Dec 6, 2015 - Today's message will focus on the first story, when an angel ... And he came to her and said, 'Greetings,
Fear Not
1
Overcoming the Fear of What God Is Asking Me To Do
Overcoming the Fear of What God Is Asking Me To Do Dr. Brandon Park | December 6, 2015
When you read the Christmas story, angelic beings appear on three different occasions to announce When you read the Christmas story, angelic beings appear on three different occasions to announce the birth of the Messiah. In each of these three encounters, the angels’ first message was simply, “Fear not.” Today’s message will focus on the first story, when an angel appears to a teenage, virgin girl named Mary. girl named Mary. Mary’s experience teaches us how to overcome the fear of what God has planned for us or is asking us to do. Many Christians want to be close enough to God to receive His ________________ but not us to do. Many Christians want to be close enough to God to receive His ________________ but not surrendered enough to do His __________. We want the promise of Heaven and we want His blessing in our life, but we don’t necessarily want to be so surrendered that He has total access to every area of our life. Some believers have a sense of fear of “What if I give it all to Him, and then life every area of our life. Some believers have a sense of fear of “What if I give it all to Him, and then life doesn’t go the way I want it to go?” doesn’t go the way I want it to go?” Some assert that fear is the absence of faith. However, that’s not exactly true. Fear is actually a Some assert that fear is the absence of faith. However, that’s not exactly true. Fear is actually a form of _____________; it’s just faith in the _______________ things. Fear is placing your faith in the “what ifs” of life. Fear is placing our faith in the worst-case scenario. 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” Why is it that we are often afraid of God’s plans? There could be a lot of answers to that question, but I want to give you two based on this story.
I. God’s interruptions are often __________________.
Sometimes when God interrupts us, those interruptions are often very inconvenient to our schedules or our desires. Luke 1:26-29, “In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!’ But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.” When people think of angels today, the image that comes to mind is a baby-like figure playing a harp. That’s not the Biblical description of angels. These are strong and fierce beings. They’re able to strike down an entire nation at God’s command, yet submissive enough to God to go and care for and protect an innocent child. This angel, Gabriel, is one of the “archangels” mentioned in the Bible. We don’t know how old Mary was, but more than likely, she was around 15 or 16 years of age. In ancient culture, once a girl finished puberty, she would be engaged to be married. Perhaps the only thing on Mary’s mind was her plans to be married to Joseph and start a family of her own. What we call “interruptions,” God often sees as “______________________.” Those times that we feel like “God is interrupting me,” He’s often inviting us to something higher or something better. Biblical Examples: • _______________ - God interrupted a regular day with a burning bush and invited him to become the deliverer of God’s people. • _______________ - God interrupted Jonah’s plans with an invitation to go back and do what he was supposed to do in the first place – preach the message of repentance to Nineveh. • _______________ - God interrupted his pursuit of religious righteousness and the persecution of early Christ-followers with an invitation to know Christ personally. God’s interruption of our plans always brings with it an invitation to something _______________. When you become sensitive enough to recognize those “interruptions” as a possible invitation, God might take you somewhere new, or somewhere different, to do something special that you couldn’t have predicted on your own. An angel of the Lord appears to this girl, who has her life planned out, and says, “I’ve got something different for you.” What does the angel say in verse 30? In the King James Version, it says, “Fear not.” Remember: The person you’re going to be in the ________________ is the person the devil is telling you you’re not right now! You always meet the “next level devils” on your way toward taking next level territory. Jesus met Satan in the wilderness before he began His earthly ministry.
