Mars Hill Fellowship

MESSAGE |

Faith Overcomes Fear

SERIES |

Just Do It

SCRIPTURE |

Exodus 3:7-14; Philippians 4:6-7

SPEAKER |

Pastor Joseph Ardayfio

KEY THEME |

I. Many of our fears stem from the fear of vulnerability and the fear of losing control. Yet, we were never designed to control everything by ourselves. God is the only person that can handle everything.

1. When we try to maintain control by ourselves, we take on responsible for dealing with every issue that comes before us. Our actual problem is our lack of dependence on God.
2. We have to be careful if we deal with our hurts, pains, and insecurities by franticly building up walls of protection. It is possible that our walls are shutting God out of our lives.

II. In Exodus 3, we see how God teaches Moses to wrestle with his fears. We can learn 3 things from Moses’ journey from fear to faith.

III. The first thing that we learn from Moses is that we will be overwhelmed with fear when we try to take on both GOD’S PART and OUR PART.

1. GOD’S PART was to deliver the Israelites from the hand of the Egyptians. MOSES’ PART was to Go with the strength of the Lord. Fear consumed Moses because he was too concerned with God’s part.
2. In the kingdom of God, you have to lose control (over to God), in order to gain control.

IV. The second thing that we learn from Moses is that our response to fear demonstrates where we have placed our faith.

1. God always knew that there would be potential threats to Moses’ assignment, but God had already made a way of escape. (Exodus 3:19-21) Faith enables us to trust that God knows what is coming, even if He doesn’t announce it to us in advance.
2. When Moses feared his capability to succeed, the Lord reminded him that God knew everything about him. “The Lord said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord? ¹² Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” (EXODUS 4:11)
3. For many of us, our faith never gets activated in the face of fear because we are not courageous enough to trust that God is with us in our challenges. We have to be patient enough to let God work.

V. The third thing that we learn from Moses is that the proper response to fear, danger or threats is to cast our cares on God.

1. Fear causes us to worry, but faith causes us to pray. When Moses realized that the people might not listen to him, Moses should have brought his concerns to God by prayer and petition with thanksgiving. (Phil 4:6-7)
1. Moses’ fear prompted him to say, “God, here is my problem. It won’t work, I quit!”
2. A faith response says, “Lord I thank you that you spent time in forming me and have created all things well. I thank you that have chosen me for this assignment and my request to you is Lord, give me to have the courage to trust your will and to recognize that your presence is with me. Lord, when I am insecure, help me to be strong. Lord, when I am doubting, help me to trust. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Scripture Index:

Exodus 3:1-21
Exodus 4:1
Exodus 4:10-12
Philippians 4:6-7