Welcome to Day 2161 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

The Gospel of John – 29 – Overcoming Fear – Daily Wisdom

Putnam Church Message – 09/04/2022

The Gospel of John – Part 4 Confirmation of the Word – Overcoming Fear

Today we continue our series, the Good News according to John the Apostle. Last we saw how Jesus gently consoled and encouraged the remaining eleven disciples, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.” Today we continue the lesson as Jesus teaches the disciples and us, that the way to overcome fear is to allow the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to fill us and bring peace to our hearts. Our scripture for today is John 14:25-31. Follow along as I read. “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.  I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe.  I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.” “Come now; let us leave.” While fear is a primal response, it is entirely unnatural to humanity as God first created us. The first emotion recorded in the Bible is Genesis 2:25, “Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame.” Adam and Eve enjoyed perfect intimacy with God and one another, uninhibited by sin or the shame it brings. The second emotion named explicitly in Scripture is fear. After trying to conceal his shame, Adam confessed that fear drove him into hiding when his Creator came to confront him in Genesis 3:10, “He replied, ‘I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.’” Fear is a product of the Fall, and we have been trying to cope with it ever since. Fear of heights. Fear of crowds. Fear of being alone. Fear of open spaces. Fear of closed spaces. Fear of germs. Fear of death. I have even read about people having a fear of fear! Fear can be debilitating. Fear strips the athlete of his prowess, drains creativity from the artist, muddies the leader’s clarity, and drives the soldier deeper into his foxhole. I have seen people literally paralyzed with fear, unable to move a muscle in their grip. More commonly, fear keeps people from becoming everything God created them to be and prevents them from loving one another fully. Jesus’ announcement of His departure sent the disciples into an emotional tailspin. They couldn’t imagine their future without Jesus, and the prospect of going on alone terrified them … and rightfully so! Likewise, I cannot imagine having to face life without Christ. But, those trembling eleven men needed courage, as we do today. So, Jesus confronted their fears with four truths that, when applied, help give believers the power to overcome fear of any kind:

1. We may be inadequate, but the Holy Spirit will make us competent and courageous (14:25–26).
2. We may be fearful, but the peace of Jesus Christ is ours for the taking (14:27).
3. Circumstances may be dire, but victory has been assured (14:28–29).
4. Circumstances may be difficult, but courage can be found in obedience (14:30–31).

