Do you ever get scared? Really scared?
What sort of things most frighten you – the kind of fear that keeps you up in the middle of the night, tossing and turning, unable to go to sleep, nervous, anxious? Is it health problems, financial problems, marriage or family problems... loss failure, uncertainty?
We all have those nights, don’t we? Sometimes endlessly, sometimes becoming our days. Author Max Lucado, in his book Fearless, writes:
“Each sunrise seems to bring fresh reason to fear.
“They’re talking layoffs at work, slowdowns in the economy, flare-ups in the Middle East, turnovers at headquarters, downturns in the housing market, upswings in global warming, breakouts of al Qaeda cells. Some demented dictator is collecting nuclear warheads the way others collect fine wines. A strain of swine flu is crossing the border. The plague of our day, terrorism, begins with the word, terror. News programs disgorge enough hand-wringing information to warrant an advisory: ‘Caution: this news report is best viewed in the confines of an underground bunker in Iceland.’
“We fear being sued, finishing last, going broke; we fear the mole on the back, the new kid on the block, the sound of the clock as it ticks closer to the grave. We sophisticate investment plans, create elaborate security systems, and legislate stronger military, yet we depend on mood-altering drugs more than any other generation in history. Moreover (as researchers tell us), ‘ordinary children today are more fearful than psychiatric patients were in the 1950s.’
“Fear, it seems, has taken a hundred-year lease on the building next door and set up shop. Oversize and rude, fear is unwilling to share the heart with happiness. Happiness complies and leaves. Do you ever see the two together? Can one be happy and afraid at the same time? Clear thinking and afraid? Confident and afraid? Merciful and afraid? No. Fear is the big bully in the high school hallway: brash, loud and unproductive. For all the noise fear makes and room it takes, though, fear does little good.
“Fear never wrote a symphony or poem, a peace treaty, or cured a disease. Fear never pulled a family out of poverty or a country out of bigotry. Fear never saved a marriage or a business. Courage did that. Faith did that. People who refused to consult or cower to their timidities did that. But fear itself? Fear herds us into a prison and slams the doors.
“Wouldn’t it be great to walk out?”
Wouldn’t it be great to walk out. Walking out on the prison of FEAR. This is something of what I’d like to talk about this morning.
Today we begin a new series (which will take us into the summer ahead) in which we are going to study one of the most important characters in the Bible (indeed, one of the most important characters in human history), namely: MOSES. His story, which frames the story of the EXODUS (the deliverance of the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt), is generally understood to be “the defining event” in the Jewish faith; and as such, is a defining event to our Christian faith as well. It is foundational to the whole Judeo-Christian world... To understand ourselves, we really need to know Moses! And as we will discover, this is a story of an individual, but an individual story rich with profound universal themes: human sin and God’s love, captivity and freedom, rebellion and faithfulness, Divine providence and human responsibility and participation.
Now, to give you a sense of where all this is headed: This is big story, so we’re going to divide it up into a number “acts” (key periods in Moses’ life), with breaks in-between them. And then, in the Fall, we’ll take some time to focus particularly on one of the central texts of the story, namely: The Ten Commandments – and their meaning for us today.
This morning we begin with the background to this great drama, the “setting”: The first chapter of Exodus which links the conclusion of the book of Genesis (the first book on the Bible) with the story of Moses. The key verse here being verse 8 – a seemingly minor piece of information; yet one, which as we quickly see, has profound repercussions – it says:
Now, the book of Genesis concluded with the story of JOSEPH – not the husband of Mary; but rather, a few thousand years earlier: one of the 12 sons of Jacob. Jacob, also known as “Israel” being the grandson of Abraham in whom the story of God’s people (and the work of salvation) began.
Through a long series of events, Joseph wound up in Egypt, eventually rising to a position of power within the Egyptian government, and bringing his whole family to live there. And this is the way Genesis ends: With all the people of Israel – all the family of Jacob – happy and settled and prosperous - and beloved - in the land of Egypt. Life is good – for all concerned. But then...
“A new king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph.”
