DEFINED BY GRACE - Week 3
"Marred by fear, Defined by Peace"
Fear is Natural
a negative gift
- like pain or nausea
protects us
- from ourselves (Eden)
- from each other (post Fall)
Problem of Fear
idolatry of fear - not worship of
- given primacy of importance or percentage
"be not afraid"
- not fear of running a chainsaw
- but you need not fear me - "don't let fear make this choice for you"
Jesus offers Antidote
courage is not the opposite of fear
- courage is taking the correct action in spite of fear
control or mastery of a situation
- our antidote
- problem with our antidote = situational, circumstantial
Jesus grants peace
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
- not based on circumstances, not based on us at all, based on Him
15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!"
KEY VERSE - Jn 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.