14:25–26 We may be inadequate, but the Holy Spirit will make us competent and courageous. “All this I have spoken while still with you.” refers to the Lord’s teaching on obedience, love, and “abiding.” He promised that everything He taught them would continue to be taught by the Holy Spirit within them. The word translated “advocate or helper” is paraklētos, which we have transliterated to form the term “paraclete.” The Greek term can also be translated as “advocate,” “encourager,” or even “coach.” In modern terms, the word carries the idea of a personal trainer running alongside someone in a race providing counsel, correction, hope, comfort, and a positive perspective. Likewise, a paraklētos helps another toward excellence. Like a coach encouraging and challenging an athlete to reach a particular goal, The Advocate trains believers to dedicate themselves, discard hindrances, and become obedient like Christ. The Helper does this supernaturally. In part by recalling the words of Christ to the mind and applying the words to the heart. The disciples learned volumes of truth at Jesus’ feet, far more than anyone could remember without supernatural help. After Jesus ascended to heaven, the men never saw Him again as they did during His earthly ministry. Their days of casual, face-to-face conversation came to an end. They had to depend upon the Holy Spirit to give them perfect recall and to help them pass on the Lord’s teachings without error. While we have not been tasked to write Scripture, we, as believers, have the same Holy Spirit abiding within us nonetheless. In the interim period, while Jesus is away, before He returns to establish His global Eden, His Spirit rests within His followers to instruct and remind us of previously revealed truth. 14:27 We may be fearful, but the peace of Jesus Christ is ours for the taking. Jesus left His followers with a legacy, “Peace I leave with you,” and a treasure, “My peace I give to you.” The disciples were going to face uncertain days in the future, especially between the time of Jesus’ death and the giving of the Holy Spirit nearly two months later. So he wanted to focus their attention on the final victory. Imagine watching a championship football game along with a group of friends. If the game had been previously recorded and you knew the final score (but your friends didn’t), you would experience the game differently than your friends. They might gasp when their team fumbled or cringe when the opponents scored. But you would remain relatively unaffected because you would be viewing everything through the lens of an assured outcome. If any of your friends wanted peace amid their doubt, all they would have to do is look to you. Your peace would become theirs. A little later, Jesus would reassure His disciples, “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world,” John 16:33. 14:28–29 Circumstances may be dire, but victory has been assured Jesus noted that His imminent death could be seen as either a calamity or a victory, depending upon one’s perspective. He had many times predicted His death and resurrection, but the disciples failed to understand that they were taking part in something far greater than any of them imagined. If they accepted that their Master’s death was part of the Father’s plan, they would be hopeful instead of fearful. Note the Lord’s use of “when” instead of “if” in 14:29. I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen, you will believe. The Father’s plan is not an “if” plan but a “when” one. There are no contingencies to plan for. Nothing will stop Him. While the Lord has not rescinded His gift of self-determination or choice to each individual, He has written the future, which is no more changeable than the past. While the future will bring tribulation and our experiences will not always be pleasant, we can endure with hope—confident assurance—because the plans of God are assured of victory. No one understood this better than God’s Son, who faced deeper darkness than any other man or woman will ever endure. 14:30–31 Circumstances may be difficult, but courage can be found in obedience The “prince (or ruler) of the world” is Satan, the evil one. When the first man disobeyed God, all creation fell under the prince’s dominion of sin, evil, death, and corruption. The incarnation of God in the person of Jesus Christ was an invasion, a liberation force of One. And He suffered the assault of the enemy to free humanity from the dominion of sin. Jesus warned that the enemy planned to strike soon. Judas was planning with the religious officials to organize a cohort of temple guards and Roman soldiers at that very moment. The Lord assured His followers that obedience is the means of overcoming fear of the enemy. He declared, “I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.” While the prospect of suffering the penalty of sin on behalf of the whole world troubled Him deeply, obedience gave Him courage. Jesus pulled His disciples aside before His arrest to equip them for ministry without His physical presence. He had called them to shine the light of truth in a world still ruled by evil, and He had faithfully equipped them with all the information they would need; however, fear threatened to render them powerless. Why? For the same reason fear plagues Christians today: a lack of confidence in the truth of His words. The disciples trusted in Christ, but they lacked confidence. There is a profound difference between “trust” and “confidence.” Trust is the decision to accept the words of Jesus as truth and make them the basis of all future decisions. Confidence is the growing feeling of peace as we apply the words of Christ and see them confirmed over and over again. Trust is a decision; confidence is a feeling. In response to the disciples’ fear, Jesus confirmed again the truth He had been teaching from the beginning. Believers no longer have reason to fear. Unlike Adam after his disobedience, we have peace with God because of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice Romans 5:1, “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.” God’s omnipotence is our ally against any conceivable enemy. But confidence in this truth does not occur the instant we believe in Him. Our decision to trust begins a process of growth in which we experience the truth of Christ’s words personally through obedience. This, in turn, leaves less and less room for fear. Jesus called this process of growing confidence through obedience “abiding.” Application: John 14:25–31 Focus Every waking moment, we focus on one of five different facets of life. They are all very present and real, so we cannot ignore them. However, only one should be our focus. Self—When self becomes the focus of life, one becomes conceited and, inevitably, discouraged. When the world revolves around the self, we interpret all of life regarding how we view ourselves. When good or bad things happen, we assume they relate to our innate goodness or badness. Healthy self-esteem becomes twisted into vanity, while a poor self-esteem spirals into depression. Circumstances—The quickest way to become overwhelmed by fear or hopelessness is to focus on circumstances. In many ways, it is the opposite of focusing on the self. People who focus on circumstances presume their choices can affect nothing in the world. As a result, they feel helpless and victimized by a world they feel powerless to change. Possessions—People frequently substitute the acquisition and maintenance of things for what really satisfies them. Relationships with other people—close, intimate bonds in which one is known and knows another—are frightening to some; they find relationships with things much easier to manage. This is especially true of one’s relationship with God; therefore, great effort is spent trying to fill a Christ-shaped void with possessions. People—We need people. God made us for relationships with others as well as with Himself. However, relationships are prime candidates for idolatry. We too easily allow the voices of those around us to overshadow the truth of Scripture and replace the internal prompting of the Holy Spirit. Some allow themselves to be tossed about on the waves of others’ opinions. The Lord—Jesus called for us to focus on the triune God, who is sovereign over self, circumstances, possessions, and other people. Everything finds the right balance when these other four influences are subordinated to Him. We see ourselves as we ought, circumstances become tools of God’s providence, possessions become blessings, and people become our equals before Christ—equally unworthy of grace and love. If you’re like me, you are relentlessly pragmatic. You want to know how to turn these truths into actions that make a difference. How can we render fear obsolete? How can we put fear out of our daily experiences? Here are some simple, direct suggestions that work well for me.

1. Acknowledge your source of power. If you have trusted in Christ, you have the presence and power of almighty God within you. The Holy Spirit lives within you. When confronted by something you fear, turn your attention to the power of God residing within and consciously ask Him to take control of you.
2. Begin each day with prayer. This can quickly dissolve into meaningless routine with memorized prayers. There will be times when you do not know what to say. So, say, “Lord, I have no idea what to say right now.” If no specific worry or fear comes to mind, pray for Thanksgiving. This may take two minutes or two hours. Either way, beginning the day with prayer is a means of consciously placing the Lord in charge of each new day. And for me, this is a crucial source of power and peace.
3. Correct your habit of pessimism. Our tendency to fear the worst as unpleasant events unfold is one of the primary reasons God gave us prophecy found in His Word. It is virtually impossible to remain pessimistic when you know the future of God’s plan. We are assured that God’s redemptive plan cannot be defeated, however dismal the present may appear, or how victorious evil appears.
4. Devote yourself to obedience. We give the Accuser less opportunity to frighten us when we are obedient. When bad circumstances surround us, Satan tells us that we are to blame for displeasing the Lord and that further obedience is pointless. Nothing could be further from the truth—disobedience breeds fear. Obey the Lord out of love, and amazingly, fear will fade.

Next, we will continue Jesus’s instructions to his disciples as they head toward the Mount of Olives to learn about Abiding. Please read John 15:1-11 in preparation for that message. Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and, most importantly, your friend as I serve you through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal. As we take this trek together, let us always:

1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
2. Love Unconditionally
3. Listen Intentionally
4. Learn Continuously
5. Lend to others Generously
6. Lead with Integrity
7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you next time for more wisdom from God’s Word!