Fear Not
by Kevin Allen
September 12, 2021 · Centerpointe Apostolic Church (Murfreesboro, TN)
Kind: sermon
Scripture: Isaiah 43, Isaiah 43:1-7, Job 14:1, John 16:33, Genesis 3, 2 Timothy 1:7, 1 John 4:18, Isaiah 43:1, Isaiah 43:2, Isaiah 43:3, Isaiah 43:4, Isaiah 43:5, 2 Peter 1:5-7, 1 John 4:18, Isaiah 43:1

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/kevin-allen--fear-not
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

------------------------------------------------------------
So many of us, we remember that day so well. I was working at the hospital, had a morning and was getting my day started. I went out to get a patient and went into the waiting room and noticed that everybody was standing really close to the television. So before I called my name out for the person I was going to do an exam on, I went over there closer to see what was so interesting that everybody was tuned into the television. And I stood there for a minute as I was processing what I was seeing, that there had been a plane that had crashed into the World Trade Trade Center. And that was interesting to me because I was just two weeks away from going to New York City with my wife, some friends of ours. So I began to ask a few questions from those who are watching. They said, yeah, there's been a plane plane crash, we were just watching the news here. And we sat there together for just a minute and I watched live coverage as the second plane hit the tower. And I remember being just struck by all in a moment because I realized, along with those standing beside me, that this was not an accident, that this was an attack. And I remember this feeling of fear come over me, and that was something that was very odd for me personally. Not that I don't experience fear, but I've never experienced fear in my life in the country that I lived. But it was there. It was, it was different. I don't know how to explain it.

I remember that I went ahead and uh got my patient and finished the exam I had to do. And I remember I had a hard time concentrating for a few minutes, just trying to process all that was going on and taking it in. And I remember this overwhelming sense of wanting to talk to my wife on the phone, just felt like I needed to hear her voice. And I called my mom and dad and reached out to my brother, just wanted to make sure that my family was okay in that moment. I'm not a, again, a man that deals with fear on any kind of regular basis, but that day I felt it.

I remember flying just, just under two weeks later — we decided to go ahead with our trip. We, we flew into, into Manhattan. And some of you may think, well, man, you're crazy, um, but I thought, well, if there's ever been a safe time to fly, it's now — they're watching everything. So we did, and it was a, it was a different experience for us. Um, we, we flew on, on just about a completely empty plane. It was my wife and I, it was Roy and Carla Duke, and then there was a one other family that sat in the back of the plane, and had the whole plane to ourselves. We landed there. We had been in New York City a few times before that and always have enjoyed our time there in the city, yeah, but it was different this time, so much different. The feeling was different. So we walked around from block to block. We were not accustomed to seeing the National Guard presence so strong. There's military vehicles in the streets and on the intersections. There was a New York police officers on every block corner. There was at least two patrolled officers, if not a mounted unit that was there. Roadblocks put up. You could only go so far towards the financial district and they kept you out.

I remember standing on top of the Empire State Building. We decided to go up — we'd done it a few, you know, one before, didn't really want to go up again, but this time we just wanted to see if we might could get a view a little bit further down. And because the Ground Zero was still smoking, it was just different. I remember passing by the fire departments and precincts and seeing the posters and the pictures and realizing that these, these people have lost their life, and seeing the notes that were there and the flowers that were on the ground. And it just — it was, it was a different moment. I had never experienced anything like that in my life. And, and behind it all, there was just this feeling there that I now realize was fear. I had not been accustomed to living with fear. It had not been a part of my life.

As we go through this 20th anniversary of that terrible day, I was thinking to myself, what, what do you say about this that the media hasn't already said? I — we, we — for those of us who were alive during that time, most all of us know where we were at. We, we can ask that question, you know, for, for my generation, this was our Kennedy moment. And I can ask my mom and my dad, where were you at when Kennedy was shot, and they would tell me when, the school that they were in, they remembered that. But I couldn't — I wasn't alive. This was, this was my generation's moment like that. My daughters only know of the story because they were not born during that. And I read this week that almost a third of the population alive in our country today was not born — we were born after 9 11.

So as I was thinking about what to say, came coming back to me as I was recalling that day and the weeks that followed, having gone to New York, I was brought back to that feeling that I had, the feeling of fear. And today I want to preach for just a few moments on a simple title, Fear Not. Isaiah 43

I'm going to read you seven verses of scripture and then, with the Lord's help, deliver what I feel like he has for us today. Isaiah is writing here and he says: But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, fear not, for I have redeemed thee. I have called thee by thy name. Thou art mine. When thou passeth through the waters, I will be with thee, and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee. When thou walketh through the fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior. I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopians say before thee. Since thou was precious in my sight, thou hast been honorable and I have loved thee. Therefore I will give men for thee and people for thy life. Fear not, for I am with thee. I will bring thy seed from the east and gather thee from the west. I will stay to the north, give up, and to the south, keep that back. Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth. Everyone that is called by my name, for I have created him for my glory. I have formed him, yet yea, I have made him.

