Fear in Focus

Fear in Focus

(Matthew 10:24-33)

Yearly Theme:  “Joy is…”

Series Title:  “The Joy of Wisdom”

June 28^th, 2020

Something to think about:

Where are your allegiances?  When under pressure, where is your focus?  In whom or what do you trust when truth seems so far out of reach in an information overloaded world?  When push comes to shove, and all the chips are down, what is it that you’re willing to risk your life for?

As we conclude our series on “Fear” today, we will be leaving the book of Proverbs in the Old Testament to look at the words of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew.  In Matthew 10 Jesus makes some very stark and poignant comments about subjects of persecution and fear.  In the verses on fear, Jesus contrasts the two types of fear we have been discussing over the month of June.  As we close today, let’s take a look at what Jesus has to say about the subject of fear:

Matthew 10:24-33 (ESV),

²⁴  “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. ²⁵  It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.

²⁶  “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. ²⁷  What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. ²⁸  And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁹  Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. ³⁰  But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹  Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. ³²  So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, ³³  but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

In his discussion on fear in these few verses there is a common running theme of faithfulness and focus which boils down to proper perspective.  A healthy fear of God, Jesus seems to say, puts all other fears to rest.  And, this brings us to our key point today:

Key Point:  “The wise person has a proper perspective of fear that keeps them focused on what’s most important.”

Let’s break down and contrast the two types of fear that Jesus focuses on in this passage:

• 3 “Fear Nots”

1. Don’t fear those who will malign you because of your faith in Christ (10:24-27).
2. Don’t fear those who can kill the body, but not the soul (10:28a).
3. Don’t fear that God has left you alone (10:29-31).

• 1 “Fear”

1. Fear the One who can destroy both the body and soul in hell (10:28b, 32-33).

Something to take home:

When fear is in focus, and our fear of God reigns supreme, our faith can be put to the test without fear of faltering.  When we are able to look at things from a bigger perspective, we can see that the most important things that matter are related to our obedience, allegiance, and love toward God above all else.

Today, where is your allegiance?  What holds the most sway over you?  What are you focused on the most?  What do you give your obedience to, and is that something that has your best interest at heart?  What is your perspective on life, on God, on the world, and do you need a change of perspective to get a bigger picture?

God’s perspective is always perfect because He can see everything perfectly.  Our perspective is imperfect because of the effects of sin, which leads us to imperfect perspectives that cause doubt, denial, depression, and distraction.  The only way to see from God’s perspective is to be completely surrendered to Christ, heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to trust Him completely even with the things we cannot see.  If God’s true nature is “love,” our trust in Him would not be unfounded.

Key Point:  “The wise person has a proper perspective of fear that keeps them focused on what’s most important.”