April 9, 2025

Fear: Law and Gospel Pt 2

Fear: Law and Gospel Pt 2

I explain how we should look at the subject of fear from the a proper law/gospel perspective

Spreaker podcast player badge
Apple Podcasts podcast player badge
Spotify podcast player badge
PocketCasts podcast player badge
Amazon Music podcast player badge
Overcast podcast player badge
Audible podcast player badge
Castro podcast player badge
iHeartRadio podcast player badge
Castbox podcast player badge
Podchaser podcast player badge
TuneIn podcast player badge
Deezer podcast player badge
Pandora podcast player badge
RadioPublic podcast player badge
Podcast Addict podcast player badge
RSS Feed podcast player badge
YouTube podcast player badge
Fountain podcast player badge
PlayerFM podcast player badge
Goodpods podcast player badge
Podverse podcast player badge
Podyssey podcast player badge
Breaker podcast player badge
Podurama podcast player badge
Audacy podcast player badge
JioSaavn podcast player badge
Spreaker podcast player icon Apple Podcasts podcast player icon Spotify podcast player icon PocketCasts podcast player icon Amazon Music podcast player icon Overcast podcast player icon Audible podcast player icon Castro podcast player icon iHeartRadio podcast player icon Castbox podcast player icon Podchaser podcast player icon TuneIn podcast player icon Deezer podcast player icon Pandora podcast player icon RadioPublic podcast player icon Podcast Addict podcast player icon RSS Feed podcast player icon YouTube podcast player icon Fountain podcast player icon PlayerFM podcast player icon Goodpods podcast player icon Podverse podcast player icon Podyssey podcast player icon Breaker podcast player icon Podurama podcast player icon Audacy podcast player icon JioSaavn podcast player icon

I explain how we should look at the subject of fear from the a proper law/gospel perspective

WEBVTT

1
00:00:02.279 --> 00:00:06.000
Looking at our world from a theological perspective. This is

2
00:00:06.040 --> 00:00:13.119
the Theology Central podcast making Theology Central. Good morning everyone.

3
00:00:13.359 --> 00:00:17.760
It is Wednesday, April the ninth, twenty twenty five. It

4
00:00:17.920 --> 00:00:21.839
is currently ten forty four am Central Time, and I'm

5
00:00:21.879 --> 00:00:25.879
coming to you live from the Theology Central studio located

6
00:00:26.000 --> 00:00:33.799
right here in Abilene, Texas. Well. It all started with

7
00:00:33.880 --> 00:00:37.880
a newspaper, the sort of the Lord Newspaper to be exact,

8
00:00:38.520 --> 00:00:47.479
page twenty one. There's an article entitled Faithfully Facing Fears fearlessly.

9
00:00:48.640 --> 00:00:54.679
Faithfully facing your fears fearlessly. Try saying that five times fast,

10
00:00:54.679 --> 00:00:59.000
all right, faithfully facing your fears fearlessly. And the next

11
00:00:59.000 --> 00:01:03.119
thing you know, we were talking about fears and phobia.

12
00:01:03.280 --> 00:01:07.239
We traced how Christianity has handled the subject of fear

13
00:01:07.280 --> 00:01:10.519
throughout Church history, all the different traditions and how they've

14
00:01:10.519 --> 00:01:13.560
approached it. I talked about what I feel is a

15
00:01:13.719 --> 00:01:18.719
glaring inconsistency that on one hand, Christianity is like, don't fear,

16
00:01:18.959 --> 00:01:21.519
do not fear, do not have fear, and then five

17
00:01:21.519 --> 00:01:25.040
seconds later they're like, fear this, worry about this? Oh no,

18
00:01:25.200 --> 00:01:29.439
this is going to destroy us panic, fear, worry, Hey, no, no, no, no, no,

19
00:01:29.599 --> 00:01:31.959
don't have fear, don't worry, and it's like, well, which

20
00:01:32.040 --> 00:01:36.079
is it. So we talked about all of that, but

21
00:01:36.239 --> 00:01:39.760
today we come to I think the most important part

22
00:01:39.840 --> 00:01:42.120
of this discussion. In fact, this is the reason we're

23
00:01:42.159 --> 00:01:45.000
having this discussion. We are going to look at the

24
00:01:45.040 --> 00:01:50.920
subject of fear in a very different way. I believe

25
00:01:50.959 --> 00:01:54.120
one of the major issues in the church in twenty

26
00:01:54.159 --> 00:01:56.799
twenty five, and this has been true for a very

27
00:01:56.920 --> 00:01:59.920
very long time, is that a majority of the church

28
00:02:00.200 --> 00:02:06.040
no longer looks at things from a proper law gospel perspective.

29
00:02:07.400 --> 00:02:11.560
A true law gospel perspective has been lost by most

30
00:02:11.599 --> 00:02:14.919
of the church and by most Christians, and I believe

31
00:02:14.960 --> 00:02:18.439
that is majorly problematic and it leads to a lot

32
00:02:18.680 --> 00:02:24.719
of philological issues. So today we're going to return to

33
00:02:24.879 --> 00:02:28.800
this subject of fear. And I think if we're even

34
00:02:28.840 --> 00:02:32.479
remotely honest with ourselves, if even if we I know

35
00:02:32.560 --> 00:02:34.240
some of you will try to pretend I don't have

36
00:02:34.280 --> 00:02:36.000
any fear, I don't have any worry, I don't have

37
00:02:36.039 --> 00:02:39.199
any any anxiety, because I know that's what you're supposed

38
00:02:39.240 --> 00:02:42.000
to say, because you love church answers, and you know

39
00:02:42.000 --> 00:02:44.439
what you're supposed to pretend to be. But if you're,

40
00:02:44.680 --> 00:02:48.719
if we can pill back all of that facade, all

41
00:02:48.800 --> 00:02:51.680
of your you know, I hate to say it, being

42
00:02:51.719 --> 00:02:55.680
a poser, all your posturing, if we really get down

43
00:02:55.759 --> 00:02:58.240
to it inside of you, if you're even if you're

44
00:02:58.280 --> 00:03:05.800
even remotely honest. Fear touches every single one of us. Fear, worry,

45
00:03:06.639 --> 00:03:10.800
and anxiety. Now, for some of us, maybe we carry

46
00:03:10.800 --> 00:03:13.120
it like a heavy coat that we can't take off.

47
00:03:14.960 --> 00:03:18.639
Maybe others of us hide it so very well, but

48
00:03:18.719 --> 00:03:22.400
it's always buzzing beneath the surface to some level. And

49
00:03:22.439 --> 00:03:24.520
a lot of times I don't I'm not worried about this.

50
00:03:24.560 --> 00:03:26.319
I don't have any fear. I don't have any anxiety

51
00:03:26.360 --> 00:03:29.960
about this. But sometimes when the right situation start forming,

52
00:03:30.120 --> 00:03:33.159
we see that fear, We see that panic, we see

53
00:03:33.159 --> 00:03:37.319
that worry in so many different ways. It may not

54
00:03:37.439 --> 00:03:40.400
be the way you think, but it's there, over and

55
00:03:40.479 --> 00:03:45.319
over and over again. And I think for many people,

56
00:03:45.599 --> 00:03:48.039
whether we want to admit it or not, we live

57
00:03:48.120 --> 00:03:53.680
with a quiet, persistent dread. Maybe fear of the future,

58
00:03:54.080 --> 00:03:58.759
maybe fear of failure, maybe fear of being alone, maybe

59
00:03:58.840 --> 00:04:03.840
fear of beings, maybe fear that we we're just we're

60
00:04:03.919 --> 00:04:07.560
just not enough, maybe just fear about so many things.

61
00:04:07.639 --> 00:04:11.639
I mean, the list could be long. If we're honest.

62
00:04:12.360 --> 00:04:15.520
Fear shows up in nearly every corner of life. And

63
00:04:15.719 --> 00:04:19.040
you know what, I think this is very important. What's

64
00:04:19.199 --> 00:04:22.560
important to know. What's striking is that the Bible speaks

65
00:04:22.600 --> 00:04:27.279
directly to it, repeatedly. Fear not, do not worry, be

66
00:04:27.399 --> 00:04:32.720
anxious for nothing. Now these aren't suggestions, these are commands.

67
00:04:33.439 --> 00:04:37.319
God actually tells us not to fear, not to worry,

68
00:04:37.600 --> 00:04:40.480
not to be anxious. But here's the tension we face.

69
00:04:41.480 --> 00:04:45.439
We do fear, we do worry, we do have anxiety,

70
00:04:45.560 --> 00:04:51.000
we are bothered, we are concerned. No, we know the commands.

