Peter Tan-Chi - From Fear to Trust in God
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. What an honor and joy it is to share the Word of God with you. We are in the Psalms. The Psalms are special to the heart of Jesus, to the hearts of the apostles. It is the most commonly used. Why? Because it speaks from the depths of their pain, their pain, their experience So, my Psalm of Praise to God You can be honest with God Today's topic is about fear How do you deal with fear? Can I start by asking you a simple question? What are you afraid of? What are you most afraid of? What are you afraid of? What is fear? Fear is an unpleasant emotion. It is a negative feeling or belief that something or someone is going to harm us or is dangerous. It's a threat.
The fear can be imagined or it could be something real. There are over 365 commands given to us in the Bible. What are the commands? Don't be afraid. This is an order. Sometimes I ask myself why 365 times? Maybe it's a daily order. 365 orders not to be afraid. Except for Leap Years So, I give you permission to be afraid one day during a leap year The reality is God does not want us to live in fear. Because fear can paralyze you, disable you. Fear can cause you to lose your joy today. Focus on what might happen tomorrow. According to this fear expert, he says 91% of our fears don't actually happen.
Now remember, fear It's God who gives us protection so, it's not always a bad thing. Some fears are good and some are not Examples of good fears Fear of fire. Fear of having an accident when you climb a tall tree. Those fears are valid, and some are not. I believe fear is not always a bad thing because having a fear is very healthy. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 1:7 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom". "Fools despise wisdom and instruction".
Today I want to share with you how we deal with fear? Let's look at today's text, Psalm Chapter 56 "When I am afraid, I will trust you". Note grammar. When I'm scared. The grammar says, when. Literally every time every time I'm scared. every time. to form a habit. What are my habits when I'm scared? I Will Trust You Psalm 56 is full of personal pronouns. Me, me, myself. Why? It's between the author David and God. He is very close to God. He said, the way to deal with fear is that many times it is inevitable. Something will happen. What will you do? Fear is a reminder to shift your focus from what you fear to God.
So David said, "When I'm afraid" Every time I'm afraid, I trust you. In God. Notice the context of Psalm 56 when the Philistines captured him in Gath. So, this psalm was not written in a palace, it was not written in a classroom. It was written in real life when David faced the most dangerous moment of his life. The Bible says, which he wrote while he was in Gath, when he was captured by the Philistines. It was on this day that David got up and fled from Saul and went to Achish, king of Gath. I want you to stand in David's shoes. He was chased by the king.
Imagine the entire military, the entire resources of the government. Put yourself in his shoes like you are in the Philippines right now and the government, the entire bureaucracy, makes you the most wanted fugitive in this country. That's David. Saul sent three thousand elite soldiers to find David. So David fled from Saul. Can you imagine the fear in David's life? And then when he ran away, he thought maybe it would be safer for me to go to a land that was controlled by the Philistines, and who knows when he got to the place that was occupied, the Philistines, and he was captured, captured by the Philistines this That's the background, that's what happened.
But Achish's servants said to him, "Isn't this David king of the land"? "Didn't they sing this song as they danced, saying: Saul has killed his thousands, David killed ten thousand of his people"? David remembered this and was very afraid of Achish, king of Gath. Who did David look like to the Philistines? Remember David was the warrior who killed the Philistines. It was David who defeated the Philistines. So, they all knew who David was. So, David is in danger. David was scared. The Bible says great fear.
So, what do you do when you're scared? The Bible tells us that David prayed. do you remember? "Have mercy on me, O God, for men have trampled me down". "He oppresses me all day long, fighting". "My enemies have trampled me down all day long". "Many of them fight with me with pride". David met the real Trouble. He is honest with God. For David, when he was afraid, he turned to God But did you notice something? When you pray to God, it does not mean you are not doing your duty. What did David do? The Bible tells us that David concealed his sanity from them and acted wildly in their hands, scribbling on the city gates and letting his saliva run down his beard.
Achish said to his servant, "Look, you see that man is behaving like a madman. Why did you bring him to me"? "Am I lacking a madman? You brought this man here to do the things of a madman in my presence". What did David do? When you pray it does not mean you are not doing your duty. David thought, How can I get out of danger from the Philistines? So, he acts like a madman. He acted so successfully that the king said, "This guy is a madman. Why did you bring him to me? He is mad".
So David was able to escape. May I suggest you what to do when you are in danger? For many people, the last thing they want to do is pray. For David, the first thing he wants to do is pray. What about us? For many of us, prayer is a last resort. For David, prayer was the first and last option. Keep praying and keep trusting God. Notice the context of this passage: "When I was afraid". Fear will come sooner or later. What are you going to do? "I will trust you". "The God I praise, the God I rely on", "I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me"? Because David did not allow fear to stay when it came. I love this quote that says, "Fear can be a visitor, but not a resident".
