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Series Code: BOL
Program Code: BOL000719S
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00:01 (Breath of Life Theme Music)
00:08 Sermon #B719 - F.E.A.R. 00:20 Dr. Byrd: We want to get right in the word of God today. We're not going to keep you long 00:24 but we do have a word and we're going to come to you from the book of Second Timothy, 00:28 Second Timothy Chapter 1, verse number 7. 00:32 This is in harmony with what our worship today has been about as we talk about mental health. 00:39 Second Timothy Chapter 1 verse number 7, Second Timothy Chapter 1 Verse 7. We're not going to be long, 00:46 just one simple verse. The word of God reads, the Apostle Paul speaking, 00:50 for God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but a spirit of power and of love and of a sound mind. 01:01 Once again, for God hath not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 01:12 We're praying. Lord, we thank you, 01:14 we thank you already for visiting this place with the power of your Holy Ghost. 01:18 Now as we go into your word, disappoint us not. Speak, oh God, we pray right now. 01:25 We ask that you would beat back the enemy, beat back Satan right now, because this word needs to flow 01:33 and it needs to flow full and free. Forgive me of my sins in Jesus' name, we pray. Amen, and amen. 01:42 Today, we want to talk about fear, want to talk about fear, false evidence appearing real. Fear, 01:50 false evidence appearing real. For everybody watching, everybody listening to this sermon today, 01:58 if there is one thing that we all have in common even the best of us, 02:03 it's the fact that we worry too much. Tell the truth, shame the devil. We worry too much and worry, 02:10 in a real sense, can have an interesting effect on your everyday life. Because for many of us, 02:16 the problems of life can worry us so much that we need a counselor. Now, I'm a pastor. 02:24 Let me be clear about that. I'm not a counselor like other counselors. 02:30 But the old motif in the church was, if you have a problem, go talk to the pastor. 02:37 Are you hearing what I'm saying? But if the truth be told today, as pastors, 02:43 we've taken some classes in counseling. We watched some videos on counseling 02:48 and we've been somewhat trained as pastoral counselors. But let me be clear, 02:54 we are not clinical counselors. 02:56 In other words, I'm trained to preach the word of God. So when you come to me, 03:02 all I can do is give you a word from the Lord. Some folk don't want to come to me 03:08 because they don't want to hear what thus saith the Lord, but I'll make no apologies about it. 03:13 All I can give you is the word of the Lord. But then on the flip side, 03:17 there are some folk who want pastoral counseling and not clinical counseling. 03:25 Why? Because clinical counseling is the kind of counseling that brings out the clinical where you can be 03:31 literally diagnosed as mentally ill, and folk don't want to hear that. 03:37 You see, if you come to me, if you come to the pastoral counselor, I'm not going to call you crazy. 03:43 I'm not going to call you mentally insane, but the clinical counselor will 03:49 because what's wrong with you isn't just spiritual. 03:53 You've got some clinical issues that you've got to work through in order to really address them 03:59 spiritually. But we like to go the easy route, just lay some hands on me and let me fall out, 04:07 and then when I get up, everything's going to be all right. But I'm here to tell somebody today, 04:13 everything is not going to be all right until you deal with it. 04:16 So rather than trying to just spiritualize your issues and cover your issues up, 04:23 let me tell somebody you got to face them in order to fix them. Are you hearing what I'm saying? 04:28 In the spirit of keeping it real today, all of us have issues. All of us have problems. 04:36 All of us have hang-ups. All of us have difficulties, 04:41 and the fact is all of us need some help in one way or another. 04:46 I get concerned when people look down on other folk talking about, 04:51 look at that family and look at this family, everybody got some crazy in their family. 