What causes you to be afraid?

If you sat down and made a list of your top 10 fears, what would be on that list?

In 2021 Chapman University surveyed adults on 95 fears. It turns out that the majority of Americans suffer from tremendous fear. 

Many–perhaps as high as 85 percent of the population–live with a sense of impending doom. (This is) a classic sign of clinical anxiety.

The survey follows trends over time and identifies new fears as they emerge. The survey is a nationally representative sample that gives us insight into what terrifies America. Fears are ranked by the percent of Americans who reported being afraid or very afraid.

The Top 10 Fears of 2022 were:

1. Corrupt government officials 62.1%

2. People I love becoming seriously ill 60.2%

3. The use of nuclear weapons 59.6%

4. People I love dying 58.1%

5. The U.S. involved in another world war 56.0%

6. Pollution of drinking water 54.5%

7. Not having enough money for the future 53.7%

8. Economic/financial collapse 53.7%

9. Pollution of oceans, rivers, and lakes 52.5%

10. Biological warfare 51.5%

A general overview of America’s top 10 fears in the 2022 survey suggests that Americans’ fears center on five main topics: corrupt government officials (number 1), harm to a loved one (numbers 2 & 4), war (numbers 3, 5, & 10), environmental concerns (numbers 6 & 9), and economic concerns numbers 7 & 8).

So, I ask you again, what causes you to be afraid?

If you sat down and made a list of your top 10 fears, what would be on that list?

In addition to the fears on the list above, maybe you are afraid of your romantic relationship coming to an end.

Maybe you are afraid of the pain in your body never subsiding.

Maybe you are afraid of your kids getting bullied at school.

Maybe you are afraid of relapsing into addition.

Maybe you are afraid of death.

There are plenty of fears that we carry around with us each day.  And, being completely honest, we probably have a lot more fears than there are spots on a Top 10 List.

In this morning’s Biblical text, chosen for us by the lectionary for this Fifth Sunday After Pentecost, we are going to enter into a moment in which Jesus is teaching his disciples about the life experiences they will have while they hold fast to their faith in Him as Lord and Savior in a broken and confused world.

In this teaching, Jesus reveals that they will commonly come up against people who disagree with them, refuse to believe and receive the free gift of forgiveness and life that God is offering them, and in turn treat them in a way that will cause them to experience fear for their physical safety.

Let’s hear Jesus’ teaching found in Matthew’s biography of Jesus now.

Matthew 10:5a, 21–33 records this for us:

[5] These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them,

[21] Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, [22] and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. [23] When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

[24] “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. [25] It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.

[26] “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. [27] What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. [28] And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. [29] Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. [30] But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. [31] Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. [32] So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, [33] but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. (ESV)

In our text from the lectionary this morning, Jesus is addressing the temptation to throw in the towel and give up faith and trust in him as Lord and Savior when the going gets tough.

Jesus points out several situations that will cause fear to arise in his followers.  These moments of fear are all centered around times when the disciple’s faith will be challenged, mocked, and even called evil.

After following and watching Jesus, the disciples could have easily made their own Top Ten List of Fears as is evidenced from this morning’s Biblical text.

After following and watching Jesus, their Top Ten List of Fears would have included:

1. Rejection from their friends and family.

2. Not being welcome in the towns and cities that they were working in.

3. Having the things they were doing called evil.
4. Having the things they believed and were teaching called evil.

5. Being called an evil person, or, even worse, they were afraid of being called the Devil, Satan in the flesh.

6. That evil would ultimately triumph over justice, freedom, and righteousness.  

7. That bad would win over the good.

8. That they would experience bodily harm and possibly death from the people who opposed them.

9. That maybe they had wasted their time on a grand deception and would actually be denied entrance into Heaven by God the Creator.

As the disciples followed Jesus and were being prepared to take over his mission, God’s mission on earth—sharing the Good News of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, for the forgiveness of sin and eternal reconciliation with God the Father in Heaven—they witnessed first hand the way the world treated Jesus and therefore had plenty to be worried about when it came to their own comfort and safety.

And, here’s the thing… Jesus wasn’t saying that these things may happen to them.  Jesus pointed to the way he was ill-received and treated and Jesus was saying that these fear inducing events WOULD happen to them as they followed him and continued Jesus’ mission, which is God’s mission, in the world.  These moments of tension, stress, and anxiety, would happen to them, because they happened to him.  And, the followers would be treated just as badly as the leader…sometimes even worse.