When fear comes, let it remind us that it's time to turn to the Lord. Our theme today is From Fear to Trusting God Let fear remind us to trust God every time you are afraid. That's what David said. The solution to fear is trust I will trust you. Did you notice this was an option? I will believe it. Personally, I'd trust you. Very Personal David had a personal relationship with God. By the way, what does the word trust mean? The word trust comes from the Hebrew word "BATACH" Batach is a combination of different words in Hebrew. First, it describes a tent, a home. From the word "bet" to the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet This is a house. This is a place.
So, trust has the idea of resting at home. refuge. Another combination of words is "tet". This is the idea of wrapping something. It describes a snake wrapped around something like a vine. Woven basket. The idea is that you stick to something. In this case, trust is you holding on to the Lord. You find security in the Lord. You place your faith in the Lord. You place your faith in the Lord. But batach can also be used, describing kneeling in complete surrender. That's a beautiful word for trust, when you surrender everything to God you're saying, "Lord, I'm completely dependent on you". That's what David did.
So how do you trust the Lord? David did four things. First, David returned to the Lord. He prayed. Second, he believed God's word. Third, trusting God is trusting His character. Fourth, thank him in advance. You can find this in Psalm 56. That's how you trust God. David said, God, be gracious to me. Because you know God is near these words: Be kind. David prayed not because he deserved an answer. He said, "Lord, by your grace I don't deserve this, but show grace to me". What a wonderful prayer. That's how you ask God for help. That's how you trust God and you pray. In fact, the Bible is very clear. The Bible tells us to cast all your anxieties on Him. Why? He cares about you. We come to the Lord because God cares.
Next, you'll notice what David did. He believed what God said. He trusts. David said, "When I am afraid, I will trust you". Now notice the next sentence, "In God, whose word I praise" "In God I trust, and I will not be afraid" In these two verses, the personal pronoun appears eight times. I will believe it. Whose words I... I will trust personal things. But if you look at the object of his faith, what he believes in is the word of God. god. When you trust God. You believe in Him because of His word, His promises. See what the Bible says. Faith comes by hearing, by hearing the word of Christ. In order to grow in faith, you cannot separate trusting God from trusting His Word.
Let me explain why. How do you know who God is? The Bible tells us that God's channels of revelation to us are as follows. In the first chapter of Romans, God reveals to us through creation. The Bible says that when you see the stars, when you see the moon, when you see the trees, when you see the plants, You realize there is a Creator. You begin to understand the power of God, God's creativity through creation. But that's not enough, you will come to know God through His revelation. The Bible tells us that God reveals Himself to us through His Word. How do you know God is compassionate? How do you know God is faithful? How do you know who God is?
The Bible tells us that God reveals Himself: "I am compassionate, I am righteous, and I am perfect". How else do we know God? Not just written words. Speak it in living words. The Bible says, "The Word became flesh" Jesus is the Word of God. This is how you come to know God. How do you know that God is love and God is merciful? Jesus tells us, "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father". So it's important to know God's word. That's how you grow in your faith, grow in your trust. Notice what God says to us. God is not a man, that he should lie. He is not the Son of Man, that he should repent. How can he not act when he speaks? How could he fail to make his speech?
Numbers 23:19 This is one of our memory verses and that's why I use it, I'm reminded that when God said something, He said, "I will do it" When God said, God said, "I Will do it" You see David believed in God. How do you trust God? David is saying, "I pray". Return to the Lord. David said, "I believe his promise. I believe his word". You have to realize that David was the recipient of God's Word, God's promises. David remembers it very clearly when he was young, about 15 years old. This is what he remembers. God promised David, "David, you will become the future king of Israel". God promised David. God gave David his word. What do I mean? "Get up and anoint him, for he is like this," said the LORD.
Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him. He is David. The Spirit of the Lord came upon David mightily from that day on among his brothers. Samuel got up and went to Ramah. David remembered God's promise: "You shall reign" as Israel's future king. The problem was, the current reality was inconsistent with God's promises and David couldn't understand it. "Why should I run away? Why is my life in danger when God has promised me that I will be a king"?