04:55 Are you hearing what I'm saying? I don't know of anyone who has complete contentment, inner peace, 05:01 and security all the time. And while God did, in the beginning, create us that way, 05:06 we're not that way now, because mental challenges, mental illness, 05:11 and mental health conditions are the products of sin. 05:16 Research says that one in three people experience mental illness or have some type of mental episode at 05:24 least once per year. In fact, the World Health Organization, WHO, 05:29 says that five of the ten leading causes of disabilities in the world are mental conditions. 05:35 These five conditions are depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, 05:42 alcohol and substance abuse and obsessive-compulsive disorder. 05:49 And these are not diseases that can be 100% cured. Yes, medication can help some people some of the time. 06:00 But medication only treats the symptoms. You're not hearing what I'm saying. Let me try it this way. 06:07 When somebody takes painkillers for a broken leg, the medicine doesn't heal the leg. 06:16 The medicine just treats the symptoms of easing the pain in the leg. 06:23 When you take medicine for mental illness, it doesn't cure mental illness. 06:29 It just treats some of the symptoms of mental illness. 06:34 Now don't get it twisted. Pastor Byrd is not saying that people don't get better when they take 06:39 medicine for mental illness. But neither am I saying that they don't have the bad feelings 06:44 or mental sickness anymore. But what I'm saying is that they have learned strategies to live 06:51 and think differently despite how they felt. 06:56 The Bible teaches that the core emotion that causes all human disorder or human discomfort is fear. 07:05 Everybody is afraid of something, whether it's heights, lizards, snakes, flying on a plane, getting old, 07:17 falling or death, we all fear something. And because we fear something, 07:25 almost everybody has to struggle against worry, which is a form of fear. 07:32 But studies suggest that 92% of what people worry about is either imaginary, 07:39 it never happened or are things that are completely out of our control, 07:43 which then means that 92% of our worry is a complete waste of time. But we worry. 07:52 We fear and Satan seeks to corrupt our minds with lies to get us to worry and fear, 08:01 which is simply false evidence appearing real. 08:07 But our text says, 08:09 for God hath not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love, and of a sound mind. 08:19 Now quickly, let me unpack this text, the Greek word for fear in this text, in this verse, is phobos, 08:26 which is where we obtain our English word, phobia. And a phobia is defined as an irrational, 08:32 persistent fear that interferes in a person's life. 08:36 And so the fear that's being talked about by Paul in this text is one that causes someone to react in 08:42 ways that can disrupt his life or her life in an unhealthy way. 08:48 It's a fear that controls a person's life and can be destructive to personal relationships 08:53 or even harms one's emotional, mental, or spiritual health. 08:59 And when we relate this definition to fear in this text, 09:03 the context of Paul's statement is that the normal Christian life has been one of intense persecution, 09:11 pain, rejection, ridicule, subjugation, and death. 09:17 Study the text, the early Christian church and the early church of the first century was scattered far 09:23 and wide. And as an increasingly hostile world fed many of these Christians to the lions 09:30 or burn them at the stake. Many men and women in the Bible were enslaved, exploited 09:39 and exterminated for the cause of Christ. And from his own incarceration in his own Roman cell, 09:49 Paul was able to encourage his fellow brother in Christ, Brother Timothy, 09:56 that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of love, power and a sound mind. 10:04 Timothy in this text, like all of us, 10:08 needed to be reminded that we have the permanent indwelling of the Holy Ghost, who has gifted us 10:15 and empowered us with all that we need for life, no matter how difficult 10:21 or how dangerous life in this world might become. 10:25 Jesus told us in the word that in this world, we will have trouble, that we will suffer trial 10:34 and tribulation. But he also told us to remember that we have overcome the world 10:40 because greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world. So through the words of this text, 10:49 Paul is admonishing Timothy to reignite the flickering flame of his faltering faith. 10:57 Because although he was saved by grace through Jesus Christ, Timothy was timid. He was afraid. 11:04 Timothy even felt pressured by the increasingly hostile world in which he lived, 11:10 and that's a word for somebody today. That's all I've come to tell somebody today. 