Bible Study Lessons:

They That Wait Upon The Lord
Faith #1 - Who's Afraid Of The Big Bad Wolf?
Faith #2 - Developing Great Faith
Faith #3 - Faith That Makes You Completely Whole
Faith #4 - The Heroes Of Faith, Yesterday And Today

Faith #1 – Who’s Afraid Of The Big Bad Wolf?

by Rev. Warren C. Cook

10/02/2005

Text: Psa 56:2-4 – Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High. 3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. 4 In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.

TEXT: Luke 12:32 – Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 

Introduction: Fear and faith are like oil and water – they do not mix. Like light and darkness, they cannot share the same space. Light drives out darkness, and faith drives out fear. Though we have many reasons to fear, there is no good reason to fear. So many people fear losing their job, losing their health, losing their wealth, losing family or friends, losing their youth, losing their good name or any of a thousand other things, that it seems that the world is full of fear and the only sane thing to do is to fear. But friend you have no need to fear the past, fear the present or fear the future. Our God is Lord over all, and He holds the past, the present and the future in the palms of His hands. He is the great I AM. Trust in Him. Believe in Him. Pray to Him. There is no need to fear!

1. Fear Produced By Real Enemies – And False Evidence

- Psa 56:2 – My enemies _______ swallow me up.

- “would swallow me up” = “inhale eagerly”; Literal Trans: “my watchers panted for me”

- Note: Enemies are constantly after us. They want to destroy us. But are they able???

- F.E.A.R. = “False Evidence That Appears Real”

- IOW, there is a real situation. Real enemies. Real problems. Your enemies are really after you. But like a dog on a chain, they can’t bite you. The dog lunges at you and threatens you, and you feel very real, very strong fear, and the hair on the back of your neck stands up, and your palms sweat, and you imagine that dog attacking and biting you, but he can’t. He’s not able. So the evidence of trouble is there. And your mind calculates the risk and imagines the worst. But the worst never happens, because the dog is on a chain and unable to hurt you!

- “Fear is sharp-sighted, and can see things underground, and much more in the skies.” (Don Quixote, The Man Of La Mancha)

- "To him who is afraid, everything rustles." (Sophocles, Acrisius)

- Have you ever been absolutely certain that you saw something that actually wasn’t there? Or have you ever not seen something that was there? How accidents happen.

- little girl told her momma there was a big black bear in the back yard; momma looked out and said, “sweetheart, it’s just the neighbor dog!” Now, you go up to your room and get down on your knees and tell the Lord that you’re sorry for telling a lie. She went up stairs, knelt down, prayed, and came skipping back down the stairs. Her momma said, “wait a minute, little lady, that was an awfully quick prayer! What are you so happy about?” Little girl said, “well, I prayed, and the Lord said, ‘that’s all right, honey, at first I thought it was a bear too!’”

- But sometimes your enemies are real! Really, really real! And really out to get you!

- But the Lord said that by His help you can walk thru the valley of the shadow of death and fear no evil, for He’s with you! (Psa 23:4)

- Isa 43:2 - When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. – real water, real fire, real rivers, real flames – but they won’t hurt you when the Lord is taking up the fight for you!

- Psa 56:2 – for there be ______ that fight against me, O thou most High.

- Psa 56:3 – but when I am afraid, I will _______ in You. Real enemies, but no defeat!

- Lk 19:43- Jerusalem, the days will come that your enemies will __________ you on every side!

- Psa 121:4 – but He who _______ Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

- 2 Cor 4:8 – we are __________ on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed but not in despair.

- 2 Cor 7:5 – our flesh had no rest, but we were __________ on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.

- 2 Cor 7:6 – nevertheless, God __________ (call near, help, encourage) those who are cast down.

- “cast down” = “depressed, or humiliated”

- Psa 27:3 – though an host (army) should ________ against me, yet will I not fear!

- Psa 34:7 – Why not? Because the angel of the Lord _________ around about them that fear Him, and delivers them!

- 2 Ki 6:15-18 – open his ______, Lord, so he can see that there are more with us!

- Psa 53:5 – God has scattered the bones of him that encamps against thee; _____ hast put them to shame. Real enemies, but no match for God when He is on our side! So we have no need to fear? Psa 27:1 – the Lord is my light and salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? Might be tempted to be afraid, might have a good reason, in the natural, to be afraid. But don’t have to be afraid!