God, I love you and I thank you for your presence is with us today. For the next few minutes, God, I surrender myself over to you. I pray, Jesus, that I could be your voice today to speak to your church. Let our hearts and our minds receive the word you have for us. In Jesus' name, amen.

God's most frequently repeated encouragement comes in the form of either fear not or do not be afraid. The best I can research, it looks like there was at least 365 times that we were commanded to either fear not or do not be afraid. I don't believe that's a coincidence. It seems as though God provided at least one encouragement for every day for you and I to not be afraid.

I noticed this week, as I was seeing all the memorials and videos of being put together about that day 20 years ago now, that I, I see life much different. Our lives are still being affected by things that transpired 20 years ago. I pray this never happens again to our nation, but something in my spirit tells me that may not be possible. I do not believe in fear-mongering. I don't like it. I don't believe in it. I don't like the propaganda machine and I sure don't think these events should be politicized. To me, the real heroes were the ones there that day. They're the ones that you'd be recognized and honored, the ones who sacrificed, who gave their life, those ones who willingly ran into danger to save someone. Those are the ones. Those are the ones we should honor. Those are the ones who served under that flag. Those are the ones who honor it, respect it. Those the ones whose coffins were draped in it. Those are the ones we need to remember.

As I was thinking about how our life has changed — the world we live in now today, with most of us have just grown accustomed to it — but it was not always that way. I was thinking about how fear makes an impact in our life. I don't believe there's a human being alive that hasn't experienced fear in some way, shape, form, or fashion. It's a part of what God has put in us, to be afraid at times, so that we will pull back from areas where danger is. But I do not believe for a minute that we were ever meant to live in fear. I don't, I don't believe that because the word of God said so, or shouldn't not live in a constant state of fear.

I love how Isaiah is pending these words as he's being moved on by the spirit of God. I like to take time to go slowly through the verses because I believe oftentimes we rush through scripture and we miss the full purpose, weight, and intent that the writer was putting into it as God was moving on him. Verse 2 says: When thou passeth through the waters, I will be with thee, and through the rivers, thou shall not overflow thee. When thou walketh through the fire, thou shall not be burned, neither shall the flame kind of upon thee. Notice there that it says not if, but when. To me it's a powerful revelation here, that God is letting you and I know it's not just happen chance that you have something happen to you and your neighbor doesn't. Life happens to us all. Life happens to each and every one of us in life on this earth. No one is immune from the trials and tribulations and the troubles and the distresses that life brings. Keep in mind what the scripture also says in Job 14 1: Man born of woman is a few days and full of trouble. John 16 and 33: I've told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But I love how Jesus says, take heart, for I have overcome the world.

God's people do pass through waters. We do pass through rivers. We do experience fires in our life. But God's people uh have a reason to keep their head up when they go through. We're not immune from this stuff. We're not immune from suffering. When I think about the advantages of having a relationship with God, to me that's no more evident than when trials and tribulations and things go on in our life. Where do we turn? The world doesn't have an answer.

It doesn't know how to cope with when things don't go according to plan. Oftentimes they move and find themselves trying to find a way to cope with it. Their response to trial, their response to, to trouble and tribulation in distress, is often to try to do something to forget it. Usually they turn to something that can drown their sorrow in, whether it's alcohol or drugs. The worldly response to facing a river or water or fire is to drown out their sorrows, to lose themselves into a, a video game or internet, into some kind of false reality where they don't have to deal with the consequences of the moment that they're living in. Anywhere but here, anywhere but now, anywhere but facing what I'm going through in this moment. Some respond to troubles with anger and violence and aggression. Some see trials as an opportunity to make money and take advantage of a situation, to gain power and influence, to, to, to make sure that they rise through the ranks of a political system. Others submit to various kinds of therapy, and still others withdraw inside themselves.

But we must take notice what the prophet Isaiah says as he's being moved on by the spirit. He simply says this: Fear not. Fear not when you face the trials. Feel not — fear not when you face the river, when you face the storm that life sometimes bring. He says in verse 5, don't be afraid. What does Isaiah mean by fear not or don't be afraid? It's the same Hebrew word that's being translated there in fear, that the, the word, a primitive root word that means frightened, to be afraid, to dread, to be fearful, to have reverence. It was most often used in a Bible whenever man had an encounter with God or an angel from God. It was a fallen Adam that, that said that he was afraid in Genesis 3 at the sound of God walking in the garden. When the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, God told Abram, don't be afraid of what I'm fixing to do. When God asked Sarah why she laughed about the promise, she lied because she was afraid of what was going to happen. The angel of God told Hagar to not be afraid when she was wandering in the desert with her child and worried. God appeared unto Isaac and his first words were, I am the God of your father Abraham, don't be afraid about what I'm going to do. When Jacob had a vision of the Lord and his angels, he was afraid. When Moses encountered God at the burning bush, he said, fear not, don't be afraid, Moses, of what's about to happen. Fear not. Don't be afraid.

