Welcome to PowerPoint with Jack Graham. We want to break free from the power of anything or anyone. that would hold us back. And the subject today is breaking free. from the power of fear.
On today's PowerPoint, Dr. Graham brings a message about how you can find freedom from fear.
Now, here's Dr. Graham with his message, breaking free from fear. 2 Timothy chapter 1. And verse 7. For God gave us a spirit not of fear.
But a power And love. and self-control. or a sound mind. There is no place in the believer's life For a spirit or bondage Now there are some legitimate fears. For one, we ought to fear God.
The Bible tells us that we are to fear God. One of the great problems of this country. And really, the whole world, there's no fear of God. It used to be a compliment. You would say that man is a God-fearing man, a God-fearing woman.
You rarely hear that today. There's no sense of awe. A sense that God is holy and we are not. The sense that God is great and glorious, and He should be worshipped. And this is the fear of God, to honor Him and to spend our days desiring by faith to please Him and obey Him.
Fear is the first step to knowledge. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Then the proverb says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
So the person who fears God The most Loves him the best. Not a servile fear. But the fear of a child, someone described the fear of God as love on its knees. We are so grateful, so thankful that we bow before him.
So we ought to fear God. On the other end, we ought to fear sin and the judgment, the consequences that come with sin. Sin is to be feared. Judgment is to be feared. Jesus said, Don't fear those who can destroy your body, but fear the ones who can destroy your body and soul in hell.
The scripture says It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God. Fear sin. And I promise you. Your sin, if you hide it, if you cover it, if you cloak it. If you have secret sins in your life, they will come chasing you down because sin.
We'll find you out. Be sure. Your sin. We'll find you out. Fear Sam.
Fear what sin can do to you. I'm afraid of sin. And you should be as well. There are some other kinds of legitimate sins, or fears, rather. But you know, the fear that I'm talking about is More a generalized fear that just prevails in your life.
A general anxiety that something bad is going to happen.
So you live afraid of Faces, people, you live afraid of failures, you live afraid of the future. And these fears can rob you not only of your happiness, but even of your health. I did a little research this week.
Some medical research. on fear. And fear, I discovered, has been associated with a wide variety of illnesses and diseases, including. Cardiovascular disease, heart disease. Hyper Tension?
Digestive tract diseases. Ulcers. Headaches? Even skin disorders. Studies demonstrate that fear can Cause a decreased immune response, which can lead to frequent infections.
and even the development of dread and deadly disease. Excessive fear and anxiety, worry can kill you. Jesus spoke in Luke 21, verse 26, of men's hearts failing. From fear. Fear can lead to irrational phobias.
And I Unusual obsessions. It can crush your spirit. Ruin your disposition along with your relationships. Fear can Consume your mind, obsess your thought life. And control your body.
It can shut you down. Fear is a chain. That can hold you back from becoming all that God. wants you to be. and to become.
Fierce. Moses had to face his fear as he thought about his inadequacies, barefoot at the burning bush, and God, the great I am, is speaking to him and calling him to go back to Egypt. He'd left 40 years previous. He's now 80 years old. A nowhere man in the desert.
He tried before to deliver his people. Big failure, epic failure. He runs and hides in the desert for 40 years out of fear. A Pharaoh. And now God is telling him to go back.
Moses said, I Can't, Lord. I don't speak so well. Send Aaron. Not me. But Moses faced down his fears, and the call of God compelled him.
to go and say, let my people go. And he towers as a man of faith this day because He mastered his fears. By the power of God. Abraham, think about Abraham asked by God, commanded by God to take his son, his only son Isaac, the son of the promise, the son that he had waited on so long, the dearest and best of his life. Take your son and put him on an altar and sacrifice him to me.
Unthinkable. God didn't want. Isaac, the son, he wanted Abraham fully and completely. And God spared Isaac the son. Just the right moment.
Because the faith of Abraham, the father of the faithful, the friend of God, demonstrated. that he was willing to lay down life's best. To obey God. That was a fearful thing. And yet he overcame.
