Dennis L.
Finnan Commentator FEARS & PHOBIAS do you know, what for many, is the most unhealthy human emotion? an emotion that can paralyze us, and prevent us from enjoying the positive things of life we have? the answer is the emotion called fear!” I’m Dennis Finnan, host and speaker on the World, the Word & You! Broadcast and in a moment we’ll talk about this strong human emotion in my message “Fears & Phobias”… …Sometime ago, the London Times conducted a survey on “fear,” asking the question “what are you most afraid of?” Do you know what the number one fear people say is theirs? I think if you guess, you’ll be mistaken. Most would answer it is the fear of death. However, fearing death was way down the list at number seven. Before that were a number of greater fears of most of their subscribers. These fears gripped their hearts and at times paralyzed them. Indeed “fear” is a powerful emotion that can, truly run and ruin our lives. Yet, in the Bible God has much to say about this dreaded emotion, and you’d be surprised as to what God’s Word says. So after our second pause for another moment of music, I’ll return to tell you what is the most dreaded fear people said, that worried them. Stay tuned for my message on “FEARS & PHOBIAS”… …The London Times poll asking people “what were they most afraid of,” gave surprising results. Number seven down the list was the fear of death. Next came illness at number six. Moving up the list, fear of deep water was number five. Number four was fear of financial disaster. Number three most said was fear of insects and spiders. Then the number two slot for what people feared was the fear of heights. That left only the number one fear that most everyone dreaded. Are you ready for it? It was – THE FEAR OF PUBLIC SPEAKING! Can you imagine that? In reality, I think the poll didn’t really touch the honesty of peoples hearts. Although I’m sure all these things certainly brought out that dreaded and unpleasant emotion called fear. I personally believe there are deeper issues that if one is honest, almost all will confess is their deepest fear. What might that be? Well the Bible answers, the FEAR OF GOD. We tend to not speak about such things, for arousing our deepest fears, can bring havoc in our minds and hearts, so we often NEVER speak of them, or try to even think about it. Now in addition to fear or being afraid of something, comes unhealthy fear that can be described as a “phobia.” A phobia is the categorizing of the emotion of fear that has become so extreme and so focused that it takes on the form of an emotional disorder, we have labeled a phobia. These fears become irrational and center on a specific kind of situation, an object or simply an activity. Some common phobias humanity suffers from are: acrophobia – a fear of heights, claustrophobia – a fear of confined spaces, astraphobia – a fear of thunder and lightening and storms, xenophobia - a fear of strangers, and mysophobia – a fear of dirt or contamination. Howard Hughes the multi millionaire of the past died, with this phobia gripping and controlling his life. These are some of the more common phobias, people can acquire that are unhealthy, paralyzing and emotionally disturbing. However, we must not think that all fear is negative and wrong. Fear can be a healthy and positive emotion too. For instance, it can be a protective response to personal danger. In designing us, God gave us healthy fear of things that can hurt and harm us. Fear of death, keeps us from doing things that can bring this about, such as standing to close to the edge of a high clift, or taking some risky chance with your life. Fear of illness can cause us to keep things clean around us, and to take care of our physical bodies in many differing ways. Yes, fear can be a good emotion too, and that is what God’s Word tells us. I took an inventory in the Bible to study this concept of fears and phobias, and I discovered that God truly wants us as His creation, to allow the emotion of fear to not be suppressed when it comes to life, and eternity. Often what we fear most, we tend to avoid, or refuse to even think about. We shy away from anything that brings fear, and yet God says that when we allow this emotion to surface, when it comes to thinking about God, it is a good thing! Listen to what the Bible says about fearing the Lord.
