FAITH OVER FEAR
Phobias! There are all sorts.
It’s easy to make light of a variety of rare phobias (such as arachibutyrophobia — the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth), but people suffering from phobias often find themselves debilitated by anxiety to the point of avoiding scary experiences or even social interactions. Severe anxiety is not to be taken lightly.
Even common fears can often get in the way of a life where we experience “shalom”, or the goodness of God. Regardless of what causes fear, we don’t have to let it hijack our faith.
Last Sunday, Pastor Lawrence talked about the fear that Jesus’ disciples experienced when fierce storms rocked their boat (Mark chapter 4). The disciples feared that they were perishing, that they would drown in the waves, and they would have been stuck there if Jesus hadn’t reassured them.
“Faith will get you to the other side, but fear will leave you stuck in the storm.”
Shalom requires trust.
Jesus rose from the dead to restore the kingdom of God… on earth as it is in heaven. To believe in Him, to experience real faith, we have to take a step in God’s direction, even when our world is shaking or turned upside down.
Our hope lies in Jesus’ resurrection. He conquered fear and death. The resurrection of Christ brings us hope for the future… and hope for today… by connecting us to God and His kingdom.
The world in 2022 is full of fear and anxiety. However, the people of Mosaic Church walk, work, and worship together, with hope that God is uniting and restoring His creation to the way it ought to be. Scientific progress, technology, world peace, human or artificial intelligence… none of these provide the answers to the chaos and brokenness around us. Christian faith in the resurrection of Jesus does however give us hope that God will restore goodness.
Fear is overcome by faith.
Pastor Lawrence also reminded us to sow seeds of the gospel, the good news for ALL people. Just sow the seeds and leave the harvest up to God! It’s easy to make a difference when we live like people who are resurrected with Jesus.