                    [Times Square Church Pulpit Series]

                             Freedom From Fear!

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By David Wilkerson
October 26, 1998
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          The economies of the nations are shaking and crumbling,
          and fear is mounting worldwide. And now, as this
          shaking continues, were witnessing Jesus words come
          to pass:

          ...upon the earth distress of nations, with
          perplexity...mens hearts failing them for fear, and
          for looking after those things which are coming on the
          earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken (Luke
          21:25-26). Christ is warning us, Without hope in me,
          multitudes of people are literally going to die of
          fright!

          For Jesus followers, however those who trust in Gods
          promises to preserve his children there is glorious
          freedom from all fear. In fact, all who come under the
          lordship of Christ never need fear again, if theyll
          just lay hold of the following secret: True freedom
          from fear consists of totally resigning ones life into
          the hands of the Lord.

          Resigning ourselves into Gods care is an act of faith.
          It means putting ourselves completely under his power,
          wisdom and mercy, to be led and preserved according to
          his will alone. And, if we do so, the God of the
          universe promises to be totally responsible for us to
          feed, clothe and shelter us, and to guard our hearts
          from all evil.

          Jesus provided the ultimate example of this kind of
          holy resignation, when he went to the cross. Just
          before he gave up his spirit, he cried aloud,
          ...Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit...
          (Luke 23:46).

          Christ literally placed the keeping of both his life
          and his eternal future in the custody of the father.
          And, in doing so, he placed the souls of every one of
          his sheep into the fathers hands.

          You may wonder, But didnt Jesus say he had the power
          both to lay down his life and to take it up again? (see
          John 10:18). Since he had the power to take up his
          life again, why did he resign it into Gods hands to
          be preserved? The answer is obvious: Jesus did it to
          set an example for all of his sheep to follow!

                      -------------------------------

                         God Has the Power, Wisdom,
                          Willingness and Love to
                       Preserve His Beloved People.

                      -------------------------------

          If were being asked to trust our lives to someone,
          then we have to know that this someone has the power to
          keep us from all danger, threats and violence.
          Otherwise, our trust is in vain. Simply put, our God
          has to have the wisdom and power to guide us as well as
          to guide countless multitudes of others through various
          crises and difficulties. And he must accomplish this
          guidance of his people in love.

          Now, if you know the Lord at all, then you know this is
          his character. He is almighty, infinitely wise, and a
          friend who sticks closer than a brother. Indeed, he is
          the very essence of love. The apostle Paul writes,
          ...I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that
          he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him
          against that day (2 Timothy 1:12).

          Paul is saying, Ive put my life in the Lords hands.
          And Im persuaded he wont embezzle my trust. On the
          contrary, hes going to faithfully keep his word to
          preserve me because hes both able and willing to do
          so. That has been my experience with the Lord!

          Today, as the storm clouds gather over our nation, our
          choice is clear: We can either resign our lives into
          the Lords hands, or we can be responsible for keeping
          and preserving ourselves, a task thats impossible when
          God is shaking everything!

          The fact is, our peace and contentment always depend on
          our resignation into Gods hands, no matter what our
          circumstance. The psalmist writes, Delight thyself
          also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of
          thine heart (Psalm 37:4).

                      -------------------------------

                     If Youve Fully Resigned Yourself
                     Into Gods Hands, Then Youre Able
                     To Endure Any and All Hardships.

                      -------------------------------

          No matter what calamity befalls you, you know it cant
          be soul-damning, because you are clay in your fathers
          hands. He desires for you to be able to go about your
          daily business without fear or anxiety, totally
          trusting in his care. And your resignation to him has a
          very practical effect in your life. The more resigned
          you are to Gods care and keeping, the more indifferent
          youll be to the conditions around you.

          If you are resigned to him, you wont constantly try to
          figure out the next step. You wont even be scared by
          the frightful news swirling around you. You wont be
          overwhelmed as you think about the days ahead because
          youve entrusted your life, family and future into your
          Lords safe and loving hands.

          I ask you how worried or concerned do you think literal
          sheep are, as they follow their shepherd into open
          pastures? Theyre not worried at all, because theyre
          totally resigned to his leading of them. Likewise, we
          are the sheep of Christ, who is our great shepherd. So,
          why should we ever be concerned, disquieted or worried
          about our lives and futures? He knows perfectly how to
          protect and preserve his flock because he leads us in
          love!

                      -------------------------------

                        How Is Our Resignation Into
                         Gods Hands Accomplished?

                      -------------------------------

          We see in the Bible that whenever someone approached
          this walk of self-resignation, he did so only with
          great seriousness of thought. Its easy for Christians
          today to say, The Lords will be done, in a general
          way. But its another matter entirely for us to resign
          ourselves into the Lords hands about a particular
          circumstance.

          In my own life, Ive had to learn to trust God one
          problem at a time. Think about it: How can I say I
          trust God with everything, if I havent proven I can
          trust him with just one thing? Merely saying the words
          I trust the Lord completely isnt sufficient. I have
          to prove this over and over again in my life, in many
          areas and in everyday things.

