The Fear of Man Destroyed By Trust In God

Q: What does the Bible say about the fear of man?

The Bible teaches that the fear of man brings a snare, but trusting in God leads to safety (Proverbs 29:25). The fear of man is addressed in several places in scripture, particularly in Proverbs 29:25, which states that the fear of man brings a snare, meaning it can trap individuals, inhibiting their ability to walk in faith. Instead, those who put their trust in the Lord are promised safety and deliverance. This fear often compels people to compromise their faith or to seek the approval of others over the approval of God, as seen in the examples of biblical figures who faltered under fear of man’s judgment.

Q: How do we know that trusting God destroys fear?

Trusting God destroys fear because it shifts our focus from people to God's promises and protection. The sermon illustrates that faith in God equips believers with the boldness to overcome fear. For instance, in the presence of fear, David proclaimed that he would not be afraid because the Lord is his strength and salvation. This relationship with God, characterized by trust and love, ensures that we are bolstered by His promises, such as the assurance found in Psalm 91, where God declares He will set His love upon those who know Him. Thus, putting trust in God leads to a confidence that outweighs any intimidation from men.

Q: Why is seeking God's approval important for Christians?

Seeking God's approval is crucial because it leads to true spiritual fellowship and freedom from worldly pressures. The desire for God's approval is foundational for a Christian's walk of faith. It leads to a deeper fellowship with God and empowers believers to stand firm in their convictions. In the sermon, it's emphasized that seeking the approval of man can lead to compromise and intimation that distracts from the gospel. True freedom and courage come from knowing we are accepted in Christ and that our ultimate accountability is to God, as the Apostle Paul stated when he distinguished between pleasing men and being a servant of Christ.

Q: What does Psalm 91 teach about God's protection?

Psalm 91 teaches that God is a refuge and protector for those who trust in Him. Psalm 91 is a profound declaration of God’s protection for those who abide in Him. It speaks of God as a refuge and fortress, emphasizing that believers are under His care and protection. Verse 9 states that those who make the Lord their dwelling place will find safety and deliverance from evil. This assurance of protection provides comfort in times of fear and uncertainty, allowing believers to stand firm against the pressures and fears instigated by the world.

Q: How does fear of man affect Christian witness?

The fear of man often hinders Christians from boldly confessing their faith and sharing the gospel. The fear of man can severely restrict a believer's witness, leading them to shy away from openly declaring their faith and advocating for the gospel. The sermon identifies instances from scripture where individuals succumbed to fear—like Aaron and Peter—showcasing how the desire for acceptance can lead to significant spiritual compromise. This fear keeps believers from fulfilling their calling as witnesses of Christ and partakers in the divine mission, urging them to confront their fears with the confidence derived from God’s promises.

