Fear can hold us cap\u00adti\u00adve so that we can no lon\u00adger make free decis\u00adi\u00adons. It can even pre\u00advent us from fol\u00adlo\u00adwing Jesus. Jesus died so that we can be free. Through him we beco\u00adme sons and daugh\u00adters of God, and with this new iden\u00adti\u00adty in Jesus we are free to fol\u00adlow him ful\u00adly and com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly. Through Jesus Christ we are resur\u00adrec\u00adted to a new life of freedom.<\/p>\n
Fears have the poten\u00adti\u00adal to deter\u00admi\u00adne our lives \tPublic spea\u00adking, fear of being rejec\u00adted and fear of fail\u00adure are some of the big\u00adgest fears. Which one can you iden\u00adti\u00adfy with the most? Fear can hold us cap\u00adti\u00adve so that we can no lon\u00adger make free decis\u00adi\u00adons. It can even pre\u00advent us from fol\u00adlo\u00adwing Jesus. Jesus died so that we can be free. Through him, we beco\u00adme sons and daugh\u00adters of God, and with this new iden\u00adti\u00adty in Jesus, we are free to fol\u00adlow him ful\u00adly. Through Jesus\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":7928,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[73],"wpfc_sermon_series":[98],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-daniel-bieri","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-folge-du-mir-nach","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-7915","4":"wpfc_sermon","5":"type-wpfc_sermon","6":"status-publish","7":"has-post-thumbnail","8":"hentry","11":"wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"},"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nI recent\u00adly met a per\u00adson who could\u00adn\u2019t under\u00adstand why I had retur\u00adned to Switz\u00ader\u00adland. He show\u00aded a com\u00adple\u00adte lack of under\u00adstan\u00adding that someone would vol\u00adun\u00adt\u00ada\u00adri\u00adly return to Switz\u00ader\u00adland from such a dream coun\u00adtry as Cana\u00adda. After a few minu\u00adtes, the man told me that he had held the visa for emi\u00adgra\u00adti\u00adon in his hand over twen\u00adty years ago, but had\u00adn\u2019t dared to take the step. Fear of the uncer\u00adtain\u00adty of whe\u00adther it would work out kept him from rea\u00adli\u00adsing his dream. Fear was stron\u00adger and had a firm grip on him. He was not free to make a decis\u00adi\u00adon. Fear kept him from his dreamland.
\nFear has the poten\u00adti\u00adal to rob us of our free\u00addom. Fear has the poten\u00adti\u00adal to hold us cap\u00adti\u00adve. Fear has the poten\u00adti\u00adal to turn us into slaves.
\nI don\u2019t know whe\u00adther it was God\u2019s will that this per\u00adson I was allo\u00adwed to get to know should go to Cana\u00adda or not. But I do know that fear can pre\u00advent us from fol\u00adlo\u00adwing God\u2019s paths.
\nFear held the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes captive
\nFear, the lack of trust in God, is a cen\u00adtral the\u00adme in the Bible. We see this very cle\u00adar\u00adly in the libe\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon of the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes, who lived in Egyp\u00adti\u00adan cap\u00adti\u00advi\u00adty for four hundred years. God had cal\u00adled Moses to free his peo\u00adp\u00adle and lead them into the Pro\u00admi\u00adsed Land. This pro\u00adved to be any\u00adthing but easy. Moses had a dif\u00adfi\u00adcult start until the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes were allo\u00adwed to lea\u00adve Egypt. The king chan\u00adged his mind and per\u00adse\u00adcu\u00adted . Howe\u00adver, they were saved by a migh\u00adty mira\u00adcle through the Red Sea. God split the sea in two and allo\u00adwed them to march through on dry land. After this mira\u00adcu\u00adlous sal\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon, God gave Moses the Ten Com\u00admandments on Mount Sinai. The\u00adse are neces\u00adsa\u00adry in order to live in true free\u00addom with God and the world. The Lord pro\u00admi\u00adsed them a new life in the land of free\u00addom flowing with milk and honey.
\nFear kept them from the dreamland
\nUnfort\u00adu\u00adna\u00adte\u00adly, fear kept them from the land of their dreams, it thwar\u00adted this won\u00adderful pro\u00ads\u00adpect. Ins\u00adtead of the pro\u00admi\u00adsed land of free\u00addom, they remain\u00aded in fear in the desert. Becau\u00adse of this fear, the first gene\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon was denied the pro\u00admi\u00adsed land. Their fear was grea\u00adter than their trust in God. Fear is a sign of a lack of trust in God. Alt\u00adhough they had expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced God many times in a mar\u00advell\u00adous way, they did not trust him.