What are we talking about? This is more than just a nervous stomach or some kind of sweaty palms or a little bit of anxiety, what a teenage boy may experience before he gets up the nerve to talk to a girl. That's not what I'm talking about in this moment. I'm talking about the kind of fear that can — you — the kind of fear that can cause you to pause in a moment, the kind of fear that can cause you to be locked up to where you can't even speak. But instead of being captivated in that moment, the word of God instructs us to not be afraid. Fear not is what God tells you and I.

I love how Paul, writing to Timothy in Second Timothy 1 7, says: For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. This verse I recall quite often in my own life when I feel those moments trying to overwhelm me. I know I'm not alone in this room today. I know I'm not the only one who's experienced fear in their life. I know I'm not the only one who's had those moments where it feels like something's trying to control me from the outside and that fear seems to paralyze me. It's in those moments that I go back to what I know to be true, the word of God, and it tells me that God doesn't give me a spirit of fear, that when I feel those moments I need to remind myself that's not God in this moment — something else is driving me, something else is trying to push me, something else is trying to force me into a place where I'm not supposed to be.

Apostle John, in First John 4 18, says: There is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. Fear not, ladies and gentlemen, of what the future may hold. Fear not as you face waters and rivers of fire. Fear not when you face death, when you face cancer, heart attack, or stroke. Fear not when you go into surgery. Fear not as you face major changes in your life. Fear not as we face pandemics and vaccines and wars and rumors or wars. Fear not as we face uncertainty in our nation when we don't know exactly what's going on. We should not allow fear of the day to cause you and I to be less than what God wants us to be. What do we have to be afraid of? What do we have to be afraid of? What do I have to fear? I have God on my side. What do I have to be afraid of? Do you, do you remind yourself of the promises of God? Do, do you remind yourself that he said, I'll go with you, I'll never leave you, I'll never forsake you?

I don't like some of the things that are going on in our world. I wish the circumstances were different. If I was

pinning and scripting out while we were going through right now, I promise you I would pin a different ending. I wouldn't want to go through what we're going through right now. But I know also in my spirit there's an underlying spiritual element to what we're facing today. I'm not a guy who goes and looks for a demon behind every bush. I'm not that guy. But I know there's a real spiritual world out there and things are going on all the time, all the way around us. And I know just because we are people who follow after God doesn't make us immune from what the spirit's still trying to do. That's why we need to be tuned in ever more today than we ever have been, into what God's trying to do in this moment. Because I promise you, waiting around each and every corner there's something there trying to jump on you, trying to control you, trying to convince you, trying to persuade you. I'm not buying into what's going on. I'm going to buy into the word of God. I'm not going to buy into everything that's trying to be forced upon me, everything is trying to be pushed down in my throat, everything that's trying to be influenced around me. I appreciate there's people looking out. I appreciate there's, there's all these experts out there. I'm glad that there's experts. But I'm going to tell you, before I believe any of those words, I'm going back to what the word of God has to say.

And I feel like preaching a message here today, and it's a simple message to the church, and it's simply this: Fear not. Fear not. Don't be afraid. I don't know what's going to come, but I do know what the future holds. There's going to come a day when my God, when my Savior is going to come back, and he's going to come back for a church called by his name. I may not be able to control all of my circumstances, but I can't control what I put my mind on, and I choose to trust that my God is going to get us through this. I'm not going to back down. I'm not going to waver. And I refuse to go into a corner and be afraid of what might happen. My God's still alive. He's still on the throne. He's still in control. And if I'm facing something, that means he knows I can handle what I'm going through. Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid. Don't fear what's coming. I'm going to hang on to my God. He's brought me this far. I have no reason to doubt he's not going to take me all the way through. Hallelujah.

To face life, sometimes it's, it's scary. To face a vastly superior enemy is scary. To get a diagnosis from the doctor, it can be scary. To face unemployment, it can be scary. Bankruptcy, foreclosure — those things are scary. Yet God comes to us and says, fear not. He comes to us in his word and he says, don't be afraid. Why? Why does God say this? How can he say this? What is the reason for telling you and I to not be afraid? Isaiah chapter 43 tells us at least 10 times a reason to fear not. If you have your copy of the scriptures, I would encourage you to open it, whether it's an analog version or a digital version. I would encourage you to open it if you have the ability to make a highlight or a mark. I encourage you to do this as I go through. I feel like this is something you will want to revisit in the weeks and months ahead, to go back and see what thus saith the word of God, because ten times here in this chapter he gives us a reason why we shouldn't be afraid. So let's talk about him.

