FEAR

Last time our country went through something like this was in 1918.  Our district was not formed yet.  Rare times – compliment to you – God has seen fit to put you in leadership during this type of opportunity.  What a tremendous statement about you – how God views and values you.  What a privilege to live in this time – what an amazing opportunity to lead in this time.

Maxwell wrote about problems and he introduced an acrostic I have revisited many times in my life.

  • Predictor of what may come up

  • Reminders of your values and goals.  Problems only serve to solidify what you already said is important.

  • Opportunity for what we are walking thru will make us better

  • Blessing because they cause us to change and move in a positive direction

  • Lesson – what can I learn from this?

  • Everywhere – problems are consistent with leadership.  The only failure in times of problem is by the one who thinks that they can be avoided.

  • Message – about where we need to improve and where we need to be strengthened

  • Solvable – the fact that problems can be solved means we are in a process. This is where creativity comes in.

In Numbers 13-14 the children of Israel find themselves in a time of problem / opportunity.

  • Crossing Jordan

  • Don’t let fear and frustration prevent you from capturing the potential of what God has for you.

  • One of the most dramatic stories in scripture.

  • People on the verge of what they wanted.

  • Hope for.

  • Prayed for.

  • 400 years in bondage.

  • Deliverance.

  • And now a promise fulfilled - a land flowing with milk and honey.

  • The spies bring back the fruit of the land, evidence of all that God had promised.

Numbers 13:28 – BUT – but the people there are huge – there is a problem. 

Numbers 14 starts this way

That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. 2 All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! 3 Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4 And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.

Three things we need to remember when leading in times like this.

1.   Fear ruins faith.

  • Backward because of fear is never the direction God leads people or his church. 

  • The people had been promised in the book of Exodus 23, that they would be given the land. 

Look at verse 23-30

27 “I will send my terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run. 28 I will send the hornet ahead of you to drive the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites out of your way. 29 But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you. 30 Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land.

Fear will not allow you to capitalize on the opportunity that is in front of us.

 

2.   If you follow the crowd you will never lead it.

  • Mob mentality verses a cool head and calm hand at the helm of your ministry.

  • It takes very little to stir fear in the hearts of people.

  • It takes Godly leadership to speak hope and positive direction in the midst of challenging times.

3.   Gods answer to prayer may look differently than we expected.

All my life I have heard prayers offered for revival.

All my life I have heard pastors complain about the distractions of society.

  • Pro sports, youth soccer, time on the lake or at the beach.

  • Malls are closed, restaurants are closed, and movie theatres are closed.

  • The business of life and the hectic pace of our communities.

All of it pointed to as distraction.

  • Now it is all gone - our people are in our homes just hoping to hear from us.

  • What if this is the very revival we have been praying for?

  • What if this is the answer we have waited for?

  • Promise?

  • Opportunity?

Matthew 24:14

14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

2 Cor 4:9

8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

Ps 46:1-2 TPT translation

God, you’re such a safe and powerful place to find refuge!
You’re a proven help in time of trouble — more than enough and always available whenever I need you.
2 So we will never fear even if every structure of support were to crumble away.
We will not fear even when the earth quakes and shakes, moving mountains and casting them into the sea.

Click here to watch Pastor Bret’s message on Virus Talk