          Also, our resignation into the Lords hands cant be
          forced. It must be a free and willing surrender. There
          are several biblical examples of people who failed at
          this. Consider Egypts Pharaoh: Only when he couldnt
          hold out against Gods plagues any longer did he resign
          to let Israel take their wilderness journey.

          Likewise, many people living today have said, I
          resign, I commit, I trust, only after they saw there
          was no other way out of their situation. But true
          resignation the kind that pleases God is done freely
          and willingly, prior to our coming to wits end. We are
          to act in covenant with the Lord, as Abraham did giving
          God his life as a blank check, and letting the Lord
          fill it all in.

          God will accept no less than our all in this matter. If
          we resign our lives to him only half-heartedly, with
          any kind of reservation, were as guilty as Ananias and
          Sapphira were. They pretended to give their all to the
          Lord, but in reality they held back a part and they
          paid with their lives. In short, our resignation to God
          must be without conditions. There can be no deals or
          restrictions placed on our Lord; we have to give up all
          control into his hands.

          Now, by resigning ourselves wholly into Gods hands, we
          surrender all of our own thoughts, ways and desires and
          we subscribe totally to his wisdom and truth. Such a
          resignation is by nature a daily, ongoing work. It
          cant be done just once. God sees through all of our
          temporary submissions in times of distress, and through
          all of our feigned obedience.

          Although the psalmist says were to trust in God at all
          times, our proud flesh always desires to keep control
          over our lives. It constantly tries to convince us we
          can preserve ourselves by our own wits. And so, at the
          very moment we resign ourselves wholly to the Lord, our
          flesh rears its stubborn will and we quickly discover
          how determined our heart is to make its own way.

                      -------------------------------

                         Casting Ourselves Upon The
                         Lord in Full Dependency is
                        One of The Hardest Things We
                      Christians Have to Do in Life.

                      -------------------------------

          Total resignation to God is an impossible task one that
          can be done only by faith. However, once we make this
          holy resignation to the Lord, no difficulty can prevail
          against us. Our faith in our shepherd will carry us,
          soul and body, through all hardships, discouragements
          and natural impossibilities.

          We have to be aware, though, that once we make this
          commitment, we trip a loud alarm in hell. Once a
          resigned Christian yields all control to the Lord,
          placing every matter of his life into Gods hands,
          Satan will rise up to oppose him with ferocity.

          Consider what happened with Paul: As long as he went on
          his pharisaical way, apart from the Lords will, he
          felt no opposition from the enemy. Yet, when he placed
          his life wholly in Gods custody, he was buffeted and
          attacked relentlessly.

          Likewise, beloved, if you yield all to God, youll be
          fiercely opposed by every power of darkness. Satan will
          erect mountains of frightful conditions before you, to
          try to drive you to unbelief. Hell flood your mind and
          heart with doubts and fears that had never even crossed
          your mind before. His strategy is simply to turn your
          gaze onto how bad things are going to get, rather
          than onto Gods promises to keep you through any
          crisis.

          Ive felt this struggle many times throughout my years
          in ministry. When hard times have come, doubts have
          risen up in my heart and whispered accusingly, Well,
          David, what are you going to do now? How will you be
          preserved through this crisis? Whats your plan for
          survival?

          Satan will do anything to keep our focus away from
          Jesus! Yet we know from the scriptures that this kind
          of temptation is the experience of all who commit to
          follow Christ.

                      -------------------------------

                       Fear Will Inevitably Come Upon
                         You When The Storm Hits.

                      -------------------------------

          The biblical prophets warn us that when we see God
          shaking the nations, and perilous times befall us, our
          natural man will fear greatly. Ezekiel asked, Can
          thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong, in
          the days that I shall deal with thee? (Ezekiel 22:14).

          When God warned Noah of his coming judgments and told
          him to build an ark, Noah was moved with fear
          (Hebrews 11:7). Even bold, courageous David said, My
          flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of
          thy judgments (Psalm 119:120). And when the prophet
          Habakkuk saw disastrous days ahead, he cried out, When
          I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the
          voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled
          in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble...
          (Habakkuk 3:16).

          Please note as you read these passages: The fear that
          came upon these godly men wasnt a fleshly fear, but a
          reverential awe of the Lord. These saints werent
          afraid of the enemy of their souls but they did fear
          Gods righteous judgments. And thats because they
          understood the awesome power behind the approaching
          calamities. They didnt fear the outcome of the storm,
          but rather Gods holiness!

          Likewise, each of us will experience overwhelming fear
          in the coming times of destruction and disaster. But
          our fear must come from a holy reverence for the Lord,
          and never from a fleshly anxiety about our fate. God
          despises all sinful fear in us, the fear of losing
          material things, wealth, our standard of living.

          All over the world today, people are filled with this
          kind of fear, as they see their nations economies
          deteriorating. Theyre afraid an economic flood will
          sweep away everything theyve labored for throughout
          their lifetime. And theyre saying, All my sweat, all
          my efforts to build an estate and prepare for the
          future, are about to come to ruin. Im going to live in
          poverty!