71
00:04:51.120 --> 00:04:53.279
We may memorize the commands. We may put them on

72
00:04:53.319 --> 00:04:55.879
the refrigerator. We may talk about them in small group.

73
00:04:56.040 --> 00:04:58.560
We may hear sermons preached on it. We may write

74
00:04:58.560 --> 00:05:01.639
down the five step plan to not fear, and we're

75
00:05:01.639 --> 00:05:03.240
gonna do this, and we're gonna do that, and we're

76
00:05:03.240 --> 00:05:04.600
gonna be like this, and we're going to do this.

77
00:05:04.759 --> 00:05:07.399
And we may buy books on the subject, and we

78
00:05:07.839 --> 00:05:09.959
may go to sermons that almost sound like a self

79
00:05:09.959 --> 00:05:12.879
help program. And we've writen down all the techniques but

80
00:05:12.920 --> 00:05:16.199
the reality is you still fear, you still worry, you

81
00:05:16.240 --> 00:05:18.879
still have anxiety, even if you're telling everyone, well, I'm

82
00:05:18.879 --> 00:05:21.040
not really worried because you know, I trust in God

83
00:05:21.240 --> 00:05:25.560
and I'm not really afraid. Yeah, But then the reality

84
00:05:25.680 --> 00:05:28.439
is everyone can see the worry and the fear in

85
00:05:28.480 --> 00:05:36.199
the anxiety because it's there now. Guess what, Then that

86
00:05:36.279 --> 00:05:38.680
leads us to fear worrying anxiety because we're having fear

87
00:05:38.720 --> 00:05:41.040
wearing anxiety and we're not supposed to be having fear

88
00:05:41.040 --> 00:05:43.120
worried anxiety. So then we feel guilt and shame and

89
00:05:43.120 --> 00:05:45.879
feel like a felt Okay, it just becomes this very

90
00:05:46.040 --> 00:05:52.519
very very very never ending like hamster will of guilt,

91
00:05:52.600 --> 00:05:58.000
regret and shame and trying harder. So how do we

92
00:05:58.079 --> 00:06:02.079
read these verses without falling in to that guilt shame

93
00:06:03.279 --> 00:06:06.360
or or falling into some kind of pretending and some

94
00:06:06.439 --> 00:06:09.639
kind of pretense. How do we read these verses and

95
00:06:09.639 --> 00:06:13.920
not end up and complete spiritual burnout because we've tried

96
00:06:14.079 --> 00:06:17.160
everything and we still are filled with all of these

97
00:06:17.199 --> 00:06:23.360
feelings and all of these emotions. Many sermons and devotionals

98
00:06:23.399 --> 00:06:26.759
treat these commands like strategies, and that's what most pastors

99
00:06:26.800 --> 00:06:28.959
do they treat all of these commands and all these

100
00:06:28.959 --> 00:06:34.920
scriptures like it's a strategy. Here's how to stop being afraid.

101
00:06:35.519 --> 00:06:39.959
Just pray more, trust more, believe harder, just stop it.

102
00:06:40.480 --> 00:06:45.240
Just trust God. Remember his power, remember his sovereignty, remember

103
00:06:45.519 --> 00:06:48.639
his ability. Stop looking at your inability, stop looking at

104
00:06:48.639 --> 00:06:51.000
your situations. And they say all the right things and

105
00:06:51.040 --> 00:06:54.079
you're like, yes, I'm going to do it, and then well,

106
00:06:54.199 --> 00:06:58.199
you know what happens And ultimately all of that just

107
00:06:58.240 --> 00:07:01.120
turns Christianity or the Christian life into some type of

108
00:07:01.120 --> 00:07:04.959
a technique. And what happens when those techniques don't work,

109
00:07:05.879 --> 00:07:09.199
When we're left feeling like failures are worse, we feel

110
00:07:09.199 --> 00:07:16.319
like frauds. So today, in this episode, I'm going to

111
00:07:16.360 --> 00:07:21.839
approach the subject the only way I think the scriptures

112
00:07:21.879 --> 00:07:25.120
can be properly understood, and that is with a true

113
00:07:25.800 --> 00:07:31.240
law Gospel perspective. That's the only thing, and what I'm

114
00:07:31.279 --> 00:07:33.199
going to try to teach you before this is over,

115
00:07:33.439 --> 00:07:35.759
is that you need to approach every subject from a

116
00:07:35.800 --> 00:07:38.160
law Gospel perspective. It can be fear, it can be

117
00:07:38.240 --> 00:07:41.480
worried and being anxiety. You name the subject, you should

118
00:07:41.600 --> 00:07:45.000
understand it from a law Gospel perspective, you have to.

119
00:07:47.000 --> 00:07:50.600
So what does this mean? What means I'm going to

120
00:07:50.639 --> 00:07:53.759
take the commands seriously? All right, I'm going to take

121
00:07:53.800 --> 00:07:57.000
them as God's law. I'm not gonna water them down.

122
00:07:57.240 --> 00:07:59.519
I'm not gonna say, well, as long as you're trying,

123
00:07:59.560 --> 00:08:01.600
and I mean, you're not gonna do it perfectly, but

124
00:08:01.680 --> 00:08:03.959
that's okay. No, no, no, We're going to take the

125
00:08:04.000 --> 00:08:07.199
command seriously. Anytime you read the Bible and there is

126
00:08:07.240 --> 00:08:10.240
a command, you don't water it down. You don't explain

127
00:08:10.279 --> 00:08:12.199
it away. You don't say, well, God just wants you

128
00:08:12.240 --> 00:08:14.720
to do your best. No, you say it's a command

129
00:08:14.839 --> 00:08:19.160
and God demands perfection the end. Any other approach to

130
00:08:19.279 --> 00:08:23.079
commands is ridiculous. It's like, well, it's just about no,

131
00:08:23.360 --> 00:08:26.399
he wants you to do it this way because he

132
00:08:26.519 --> 00:08:32.720
demands perfection. And we're gonna let those commands expose our

133
00:08:32.759 --> 00:08:36.480
hearts and confront our weaknesses. We're gonna take the command seriously.

134
00:08:36.679 --> 00:08:38.720
We're not gonna water them down, and we're gonna let

135
00:08:38.759 --> 00:08:42.240
them show us who we really are. And then we're

136
00:08:42.240 --> 00:08:44.559
gonna let the law do exactly what it was meant

137
00:08:44.600 --> 00:08:49.519
to do, drive us to Christ, who alone perfectly obeyed

138
00:08:49.759 --> 00:08:54.159
these commands. It was Jesus who slept through the storm.

139
00:08:54.440 --> 00:08:57.600
It was Jesus who walked into death without flinching. It

140
00:08:57.639 --> 00:09:01.440
was Jesus who entrusted himself to the Father even when

141
00:09:01.519 --> 00:09:06.799
he felt abandoned. It was Jesus who fulfilled every command

142
00:09:06.840 --> 00:09:10.399
to fear not. It was Jesus and his obedience which

143
00:09:10.480 --> 00:09:16.360
is now accredited to us. So just in case you

144
00:09:16.399 --> 00:09:18.720
maybe you're someone who has felt these things. Maybe you

145
00:09:18.720 --> 00:09:21.120
want to pretend you haven't felt these things, but hey,

146
00:09:21.360 --> 00:09:23.840
if you've if you're if you've ever felt that you

147
00:09:24.000 --> 00:09:27.360
are failing God because you're afraid, if you've ever felt

148
00:09:27.440 --> 00:09:30.320
that you know, I can't even admit that I'm afraid

149
00:09:30.360 --> 00:09:33.440
because I can't even admit that I'm worried or have anxiety.

150
00:09:33.679 --> 00:09:35.960
If you've ever felt that way, if you've ever felt

151
00:09:36.000 --> 00:09:39.840
that your anxiety somehow disqualifies you from having real faith,

152
00:09:41.000 --> 00:09:43.320
you're if you're ever someone that felt that peace is

153
00:09:43.320 --> 00:09:46.879
something for stronger Christians and you've not yet seemed to

154
00:09:46.879 --> 00:09:50.679
get there and can't quite experience, well, then I hope

155
00:09:50.759 --> 00:09:55.399
that this episode is going to be beneficial because I'm

156
00:09:55.440 --> 00:09:59.000
definitely not here to say try harder stop fearing read

157
00:09:59.120 --> 00:10:02.759
more doom. I'm here to try to show you how

158
00:10:03.879 --> 00:10:09.919
Christ perfect his righteousness and trusting in him and in

159
00:10:10.919 --> 00:10:14.399
his sinless peace, and his unshackled rest and the Father

160
00:10:14.600 --> 00:10:16.679
has been given to you by grace alone. I want

161
00:10:16.679 --> 00:10:19.240
you to see that Christ had perfect trust. Let me

162
00:10:19.240 --> 00:10:22.480
state it this way. Christ had perfect trust, he had

163
00:10:22.799 --> 00:10:28.879
sinless peace, he had unrest, unshakable rest, and trust in

164
00:10:28.919 --> 00:10:32.200
the Father, and all of that has been given to

165
00:10:32.360 --> 00:10:35.799
you by grace alone. That's the way I should state that.

