The Lutheran Hour
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"God Wants to Remove Your Fears"
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Text: Isaiah 41:10 and Matthew 28:20
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PRAYER: O Lord, we pray. Look with mercy on all those who hear Your Word of life and hope today. Take away their loneliness. Fill their hearts with the blessed assurance that You are always with them. Send Your Holy Spirit to encourage the sick, to lift up the weary, and to strengthen the weak. In all our prayers, O Lord, look not upon our unworthiness but upon Your Grace and Your mercy. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
The world is filled with fear! Some people fear lightening storms and other people fear tornadoes. Some people fear losing their job while others fear bad farm prices. Some students fear not being accepted socially in school, and others fear not being accepted academically into a college or university. Some people fear flying in an airplane; others fear riding in an automobile. Some people fear remaining single and others fear divorce. Some people fear getting old. Others fear getting fat.
Well, the world is now so filled with fear you can now go to the internet at www.phobialist.com and find a list of over 500 fears people have. Experts tell us there are many, many more. God says, “Fear not!”
It is therefore, my friends, absolutely amazing to read in the Bible the voice of our gracious God constantly saying “Fear not.” “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 41:10).
Oh, indeed, the world is filled with fear. But the voice of God is filled with love and mercy always saying, “Fear not, fear not, for I am always with thee.” This is also what Jesus said when He ascended into heaven. Jesus said, “Lo, I am with you always.”
You see, already at the earliest days of history God said to Abraham, “Fear not, I am your shield” (Genesis 15:1). And to Hagar God said, “Fear not” (Genesis 21:17). To Jacob God said: “Fear not. Go down to Egypt. And there I will make of thee a great nation” (Genesis 46:3). To Joseph in Egypt God said, “I will nourish you” (Genesis 50:19). And to Moses, God said, “Do not be afraid, for the Lord thy God will not fail thee, nor will He forsake thee” (Deuteronomy 31:6). To Joshua, the Lord said, “Fear not; neither be thou dismayed” (Joshua 8:1). And to Gideon, God said, “Fear not. . ..” (Judges 6:23). To Ruth, the Lord said, “my daughter, fear not.”
Even today, through the prophet Isaiah, God continues to say to all of us, “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you” (Isaiah 41:10).
Whenever you feel alone or lonely or when you wonder, “Does anybody know about me? Does anybody care?” then page through the Bible and you will quickly see throughout history how God has always assured His people of His presence and His divine protection.
In both the Old and the New Testaments, God speaks His blessed words of assurance to you: “Fear not!” But of all the historical instances when God or His angels have said to His children, “fear not,” no situation is more powerful and more relevant today than the words the angel spoke to the shepherds that night when Jesus was born. “Do not be afraid,” the angel said, “for behold, I bring you Good News of great joy which shall be for all people. In the City of David, there has been born to you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
Indeed, there is a great need to hear these Words from the Gospel. You see, not long ago the Gallup Poll revealed a lot of disagreement between different churches and between various denominations. Despite this, there is one area where religion and people mostly agree. This is the teaching of the Bible that there’s going to be a final day of judgment. And on that day, each of us will have to face our Lord. You and I will have to give an account, as Jesus said, for everything we have done, everything we have said, and even everything we have ever thought! “For the Son of Man,” Jesus said, “is going to come in His Father’s glory with His angels, and then He [Jesus] will reward every person according to what he has done” (Matthew 16:27). Again, Jesus says “I tell you that men will have to give account, on the day of judgment, for every careless word they have spoken” (Matthew 12:36).
Now, when you and I hear how severely God’s righteousness and wrath condemns our sin, this is why God’s Word is also such Good News. You see in Psalm 103, the psalmist reminds us that God “does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth,” the Bible says, “so great is God’s love for those who fear Him; and as far as the east is from the west so far has God removed our transgressions from us.”