These are just a smattering of verses that tell us God designed the emotion of fear in a positive way; Especially, for all mankind to fear God. Now let’s define the word fear. In a negative sense it is something that triggers a number psychological responses within our very being -- things like raising our heartbeat, shortness of breath, weakness of limbs, trembling, nausea, fainting, dizziness, even a choking sensation. These are surely controlling emotions that can grip us and even paralyze us. But then, the positive emotion of fear utilizing some of these responses can get our attention enough to draw us back from doing something that can be disastrous or even deadly for us. In the Bible God wants all men to “fear” Him! Why? Are we to shake in our shoes, become faint, or tremble? The answer is yes and no! The phrase in the Bible, to “fear God,” also means to respect, reverence, and obey Him. Why should we do this? Well, the answer is simple. God is our Creator, He has revealed Himself as the eternal, sovereign and Omnipotent God over all life and existence. His power is so immense, that we should rightly fear anything and or any One who can exert such control over us. Jesus rightly said to sober up His listeners,
Yes, throughout the Bible, God’s Word warns us that our Creator God who rules the past, the present and eternity, has never abrogated His power over us and all creation. He is there present with us, and will be for all eternity, and He has given us His Word, the Bible, to instruct us how to avoid falling into perilous ways of life, and a deadly eternity. This is healthy fear, positive fear that can keep us from things God warns, awaits all who callously ignore, or flippantly rebel against. Now the question is, how do we overcome unhealthy fears, that may develop in our lives and even become phobias? In the Bible God often called His servants to “overcome” their fears. The phrase, “fear not” is seen extensively as God encourages many of those who served him to overcome fear that kept them from doing the will of God. For instance, we read in the Bible,
Yes, throughout the Bible God is the encourager of fearful followers, that they need not draw back, or refuse to step out in faith to do something, or be something. God wants us all to fear Him in the sense of respect and reverence Him for whom He is. He tells us He is a holy, righteous God who cannot even look upon, or in our modern colloquialism, “stomach” sin and evil. God wants us to fear sinning, that is disobeying His righteous sovereign laws of the universe, that surround His very character and being. To violate them, is to bring upon us and our world, the wrath and judgments of God. Yet, in His love for us God doesn’t want us to suffer the penalty of these things, so He warns us, encourages us, and even equips us to avoid the dangers of sin. Yet, how many of us ignore this “righteous fear” God wants us to have, and arrogantly go about breaking the laws of God. Now in the Old Testament, God categorized the main laws for living in what is called “the Ten Commandments.” You know them or should know them. They are as follows as I read them direct from the Word of God in Exodus 20:3-17, 1. Do not worship any other gods besides me. 2. Do not make idols of any kind, whether in the shape of birds or animals or fish. 5 You must never worship or bow down to them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not share your affection with any other god! I do not leave unpunished the sins of those who hate me, but I punish the children for the sins of their parents to the third and fourth generations. 6 But I lavish my love on those who love me and obey my commands, even for a thousand generations. 3. Do not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name. 4. Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days a week are set apart for your daily duties and regular work, 10 but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to the LORD your God. On that day no one in your household may do any kind of work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; then he rested on the seventh day. That is why the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy. 5. Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God will give you. 6. Do not murder. 7. Do not commit adultery. 8. Do not steal. 9. Do not testify falsely against your neighbor. 10. Do not covet your neighbor’s house. Do not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else your neighbor owns.” Now all these commandments were given to the nation of Israel after they were called out of Egypt and set apart for God’s pleasure and fellowship. However, all of these commandments are applicable to us today and in every generation, except the fourth one, “keeping the Sabbath day holy.” Now, the Sabbath day is the sixth day of the week, set aside by God for worship in Israel. This commandment and law was tied to the ceremonial law of Israel, and it ceased when Christ fulfilled the Law for them. However, the principle of it command still remains, God expects every human being to acknowledge His creatorship, His ownership of you and the universe we live in. We are to remember that six days belong to us, but one day out of the week belongs to God for His purposes as He has shared with us in the Bible. Now when we break God’s laws, we will absolutely suffer the penalties for doing so. Some of them are immediate, others are delayed. Yet all of them, friend, come with God’s promise of death in this life and eternity. God warns us time and time again,