He says in verse number one: Fear not, for I have redeemed you. Now that was going to get me excited, all right? So here's what I'm going to do, and you hold me to this: I want to come back to that. Can you help me remember to come back to being redeemed? Because I'm afraid the place is going to blow up and won't finish my message, and I did a real good job typing it out, so let's come back to being redeemed. But I'm just going to tell you, I'm excited about that one. But that's reason number one: I've been redeemed.

Number two, verse number one says: I have called you by name. He knows my name. Hey, I — I'm not worried about the president or the senators and all that. They got names that are always in the headline. But my God knows my name. My name. I'm a little nobody, but he knows my name. I'm just some little guy, 45 year old white fat kid with red cheeks, but he knows my name. And that makes me so happy, because in my darkest hour I don't have to wonder who's talking to me. Who's talking to me is somebody that knows my name. He knows how to say my name. He knows how to call me by name. I don't have to fear. I don't have to be afraid, because my God knows my name.

He says, you were mine. Let that sink in for just a minute. I'm hiss. I belong to him. He's, he's staking claim on me. I'm not just a nothing. I'm not just a nobody. I feel like that sometimes. I feel like that label tries to get put on me, that I'm just worthless and I'm nothing. But he says, no, no, I know your name and your mind. Sometimes when you get afraid, sometimes when it's a dark place, you need to remember you belong

to him. Says in verse number two — these are all good; I'm going to get my, my steps in today — he says in verse number two: For I will be with you. That means I'm not by myself. I'm not in that dark closet by myself. I'm not in a corner by myself. I'm not going through the trial by myself. He says, I am with you.

Verse number three: Fear not, for I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, a Savior. First he says in verse number three: For I will give Egypt for your ransom. Verse number four: Fear not, since you are precious and honored in my sight. Verse number four, he says, I love you. God says that he loves you right there in the word. He says, I will give men in exchange for you, in people in exchange for your life.

Verse number five: Fear not, for I will bring slash gather your children. I'm reaching for a parent in this room today. I'm reaching for a grandparent in this room today. I'm trying to remind you — you've been afraid about what's going to happen to your kids. You've been afraid about what's going to happen to your grandbabies. But I'm pointing out to you that there's a word right here that says, I'm going to bring them back. I'm going to bring them back. I know you're afraid. I know you're worried about what's going to happen. But God says, I see you. You belong to me. I know your name. I'm going to walk with you. You are mine, and I will bring them back. So next time you get afraid, open up Isaiah 43 and just go through these highlights and start reminding yourself: This is what my God has said about me. This is what my God has said about me. I know it feels like I should be afraid right now, but I feel pretty good because he knows me. He knows me. I belong to him. Look at what all he's done for you. Look at what all he's done for you. And I'm only five verses into one chapter — all of those things right there for you. Look at your neighbors, say, that's for me. Yeah, that's — those are for me. My God's telling me I don't, I don't, I shouldn't be afraid. Fear not.

I love that he likes to remind us, because sometimes we forget. You know, I still have a nine-year-old at home and, and she still has moments where she gets afraid. Now, my older girls are here and they don't really tell me they're afraid much anymore — I guess it's not cool. But my nine-year-old, she makes no bones about it: if she's afraid, you know she's afraid, and the neighbors know she's afraid. So she'll come in, and then what I do is, even though she's getting bigger, I'll still pull up there close and I'll tell her, look, you have nothing to be afraid of. You have nothing, because look, your dad is here. Your dad is here. And whatever is going to try to hurt you has to go through me first. And I promise you, daddy's here and nothing's going to get to you. And I can feel her just melt into my arms and it's all okay because daddy's telling us okay. Look, that's what's going on right here in Isaiah 43. It's our heavenly father saying, I got you. Look, I know you. I know your name. I'm gonna be with you. Don't be afraid. Don't let fear overcome you. I'm here with you, and whatever tries to come to you has to come to me first.

Somebody needs to grab a hold of what I just said. I know I didn't scream it. I know I didn't shout around here. But somebody needs to grab ahold of what I'm telling you right now. This God is saying to you — your God is saying to you in the word — you don't have to fear. You don't have to be afraid. I know your name. You belong to me. You are mine. I know what you're afraid of. Don't let those things put you back. Fear not when you pass through the waters, when you pass through the rivers, when you walk through fire. Why not? Because I'm with you. I won't let any of that take you down.

But I don't get back to where I really wanted to be. He says, I have redeemed you. Hold of all the things there, and they're all great — I love that whole list. I love them all. But that first one, oh, that first one, oh, it speaks to me in ways the others don't. When he says, I have redeemed you — redemption. There's something about that word. There's something about it. Did this, this, this make something click inside of me? To redeem something or someone is to pay the required price to secure their release. He says, I have redeemed you. I know you're thinking about the list of wrongs that you've had going on in your life. I know you think about all the ways that you're disqualified for me to love you. I know you're trying to reason away why my love won't wash over what's going there. But I want to remind you: I have paid the price that was necessary to purchase you. Let it settle in. He says, I've redeemed. No matter your mistakes, no matter your failures, no matter what you've done wrong, no matter what people say about you, no matter what label they put on you, he says, I have redeemed you.