Now listen to the psalmist as he gives to you a beautiful illustration. The psalmist says, “Just as a father has compassion on his children, so also the Lord has compassion on all those who fear Him.” So, as you consider the love and mercy of God, remember also as the psalmist says, “God will not keep His anger forever.” This means that when you hear God’s Good News of His love, respond by the power of His Spirit. This is what He wants you to do. Confess your sins privately to God. Believe the promise that God is offering you now in Jesus Christ. And go to a church regularly where this same Good News of God will continue to strengthen your faith. This is your greatest defense against any and all fears.
Now, as we discuss fear, it’s interesting to note that some people believe if only they were famous, or if only they had a lot of power or a lot of money, they wouldn’t have anything to fear anymore. Well, have you ever heard of Ted Turner? Ted Turner is famous and wealthy. He is the man who started CNN, “Cable News Network.” Ted Turner is also the person who has become, not famous but rather “infamous” for making negative and all kinds of derogatory remarks about Christians and the Christian faith.
Well, last September, Modern Maturity magazine did a feature story on Ted Turner. Turner said, “I don’t want to be shuttled off to an old folks home. That’s my greatest fear — the absolute worst nightmare to me. My mother was in an old folks home,” Turner said, “and it gives me the willies!”
Now, let’s be honest, shall we. As horribly wrong as Ted Turner is in his blasphemies of God, Christianity and the Bible, let’s admit Turner does indeed echo a fear felt by millions. In recent months major news magazines have published extensive articles on the thousands and thousands of people today who feel just like Ted Turner; they fear the future.
In fact, today we might say we live in an environment of fear. Harvard Medical School specialist Ronald Kessler co-authored a special study in this area. He said, “It’s a scary place and time. People are moving to strange cities. They are taking jobs in new industries. There’s a lot of uncertainty about the future. Look at the evening news,” he says, “murders, car accidents, and terrorist bombs. This stuff is out there in the popular imagination and making us all worried.” In this environment of fear, you and I need to hear daily our heavenly Father’s blessed words of His presence. “Fear not,” the Lord says, “for I have redeemed you.” The Lord is saying, “I have called you by name; you are Mine. And when you pass through the waters, I will be with you. When you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. And when you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God” (Isaiah 43:1-3).
Now, as we talk about the fears and phobias so many adults have, let’s not forget our special loved ones — our children. Last April Time magazine had a large headline on its front cover which asked: “What Scares You?” After listing the many fears children face, the author said, “There is not a lot a parent can do.” The author of this Time article is wrong. He’s totally wrong! There is a great deal parents can do to alleviate children’s fears.
First of all, always assure your children of your unchanging love. No matter what they do you still love them. You may not always approve of their actions and out of love you may have to discipline them. But, in all of this your children need to know you love them.
Secondly, constantly remind your children that God loves them, also. Explain that they, too, can see the evidence of God’s love by looking at the bloody cross of Calvary where Jesus was crucified. Tell them again and again how God the Father sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross to pay for all of their mistakes and all of their failures.
Thirdly, assure your loved ones that God sends a guardian angel to be at their side 24 hours a day. The Bible says, “God does send angels as ‘ministering spirits’ sent out to render service for the sake of all those who will inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14).
Finally, teach your children a simple prayer that they can pray every day; a prayer reminding them they need not fear. I would suggest you teach your children Luther’s morning prayer which is a daily reminder of God’s presence. The prayer goes like this —
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. I thank Thee, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Thy dear Son, that Thou hast kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray Thee that Thou wouldst keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please Thee. For into Thy hands I commend myself, my body and soul and all things. Let Thy holy angel be with me, that the wicked Foe may have no power over me. Amen.
By the way, you can get a copy of this prayer by simply writing us and we will send you a copy of this message.
Today is not a time for you or your children to live in fear. Today is the time to live with confidence and courage with the blessed assurance of God’s presence and God’s mercy in Jesus Christ. Live with the full assurance that God is not only with you but that He forgives all of your sins, all your errors, bad judgments, and all of your mistakes.
