A Year with Jesus--"Don't Let Fear Intimidate You!"

Tuesday night Bible study discussion archive. Feel free to view and comment on the studies posted here.
Post Reply
joannbkkpr

A Year with Jesus--"Don't Let Fear Intimidate You!"

Post by joannbkkpr » Wed Feb 28, 2018 2:09 am

"Don't Let Fear Intimidate You!" — A Year with Jesus for 02/24/2018
Don't Let Fear Intimidate You!

Note from Jesus
Dear Faithful Follower,

People are afraid of many different kinds of things. That's why one of the most frequent commands in the Scriptures is not to be afraid. It is also a command that I gave several times to My disciples. Fear is a real issue for people in your fallen world.

The Father sent Me to deal with fear and to defeat the power behind your fears — to defeat the devil who uses sin and death to keep mortals enslaved to fear. The writer of Hebrews describes My role in defeating the devil and his power to use death to enslave you to fear:

Since we, the children, are all creatures of flesh and blood, Jesus took on flesh and blood, so that by dying He could destroy the one who held power over death — the devil — and destroy the fear of death that has always held people captive.
(Hebrews 2:14-15)

You are journeying with Me to Jerusalem as you read from the Gospels in these devotionals. When My journey to Jerusalem is complete, I will die for your sins, I will be buried, and I will be raised from death to life to conquer hell, giving you glorious life beyond your death. The apostle Paul says it this way:

I am absolutely miserable! Is there anyone who can free me from this body where sin and death reign so supremely? I am thankful to God for the freedom that comes through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One.
(Romans 7:24-25)

Sin came into this world, and death's sting followed. Then sin took aim at the law and gained power over those who follow the law. Thank God, then, for our Lord Jesus, the Anointed, the Liberating King, Who brought us victory over the grave.
(1 Corinthians 15:56-57)

The Father is the only One Who should truly be feared, but only if you are not His child. If you are My disciple, you are the Father's child. Then you don't need to fear Him. You are more precious to Us — Father, Son and Spirit — than you can imagine. The Father sent Me to save you at great cost. I went to the cross to redeem you and destroy the devil's hold on you through fear. The Holy Spirit lives inside you to lead you, comfort you, empower you, and transform you.

Don't fear what might happen; remember what I accomplished for you. Remind yourself how much the Father loves you and delights in you. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal His presence to you to calm your heart and strengthen your faith. Then when people ignore, mistreat, ridicule, threaten, or even hurt you, you don't have to be afraid. Remember the promise I make to you as I discuss all of these issues in the verses below:

If you identify unashamedly with Me before others, I, the Son of Man, will affirm you before God and all the heavenly messengers.

Verses to Live

What do you fear?

Will you let Me help you with that fear?

Will you let the Holy Spirit empower you and lead you out of your fear?

Will you let the Father remind you how precious you are to him?

Listen to My words of promise that Luke gives you to help you overcome your fear in the face of hardship!

The crowds at this time were packed in so tightly that thousands of people were stepping on each other. Jesus spoke to His disciples, knowing that the crowds could overhear.

Jesus:
Guard yourselves from the yeast that puffs up the Pharisees — hypocrisy, false appearance, trying to look better than you really are.

Nothing is covered up that won't be discovered; nothing is hidden that won't be exposed. Whatever a person says in the dark will be published in the light of day, and whatever a person whispers in private rooms will be broadcast from the housetops.

Listen, My friends, if people are trying to kill you, why be afraid? After you're dead, what more can they do? Here's Whose opinion you should be concerned about: the One Who can take your life and then throw you into hell! He's the only One you should fear! But don't misunderstand: you don't really need to be afraid of God, because God cares for every little sparrow. How much is a sparrow worth — don't five of them sell for a few cents? Since you are so much more precious to God than a thousand flocks of sparrows, and since God knows you in every detail — down to the number of hairs on your head at this moment — you can be secure and unafraid of any person, and you have nothing to fear from God either.

That's why I keep telling you not to be intimidated. If you identify unashamedly with Me before others, I, the Son of Man, will affirm you before God and all the heavenly messengers. But if you deny Me before others, you will be denied before God and all the heavenly messengers. People can speak a word against Me, the Son of Man, and the sin is forgivable. But they can go too far, slandering the testimony of the Holy Spirit by rejecting His message about Me, and they won't be forgiven for that.

So you can anticipate that you will be put on trial before the synagogues and religious officials. Don't worry how you'll respond, and don't worry what you should say. The Holy Spirit will give you the words to say at the moment when you need them.
(Luke 12:1-12)

Response in Prayer

O Father, the Almighty and my Abba, there are times when I find it so easy to be afraid. I am not usually a "Woe is me!" kind of person, but there are people I love who have things I cannot fix or change and I fear for their future. I am uncertain about my own days ahead, Father, and I don't want to be afraid of the future. So I ask, Lord Jesus, that You pour out Your Spirit with power into my heart. Please, Holy Spirit within me, bring me comfort and empower me to act courageously in the face of things I could fear. Most of all, O God, help me find my confidence in Your love for me. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Post Reply