Perhaps you've seen the bumper sticker. It's the one that is silver and black and boldly proclaims "No Fear." That has become the cry of the younger generation. This is the times of radical skating parks with huge ramps and bungee cords and parachute clubs. A couple of years ago, my wife and I did the bungee swing at Astroworld which drops you straight down for about 250 feet before swinging you up. It is certainly a crazy way to get a thrill! Perhaps you heard about the group that formed a couple of years ago in California that bungee jumped off of bridges, buildings, and cliffs. When the government outlawed the practice in the state, one lady decided to protest and so she staged a jump off of a several hundred foot bluff with the police waiting on the bottom to arrest her. Before she jumped, she told the news reporters that she was purposefully breaking the law to prove how "safe" that the jumping was. When she jumped, it turns out that she had misfigured the height of the cliff by about two feet and instead of bouncing happily at the end of her cord, she bounced off the rocks on the bottom of the cliff, tragically dying in front of her husband and hundreds of onlookers. By the way, the law was not lifted.

Whatever their inspirations for adopting such radical entertainment, our world is obviously searching for a way to rid themselves of fear. Fear can do strange things to people. It can seize their lives and keep them from responding normally and naturally. It will cause people to not step out in faith upon what God has promised. It can bring confusion and disorientation and all of us have something that we have had to learn to conquer our fear of. I want you to remember that God created you and created within you the ability to be fearful. It was God that placed that emotion and feeling within us.

There are certain emotions and feelings that man tends to view as bad or evil that are actually only evil when they are misplaced. Take hatred for example: all of us know that we should not hate others, but the scriptures talk about "perfect hatred" which is to hate evil and sin and the effects of it so much that we avoid it at all costs. God created the ability to hate and love within us because He intended for us to hate sin and the world's ways and love Him and His Word. The problem comes when we reverse the two and misplace those emotions from where God intended them to be!

And so it is with fear. We were created to have the ability to fear so that we could fear God and only God. In fact we are commanded to fear Him:

and of course our text in Matthew:

My question to you tonight is, why of all things did God command us to FEAR HIM? There are more scriptures that command it. It is obvious from the scripture that it is very important to "fear God" but why? and what does it mean to really "fear Him?"

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The first reason why God commands us to fear Him is found in the first mention of fear in the Bible:

Their is a law of first mention in the Bible in that the first time something is mentioned, you always find the necessary basic principles to understand that concept. This passage teaches us one of the most important principles of fear. {Adlib on how that man had never eaten animals before and the fear of man was not in animals before the Flood} When God placed the fear of man in the animals He taught us a powerful lesson. "Into your hand are they delivered." Fear delivers control of the fearful one to the person or thing feared. That is why God wants us to fear only Him! We are to deliver and surrender ourselves to only Him!

Job certainly had a lot of bad things happen to him. You know the story well and I taught on it Wednesday night. How that the devil came and presented himself before God and God bragged about Job to the devil. We have the picture of what was going on in heaven, but we do not have the picture of Job's life at that time. Have you ever wondered why God was so willing to give Satan permission to touch Job's health and family? Have you ever wondered why Satan chose the things that he did to suggest to do to Job and said so confidently to God "if you let me do this and this, he'll curse you to your face." We find the answer in a statement that Job made in chapter 3:

The only reason that Satan was given power by God to touch the areas of Job's life that he did, was because Job was fearful of those things happening! Job's fear told Satan what exactly he should ask for and what he was allowed to bring into Job's life. Job's fears became reality and he was delivered under the power of which he was afraid! That is why it is so important to not give ourselves to the fear of anything or anyone except God, because we are yielding ourselves spiritually under the control of whatever we fear. So when you fear God, it is the will of God that will come about in your life. If it is something else that you dread and quake at, then it will be that comes to pass in your life.

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Why is it that what we fear most tends to happen in our life. The answer is found in a scripture in Hebrews chapter 11 -- the hall of fame of people with great faith -- about Noah:

God spoke to Noah to build the ark and that it was going to do something (rain) that had never been seen before and Noah was so convinced of God's Word coming to pass, that the scriptures say that "he moved with fear." But then the end of the verse says that he was saved "by faith." In fact, this is the "hall of fame of faith." You see, faith and fear are essentially the same thing. True faith in something means that you believe something so strongly that you are moved to action because of it. True fear in something will move you to action as well. They are basically the same thing. So much so, that I could read those many scriptures that commanded us to fear the Lord and I could substitute "faith" into them and they would make perfect sense. When you fear something, you are placing faith in it. And it's true faith because it has caused a reaction and movement in your life.

