“You can’t have courage without fear.” – R. C. Sproul
Today’s message covers a topic many of you can relate to. I can, too.
Anxiety refers to a spirit of fear, worry, and fear of the future. Everyone has anxiety.
Sproul brings up the sermon on the mount and how Christ tells us not to worry about our life. God knows what we need. But Sproul makes the point- we often do worry about tomorrow.
For example, a common anxiety for the average man is the fear of not being able to provide for his family. Apparently, men have twice as many nightmares as women, and it tends to be related to this particular anxiety.
We should be wise and diligent about life choices, but we tend to have such a fear of the future. As Sproul points out, “We don’t worry about yesterday.” Maybe the results of yesterday, but we struggle with the future.
Sproul then begins to break down the relationship between fear of the future and faith.
“The coward dies a thousand times.” Often, our mind is worse than reality.
The reason for this is fairly simple. We lack a trust in God. We struggle trusting God to do what He promises to do. But to be a Christian is to trust God with our life.
The simple cure for fear, Sproul says, is to immerse ourselves in the word of God. To be surrounded by the knoweldge of the presecoe of God and His promises.
3 Types of Fear- According To Sproul:
- Subjective/Specific Fear
- A Nameless Fear – no idea why we are frightened in general. This often takes time to break down where the fear comes from. These fears often stem from childhood.
- Restlessness – nameless, rooted in being alienated from God. Outside of being in fellowship with God- leads to fear.
We fear the Creator and His Creation because our relationship with God is broken. Until we find rest in Christ, we will be restless. – R. C. Sproul
The peace of God is the opposite of fear. Christ conquers fear.
We are to encourage each other in Christ and find courage. We all need courage, and courage can’t exist without fear. “Courage exists for those who have fear. To do what you are afraid to do.” R. C. Sproul.
Check out: R. C. Sproul | How To Deal With Anxiety
I recently did a series on anxiety and how we should seek the peace of God on my second blog UnAshamed Christian Housewife. – Anxiety Series Summary | Links & Notes
Scripture To Memorize/Meditate On – (ESV) Romans 5:08, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
*To learn more about what Jesus did on the cross and why His atonement sacrifice is so needed please see: Why Did A Loving God Kill His Son? (Does God Hate?)
*If you do not know the Gospel, do not turn away. If you think you know the Gospel, check out these questions and see how prepared you are for the day someone might ask you why you believe: The Gospel Challenge (30 Question Quiz) – Are You Ready To Defend Your Faith?
Community Prayer – Community Prayer – November ’21
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