11:15 Fear is not from the Lord. 11:18 Don't forget who you are in Christ. Don't you forget that you have not been given a spirit of fear, 11:29 but a spirit of power, a spirit of love, a spirit of a sound mind. 11:36 Timothy was fearful of his unknown future. Timothy was fearful of losing Paul, his father, in the faith. 11:44 Timothy was afraid of ending up in a prison similar to Paul 11:49 and afraid of receiving the same sentence of death as Paul for preaching faith in Jesus Christ. 11:56 Timothy felt like he had much to fear. But Paul writes him 12:01 and Paul tells him that the fear he's experiencing is not from God and he must resist it. 12:10 Paul tells Timothy, God has not given you a spirit of fear but God has given you the Holy Spirit. 12:23 And the Holy Spirit, Paul says to Timothy, brings you three things. 12:28 Number one, the Holy Spirit brings power, power to walk right, power to talk right, power to feel right, 12:41 power to think right. The Holy Ghost brings us power but not only does the Holy Ghost bring us power, 12:49 number two, the Holy Ghost brings love. And the Bible says perfect love casteth out all fear 12:56 and perfect love is only available through Jesus Christ. Poor mental health is too much fear 13:04 and not enough love. So the Holy Ghost brings power. The Holy Ghost brings love. But number three, 13:11 the Holy Ghost brings a sound mind, and that's where I want to end on today. 13:18 The Holy Ghost brings a sound mind. How do I get a sound mind? I'm so glad you asked. 13:24 The Apostle Paul in Philippians Chapter 4 tells us how to get a sound mind. 13:30 He says, be careful for nothing but in everything by prayer 13:33 and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, 13:41 which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 13:47 Verse 8, I love it. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, 13:54 whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, 14:00 whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, 14:07 think on these things. 14:10 I know many church folk and I know many Christians, and notice I said church folk 14:18 and Christians because just because you are church member doesn't mean you're a Christian. 14:23 I wish I had time. But I know many church folks 14:27 and I know many Christians who always seem to be talking about the problems and the faults of the world, 14:34 the faults of the church, the faults of other people, 14:36 but we've got to learn how to think on the positive and not dwell on the negative. 14:42 Too many people dwell on the negative. Here we go. It's a nice sunny day but it's going to rain. 14:49 Yeah, that vegetarian meat loaf sure looks good. Oh, but it has a lot of salt. 14:55 Church was sure good today. Yeah, but it was too long. Just negative. 15:01 But a positive person sees things differently than a negative person. 15:06 When they see the sour, we see the sweet. When they see the glass half empty, 15:12 we see the glass half full, and not only should we think better things, 15:17 but we also should express these thoughts and better things to other people to help encourage them. 15:24 You see, we live, friends of mine, in a culture that's constantly feeding us mess, chaos and confusion. 15:33 It's on the news, it's on the internet, it's on social media. It's in newspapers if you still read them. 15:42 But the Bible says whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, 15:47 whatsoever things are just and pure, lovely and of good report, think on these things. 15:54 So somebody says, Pastor Byrd, how do I keep a sound mind? I'm so glad you asked. 16:00 Proverbs 23:7 says, for as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he, 16:07 which means our emotions are controlled by our thoughts and our thoughts influence our behavior. 16:14 Fear, worry, anger, anxiety, they start in the mind and they end in our behavior. 16:27 So we've got to change the way we think if we're going to change the way we act. 16:34 How do I think positively in my mind? Think about his love, think about his goodness, 16:42 think about his grace that brought you through. When you think about Jesus, 16:49 your mind thinks positivity where people turn for help is some indication of their character 16:56 and their faith. 16:58 You see, some people turn to the bar and happy hour to drink themselves into some solution. 17:06 Some people turn to drugs, prescription and non-prescription to try and quiet the noise of themselves. 