Even without anything else being said you know that this spells trouble. If this were a movie, the soundtrack would probably have an ominous chord played by the low strings at this point! Genesis ended happy; but now, as Exodus begins, the situation has changed dramatically. Years have passed, generations... This new king doesn’t know the “back story”. As he looks out over his kingdom, he doesn’t see a blessing; quite the opposite: he sees a THREAT – these Israelites growing in number and prosperity. And he sets about seeking to squelch this threat.
Curiously, however, at this point there is no danger – there’s not even any problem on the horizon; but all the King of Egypt can see is trouble ahead. And he acts on this, seeking to crush the people of Israel in a pre-emptive strike. Ironically though, through precisely this, actually bringing upon himself all the destruction he most feared! A self-fulfilling, self-destructing prophecy... driven by FEAR.
This is what sets the whole story in motion: FEAR. Fear MISHANDLED. One frightened individual giving FREE REIGN to their anxiety – letting it run free – to their own (and many others) demise.
A message to us all in coping with the fears that so often overtake us. I mean, fear is part of life – it’s part of our protective mechanism; but it can also, very easily (as here) lead to our downfall. How do we keep it straight? What do we learn from this opening scene, that we might not make this same mistake?
Well, I’d like to offer TWO “starter” THOUGHTS for dealing with, and overcoming, the fear that so often seeks to overcome us...
(I)
Thought #1: RISK YOURSELF.
As noted, the new king of Egypt sees a threat on the horizon and his automatic response is SELF-PRESERVATION. Pull in and protect.
This, of course, is always the initial response of all fear: we PULL IN to ourselves. This even happens PHYSICALLY: When you get scared, have you ever noticed how your extremities – your hands, your feet - get all cold and clammy? This is because the blood pulls in to the core for protection.
The automatic response of fear: PULL IN. PROTECT. In the case of the King of Egypt, this particularly taking the form of VIOLENCE – first in enslavement, then moving on to murder - seeking to remove the danger at any cost. Well, imagine if, instead of seeking to crush the Israelites, he had instead REACHED OUT to them in love; to help them and support them and to try to build a good relationship with them instead of crush them... Instead of pulling in to self; risking going out to care... Imagine how differently the story might have gone: Instead of winding up on the bad end of things; Egypt might have ended up blessed as being a nation who sought to help God’s people, and the work of salvation!
And this points us to the first lesson here: When we become frightened, we automatically pull in to ourselves – often with hurtful, violent side effects – cutting ourselves off from others, lashing out in unkindness. It’s natural, but it’s not always healthy. The first thing this text teaches us being that we need to FIGHT this: When we become presented with a frightening situation, instead of pulling in to ourselves; to instead break the power of the fear over us by seeking to reach out beyond ourselves. Instead of letting the fear confine us; break its boundaries, step out of its prison by doing the opposite of what it desires:
Basically, when you become frightened, break the power of that fear over you by instead RISKING YOURSELF to REACH OUT BEYOND YOURSELF - particularly to help someone else! To help them, not just protect yourself! As John the Apostle wrote: “Perfect love casts out fear.”
Love casts out fear. If fear is overtaking you – seek to become a more loving person! More outgoing and caring rather than inward and protective. When you’re sitting in the waiting room, scared to death about what the doctor is going to tell you; instead of just hunkering down and pulling in, look around the room and see who else is scared and how you can lift them up. When you’re struggling with your finances, can’t see how you’re going to get the bills paid; instead of just tightening your belt, gave away more to those in need, to the causes that move you. When your marriage is in trouble, or your family is falling apart, or your job is in jeopardy, or you’re struggling with a loss you don’t see how you can overcome; instead of just retreating into your own mind, into your own troubling thoughts; look around (wherever you are) and see who you can minister to!
Instead of protecting yourself; risk yourself – for someone else. It doesn’t seem to make sense; but it breaks the power of fear – and sets you free! Author Jenna Hauptin writes:
“A number of years ago our church was invited by the members of another nearby Methodist church to attend their 100th Anniversary. They were holding a potluck dinner on the occasion, so that night I made up one of my famous broccoli and cheese casseroles, and we loaded up the family to head over to the dinner.