To break even one of God’s holy commands for life and living in His world, carries the death sentence. This is why we all grow old and physically die. It was God sentence of death upon the human race for failing to “fear God,” and breaking God’s laws. We discover our first human parents God created, Adam and Eve, were given a choice to obey God’s will and love Him. However, they chose to exercise their own will in rebellion to God’s law for a happy, fruitful and everlasting life. Listen to what God said would happen, Gen 2:17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” Gen 3:17-19 And to Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate the fruit I told you not to eat, I have placed a curse on all the earth. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. 18 It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains. 19 All your life you will sweat to produce food, until your dying day. Then you will return to the ground from which you came. For you were made from dust, and now to the dust you will return.” How sad, how awful! Adam should have “feared the Lord,” enough, to obey His simple and tangible law. Yet they chose to break it and in so doing, the law broke them! What do you fear my friend? God warns us to fear death. I can’t imagine the greatest fear of people taken in that London Times poll was they feared “public speaking!” I think that is a human ruse, to cover up the deepest fears we have. Certainly, the fear of falling into the hands of an angry wrathful God, who can and promises to cast into Hell all those who refuse His love, His provision of life, His great and costly gift of forgiveness of all our sins, and the gift of eternal life, which our forefather and mother Adam and Eve threw away. Friend, do you fear God enough to walk toward Him, and seek Him out in your life? Do you fear God enough to realize you and I, all of us in the human race have broken God’s eternal laws for life and living, and as such we are under His death sentence in this life and more in eternity? God says fear the “second death” coming for all sinners, and by fearing we act upon it in this life to avoid it. The Bible says one man long ago did this and as a result saved himself and his whole family from destruction. Listen to God’s report of this in,
Holy fear! That is what God wants you to experience, and in so doing it too will drive you to avoid the perils of sin in this life and the next to come. By such “positive” wholesome fear we respect God’s law enough to avoid breaking it, knowing the many penalties that come. Committing adultery, murder, robbery, and idolatry by allowing greed and lust to control us brings many forms of ruin and punishments in this life not to mention the hereafter. Yet, we know we cannot stop sinning. We cannot keep God’s laws faithfully. Why? Because we are sinners by birth in thoughts and words and deeds. Yet thanks be to God, He understands this and promises us POWER to overcome our fears, our phobias, and to have victory over them. How? By fearing God and coming to Him out of respect, reverence, and love for His great gift. Again I read to you perhaps the most blessed verse in the Bible, John 3:16-17 (NIV) “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Now that’s a good deal! Yet, how many have neglected and ignored this or worse decided to present one day to God, their own righteousness as fallen, sinful and corrupt as it is. Yes, we form all sorts of religions to worship God, but only our way. But, that friend, only works in the Burger King restaurants. God accepts none of it. We must come God’s way. Friend, fear is basically a healthy although uncomfortable emotion. Yet, God wants all if us to fear Him, enough to come and obey Him and find His abiding love. If your refuse, you and all will perish for all eternity. God says in love for you,
It’s your choice and mine. I’ve chosen to, in fear, come to God confessing my sins and claiming God’s loving forgiveness in and through His Son Jesus Christ. Oh the joy it has brought me for decades of my life. I offer it to you today to overcome your fears and phobias that are negative, and ruinous and that you embrace positively the fear of the Lord. Remember, it will bring life itself, and the greatest satisfaction you can ever find. The psalmist shares this in,
May God so grant you this fear of the Lord, to love, honor, respect and obey Him. · Radio talk #3902 · Broadcast date: September 29, 2002 · Speaker: Dennis L. Finnan, Commentator · Program: The World, the Word & You! Radio Broadcast · Address: P.O. Box 40133 Grand Junction, CO 81504 The World, the Word & You! Broadcast is a non-denominational ministry based on the historic fundamental evangelical interpretation of the Scriptures. A copy of our doctrinal statement is available upon request. These weekly radio commentaries are not exhaustive studies of any particular subject due to the time limit of broadcasting. Actual broadcasts can be heard in selected areas around the nation, as funding provides. Dennis Finnan has been the speaker for over 23 years, and serves as General Director. * * * * * * * * * These transcripts are available free of charge to all who desire them. Also available are actual radio cassette tapes and printed booklets of each message. A free listing of recent messages is available upon request also. Want to Help? If you've been blessed and
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