\nThe peo\u00adp\u00adle were afraid and did not trust in God. \u00abAll this shows us quite cle\u00adar\u00adly that they could not reach their goal, the land pro\u00admi\u00adsed by God, becau\u00adse they did not want to trust God\u00bb (Hebrews 3:19 New Tes\u00adta\u00adment). Moses and Aaron were afraid and they did not trust in God. \u00abYou did not trust me [\u2026] the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre you must not bring my peo\u00adp\u00adle into the land that I will give them\u00bb (Num\u00adbers 20:12 HFA<\/span>).
\nThe spies had no trust in God eit\u00adher. \u00abThe Lord said to Moses, \u00abSend spies to Cana\u00adan. Let them look around in the land I am giving you Israe\u00adli\u00adtes\u00bb (Num\u00adbers 13:1\u20132 HFA<\/span>). \u00abBut the other spies objec\u00adted: \u00abThe\u00adre is no way we can go up against the\u00adse nati\u00adons. They are much stron\u00adger than we are\u00bb (Num\u00adbers 13:31 HFA<\/span>).
\nThey were all afraid and did not trust in God. They were always afraid of the ene\u00admy. In the end, they even wan\u00adted to return to slavery. Ins\u00adtead of the pro\u00admi\u00adsed land flowing with milk and honey, the first gene\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon remain\u00aded in the desert. The fear was so per\u00adsis\u00adtent that it could only be bro\u00adken by the death of the first gene\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon. Fear can be so per\u00adsis\u00adtent that it accom\u00adpa\u00adnies peo\u00adp\u00adle to their death. Fear does not want to lea\u00adve us, but it is pre\u00adcis\u00ade\u00adly the libe\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon from this fear that is incre\u00addi\u00adbly important. This is the only way we can fol\u00adlow Jesus. If we are trap\u00adped in fear, we do not have the free\u00addom to fol\u00adlow Jesus. We run the risk of not wal\u00adking in the pro\u00admi\u00adses of God becau\u00adse of our fear. For\u00adt\u00adu\u00adna\u00adte\u00adly, we live in the New Tes\u00adta\u00adment: with this new coven\u00adant, God has bro\u00adken our bonds of slavery.
\nThe\u00adre is a bril\u00adli\u00adant song that descri\u00adbes over\u00adco\u00adming fear and this new free\u00addom. It\u2019s a song that speaks to today\u2019s generation.
\nVer\u00adse 1:
\nYou untang\u00adle me with a melo\u00addy \/ You sur\u00adround me with a song \/ The libe\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon from my enemies \/ Until all my fears are gone \/
\nChorus:
\nI am no lon\u00adger a slave to fear \/ I am a child of God \/ I am no lon\u00adger a slave to fear \/ I am a child of God
\nIn the refrain of the song, we sing the truth of the new coven\u00adant. I am no lon\u00adger a slave to fear and the reason for this chan\u00adge is my new iden\u00adti\u00adty as a child of God. The ans\u00adwer to every fear is that I am a child of God. For me, the fasci\u00adna\u00adti\u00adon of this song lies in the fact that it con\u00adveys the bibli\u00adcal truth in such a playful way. The Bible says: \u00abFor the Spi\u00adrit you have recei\u00adved does not make you slaves, so that you must live in fear and dread; he has made you sons and daugh\u00adters, and through him we cry out when we pray, \u00abAbba, Father! Yes, the Spi\u00adrit hims\u00adelf testi\u00adfies to us in our inner\u00admost being that we are God\u2019s child\u00adren\u00bb (Romans 8:15\u201316 NRSV<\/span>).
\n
\nVer\u00adse 2:
\nIn my mother\u2019s womb \/ You have cho\u00adsen me \/ Love has cal\u00adled my name \/ I am reborn into a fami\u00adly \/ Your blood flows through my veins
\nWhat a beau\u00adtiful pic\u00adtu\u00adre: He has alre\u00ada\u00addy cho\u00adsen me in my mother\u2019s womb. Becau\u00adse he loves me, he has cal\u00adled my name. I have been born to a new, eter\u00adnal life. And our rela\u00adti\u00adonship could not be more inti\u00adma\u00adte, becau\u00adse his blood flows through my veins. Jesus is in us and brings life to our mor\u00adtal bodies.