166
00:10:36.720 --> 00:10:39.080
Let me try it again. Here's what I want to

167
00:10:39.120 --> 00:10:41.240
show you in this episode. I want to show you

168
00:10:41.480 --> 00:10:44.879
that that perfect trust that Christ had in the Father,

169
00:10:45.320 --> 00:10:49.039
not my will, but your will be done. That perfect trust.

170
00:10:49.960 --> 00:10:55.519
He had perfect peace, sinless peace, he had an unshakable

171
00:10:55.720 --> 00:11:00.000
rest in the Father. All of that, all of that obedien,

172
00:11:00.559 --> 00:11:04.559
all of that perfection has been given to you and

173
00:11:04.639 --> 00:11:08.159
accredited to you by grace Salon. You don't get it

174
00:11:08.200 --> 00:11:10.639
because you try harder. It's been given to you by

175
00:11:10.679 --> 00:11:14.960
Grace Alan, It's been imputed to you, it's been accredited

176
00:11:15.000 --> 00:11:21.200
to your account. So we're gonna look at fear from

177
00:11:21.200 --> 00:11:25.879
a law gospel perspective. Then I'm gonna try to challenge

178
00:11:25.879 --> 00:11:28.759
you to kind of look at scriptures from a different

179
00:11:28.759 --> 00:11:32.480
way moving forward. So are you ready? Here we go.

180
00:11:35.120 --> 00:11:43.600
Scripture commands us not to fear, not to worry, not

181
00:11:43.720 --> 00:11:46.360
to be filled with anxiety or live a life of anxiety,

182
00:11:46.440 --> 00:11:48.799
or to be anxious about anything. You should not be

183
00:11:48.879 --> 00:11:52.000
anxious about anything. You're not to worry, You're not to fear.

184
00:11:52.159 --> 00:11:56.559
The Bible commands that. There's no watering it down. The

185
00:11:56.559 --> 00:12:00.960
Bible commands that. Here's some direct commands or imperatives in

186
00:12:01.080 --> 00:12:04.799
scripture Isaiah forty one to ten. Fear not for I

187
00:12:04.840 --> 00:12:07.080
am with you. Now, we could get into a discussion

188
00:12:07.159 --> 00:12:10.720
that fear not you applies to Israel within their context.

189
00:12:10.759 --> 00:12:12.919
I understand that, but I'm just going to approach that

190
00:12:13.200 --> 00:12:16.759
most Christians will preach these as being for us. So

191
00:12:16.879 --> 00:12:20.279
let's just say that's a command to fear not Deuteronomy,

192
00:12:20.480 --> 00:12:23.759
do not be afraid or discourage that Deuteronomy thirty one eight. Again,

193
00:12:23.799 --> 00:12:26.960
it has a historical context. Most pastors don't care about that,

194
00:12:27.120 --> 00:12:28.799
but so let's just go with the idea that these

195
00:12:28.799 --> 00:12:31.039
are imperatives in these commands. I'm not going to get

196
00:12:31.039 --> 00:12:33.759
into who they were four, but it's a command. Do

197
00:12:33.919 --> 00:12:39.080
not fear, do not be discouraged. Genesis fifteen to one,

198
00:12:39.360 --> 00:12:43.039
do not be afraid, Luke twelve thirty two, Fear not

199
00:12:43.240 --> 00:12:47.159
little flock, Matthew ten twenty eight. Do not fear those

200
00:12:47.200 --> 00:12:50.559
who kill the body. We can go to other scriptures

201
00:12:50.600 --> 00:12:54.200
to don't be filled with anxiety, don't give thought to

202
00:12:54.240 --> 00:12:56.200
what you're going to eat, what you're going to wear,

203
00:12:57.480 --> 00:13:02.399
don't you know? Over an other other scriptures about fear not,

204
00:13:02.840 --> 00:13:09.320
don't worry, don't be filled with anxiety. Those are commands,

205
00:13:09.720 --> 00:13:12.799
all right. We cannot we cannot deny that in any way,

206
00:13:12.799 --> 00:13:17.519
shape or form. They are commands. We have other scriptures

207
00:13:17.600 --> 00:13:20.519
like do not be anxious about your life Matthew chapter six,

208
00:13:20.879 --> 00:13:24.320
be anxious for nothing, Philippians chapter four. Cast all your

209
00:13:24.360 --> 00:13:27.360
anxiety on him, first Peter chapter five. So we could

210
00:13:27.399 --> 00:13:29.759
go through all of these scriptures Isaiah forty one to ten,

211
00:13:30.159 --> 00:13:34.440
Douteronomy thirty one eight, Genesis fifteen one, Luke twelve thirty two,

212
00:13:34.840 --> 00:13:38.720
Matthew ten twenty eight, Matthew six twenty five through thirty four,

213
00:13:39.000 --> 00:13:42.360
Philippians four eight, Be anxious for nothing, first Peter five seven.

214
00:13:42.519 --> 00:13:46.279
Cast all your anxiety on him. These are not suggestions.

215
00:13:46.399 --> 00:13:50.919
They're not gentle nudges. They are commands. The law says,

216
00:13:51.200 --> 00:13:57.639
do not fear, do not worry, trust fully completely trust,

217
00:13:58.200 --> 00:14:02.440
don't worry, don't fear. That's how Look, and if you've

218
00:14:02.440 --> 00:14:05.159
been to church in any length of time, you've heard

219
00:14:05.200 --> 00:14:08.080
sermons about don't worry, don't fear. God has not given

220
00:14:08.120 --> 00:14:11.279
you a spirit of fear. Don't do this. Stop it.

221
00:14:11.279 --> 00:14:17.799
It is wrong, it is sin. And you've written down

222
00:14:18.120 --> 00:14:20.399
all the scriptures and they'll give you the steps right

223
00:14:20.559 --> 00:14:23.399
and almost inevitably the steps are going to be pray more,

224
00:14:23.519 --> 00:14:26.759
read more, go to church more, do this, stop looking

225
00:14:26.759 --> 00:14:29.279
at this, look at things from this perspective, and you've

226
00:14:29.279 --> 00:14:32.639
written them all down, and you maybe you've convinced yourself

227
00:14:32.679 --> 00:14:35.399
you're following all of these commands. That's fine if you

228
00:14:35.399 --> 00:14:43.399
want to pretend. But these are not suggestions, they are commands.

229
00:14:43.600 --> 00:14:45.519
So the first thing I want you to see is

230
00:14:45.559 --> 00:14:49.200
that Scripture commands you not to fear, worry, or be anxious.

231
00:14:49.240 --> 00:14:51.600
I mean, I don't know sure I could look up

232
00:14:51.600 --> 00:14:54.080
each one of these passages of scripture and that would

233
00:14:54.080 --> 00:14:56.639
just become redundant. But you get the idea. The Bible

234
00:14:56.759 --> 00:14:59.879
is giving you a command. Do not be filled with fear,

235
00:15:00.159 --> 00:15:04.360
worry or anxiety. Do not do it. Trust God completely.

236
00:15:05.759 --> 00:15:08.759
And everybody will say amen to those commands. Then they'll

237
00:15:08.799 --> 00:15:10.960
want three or four points in how to do it.

238
00:15:11.120 --> 00:15:13.840
Then they run off to go do it. But here's

239
00:15:13.879 --> 00:15:20.360
the thing, here's number two. You cannot keep these commands.

