Lesson 26: Fear of Man

QUESTIONS 1.How did Paul describe his feelings when evangelizing? He said that when he reached out to the Corinthians with the gospel, he did so not with “excellency of speech or of wisdom.” He confided that he had “weakness” (he was not trusting in his own strength or ability) and “fear” (in Greek, phobos, “that which is caused by being scared”), resulting in “much trembling” (awareness of his insufficiency). Paul battled the fear of man. 2.Can anything positive come from a fear to reach out to the lost? To be fearful just means we are just as qualified as any other believer. It is a consolation to know that almost every Christian has a battle with the “fear of man” when it comes to reaching out to the lost. 3.How can we put our fears in perspective? There are certain keys that can help to bring our fears into perspective. One is to meditate on what God is not asking us to do. Here’s the scenario. You are outside a shopping mall and see a man standing by himself. You feel a strong conviction that God wants you to give the man a tract. Your heart begins to pound. Thoughts flood your mind: What if he gets angry? He is going to think I’m a religious nut who is trying to ram religion down his throat. Here is what to say to yourself to make the task easier. God is not asking you to stand on a soapbox and preach to a crowd. You are not being asked to do this in a country where you could be jailed for handing out Christian literature. All God is asking you to do is hand one tract to one man. 4.What was the lesson the U.S. Navy wanted their recruits to learn? He must take control, not only of the circumstances, but also of his own fears. If we want to rescue humanity from the fires of hell, we must take control of our own fears and reject the fears the enemy whispers to our hearts. 5.Why should we quote God’s Word in the face of fear? The Book of Revelation says of the glorified Jesus, “out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword” (1:16). Soldier of Christ, throw away your sheath; it is not part of your armor. Your sword, the Word of God, should always be at the ready. There is power in the Word of God. When the light of the Word is spoken, the darkness of the enemy must vanish. Make it a habit to quote God’s Word at fear: “He that dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD,He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust” (Psalm 91:1,2). 6.According to William Gurnall, why do we experience fear and how should we overcome it? “We fear men so much, because we fear God so little. One fear causes another. When man’s terror scares you, turn your thoughts to the wrath of God.” WILLIAM GURNALL Memory Verse “Fear not; for I am with you: be not dismayed; for I am your God: I will strengthen you; yes, I will help you; yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.” ISAIAH 41:10