17:15 Some people have gone to palm readers, tarot card readers, soothsayers and 1-900 psychic friends. 17:25 Others have taken the path of clinical help, psychologists, psychiatrists, psychoanalysts, 17:33 which is not, by the way, a bad thing. But somebody needs to be reminded today to take it to Jesus. 17:42 Oh, what peace we often forfeit. Oh, what needless pain we bear. 17:48 Oh, because we do not carry everything to God in prayer. Somebody knows he healed the brokenhearted. 17:55 He set the captive free. He made the lame to walk again and he caused the blind to see. 18:03 You've got to think Jesus and take it to Jesus. 18:06 There are some things that I've learned in life. You can have all the experience for. 18:13 You can read all the books you want. You can have all the human voices telling you one thing. 18:19 But there are some things you can't get out of unless God himself gets you out of it. 18:27 Now, don't get it twisted and misunderstand me. I'm not saying don't go to the doctor 18:33 because God can use the doctor to help you in your problem. I'm not saying don't go to a counselor. 18:39 God can use the counselor to help you get rid of your problem. I'm not saying don't get medication 18:47 because God can use the medication to help you with your problem. But you also got to go to Jesus 18:55 because the doctor, the counselor, the medication are just conduits to help you. 19:02 But I read somewhere that all of my help comes from the Lord. I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, 19:10 from whence cometh my help. My help comes from the Lord. 19:13 I talk to men and women who battled with the addiction of crack cocaine. 19:19 And I asked them those who've had a tenure or period of cleanliness with God. 19:26 I tell them, talk to me about this thing. I've never been there. So talk to me about it. 19:31 And they often say to me, Pastor Byrd, every now and then, 19:34 I battle and I crave an appetite for it years later. I asked, well, how did you get out of it? 19:42 Was it a twelve-step program? Was it a counselor? Was it a support group? 19:48 They say, Pastor, yes, all that's good and I needed it and it has its place. 19:56 But everyone in the group that's been stained knows that if it had not been for the Lord on their side, 20:06 if it weren't for the grace of God, if it weren't for Jesus, 20:12 now you can take that experience into any habits, any addiction, any problem. 20:20 And the only thing that has kept you, if you're real today, is the goodness, the grace, 20:26 and the guidance of God and for the believer who's listening to me today. 20:31 There's no other way out of the sin problem, but for the grace of God. 20:37 You're not smart enough to think your way out. You're not articulate enough to talk your way out. 20:43 You're not rich enough to buy your way out. If you could, you would have gotten yourself out already, 20:50 but somebody knows that you indeed Jesus to bring you out. Pastor Byrd, how else do I keep a sound mind? 20:59 I'm so glad you asked. First Peter 5:7 says, casting your cares upon him for he careth for you. 21:07 That's casting all your anxieties, casting all your worries, casting all your fears on him 21:14 because he cares for you. Somebody's not getting this. Let me try it this way. 21:19 When Christyn, my wife and I, our oldest daughter was two years old, and Caileigh, 21:25 our middle daughter was just a baby, Christyn would try to pick up Caileigh. 21:31 And I would say, wait a minute, Christyn, give me the baby, don't drop the baby. 21:38 Christyn was trying her best and tried her best to pick up her little sister, Caileigh. 21:44 But when I would look at them, I knew that they both were about to fall. 21:49 In my mind, I would say, Christyn, that's good effort, but give me the baby 21:55 because you can't carry the baby. The baby's too big for you, Christyn, 22:00 and that's what I'm trying to tell somebody today. Your daddy, your Heavenly Father, 22:05 hates to see when you're trying to carry something that's too big for you. 22:10 Learn how to cast your cares on your father because he's there to comfort you. 22:15 He's there to encourage you. He's there to strengthen you. He's there to carry you. 22:20 But you know why we don't give it to Jesus, my friends. We don't give it to Jesus 22:23 because we don't think it's too big for us and we think we can handle it. 22:29 But the only way you're going to release it is when you own up to the fact that I can't handle it. 22:37 Lord, I can't do this. A lot of times, we don't call on the Lord 22:42 because the devil starts messing with our minds 22:45 and we feel like we're a failure if we can't handle certain things. 