Believe, Do Not Fear
Pastor Tan Thai · Feb 2, 2020
This sermon draws from the account of the twelve spies in Numbers 13-14 to teach that fear is the direct result of a lack of faith in God. The pastor calls believers, especially those elected to new church leadership, to trust in God's promises and faithfulness rather than be controlled by fear.
This sermon was preached on Sunday, February 2, 2020, based on the account of the Israelites in Numbers 13-14. The pastor opens by establishing the close relationship between faith and obedience, echoing the familiar hymn "Trust and Obey." The greatest obstacle to both faith and obedience is fear, and the sermon is specifically directed toward members about to be elected into the new church leadership board.
After 40 days of scouting the land, 10 of the 12 spies returned with a discouraging report, comparing themselves to grasshoppers before the inhabitants of the land, and urged the people to abandon the promised land and return to Egypt. Only Joshua and Caleb encouraged the people not to fear, grounding their courage solely in the fact that "the Lord is with us." The pastor points out that the fear of the 10 spies and the entire congregation stemmed from forgetting God's power, faithfulness, and the miracles He had performed throughout the previous two years. He connects cowardice with unbelief through Revelation 21:8 and Matthew 8:26, emphasizing that fear and cowardice are expressions of a failure to trust in God.
The pastor identifies the two greatest fears all people experience: the fear of death and the fear of failure. He uses the comedic image of Charlie Chaplin chained to an iron ball to illustrate that death cannot be escaped. He also shares personally about his own fear of failure in pastoral ministry when the "Dream 2020" attendance goal remained out of reach. He draws on the image of Vietnamese refugees sinking their own boats to prevent return, and the English idiom "crossing the Rubicon," to illustrate the irreversible step of faith—just as the Israelites crossed the Red Sea and could only move forward.
The pastor uses the life of David during his years of fleeing from King Saul to illustrate that when every other safety net is removed, God becomes the sole and sufficient refuge. Psalm 56, written when David was captured in Gath, is quoted and recommended for use in times of fear: "When I am afraid, I put my trust in you... in God I trust; I shall not be afraid." Hebrews 6:19 is cited regarding hope in God as "an anchor for the soul, firm and secure."
The sermon closes with a practical call based on Joshua 1:5-6, 9 and Galatians 5:1. The pastor reminds the congregation that living in freedom is often harder than living in slavery, because it demands struggle, effort, and the willingness to face failure. For all believers in the church, and especially those about to serve in leadership, God's word commands them to "be strong and courageous, do not be afraid" because the Lord their God is with them wherever they go. The only true cure for fear is faith.