I was at a pawn shop a few months ago. I don't know why. I don't know. I mean, I would love to tell you that I was drawn, and I don't know why. I just walked by and I just

walked in the door. So I'm wandering around this pawn shop and I'm looking at all this stuff and, you know, a variety of things in there. Tapes — some of y'all don't have a clue what that is. There was, you know, old radios over there. And I'm thinking, I said, people still swap radios out of cars? That, that was the thing when I was in high school. But the people still — I don't know. You know, there's some old tools and some chainsaws and drills and, you know, generators and TVs over there. Just this stuff. I mean, if you've ever been in a pawn shop, they haven't changed. Yeah, that's the same. Now, the, the way a pawn shop works is you take something that you have a value — and I don't know, here, I got something. You take your thing here and you go in and you say, I have this thing. And the guy at the pawn shop says, yeah, that's a thing, and, you know, I'll give you a dollar and a half for it. Now, in, in real world, it's probably worth ten dollars. But he's not gonna give you ten dollars for it, but he'll give you a dollar and a half for it. Now, what happens is, if you're in a tough spot, you know, a dollar and a half is better no dollar and a half. So what happens is, is what you're saying is, I'm going to pawn this. So I'm going to give that to you for said dollar and a half, and you, you are not going — you, you're going to guarantee 60, 90 days — they put terms on this — that you're not going to sell my thing. And if I can come back with my dollar and a half, I can get back my thing. Now, they'll charge a little, little fee in there. There's always a fee. Yeah. So you never just have a dollar and a half. But, you know, in your mind you're thinking it's a dollar a half. So you come back. Now, to come back, you, you have to redeem it, right? You got to pay a price to get it back.

So what he's saying in the, in the word of God is that, that we got ourself entangled. Boy, got quiet. We, we got ourself messed up. Man, I'm preaching and I'm not afraid to be by myself. I messed up. They all perfect people, but I made a mistake. I made a bunch of them. And I got myself in a situation. I found myself in the pawn shop. And I'm over there between, you know, the weed whackers and the drills. And I'm sitting there and I don't like being there, because it's lonely and dark and smells funny in pawn shops. But he walked in.

So here's the, here's the deal is: once you haven't reclaimed what is yours, then it belongs to them. And then they mark the price up, because it always cost more than what was originally paid. That's a whole sermon right there. Somebody write that down. He says, I walked into where you were at. I didn't bargain. I didn't negotiate. I didn't try to barter or bring the price down. I simply looked over and said, that belongs to me. What is the price that needs to be paid? And I paid it. That's what happens when you see Calvary, when you see him on that cross. What he was doing is paying a price, a very high price, to purchase you. He says, I have redeemed you. I have bought you back. I have paid what was necessary to, to say that you belong to me. That you belong to — you see, all of the other things in that list, they don't really count for much if he doesn't start off by saying, I redeemed you. What does that mean? He says, I'm staking this, this is my ownership. I have paid the price. And because I've paid the price, I know your name. Because I paid the price, you're mine. Because I paid the price, I'm willing to, I'm willing to do whatever it takes, because you belong to me.

So I want you to know: you don't have a reason to be afraid. You don't have a reason to let fear rule your life. I have already settled the debt. I have already paid the price. There's nobody that can come and take you back from me. Do you understand? Nothing, nothing, nothing can separate you from the love of God. Nothing can take you out. Nothing can pull you out of his hand. You belong to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. So come — one may — outside these walls, I don't know what you're facing, but I feel to tell you today: Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid. I don't know what the next headline is going to be. I don't know what we're facing. But I'm not going to live in fear, for my God has redeemed me. He has paid my price and I belong to him.

I'm getting tired. What challenges make us afraid? I got to thinking about this. I'm not a really smart guy. I'm not — how are you thinking about where does fear come from? How does it, how does it come out? Like, why does, why do I allow myself to be afraid? So I'm trying to process through this, because when I see fear in my children's eyes, I look at what they're afraid of and it makes me laugh. So I had a funny moment at my wife's expense. So, for all of you who have been praying for my shoulder and arm, thank you. Please keep praying. My pain has gotten less, but my left arm still hurts pretty bad. Thank you for praying. God taking care of it. It's getting better. But I

was — I, I needed to pull the wheel off my motorcycle to get a new tire put on. Now, I'm just — I'm gonna tell you, there's something inside of me, I don't like asking for help. I don't — I just feel like I should be able to do it. Like, I just, I don't know, maybe it's just somewhere hard-wired, and I know men struggle with this usually more than women, but I just — it, I will just struggle. But look, I'm laying over there. I had — it had been a, it had been a rough morning. I had already done some stuff I didn't want to do and it worked in a lot of ways I didn't want to work. I'll just leave that there. But I go in to work on my motorcycle and I'm trying to just break those boats loose. And I'm, I'm — I got one and a half arms, you know. I'm just — I lay there on my back on that garage floor and I'm like, I don't want the wheel come off. But I got a friend named Michael, and Michael, he could — he didn't break anything loose. So like, I'm gonna, I'm gonna call Michael. So I told my — he came over and we, we, we disassemble and we get it off. You know, he makes it look like he's eating popcorn. He's everywhere.