And I'll read that now, and then
I'll include verse 10, because that's where I want to pick up
this evening, with the subject that's presented
in verse 10. Now let's look at verse 6, Galatians
1. Paul says to the churches of
Galatia, I'm amazed, I marvel. that you are so soon removed
from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another
gospel. Which is not another, but there
be some that trouble you and would pervert, confuse, frustrate
the gospel of Christ. But though we are an angel from
heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have
preached unto you, let him be accursed, anathema, maranatha,
under the judgment of God when Christ comes. As we said before,
so say I now again. I repeat what I just said. preach any other gospel, there's
but one gospel, the gospel of Christ. Substitution, satisfaction,
righteousness, precious blood. If any man preach any other gospel
unto you than that you have received, let him be accursed unto God's
judgment. Paul, now watch this verse. Do
I now persuade men of God? Am I trying to get along with
men, or am I trying to please God? Do I seek to please men? Does the fear of man motivate
me? The desire for the approval of
men, is that what motivates me, or do I seek to please God? I know this. If I yet please
men, if that's my objective, to get along with this world
and the people of this world, I would not be the servant of
Christ. Now, most compromise in matters
pertaining to God, most compromise in spiritual matters, is the
result of fear. fear of man, either fear or covetousness. The fear of man and the desire
for man's approval causes people to do what they should not do,
and causes many to leave off doing what they ought to do.
For example, we see that in the scriptures, even in the lives
of some of God's special and choice people. Aaron Moses partner
Aaron who later became the high priest out of fear and Seeking
to the approval of the people of Israel He yielded to the popular
demand of the people and he made a golden calf Moses was up on
the mountain and when he came back the people were dancing
about the golden calf and Aaron had yielded to their demands,
and trying to have their approval, and he made a golden tag. Abraham, out of fear, doubted
God's promise, and denied Sarah, his wife, before a heathen king,
King Abimelech. He said, she's not my wife, she's
my sister. He did that out of fear, fear
of man. The Apostle Peter, when our Lord
had been arrested and was taken to the judgment hall, Peter was
sitting out in the courtyard. He had followed the Lord to that
place. He was sitting there warming his hands about the fire, and
someone asked, Aren't you one of the disciples? He said, No.
Someone else said, Well, I know you're one of the disciples.
I've seen you with them. No, I'm not one of the disciples.
And a little maid came by and she said, well, I know he's one
of the disciples. His feats betrayeth him. And
Peter began to curse and to swear and said, I don't know that man.
Fear. Fear. David, who stood boldly, he came
when God's people were being intimidated by Goliath the giant. And he came there just a young
man in his late teens and began to upbraid his own brethren because
they were afraid of Goliath. And he said, is there not a cause,
God's cause? He said, I'll fight for John.
He tried to put Saul's armor on him and he wouldn't have Saul's
armor. He tried to give him Saul's great
sword. He wouldn't take it. He took
his sling. picked up five stones from the brook and went out to
face the giants. This same David, who stood so boldly before Goliath,
found no courage when he stood before King Achish and the Philistines. And he feigned madness and slobbered
and let spittle run down his shirt. and acted like he was
crazy, and they let him go, out of fear. You see, the fear of
man, and the desire for man's approval,
keeps people from boldly confessing Christ, and openly honoring him,
and openly defending his gospel, and his what? Fear of man. and the desire for approval.
If you'll turn with me to the book of John, John chapter 5,
I want you to listen to what our Lord said when he brought
these charges against those religious people. In John chapter 5, verse
42, the Master said in John 5, verse
42, I know you. You have not the love of God
in you. But I am come in my Father's name, and you receive me not.
If another shall come in his own name, him you will receive.
How can you believe which receive honor one of another? And you
seek not the honor that cometh from God only, you seek the approval
of men. The honor that comes from the
world, not the honor that comes from God, the approval from God,
but you seek the honor and approval of men. And that fear and that
desire for man's approval and seeking the honor of this world
keeps folks from boldly confessing Christ and openly honoring him. What will my friends say? If
I confess this gospel and confess Christ and confess that I believe
the word, I'm a humble believer in the righteousness of Christ
and the blood of Christ, what will my worldly friends have
to say? What about my fellow workmen
when I go back on the job and tell them, yes, I believe the
gospel, I believe the word of God, I believe Christ gave himself
