Freed From Fear – Romans 8:14-18
On May 26, 1986, People Express flight number 14 from San Francisco to Newark was ready to depart. Suddenly a wild-eyed man who "looked Iranian" bolted from his seat and ran out the door. Knocking aside startled security officers, he frantically tried to escape through the locked doors of the terminal before an airport police officer finally tackled and subdued him. Was he a terrorist? No. He was just a very average American who was afraid to fly. Unfortunately, he was so frightened of being locked into the confines of the Boeing 707 that he delayed the flight and made himself look foolish!
What they did was order all 200 passengers off the plane; and all the baggage was removed. While police searched for a bomb and passengers fumed over the delay, the embarrassed man had to convince officials that he was simply afraid. And you have to believe that additional embarrassment came about when the story made it onto the national news.
Why did this man let the mere thought of flying cause him to suffer such humiliation? Well, he didn't really understand it himself. He told investigators that he did not really expect the plane to crash. Nor was he afraid that the plane might be hijacked. He only knew that as he sat inside the airplane and heard the doors begin to slam shut, he felt as if he were choking.
Fear does terrible things to us, doesn't it? Whether it is a full blown anxiety attack, or just that feeling that we KNOW that something bad is going to happen, it can get to the point where it smothers our daily living, or at the least, it limits our aspirations. It exaggerate things that are there and sometimes even causes us see things that are not there. I chuckled when I read about a tourist visiting a castle in Scotland who told the owner that he had just seen the family ghost in an upstairs corridor. "Did it give you a start?" the lord of the castle asked.
"To tell you the truth," said the tourist, "I didn't need one."
A sad event, caused by fear, occurred at the zoo in Omaha, Nebraska sometime back. Twenty-three wallabies died after stray dogs got into the zoo one night. Ironically, the dogs were unable to get inside the wallaby enclosure. But they didn't have to: the wallabies died from internal injuries suffered while crashing into the fence and one another. They were literally scared to death. Twenty-three dead wallabies testify to the consuming strength and intensity of fear.
I wonder how many of us live with this burden of fear?
I've known children, even as adults, who would not discuss life changing situations with their parents because they were afraid of mom or dad’s reaction, employees afraid to stand up to their employers, sales people who have failed in their work because they feared rejection.
I know of young people who have messed up their lives because they were afraid to say "no" to the crowd, married folks who have gotten caught up in infidelity out of fear that they were no longer desirable, old people who have given up on life because they no longer had confidence in their ability to cope.
The list goes on and on – lives that have been crippled by fear.
So it is indeed good news to read our Epistle lesson for today, "For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption...."
Notice that this message is addressed to believers. St. Paul is not speaking to the world, but to the church – he is speaking to you and to me. He is saying that FEAR IS OUR ENEMY. Think of how often in the scriptures we read the words, "Fear not” or “Do not be afraid."
The call to follow Christ is a call to boldness. It is a call to let our light shine for all the world to see. It is a call to courage. You’ve heard me say it before: the opposite of faith is not doubt – the opposite of faith is fear. Fear is our enemy.
You see, fear distorts reality. Thomas Boomershine tells about a frightening experience that occurred when he was about ten. He and his friend, Jim, were sledding in a local park. The park was right in the middle of town and only about a half mile wide. There was a wooded area on one side, and a cemetery and an open field on the other. It was a typical winter day with long shadows cast on the snow from the clouds above. Usually there were a lot of kids out sledding, but on that afternoon Tom and Jim were the only kids in the park.
At one point Jim saw something and called out to his friend Tom. "Hey, Boomer, did you see that, over there in the cemetery? It looked like something was moving." Tom looked out, but saw nothing except the trees and tombstones. After a moment in which they both looked hard toward that cemetery, Jim continued, "It must have been my imagination. But I'd swear I saw something moving over there."
After that, they continued to sled for a while but the fun was gone. They tried to be cheerful, but it was a losing battle. It was too late to be cheerful. Tom and Jim were scared. Suddenly Jim shouted, "Look! It's a panther!" Tom looked. And he swears to this day that he saw a big black panther running down through the cemetery and across the snow-covered field, coming toward them. The boys turned and ran with all their might, afraid for their very lives.
As Tom ran through the woods he could hear the panther getting closer and closer behind him. He was terrified. Finally getting close to his house he tripped over his sled and fell into the snow. He knew that he was done for! He waited to feel the panther's hot breath and his claws on his back.
But nothing happened. After a moment, somewhat to his surprise, Tom got up and ran into his house. He told his mother what had happened, but she assured him that there was really was no panther.