\nChorus:
\nI am no lon\u00adger a slave to fear \/ I am a child of God \/ I am no lon\u00adger a slave to fear \/ I am a child of God
\nInterlude:
\nI am sur\u00adroun\u00added \/ By the arms of the Father \/ I am sur\u00adroun\u00added \/ By a song of sal\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon \/ We have been libe\u00adra\u00adted \/ From slavery \/ We are sons and daugh\u00adters \/ Let us sing of our liberation
\nBridge:
\nYou have par\u00adted the sea \/ So that I could walk through \/ My fears have sunk through love \/ You have saved me \/ I will stand and sing \/ I am a child of God
\nYou have par\u00adted the sea \/ So that I could walk through \/ My fears have sunk through love \/ You have saved me \/ I will stand and sing \/ I am a child of God (Yes I am)
\nHere, the song\u00adwri\u00adter has indi\u00advi\u00addua\u00adli\u00adsed a sto\u00adry from the Old Tes\u00adta\u00adment. He uses the image of sal\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon through the Red Sea to com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adca\u00adte a New Tes\u00adta\u00adment truth. God split the sea so that the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes could pass through it, be saved from slavery and beco\u00adme his peo\u00adp\u00adle. He per\u00adso\u00adna\u00adli\u00adses it to the first per\u00adson sin\u00adgu\u00adlar. The gigan\u00adtic love of God saves us from the ene\u00admy and our jus\u00adti\u00adfied fear is drow\u00adned in the water and thus era\u00addi\u00adca\u00adted. The fears and thus the ene\u00admy are drow\u00adned in the water. That is the reason why I can now stand here and sing that I am a child of God.
\nAn infec\u00adtious song
\nI can still remem\u00adber when this song came out. I was fasci\u00adna\u00adted by the enthu\u00adsi\u00adasm with which the sin\u00adger sang it. It was\u00adn\u2019t just sin\u00adging, it was one hundred per cent con\u00advic\u00adtion and this con\u00advic\u00adtion spil\u00adled over. I thought to mys\u00adelf that the\u00adre must be a sto\u00adry behind it. I sear\u00adched the inter\u00adnet and came across an inter\u00adview. I would like to tell you about it.
\nWow, what a decla\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon: we are freed from our fear becau\u00adse we are child\u00adren of God. This is so important in our life of faith that we know, belie\u00adve and live this truth.
\nBorn to new life
\n\u00abA thief wants to rob, mur\u00adder and des\u00adtroy. But I (Jesus) have come to give them life in all its full\u00adness\u00bb (John 10:10 NLB<\/span>). The thief wants to rob, mur\u00adder and des\u00adtroy. Fear wants to ste\u00adal our joy. The thief even wants to hold us cap\u00adti\u00adve as Chris\u00adti\u00adans. He wants to des\u00adtroy our rela\u00adti\u00adonship with God through fear. Fear brings death, but Jesus gives us life in all its full\u00adness. In this full\u00adness of free\u00addom, only in this con\u00adscious new iden\u00adti\u00adty can we fol\u00adlow Jesus. The new iden\u00adti\u00adty in Jesus is the key to free\u00addom. With this song we decla\u00adre our new iden\u00adti\u00adty \u2013 fear has no chance.
\nThis song is always a remin\u00adder of what we are in Jesus.
\nNext Sun\u00adday is water bap\u00adtism, a sign of new identity
\nThe Israe\u00adli\u00adtes were saved by water. In water bap\u00adtism, we are sym\u00adbo\u00adli\u00adcal\u00adly saved by water. When we are immer\u00adsed, the old dies \u2013 even fear and anxie\u00adty die. We then emer\u00adge from the water with Jesus in a new iden\u00adti\u00adty. Now we are rea\u00addy to fol\u00adlow him. Full of trust, we walk as child\u00adren of God. Melis\u00adsa, the sin\u00adger, explai\u00adned in the inter\u00adview that she had sung it, but always ran into a wall. She felt God say\u00ading to her: I won\u2019t let you sing it if you don\u2019t real\u00adly belie\u00adve it. She strug\u00adg\u00adled with the lyrics and the breakth\u00adrough is audi\u00adble. This is my pray\u00ader for us, that we don\u2019t just lis\u00adten to this song, hum it or sing it. But that this truth shouts out from our hearts our new iden\u00adti\u00adty in Jesus as child\u00adren of God. But even if we don\u2019t feel it in our hearts yet, let\u2019s sing it as a decla\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon of the important bibli\u00adcal truth: \u00abOur new iden\u00adti\u00adty in Jesus gives us the free\u00addom to tru\u00adly fol\u00adlow Him.\u00bb
\n
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small group
\nRead Bible text: Gene\u00adsis 13:1\u20132; 25\u201333<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat was Peter\u2019s fear when he denied Jesus three times?
\n\tGive an exam\u00adp\u00adle whe\u00adre fear has taken away your free\u00addom of choice?
\n\tCan you under\u00adstand why our new iden\u00adti\u00adty in disci\u00adple\u00adship is so important?
\n\tAre you used to spea\u00adking bibli\u00adcal truths about your life?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"