“Now, our church is in a comfortable suburban area; but this other church was in a very tough urban area. We had never been there before. Driving through the city, we suddenly found ourselves in a horrible part of town. Bombed-out buildings, burned-up cars, gangs on the street corners. We were scared to death. My constant prayer was, ‘Lord, just get us there and back home alive!’
“At just about the worst place in the trip we pulled up to an intersection and the light turned red and I thought, ‘Oh, please, don’t make us stop! Go green! Go green!’ Suddenly, my husband said, ‘Look at that.’ And he pointed to some homeless men huddled around a fire that was glowing from an old garbage can. With that, as the light changed, my husband pulled the car over to the curb. I asked him what on earth he was doing – that we shouldn’t stop here. But he replied, ‘It doesn’t make any sense for us to take a casserole over to a church dinner with a bunch of other fat Methodists; when right there are some guys who could really use the food!’
“He grabbed the casserole out of my hands, and the paper plates and plastic forks I had brought along, and got out of the car and walked over and offered the food to the homeless men. As I watched, I could see they were overjoyed. They immediately set about devouring the meal, and after my husband had talked to them for a moment, they nodded their thanks and he returned.
“Needless to say, now the whole mood in the car had changed dramatically. We were no longer afraid, but empowered. This was the best trip of our lives! Forget Disneyworld!
“And from that day, my teenage son coined a phrase that has become something of the family motto. Whenever we face some scary situation we laugh and say: ‘I am not afraid. I have broccoli and I know how to use it!’”
I have broccoli and I know how to use it.
Thought #1 in breaking free of the prison of fear: RISK YOURSELF. And then, from this...
(II)
Thought #2: GO FOR THE RIDE.
Once again, returning to the text: The new king of Egypt looks out over the situation before him and, while there is no problem whatsoever at the time, he ASSUMES THE WORST is going to happen. It may or may not, but he acts based upon this presupposition and thus sets in motion all the trouble that eventually befalls him. And this, once again, points us to a lot of the problems we all often get into with our fears:
First of all, how often we are frightened of things that haven’t even happened – and may never happen! As my sister likes to put it: She says that she spends most of her time building bridges over rivers she never has to cross! Can’t we all relate to that? Talk about a waste of time!
Even better, as with the king of Egypt here: in which the “problem” before him is not actually a problem necessarily; but just a new situation... How often is the thing we fear not actually something bad but just something different, something unknown – and we’re getting all worked-up for nothing? I remember once hearing a preacher put it this way – he said:
“My great-grandfather rode a horse but was afraid of trains. My grandfather rode on trains but was afraid of cars. My father drove a car but was afraid of planes. And I fly in planes... but am afraid of horses! So many of our fears are not of something truly bad, just something different.”
Unfounded fears, fears of simple change... but most especially, as with the king of Egypt here: Looking at our lives and ASSUMING THE WORST.
Why do we always do that?
Why don’t we ever ASSUME THE BEST?! I mean, we do believe in a LOVING GOD, don’t we? Don’t’ we?! A God who wants the best for always, who can work wonders?! Why don’t we ever assume the best?
Well this is the second key step in battling fear: ASSUME THE BEST. That is: When life confronts you with some threat, some danger, some fear, don’t automatically fight the situation, resist it, refuse it; but instead GO WITH IT; knowing that God can not only bring something good out of the worst situation; but even more, that oftentimes it takes some of the worst situations to work life’s greatest blessings.
So often, when we face some sort of frightening situation our entire goal becomes (like the king of Egypt before us) to KEEP THIS THING FROM HAPPENING – block it, stop it, avoid it. This is our greatest prayer! However, if we look to the Bible, we see that the message there is very different: The constant message of Scripture is not that God’s goal in our lives, the goal of faith, is to enable us to AVOID life’s problems, to KEEP US FROM THEM; but rather to be able to travel THROUGH them – with God’s help, to something greater!