Well, I left — there was a little bar did this number, like, like, like kind of a squirrely U is what it did. It's about — I don't know, about that big around, half inch. It was a brace for the back fender of the motorcycle. So I laid it beside the motorcycle because that's where we're working, right? You leave the parts close by. I put the, put the bolts and nuts everywhere, but I left that little bar right there.

So chassis and I, we, we, we do a lot of times, we have to divide and conquer. I got to be here. I was speaking at a men's conference yesterday. She was — no, this was Friday. I was here. She was — anyway, we, we were separate worlds. But she came home, I was already home, and it was in the evening, sun was setting, and I heard the garage door open. But I'm sitting in there and, and then the phone rings, and it's her. I love you. It fits so good in the message. So I said hello, and she's, she's, she's praying, y'all. Like, she's praying. She's in tongues. She's rebuking stuff. I'm thinking, man, did she — like, what is going on? I mean, baby, okay, I need you come to garage right now. And she's like that — she had the voice. So I'm like going out there. Then she's like, there's a snake out here. I'm like, there's a snake? So I come down around the steps. I'm looking, because she's looking. She's about where Taylor is. Taylor, raise your hands. Who, Taylor? They're about where Taylor is. And she's looking this direction. And I'm like, you know, coming up, and she's froze, like she's stopped mid-tracks. She has — she's just, she's pleading Jesus and she's on the phone. Fear had paralyzed her. You all know what it was, right? It was the bar. So I'm over — I'm looking past it. I'm like, I'm look — is it in the corner? Like, she's like, right there. And I'm like, this thing? She's like — I love you. I'll buy you lunch, your choice.

See, this is what I figured out about fear, right? This is what, this is what I know about fear. We, we get afraid of what we don't know. That's where it comes from. All right? So we were older, so we look at our kids. Our kids get afraid and we're like, oh baby, it's okay. Don't worry about that. Look, it's nothing. It's just a shadow. It's just — what? Because we know, they don't, all right? But then we grow up and we're not so worried about the, you know, most of us, not about the shadows anymore. But, but there are other things that come in. It's, it's because we don't know, and that's where fear comes from. Being afraid has a way of working into different aspects of our life. I'm afraid about medical diagnosis I don't understand. I'm afraid of, of, of, of the word tumor or, or the word cancer. I'm afraid of this because I don't know what it means. I know, I know enough that fear runs through my mind. And, and being afraid works that way, specifically in the spiritual aspects of things I don't know. And what I don't understand makes me afraid. It could be salvation that makes me afraid because I don't fully know it, and so I'm fearful and I hold back. And instead of moving forward when I'm supposed to, I pull back because I don't know. I see others, but for me myself, I, I pull the reins back because I'm not sure, I'm afraid.

But what we don't know or understand brings fear. And fear will cause you not to go forward, but fear will cause you to pull back. That's why I feel like 365 times God comes in and says, fear not. Because he stands outside of time. He stands back. He looks at us and he's saying, don't be afraid. Come on, who — I'm, I'm speaking in the Holy Ghost. I know I'm not, I'm not yelling right now, but look, God's moving. He's saying to someone in this place, don't be afraid. He's trying to move you into a different area and a different walk with him right now. I feel this so strong. Somebody has been holding back and God's saying, don't be afraid. Fear not. Just because you don't understand it doesn't mean I won't do it. We've got to be careful, okay, because what we entertain can either bring

fear or hope. In my understanding of God is that he wants the best for his kids. He wants all to be saved. He wants all to operate in the gifts of the spirit to bless and to help. He wants all of us to understand we have a place in his kingdom. But for that to happen, I have to separate my fear from my faith. And that means there may be a time when I have to separate my emotions from my faith. What I mean by that: there are some times that I have to worship even if I don't feel like worshiping. There's sometimes I have to trust even though everything else tells me that I shouldn't. Fear can't be based off of emotions, like that's the teenage principle, you guys don't understand, all right? But for the rest of us in the room, right? How many — love, he's the one, she's the one — you're not in love. You don't even know what love is. How many times — you don't even know, just hung up in an emotion. There's gonna be a point in your life when you must detach your emotions from your faith.

Now, I, I'm gonna, I'm gonna mess with a few of y'all right now. We Apostolics sometimes think that God only moves if we're bouncing off the walls and swinging off the rafters. And, you know, that that's only — I mean, God — I only — some of y'all only know God's here when somebody's screaming. The only time you're like, okay, well, we better raise my hands, that they're, they're going to come. If you're really going to mature in your walk with God, you're going to have to learn to take those emotions and put them over here and set them aside and say: regardless of what I feel, he is good. Regardless of the circumstances in my life right now, he is good. Regardless of whether it's going the way I want it to or not, he is faithful.

