Faith Food

Fear Not

Message Notes

Intro
1. Today, I want to move to the third part of this series: the “entree.” I have to admit that when I order this part of the meal, the first thing that comes to my mind is a delicious filet steak! SHOW ME THE BEEF! “By this time, you ought to be teachers, but you are still on “milk and not meat.” I’M GOING TO ORDER THE “FEAR NOT FILET” with a baked potato and grilled asparagus! You are going to get a “steak dinner” today!
2. We are living in the “age of anxiety.” Right now, there are 38 million adults (1 out of every 7 adults) in America are on anxiety medication. It is especially high among women and young adults ages 18-34. Anxiety is fear of the future, fear of the uncertain and the unknown.
3. A pastor I follow had a young lady in the church who asked for prayer for healing. She said she was having symptoms in her body. The pastor prayed and the Lord told them it was fear. The pastor visited the lady a week later and asked her if it was fear. She adamantly said “No.” A week later, the pastor brought her a list of some Scriptures on fear. The pastor went back the next week and she said she had lost the list. Two months later, her parents called and said she was in the hospital. They said her organs were shutting down. The doctors could find nothing wrong with her organs. The pastor went in to pray for her. Three days later, she died. The doctors asked to do an autopsy on her and checked every organ. Not one thing was wrong with any of her organs. FEAR KILLED HER. This demonstrates that fear is a ruthless weapon Satan uses to destroy believers.
4. FEAR BEGAN IN THE GARDEN. When Adam and Eve sinned, they hid themselves in the garden and said these words: “I was afraid.”
  1. No wonder that the phrase, “FEAR NOT” is mentioned 77 times in Scripture! Fear opens the door to worry and anxiety. God wants to give you His PEACE. “PEACE” is God’s supernatural provision for fear, worry, and anxiety.
  2. When the doctor told me to call hospice, I FELT A SUPERNATURAL PEACE that flooded my heart and my mind. The PEACE OF GOD is a far greater force than the force of fear!
“Fear not filet” in the Scriptures:
1. "Faith is fear-less”
  1. Josh. 1:9 (Amp): “ Have not I commanded you? Be strong, vigorous, and very courageous. Be not afraid, neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” GOD WOULD NOT TELL US TO DO SOMETHING THAT WE CANNOT DO.
  2. “Be strong and very courageous.” “Cour” in French is “heart.” “Courage” is “heartage.” Courage strengthens your heart. You can’t just “stop having fear.” (Or thinking of a pink elephant). You have to fill your heart with courage and it displaces fear.
  3. Jesus told people to “TAKE courage.” TAKE IT.”
    1. Healing for the man let down through the roof,
    2. Healing for the woman with the issue of blood,
    3. Jairus: “FEAR NOT, only believe, and she will be well.”. “TAKE COURAGE.” God is giving you courage, reach out and TAKE IT.
2. “Faith is ACT-ive”
  1. “Faith is an ACT.” ACT as though what God told you in the Word is true.
    1. David RAN toward a nine foot tall man, totally fearless and courageous.
    2. When we ACT in faith, FEAR runs away. Faith is active, fear is passive.
  2. Namaan: “Go, wash in the Jordan.” Blind man: “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam.” Pool of Siloam: “Take up your bed and walk.” Ten Lepers: “Go, show yourself to the priest.” He told me to help my son move to two states away when I was on a walker and had 30 days to live.
  3. ACTION: Joshua walked around Jericho. Peter walked on water. Jesus blessed a few biscuits and two sardines and fed 5000. When God tells you to do something, don’t let fear stop you.
  4. Illustration of “passive faith” vs. “Active faith” (Aimee Semple).
3. "Faith is peace-ful"
  1. Ps. 23: 1-6:
    1. “Makes me lie down in green pasturs, leads me by still waters, leads me in the paths of righteousness”—Do you feel any fear in that? Jesus is my Shepherd and I am resting in His leadership.
    2. “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil…”—It doesn’t mean that we never go through some fearful environments. (Melanie’s picture)
    3. “He prepares a TABLE in the presence of my enemies”—God is serving you a “Fear not filet with a far above appetizer and a love of Christ Gumbo!”
    4. “He anoints my head with oil…my cup runs over”—Being filled to overflowing with the Spirit gives me victory over fear.
  2. Ps 34: 4: “I sought the Lord and He answered me and delivered me from ALL MY FEARS.” (Heights, spiders, diseases, accident, bankruptcy, violence.). There are over 500 named individual phobias!
  3. Phil. 4: 6-7: “Do not be ANXIOUS about ANYTHING, but in everything by prayer and supplication with THANKSGIVING let your requests be made known to God. And the PEACE OF GOD, which surpasses all UNDERSTANDING, will guard your HEARTS and your MINDS in Christ Jesus.”
4. 1 Pet. 5:7-9 (Amp): “CASTING the WHOLE of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, ONCE AND FOR ALL] on Him, for HE CARES FOR YOU affectionately and cares about you watchfully. Be well balanced (temperate, SOBER OF MIND), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring, seeking someone to seize upon and devour. RESIST HIM, FIRM IN YOUR FAITH.
  1. “Cast all your anxieties”: “Casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.” (1 Pet. 5: 7). This word is not a gentle handoff. It means to hurl it, to throw it as far as you can. It is not a fishing pole where you cast and then you reel it back in! You violently throw it away from yourself.
  2. Your “cares” are your “anxieties, your cares, your worries once and for all on Him.” It is a word that means you do it and you never re do it. You can’t have flypaper on your fingers when you throw it on Him.
  3. “He cares for you.” He cares about you “affectionately.” God loves you. He knows the hairs on your head. Matthew 6 says that He feeds the birds. Aren’t you better than a bird?
  4. “Be SOBER-MINDED.” “Be sober minded. Be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)
    1. Fear starts with a thought. Satan can interject thoughts into your mind: “You’re gonna die like your parents did. You are going to lose your job. That pain is a deadly disease.” (FEAR PORN)
    2. A thought that you keep listening to becomes a “stronghold.” It starts to control you, like the girl who thought she was dying. “Cast down imaginations and every high thought, taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10: 5).
    3. The devil goes about like a “roaring lion.” Lions roar to intimidate. They are showing off their strength and size. The roar strikes panic in their victims.
5. “Resist the devil: “Resist him, firm in your faith.” (1 Pet. 5: 9)
  1. This is very important in faith. “RESIST HIM, SOLID AS A ROCK.” Fear is a spirit. You cannot budge. You cannot move. You are “far above” him. Take your authority, from your seat in heavenly places. You have to “roar back.” Lions can hear the roars of their enemies and tell if they are outnumbered.
APPLICATIONS:
1. 60 second transfer prayer: “Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus, I obey your word. I throw all my worries, all my anxieties, all my cares, once and for all, over on to you. I refuse to carry them any longer. I refuse to think about them. I resist the devil, and remain firm in my courage. I believe you care about me affectionately. Thank you Lord for taking care of me. I trust your peace and I thank you it is already done.”
2. Adam: “I was afraid” (Gen. 3: 10). Sin makes you afraid of God. When you are forgiven, you are no longer afraid of Him, you “draw near” to Him and He “draws near” to you.