for us, took our sins in his body on the tree and died for
our redemption, was buried and rose again. And he's our great
high priest at the right hand of God. I believe that. I believe that. Like Joshua said,
I don't know about the rest of you, but as for me and my house,
we're serving God. And what will they say down there
on the job? My fellow workmen, will they
ridicule me? Will they laugh at me? Will they
persecute me? It's a good possibility that
they will. But will that fear of them and
of their harassment and their scoffing, does that keep you
from confessing Christ? Had you rather have his approval
or theirs? Had you rather face their frown
or his frown? Do I seek to please men or God?" And then someone else says, well,
my position, my job, my income could be endangered. If I take a firm stand for the
gospel of God and the glory of God and the truth of God, it
could endanger my position of leadership. It could affect my
income." Well, our Lord said, take no thought for what you
shall eat or drink or wear. He said, that's what the heathens
say. He said, consider the sparrows. Consider the ravens. They toil
not. They don't have barns, and yet
your Father feeds them. Are you not better than the birds?
Consider the lilies of the field. They tore not neither did the
spin, and yet Solomon, with all of his kingly garments, was never
arrayed like a beautiful lily. If your father takes care of
the grass, will he not take care of you, O ye of little faith?
Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. God will
provide. And I'll tell you this, the fear
of man and the desire for man's approval, The desire for promotion,
the desire for prestige sometimes keeps certain preachers from
preaching the truth, from preaching God's free and sovereign grace. They shy away from the offense
of the gospel. They shy away from the offense
of the cross. They say those things that men
want to hear. That's what Timothy said would
happen. He said, in the last days, he said, men shall be lovers
of themselves more than lovers of God. And they shall heap to
themselves teachers having itching ears. Depart from the faith. Fear. Fear. Fear of rejection. Fear of persecution. fear of disapproval, fear of
the loss of earthly things. Well, I found some writings on
this subject by three of the great old writers two or three
hundred years ago. Thomas Manton had this to say
about this subject, the fear of man and the desire for man's
approval. and losing the fellowship of
God. Listen. Thomas Manton says the soul,
the person that cannot entirely believe Christ and trust Him, whether other
people approve or don't approve, whether other people are pleased
or they are displeased, that person who cannot in the face
of criticism and conflict and opposition cannot believe Christ
and trust him, he can never very long be true to God and his word. He will depart from the faith. If men look to men for approval,
they lose the fellowship of God. When men look to the world for
honor, they lose the presence of God, and they stab a knife
into the very heart of true faith. When we will not courageously
and boldly believe the gospel and declare it uncompromisingly,
in simplicity and truth, But we compromise it to get along
with the world. We take a dagger and stab it
into the heart of God and the heart of true faith. Robert Murray McShane, I want
you to listen to what he said about this. The fear of man and the desire for man's approval
is an idol It's a grim idol which has devoured
many souls. This idol's eyes are full of
hatred for grace. Scoffs and jeers lurk on his
face when grace and the gospel is mentioned. He has a laugh
of scorn for God's glory. And he has a life of scorn for
God's wisdom. And he has only ridicule for
the cross. And he returns criticism for
your kindness. And he returns ridicule for your
patience. And he'll do all within his power
to keep you from being true to what you believe. He'll keep
you from worship services any way that he can. He'll try to
drive a wedge between you and your pastor and you and your
brethren. He'll tempt you with false religious
forms that are so beautiful and popular programs which appeal
to your flesh more than your spirit. He'll help you justify
any effort and any activity which will prosper you materially.
He'll help you find a reason for going that way, knowing that
it'll deprive you spiritually. Oh, the idol of fear has devoured
many souls. And then Charles Spurgeon said this, the fear of man is
foolish. The fear of any creature is unreasonable. Why should I fear a worm whose
days are numbered? Why should I fear a worm whose
strength is controlled by puppet strings in the hands of God, in whose hands are even the heart
of the King? Why should I fear a worm whose
influence and power is completely determined by the will and purpose
of God? He said, Pharaoh, for this same
purpose have I raised you up. Mighty Pharaoh, king of Egypt,
greatest army in the world, leader of the greatest, richest nation
in the world. God said, I put you where you
are to glorify my name. Why should I fear someone who's
where they are only to accomplish his purpose? And when his purpose
