No More Fear

Recap

Last week we started our short series on the shepherds' story from Luke 2, and we looked at what it means to "hear well" - to ponder and treasure God's word like Mary did.

This week we're continuing with two more responses the shepherds’ story teaches us: Make Peace and Fear Not. They might sound different but they are connected.

Make Peace

In the middle of the shepherds’ story in Luke 2 we come across the famous Christmas verse:

Luke 2:14 (NIV)

Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.

In the Bible, peace doesn't mean prosperity and a trouble-free life. It means the end of hostility and warfare.

And as humans there are two types of peace - peace with God and peace with each other.

Most of the world tries to do the 'peace with each other' part, but that bit is only possible when we first have peace with God.

In each of our hearts, we want to be kings or queens of our lives. We want to be in control, make our own choices and go our own way.

The way of following Jesus though, requires us to follow Jesus as Lord, laying down our own need to be in control.

And we naturally, even when we're followers of Jesus, want to go against that.

It started way back in the garden of Eden when the serpent tempted Adam and Eve with this idea - go your own way, that's where you'll find happiness, know what is good, be like God.

Yet that idea has never worked. In the whole of human history. Lots of people have tried lots of different ways to follow their own path to reach this fullness of life they desire but the only way to full life is Jesus.

But that involves putting aside our own crowns and control.

And it applies to each of us. For those listening who don't yet follow Jesus, you live out this hostility with God by going your own way, living by your own rules, and asserting your independence.

For those listening who do follow Jesus, we do it when we live according to the Bible and then expect or even demand that God bless us and give us a good life. Forgetting that living in the way of Jesus is the full life we truly desire. It isn't the job we do to be paid with blessing. It is the blessing. And we effectively become our own saviours when we forge this.

How Do We Find Peace?

So how do we find peace with God and make peace with others?

Firstly, we acknowledge that there has been a conflict. That we really do want to go our own way and don't want to give our lives over to Jesus. That we've done wrong things and even the right things we've done have been for the wrong reasons. And therefore we really have no chance of saving ourselves.

And then we acknowledge that thankfully we don't have to save ourselves. That Jesus really has done the work needed, by dying on the cross in our place, taking all of our wrongs and paying the debts we could never afford, and then in return giving us his righteousness which means we can now be in relationship with God. Receiving the eternal life promised in John 3:16 - the verse we pondered last week.

And that then enables us to make peace with others. To be peace makers. To walk in forgiveness and humility and gentleness, reconciling with others as we have been reconciled with God. We're no longer the ruler of our own life and that means we can also lay it down for others. We can only make peace with others when we have peace with God.

And this reconciliation helps us in our third way we should respond to the message of Christmas...

Fear Not

Luke 2:10 (NIV)

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 

Verse 9 of the passage in Luke says the shepherds were terrified.

The next verse says if we accept the good news of Jesus, we gain access to a life free from fear.

I know, this sounds quite ridiculous. No fear? Is it really possible to live with no fear? Yes, this is the Gospel.

Perfect love casts out fear.

1 John 4:18 (NIV) says:

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

Can you imagine a life without fear? Doesn't it sound wonderful?

A Story About Fear

I listened to a podcast this week that was a conversation with an American missionary, Carole Ward, who lives in Chad, Central Africa. And she tells a great story about this.

At the beginning of her life as a missionary she is in the middle of Uganda during the rule of Joseph Kony, the middle of a war zone, loads of people being abducted, children being recruited as child soldiers, horrendous things. All the aid organisations and NGOs are leaving because it's too dangerous. And she's trying to get in because she really has a heart to go to the places where no one else wants to go, that had been her prayer for years - send me to the places no one else wants to go.

And she shares this account where she arrives in the country, she's alone because no one would go with her, she's driving between bombed vehicles, on the lookout for militants who would jump out and steal your car and run you over.

And she says I'm fighting fear but then the Lord says I can't use you with fear. Fear will paralyse you and fear has torment. And so she thought well I need more faith. And God says, you don't need more faith, you're obeying me, you don't have enough love. And then she heard that scripture I just read to you from 1 John 4:18.

And so she said Lord baptise me in love then. Immerse me in love. Enough love to trust you with my life and enough love to go serve and lay my life down for the people I'll see. And count it more important than my own self-preservation. And He did, and she's never felt fear since.

She goes on to tell stories where two guerrilla soldiers get in the car with her and her driver, and try to take them off track so they can kill them, loot the vehicle and burn it. Fear in that scenario would be completely understandable. But she is so sure of God's love, what does she have to fear? When to live is Christ and to die is gain.

That's what it's like to live without fear.

How Do We Know God's Love?

So how do we know God's love?

Verse 10 again:

But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.

There's a word that sits between "afraid" and "I bring you good news" in the original Greek that Luke wrote in. And it's the focus of our final episode next week: Behold.

But for now, let me say this: There is no condemnation if you do feel fear. Remember Romans 8 says for there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. I don't mean for you to feel shame at your fear, but to invite you deeper into God's love where fear has no place.

And from these verses, we know it isn't about not feeling fear. It's about knowing God's love. I know that I could know more of God's love, because I know I feel fear. Maybe you do too.

That's okay as long as we do something about it. We can settle for fear, or we can go to God and say would you give me a firmer realisation, a greater understanding of your love, and then accept it.

Let's look back at the garden. When the enemy tempted Adam and Eve with the option of being in control of their own lives in order to be happy, that set the narrative for all the time to come. Effectively sowing the lie that we can't trust God with our lives. We're scared to trust Him.

Doesn't it make sense that it's his love that breaks that fear? Who else could I possibly want to trust with my life if not God who loves me so much he sent his one and only Son so that I can live with him for all eternity.

What do I have to fear? I know the true answer when I take the time to behold the message of the Gospel. Jesus died for me, I believe that. Not only did he die for me but he defeated death itself, was raised to life and invites me to be raised to life with him. I now have nothing to fear.

Doesn't that sound like good news?

Question

Here's your question this week: What fears are you holding onto that God's perfect love wants to cast out? Where do you need to experience more of His love?

Prayer

Let's pray.

Lord, we thank you that you came to bring us peace - peace with you and peace with each other. We acknowledge that we can't save ourselves, that we need you. Thank you for doing what we could never do. And Lord, we ask that you would immerse us in your love. That perfect love that casts out all fear. Give us a greater understanding and awareness of your love for us. Help us to trust you more deeply. In Jesus' precious name, Amen.