His fears. I could go on and on. Jesus told a parable called the parable of the talents. About a master, a man who had a business and he was going to a far country, going away on business.
So he left his hired servants in charge and he gave them some money, talents. He gave them some money. to invest. He said, take this and invest it while I'm gone. and take care of this business.
And so he gave to three men. Two of them invested and had a great return. When the man came home, he commended these two who took their talents, who took their money. And poured it into an investment. They took faith risk and did it.
But there was one man. One of the three who took what he had been given and he literally buried it in the ground. And of course it produced nothing. The the businessman was was angry. And he asked.
This servant, why did you bury your talent? And the answer? Fear? He said, I was afraid. You're a hard taskmaster, and I was afraid.
That I couldn't do enough, I wouldn't do the right thing, whatever. Fear. Can immobilize you and paralyze you and keep you from achieving what God. is calling you to do. For example, is speaking to your heart and saying Walk across the hall in your office.
or walk across to that friend's locker at school. Or walk across the street to your neighbor's house and tell them about Jesus. Share your testimony. Just tell them what Jesus has done for you. You know God's calling you.
To share the gospel, all of us are called. But fear holds us back. What will they think? What will they say? Or maybe Maybe God is Calling you to go on a mission trip.
It's like, I don't know if I could do that. I don't think. I could relate. I don't think I'm not gifted. I'm not a preacher.
I'm not called. Yes, God is calling you. He doesn't call the equipped, he equips the called. If God calls you to do something, He will provide for your every need. The safest, securest place is in the middle of the will of God.
So, if God says go, go. Don't be afraid to go and do what God's called you. To do? God's calling some of you to sing.
So loud. would never sink. You've got a wonderful voice. You could use your gift for the Lord. or to teach a Bible class or to work with children.
You're letting some kind of fear. Hold you back. I'm here to say in Jesus' name, take the shot. Don't be afraid to miss. Trust God to do what God has promised to do, to protect you, to provide for you, to do what only God can do, and that is to use you for His glory.
You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message. Breaking free from fear. Transform your spiritual life through the power of daily prayer. This September, Jack Graham invites you to deepen your relationship with God through a month-long prayer journey that will strengthen your faith and draw you closer to your Creator. To get started, text Challenge to 59-789 and deepen your connection with God as Dr.
Graham leads you through this transformative 30-day prayer journey. Your spiritual breakthrough could be just one text away. Again, that's challenge to 59-789. Our world desperately needs Jesus. Every single day, countless people slip into eternity without ever hearing that Christ offers victory over death and the gift of eternal life.
That's why your partnership to share the gospel is so vital. We want to remind you about the $200,000 matching grant that will double your gift of support today to bring the gospel where people need it most. We'll say thanks for your gift of $10 or more with two copies of Dr. Graham's book, Triumph.
So text now to have your gift doubled by the match, and when you give, be sure to request your resources. Text the word OVERCOME to 59-789.
Now let's get back to today's message, breaking free from fear. Fear distorts everything. You know how things get distorted? In the darkness, and you're stumbling around, and you can't. That's what fear does when darkness creeps in or doubts creep in.
Fear will cause us in the darkness as the perspective is changed. We get afraid.
Some people are afraid of the dark, things go bump in the night. And your mind runs in the night, you can't sleep. And before you know it, you're overwhelmed and obsessed. with your worries and your fears. and you just can't go.
I'm telling you, it's like sand in the machinery. If you keep doing this. You're going to be immobilized, paralyzed. You'll be on the flat of your back. You're going to have some illness.
You're going to have some problem that you can't handle. Because you're disobeying God in the area of trust and faith. Because worry and fear, it's not just a weakness, it's a sinful problem. We're not trusting God. We're not believing what God said.
And it can stop you dead in your tracks. And you know, so often it can be just one little thing. That can hold you back and begin. creating like a a rivet. in your brain.
And therefore We must overcome Our fears. And the way to overcome our fears is in the exact way that the Apostle Paul tells us here. In 2 Timothy 1.7, Don't be consumed, controlled, chained by a spirit of fear. But overcome With power. Love and a sound mind.