240
00:15:22.200 --> 00:15:27.200
You cannot, you never will. You're going to fall short

241
00:15:27.200 --> 00:15:32.919
over and over and over again. Let's even just try

242
00:15:32.960 --> 00:15:36.639
to remotely be honest. There is some level of fear, worry,

243
00:15:36.679 --> 00:15:40.879
and anxiety that is present almost all the time. Now

244
00:15:40.879 --> 00:15:44.919
at that very moment, you may not be feeling the

245
00:15:45.000 --> 00:15:48.480
full effects of that fear, right because whatever you fear,

246
00:15:48.519 --> 00:15:51.799
you're not currently facing, you're not currently experiencing. So right

247
00:15:51.840 --> 00:15:53.879
now you can say, oh, I'm not afraid. You may

248
00:15:53.919 --> 00:15:56.440
not be afraid at this moment. But whatever those things

249
00:15:56.480 --> 00:15:59.399
are you are afraid of, it's just once those things

250
00:15:59.440 --> 00:16:03.039
present them themselves again, once the situation shows up, what

251
00:16:03.200 --> 00:16:10.200
you're confronted with it. We fear death, we fear loneliness,

252
00:16:10.600 --> 00:16:13.080
and Christians will say, oh, I don't fear death. Everyone

253
00:16:13.120 --> 00:16:15.799
always likes to talk a big game. That's what I

254
00:16:15.840 --> 00:16:19.600
notice about Christians. We love to talk a big game, people, fear, loneliness,

255
00:16:19.639 --> 00:16:25.200
financial ruin, public opinion, our kid's future, sickness, rejection, judgment,

256
00:16:26.320 --> 00:16:31.080
so many things. And even those who considered heroes of

257
00:16:31.120 --> 00:16:34.879
the faith did not live fearlessly. Remember the name of

258
00:16:34.879 --> 00:16:40.639
the article, facing faithfully, Facing your fears fearlessly. Even the

259
00:16:40.679 --> 00:16:44.000
heroes of the faith did not faith live their life

260
00:16:44.000 --> 00:16:48.720
facing fear fearlessly. Abraham lied about Sarah twice why because

261
00:16:48.799 --> 00:16:53.200
he was afraid. Genesis chapter twelve eleven through thirteen and

262
00:16:53.320 --> 00:16:58.320
Genesis Chapter twenty verse two. Moses feared Pharaoh and fled

263
00:16:58.600 --> 00:17:03.639
Exodus chapter two, fourteen through fifteen. David wrote, Psalms full

264
00:17:03.799 --> 00:17:08.559
of fear, dread and anxiety. My heart is in anguish

265
00:17:08.640 --> 00:17:13.400
Psalm fifty five. Elijah, after Mount Carmel's miracle, fled in

266
00:17:13.480 --> 00:17:18.839
fear of Jezebel and begged to die. One Kings Chapter nineteen. Jeremiah,

267
00:17:19.000 --> 00:17:23.720
I am full of fear Jeremiah Chapter six. Peter feared

268
00:17:23.759 --> 00:17:26.759
man so deeply that he denied Christ three times. Luke

269
00:17:26.839 --> 00:17:30.480
Chapter twenty two fifty four through sixty two. Paul spoke

270
00:17:30.519 --> 00:17:34.599
of being burdened beyond strength, so that we despaired even

271
00:17:34.759 --> 00:17:39.000
of life. Tewod Corinthians, Chapter one. I mean, over and

272
00:17:39.039 --> 00:17:45.519
over the Bible shows even the heroes of the faith fear, worry, anxiety, concern, anguish,

273
00:17:45.720 --> 00:17:50.079
doubt they express. We can read the words of job

274
00:17:50.480 --> 00:17:55.839
and the pain, frustration, confusion because the people in the Bible,

275
00:17:55.960 --> 00:17:57.640
even though we want to put them on some grand

276
00:17:57.759 --> 00:18:01.359
pedestal as if they were perfect, because we want to

277
00:18:01.400 --> 00:18:04.839
believe that everyone basically can be perfect, the reality, they

278
00:18:04.880 --> 00:18:09.880
were human beings who had fear, worry, and anxiety and

279
00:18:10.000 --> 00:18:13.960
did things when faced with sometimes difficult circumstances. We could

280
00:18:13.960 --> 00:18:16.200
go through the story of David in situations where he

281
00:18:16.279 --> 00:18:20.480
was fearful or in bad situations because of Absolom or whatever,

282
00:18:20.680 --> 00:18:23.119
or Saul or whatever. He was some of the things

283
00:18:23.160 --> 00:18:26.160
he did. You're like, that sounded like he was afraid, worry,

284
00:18:26.240 --> 00:18:28.759
filled with anxiety. He did not trust God. He came

285
00:18:28.839 --> 00:18:31.440
up with his own plan, and sometimes that plan ended

286
00:18:31.480 --> 00:18:39.559
up in other people dying. There's other cases that, well,

287
00:18:39.599 --> 00:18:42.160
he didn't show any fear here. That's okay, that's the

288
00:18:42.200 --> 00:18:44.920
way it works. As human beings and this situation, you

289
00:18:45.000 --> 00:18:47.599
may not show fear, doesn't mean you don't have fears,

290
00:18:47.720 --> 00:18:49.920
doesn't mean you don't have worries. Doesn't mean you don't

291
00:18:49.960 --> 00:18:53.240
have anxieties, just means in that particular situation, you don't.

292
00:18:53.240 --> 00:18:56.119
But the fears and worries and anxieties are still fair.

293
00:18:56.359 --> 00:18:59.839
You just sometimes need the right circumstance to show you

294
00:18:59.839 --> 00:19:03.000
that they are there. They basically fear, worrying, and anxiety.

295
00:19:03.039 --> 00:19:04.480
A lot of times we can go put it in

296
00:19:04.480 --> 00:19:07.359
the closet and say, see it's all taken care of.

297
00:19:07.599 --> 00:19:10.079
I'm a Christian, I trust call it. Everything is wonderful.

298
00:19:10.279 --> 00:19:13.160
All it takes is the right set of circumstances and

299
00:19:13.200 --> 00:19:16.240
the right situation and just brings the fear right back up.

300
00:19:16.319 --> 00:19:19.119
Not that it was ever gone, you just weren't facing

301
00:19:19.160 --> 00:19:27.400
certain situations. Fear, anxiety, and worry were a part of

302
00:19:27.480 --> 00:19:30.839
their lives that you can't get around that. And it's

303
00:19:31.119 --> 00:19:40.200
just like you and I. These commands, when taken seriously,

304
00:19:42.119 --> 00:19:49.039
they expose our constant failure to rest perfectly in God.

305
00:19:49.359 --> 00:19:52.279
That's what all those commands. Do not fear, be not worried,

306
00:19:52.319 --> 00:19:54.759
give no thought for this, don't do this, don't do that.

307
00:19:55.000 --> 00:19:57.000
You can read it. You can say, oh I'm gonna try,

308
00:19:57.000 --> 00:19:59.319
I'm gonna try. What you should do is like wait,

309
00:19:59.319 --> 00:20:02.720
a minute, Wait a minut wait a minute, trying, trying.

310
00:20:03.359 --> 00:20:06.599
You know what, this is just showing me that I can't.

311
00:20:06.640 --> 00:20:10.000
This is showing my failure. This is showing me who

312
00:20:10.200 --> 00:20:14.079
I am. And Christians have a hard time reading the

313
00:20:14.079 --> 00:20:17.160
Bible that way instead of going to the commands and saying, oh,

314
00:20:17.200 --> 00:20:20.000
the command is showing me that I can't. The command

315
00:20:20.079 --> 00:20:22.960
is showing me that I don't. The command is showing

316
00:20:23.000 --> 00:20:25.720
me who I am. No, no, no, no. We read it

317
00:20:25.759 --> 00:20:28.759
as oh, It's given me a five step program so

318
00:20:28.799 --> 00:20:30.960
that I can do it, because I can do it,

319
00:20:31.000 --> 00:20:33.079
and then I'm going to pretend that I am doing it.

320
00:20:33.480 --> 00:20:36.960
And the Church has been playing that game for way

321
00:20:37.000 --> 00:20:40.720
too long. We need to see the commands as actually

322
00:20:40.759 --> 00:20:44.519
showing us the reality of who we are. Man, I

323
00:20:44.599 --> 00:20:46.680
know I shouldn't have worry. I know I shouldn't have

324
00:20:46.680 --> 00:20:49.640
the anxiety. I know I shouldn't be discouraged. I know

325
00:20:49.759 --> 00:20:53.920
I should be trusting in God. I but you know what,

326
00:20:54.599 --> 00:20:58.000
I'm doing all of the things I'm not supposed to do.

327
00:20:58.240 --> 00:21:02.160
I'm filled with this worry, fear and anxiety and some circumstances.

328
00:21:06.400 --> 00:21:10.160
So Number one Scripture commands us not to fear or

329
00:21:10.200 --> 00:21:13.240
worry or be filled with anxiety. It commands us to

330
00:21:13.319 --> 00:21:17.240
do that. Number two, we cannot keep these commands. Even

331
00:21:17.359 --> 00:21:21.759
the saints failed, even the so called heroes of the

332
00:21:21.799 --> 00:21:25.559
faith failed over and over and over and over again.

