Living on the Other Side of Fear by Matt BromleySample

HOW DO WE FACE OUR FEAR?

Peter’s story gives me hope

In Peter, we see a man who experiences Jesus in the flesh and even gets to see His miracles.

Peter claims that he will follow Jesus even unto death.

But when times get tough and Jesus is arrested, suddenly, the wheels fall off and we see Peter deny Jesus three times.

Even worse, the gospel of Luke says that as Peter denied Him for the third time, Jesus looked straight at him. Wow, that must have been a low point – betraying the Messiah!

Fast forward into the book of Acts and suddenly Peter is preaching to thousands of people. And 3000 souls get saved!

Let’s not forget that these would be the very people who have just crucified Jesus. The consequences for Peter could have been death! Yet he spoke with incredible boldness.

What happened to Peter?

He denied Jesus three times and then a few weeks later he’s preaching Jesus as Lord with no fear for the consequences?

How could this man change so much?

The major event was this: HE SAW JESUS RAISED TO LIFE. HE SAW HIM, HANGED WITH HIM, TOUCHED HIM AND HE SPOKE WITH HIM.

A key to us becoming bold, overcoming fear of approval, fear of failure and fear of the unknown is that we need to encounter the RISEN Jesus (not the Jesus of rules and morals).

When we encounter the RISEN CHRIST, we will find that:

He’s more powerful than we could ever imagine: He commands the storms and holds the universe in His hands. In His presence, He strikes fear and awe into our souls like the loud crack of thunder or a massive ocean wave.

Yet He is the Lamb of God. He is humble, servant-hearted and approachable. He stands with His arms open, waiting to embrace us. And He loves us more than we can fathom.

Only the One who is all powerful and all approachable is great enough to hold our fears, yet humble and loving enough to welcome us to Himself.

I often find myself being guilty of going through the motions – reading my Bible, listening to podcasts and filling my mind with information about Jesus instead of really seeking intimacy and connection with the RISEN Jesus.

We need to encounter the RISEN Christ – hang with Him, talk to Him, and feel His presence – if we’re going to rise above our fears.

Questions/Reflections

1.How can you encourage intimacy and connection with Jesus in your life?

2.If you close your eyes and visualize Jesus, do you see the RISEN Christ? Do you have the right vision of His character?