How to have Faith Enough not to Fear

Note: This lesson was designed as an overhead presentation the reason it doesn't follow my usual outline format

Where do we begin?

(Psa 23 NKJV) The LORD is my shepherd;

I shall not want.

{2} He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters.

{3} He restores my soul;

He leads me in the paths of righteousness

For His name's sake.

{4} Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil;

For You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

{5} You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over.

{6} Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

All the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.

Let’s begin our study in the middle.

{4} Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;

What was David’s valley of the shadow of death?

I think he walked that valley several times.

1) When he was a shepherd boy.

(1 Sam 17:34-36 NKJV) But David said to Saul, "Your servant used to keep his father's sheep,

[His experience helped build his faith]

and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, {35} I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth;

and when it arose against me,

[Here he is face to face with death – Someone or something is going to die!]

I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it.

[That is a faith building experience.]

{36} "Your servant has killed both lion and bear;

[This gave him faith for the next great contest:]

and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God."

What Did David Say in the 23^rd Psalm?

Psalm 23:4b “For You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”

Continuing with what he said to Saul

(1 Sam 17:37 NKJV) Moreover David said, "The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." And Saul said to David, "Go, and the LORD be with you!"

· David’s faith was in God, not in his experience.

· He clearly stated his faith in God to Saul.

2. He walked the valley of the shadow of death again as he met Goliath. This must have been a challenging moment! One slip and he could easily be dead.

(1 Sam 17:41-44 NKJV) So the Philistine came, and began drawing near to David, and the man who bore the shield went before him. {42} And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was only a youth, ruddy and good-looking. {43} So the Philistine said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. {44} And the Philistine said to David, "Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!"

Again, David Stated His Faith in God Clearly!

(1 Sam 17:45-46 NKJV) Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. {46} "This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.” -- To God be the glory!

3. He walked the valley of the shadow of death again as Saul issued a decree that he should be killed.

(1 Sam 19:1-2 NKJV) Now Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David; but Jonathan, Saul's son, delighted greatly in David. {2} So Jonathan told David, saying, "My father Saul seeks to kill you. Therefore please be on your guard until morning, and stay in a secret place and hide.

David’s life was spared!

4. He walked the valley of the shadow of death again as Saul tried to drive his spear through him.

(1 Sam 19:9-10 NKJV) Now the distressing spirit from the LORD came upon Saul as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And David was playing music with his hand. {10} Then Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away from Saul's presence; and he drove the spear into the wall. So David fled and escaped that night.

5. On two other occasions, Saul took his army to look for David, but God always protected David.

Psalm 23:2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters.

The Peace that God give us!

(Isa 26:3) You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.

The disciples were in trouble once.

(Mat 8:24-26 NKJV) And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. {25} Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!" {26} But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

"Why are you fearful?” Because they were afraid of dying!

O you of little faith?" This was a rebuke to them. They didn’t have enough faith to die. If you don’t have enough faith to die, you are of “little faith.”

(Rom 14:7-9 NKJV) For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. {8} For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. {9} For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

(1 Th 5:9-10 NKJV) For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, {10} who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.

Many in this room have walked the valley of the shadow of death.

· Many have had open-heart surgery.

· Most of our ladies have gone through the pain of childbirth. A fatal experience for many women, especially years ago.

· Others have experienced cancer or other health problems as they walked the valley.

· On this 4^th of July, we are reminded of those in the military who have walked the valley of the shadow of death, and for many, it was the reality of death.

How do you have a faith to live by and die by?

· We can ask the Lord to increase our faith.

(Luke 17:5 NKJV) And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."

· By remembering the experiences that God has given you.

In the screen of our kitchen window, there is a wire 10 inches long. It was bent in the middle and driven through the screen by the storm of over a year ago. I leave it there. It’s a reminder that the storm was close, but God kept us safe.

I think sometimes we need to think of the wondrous things God has done for us.

(Mark 5:18-20 NKJV) And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. {19} However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you." {20} And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.

Jesus left us a wonderful promise.

(Mat 28:18-20 NKJV) And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. {19} "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, {20} "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

Psalm 23:4, “For You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”

Your rod and Your staff,

The staff: It was their to guide, even to catch the sheep if they went astray.

The rod: It could be used for defense; for protection.

“For You are with me”-- God’s presence is such a comfort and such a blessing.

(Phil 4:6-7 NKJV) Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; {7} and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

As Doug Sikes and I were finishing college together, Doug said, “Harley, when I finish the day, I just pray to God, ‘God, I’m turning everything over to you for the night.’” Then he went to sleep.

I hope that we can all feel the assurance of God’s presence. That we can have the faith in God that will let us say, “It is well. It is well with my soul.”