Why are we often afraid of God’s plans? First, because His interruptions are often inconvenient…
II. God’s ______________ is often different than you __________.
His purpose for us is often so different than what we had planned out for ourselves. Read Luke 1:31-33, “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary’s emotions probably went from extreme humility and awe of being chosen by God to fear of what Joseph (and others) would think. In that day, it was not common to be pregnant out of wedlock; it was a sin that was punishable by death from stoning. God’s purpose was far different than her plans. Isaiah 55:8-9 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” What are some examples you’ve observed in your own life of how God’s purpose has been different than your plans? _____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ What was Mary’s response to the angel? Verse 34, “But how can this happen?” In other words, it’s physically impossible for this to happen. Virgins don’t give birth to babies. And there will be a time, for all followers of Christ, when God is going to interrupt you with an invitation to something different. And His purpose is going to be different than your plan, and He’s going to ask you to have faith and believe Him. You’re going to look at it and say, “I don’t see how that’s possible.” Verse 35-37: “The angel replied, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you –’” – in other words, this isn’t a job for you Mary; this is a God-sized job – “‘and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Baby to be born will be holy, and He will be called the Son of God. For nothing will be impossible with God.’” What obstacle are you facing today? You need to know that nothing is impossible with God. What may be impossible with man is absolutely and completely possible with God. We serve a God who is all-knowing, ever-present, and all-powerful. What is it that God is asking you to do or believe? Maybe today your prayer needs to be: “God, what do You have next? What are You directing me to do in this season?” When you get ready to respond to God’s prompting, never forget this: _________________ is God’s responsibility. _____________________ is our responsibility. Outcome is always and only God’s responsibility. Obedience is yours. What’s going to happen? How are we going to …? Remember that outcome is in God’s corner. It’s His responsibility. All you’re called to do is step out in faith and obey. Trust Him with the outcome. Just as the angel puts this opportunity in front of Mary, I believe God is going to put opportunities for something greater in front of you. And how did Mary respond? In verse 38, she responded, “I am the Lord’s servant.” In other words, before she says anything else, she reminds herself who she is, and whose she is. “I belong to the King of kings. He is my Lord, and I am called to serve Him. And even though I don’t understand, and can’t figure it all out, and it will certainly cost me, and it’s probably going to be harder than I can ever imagine. I belong to Him. And because I belong to Him, I can trust Him with the outcome, and I will be obedient.” Then, she says one of the greatest faith-filled statements in the entire Bible. Vs. 38, “May everything you have said about me come true.” God assumes complete ___________________ for the life that is fully _________________ to Him.
Fear Not
1
Overcoming the Fear of What God Is Asking Me To Do
Overcoming the Fear of What God Is Asking Me To Do Dr. Brandon Park | December 6, 2015
When you read the Christmas story, angelic beings appear on three different occasions to announce When you read the Christmas story, angelic beings appear on three different occasions to announce the birth of the Messiah. In each of these three encounters, the angels’ first message was simply, “Fear not.” Today’s message will focus on the first story, when an angel appears to a teenage, virgin girl named Mary. girl named Mary. Mary’s experience teaches us how to overcome the fear of what God has planned for us or is asking blessings us to do. Many Christians want to be close enough to God to receive His ________________ but not us to do. Many Christians want to be close enough to God to receive His ________________ but not will surrendered enough to do His __________. We want the promise of Heaven and we want His blessing in our life, but we don’t necessarily want to be so surrendered that He has total access to every area of our life. Some believers have a sense of fear of “What if I give it all to Him, and then life every area of our life. Some believers have a sense of fear of “What if I give it all to Him, and then life doesn’t go the way I want it to go?” doesn’t go the way I want it to go?” Some assert that fear is the absence of faith. However, that’s not exactly true. Fear is actually a Some assert that fear is the absence of faith. However, that’s not exactly true. Fear is actually a form of _____________; it’s just faith in the _______________ things. Fear is placing your faith in the faith wrong “what ifs” of life. Fear is placing our faith in the worst-case scenario. 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” Why is it that we are often afraid of God’s plans? There could be a lot of answers to that question, but I want to give you two based on this story.
inconvenient I. God’s interruptions are often __________________.
