Broadway Christian Church · Columbia, Missouri

Morning Worship · June 7, 2009

First Sunday after Pentecost

Prayer of the Day

Most loving and compassionate God, Spirit of Truth and Love, we come before you in humble adoration knowing our need for your grace, your mercy, and your strength. Grant us these things by the power of your Holy Spirit. Help us to look toward the future with confidence and faith as we celebrate the life you have given us. Amen.

Scripture

Mark 4:35-41

On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Message

Overcoming Fear

Larry Gallamore

Marianne Williamson has a wonderful poem that expresses our deepest fear.  She writes:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves

Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.

Your playing small

Does not serve the world.

There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking

So that other people won’t feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine,

As children do.

We were born to make manifest

The glory of God that is within us.

It’s not just in some of us.

It’s in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine,

We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we’re liberated from our own fear,

Our presence automatically liberates others.

Note:  This inspiring quote is taken from Marianne Williamson’s book A Return to Love.

I know it is not wise to tell these things in public, because the public is so unbelieving.  Marianne is telling us the way things should be, but this is not how we really are.  In the course of life, there are things that arise that cause us to fear.  People fear being alone, people fear unemployment, financial ruin, disasters, even death.  We fear there are hostile giants out there that we cannot overcome.  We are constantly suffering from thoughts imposed on us by a negative and doubtful world.  Sometimes we wonder if God cares.

In our Scripture for today (Mark 4:35-41), the disciples were overcome by fear.  Fatigued from facing massive crowds, they had gotten into a boat to leave the crowd behind to go out to sea.  Suddenly they encountered a storm; waves beat on their boat.  Everyone was frightened except Jesus.  He was asleep.  If your faith is centered in God, you can sleep in any storm.  I’m talking real faith; faith that has God at the center, faith that realizes we are not governed by circumstances or outer confusion, but by an inner realization that God is in control.

These disciples are with Jesus.  They have forgotten that they are children of God.  They have lost their courage.  They don’t realize that playing small doesn’t serve the world.  There is nothing enlightening about watching God’s disciples shrinking in fear.  They aren’t helping each other or us feel secure.  They wake Jesus up.  The first thing he says is, “Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?”  How is that for confrontation?

Fear had taken control of their lives.  You know what that’s like.  We’ve all been there.  Fear can completely paralyze you if you allow it.  There is only one cure for fear, and that is faith.  With faith in God we can conquer all fear.  We can overcome anything.  People who know Christ really do not need to fear.  So why do we humans still fear?  Let’s examine some of our fears.  Why do we fear change?  Haven’t you wondered why you fear change?  

Just look at our world.  People are frightened to death of change.  People stay stuck in jobs they don’t like for 20 years or more, because they are afraid to pursue a career they would love to do.  People never start that business they dream of having, because of fear of change.  They don’t have the courage to overcome fear.  If they would allow God to direct them, they could pursue their goals and live a life of joy, abundance, and prosperity.  But fear is stopping them.

Over the years, I’ve watched churches faced with many changes who are afraid.  The ecclesiastical machine has become an end in itself, and their spiritual power fades.  They don’t believe the future can be better than the past. They are afraid of the unknown.  I’ve learned in my life that the unknown is often better than the known.  If you are allowing God to guide you, I guarantee you the unknown is better than the known.  I don’t know about you but I’d rather wake up every morning knowing that, with God, I’m setting my own destiny.  People who look to the future will flourish.  Churches that are future-oriented will flourish.  Churches that are stuck in the past are always worshipping the past.  The same goes for people.  We must always remember the past and be grateful for our past, but we live in the present, looking toward God’s promised future.

A preacher friend of mine once told me, “Larry, I had to stop living in the past.  I woke up one day and realized the older I get the better I used to be.”  How’s that for selective memory?  Selective memory is a wonderful thing, but when we start living in the past, we lose sight of the wonderful life God has given us, and the promise of things better to come in the future.

If we work on developing our faith, we can overcome all fear and achieve our deepest desires.  Life is always better without fear.

Your mind can make you think you can’t do certain things, because your ego likes you to remain where you currently are.  Your ego is afraid of change.  You have to think about an excellent future.  Imagine the future better than the present or the past, and you will reprogram your subconscious to achieve whatever you desire.

Resistance to change comes from fear of the unknown. That’s why people who are faced with change revert to the past.  You remember the good things about the past, and the future is unknown.  Your mind starts telling you that all change is bad, and every time you make a change you can expect to lose something.  That’s not true.  

If you make the right change, you’ll gain instead of losing.  Where do you start to make the change in your life?  Notice what Jesus did in our story.  He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still.”  When you have inner peace, you are ready to handle anything.