is accomplished, they're gone. Moses is remembered. You don't
even know Pharaoh's name. Why should I fear a worm whose
weapons are no more than the temporary sting of a bee? Oh, they hurt, but only for the
moment. Only for the moment. Well, God's
prophets under divine inspiration give us the answer to fear. There's
an answer to fear. It's faith. The fear of man is destroyed
by faith, by trusting God. When we trust God, We don't fear
what man can do. Listen to the word. I want you
to turn to this scripture. I'll quote some of the others,
but Proverbs, Proverbs 29, Proverbs 29, 25. Let's turn there and
look at this together. Proverbs 29, 25, the fear of
man. And that's intimidation. I'm not talking about being afraid
of a gun or afraid of a knife or afraid of things of that nature. What we're talking about here
is intimidation. Being intimidated by people of
the world. Seeking to always gain their
approval. Being maybe ashamed of your humble
beginnings because it doesn't match with their particular position,
who they are, what they are, what they have, being ashamed
because you don't have as much as they have, being intimidated
by them. That's fear of man. Letting them
influence your behavior because they seem to be richer or smarter
or greater or older or stronger. That's fear. None of us are afraid anybody's
going to kill us. I saw a sign the other day in
a parking lot. It says the only reason some
people are alive is because it's against the law to kill them.
And I thought, well, he's got a point there. But that's not what I'm talking
about, fear of man. I'm talking about a preacher
who won't preach the truth because he's afraid his salary might
be cut. Or somebody might leave the church,
or somebody might criticize him, or quit, or not like what he
said. You know what I'm talking about? Intimidation. Or he might
not gain another rung up the ladder, or some person on the
job who will not confess Christ and stands for what he believes,
but he laughs at the foolishness of men and the things that he
doesn't approve of at all. But he's intimidated. You know
what I'm saying? That's fear. That's fear. And young people, peer pressure,
allowing drugs and homosexuality and things like this to make
them compromise what they believe. And somebody that's got a big
mouth, you know, allowing them to sway you. That's intimidation. That's fear, you see. And when
you fear God, you don't have to fear anybody else. That's
what the Scripture says. The fear of man bringeth a snare.
It'll trap you like a bear caught in the forest. But whoso putteth his trust in
the Lord shall be safe. And that word, you've got a mark
in your Bible, shall be set on high. Set on high. Now let me just
quote you some of these scriptures. God called him to go out of his
father's house, where he was brought up and his kindred, to
a land He would show him. And He said, Abraham, now don't
you be afraid. Genesis 15-1. He said, don't
be afraid. I'm your shield. I'm your shield. I'm your protector. And I'm your
exceeding great reward. And David said in that beloved
Psalm 23, Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow
of death, I won't be afraid. I'll fear no evil, the heart
with me. When you fear him, you don't
fear anything else or anyone else. In Psalm 27, David said,
The Lord is my light, the Lord is my salvation. Whom shall I
fear? The Lord is the strength of my
life. What I am, he made me. What I have, he gave me. What
I know, he taught me. Where I am, he placed me. Why
should I be afraid? He's the strength of my life. Whom shall I be afraid? I want to praise my Father, my
Lord. And in pleasing him, if I can
please men, I'm delighted, aren't you? If I can walk in peace with him
and walk in peace with you, I'm delighted. But if one of them
has to go, it has to be you, even if it's a beloved relative,
even if it's a cherished friend. But two can't walk together except
they be agreed. And when we trust him and fear
him and love him and rest in him, we're agreed with him. John
said our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus
Christ. And our prayer for you is that
your fellowship might be with us. Moses said to his father-in-law,
now we're not staying here with you. Come thou with us. Come with us and we'll do you
good." No, his father-in-law said, I'm
not going. Then he hugged his neck and kissed
him and left. It's not easy. It's not easy. But God never
said it would be. He said the world hated you,
it hated me before it hated you. He said, if they receive my word,
they'll receive your word. If they love me, they'll love
you. David said in Psalm 46, God is
our refuge, God is our strength, a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we'll not fear, though the earth be removed and though
the mountains be carried into the sea. In Psalm 56, verse 3 and 4, David said, When
I am afraid, I trust in the Lord. In God I will trust. I will praise
His Word. In God I'll put my trust. Listen. In God I have put my
trust. In God I will put my trust. And I will not fear what man
can do to me." There it is. That's what destroys fear. That's
what destroys intimidation. That's what destroys the desire