The boys' imaginations had been working overtime - there was no real danger, but they thought there was, and they experienced a gut-wrenching fear.
Someone has turned the word fear into an acronym.
Fear, they say, is False Evidence Appearing Real.
When we fear, we have a false view of reality. Fear makes us give up before we even begin. It causes us to take an alternate route rather than the road that leads to our destination. It makes us see obstacles rather than opportunities.
Some of you may remember the hysteria that swept our country about half a century ago when towns began fluoridating their water supply. The health office in one small town received dozens of complaints that the fluoridated water was discoloring their saucepans, that it was giving them digestive troubles. One woman complained that the "fluoride water" had caused her dentures to crack. But all of these complaints came in before the city even began to fluoridate.
Fear is our enemy. It distorts reality. While it may serve a useful function in some circumstances, when it becomes a pervasive influence in our lives, it is destructive. So then, what is the cure? How can we be freed from the curse of fear?
Well,
WE CAN BEGIN WITH A COMMITMENT TO BOLDNESS.
Let us keep our eyes upon Jesus. Acknowledge that fear is the opposite of faith. "For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear ...."
Fear is a spiritual problem.
Consider, for example, St. Paul. He was confronted with shipwrecks, imprisonment, beatings, and all manner of physical and social persecution.
He would never have been the ambassador for Christ that he was, if he had given in to his fears. And neither can we.
Just last week we talked about the risks of faith, and there is risk involved. Jesus talked in terms of losing one's life in order to save it. That kind of talk is not for timid souls.
Now of course, the majority of people would never willingly lose their life like Jim Elliott and his fellow missionaries did. Some people – maybe even most of us are always trying to minimize our risks. Aren’t we like the African impala which can leap to a height of over 10 feet and cross a distance of greater than 30 feet. Yet these creatures can be kept in an enclosure in any zoo with a mere 3-foot solid wall. An impala will not jump if it cannot see where its feet will land.
Can you see how contrary this is to the call of Christ? Far too many Christians are stopped by our inability to know for sure the future.
We know we need to jump to get to the other side but we are afraid since we can’t yet see the ground where we will land.
Far too many believers refuse to live out their beliefs. We need to be willing to move forward for Christ.
"Let your light so shine. . ." says Jesus. “Don't hide it under a bushel !" "For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear …: Make a new commitment today to spiritual boldness. Be more concerned with being respected than being liked! Let the world know what you're made of! Make a commitment to courage!
But wait. There is more to Paul's admonition. "For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption...."
YOU AND I HAVE BEEN ADOPTED.
Visualize in your mind that the wealthiest person in the world comes to you and says, "I have decided to legally adopt you." Then he adds, "That means that some day everything I have will be yours." Think how your life would be changed.
Now imagine that the Lord of the universe comes to you and says the same thing. But this isn't a dream, this has actually happened to us. You and I have been adopted by God.
As you learn to focus on Christ and to keep moving forward into the face of your fears, fear becomes less of a problem.
Why? Because you learn to trust your heavenly Father.
Do you know who your father is?
Dr. Rodney Wilmoth was lecturing in Texas a few summers ago. The pastor of the church there had a son named Dolph who was twenty-seven years old, but still lived at home with his parents because he was born with Down's Syndrome. Everyone who meets Dolph can sense what a joy he is to his family and friends. He sings in the church choir and has a marvelous sense of humor. And he also has a job that he takes very seriously.
One day as he was riding to church with his father, Dolph said, "Dad, I wish I could drive a car." His father's answer was kind and gentle, "You know why you can't drive, don't you?"
Dolph replied, "Yes, because I have Down's Syndrome, and in the state of Texas, I can't get a license."
Later, when Dr. Wilmoth had finished his lecture, he asked if anyone had any questions to ask. Dolph had a question. He asked, "Do you think if Jesus saw me, he would see someone who is not normal? Would he see someone with Down's Syndrome?" A great silence spread through the church.
"Dolph," Dr. Wilmoth answered, "I believe that Jesus would see what I see. When I look at you, I do not see someone with Down's Syndrome. I see a wonderful, delightful child of God."
It was obvious that Dolph liked that answer. Beaming, he said, "I know just what you mean, because when I receive communion and see the hands of my dad giving me the bread, I look up and I do not see my dad. Instead I see the face of Jesus."
Dolph has something you and I need: he knows that he has been adopted.
When you come to the Lord’s Table this morning, when you receive Holy Communion, don’t see the hands of Sam or Jerry or Millie giving you the bread and the wine. Instead, see the face of Jesus. He lived and died that you and I might live a life free from fear; a life of freedom in His Kingdom come. "For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption...."