333
00:21:27.079 --> 00:21:30.880
So that brings us to the third part. Christ alone

334
00:21:31.039 --> 00:21:38.839
obeyed these commands perfectly. Jesus never sinned Hebrews four fifteen.

335
00:21:39.359 --> 00:21:42.519
That includes sins of worry, sins of doubt, or sins

336
00:21:42.559 --> 00:21:48.079
of fear, and the storm. While his disciples panicked, he

337
00:21:48.319 --> 00:21:54.079
slept in peace, Mark chapter four, verses thirty seven through

338
00:21:54.079 --> 00:21:59.359
thirty nine. Let me go there, Mark chapter four, verses

339
00:21:59.400 --> 00:22:04.559
thirty seven through thirty nine. All right, we'll go to

340
00:22:04.640 --> 00:22:07.920
verse thirty five. Mark chapter four, verse thirty five. Right,

341
00:22:08.400 --> 00:22:11.240
look at this, Mark four thirty five. And the same day,

342
00:22:11.279 --> 00:22:14.880
when the even was come, he saith unto them, let

343
00:22:14.960 --> 00:22:17.119
us pass over into the other side. This is Mark

344
00:22:17.160 --> 00:22:19.759
four thirty five. Now verse thirty six. And when they

345
00:22:19.759 --> 00:22:22.200
had sent away the multitude, And when they had sent

346
00:22:22.240 --> 00:22:27.079
away the multitude, they took him. They took him even

347
00:22:27.160 --> 00:22:29.559
as he was in the ship, and they were also

348
00:22:29.640 --> 00:22:34.119
with him, with him other little ships verse thirty seven.

349
00:22:34.160 --> 00:22:36.720
And there rose a great storm of wind, and the

350
00:22:36.759 --> 00:22:39.799
waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.

351
00:22:40.200 --> 00:22:42.519
And he was in the hinder part of the ship,

352
00:22:42.599 --> 00:22:46.519
asleep on a pillow, and they they awake him, say,

353
00:22:46.559 --> 00:22:50.240
unto him, master Caros, not thou that we perish. And

354
00:22:50.279 --> 00:22:53.319
he arose and rebuked the wind and said into the sea,

355
00:22:53.519 --> 00:22:56.319
peace be still. And the wind ceased, and there was

356
00:22:56.359 --> 00:22:59.200
a great calm, and he said, unto them, why are

357
00:22:59.359 --> 00:23:04.799
ye so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?

358
00:23:05.319 --> 00:23:12.400
And they feared exceedingly, Why are you so fearful? Now?

359
00:23:12.480 --> 00:23:16.480
What pastors do? They preach this as hey, guys, stop

360
00:23:16.559 --> 00:23:20.559
being fearful. Trust that Jesus is in the boat. Trust

361
00:23:20.640 --> 00:23:23.160
that he's gonna calm the storm. Trust that He's gonna

362
00:23:23.200 --> 00:23:25.079
make everything right in your life. Now. The only problem

363
00:23:25.119 --> 00:23:27.240
with that is that that story has nothing to do

364
00:23:27.319 --> 00:23:29.440
with Jesus in the boat of your life, has nothing

365
00:23:29.480 --> 00:23:31.480
to do with him calming the storms in your life.

366
00:23:31.519 --> 00:23:33.599
Because he may not calm the storm in your life.

367
00:23:33.680 --> 00:23:35.920
Not only will the storm possibly get worse in your life,

368
00:23:35.960 --> 00:23:39.880
it may kill you, kill your loved ones, destroy everything.

369
00:23:40.079 --> 00:23:43.400
You have no guarantees in this life. So when preachers

370
00:23:43.440 --> 00:23:46.799
preach this, I want to scream because they're lying to people.

371
00:23:48.359 --> 00:23:51.480
The point of this story is these men who were

372
00:23:51.519 --> 00:23:55.200
with Jesus were scared to death and they had fear,

373
00:23:55.359 --> 00:24:00.559
and they are rebuked. They are condemned for them fear.

374
00:24:00.839 --> 00:24:02.839
And you say, well, so what should I take from that?

375
00:24:03.599 --> 00:24:06.920
Just as they were fearful, we are fearful and we

376
00:24:07.039 --> 00:24:10.160
are condemned for that fear because God gives us a

377
00:24:10.200 --> 00:24:13.599
command not to fear. So you should be like WHOA,

378
00:24:14.000 --> 00:24:17.799
I'm just like them. I see my fear, I see

379
00:24:17.839 --> 00:24:21.960
my worry, I see my anxiety. What do I do?

380
00:24:22.319 --> 00:24:26.960
What is the answer? Is the answer? Four steps? Try harder. No.

381
00:24:27.359 --> 00:24:30.799
What we have to see is we see our failure.

382
00:24:31.119 --> 00:24:33.000
But you know what else I see in that text?

383
00:24:33.359 --> 00:24:36.920
I see jesus obedience. I see his lack of fear.

384
00:24:39.000 --> 00:24:42.240
So Jesus never sinned. That includes sends a worried about

385
00:24:42.240 --> 00:24:45.039
in fear and in the storm. While the disciples panicked,

386
00:24:45.240 --> 00:24:49.000
he slept in peace. He did what they couldn't do.

387
00:24:50.400 --> 00:24:55.000
He did what they couldn't do. When facing arrest and death,

388
00:24:55.160 --> 00:24:57.519
he did not run, but he set his face to

389
00:24:57.559 --> 00:25:02.599
go to Jerusalem. Luke nine, verse fifty one, and Gasemine

390
00:25:02.880 --> 00:25:06.079
he was deeply distressed, yet he did not flee or rebel.

391
00:25:06.319 --> 00:25:09.759
He trusted the Father and submitted. Luke Chapter twenty two

392
00:25:09.799 --> 00:25:13.920
forty two through forty four. He may have cried out

393
00:25:13.960 --> 00:25:17.160
in anguish, but he trusted God. He may have expressed

394
00:25:17.440 --> 00:25:20.920
his anguish, but he didn't not sin. He was not

395
00:25:21.000 --> 00:25:23.839
overcome with fear, worried, and anxiety, because he ultimately said,

396
00:25:23.839 --> 00:25:27.720
not my will, but your will be done Before pilot,

397
00:25:27.960 --> 00:25:32.799
he remained calm, silent, and unshaken. John chapter nineteen nine

398
00:25:32.839 --> 00:25:36.039
through eleven. On the Cross, he endured the full terror

399
00:25:36.119 --> 00:25:40.559
of divine wrath, crying out in agony, but trusting. Even

400
00:25:40.839 --> 00:25:44.599
in death, he trusted. He did not. He was not

401
00:25:44.640 --> 00:25:47.880
filled with fear or anxiety or worry. He may have

402
00:25:47.920 --> 00:25:52.200
suffered pain, but he did not was overcome with worry, fear,

403
00:25:52.359 --> 00:25:58.079
or anxiety. Jesus then obeyed every single command about no fear,

404
00:25:58.119 --> 00:26:05.359
no worry, no anxiety. He ob bade them perfectly. Where

405
00:26:05.400 --> 00:26:14.480
you and I panic, he rests. He sleeps where we flee.

406
00:26:14.920 --> 00:26:22.680
He stood where we worry. He trusted. He fulfilled every

407
00:26:22.759 --> 00:26:25.839
command not to fear. We could say this. Where we panic,

408
00:26:26.240 --> 00:26:31.920
he rested, where we flee. He stood where we worry.

409
00:26:32.160 --> 00:26:38.039
He trusted. He fulfilled every single command of not fearing

410
00:26:38.160 --> 00:26:44.160
or being filled with worry and anxiety. So how do

411
00:26:44.240 --> 00:26:47.400
we look at this from a law gospel perspective? Number one, okay,

412
00:26:47.519 --> 00:26:50.680
Scripture commands us not to fear, worry, or be anxious.

413
00:26:51.759 --> 00:26:55.599
Number two, we cannot keep these commands. Even the saints failed.

414
00:26:56.000 --> 00:27:01.480
Number three, Christ alone obey these commands. Obey these commands.

