Oakbrook Evangelical Free Church

“But you, O Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham, my friend, I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, ‘You are my servant’; I have chosen you and have not rejected you.

So, do not fear, for I am with you;

Do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Isaiah 41:8-10

Humorous Things My Mother Taught Me

My mother taught me about the food groups: “If you put one foot outside that door, you’re not getting any homemade bread.”

My mother taught me contortions: “Have you seen the dirt on the back of your neck?”

My mother taught me to stand firm: “You’ll sit there till all that spinach is finished.”

My mother taught me about weather: “Looks as if a tornado swept through your room.”

My mother taught me about hypocrisy: “If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a million times—Don’t exaggerate!”

My mother taught me the circle of life: “I brought you into this world, and I can take you out.”

My mother taught me about behavior programming: “Stop acting like your father!”

My mother taught me about envy: “There are millions of less fortunate children who don’t have parents like yours!”

Compiled by LaughALo submitted by Mike Herman, Glen Ellyn, Illinois

Let me add one: How are we to survive in this world?

2 Peter 1:3-4 “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”

About how to develop courage in our children…how to risk

I. We Are Serving Him

Need to be reminded who we are serving.

We grow weary. “The days are long but the years are short.”

“Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31

“Therefore, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58

II. We Are Chosen by Him

A. Chosen

41:8 The Lord turned from addressing the nations to speaking to His people. God had chosen them for special blessing because He chose to love them more than other peoples. God’s selection rests on love

John 15:16 “I have called you friends for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you”

Eph 1:4 Chosen in love before the foundation of the world.

I am chosen!

B. With A Heritage

“Then the Lord said, ‘Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about from Abraham what he has promised him.” Genesis 18:17-19

John 15:15 “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”

Our heritage is the heritage of God’s friendship!

We stand in the long line that weaves its way through history with the friends of God. But we must embrace this and work it out!

C. No matter our background

“The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a might hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery…” Deut 7:6-8

“Philip found Nathaniel and told him, ‘We have found the one Moses wrote about…Jesus of Nazareth.” … “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathaniel asked. “Come and see!”

“Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus…” 1 Corinthians 1:26-30

No little places and no little people.

Iola: 1298 people, home of ___________Criag quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks.

Winneconne: 2401; Ormo: 3184

Claim to fame: Christ is there and He is at work.

III. He Reassures Us With His Promises

A. The key to overcoming fear is resting on the pillars of the promises of God.

When God calls you to be free from fear as you share Christ,

as you take a test,

as you face an interview,

as you take a stand against an unjust business practice

as you confront sin in your life or in someone else’s,

when you leave a secure position and take a risk in a new

venture,

when you face an operation or a treatment,

when you lose a spouse or a friend—

when God calls you to be free from fear (to overcome this natural emotion and have peace, he does not leave the command hanging in the air. He puts pillars under it. Five of them. That’s the nature of all Biblical commands. They come with divine support.

The 5 Pillars of Fearlessness (God says to us who believe)

I am with you

I am your God.

I will strength you.

I will help you.

I will uphold you.

Do you see that these 5 pillars are 5 promises?

God is with me.

God is my God.

God will strengthen me.

God will help me.

God will uphold me.

God in five relations to you expressed in5 different prepositions.

I am with you–by your side.

I am your God–over you.

I will strengthen you–from inside of you.

I will help you–all around you from wherever the enemy comes.

I will uphold you–from underneath you.

By you, over you, inside you, around you, underneath you.

2 Commands Are Built On The 5 Pillars

Therefore–because I am the judge of the nations . . .

Therefore–because I rule the rulers of history . . .

Therefore–because I call nations into being . . .

Therefore–because I choose freely my own . . .

Therefore–because I–this great and sovereign God–

Then comes the commands–on these pillars.

There are two commands in the verse

“Fear not” is the first command at the beginning of the verse.

Then the second is “do not anxiously look about you” (RSV: “do not be dismayed”).

B. Do No Fear

Multiphobias

People FEAR many things. We can easily become FEARFUL and AFRAID. Some of these fears have been classified into various kinds of “PHOBIAS” (”phobia” comes from a Greek word meaning “fear” “flight or flee” ). Exaggerated and irrational but real.

For example, consider the following:

ACROPHOBIA–a fear of high places

CLAUSTROPHOBIA–a fear of enclosed places

CYNOPHOBIA–a fear of dogs

HYDROPHOBIA–a fear of water

NECROPHOBIA–a fear of death

NOCTIPHOBIA–a fear of night

FEAR is not always wrong or sinful (even as WORRY is not always wrong). God has equipped man with the capacity to FEAR, for man’s own protection and benefit. Though we often think of fear as a dreaded FOE, it can also be man’s best FRIEND. Fear is that FRIEND which keeps our hands away from the tigers’ cage at the zoo. Fear is that FRIEND that helps us to drive safely in the midst of heavy traffic. Fear is that FRIEND that helps us to respect and obey the police officer, lest we should get into trouble. Fear is that FRIEND that encourages us to study for our final exams.

But fear also has negative affects: Quote Joyce Meyers

Joshua 1:9 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Psalm 23:4 “I will fear no evil for You are with me.”

Psalm 34:4 “I sought the Lord and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears.”

Matt 28:20 “Surely I am with you always even to the end of the age.”

Hebrews 13:5-6 “God has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.”

C. Do not be dismayed for I am your God

Discouragement! Do not anxiously look about you.

2 Corinthians 7:5-6 “For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn – conflicts on the outside, fears within. But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us (by the coming of Titus and the good news he brought)”.

Psalm 107:6 “They cried out to the Lord in their trouble and he delivered them from their distress.”

Fear creates a crisis of trust:

Niagora! Anxiously looking around

Psalm 56:3 “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.” And step out in faith believing that

God is with me.

God is my God.

God will strengthen me.

God will help me.

God will uphold me.

Psalm 40:1-3 “I waited patiently for the Lord. He inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. He has put a new song in my mouth, even praise to our God.”

Wait patiently for the Lord’s guidance and help.

But do step out courageously in faith!

I call you this morning to stop defining and limiting your future in terms of your past and start defining it in terms of your God.

I call you to recognize that God is greater than your personality. God is greater than your past experiences of timidity. God is greater than your “family of origin”. And God calls you to joyful fearlessness.

I call on you today to stop looking anxiously around you at your circumstances and trust the God who is charge.

I call on you today to take risks and step out in the bold adventure of living for Christ and serving Him.

The crucial factor in your fearless living is not your family but your God and the promises He makes to His friends.

“Let not your hearts be troubled, BELIEVE IN GOD.” Believe in God! Trust God! Let God be your God! Your help. Your strength. He will uphold you with his righteous right hand.