Fear Not, The Good News is Here

We have been looking at all the different passages when the angels show up and it just struck me, every time they show up, they always say, “Fear not. Fear not.”

In fact, if you read through the Bible, you’ll see that command quite a bit. It’s one of the most commanded things in it as God says over and over again, “You don’t have to be afraid.” And whenever He makes the command, here’s what I love about Scripture, He doesn’t just give us the command, He gives us a reason why.

And the same is true in these Christmas passages that we don’t have to be people who live in fear or anxiety, because Jesus came into our world. You know, I think it’s a message we need to hear right now, because we are dealing with fear like never before.

In fact, just as I was researching, I started thinking about when in my life I was most afraid. I want you to stop for a moment, think for a minute when you go, but that was the scariest moment in my life. It may have been a jump, it may have been something with your kids, it may have been something going on in your life.

Now, maybe you’re sitting here and you go, “Tim, I’m not really a fearful person.” And I wouldn’t say I’m a fearful person.

But the thing about fear is it can kind of show up in different ways. It usually doesn’t just come up with being terrified. We give it other words like anxiety. You have any anxiety? Anything that makes you worried? Kind of keeps you up at night at times? Maybe it’s a financial uncertainty?

One form of fear is just anger. Isn’t it interesting how angry people are? And a lot of that is just trying to control something and anger is an easier expression than being afraid. Control. If I can just stay on top of it. Especially as a parent. And I feel, especially for young parents today, I mean, the combination, if I have technology and Google, I can keep my child safe from all things. And you live under that fear that you are responsible for it.

One way fear shows up is drivenness. There’s this fear of failure. There’s this fear that, “Man, I’ve got this education, and I’ve got this, I’ve got to make it, I’ve got to throw myself, we’ve got to do the next project, I’ve got to do the next offering. I’ve got to make it here.” And you see some of the most driven people that if you were to peel back a little bit what is going on, man, there’s something driving it and a lot of times there’s more fear there than we’d like to admit.

See, in the Christmas story, four times angels show up. And every time they say, “Fear not, fear not, fear not.” And if we were going to be totally honest, they are speaking to a world that had a lot more to fear than we do.

They are speaking to a couple in Mary and Joseph, when you look what was against them, man, we have it made in comparison. I mean when they come to this couple who, can you imagine living in a world where there’s an emperor and he can just declare: Yeah, I want to count everyone. And here’s how I’m going to do it. You can’t stay at your home, you can’t fill out a form and send it back in, you have to go back to the home of your ancestors. I don’t care how far it is. It doesn’t matter if you’re nine-months pregnant. You go when I tell you to go. Can you imagine living in a world like that?

Can you imagine living in a place like Israel where you’ve got this this paranoid, crazy, quasi-king named Herod who would kill people in a moment if they threatened his authority? Who is willing to wipe out a whole region of little boys because he heard a king had been born? Can you imagine what it would be like to be a refugee on the run from a man like that?

Can you imagine the social fears that come with the kind of rejection of being a couple in a town and you have a miraculous conception the world has never seen before, and you have a miraculous birth that the world has never seen before, and having everybody in the town talk about you and reject you?

So much so that when Joseph and Mary show up in Bethlehem for the census, where all of Joseph’s family would be, by the way, because they are all of the same line, they would all have to go back to Bethlehem, nobody invites them in. Nobody gives them a space. There’s not even a room in the inn for them.

Can you imagine every day waking up knowing people are talking about you like that, what that would do?

And I don’t know about you, one of the most fearful days in one way in my life, man, especially when our first child was born. And I was in a hospital with doctors all around and people, but I was still scared to death about the whole thing.

And there’s Joseph and Mary and they are in a place where animals are kept and the only thing they have is a manger to be able to put their child in? I mean, you talk about reasons to fear. And, yet, it’s interesting when you read through the story, they are not scared. Because, see, when the angels came with the message to them, they actually took them at their word and they believed them.

My favorite “fear not” in all the stories is the one we are going to look at today. Because it’s the one for you and me. It wasn’t just for Mary and Joseph. Because after they had baby Jesus, you know the story, that there were shepherds in that region. And look what happened with the shepherds, you can read with me.

“An angel showed up and said to them, ‘Fear not.’”

Now, there’s the command: Fear not. “For behold I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”

This is why this is my favorite. Because this one is for me. I’m one of “all the people.” You’re one of all the people. This one is for you too. They are making a declaration: I have got some good news that will lead to great joy.