415
00:27:01.559 --> 00:27:09.119
Number four. In Christ, we fulfill these commands. Positionally through

416
00:27:09.279 --> 00:27:14.079
faith we are united to Christ Galatians Chapter two, twenty two,

417
00:27:14.839 --> 00:27:18.480
Verse twenty, Romans six, verses three through five. And his

418
00:27:18.640 --> 00:27:23.880
obedience is counted as ours. By the obedience of the one,

419
00:27:24.480 --> 00:27:29.119
many will be made righteous Romans five nineteen. God made

420
00:27:29.200 --> 00:27:31.559
him who knew no sin, to be sin for us,

421
00:27:31.720 --> 00:27:34.440
so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

422
00:27:34.720 --> 00:27:37.480
Tewod Corinthians five twenty one. That's not that we become

423
00:27:37.559 --> 00:27:42.079
righteous in practice, as we are declared to be perfectly righteous. Positionally,

424
00:27:42.799 --> 00:27:45.000
there is now no condemnation for those who are in

425
00:27:45.079 --> 00:27:48.079
Christ Jesus Romans eight one. You know why there's therefore

426
00:27:48.079 --> 00:27:51.119
now no condemnation, because all my sin has been paid for,

427
00:27:51.400 --> 00:27:53.960
and his perfection and his obedience has been imputed to

428
00:27:53.960 --> 00:27:59.000
my account. So I now stand before God in Christ, perfect, holy, righteous,

429
00:27:59.039 --> 00:28:03.079
and I have in Christ. I obey every single command

430
00:28:03.319 --> 00:28:05.160
not to be filled with worry, not to be filled

431
00:28:05.200 --> 00:28:08.440
with fear, and not to be filled with anxiety. In practice,

432
00:28:08.599 --> 00:28:12.240
I still have fear, worry, in anxiety. I'm not excusing

433
00:28:12.279 --> 00:28:14.799
that we still have it, but we still have it.

434
00:28:18.440 --> 00:28:22.079
That means when God says, do not fear, and we

435
00:28:22.160 --> 00:28:25.480
do fear, we confess our failure and rest in the

436
00:28:25.480 --> 00:28:29.599
obedience of Christ, who did not fear. When we are

437
00:28:29.680 --> 00:28:33.039
riddled with anxiety, we run not to self effort, but

438
00:28:33.160 --> 00:28:36.880
to the cross where peace was purchased. When we feel

439
00:28:36.880 --> 00:28:41.799
ashamed of our panic, our trembling, our insomnia. Insomnia are,

440
00:28:42.480 --> 00:28:45.880
if I can say the word right, insomnia, Okay, our

441
00:28:46.079 --> 00:28:49.279
ability not to sleep because we're filled with worry, fear,

442
00:28:49.319 --> 00:28:54.160
and anxiety. We remember that we're clothe in Christ's fearless trust.

443
00:28:55.480 --> 00:28:59.119
So when we see the commands, Man, why can't I sleep?

444
00:28:59.119 --> 00:29:01.079
Because I'm filled with war, worry, and I'm doubt, and

445
00:29:01.079 --> 00:29:03.440
i have anxiety, and I have no peace here, and

446
00:29:03.519 --> 00:29:06.039
I'm bothered here, and I'm bothered here. I run to

447
00:29:06.119 --> 00:29:09.200
Christ because He took care of all of it for me.

448
00:29:10.000 --> 00:29:12.920
It's not try harder, do better. I run to the

449
00:29:12.920 --> 00:29:21.359
one who did it for me perfectly. Law says, do

450
00:29:21.480 --> 00:29:25.960
not fear. Reality says I do that way more than

451
00:29:26.000 --> 00:29:30.160
I want to admit. The Gospel says Christ's feared not,

452
00:29:31.000 --> 00:29:39.039
and in him, I'm counted as fearless. Only this approach

453
00:29:39.279 --> 00:29:42.200
keeps us from perpetual guilt because we never fully obey

454
00:29:42.279 --> 00:29:46.119
these commands. Only this approach keeps us from pretending we're

455
00:29:46.119 --> 00:29:48.759
fearless to prove we're good Christians. I don't have to

456
00:29:48.799 --> 00:29:53.279
pretend anything. I can acknowledge fear, worry, and anxiety because

457
00:29:53.319 --> 00:29:58.880
I know in Christ, I'm fearless. Positionally, this keeps us

458
00:29:58.880 --> 00:30:02.480
from weaponizing these versus to shame other people. Oh you've

459
00:30:02.480 --> 00:30:04.400
got this worry, you've got this problem, you've got this,

460
00:30:04.880 --> 00:30:08.079
Just stop it, stop doing it. Come on, here's the

461
00:30:08.119 --> 00:30:10.559
scriptures that tells you to fear not. I don't turn

462
00:30:10.599 --> 00:30:13.319
it into a weapon like that. I'm like, oh, well,

463
00:30:13.400 --> 00:30:16.240
let me give you some comfort. I'm not going to

464
00:30:16.279 --> 00:30:18.400
tell you to try harder. I'm going to show you

465
00:30:18.440 --> 00:30:23.920
that Christ has done it for you. You're fearful. He wasn't.

466
00:30:24.279 --> 00:30:28.920
You worry he didn't. You're filled with anxiety he wasn't.

467
00:30:29.680 --> 00:30:40.680
And that is now all accredited to you. Now, what

468
00:30:40.880 --> 00:30:44.160
happens when we ignore the law and Gospel in the

469
00:30:44.200 --> 00:30:48.519
Bible's commands against fear? What happens if we just we

470
00:30:48.559 --> 00:30:51.559
ignore this law gospel approach, or you're going to turn

471
00:30:51.559 --> 00:30:55.559
the good news into a crushing, a crushing burden. When

472
00:30:55.599 --> 00:30:58.160
you read do not fear, be anxious for nothing, and

473
00:30:58.200 --> 00:31:02.480
fear not as command you're expected to fulfill and you fail,

474
00:31:02.759 --> 00:31:05.079
you and you will, you will end up in a

475
00:31:05.119 --> 00:31:09.319
cycle of guilt, shame, and defeat. See when you when

476
00:31:09.359 --> 00:31:11.960
you don't, when you obey it, when you I should say,

477
00:31:12.079 --> 00:31:17.680
when you disregard, when you ignore the law gospel distinction. Right,

478
00:31:17.759 --> 00:31:21.440
when you when you ignore the law Gospel and these commands,

479
00:31:21.640 --> 00:31:24.160
you're going to turn good news into crushing burden. When

480
00:31:24.200 --> 00:31:27.279
you read do not fear, You're be anxious for nothing

481
00:31:27.680 --> 00:31:30.359
and fear not as a command. When you read them

482
00:31:30.359 --> 00:31:33.839
as a command that you are expected to fulfill, and

483
00:31:33.880 --> 00:31:36.400
you fail and you will, you're going to end up

484
00:31:36.400 --> 00:31:38.519
in a cycle of guilt, shame, and defeat. When you

485
00:31:38.559 --> 00:31:40.559
go and you're like, oh, this is a command. I

486
00:31:40.720 --> 00:31:42.839
have to do it. I have to fulfill it. I've

487
00:31:42.839 --> 00:31:45.799
got to try harder. If that's how you approach these commands,

488
00:31:45.880 --> 00:31:48.799
I'm sorry. You're just going to be beaten down, beaten down,

489
00:31:48.960 --> 00:31:52.880
or you're gonna have to just start pretending. See, the

490
00:31:53.000 --> 00:31:57.160
law says you must not fear, You must trust fully,

491
00:31:57.319 --> 00:32:01.400
You must cast your anxiety away. You do fear, You

492
00:32:01.440 --> 00:32:04.920
do worry. You do lie awake at night filled with

493
00:32:05.279 --> 00:32:09.200
thoughts about this and this and this. You do panic sometimes.

494
00:32:10.759 --> 00:32:14.240
And if there's no gospel behind these commands, then each

495
00:32:14.240 --> 00:32:17.279
command becomes a hammer. Why don't I have peace? What's

496
00:32:17.319 --> 00:32:20.119
wrong with me? I must not be a real Christian.

497
00:32:20.359 --> 00:32:23.559
God must be disappointed in me instead of leading us

498
00:32:23.599 --> 00:32:26.319
to Christ. The law will crush you when it's not

499
00:32:26.519 --> 00:32:31.200
followed by the gospel. That's what will happen. You'll be crushed,

500
00:32:31.359 --> 00:32:34.359
You'll be You'll just it's not gonna make anything better

501
00:32:34.400 --> 00:32:37.720
other than you trying harder, harder. Heart. No, you have

502
00:32:37.839 --> 00:32:41.200
to see the law as revealing what you are and

503
00:32:41.240 --> 00:32:46.799
then driving you to Christ. So it will turn good news.

504
00:32:47.359 --> 00:32:49.359
Because when you see the law, you should also see

505
00:32:49.400 --> 00:32:52.000
the good news. I didn't, but Christ did. But it

506
00:32:52.039 --> 00:32:55.519
turns the good news into a crushing burden. You're gonna

507
00:32:55.559 --> 00:33:00.759
pretend or perform instead of confess, and rest and worry

508
00:33:00.759 --> 00:33:04.240
are seen as moral or spiritual failures without a gospel resolution.