Power, not of the human spirit, because the strongest of us will fail when faced with. great difficulties and dangers. But with the Holy Spirit. The power of God, the enablement of God. is in us and enablement equals Emancipation, where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
Don't confess your failures, don't confess your faithlessness, faith. Wins In the power of God. Stop considering your circumstances and consider your God, no matter how difficult. Or how dramatic or deadly your fears may be. You get a doctor's report.
It goes the wrong way. You lose your job. Fear such sin. Your kids. are rebelling.
And you're afraid they're never coming to the Lord, they're never coming back to the Lord. And before you know it, if you get consumed with these things and things like them, everything becomes negative, and then doubt and fear and anxiety creep in. And you start Focusing totally on your fears rather than living in your faith. Did you know you can even invite certain things into your life through fear? In the book of Job, you know what Job went through.
Now that was all in the sovereign plan of God, but... On one occasion in his conversations with God, Job said, all that I feared has come upon me. He invited them in. I personally believe, you know, Satan can't read your mind. He's not omniscient like.
God is omniscient, but he can hear your words. And when you're constantly confessing your fears, Talking about what frightens you. And you're speaking words of doubt. Satan hears all that. And guess where he goes?
Right for the jugular, he attacks you, and your fears invite in. The enemy. They do.
So, ask God to give you the power of. of the Holy Spirit. To resist. The temptation to dwell. on your fears.
Have an unshakable faith. Trust in God, the character of God. He is the great I am, which means I am everything and anything you need. Fill in the blank. I am.
Whatever you need. Are you sick? I am your healer. Are you struggling financially? Yeah.
Your provider. Are you worried? I am your peace. Are you lonely? I am your friend.
that sticks closer than a brother. Are you in trouble? Are your kids in trouble? I am. your ever-present help.
in times of trouble. Are you weak? I Am your strength. Are you afraid? I am your deliverer.
I am your protector. Are you in a battle? I am the Lord, your banner. your healer, your defender, your shelter, your strength. Are you bearing a burden?
I will bear your burdens. Are you a sinner? Yes, I am your Savior. No need to fear. It's said that there are over 300 65 times in the Bible, where we're told.
Fear not is the most often repeated Commandment in the Bible, do not fear. Do not fear. Two notes. Fear. So fear.
Is overcome by the power of God, the power of His Spirit, and then love. The scripture says that perfect love casts out fear. That's 1 John chapter 4. Perfect love cast out fear. That doesn't mean That we love him perfectly, or that we do anything perfectly.
You know, I don't do anything perfectly, do you? I certainly don't love perfectly.
So it's not talking about our love for God. when it says perfect love cast out fear. It's talking about the perfect love of God for us. Right? God loves you perfectly.
Nothing will separate you from the love of God in Jesus Christ. He's got this. He's got you. He guides us, He guards us. He provides for our every need.
He protects us in every circumstance. Because of his love. And so if you know that you are perfectly loved by the God who loved you so much. That he sent his only son, who stretched out his arms on an old, rugged cross, saying, I love you with an everlasting love. The God who took sinful man with one hand, holy God with another, and in Christ brought together.
Uh life and salvation. Paul said, Don't you know? If he loves you this much, he will freely give you all things in Christ. That's how much you're loved. Nothing shall separate us from the love of God, which is in Jesus Christ.
Nothing.
So the way to overcome fear Your fears. is power, God's power. God's love. His perfect, sustaining, strengthening.
Solacing love. And one more thing. A sound mind. Which is Self-control. Yeah.
It's an interesting word, this sound mind. It really means a stable mind. A steady mind. You know, what makes the mind makes the man and the woman. As a man thinks in his heart, as we think in our hearts, so are we.
So the way I think determines What I am.
So God wants to give you a clear head, a clear mind. Not a lot of loose ends. Peter would tell us to gird up. The loins of your mind. He was speaking of a day when men would wear these long robes, and when it came time to run, they would sort of tuck the robes in their belt and sense them up real tight and run.
That's the picture here.