Jesus knows that his followers will end in moments where they experience fear because of their faith which challenges the norms of a sinfully broken, deceptive, and confused culture and society.  

And, because Jesus knows their thoughts and feelings, he offers them comfort by exhorting them not to worry or fear several times in this short teaching.

Verse 26 has Jesus telling them,

“So, have no fear of them…”

Verse 28 has Jesus telling them,

“And, do not fear [those around you]…”

And, after telling them about God’s ultimate care and protection of them, verse 31 has Jesus telling them,

“Fear not, therefore…”

And, these words are not empty encouragements.  Jesus gives them reason to not fear when the temptation comes—God greater than their current troubles.

This is all a reminder of what Jesus had already taught them in The Sermon on the Mount which is recorded for us in Matthew 6.

In part of this sermon, Jesus encourages all who hear him with this good news:

[25] “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? [26] Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? [27] And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? [28] And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, [29] yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. [30] But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? [31] Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ [32] For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. [33] But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

[34] “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6.25-34, ESV)

In this morning’s text and this text that we just heard from, Jesus assures you that God knows the most intimate details of the least important things in the universe and takes care of them.  So, be confident that you, whom God has created in his own image, and is therefore of ultimate worth to him, are known and will always be taken care of, both in this life and the next.  In Jesus, you will always have what you need.

So, how do we deal with our fear?

In this morning’s Biblical text, Jesus has three ways to help you when you are afraid.

First, Jesus reminds you to see with an eternal perspective.  

When we worry, it is common to get caught up in our immediate circumstances.  But, Jesus encourages us to remember God’s promises.

In verse 26, Jesus returns us to God’s promise that in the end, evil will always be exposed and punished.  It may look like people are getting away with doing wrong, and sometimes even rewarded for it, but God’s perfect and righteous justice will ultimately prevail.

Second, Jesus reminds you to speak with a holy boldness.

When we are afraid of others, we will keep our mouths shut and not share the good news of Jesus Christ.  We will put the keys to forgiveness and eternal life back in our pocket and turn the other way.

But, again in The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus speaks to this issue when he says:

[14] “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. [15] Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. [16] In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:14–16, ESV)

We need to boldly share what the disciples shared in their conversations after Jesus’ ascension to Heaven.

Acts 4:11–12 has the disciples saying this to those they come into contact with:

[11] This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. [12] And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (ESV)

And, lastly, according to Jesus in this morning’s text, in the face of fear, we should sacrifice with reckless abandonment.

And, there is no greater example of this than Jesus himself.  The night before his crucifixion he spoke with God in prayer saying:

[38] …“My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” [39] And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26:38–39, ESV)

And, after recognizing and admitting his fears to his friends and His Father in Heaven, Jesus sacrificed with reckless abandonment when He died on the cross to ensure your forgiveness of sin and eternal life in Heaven.

Jesus’ speaks to your fears this morning bringing you the good news that God rules with sovereignty, that God knows you completely, and that God loves you deeply.

And, as you stand firm in your faith in the face of sometimes terrifying situations, continue to confess Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Here, you have the promise fulfilled from verse 32.

Jesus says to you:

[When you] who acknowledge me before men, I also will acknowledge [you] before my Father who is in heaven…”

In 2012, the Christian Metalcore band, For Today, released their album Immortal which contained a track titled “Fearless.”  

Following our Biblical text from Matthew 10.21-33 this morning, we can all agree and sing along with them when they say:

We bear the mark of the uncreated God 

so what should we fear?

We bear the scars of the holy risen son 

so tell me what should we fear

Every threat is hollow because our victory 

is already set in stone

We are the fearless

We will not, we will not, we will not be afraid

Though we stand in this dark valley (we will not be afraid) 

For we know that You are near

We are not dismayed by the darkness that surrounds us here because we know that when all Hell closes in, 

if we stand and fight, we are not alone

Though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death (we are not alone) 

We will fear no evil for You are near

We are fearless

We will not, we will not, we will not be afraid

We can’t stop the kingdom, 

You’ll see me bow at the throne of judgement day 

So let the devil come

We are fearless

Fearless

I leave you with Romans 10:8–11:

[8] But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); [9] because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. [10] For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. [11] For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” (ESV)

This is the Word of God for you today.

This is the Grace of God for you today.

Amen.

Pastor Fred Scragg

July 2, 2023