for the approval of the flesh. We seek his approval, his fellowship. I want to turn
to that scripture that Brother Chuck Moore read, Psalm 91. Psalm
91. And here you say, well, how does
faith in Christ and trust in Christ give the believer such
boldness and such confidence and such assurance and deliver
him from the fear of men? We do care what people think.
Yes, we do. A person doesn't want to be disliked. But what is it that gives us
deliverance from the fear of men and dispels this interest
in man's approval and honor? Here it is in Psalm 91. It's
because of our relationship with him. Now look at two verses. Psalm 91, verse 9. Because thou
hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, Even the Most High,
thy habitation, thy dwelling place. The habitation is a dwelling
place. Where is this dwelling place?
Look back at verse 1. He that dwelleth in the secret
place. Where is the secret place? It's
the most holy place. It's the presence of God. And
we dwell in the presence of God in Christ, seated with Him in
the heavenlies. We dwell in the secret place
of the Most High, and we abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
That's our habitation in Him. We're under the shadow of His
wings, whose power no foe can withstand, whose protection no
foe can overcome. He's our city of refuge. The
avenger of blood cannot touch us. He's our fortress. He's our
wall of the city. He's our life. He's our hope.
He's our friend. We're in Him by grace. He's my rock and my
fortress. And then secondly, verse 14,
because He has set His love upon me, therefore will I deliver
Him. I will set Him on high because
He has known my name. Two things. Our relationship
with Him. We're in Him and He loves us. We're in Him and He loves us. Now, I could pick any man in
this congregation or any woman because of our love for our children.
How we love our children. How special they are. You know,
I read the other day about a mother bear, a grizzly bear, a big grizzly
bear. I forget where it was, somewhere
out west where they grow wheat and all of these things and they're
harvesting wheat and putting it in trains, on trains and shipping
it out. Well, this grizzly bear and her
two cubs were down in the railroad yards picking up some kind of
straw or wheat or something that had fallen from the trains and
they were eating it. And the two little bears got
too close to the track and a train came and hit both of them and killed them. You know what
she did? She attacked one of those diesels.
Can you imagine? That grizzly bear The account,
the article said, went after that train. Nearly killed herself because
that train had hurt her cub. And that's the way every man
here or woman feels about our children. I have two sons. They
call me father because I am their father. I'm their father. They're my sons. We have a relationship. He's my father. I'm his son. And these two boys I love. And
they love me. And there's nothing I wouldn't
do. There's nothing I wouldn't give. For their benefit and blessing,
there's nothing that I could afford that I wouldn't give them.
Even my life. There's no danger or hurt that
I wouldn't shield them from. according to my ability. Isn't
that true? And our Lord used that. He said,
if you being evil know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more shall the Father with infinite, everlasting, unchangeable
love for his people? If a grizzly bear will give her
life to protect her cubs, and a son of Adam would give his
life for any of his children or grandchildren. How much more? You see what I'm saying? Why
should I fear people? Worms of the dust, grasshoppers. People are here today and gone
tomorrow. People whose influence is only
in their nostrils and in their breath. And when their breath's
gone, their influence is gone. Why should I fear them? He's
my habitation. He's my father. He loves me. He loves me. Therefore, I will
not fear or trust Him." And here, as Chuck
closed that 91st Psalm, listen to what he says about Him. Because
the Lord is my refuge, verse 14, because He set His love upon
me, Set my love upon him because he said his love on me. You know
that Yes, we love him Peter said when the Lord questioned him
do you love me he said, you know everything, you know, I love
you And we love him because he first
loved us Love of God shed abroad in our hearts for the Holy Spirit.
It's not a product of this human nature That kind of love doesn't
exist in this nature. I It's God's love. And he gives
us this sevenfold legacy here. Look at it, verse 14, 15, 16.
Number one, because he has set his love upon me, therefore I
will deliver him. He'll deliver us, set us free. The word deliver means to set
free. If the Son makes you free, you're free indeed. Free from
the curse of the law, free from the claims of justice, free from
death, free from judgment. There's no judgment to them who
are in Christ. I'll deliver him. Notice he said, I'll do it, and
I will do it. I like the shalls and the will.
God didn't say perhaps. He said, I will. Look at the
next line. I'll set him on high. This is
not the high seats of government. Listen, listen to me. These are not the high seats
of business and government. These are not even the high seats