That, my friend, is where trust comes from. Because trust is based on God's Word, not circumstances. Let me ask you, what do you expect? What are your sources of trust? It's good to say you believe in God. What's the meaning? You see, trust must have an object. Who you trust will show whether that trust is reliable. It's not the size of your faith. It's not the extent of your trust. Trust is so loyal. I'm going to give you an example of what my wife and I did a few years ago in New Zealand and we did something incredible. Skydiving, huh? right. first? right. first. Peter, how tall are you today? 12,000 feet. 45 seconds of free fall, have fun, okay? 45 seconds of free fall. Hopefully, we can open the parachute. If not we have 1 minute.
Do you know what I'm going to do today? No, this is an act of faith. very perfect. I want to trust God. Yes. You'll notice who I trust, my confidence is in my parachute. If the parachute was unreliable, I would be in big trouble. Now let me ask you what is the basis of your trust? What do you rely on? I rely on God's promises. Are you asking for God's promises? Let me give you an example. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you I have made a commitment for my life, for my family. Put God first and He promised me He will provide My God will meet all your needs. I have claimed many of God's promises.
My question is, do you know the Word of God? Secondly, are you asking for any commitment from him? How can you claim God's promises if you don't know His Word? How can we trust Jehovah if we do not know him? So, study God's Word, grow in your faith, and it will all come together. In order to be able to trust, you need to know the Word of God. To know the Word of God is to know the promises of God. The following verses tell us that just because you trust God does not mean your problems are solved.
Notice, David said, "They twist my words all day long," We continued; "All their thoughts are against me for evil. They attack, they lurk, they watch my steps". "They have been waiting to take my life. Drive them out because of their wickedness". "Be angry, O God, and cause the people to fall". David said, "These people are evil. They have come to arrest me". "They have twisted my words, they said. I speak evil. All their thoughts are against me". They really plan evil. I don't know what's going on in your life but the truth is, sometimes our problems are so real. Just like David. They are not fictional.
These are real questions. I don't know what problems you are facing today. COVID-19, financial issues, career issues. Maybe, some people don't like you. Whatever it is, I pray you learn to keep believing. Do you know why? David didn't put his trust in the situation, he was still in trouble. Notice, he said, "These people are after me". But notice David, he said, "I trust his character". I will trust God. Why? Please look at the following scriptures. David said "You have considered my wanderings and put my tears in your bottle" "Are they not in your book? What an amazing description of God's love and care you have put my tears in your bottle" in the bottle.
This is a practice in the Middle East that has been going on for thousands of years. When mourners cry, they put their tears in bottles to remind their loved ones that I am crying for you and that I love you. God reminds us through David that God understands. He cares about us. You put my tears in your bottle. Aren't they in your book? What does the Bible say? God tells us, "I know your problems, I know your tears" "I know. They are in my bottle. I know, they are written in the book. I know" You see, God wants you to know, He loves us. God wants us to know his character. he likes. He cares. He is not cold. Exodus 3:7 "I have seen the torment of my people in Egypt," declares the LORD, "and I have heard their cry because they were under the supervision of their taskmasters; I know their pain".
Notice. "I SEE" God sees our pain. "I'm paying attention. I'm listening. I know. I'm taking action" "I know they're crying and I know it" You know you feel alone sometimes. Sometimes you feel like your parents don't even know you. Your family doesn't even know you; they don't even know what's going on. God is telling you today. To those of us who are listening. I'm telling you right now God says, "I care about you, trust me. I know how you feel". You know this becomes so real in my life when I read this verse, Psalm 103 Father Compassionate on Children, the Lord is merciful to those who fear him. You know when I became a father, I began to realize how much God loves me.
I have five wonderful children and I love them. In fact, I remember crying when one of them got sick. I said, "Lord, let me take the place of my child. Let me be the one who is sick" and heal my child. I remember sometimes when I spanked my daughter, I would cry. Why? I love my daughter. But why would I hit my daughter? Out of love. God tells us that no matter what happens to you, I tell you, "I love you". If you notice, the Bible tells us that David goes on to say, "My enemies will turn back on the day I call". David was sure that God would give him the victory. Why? "I know this, God was for me. Mind you, I know this. It's between the lines, it's an experience". David said, "I know. I've experienced it". It's true. "God is mine".
Very personal. God is mine. Why is this important? This is important because the devil often lies to us. The devil is saying, "You know what God doesn't like about you. God is against you". From fear to trusting God, you must know that you must trust His character. The Bible tells us: "What shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us"? The Bible is clear. You can trust Him. Why? God is for you. If God is for you, who can be against us? If the most powerful being in the universe is for us, is for you who can be against us? You See that argument? You can believe him. Why? Because God does not spare His own Son, but He gives Him to others.