509
00:33:04.640 --> 00:33:08.480
Christians will hide their fear because it's shameful, fake peace

510
00:33:08.720 --> 00:33:13.640
because it's expected, perform trust without actually experiencing it. And

511
00:33:13.640 --> 00:33:16.359
that's what Christians do. You hide their fear because you

512
00:33:16.359 --> 00:33:18.720
don't want to be shame. You don't want to feel shame.

513
00:33:18.960 --> 00:33:21.880
You're gonna fake peace because that's what's expected, and you're

514
00:33:21.920 --> 00:33:25.279
going to perform as if you're trusting you are. You're

515
00:33:25.359 --> 00:33:28.799
now just going to be a character and a movie.

516
00:33:28.480 --> 00:33:32.319
My name is trusting good in God, even though you

517
00:33:32.400 --> 00:33:35.559
may not actually be experiencing it. You end up with

518
00:33:35.599 --> 00:33:39.200
a church full of people saying God is in control.

519
00:33:40.119 --> 00:33:46.960
Well inside they're trembling, worry, fearful, and shameful. The culture

520
00:33:47.000 --> 00:33:51.079
becomes one of pretense, not honesty, and honesty is where

521
00:33:51.079 --> 00:33:53.799
real healing begins. Because it's gonna become a culture of

522
00:33:53.839 --> 00:33:57.759
everyone pretending. It's just dress up. It's pretend our and

523
00:33:57.799 --> 00:33:59.599
I say it all the time. The church is where

524
00:33:59.599 --> 00:34:04.759
everyone just plays pretend. It's just drama club, everyone's pretending

525
00:34:04.799 --> 00:34:09.880
to be something they're not. A third thing that will

526
00:34:09.880 --> 00:34:11.199
happen if we don't look at this from a long

527
00:34:11.199 --> 00:34:14.760
Gospel perspective, is you weaponize scripture against those who are

528
00:34:14.800 --> 00:34:18.920
actually hurting and struggling. When fear is only ever talked

529
00:34:18.920 --> 00:34:21.880
about as sin or weakness, and when we forget Christ's

530
00:34:21.880 --> 00:34:24.760
obedience in our place, we begin to shame others who

531
00:34:24.760 --> 00:34:27.599
are suffering. You just need more faith. Are you reading

532
00:34:27.599 --> 00:34:30.159
your Bible enough? Have you prayed about it? You know

533
00:34:30.280 --> 00:34:34.400
God said not to worry. Right. Instead of compassion, we

534
00:34:34.480 --> 00:34:37.679
offer commands. Instead of walking with the hurting, we scold

535
00:34:37.719 --> 00:34:42.480
them for being human. Ironically, this kind of theology increases anxiety,

536
00:34:42.719 --> 00:34:47.960
especially for people dealing with trauma, depression or clinical panic disorders. Ultimately,

537
00:34:48.000 --> 00:34:52.599
you just create more pain, more suffering, more panic, more worry,

538
00:34:52.800 --> 00:34:56.000
more fear, more shame, more guilt. You actually hurt the

539
00:34:56.119 --> 00:34:58.840
very people you think you're helping because you're doing it

540
00:34:58.920 --> 00:35:03.880
from a completely misguided theological position that hey, you can

541
00:35:03.960 --> 00:35:07.639
keep the law, you can do it. So everything's about

542
00:35:07.639 --> 00:35:09.599
do more, do more, try harder, Come on, you can

543
00:35:09.639 --> 00:35:14.000
do it, do it. It gets It's just so tiresome.

544
00:35:14.360 --> 00:35:20.960
And that's all you ever hear in sermons. A fourth thing,

545
00:35:21.000 --> 00:35:23.199
if we don't have a law gospel distinction, you turn

546
00:35:23.199 --> 00:35:26.280
the Bible into a strategy manual, not a story of redemption.

547
00:35:26.880 --> 00:35:28.760
If you treat a verse like Philippia's four to six

548
00:35:28.800 --> 00:35:31.000
be anxious for nothing or Matthew six, do not worry

549
00:35:31.039 --> 00:35:33.800
about your life as a technique instead of commands that

550
00:35:33.880 --> 00:35:36.079
drive us to Christ, you start looking to the Bible

551
00:35:36.119 --> 00:35:39.519
like a spiritual self help book. Here's how to overcome fear.

552
00:35:39.880 --> 00:35:44.800
Read more, pray more, quote versus, visualize peace. But then

553
00:35:44.840 --> 00:35:48.920
when those strategies don't work, people are left thinking God's words.

554
00:35:49.280 --> 00:35:52.320
God's word must not be that powerful. I must be

555
00:35:52.400 --> 00:35:58.519
doing it wrong. Maybe I'm beyond help. The Gospel is

556
00:35:58.519 --> 00:36:03.800
then replaced by formula, and when the formulas fail, faith

557
00:36:03.880 --> 00:36:09.320
gets shipwrecked. Another thing that happens is we lose sight

558
00:36:09.400 --> 00:36:12.239
of Christ. Most importantly, if we don't interpret the commands

559
00:36:12.239 --> 00:36:15.360
to fear not through the lens of law and gospel,

560
00:36:15.400 --> 00:36:19.039
you end up making our peace depend on our performance.

561
00:36:19.679 --> 00:36:23.960
You make the Christian life about behavior modification, not redemption.

562
00:36:24.440 --> 00:36:27.480
You make yourself the center of the story and not Christ.

563
00:36:27.639 --> 00:36:30.679
It becomes about you. You you, you, you, you, you you,

564
00:36:30.840 --> 00:36:34.280
And that's how sermons are constantly preached, ever passages about you,

565
00:36:34.679 --> 00:36:37.440
do more, do more, read more, go here, do this,

566
00:36:37.599 --> 00:36:40.280
try this. Here's four steps, here's five steps. Come on,

567
00:36:40.440 --> 00:36:42.679
come on, come on, come on, And it's all about

568
00:36:42.679 --> 00:36:44.880
you and Christ. He's just there to kind of He

569
00:36:45.000 --> 00:36:47.519
died so that we can be better. He didn't die

570
00:36:47.679 --> 00:36:50.199
because we will never be better. Christ is just there

571
00:36:50.239 --> 00:36:52.000
so that he can kind of give us a little

572
00:36:52.039 --> 00:36:54.760
help so that we can be done to the super people,

573
00:36:54.920 --> 00:36:56.920
the best wife, the best husband, the best this, the

574
00:36:56.960 --> 00:37:00.199
best that, the best this. And it doesn't work that way,

575
00:37:00.559 --> 00:37:10.760
and it destroys the actual gospel. Instead of being driven

576
00:37:10.800 --> 00:37:13.880
to rest in this perfect trust, we're driven to try

577
00:37:13.920 --> 00:37:17.800
harder to conjure up our own. And when that fails,

578
00:37:18.119 --> 00:37:20.840
and it will, we don't look to him. We tend

579
00:37:20.840 --> 00:37:26.440
to look inward. That's spiritual exhaustion. That's law without gospel.

580
00:37:26.639 --> 00:37:34.840
That's ultimate death. The right way is law than gospel.

581
00:37:35.039 --> 00:37:39.440
The law says you must not fear, you must trust

582
00:37:39.519 --> 00:37:47.440
god fully, you must be anxious for nothing. That's true.

583
00:37:47.920 --> 00:37:50.840
We don't water it down, we don't minimize it, we

584
00:37:50.920 --> 00:37:55.800
don't explain it away. And we acknowledge that we will

585
00:37:55.840 --> 00:38:00.599
never truly obey it. But then the Gospel shows up

586
00:38:01.639 --> 00:38:04.280
because now you feel guilty. Now you feel like a failure.

587
00:38:04.480 --> 00:38:07.360
Now you realize you're never going to obey it. And

588
00:38:07.400 --> 00:38:11.519
then the Gospel comes and says, hey, hey, hey, Christ

589
00:38:11.559 --> 00:38:20.559
did Christ feared not even unto death. Christ obeyed perfectly

590
00:38:21.280 --> 00:38:27.320
in your place. You are clothed in his obedience. There

591
00:38:27.360 --> 00:38:30.719
is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

592
00:38:31.199 --> 00:38:34.440
Now you are free to bring your fear to Him,

593
00:38:34.679 --> 00:38:38.159
to acknowledge it, and to say, Lord, I fear. You

594
00:38:38.320 --> 00:38:42.559
don't fear. Your obedience to these commands are mine by

595
00:38:42.679 --> 00:38:47.480
faith alone. I stand not in my ability not to fear.

