security (physical or spiritual), of failure – we’ve known
the grip of fear upon our emotional self. And, its “cost”
(its toll upon us) is high.
1. It’s high psychologically. One of the verifiable
reasons for an alarming increase in nervous
breakdowns, and other forms of mental illness, is
fear. Fear keeps people in “mental bondage.”
(Read Hebrews 2:14-15).
2. The cost of fear is high physically. For a long time
it’s been known that many people who appear ill
(have the physical symptoms of illnesses) are not
really physically sick at all – theirs is an
emotionally-induced illness (psychosomatic). Not
talking just about “hypochondriac”, but of people
who display very real, often very painful, symptoms
of a disease.
3. Can also be said, the cost of fear is high spiritually.
Fears can keep people from the peace they most
desire – peace within themselves, with those around
them, and with God.
a. How can I be “good enough” to satisfy God?
b. Am I too bad for God to forgive?
c. How can I live up to a standard of
righteousness that seems utterly impossible
to attain? And, if I don’t, am I doomed,
rejected by God and without hope for eternal
life?
D. Fears hold us back. But, what can we do about our fears?
How do we counter, or overcome, them?
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1. The antidote for our fears is not within ourselves.
We must face our fears, but we must, also, rely
upon a greater source of power to conquer our fears.
2. In the course of our lives, we have someone to go
to; someone upon whom we can lay the burden of
our fears. If we’re a child of God, also have other
people in God’s family to turn to for help and
support. Knowing this can help us to face our fears,
and to find the inner peace we long for.
II. The Antidote To Fear.
A. But rather than my telling you about the antidote to fear, I
want to let God speak to this.
1. It’s a story you’ve heard often before. It’s familiar,
so I won’t go through all the details.
2. It happened on the Sea of Galilee, at a time that was
especially busy for Jesus and the disciples. Jesus
saw the need for “getting away” for a little while;
for some rest and regeneration. Matthew tells us
about this: Read Matthew 14:22-23).
a. But now when they were far away from
either shore of the lake, here came one of
those storms that Galilee was so famous
for. Wind, rain, lightening bolts and the
crash of thunder. The waves slapped at the
boat like a child hitting a ball.
b. The men straining at the oars could scarcely
budge the boat. The storm and its power
moved them, and they had no control over
where the boat went.
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c. Then a flash of lightening revealed
something the mind could not understand.
One disciple drew the attention of another to
it, then he, in turn, got someone else to
look – until everyone’s eyes were turned to
one side of the boat. They forgot about
rowing, they let the boat be carried on the
rising and falling waves. Their full attention
was focused on the unbelievable, the
incomprehensible, the frightening vision out
on the water.
(Matthew 14:25-27; Read).
d. They were afraid! What was this? A
figment of their imagination? Who was
this? If it was real, did it mean them harm?
The storm became secondary to this new
terror, this new fear.
e. Another lightening flash – and a face now
revealed. A familiar voice speaking to them
above the noise of the storm. A reassuring,
calm voice: “It is I; don’t be afraid.” Jesus?
Is that really you? But, how can we be sure?
f. Peter speaks up: “Lord, if it is You,
command me to come to You on the water.”
(verse 28). It wasn’t a cocky request; it
wasn’t demanding. It was more of a
frightened, hesitant, tone. It was the voice
of the child appealing to a parent: “Won’t
you let me be with you while the storm goes
on? I’m afraid to be alone.”
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g. Jesus says: “Come.” (verse 29). With the
eagerness of the child climbing into the
parents’ bed on a stormy night, Peter gets
out of the boat. He steps onto the water –
not into it, but onto it. And a trail of smooth
sea opens before him, right through the
waves on either side. He walks quickly; he
follows the trail to Jesus. The water is
peaceful and the way serene. And, he sees
Jesus at the end of the path, with a slight
smile on His face.
h. Almost there. Just a few feet to go. Peter
turned his head. Then he looked up to the
sky; then he felt the wind blowing on him.
Then he was in the water. And, did he yell!
“Lord, save me!” (verse 30). Fear took
over again!
i. A hand reached out and stopped Peter’s
sinking into the sea. A hand lifted him up,
wet from the waist down. And, a voice,
that familiar voice, says: “O you of little
faith, why did you doubt?”
B. There is it. There’s the antidote to fear: faith. A strong
belief; confidence; assurance.
1. We can face our fears only with courage and
conviction. We can conquer our fears only with
faith. Assurance instead of hesitancy; boldness
instead of timidness; faith instead of doubt and
disbelief.
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2. Faith means seeking strength beyond ourselves.
Without it, we sink. With it we succeed, even doing
the impossible: “. . . assuredly, I say to you, if you
have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this
mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will
move; and nothing will be impossible for you.”
(Matthew 17:20).
C. Fear comes from a sense of hopelessness and helplessness;
a sense of being at the mercy of circumstances, and of
being overpowered and overwhelmed by them. Fear comes
from having to face the unknown.
D. Paul tells Timothy (II Timothy 1:7) that “genuine faith”
(verse 5) gives us a sense of “. . . power, and of love and of
a sound mind.”
1. “Power”, here means courage; the ability to handle
things, to shoulder a heavy load, to trust God even
in the midst of sorrow, and pain, and anxiety.
2. “Sound mind”, here, means self-control. We cannot
master the situation if we have not mastered
ourselves. Our sense of control helps us defeat fear.
III. Conclusion.
A. Let us fear those things that are worthy of fear. Let us
counter fear with faith – a living, active, faith in God, His
promises, and His power. It’s that faith that gives us inner
peace: (Romans 5:1: “Therefore, having been justified by
faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ.”).
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B. That which we cannot control, we must leave to God. That
which we can control, we must take care of, with God’s
help. (Read II Timothy 1:12). Strong belief; confidence;
assurance – they conquer the most powerful of fears – even
of death.