(Part II) There are all kinds of things in this world that we could choose to be afraid of, but you don’t need to watch a scary movie or walk down a dark alley to have your fears informed. Perhaps the most pervasive fear, the fear of man, in all the various ways it manifests itself, seems to be hardwired into each person. Jesus, however, regularly helped to right the fears of His disciples, pointing them toward a reverent fear of God—a fear that was really rooted in their trust in Him to care for them throughout all of life’s circumstances. And that is the central message of this two-part message from Pastor Daniel: Fear of man can only exist where fear of God is weak. Having a right understanding then of the Triune God who is spoken of as all three persons in this text will help us to 1) Fear God the Father, 2) Confess Christ, and 3) Submit to the Holy Spirit.

Summary by Seth Kempf, Bethany Community Church Staff

Coexistence is not possible in every situation. People have made creative bumper stickers that seek to meld a number of religious symbols into one while also spelling with that melding the word “coexist.” If what is meant by such is, “live on the same planet,” then we’re in good shape, but usually what someone is trying to convey by a statement like this one is, “mind your own business and consider everyone’s points about everything equally valid.” This is an impossible mission. Worrying about life and trusting the Lord is equally impossible. Pastor Daniel illustrates this point in the sermon at hand. There are three reasons that he gives from the text for why we should NOT be anxious. 1) There is more to life than whatever it is you are worrying about. 2) God values you and knows your needs. 3) Worry cannot accomplish anything of value. But then there is also another charge in the text: it is imperative that we DO seek the kingdom of God. We can do such through letting go of this earthly kingdom, through providing for the needs of others, by resting in our secure/eternal investment, and by checking our hearts as we find our treasure.

Summary by Seth Kempf, Bethany Community Church Staff

A few decades ago, there was a song that came out titled, “Jesus is My Friend.” It’s by many accounts an odd little tune that has become somewhat of an Internet sensation for precisely that reason. But in many ways it captures much of the wrong understanding of the mighty King, Jesus Christ, which the Bible shows us. Passages like this one highlight the silliness of the idea that we serve a soft Savior and remind us that the Lord was and is anything but a passive buddy. Pastor Daniel explains the controversial but true reality that one of the things Christ came to do was bring division. This division comes not because Jesus is against all forms of unity, but because, ultimately, everyone in the world stands on one of two sides of the gospel. This gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ who has come to save sinners and reconcile them to God, is a dividing message in that people will either believe it or not. It is a message of such power and consequence that those standing on either side of it actually live for opposing kingdoms.

Summary by Seth Kempf, Bethany Community Church Staff

It is very normal and natural for people to try and understand why certain terrible things happen at certain times to certain people while others are spared. Do some folks “have it coming” more than others? Is it all just a matter of coincidence? Does God have no control (or doesn’t care) about the difficulties that people experience in this world? These questions and more abound in people’s minds today just as they did in Jesus’s lifetime. Pastor Daniel provides helpful instructions from God’s Word for those who are wrestling with these questions. He begins by looking at the wrong responses people can have as they observe tragic events taking place. The first incorrect response is the conclusion that the recipients of tragedy were extra wicked and deserved their trouble. The second takes a position at the opposite extreme and declares that such awful events have no relationship with sin in the world whatsoever. What then is the right response? Jesus gives it to us: repent. “…All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) is true for everyone, leading us to hope in Christ today and have the promise of eternal salvation.

Summary by Seth Kempf, Bethany Community Church Staff