You gotta, you gotta trust. Trust means I don't always know how it's going to turn out, but I choose to believe. And maybe something pulling me the other way — I'm not going to listen to that voice. My God says, don't be afraid. My God says, don't fear. Even though everything seems to be spinning out of control, I choose — I'll close my eyes and say, God, I may not conceive correctly right now, but I know you are a good God. I know I can trust you. I know you're still on the throne. I know you're still in charge. I know you have a will and a plan and a purpose for my life. The gifts of God operate in love, and perfect love cast out fear. When you try to operate outside of this environment, you'll never see the operation of the gifts, because to do so would destroy you.

Simon Peter writes about words that are becoming more valuable to me as I mature in my walk with God. Second Peter chapter one, verse five: Besides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, and to your virtue knowledge, and to your knowledge temperance, and to your temperance patience, and to your patience godliness, and to your godliness brotherly kindness, and brother the kindness charity. Seven attributes Peter talks about.

A few months ago I preached about having glory, and how God will move us from glory to glory in our walk with him, as he's growing, as he's maturing to us. Because there's a process called sanctification that you and I have to go through. Sanctification is the process of God trimming away me so he can add more of him into my life. And when I do that, I go from glory to glory. In this process of sanctification — I know it's not popular to preach about, even in Apostolic churches sometimes you preach about sanctification, people look at you funny. But I'm going to tell you, ladies and gentlemen, you don't get to heaven — you've got to be sanctified. And sanctification is not a one-time deal. It's an everyday process in your life. Every day process in your life. Sanctification is getting up and allowing God to move you through the areas you're going through in your life, even if you don't feel like it, even if you don't think it's going right. It's getting up and choosing that I'm not going to be afraid of what I'm facing today. I'm going to trust that my God is going to get me through this, and allow him to move you from glory to glory.

Because that glory to glory, to me, is spelled out right here in these verses. It's a process that you and I go through, because we don't automatically do what's in these three verses. It doesn't come natural to us. It comes because the spirit of God is working in us, through us, and out of us, the things we need and don't need. When I begin to see the provision that God has equipped the church with and begin to flourish, I see that faith is a part of that process. But I can't stop at faith, because faith has to move me forward. Faith takes me to virtue. And I can't stay at virtue, because virtue alone and by itself is not enough, because virtue is going to lead me to knowledge. It's going to lead me to a better understanding of what God is doing in my life. And the knowledge of the word of God is going to know — is going to reveal to me that I need to be temperant in all manners and areas of my life. Not just acting like I know what I'm doing when I come to church, but when I leave the house of God, I'm temperant in all manner of conversation everywhere I go, every

interaction I have, I'm not just saying I'm a Christian, but I'm a Christian in word and indeed. Everywhere I go, people don't have to ask, do you go to church? They just know and understand that you are a man or a woman of God because you are tempered in these matters. But temperance is not enough, because temperance will cause patience to be formed in my life. Oh, we don't like that one, because patients don't come easy to most of us. We have to go through some stuff to learn the important value of being patient in our life. But even when I learn the lesson of patience, I don't get to stop there, because patience takes me to godliness. There's another destination. There's another stopping along the way. Because I'm moving from glory, from glory to glory, from faith to virtue, from virtue to knowledge, from knowledge to temperance, from temperance to patients, from patience to godliness. And then, and only then, can I fully operate in brotherly kindness. And it's only when I understand brotherly kindness do I get to love. This — it's in my rules, all right? This isn't my way. That's what is spelled out in the word of God. It's a process called sanctification.

Now you may say, why are you on a sanctification message? We're talking about fear. Because I'm telling you, fear will — that process in your life, it'll stop that from being formed inside of you. That's why you're reminded constantly, one time a day: Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid. You may not understand all these changes, but don't be afraid. You may not understand what's going on right now, but don't be afraid. You may not understand what's facing you tomorrow, but don't be afraid.

They all come to the culmination, the last one of charity, which we know is love. First John 4 18 again says: There is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear. See, God's trying to take you through — and this is where I was trying to get to, the bulk of this message. I'm getting ready to end. Musicians can come. I need to land this thing. God's wanting to do something today. But it's this process, this glory to glory, this sanctification, is to get you to where you can love. Why? Because perfect love cast out fear. And what I'm trying to speak to somebody in this room today — those of you who have been struggling with fear, and I'm, there's no doubt in my mind some of you are struggling in your life with fear — you need to allow God to walk you through this process. Because as Peter was, was pinning these words, as the Holy Ghost was moving on him, God was spelling out the formula for how you can eliminate fear from your life. But you've got to start with faith.