How can you not know that God is ours without giving Him freely? Pay attention to the theological argument. This is the argument. This is my beloved son. I am very happy. God said to his disciples: "Jesus is my beloved Son". God said "Jesus is my beloved Son". Theology says if God gave us His most precious possession, Jesus He had no mercy on His own Son but gave Him up for us all How did God save Jesus? On the cross. Every time you doubt God's love I want you to consider the cross. Whenever I question God's love, I think of the cross. How God gave us His Son to die for us. I thought about Jesus. How much he suffered. He died for us.
Friends, you can trust God. Why? he loves you. He cares about you. his character. He is trustworthy. Why? he loves you. How could he not give everything to us freely with Jesus? Do you really believe God is for you? God is ours. You can change your fear from fear to trust in God. Why? Because God cares. Because God loves you. You can trust his character. Notice, he repeated, "In God, I praise His word". I praise the Lord's word. Notice the double use. I praise His word in the Lord, I praise His word. Remember God's word, God's character and our faith, they are Together. You can't separate the character of God from the Word of God. "I trust God and I won't be afraid. When I'm afraid," David said, "I will believe it now". And he declared something else, "Because I trust God, I will not be afraid". Did you notice something? Faith, trust in God and fear, they don't coexist. When I'm scared, I trust God. Now he says because I trust God, I won't be scared.
Friends, every time When you are scared, ask yourself: "Why am I scared"? Is it because you no longer believe in God? Remember, trust and fear don't go together. Fear reminds you that you don't trust God. Learn the habit of trusting God. Fear itself is not bad. It's a reminder but if you can't handle fear properly, You will be paralyzed. You will fall into Satan's trap. Trust God to help you stop being afraid. What can people do to me? This is important. Trusting God is the antidote to fear. It's the fear of people. What do I mean?
Kevin DeYoung said: "No evil is so pervasive, so insidious, so profound. A sin more terrible than the fear of God". What he's saying is that when you're afraid of people, a lot of times it makes you sin. Look, the fundamental problem with sin, which you may not realize, is unbelief. A lack of trust in God. Let me give you an example. When Saul The King Disobeyed God Why did he disobey God? Notice what the Bible says: When King Saul met the prophet Samuel, why did you disobey the Lord and rush toward the prey? "Do what is in the sight of the Lord". For evil? Saul said to Samuel, I have sinned and disobeyed the Lord's command and your word "because I feared the people and kept their word". Saul disobeyed God because he feared the people. How often do we compromise and disobey out of fear of what people will say and what people will do.
Friends, this message is very important because it tells you how to deal with your fears. Those fears, the fear of humanity, the fear of what might happen. The only antidote is trust in God. I remember a few years ago, one of our members called me at night and asked me for permission, "Peter, can I lie to my wife just once"? He was asking for permission to lie, and why? Because his wife discovered his infidelity. While he was out of town, his wife discovered that he was having an affair. He was scared. He said, "Can I lie to my wife just this once?" because she kept asking him questions. I told him, "Don't lie". You need to trust God. That's what he told me "If I don't lie to my wife, I'm done, my marriage is over" I said, "That's what you think, but you believe in God".
Trust God and do the right thing. Regardless of the consequences, trust God. I praise God that He is honest and of course the rest is history. There were outbursts, but praise God if you were at their wedding today, they are the cutest couple. They provide counseling to troubled couples. Why? Because it's through obedience. It's by trusting God where you learn God's faithfulness. The impossible becomes possible. My friend, how do you move from fear to trust in God? Well, you go find him. Just pray. You have to take his word for it. Know His promises. You have to believe in his character. Do you believe he cares about you? Do you believe he will keep his promise? Finally, learn to thank him in advance.
That's what David did. David tells us in the last verses of Psalm 56. David said, "O God, I will repay my vow to you, and I will offer you a thank-offering". Oh my God! David is in contact now. Trust God and keep His vows. O God, I will repay my vows to you, and I will offer you a thank-offering. Let me explain. Many times, when we are stuck, we make promises. I know many Christians who make a promise to God when they have a problem. God answered their prayers and they forgot. David is different. David said, Lord, I will keep my promise.
David must have made some promise. But notice that his oath becomes your oath. "Your Vow" When you make a promise to God, it becomes His. This is why the Bible is so empathetic. Be careful when making wishes. When you make a vow to God, don't delay repaying it. He takes no pleasure in fools. "Do what you have sworn! It is better not to make a vow than to fail to pay what you have sworn". God does what you promise Him in the midst of your trials. I pray that you keep your promises. I remember my life many years ago when I was in the hospital and I told God, "Lord, as soon as I get out of the hospital I'm going to do what you told me to do".