22:49 But when you start getting hurt enough, when you get broken enough, 22:55 when you're talked about enough, you'll start saying, Lord, I can't handle this by myself. 23:02 As a matter of fact, if you're like me, you get to the point in your experience where you say, 23:06 Lord, this is your mail. God, this is your email. God, this came in my mailbox 23:14 but this is really for you because you'll learn that if it's his will, it's his bill. 23:19 If it's his choice, it's his invoice. You've got to learn in life how to let some stuff go. 23:26 I've learned in my life that every hill is not Calvary. Some things we have got to learn how to let go. 23:34 I heard somebody say that when we pray, we ought to pray to be stronger men and women. 23:41 In other words, don't ask and don't pray for tasks equal to your power. 23:49 Pray for power equal to your tasks. Many of us, when we pray, we say, Lord, 23:57 give me a task equal to where I am in your walk with me. But if you pray that prayer, you'll never grow. 24:04 But when you pray, you should say, Lord, this task is bigger than me. 24:10 So I'm not going to ask you to reduce my task to my level of power, 24:15 but give me power that's equal to the task. And that's where the Holy Ghost comes in. 24:24 When you pray to God, you got to learn how to say, Lord, I can't handle it anymore. It's too big for me. 24:36 But what do you want me to do? I want to bless your name. 24:43 I want to come to you with thanksgiving rather than sit up and add my problems. 24:50 I need to start counting my blessings rather than sit up 24:55 and tell the Lord about all the things that are going wrong in your life. 25:01 I need you to start saying, Lord, I want to thank you for the times you brought me out. 25:08 Lord, I want to thank you for the things you've already done and I'm turning this thing over to you. 25:15 I'm not worrying about it another day. Lord, I want to thank you for my healing. 25:22 Lord, I want to thank you for my deliverance. Lord, I want to thank you for my financial breakthrough. 25:29 Lord, I want to thank you for turning my child around. 25:33 Lord, I want to thank you for restoring my marriage. Lord, I want to thank you for healing my body. 25:40 Lord, I want to thank you for healing my relationship. God, I've got to thank you for food on my table, 25:48 clothes on my back and making a way out of no way. 25:51 God, I got to thank you for being my bridge over troubled waters. 25:56 Quit worrying yourself to death and release and let it go. 26:02 I dare somebody, I double dare somebody today to start thanking God for what God has already done. 26:13 The Lord is my light. He's my salvation whom shall I fear. 26:19 The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid. 26:24 When my enemies and my folks came to eat of my flesh, they stumbled and they fell. 26:30 So in the name of Jesus, you better tell somebody, I'm not scared. 26:38 I say you better tell somebody, I'm not scared. If God be for us, who can be against us? I'm not scared. 26:53 No weapon formed against me is going to prosper. I'm not scared. I can do all things through Christ, 27:02 which strengtheneth me. I'm not scared. 27:06 The Lord will prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. 27:11 So all I got to do is sit down and eat because I'm not scared. 27:16 The Lord will bless my going out. The Lord will bless my coming in. I'm not scared. 27:23 My God shall supply all of my needs according to his riches and glory. I'm not scared. 27:31 The thing that God has begun in me, he will continue it until the day of his appearing. 27:36 I'm not scared. There's no need to worry for what the night is going to bring. 27:42 It'll be over in the morning. I'm not scared. Weeping may endure for a night, 27:49 but joy comes in the morning time. I'm not scared. God has not given us a spirit of fear, 27:57 but a spirit of power, a spirit of love, a spirit of a sound mind. I'm not scared. 28:05 Thank you very much for tuning in to this week's Breath of Life broadcast. 28:10 We hope and pray that you've been blessed by Dr. Byrd's inspirational message. 28:15 If you would like to hear this sermon in its entirety, 28:17 please feel free to visit us at www.breathoflife.tv. 28:23 Or, call us at (256) 929-6460. 28:28 [END] |
Revised 2021-05-19