What is the good news? “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord.”

That “unto you” - given to you in your world, immersed in your world - “is a Savior.”

Someone has come to save you. Someone has come to save you from your sins. Someone has come to save you from yourself. Someone has come and I would say to save you from a lifetime of fear, a Savior has come, and He’s not just any Savior. He’s actually Christ, the Messiah, the Lord - God Himself.

And the amazing part, “This will be a sign for you, you’ll find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” He’s an actual person. He came as an actual baby. He actually came into our world for you and for me.

See, you don’t have to live in fear, because I’ve got some good news: Jesus came.

And as soon as the angels said this, suddenly the sky was filled with angels. Look what it says when they all showed up. “Suddenly there was, with the angel, a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased.’”

You don’t have to fear. Why? Because peace is here. Because now you can have peace with God, now you can have peace with each other, now He is going to come into your world and do what no one else could do.

It’s what had been promised all along. He had been born in Bethlehem just like Micah said He would. He was the promised peace just like Isaiah promised. Look in Isaiah 9, seven hundred years earlier, “For a child is born to us, a son is given, the government will rest on His shoulders.” I look through each of these lines and it gives me peace.

The government will rest on His shoulders. Anybody here fearful about what is going to happen with the government now or in the future? You know whose shoulders it really rests on? Jesus’, because He came into our world.

He’s a wonderful counselor. Anybody here fearful about a decision you’ve got to make, you don’t know about the future, it keeps you up at night? Let me tell you, He’s a wonderful counselor.

He’s a mighty God. He actually has the power to do something about it. He has the power to fight on our behalf, He has the power to overcome on our behalf, He has the power to overcome sin, He has the power to overcome death, He has the power to overcome the evil one; He is the mighty God.

He's the everlasting Father. He actually invites us into His family. It doesn’t matter who you are, it doesn’t matter what you’ve done, He adopts us and we have become joint heirs.

And I love that last line: “He is the Prince of Peace.” He is the ruler who brings peace on a planet that absolutely needs it. I love celebrating Christmas, because it marks this promise that was given that impacts my life today.

The question I have for you, are you actually experiencing that peace? Have you experienced it in the way that He is describing and He’s promising there? And I say this pastorally. Even Christians and those in the Church, I think there’s so often I feel this fear rising in different ways that doesn’t match what He is promising.

And I’ll just confess to you, as I grapple with, man, what I do with the fears in my life if Jesus really is the Prince of Peace? And we might distract ourselves, “If I stay busy enough, then I don’t have to think about it.” Or I can deny it’s there. You know, you can kind of feel it bubbling up and you tell yourself, “Serenity now. Serenity now.” That doesn’t work, by the way. And I think our problem is we take the command, “Fear not,” and we try to address it without the promise.

We try to do something we don’t have the capacity to do. I don’t know about you, sometimes I can hear that and I go, “Okay, I’ve got all this fear. I’ve got to get rid of this fear so I can have more God. I’ve got to get rid of this fear for what God wants to do. And I’ve tried my hardest to get rid of it on my own.” The problem is, it’s just coming faster than I have the capacity to get rid of.

And I think when we try it on our own, guys, you can find yourself stuck; you can find yourself brimming with it. Hear me, what was the promise of Christmas?

God didn’t send a teacher. It says, “For unto you is born a teacher who is going to teach you about how to get out of this.” God didn’t send a judge who is going to come and judge you for your fear and all the things you’re doing wrong. He didn’t send a rabbi or a religious leader who is going to come with another system.

What did He say? “I am going to send a Savior.” He is literally going to come into your world and into your life. The answer is not how do I get this out. It’s how do I get Him in?

Hear me, the moment that Christ comes into your heart, the fears that are displaced in that moment: In that moment, you never have to fear again about your sin, because it’s paid for forever; in that moment, you never have to fear death itself, because you know the moment you die, you’re going to be with Him; in that moment, you don’t even have to fear the shame that you feel over what you’ve done, because Christ has paid for it.

It’s not a process of how do I get this out? It’s a process of how do I get Christ in so He can displace in me what I have been carrying around?

Now, I know some of you, I mean, you might look at it and you go, “Well, okay, wait. You invite Jesus and it solves everything. What if I need medication? Man, what if I’m seeing a therapist on fear?” Here’s what I would encourage you, please, keep seeing them.

I have people that I dearly love and I am so thrilled the medicines that God has given us.