There's a God who loves you. There's a God who trusts you. That's why I took you to Isaiah 43. That's why I told you to get out your Bibles and underline and highlight. Because there's going to come moments for some of you — you need to pull that out every day. You need to open up. You need to turn to Isaiah 43. You need to get to there and you need to remind yourself: Oh, these are my promises. This is what my God has for me. He, he spoke these things into, into my life.

Now you all got — just about, I know you're out here. Yeah, y'all good? I just had something hit me, though. Um, there's the truth. Y'all want another truth? Y'all like this? Y'all like — you okay with this? Okay. All right, get, get your Bibles out then. I want you to look at something. Okay, this is — I just, I just, it just hit me. Thank you, Holy Ghost. I want you to look here. Go to verse number one of Isaiah 43. Now we will go and put on the screen for me, baby. All right, look — what, what are we going to talk about? What's this whole message about? Man, if y'all miss this one, I'm just gonna cry. What's this whole message about? Fear not. Good. I got that point across. I was getting a little nervous. Fear not. Okay. Now I'm gonna ask you something: Who was he talking to? Hint: it's behind me. All right, read the whole thing though, right? He says: But now thus saith the Lord that created the, O Jacob. Okay, say Jacob. And he that formed the, O Israel. Okay, this is where it's good. All right, Jacob — Jacob was known for something, right? Come on, you theologians, what was Jacob known for? He was, he was what? He was a — he was a deceiver. He was a sir planter, right? Yeah, he, he, he, he went in and talked his brother out of his blessing, right? He saw — I was like, what is it, do, I'm about to die, feed me then beans, man. This must have been some crazy good beans is all I've got to say. But he traded him beans for that. Then he goes to Laban, his father-in-law. He, he, he, he, he — he's there, he, he's going through all this. He's, he's being — he's a deceiver. He's a surplanter. Jacob was the man who did things by himself. Jacob was the name he had before he came in contact with God. But Israel was the name that he was changed to after he had a relationship with God. So I want you to go back now, look at this. It says: But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob — your past, O Jacob, what everybody thinks you are. Oh, oh, oh, oh, Jacob, how you, how you behaved before you came in contact with me. And he that formed thee, Oh Israel

after you and I started talking together. What's he saying? He goes, I'm the God of your past and I'm also the God of your future. But he reminds you in the present: Fear not, for I have redeemed thee. I don't want you stuck over in your past, Jacob. I know you got a past. Guess what? We all got a past in this room. There was drug dealers and alcoholics. There was pimps and prostitutes in this room, right here. There was abusers. Everything you can think of is in this room. Oh, but the blood of Jesus Christ has washed over all of those things. Hey, Jacob, don't be afraid. It's not about what you used to be. Hey, O Israel, I'm here for you. Don't be afraid of what the future is. And for the right now, you — I want you to know, I have redeemed you. I have paid the price. You have nothing to be afraid of. You have nothing to fear, for I am with you.

Will you stand with me? I don't know everybody's story. I know a lot of the stories in this room. But I'm gonna tell you right now, there's, there's a spirit of fear that's running rampant in this world out there. It is. It's trying to infiltrate every area of our lives. You know what's right behind that spirit of fear? Right behind that spirit of fear is a spirit of entertainment. Because that fear will push you into the entertainment, because that's an escape. Alcohol, drugs, pornography, gambling. Oh, there used to be things we just read about in the, in the scriptures — all those seven deadly sins. It is our world. It's our world. Why? Because fear — fears rounding up. Fear is pushing. Fear is corralling. You'll feel better. Just go. Just go forget yourself in this series. Watch it. Go binge watch. Go, go eat. Go do. Go whatever. Just push it over there. But get lost in that, and where you think you're trying to find escape, all you're finding is chains, shackles getting put on you.

But there's a God who's saying: Hey, don't be afraid. It may look a little crazy out there right now, but I'm still here. I'm still here. I redeemed you. I know your name. You're mine. I'll go with you through the fire. I'll go with you through the flood. I'll go with you through the rivers. You don't have to worry about that. Just trust me. I've already paid the price necessary and I won't let anything separate me from you. That's a promise. Nothing can separate us.

So here, as I end this — they're fixing to sing. If you need to be freed from fear, this altar is open. This is a fear-free zone, right through here. Come on, fear free. If I was you, I wouldn't be afraid to step out. If you deal with any kind of fear, anxiety, any, any insecurities, I would be down here. This is a fear-free zone in Jesus' name. In Jesus' name, I'm claiming it as a fear-free zone. Fear, be gone from this place.

Now, as they start to sing, I want you to start reminding yourself of those promises I read to you in the book. Those are — you are redeemed. If you need salvation, today is your day. If you need freedom for living with that crippling fear in your mind, in your life, today is your day. Allow God to do a work in operation. You man of God and woman of God in this place, be sensitive right now. We need you to help pray with people in this altar. This is a real service that God's going to do something miraculous in this place. Be sensitive. In Jesus' name.