For instance, we are not taught to say, “The Lord is my shepherd... Yea, so that I can avoid the valley of the shadow of death.” But rather, “Yea, though I walk THROUGH the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.” The goal is not avoidance but a sharing that transforms the experience – and us! As it has been said: “Christ didn’t come to exempt us from life’s trials, but to fill them with his transforming presence.”
Now this, obviously, doesn’t mean that we go around looking for trouble – I mean who would do that; but rather, it’s simply recognizing that God is always working the BEST for us and seeking that out – seeking the blessing in every adversity. Even more, seeking to be transformed by our problem – entering into them in that way. Quite often the worst things that happen to us become God’s greatest blessings to us!
Quit fighting your fears, resisting them, and instead GO FOR THE RIDE – open your heart to how God is seeking to work something even greater for you from within the fear! Preacher Leonard Sweet offers his own personal illustration of precisely this idea – he writes:
“It was my first ‘stewardship campaign.’ As a brand-new pastor, I had been appointed by the bishop to a missionary church in a small college community in New York’s Genesee Valley. The first year had been a nervous one for both me, a young, not dry-behind-the-ears pastor and wetback PhD, and the congregation, which was comprised of an odd and unconsummated coupling of rural folk and ‘academic types.’
“It was a tough crowd. I was so scared. I so desperately wanted to do well, to prove my worth. My greatest fear being to louse up in some way.
“Well, after my first year there, things had gone well enough to warrant the belief that we could double the budget for the year ahead – really grow our ministry. If only we had a slogan – some catchy motto or jingle around which to design our new development campaign and really catch the congregation’s enthusiasm.
“Or so I thought. The weekend before the ‘Stewardship Sunday’ kickoff, I sought some solitary confinement in Toronto, Canada. There I hit first upon a slogan and then an idea; Why not have t-shirts made up for those ‘every-member-canvassers’ who would call on parishioners emblazoned with my new brainstormed, inspiring stewardship theme? It seemed the perfect plan.
“During the ‘Community Concerns’ time of the morning worship the next Sunday, the chair of the campaign, Doug Klapper, did an outstanding job of making the committee’s case for this controversial financial leap forward. As soon as he finished, I bolted to the front, prevented him from returning to his seat, and presented him with a ‘surprise gift’ that I announced confidently would give our campaign focus and force.
“The color of Doug’s face when he unwrapped his ‘surprise gift’ should have alerted me to what was to come. His embarrassed refusal to hold up the t-shirt for all see – ‘No, you do it!’ he nervously chuckled - was another missed signal.
“But it was not until the very moment that I held up that T-shirt and announced that there were enough of these ‘surprise gifts’ for every one of our canvassers to wear that I realized exactly what I had done. For our new stewardship slogan would be, I proudly displayed:
‘I UPPED MY PLEDGE.
UP YOURS!’
“Needless to say, I had lost it. At first there was a trickling giggle, then a torrent of laughter. I tried now to preach. But convulsions of laughter drowned out my sermon at unpredictable moments, ebbing and flowing like a moonshine tide.
“My greatest fear had come completely to life.
“But that moment of my greatest embarrassment and mistake, a moment from which that worship service never fully recovered, was the moment of my ministry’s recovery in that community. For suddenly this upstart preacher and hotshot PhD became extremely human, and could do something so outrageously stupid and foolish that it redeemed all his jarring strangeness.
“From that Sunday on, I became their pastor and was bonded to them for life. We loved each other deeply and were one. And for the next seven years, as I walked the streets of the village, I would find myself frequently greeted with the query, ‘Are you the “up yours” pastor?’
“My point in all of this?
“Lighten up. Lighten up, church. Lighten up, people of God. We so often spend our entire lives constantly trying to remain in control, to protect ourselves from any harm; never realizing that some of the very best moments only occur when we lose it. When our worst fears overtake us – in the hands of a most loving God!”
“I upped my pledge. Up yours.”
It has been said: “Fear knocked at the door. Faith answered. No one was there.”
Defeat the fear that seeks to take over your life: Risk yourself. And go for the ride.
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