Now let me tell you how all this works.  Did you know that one-third of the world’s people list public speaking as their number one fear?   You heard me right.  One out of three people say public speaking is their greatest fear.  It’s above divorce, job loss, even death.  In fact, some believe that public speaking and death are the same thing.  They wouldn’t get up here and do what I’m doing for a million dollars.

I have to tell you when I started speaking before an audience, I was petrified.  I’m really a shy guy.  Some of you will find that hard to believe.  My profession forced me to speak.  There is not much of a market out there for ministers who refuse to speak before a crowd.  I was very fortunate.  My professors taught me that God would give me something to say, and God would speak through me.  I had to go through the process of having the jitters.  I had to teach the butterflies in my stomach to fly in formation.  I had to learn that mental preparation was absolutely necessary.  I had to learn that reading everything I could get my hands on was absolutely essential.  A good sermon requires three things: study, study, study.  There can be no Saturday night specials.  Saturday night specials are deadly.  You have to fight the dragon of public speaking with faith, and mental and intellectual preparedness.

You have to take advantage of every opportunity to preach.  I have preached at church, at weddings, at community affairs, at home, and when I disciplined our children.  Everyone told me that the fear of public speaking is normal, but it can be overcome.

I want you to know you do not have any fears that cannot be overcome with faith.  Imagine the feeling of excitement, pride, and pleasure you’ll feel when you deal with your most difficult fears.  God will always be there to help you.  The Bible tells story after story of God helping people to overcome fear.  

One of my favorites is David and Goliath.  You know the story.  A shepherd boy decides to fight a giant named Goliath.  Goliath is 9’6” tall.  How’s that for size? David is just a scrawny shepherd boy.  I love these Old Testament stories.  They are better than pay-per-view.

David goes into Saul’s office to tell Saul he is going to fight the giant of giants, Goliath.  Saul is taken off his feet.  “You’re going to do what? You’re going to get killed, that’s what you are going to do.”

After realizing he can’t talk David out of doing something stupid, Saul suggests that David put on Saul’s armor.  That’s the least he could do, give the kid his armor.  The armor wouldn’t fit.  It kept sliding down over David’s eyes.  He couldn’t see.  David says to Saul, “Thanks. I don’t need your armor.  I’ll just go out to fight Goliath with my sling shot, and I’ll say to the big brute ‘go ahead, punk, make my day’.” That’s not exactly what David said.  I just thought I’d throw that in.

Now here is David’s secret.  This is what you need to know.  David had allowed God to emancipate him from all sense of limitations.  He is thinking different thoughts.  His mind is focused on God and success.  David and Saul are thinking different thoughts.  Let’s compare their thoughts.  Saul sees Goliath and thinks how small David is to Goliath.  David is thinking what a puny giant compared to God.  Do you see the difference?  Saul saw Goliath as too big to fight.  David saw Goliath as too big to miss.  How’s that for reading minds?

David picked up five stones, his slingshot, and staff and went right after the giant.  Now his slingshot was not the y-shaped stick with rubber bands that we think of today.  It was a rope with a small pouch on the end, and you would wave it in the air around in a circle to get the speed needed to release the stone.  David, with his staff in one hand and the slingshot in the other, went right after Goliath.  

Goliath just stood there.  He didn’t know how to react.  He had never had anyone come at him before.  Giants are just big wimps who look tough.  They are only intimidating in size.  If you take a good run at them, they freeze up. Goliath just stood there watching the hand where David carried his staff.  It was the slingshot in David’s other hand that he should have worried about.

David’s little speech was a classic.  He said, “You come to me with a sword and a spear, but I come to you in the name of the Lord… Today the Lord will conquer you and I will strike you down… The battle is the Lord’s, and the Lord will give you into my hand.”

I can imagine the Lord in heaven swelling with pride and yelling to Gabriel, “Did you hear that kid?  Now that is a boy after my own heart?”

All of us are meant to be in the giant-defeating business.  Saint Paul refers to all Christians as “more than conquerors.”  Don’t focus on your problems.  Don’t think about your fear.  Focus on God.

The battle with our fear is always in our minds.  We can always trust God who saves us and helps us overcome our fear.  This is how the battle is always won.  If you don’t have God in your heart and mind, your fear will immobilize you.  Never fear life, never fear the future.  God goes before you.  The battle is already won.  You’re a child of God.  You were meant to shine.  The glory of God is within you.  It’s in everyone.

So be it. Amen.

Benediction

Powerful, loving God, teach us to lean on and cry out your name. When we face our fears in your arms, we are held, strengthened, and comforted. We have nothing to fear, for you are with us always. Amen.