596
00:38:47.719 --> 00:38:50.559
I stand in the fact that you did not fear,

597
00:38:50.760 --> 00:38:54.400
and so positionally I'm obeying all of these commands. But Lord,

598
00:38:54.519 --> 00:38:58.400
practically I'm filled with worry, anxiety, and doubt. And you

599
00:38:58.440 --> 00:39:00.400
can bring it to Him. You don't have to tend,

600
00:39:00.559 --> 00:39:10.000
you don't have to perform only the law. Gospel interpretation

601
00:39:10.119 --> 00:39:13.199
honors the biblical texts as if these are real commands.

602
00:39:13.239 --> 00:39:17.239
They acknowledge human reality. We're broken and weak. It exalts Christ,

603
00:39:17.280 --> 00:39:19.960
he fulfilled the law, and it provides rest for the soul.

604
00:39:20.239 --> 00:39:24.239
You're not condemned for being afraid because Christ obeyed it

605
00:39:24.320 --> 00:39:26.760
for you, and there is now no condemnation for those

606
00:39:26.800 --> 00:39:33.679
who are in Christ Jesus. So you should rest in

607
00:39:33.719 --> 00:39:37.000
the one who slept in the storm. Jesus is not

608
00:39:37.119 --> 00:39:40.039
giving you the way and how that you can sleep

609
00:39:40.079 --> 00:39:43.679
in the storm. He's showing you he slept in the storm,

610
00:39:44.000 --> 00:39:46.920
because we are constantly going to be fearful and we're not.

611
00:39:47.280 --> 00:39:49.760
So when Jesus slept in the storm, he wasn't just

612
00:39:49.880 --> 00:39:54.559
modeling peace. He was fulfilling what you cannot do. You

613
00:39:54.639 --> 00:39:57.320
may fear the storm, you may shake the boat, you

614
00:39:57.400 --> 00:40:00.800
may be shaking in the boat, but in him, your

615
00:40:00.840 --> 00:40:07.199
record says you slept peacefully and perfect trust because he did,

616
00:40:08.639 --> 00:40:22.119
and you are in him. You are in him. That's

617
00:40:22.159 --> 00:40:27.360
the way you have to approach this. Now, what I

618
00:40:27.400 --> 00:40:29.760
want you to do. I was going to go ahead

619
00:40:29.760 --> 00:40:32.199
and do this now, but I'm at forty minutes and

620
00:40:32.239 --> 00:40:34.199
I'm not super happy with the way I've done this,

621
00:40:34.320 --> 00:40:36.599
so I'm you know, who knows if I'm even going

622
00:40:36.679 --> 00:40:38.000
to keep this, So I'm not going to add more

623
00:40:38.000 --> 00:40:40.840
to it, but I want you to start doing this

624
00:40:41.360 --> 00:40:44.599
for the next I don't care for the It's April

625
00:40:44.760 --> 00:40:47.239
the ninth, for the rest of April, for the rest

626
00:40:47.280 --> 00:40:52.000
of April. Anytime you're reading your Bible, anytime you listen

627
00:40:52.079 --> 00:40:56.840
to a sermon, I want you to write down the

628
00:40:56.880 --> 00:41:00.039
commands you see. Here's a command, here's a command. The

629
00:41:00.079 --> 00:41:03.280
sermon's giving you commands. If this sermon preaches a scripture,

630
00:41:03.320 --> 00:41:05.480
that's command. If the sermon, if the pastor's just giving

631
00:41:05.480 --> 00:41:08.559
you commands, do this, read this, do this, don't do this,

632
00:41:08.679 --> 00:41:10.679
do this. If he's telling you to do something or

633
00:41:10.760 --> 00:41:13.960
not to do something. Anytime you see a command. Anytime

634
00:41:14.000 --> 00:41:16.199
you see a command, I want you to write down

635
00:41:16.280 --> 00:41:19.159
the command, and then I want you to think about

636
00:41:19.159 --> 00:41:25.039
how Christ fulfilled that command. Anytime you hear a command,

637
00:41:25.159 --> 00:41:27.039
I don't want you to write down how you can

638
00:41:27.079 --> 00:41:29.320
do better, how you can try harder. I don't want

639
00:41:29.360 --> 00:41:31.480
you to write down the forty seven steps the pastor

640
00:41:31.519 --> 00:41:33.519
gave you to do so that you can do it,

641
00:41:33.719 --> 00:41:36.440
that they have a conference, that there's a support group,

642
00:41:36.639 --> 00:41:38.840
that you can do this, you can buy this book.

643
00:41:39.000 --> 00:41:41.119
You can do this. You can jump up and down,

644
00:41:41.280 --> 00:41:43.239
you can slam your head in the wall five times,

645
00:41:43.360 --> 00:41:46.039
or you'll be a better all the nonsense the Church

646
00:41:46.119 --> 00:41:50.320
gives you, just stop listening to them. Stop say Okay,

647
00:41:50.480 --> 00:41:54.360
there's the command. Christ fulfilled the command. Go look for

648
00:41:54.440 --> 00:41:59.280
how Christ fulfilled the command. Write down the command, look

649
00:41:59.360 --> 00:42:02.880
for how Christ fulfill the command. The end, who cares

650
00:42:02.920 --> 00:42:05.159
what the Church is saying? Who cares they keep telling

651
00:42:05.199 --> 00:42:09.760
you to do something. Don't listen to them. It's man made, legalistic,

652
00:42:10.440 --> 00:42:14.719
just nonsense that's going to just beat you into either

653
00:42:15.719 --> 00:42:17.920
beat you into a position that you have to pretend,

654
00:42:17.960 --> 00:42:24.440
pretend pretend, or beat you into a total pit of despair, despondency, anxiety, fear, worry,

655
00:42:24.559 --> 00:42:26.480
and you don't understand how you ended up in this

656
00:42:26.960 --> 00:42:34.320
living hell that Christianity put you in. Out for the

657
00:42:34.360 --> 00:42:37.000
next rest of this month. Any anything you hear it,

658
00:42:37.039 --> 00:42:39.280
that's a command. Write it down. Here's the command. Don't

659
00:42:39.320 --> 00:42:42.519
minimize the command, don't water down the command. It is

660
00:42:42.639 --> 00:42:45.400
a command. And then you go look and see how

661
00:42:45.480 --> 00:42:47.760
Christ fulfilled that command. And then you know what you

662
00:42:47.800 --> 00:42:52.639
tell yourself, I couldn't, I can't, I will never do it.

663
00:42:53.239 --> 00:43:03.440
Christ did it for me, and rest in that the end.

664
00:43:04.760 --> 00:43:08.159
Fear Yes, the Bible tells you do not be afraid,

665
00:43:09.119 --> 00:43:12.400
Do not worry, do not have anxiety. It tells you

666
00:43:12.440 --> 00:43:15.119
that do not water that down. That's a command. You

667
00:43:15.119 --> 00:43:17.679
know what you do when you see that command. Man,

668
00:43:17.920 --> 00:43:21.679
I have worry, have fear, have anxiety. Woe is me.

669
00:43:22.280 --> 00:43:25.920
I'm undone. I'm an unclean man. I am an unman

670
00:43:25.960 --> 00:43:28.760
of unclean lips. I'm a man filled with fear, worry,

671
00:43:28.800 --> 00:43:33.280
and doubt. But there is the one. His name is Christ,

672
00:43:33.960 --> 00:43:38.280
who came into this world, was confronted with everything that

673
00:43:38.400 --> 00:43:43.239
causes fear. But he showed no fear, no worry, anxiety.

674
00:43:43.440 --> 00:43:46.480
He showed perfect trust in the Father. He was at

675
00:43:46.519 --> 00:43:49.599
peace when everyone else was shaking. He was at peace

676
00:43:49.679 --> 00:43:53.519
in the storm. And it's in him that positionally, I'm

677
00:43:53.559 --> 00:43:58.079
at peace in him because his perfect obedience and peace

678
00:43:58.360 --> 00:44:03.800
and righteousness is in peace to me. I stand in him, perfect,

679
00:44:04.119 --> 00:44:13.920
complete and whole. All right, we'll talk more about a

680
00:44:14.079 --> 00:44:17.480
kind of low gospel Bible study method. Maybe we'll do

681
00:44:17.519 --> 00:44:19.840
an entire episode on that, but for now I'll stop

682
00:44:19.920 --> 00:44:26.840
right there. Thank you Solva so much for listening. Remember,

683
00:44:26.960 --> 00:44:29.800
write down the commands, Write down how Christ fulfilled the commands.

684
00:44:30.159 --> 00:44:30.719
God bless