Sunday Service: 10/10/2021
Supporting Scripture: Joshua 1:9
Title of Message: Overcoming Fear
Delivered by: Pastor Mercy
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9.
Forty years of wanderings in the wilderness are finally over! But Moses the man who brought the children of Israel out of Egypt is dead. Now, it is time for Joshua to take the staff. He is named as Moses’ successor, and the time has come for Israel to cross the Jordan River and take possession of their Promised Land. If they could get over this one last obstacle, they would finally be home. On the other side of Jordan is a land flowing with milk and honey, the fulfillment of all dreams. But standing at the edge of the River and not knowing what lurks ahead, Joshua became fearful. And he had every reason to be afraid! Canaan was occupied by giants! The cities to be captured were fortified. And yet the Lord tells Joshua, in Chapter 1, Verse 6, “Be strong and of good courage.” Meaning, to succeed in his new assignment, Joshua needs to overcome fear. God tells him this again and again. Indeed, He wasn’t “asking,” “requesting,” or “suggesting” to Joshua not to fear. God was issuing a command!
In other words, God said I’ve given you power to overcome every obstacle that comes your way. You see, like Joshua, we all face fear!
What do you fear? Is it of height, of failing, or of how things will turn out? Do you fear criticism? Some fear poverty, old-age, or the prospect of separation or divorce. We worry about the future, about politics, and our health.
Fear is a human emotion. It can make a grown man cry like a child. Fear often results in depression. It stops your spiritual life. Fear paralyzes. Sometimes it can rob us of quality of life or lead us to make bad decisions. Fear will cripple even the strongest. It can prevent us from moving forward to receive all that God has for us. When we are filled with so much fear, we can’t think straight. Today, everywhere we turn we hear the voice of fear.
The media industry fills our ears with the noise of unemployment, murders, and a failing economy. The doctor’s report floods our ears with cancer, heart attacks, tumours, COVID-19, etc. Friends and family speak their fears into our lives every day.
But we don’t have to listen to those noises, and we don’t have to agree with them.
I John 5:4).
“For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.”
Therefore, we can overcome these noises of fear by our faith. Faith will silence these noises as soon as we activate our faith.
According to Strong’s Bible Concordance, the Hebrew word for courage means: “to be strong, brave, bold, solid, hard; to be determined, to make oneself alert, strengthen oneself, persist in. Courage is not the absence of fear, it’s acting in faith in the midst of fear! Meaning, having the strength to do something despite being fearful.
Three times, the Lord told Joshua to be strong and of good courage. He also gives us the same promises He gave to Joshua today. “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5.
Whatever challenge we face in this life, God is with us! We can be assured that He won’t let us down. There may be an obstacle in front of us today, but God will remove it. There may be opposition all around us, but God will give us victory over it. Our role is to trust Him completely. (Exodus 33:14).
“And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
The secret of Joshua’s strength, courage, and fearlessness was the presence of God. And the assurance of this divine presence also applies to all who are in Christ today.
To overcome fear, you need to:
Know who you are. When you put your faith in Jesus and became His follower, you were adopted into God’s family and became one of His children. You’re now a child of God! The Holy Spirit is in you. You’re precious in God’s eyes! He’ll give you the power you need to be victorious.
Refuse to focus on your fear. Guard your eyes and ears. Don’t let your fear continuously rob you of joy.
Believe that God is with you. We must not fear because God is with us.
Pray always. “I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” Psalms 34:4. When we seek God with all our hearts, He will hear us and deliver us from all our fears.
Confront your fear. You will never win until you rise and confront the thing that is causing you to fear.
Trust in God. Every time we are afraid, we must see it as an opportunity to surrender everything into God’s hands. Trust that He will provide all that you need. God is faithful and He will never leave you.
Meditate upon the Word of God daily. The Hebrew word for meditating means: “utter, mutter, speak.” It comes from a root word that means whisper. We should not only meditate on the Word of God but also speak it out. The Word of God is powerful. God tells us not to fear because He is in control of every situation. He is our refuge and strength! God is our help in times of trouble. So, we don’t have anything to fear! God is with us. He knows our name and knows what we are going through, and we don’t have to be fearful.