So don't have a lot of loose ends, gird up the loins of your mind. Gear up for action in your mind. Get your mind right. And the only way I know how to do that is to fill my mind with God's promises, God's precepts, God's words, God's stories, God's truth. This is why we keep saying again and again and again, get in the word, get in the word, because when you get in the word, I guarantee you, you read through the Bible 25 times.
25 times. straight through. 25 straight years. Not only will you be in the Word, but the Word will be in you. And so would it When you get a report and it's not good, You don't get thrown down and whacked by the enemy because you've got the word of God, your mind is right.
We don't live by what we Feel we live by what we know, and what we know is that God is in control of the life of every believer. That's what we know. And that God is working together all things for his good, for your good and his glory. Is that what it says? It says, for we know, K-N-O-W, we know.
That God is working together everything in our lives for our good, for His glory, to those who are called according to His purpose.
So we don't live by our feelings. We live by what we know. These things are written that you may Know that you have eternal life. That's a sound mind. That's not a mind that's disrupted and distorted by the lies of the enemy.
and the fears and failures of life.
So face down your fears. With the power Of God's Spirit. That means God is in you. By the love of Jesus Christ, that means God is for you. And by the enlightenment of a mind that is filled with God's word, that means God is for you.
God is in you. God is with you. There is nothing Christian. That you should be. You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message.
Breaking Free from Fear. We're excited to announce that we've been offered a $200,000 matching grant. That will double your gift today to help proclaim the life-giving hope of Jesus to people all across the globe. Because your gift is so important, We want to send you a thank you for your generosity by sending you two copies of Dr. Graham's book.
triumph. To encourage your faith and equip you to share the hope of Jesus with someone who needs it. Please give generously knowing that your gift will be doubled and make sure to request your copies when you give. Text the word overcome to 59789. Again, the word is overcome to 59789.
Transform your spiritual life through the power of daily prayer. This September, Jack Graham invites you to deepen your relationship with God through a month-long prayer journey that will strengthen your faith and draw you closer to your Creator. To get started, take a look at the first time. Text Challenge to 59-789 and deepen your connection with God as Dr. Graham leads you through this transformative 30-day prayer journey.
Your spiritual breakthrough could be just one text away. Again, that's challenge to 59-789. Pastor, what is your PowerPoint for today? Fear can take your breath away. It can take your health away.
It can even take your life away. And by that I mean Fear can take away the opportunity for you to live a full and meaningful life, to serve God with all your heart, your mind, your soul, to enjoy and experience God to the fullest. You know, medical research says excessive fear and anxiety can lead us all to serious conditions that may eventually. destroy our lives. we must break the chains of fear.
Break the chain so that we will never be afraid or ashamed to speak the word of God, to share the gospel with others. Don't allow fear or ridicule for speaking out for Christ, or the fear of leaving safe places to serve Him on mission, or the fear of failure. Don't ever allow worry and anxiety to keep you from serving God and being a blessing to others. The Scripture says in 1 John chapter 4, Perfect love cast out fear. Which means because God loves you perfectly, there is nothing to fear.
His perfect love will destroy fear in your life.
So face down your fears in the power of Christ. and by the power of His Spirit live the life that He has planned for you. Let me invite you to join us at jackgraham.org to give an online donation to PowerPoint. We really do need your support, and with your support, we buy airtime so that we can preach the gospel and teach God's Word through radio around the world.
So, thank you for sharing and thank you for caring deeply about this ministry. If we can help you, if we can serve you, pray for you, please let us know. by going to jackgram.org. There you can find resources to help you grow in your faith. You can also learn how to follow me on Twitter and Facebook and connect with PowerPoint in ways and new ways that will bless your life and certainly will bless us as well.
God bless you and thank you for joining us today on PowerPoint. And that is today's PowerPoint. Remember, when you give a gift of $10 or more to PowerPoint, we'll send you two copies of Dr. Graham's book, Triumph, as Our Thanks. Text the word overcome to 59-789.
And join us again next time as Dr. Graham brings a message about how you can experience the power of forgiveness. That's next time on PowerPoint with Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by PowerPoint Ministries.