Faith Food

Faith Food is a series about learning what truly feeds the soul. Every day, we are shaped by what we consume, what we believe, and what we build our lives on. In this series, Pastor Larry Stockstill will lead us through what it means to fill our hearts with faith, live out biblical principles, and grow a deeper spiritual appetite for the things of God.

4 Part Series

All the files in the included packages below have been stripped of dates and church branding. Feel free to adjust, change, or tweak as needed. Include your own church logo or swap out the photos.

Full package also available on Dropbox.

Assets & Files

Part 1: Far Above

Many believers live as if they're trying to earn victory, fight for victory, or somehow overcome their struggles through their own strength. But Scripture paints a different picture. Because of Jesus' death, resurrection, and victory, believers aren't fighting for victory, they're living from victory. In Christ, you have been raised, seated, and positioned far above every power of darkness.

Part 2: The Love of Christ

What if the greatest obstacle to your faith… is forgetting how deeply you're loved? When you truly understand what Jesus has done for you, everything changes. You're no longer living under guilt, trying to earn God's approval, or wondering where you stand with Him. Through Christ, you've been justified, adopted into God's family, and forever secured in His love. That's the kind of truth that strengthens your faith.

Part 3: Fear Not

Fear has a way of convincing us that the worst is inevitable. It steals our peace, paralyzes our faith, and keeps us focused on everything that could go wrong. But throughout Scripture, God repeatedly tells His people, "Fear not." Why? Because faith isn't just believing God can, it’s learning to trust Him enough to move forward with courage, peace, and confidence.

Part 4: Redeemed From The Curse

Through the cross, Jesus didn't just forgive your sins, He exchanged your curse for His blessing. Too many believers still live weighed down by guilt, fear, defeat, and lack, forgetting what Christ accomplished on their behalf. The good news of the Gospel is that Jesus paid the full ransom so you could walk in the freedom, favor, and blessing of God.