2. Good Fear and Bad Fear

- Prov 29:29 – the fear of ____ man brings a snare, but whosoever trusts ____ shall be safe

- Prov 25:26 – a righteous man falling down before the wicked (Barnes, yielding, and cringing) is a troubled fountain, a _________ spring

- Jere 17:5 – ________ is man who trusts in man, makes flesh his arm, and whose heart departs from the Lord.

- IOW, God doesn’t want you to fear man, or trust man. Fear only God, and trust Him!

- Prov 1:7 – The fear of the Lord is the beginning (foundation) of ________.

- Some of the results of fearing God or not fearing Him.

- Prov 1:29 – they were ___________ because they hated knowledge and did not fear God.

- Prov 3:7 – fear the Lord and depart from ______ (sin). These two things go together. Departing from evil is an outward evidence that you fear God. Do you fear God? Then don’t gossip. Don’t look at pornography – not because your wife might catch you, or your girlfriend, or your preacher. But because God is watching!

- Prov 10:27 – the fear of the Lord __________ days. – health, energy, strength, enjoyment. Famous ruler in Germany once offered a Dr. a million $ to add 10 years to his life. But of course he could not! Who of you by worry can add one cubit to his stature, or one year to his life? But you can add length to you life, by fearing God!

- Prov 14:26 – in the fear of the Lord is strong ____________. (An oxymoron? No!)

- Acts 9:31 – they walked in the fear of the Lord and the _________ of the Holy Ghost.

- Prov 14:27 – the fear of the Lord is a fountain of _____, to depart from snares of death!

- Prov 22:4 – by humility and the fear of the Lord are ________, _______ and ______.

- Prov 24:21 – fear the Lord and the ______.  – IOW, fear God and do what’s right!

3. God’s Answer To Your Fears – His Deliverance

- Jere 23:4 – I will set up shepherds over them to feed them, they shall not ______, be _________, or ______, saith the Lord.

- Yet, the best of men are only instruments of God and servants to point us to God!

- Psa 60:11 – Give us help from trouble, for vain is the help of man.

- Isa 41:13 – I the Lord God will hold your right hand, saying unto thee, “fear not; I will help thee.”

- Isa 41:14 – Fear not, I will ______ thee, saith the Lord, thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

- Question: Do you fear sickness? He will heal you! Do you fear poverty? He will provide for you. Do you fear your own sinfulness? He will perfect you and forgive you. Do you fear loneliness? He will never leave you! Do you fear death? He will resurrect you! If God be for you, who can be against you?

- Heb 13:5,6 – He will _______ leave you or forsake you. So we can boldly say, “The Lord is my ________; and I will not fear what man can do unto me.”

4. What Does God Look For From Us? – Faith!  

- Psa 56:3 – what time I am afraid I will _______ in Thee.

- Psa 56:4 – I will praise God’s ______. In God I have put my trust. I will not fear.

- Psa 20:7-9 – some trust horses, chariots, we trust your ______. Save us when we call!

- 1 Jn 5:4 – this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our _______!

- Question: What can faith do??? Answer: Anything!!!

- Mk 9:23 – If you can believe, all things are __________ to him that believes.

- 2 Cor 10:3,4 – for though we ______ in the flesh, we do not _____ after the flesh. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to pull down strongholds.

- Eph 6:10-18 – finally, brothers, be ________ in the Lord and in His mighty power! Have faith! Use the Word!

- 1 Sam 14:6-16 – Jonathan said, “It doesn’t matter with God. He can save by ______ or _____.” They went forward and defeated 20 soldiers. And the enemy feared and fled.

- Note 2 things: in 1 Sam 14:12 …

      - Jonathan confessed faith before he even drew his sword – he saw it already done!

      - Jonathan saw his fight as part of the bigger picture – he belonged to God’s chosen!

- 2 Kings 19:14-19 – Hezekiah said, “Lord save ___ so the world can know _____ are the Lord God!”

- Luke 12:32 – fear not, little _______, it is your Father’s good pleasure ….

·   Verse To Memorize: Psa 56:3 – What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.