Overview
J. Kish presents “Overcoming Fear,” beginning with hello, God bless you, thank you for this opportunity for me to share God's word with you regarding freedom from fear. The teaching draws from Genesis 31, 1 John 4, Proverbs 29, Proverbs 1 and applies these truths to faith, spiritual growth, and daily Christian living.
Transcript
Understanding Overcoming Fear
Hello, God bless you, thank you for this opportunity for me to share God's word with you regarding freedom from fear. Fear is very subtle, you know. It comes in very quietly sometimes. Other times it's like a roaring lion. We need to be prepared to overcome fear on any level. But in order to overcome something, you must first know what it is. First, fear is false evidence appearing real. F, false, E, evidence, A, appearing, R, real. Fear is anxiety, apprehension, dread, uneasiness of mind. The first usage of the word in Genesis 31, 42 is the word terror.
Regarding the enemies of Jacob, we're justifiably scared to death. In order to defeat our enemy, we must first know what or who our enemy is. Fear is the enemy. Fear defeats the promises of God. Faith and fear cannot occupy the same place at the same time. The way to overcome fear is with trusting God, having confidence in God, knowing who we are in Christ. In Proverbs chapter 3, verses 25 and 26, be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked when it cometh.
For the Lord shall be thy confidence and shall keep thy foot from being taken. In Proverbs chapter 29, verse 25, we read, the fear of man bringeth a snare, but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe. And in 1 John 4, 18, there is no fear in love, but, sets in contrast that which comes before with that which comes after, but perfect love casteth out fear. In order to remove fear, we must walk in the perfect love and the renewed mind in the word. There's two kinds of fear mentioned in the Bible.
The Biblical Foundation
The first is in the Old Testament, referring to the fear or reverence of God, which has positive or profitable results. Look at Proverbs chapter 1, in Proverbs chapter 1, we read, verse 7, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. The fear of man bringeth a snare, as we read in Proverbs 29, 25, act according to your fears and you will receive the results.
Proverbs 1, 27, starting in verse 26, I also will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh, when your fear cometh as desolation and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind, when distress and anguish cometh upon you. The believer's fear binds the omnipotence of God, someone once taught us. We are to lay aside every weight.
Look at Hebrews chapter 12, Hebrews chapter 12, verse 1, wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. This word weight here, according to Strong's, has the reference to a tumor or a swelling or encumbering weight. That's fear. Fear is an encumbering weight. It's like a tumor that infests. It swells and becomes a big, big problem when all we had to do was trust God.
Examples and Spiritual Lessons
Hebrews 13, verse 6, starting in verse 5, let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things as you have, for he has said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee, so that you may boldly say, the Lord is my helper, I will not fear, what can man or what shall man do unto me? We're to confront our fear. Look at 2 Timothy chapter 1, verse 7, a verse that we're all familiar with, for God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
So if we don't have a spirit of fear, then we have nothing to fear. We do not need to be timid. We do not need to have cowardice. We do not need to walk in mental torture. But in 2 Timothy chapter 1, verse 13, we're to hold fast to the form of sound doctrines, sound words, healthy words, that will help us to overcome fear in the world. In Philippians 4, verse 8, the right actions overcome fear. Philippians, let's look at it very quickly, Philippians chapter 4, verse 8, don't be late.
Finally, my brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are a good report, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things. If we keep our mind stayed on those things, we will overcome fear. In Romans 12, 8, we overcome fear with cheerfulness. In Ephesians 4, 32, we overcome fear through mercy and forgiveness. And in Psalm 34, 4, we have been delivered from all of our fears. I have a story that I'd like to share with you.
Faith in Action
It's just an interesting story of how someone overcame fear in their life and may be a good example for you. There was a chief executive who had asked everyone in his business to help him overcome some things that he was dealing with. He no longer wanted to run his business. He wanted someone else to take it over, but he didn't want to give it to his family and he didn't want to give it to somebody from outside the business. So instead, he chose one of the people in his company, he had 12 men, to come to meet with him.
And he said, it's time for me to step down and choose the next chief executive officer and I've decided to choose one of you. The young executives were shocked, but he continued, I'm going to give each one of you a seed today, one very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here in one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I've given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring and the one I choose will be the next chief executive officer.
One man named Jim was there that day and he, like the others, received the seed. He went home and excitedly told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot and soil and compost and he planted the seed. Every day, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants they were beginning to grow. Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing.
Walking in Love and Confidence
By now, the others were talking about their plants. But Jim didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure. Six months went by, still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he'd killed that seed. Everyone else had tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however. He just kept watering and fertilizing the soil. He so wanted the seed to grow. A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection.
Jim told his wife he wasn't going to take an empty pot, but she asked him to be honest about what had happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach. It was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life. But he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the boardroom. When Jim arrived, his colleagues laughed and a few felt sorry for him. When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives. Jim just tried to hide in the back. My, what great plants and trees and flowers you've grown, said the chief executive officer.
Today, one of you will be appointed the next CEO. All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the financial director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, the CEO knows I'm a failure, maybe he will have me fired. When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what happened to his seed. Jim told him the story. The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim and then announced to the young executives, behold, your next chief executive officer.
Applying the Teaching in Daily Life
His name is Jim. Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the next chief executive officer, the others said. Then the CEO said, one year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it today. But I gave you all boiled seeds. They were dead. It was not possible for them to grow. All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted the one I gave you.
Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it, therefore, he is the new chief executive officer. If you plant honesty, you will reap trust. If you plant goodness, you'll reap friends. If you plant humility, you will reap greatness. If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment. If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective. If you plant hard work, you will reap success. If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation. So be careful what you plant now. It will determine what you will reap later.
Do you know the relationship between your two eyes? They blink together, they move together, they cry together, they see things together, they sleep together, but they never see each other. That's the greatness of friendship. If I haven't seen you in 10 years and I call you on the phone and we pick up the conversation as though we'd spoken yesterday, that's friendship. I may not ever see you, but I know you love God and you love me. That's what friendship is. Your aspiration is your motivation. Your motivation is your belief. Your belief is your peace. Your peace is your target.
A Life Shaped by God’s Word
Your target is heaven. If I am fearful about tomorrow, I have wasted today. Have fun overcoming your fears. Thank you.
Key Takeaways
- Hello, God bless you, thank you for this opportunity for me to share God's word with you regarding freedom from fear.
- We need to be prepared to overcome fear on any level.
- But in order to overcome something, you must first know what it is.
- F, false, E, evidence, A, appearing, R, real.
- Fear is anxiety, apprehension, dread, uneasiness of mind.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main message of “Overcoming Fear”?
J. Kish presents “Overcoming Fear,” beginning with hello, God bless you, thank you for this opportunity for me to share God's word with you regarding freedom from fear. The teaching draws from Genesis 31, 1 John 4, Proverbs 29, Proverbs 1 and applies these truths to faith, spiritual growth, and daily Christian living.
Which scriptures are central to this teaching?
The teaching draws especially from Genesis 31, 1 John 4, Proverbs 29, Proverbs 1, Hebrews 13, Philippians 4, Romans 12, Ephesians 4.
How can believers apply this teaching?
Fear is anxiety, apprehension, dread, uneasiness of mind.
Scripture References
Genesis 31; 1 John 4; Proverbs 29; Proverbs 1; Hebrews 13; Philippians 4; Romans 12; Ephesians 4; Psalm 34
This text was prepared from the teaching audio or source document. Please verify scripture references against your own Bible.