Sometimes when God interrupts us, those interruptions are often very inconvenient to our schedules or our desires. Luke 1:26-29, “In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!’ But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.” When people think of angels today, the image that comes to mind is a baby-like figure playing a harp. That’s not the Biblical description of angels. These are strong and fierce beings. They’re able to strike down an entire nation at God’s command, yet submissive enough to God to go and care for and protect an innocent child. This angel, Gabriel, is one of the “archangels” mentioned in the Bible. We don’t know how old Mary was, but more than likely, she was around 15 or 16 years of age. In ancient culture, once a girl finished puberty, she would be engaged to be married. Perhaps the only thing on Mary’s mind was her plans to be married to Joseph and start a family of her own. invitations What we call “interruptions,” God often sees as “______________________.” Those times that we feel like “God is interrupting me,” He’s often inviting us to something higher or something better. Biblical Examples: Moses • _______________ - God interrupted a regular day with a burning bush and invited him to become the deliverer of God’s people. Jonah • _______________ - God interrupted Jonah’s plans with an invitation to go back and do what he was supposed to do in the first place – preach the message of repentance to Nineveh. • _______________ - God interrupted his pursuit of religious righteousness and the Saul persecution of early Christ-followers with an invitation to know Christ personally. better God’s interruption of our plans always brings with it an invitation to something _______________. When you become sensitive enough to recognize those “interruptions” as a possible invitation, God might take you somewhere new, or somewhere different, to do something special that you couldn’t have predicted on your own. An angel of the Lord appears to this girl, who has her life planned out, and says, “I’ve got something different for you.” What does the angel say in verse 30? In the King James Version, it says, “Fear not.” future Remember: The person you’re going to be in the ________________ is the person the devil is telling you you’re not right now! You always meet the “next level devils” on your way toward taking next level territory. Jesus met Satan in the wilderness before he began His earthly ministry.
Why are we often afraid of God’s plans? First, because His interruptions are often inconvenient…
purpose plans II. God’s ______________ is often different than you __________. r
His purpose for us is often so different than what we had planned out for ourselves. Read Luke 1:31-33, “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary’s emotions probably went from extreme humility and awe of being chosen by God to fear of what Joseph (and others) would think. In that day, it was not common to be pregnant out of wedlock; it was a sin that was punishable by death from stoning. God’s purpose was far different than her plans. Isaiah 55:8-9 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” What are some examples you’ve observed in your own life of how God’s purpose has been different than your plans? _____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ What was Mary’s response to the angel? Verse 34, “But how can this happen?” In other words, it’s physically impossible for this to happen. Virgins don’t give birth to babies. And there will be a time, for all followers of Christ, when God is going to interrupt you with an invitation to something different. And His purpose is going to be different than your plan, and He’s going to ask you to have faith and believe Him. You’re going to look at it and say, “I don’t see how that’s possible.” Verse 35-37: “The angel replied, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you –’” – in other words, this isn’t a job for you Mary; this is a God-sized job – “‘and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Baby to be born will be holy, and He will be called the Son of God. For nothing will be impossible with God.’” What obstacle are you facing today? You need to know that nothing is impossible with God. What may be impossible with man is absolutely and completely possible with God. We serve a God who is all-knowing, ever-present, and all-powerful. What is it that God is asking you to do or believe? Maybe today your prayer needs to be: “God, what do You have next? What are You directing me to do in this season?” When you get ready to respond to God’s prompting, never forget this: _________________ is God’s responsibility. _____________________ is our responsibility. Outcome Outcome Obedience is always and only God’s responsibility. Obedience is yours. What’s going to happen? How are we going to …? Remember that outcome is in God’s corner. It’s His responsibility. All you’re called to do is step out in faith and obey. Trust Him with the outcome. Just as the angel puts this opportunity in front of Mary, I believe God is going to put opportunities for something greater in front of you. And how did Mary respond? In verse 38, she responded, “I am the Lord’s servant.” In other words, before she says anything else, she reminds herself who she is, and whose she is. “I belong to the King of kings. He is my Lord, and I am called to serve Him. And even though I don’t understand, and can’t figure it all out, and it will certainly cost me, and it’s probably going to be harder than I can ever imagine. I belong to Him. And because I belong to Him, I can trust Him with the outcome, and I will be obedient.” Then, she says one of the greatest faith-filled statements in the entire Bible. Vs. 38, “May everything you have said about me come true.” responsibility surrendered God assumes complete ___________________ for the life that is fully _________________ to Him.