of religion. Many men have occupied these
high seats in government, business, and religion to their eternal
regret. This is to be seated with Christ. He trusts me. I'll deliver him. And I'll seat him on high. I'll
set him on high because he's known my name. Listen to the
third one. He shall call upon me and I'll answer him. Listen, I'll answer him. Four
words, I will answer him. Most everyone prays occasionally. Millions of prayers every day
are read, sung, or said, but the Lord says here in regard
to his people and their prayers, I'll answer them. I'll answer them. It won't always be what they
think is best, but it will be what is best. It won't always
be to meet their wants, but it'll meet their needs. I'll answer
them. And then, fourthly, I'll be with
him in trouble. In this world, you'll have trouble.
With trouble, Paul said, on every side. But I'll be with him. I'll be with him. I'll fear no
evil. Thou art with me. I'm not alone. That's what Elijah said to his
servant, Lord, open his eyes and let him see that we're not
alone. His presence, Lord, I'm with you always. His purpose,
all things work together for your good. His power, my grace
is sufficient. I'll be with him. And then, listen,
I'll deliver him and I'll really honor him. This world can give
you temporary honors, prestige, power, wealth, but it's all temporary. It's like that merry-go-round
the fellow rode. He got off right where he got
on, and you're going to get off the merry-go-round of life right
where you got on. Naked, you came into the world,
and that's where you're going now. No matter what you accumulate,
no matter what you accomplish, you're going to leave. And let
me tell you, my friends, in a very short time you'll be
forgotten. You better chisel your name deeply
somewhere on a piece of stone, otherwise it won't even be remembered. But God said, I'll really honor
him. I'll really honor him. I'll lift
him from the dunghill and set him among princes. He'll reign
with Christ forever. His name is written in heaven,
not on marble slabs on this earth. I'll really honor him. And look
at verse 60, "...with long life will I satisfy him." Somehow,
I don't believe that has anything to do with life on this earth. Because even at the longest,
it's short. But I'll tell you what he's talking
about here. He's talking about eternal life. The longest life
on this earth is but a day. But I'll tell you, eternity is
forever. I'll give him long life. And
last of all, Verse 16, I'll show him my salvation. Back there
when our Lord came to this earth, when he left heaven's glory and
came down here to be born of the virgin, there was a man called Simeon
who dwelt in the temple. And he was looking for the consolation
of Israel. He was looking for the Messiah.
He was about the only one who was, an old man, Simeon. You see, God had told him that
he wouldn't die until he had seen the Lord's salvation, the
Lord's Christ, the Messiah. After many years, one morning
he came to the temple, as he always did. He dwelt there. There
was a young Jewish maiden and her husband who had brought her
firstborn son to the temple to offer two turtledoves, sacrifices,
which a woman had to bring when she gave birth to a child under
Jewish law. She was too poor to bring a lamb.
She brought turtledoves. And when Simeon walked in, the
Spirit of God led him over to that couple. And he reached and
took that child out of her arms and lifted his eyes to heaven.
And he said, Lord, now let thy servant depart in peace according
to your word. Mine eyes have seen thy salvation. Everybody who was anybody turned
thumbs down on him. He was despised, rejected of
men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. They hid, as it were,
their faces from him. They cried, crucify him. But
Simeon saw what they didn't see. He saw salvation in that man. God said, I'll do that for you.
You trust me. Don't fear what man can do. Don't
be intimidated. Don't be persuaded. come apart
and be separate. Trust me, and I'll deliver you,
I'll honor you, I'll answer you, I'll set you on high, and I'll
show you my salvation. Our Father, thank you for your
word. Thank you for the promises of
your love all fulfilled, all and amen in Christ Jesus. And
we need not fear nor doubt or seek the approval of this world
when we have your fellowship. Make this word to be effectual
to our hearts and our hearts to be devoted to thee in Christ
Jesus. In his name we pray, amen.

The Fear of Man Destroyed By Trust In God

What does the Bible say about the fear of man?

How do we know that trusting God destroys fear?

Why is seeking God's approval important for Christians?

What does Psalm 91 teach about God's protection?

How does fear of man affect Christian witness?

Sermon Transcript

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The Fear of Man Destroyed By Trust In God

What does the Bible say about the fear of man?

How do we know that trusting God destroys fear?

Why is seeking God's approval important for Christians?

What does Psalm 91 teach about God's protection?

How does fear of man affect Christian witness?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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