No, God has never promised anyone to remove all worldly challenges that often cause fear in our hearts. However, God has promised to enable you and your children to face all your fears and overcome them in Christ.
And, most of all, through the sin cleansing blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, God daily offers you and your loved ones the blessed assurance that you need never fear the Day of Judgment. Instead, in Jesus Christ, God gives you forgiveness. He gives you healing and hope that is eternal. In Jesus’ name, let God’s blessed presence and protection be in your heart and home for this will drive out all fear. Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for September 2, 2001 “God Wants to Remove Your Fears” 68-52
ANNOUNCER: I’m Mark Eischer for “The Lutheran Hour.” Dr. Schulz, today you spoke of the many “fears” people have. And from letters we receive, we can tell you are speaking to all of us.
SCHULZ: I think this is true, Mark. I find it quite interesting that much of the information available today focuses on the many fears people have. But this is not found in church magazines or theological journals. Much of the talk, nowadays, about all the fears people face is reported and discussed in secular journals.
ANNOUNCER: What do you suppose that means?
SCHULZ: I honestly think this means the fear syndrome in our culture is so predominate and so pronounced, the secular news media has no choice but to cover it. Now, of course, this is precisely where the Christian faith has so much to offer.
ANNOUNCER: I agree. So let’s remind our listeners of that specific Good News God graciously offers us, which enables us to face fears.
SCHULZ: That’s a good idea. I believe we should begin by noting after Jesus rose from the dead, and just before he ascended into heaven, Jesus made that great and glorious promise to His disciples when he said, “I am with you always, even to the end of the world.”
ANNOUNCER: That’s the point, though, that’s difficult to understand. When Jesus said He would always be with us, how can you make that clear to people who can’t see Him?
SCHULZ: Well, our problem is we don’t like to believe in something we can’t see.
ANNOUNCER: Perhaps you could offer an illustration?
SCHULZ: OK. Just because we can’t see something does not mean itdoesn’t exist or isn’t present. When you drive along the highway in the early morning, you can sometimes see fog, especially in the low areas. However, when the sun begins to shine brightly, this fog disappears. Now, the moisture that caused the fog didn’t disappear at all. The moisture is still there. You just don’t see it anymore.
ANNOUNCER: And how does that relate to Jesus?
SCHULZ: Well, when Jesus gave that glorious promise to His disciples that He’d always be present, we have the blessed assurance Jesus is indeed with us every day. We may not see Him, just like we don’t always see the moisture in the air, or the humidity, but the humidity is still with us. In the same way, even though Jesus disappeared into a cloud when He ascended into heaven, this does not mean that Jesus is not present. Jesus is indeed with us every day. Plus Jesus also promised the Heavenly Father would send the Spirit to console us and encourage us.
ANNOUNCER: And we also speak of how God promises to send His angels.
SCHULZ: Yes. This is not something we grabbed out of the air. In fact, it’s in the New Testament book of Hebrews, chapter 1, verse 14: “The angels are all ministering spirits sent out by God to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation.”
ANNOUNCER: So, Dr. Schulz, what’s the bottom line?
SCHULZ: Well, I think the bottom line is simply this. Leading secular sources tell us that people by the millions have incredible fears. At the same time, the most powerful message of the Bible is that He is always with His children. God is not only present. He also promises to help us through any and all difficulties. As I said in the message, when we face the fear of Judgment Day and as we know our sins will condemn us, the Bible tells us Jesus will then serve as our advocate, our lawyer, or as our attorney. Then, on the basis of his sin-cleansing blood, Jesus will intercede on our behalf before the throne of God. This blessed assurance of God’s forgiveness in Jesus Christ is the greatest fear remover we can ever have. God’s Good News in Jesus Christ assures us of God’s love. His Good News also enables us to look forward to seeing our Lord Jesus Christ face to face, without fear.
ANNOUNCER: Thank you, Dr. Schulz. Look for next week’s message for “The Lutheran Hour” titled, “God’s Word is the Key.”