I didn't know what it meant to build a New Testament church. But the Lord made it very clear, "You are not enough disciples, you have to gather them together". You have to make disciples of them. Turn it into an action. I realized why I was hesitant. Because it's easier to study the Bible. You can leave them. But once you build a church. Once you build a congregation you can't leave your people. Because you are a shepherd now. But I praise God, that's nearly thirty-seven years ago. God made me keep my vows, "Lord, I will do whatever you tell me". David said, "Your oath is binding and I will offer a thank-offering".
What is a thank offering? The best way to express your trust is to worship and thank God in advance. What is he thanking God in advance for? Pay attention. You saved my life from death; you didn't save my feet from falling, Keeping me in the light of life, David still had trouble, but he had declared that God was going to solve his problems. He thanked God in advance when he was surrounded by enemies. Notice what he said, "Thou hast taken my soul from him".
"Saved from death" In the Bible, you will notice that statements of certainty are often written in the past tense. You will notice that the prophecies of the Bible are written in the past tense. It is certain that it will happen. That's what David said "I'm sure," David said. "You will deliver me from death, deliver me from stumbling blocks so that I can walk in the presence of God with the light of the living". It hasn't happened yet. But David said, "I thank you in advance". Because giving thanks to God is a form of worship. The Bible tells us, "Through Him, then, let us continually offer sacrifices of praise to God".
Thank God. Praising God is worship. That's the fruit of His name. When you thank God, do you realize worship? You know when you praise Him. When you praise Him, it's your sacrifice. What is faith? What is trust? The antidote to fear is trust in God. When you believe in God, I believe in God's character. I don't need any other evidence than the moral perfection of those who cannot lie. Many times, what happens to us you cannot reconcile the character of God. Perfect. God is love. Then you ask yourself, "Why am I sick"? Why do I have a problem? Sometimes I can't reconcile the two, but one thing I know, I will continue to believe because God keeps His promises.
No wonder the Bible tells us that faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the assurance of things not seen. You see, when You trust God and you know that what He promises will come true. So David can thank God in advance. That's why you're commanded, Philippians 4? Don't rush anything. But in everything, make your requests known to God by prayer of thanksgiving. Why add thanksgiving to God because you are not even doing it. Thank God before you finish. That is faith in the unseen. That is why trusting God is the foundation of your Christian life. What can I tell you about pleasing God? It is impossible to please Him. It is not difficult to please Him because he who comes to God must believe.
First, what do you have to believe? He is God. But more than that, He is the rewarder of those who seek Him. Do you believe that God is good? Returner. Do you trust his character? If you can see everything, there is no need to apply faith or trust. If everything goes well for you, why do you need to trust it when everything goes well for you? How can you sing when it's going well, like David, when you're in the night? Because it's in the darkness, in the uncertainty, when you can exercise your trust in God. Grow with knowledge. Let me repeat. It is not the size of your trust, nor the size of your faith, that is why Jesus tells us, "If you have a mustard seed of faith".
One of the smallest seeds of Israel. God said enough is enough. Why? You only need a little faith in a great God. You don't need a lot of faith in a little God. The secret is how big the object of your faith is. You The more you know Him, the more you can trust Him. The more you think about His words, the more you can trust Him. Your trust in God is a product of your intimate relationship with Him. By the grace of God, I have known the Lord for over 50 years and I can honestly tell you, the more I walk with Jesus, the more I know Him, the more I know He is trustworthy. He loves me.
I know He is trustworthy. You may not understand what is going on, but one thing is for sure, trust God. Why? Because the Bible tells us that "He who comes to God must believe". "Trust him. He's a giver". God is the rewarder of those who seek Him. If God has spoken to you and you say you know, "I want to learn to trust God". What is the first step to trusting God? The Bible is clear, it is through Jesus that I will A short prayer to give up. To trust in Him is to surrender to Him. To believe in Him is to take care of your life. All the details. But the bottom line is that you can trust Him for your eternal destiny.
Friends, the ultimate fear is the fear of death, but Jesus promises that if you trust Him, you don't have to fear death, as He promised. We live forever. I pray that when you hear this message, you will realize that God keeps His promises. Have you ever asked for that promise of forgiveness? God gives that promise. It's not a church. It's Jesus Himself. He says you come to Him and He will give you eternal life. If that's your desire, let's pray:
Father God, that's my prayer. To overcome the fear of death. I invite you today. I have faith in you alone to be my savior and to be my Lord. Gift of forgiveness. Your gift of eternal life. I commit my life to You. I commit my worries to You, in Jesus' name. I pray. Amen.