I view all medicine as gift from God when used rightly. But hear me, those people I love, they would be the first to tell you, “Oh, we are thankful for the meds, but they can’t do what Jesus does. They help, but they can’t fill my heart like He does. They can’t displace in those core parts of me what only Christ does.”

When you invite Jesus in your life, everything doesn’t magically go away. You begin a journey with Him, you begin a process with Him. And you may look at it and you go, “Yeah, Tim, I know some scared Christians.” Some of you are like, “I know some scary Christians too.” I know some scary Christians. You know what? Scary Christians are usually just scared Christians trying to use power and anger to control their world.

And so, maybe you’re like me that I have Christ in my life, Christ in me, but I still struggle with this. What do you do if you find yourself more afraid? You know what that means? It just means you need more Jesus. I need more of Him in me. In fact, you read through the Bible, the whole story of coming to Christ is how can I have more of Him in me?

And so, one of the key ways is He says: Hey, what would it look like if you were actually filled with the Holy Spirit, you let Him have control of your life? You know one of the key ways that happens when you do that? You start praising Him more, you start singing more.

I’ll tell you, one of the things that helps me the most is coming here every week when we sing together. Because when you are focused on Him, you can’t focus on your fear as much. Scripture says: Hey, if you find yourself anxious, don’t be anxious. What does it say instead? You want to be filled with Jesus, then pray. Pray more. And all you’re doing through prayer is you’re opening up another part of your life that you go, “Yeah, Jesus, I am struggling with this here. I need You to fill this too.” You are struggling with finances? Jesus said: Oh man, just seek My kingdom. Be generous with it. Trust Me with it. Or you need His Church, you need other people. You need His Word.

The whole Bible is about this relationship where Jesus is the core and the whole journey is how am I filled with Him in a way that He is displacing all of this stuff that is in me?

And whether it’s fear, whether it’s shame, whether it’s anything that you’re carrying, that’s the key of Christmas! A Savior has come and He immersed not only in your world, He’s willing to immerse in your life. And it changes everything.

The question, the question for you today is, do you even have Jesus as part of your life? Have you even begun that journey that He changes it?

And if you do, maybe you’re like me. I have these areas that I find myself struggling whether it’s anxiety or that. And instead of condemning myself for it, instead of going, “Oh, man, you need to fix that.” You know what I’ve embraced? I’ve embraced I have a Savior who is literally perfect love. And what does 1 John tell us? It tells us that there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.

And so, those places in my life when I see it, you know what my new thing is? I just go, “Okay, I need to experience Your perfect love more. I need more of You and less of me.” And as I focus on Him, you know what happens in that process? It begins to displace what was there.

Now, I know you may look at this and you go, “Man, that’s a pretty simple picture.” I am telling you, all through this room, all through this church, it is filled with people that we have experienced that in Jesus. He has changed lives, He has changed homes, He has changed marriages, but it took Him coming in and doing what only He can do. It didn’t take us trying to do it harder or more. We needed a Savior. There are so many lives that He has changed.

This church is filled with people that Christ has come into our lives and He is in this process of displacing our fear. For some people, addiction. Some people it’s shame they have carried.

Because He came as a Savior. My hope for you is that this Christmas you would experience the peace on earth, the peace in your heart, the peace in your life that only Jesus can bring. But hear me, you’re not going to get there doing it trying harder. You have to invite Him in. You have to open your life to Him. You have to begin a process where He not only comes in, but over the course of your life, He continues to fill you in a way that He is displacing all of this stuff that we want to leave behind.

And for some of you here today, this may be brand-new for you. Maybe you’re a little skeptical about it. Here’s all I would ask: Would you just keep checking it out? Don’t you owe it to yourself to just find out if it’s true? Don’t you owe it to yourself to pursue it? God brought you here today, you’re at least at a point that it’s worth investigating.

Some of you are here today and you have walked with Jesus for a number of years, but you have also struggled with fear in a real way. And I would ask you, don’t turn it around and beat yourself up with it. Don’t walk out of here and go, “Oh, I’ve got to do it harder.” Every one of those places where you feel that fear, that’s just another opportunity for you to go, “Oh, Jesus, that’s where I need Your perfect love. You’re going to have to still do something there and I need more of You.” I encourage you to invite Him in that.

And for some of you here today, man, you need to take the first step. God has been working on your heart, Christ has been working in your life, you know you need Jesus in you, and I would just encourage you, I can’t think of a better time to invite Him in than Christmas.