          Such is the cry of unbelievers who have no hope. It
          ought not to be the cry of the godly. Indeed, if youre
          a child of God, your heavenly father will not endure
          such unbelief in you. Isaiah warned:

          ...who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a
          man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall
          be made as grass; and forgettest the Lord thy
          maker...and hast feared continually every day because
          of the fury of the oppressor... (Isaiah 51:12-13).
          Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be
          your fear, and let him be your dread [awe] (8:13).

          Let God be your fear and awe. That kind of fear leads
          not to death, but to life!

                      -------------------------------

                     Right Now, America is Filled With
                      People Who Think No Distressing
                      Calamity Will Ever Befall Them.

                      -------------------------------

          Throughout history, people have believed they could
          handle any calamity well enough without faith in God.
          The prophet Isaiah writes that such scoffers boast,
          ...when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it
          shall not come unto us... (Isaiah 28:15).

          Isaiah says these people are spiritually blind: Lord,
          when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see...
          (26:11). In other words, they wont attribute any
          calamity to Gods work. Instead, theyll act as if
          there were no God in heaven at all to bring them to
          account for their unbelief.

          Many scoffers in America today think their wealth will
          save them from any disaster. But Gods word says in no
          uncertain terms that when his divine shaking begins,
          the ungodly rich will suddenly see their possessions as
          worthless:

          In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and
          his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself
          to worship, to the moles and to the bats; to go into
          the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the
          ragged rocks, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory
          of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the
          earth (2:20-21).

          Other scoffers may say, Why all the worry and concern?
          Things continue as they have since the very beginning
          of humanity. Calamities have come and gone, but weve
          always survived. Economies may collapse, empires may
          fall, but human life goes on.

          We cant listen to these prophets of doom theyve been
          saying the same things for centuries. The world hasnt
          ended, as theyve said it would many times. The bad
          times have always given way to the good. We just need
          to enjoy life while we can.

          Its true that Gods prophets have sounded warnings in
          every generation. But history proves that God has
          always sent his judgments in due time. John Owen, the
          great Puritan preacher, spoke the following message to
          his congregation on April 9, 1680:

          You know that for many years, without failing, I have
          been warning you continually of an approaching
          calamitous time, and considering the sins that have
          been the causes of it...I have told you that judgment
          will begin in the house of God; that God seems to have
          hardened our hearts from his fear...and that none knows
          what the power of his wrath will be. In all these
          things I have foretold you of perilous, distressing,
          calamitous times...these all now lie at the door, and
          are entering in upon us.

          Scoffers today may read Owens words and say, This
          proves my point! Heres a doomsday preacher from three
          hundred years ago who tried to put a scare in his
          society. But the world has continued, in spite of
          everything he said. Things have gone on as usual!

          What such scoffers dont acknowledge is that God did
          send his awful judgments on that society. John Owen
          lived to weep over a flaming holocaust that engulfed
          London and destroyed that great city. In fact, he saw
          the fulfillment of every one of his powerful prophecies
          wars, destruction, shattered economies, nationwide
          depression, diseases that wiped out multitudes of
          careless, unconcerned people.

          Yet before he ever saw a single one of these calamities
          take place, Owen faithfully cried out from his pulpit:
          I am going to show you how we ought to deport
          ourselves in and under the distressing calamities that
          are coming upon us, and may reach, it may be, up to the
          very neck.

          Beloved, were living in just such a time as Owens.
          And in times like these, there is only one response to
          the coming financial holocaust: The just shall live by
          faith! Owen admonished his people with tears: Get you
          an ark, prepare an ark for the safety of you and your
          families. Then he added:

          That ark is Jesus Christ. There is no other way, no
          other ark for Isaiah, the prophet, said of our Lord,
          And a man [Christ] shall be as an hiding place from
          the wind, and a covert from the tempest, as rivers of
          water in a dry place, as the shadows of a great rock in
          a weary land.

          That is our ark blessed are they that trust only in
          him...I know of no safety, no deliverance, in the
          trials and afflictions coming upon the earth, but in
          believing Christ as our only refuge.

                      -------------------------------

                      Lord, Give Us Spiritual Eyes to
                      See Your Protective Wall of Fire
                    Round About Spiritual Zion, Keeping
                       and Preserving All Who Resign
                        Themselves Into Your Hands!

                      -------------------------------

          We may see dangers on all sides, including a devil and
          his principalities who want to drown our faith in
          doubts. But we have a fiery guard of angels surrounding
          us and a God who is under oath to carry us through any
          disaster we may face.

          So, let me ask you do you want to face the coming storm
          with quiet confidence and peace of mind? Then die today
          to all your own ways and means of saving yourself and
          commit the keeping of your life wholly to Gods care.
          Hes your good, loving shepherd and he is faithful to
          see you through all!

          ---
          Used with permission granted by World Challenge, P. O.
          Box 260, Lindale, TX 75771, USA.

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