Think about what that means for a moment. Romans 12:3 and says that God has given every man a measure of faith. That means every person in here has had faith placed within them by God. Jesus said if we only had faith "as a grain of a mustard seed" that we could see great things come to pass. Hebrews 11:6 says that "without faith it is impossible" to please God. And that's why God has given everybody a measure of faith. Everybody has the ability to respond to God's Spirit and live for Him. God has placed that faith within you. So, if faith and fear are essentially the same, then when you fear something or someone other than God, you placing your measure of faith in them instead of God! When you allow your actions and your response to be a reaction to fear of someone or something, then you have basically made that your God, because you have more faith in it than you do in the supreme God. That's the second reason why God commands us to "fear only Him."

Wild animals fear man and will run from him when they see him. They also all fear fire. Take a flaming torch or a forest fire and the animals will quickly run because they have a fear put within them to fear it. But if you corner an animal between a human being and a fire, then the animal will overcome his first fear and run right toward to the human being if he has to in order to escape the fire. What am I saying? The way you conquer fear is to fear something else greater! Your greater fear will tame the fear of the other.

That's why Jesus told His disciples in our text to not fear man and things that could hurt this earthly body, but fear God who can destroy the spiritual body. He was getting His disciples ready for witnessing to the world and living as a "separated" people. He knew that like Noah, they would be laughed at and persecuted by this world, and if they feared public opinion or persecution that they would not make it as His witnesses! Jesus wanted to realize that being right with God is more important than having the favor of men. Let people talk about you and laugh at you and call you strange if they want to, but live according to this Book! I refuse to allow my actions and my lifestyle be dictated to me by others! I fear God only! I have faith in His Word more than I fear anything else! My faith in God exceeds my fear of anything that could come against me. I'm not going to let the devil trick me into putting my measure of faith in something of this world through the spirit of fear, but I will trust God for what He has done in my life!

And I'm preaching to some of you tonight that you struggle at times in living for God because of fears of others and their persecution and comments. It's time to get beyond those fears by getting a deeper faith: a true faith in Jesus Christ and His Word that is so imbedded within you that your actions are driven and programmed to Him and not to what others might think! Who do you fear? Or should I word it "whom or what are you trying to please?" You see, you fear whom you are trying to please the most. And realize the principle here: Jesus Christ is 30 years old standing in the water after being baptized by John the Baptist which fulfilled the washing of the priest and basically started Jesus' public ministry. The voice booms from heaven: "This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased!" Why did Jesus pray? Because He was setting an example for us to follow in our own lives. Why was Jesus baptized? As an example to us to follow in His steps. Why did the voice come forth? To show us what we should be concerned with most in our everyday lives. Thirty years of a carpenter shop and faithful in the everyday things of God and obviously Jesus was more concerned with His flesh being pleasing to the Spirit rather than pleasing mom or brothers or anybody else.

It must become our driving force and the question that we ask about ourselves: Is God pleased with me? That's the bottom line in everything that we do. Not "is the preacher pleased with me? Not is the church pleased with me? Not is my family or friends pleased with me? But is God pleased with me? Why is that so important? Because who you are trying to please is also who you will fear. And whatever you fear will become what you place your faith within. Whatever you put your faith within is what will move you to actions. Your actions will either bring a blessing or a cursing upon your life from Almighty God.

That is why that throughout the Bible, numerous times God or the angel of God spoke the words "Fear Not!" when delivering instructions or help! At every stage of Abraham's life, he heard the words "fear not!" Why was he called the Father of the Faithful? Because he had to learn to "Fear not!" When Moses was leading the children of Israel out of Egypt and into a new covenant with God, he told them "fear not." When Joshua was on the threshold of leading the people into the promised land and fighting against giant walled cities and mighty warriors, the angel of the Lord told him "fear not." The angel of the Lord told Gideon to "fear not." Boaz looked down at Ruth and told her "fear not." David many times uttered the words and when he was about to die and was giving his son Solomon his final instructions, he told him, Solomon "fear not!" Elijah told the little widow woman who didn't have anything to eat, "fear not." Elisha told his servant when they were surrounded by the enemy to "fear not." Daniel was told twice by an angel to "fear not." When Zacharias found out that his wife was going to give birth to John the Baptist who would prepare the way for the Messiah, the angel told her to "fear not." When the angel appeared unto Mary and then again unto Joseph to explain that the Messiah was going to be born into their family, the angel said repeatedly "Fear not." The most frequently repeated command of Jesus Christ was those two words: "Fear Not!" When Paul was in a dark dungeon and was about to meet Caesar who would ultimately sentence him to die, God spoke to Paul and told him to "fear not!" When Jesus appeared unto John on the lonely isle of Patmos to command him to write the final words to the church in the book of Revelation, Jesus said, "Fear not!" The command to fear not and not be afraid is found within every book of the Bible. If there is anything that God wants His church to hear today, it is Fear Not! We must learn to move with faith into the unknown and not with fear, it's the hardest lesson to learn, the greatest lesson to learn, but throughout history, for God to work through man, they had to learn to "fear not" their circumstances but put their trust and fear in the Lord!

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{Briefly recap the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego:}

It was not that those boys did not fear the power of the king or the fire in that hot furnace, but that they feared God more! And God was willing to put them in a situation where they had to look at their fear of fire heated up seven times and decide which did they fear and trust most. They only way that they could conquer their fear of the king and the furnace was to trust God and allow themselves to go through it! After they came out, do you think that they feared that furnace again?

It's time to allow God to deliver you from some fears! What is the fiery furnace that you are facing? It may not be persecution for others, but may be a hopeless situation. It may be a devastating failure in your past. It may be a mom or dad that verbally abused you with so much negativism that you live under the weight and shadow of a question of whether or not you can be a vessel of honor in God's kingdom. Perhaps your fiery furnace is a fear of rejection or a shyness of personality or a fear of the worst happening to your loved ones and your friends. Maybe your relationship with God has suffered from the fear of losing control. It's time to face the fiery furnace tonight! It's time to put your faith in God and dive into the flames of intimidation and allow God to be the deliverer and the savior in your life! Listen to the words of the prophet Isaiah:

1. God's presence with us. Fear thou not; for I am with thee

God will never ever leave us! Whether our emotions tell us that he is there or not, He IS THERE!

2. God's relation to us is personal. be not dismayed; for I am thy God

He has given Himself to us and we have the use of His name which represents all of the power that He has over everything in heaven and in earth! Not only is He with us, but He is willing to use all of His might for us!

3. He promises to give us strength. I will strengthen thee

This refers to actual imparted strength. There have been times in my life that I knew and I could tell that the only way I got through it was a physical, actual strength from the Lord!

4. He promises to give help. yea, I will help thee

Not only does He strengthen us, but He also adds His strength to ours!

There have been times in my life that I was doing all that I could do, and suddenly I felt God pushing with me!

5. He will uphold us. I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

This is more than strength and more than help. This means that God takes responsibility of our entire situation and being! In other words, He will do everything that it takes to keep us through the situation and to make sure that we come through it a better person and alright! He upholdeth me! This word literally means to grasp onto and not let go! When I am in trouble I've got a promise that God will grasp me and not let me go! I don't have to fear because I've got God on my side! When you face the fiery furnace of your fears, you will find that God will not only deliver you, but will be there with you!

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Some people say "that is just the Old Testament, and stuff like that happened back then but it doesn't happen today." Are you out of your mind? Don't you realize that we have something that even Shadrach, Meshach, and Abdenego did not have back then? We've got the Holy Ghost already living inside of us!? We have a relationship with God that those under the Law could not even imagine! When Paul talked of being a "slave of Jesus Christ," he did not mean that he was miserable and hating his life. There are only two things that will cause a slave to stay a slave: love and fear. In the Old Testament, they loved God because they feared Him and His Word. But now, we are to fear God because we love Him and His Word! That's the kind of love slave that Paul was to Jesus Christ! He is my master! He looks out for my well being! I fear and love Him the most of anything in this world! We are to fear Him because in doing so it will cause us to conquer the other fears!

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My last point is this: faith is contagious. Matthew 9:20-22 talks of the woman that touched the hem of Jesus' garment and was healed. Matthew 14:35-36 records how that later many other people began to just press through the crowd and touch the hem of Jesus' garment and was healed. Where did they hear about and get the faith to get their healing? From the woman who had done it first!

Fear is also contagious. The story of the twelve spies and Joshua and Caleb proves this:

If that is true that faith and fear (which are basically the same thing) are contagious, then the reason that God has commanded us to fear Him is that He wants faith in Him to spread from you to others around you! The reason that God wants to break your fears and your inhibitions about selling out to anything else in life is because He also wants to deliver those around you! Faith can start with you! You can start a chain reaction in your family that brings true deliverance! No Israelite had ever killed a Giant before little David stepped up with that sling and overcame the fear of the Giant by placing His fear in God. David was basically saying "you guys are afraid of what would happen if you faced this giant, and I'm afraid of what may happen to us if you keep letting this uncircumcised Philistine blaspheme our God's name!" When David moved with fear that day and slew the Giant killers, he started a trend. His mighty men who were under Him later slew all of Goliath's brothers and other giants that had been troubling Israel. His fear of God caused the spread of victory throughout the land! Who do you fear!? Fear God and none else!