Tag Archives: Fear

May 21, 2025 · 5:43 pm

Complacency and the Burning Bushes in Our Lives

Dr. Bob Odom Ph. D.

One of my favorite stories in the Old Testament is the story of Moses encountering a burning bush. The amazing part of this story is that the bush continues to burn without being consumed. Moses lived in the desert, and while not a usual occurrence, there were times when bushes and shrubs would ignite through spontaneous combustion. But in these instances, the bush would burn and be destroyed in minutes.

This bush, however, did not burn up but continued to burn. This phenomenon intrigued Moses, who was attracted to it. But as God often does, He prepares Divine opportunities to teach and focus our attention. God used something from desert life to get Moses’ attention.

If this had happened to me, I would have been intrigued and would have explored the reasons why the bush was not being consumed. I would have examined the cause and source of the fire, trying to figure out why it was not burning up. In fact, it is possible that I could have been so focused on the bush that I would have missed what God was saying.

Moses was busy. He was attending to the sheep, raising a family, and possibly licking his wounds from his rejection in Egypt. For forty years, he was isolated and living the opposite of what he experienced in Egypt. He had no political power, financial security, or prestige, but he was enjoying his life and had settled into the daily routine.

But then this happens. The bush is burning, and God speaks. He speaks and calls Moses to be the deliverer of the people of God. This causes Moses to react, and he begins to give every excuse under the sun for why he cannot do this. I cannot speak. I stutter. I get nervous. One by one, God clicks off all of these excuses and gives Moses a solution to his objections.

Complacency, a state of self-satisfaction that leads to a lack of progress, can often creep into our lives. I wonder if there was a level of comfort that Moses had developed. He was accustomed to watching the sheep and raising his family. I know that for me, I can become complacent and comfortable in my life. I can become complacent and comfortable doing even good things. I can raise my family, do “God’s” work, and more. These are wonderful things, but sometimes I need a push to change and do new things. I need a burning bush experience that gets my attention and moves me out of my comfort zone. 

I have seen God do this in me several times. On one occasion, I was pastoring a growing church. We saw some great things happen in the church. I was connected to the fire and EMS community as a chaplain and volunteer. Things were going well until they were not. I had become comfortable.

God was doing something, but I needed a burning bush to realize it. I found myself no longer enjoying the pastoral role. I was tired and did not feel I was accomplishing as much as I needed to (my self-talk). My wife wanted to be closer to the kids and grandkids. All in all, I was facing a burning bush moment in my life. Things were burning, not in a physical sense but in a spiritual sense.

Through it, I heard God’s voice telling me it was time to move and relocate. I, like Moses, made all kinds of excuses. What will people think? How will we support ourselves? What will the future hold? What if people do not believe the reasons we are leaving? What if I do not find anything that I can do?

Yes, we moved. We moved without a job, a house, or a ministry to go to. But God came through big time. Today, I have the privilege of serving a Nursing Home three days a week as their Pastoral Care Director. I serve six companies around Richmond as a chaplain. Through our church, I get to meet with people and help mentor them to be who God has called them to be. I get to partner with my wife through disciplining others.

Before the burning bush in my life, I was complacent and stagnant. Now I am on the move and free to be the person God called me to be. I am enjoying life again. I am seeing God move in ways that only come from God.

I am not sure what the future holds, but I trust God. Perhaps I will write about and share stories about grief. Perhaps I will tell my story. Perhaps I will help out our church and be more involved with hospital care. Perhaps I will continue to help men develop and grow as men. Who knows? Well, actually, God knows, and that is all I need.

Did I want the burning bush experience? Not necessarily. I liked where I was and what I was doing, but there was a disconnect. Something was not right but I was too complacent to see it. Therefore, the burning bush was the best thing that ever happened to me.

So let me ask you?      

  • Have you become complacent?
  • What needs to change?
  • Where and how are you experiencing a burning bush?
  • What excuses are you giving to God for not doing what He has called you to do?
  • What keeps you from moving forward with what God wants you to do?

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July 6, 2023 · 2:27 pm

I Need A Favor

Robert W. Odom Ph. D.

As many of you know, I love to take illustrations from life to make Biblical statements. I recently heard a song on the radio that made me think about grief and prayer. The song is “I Need A Favor” by Jelly Roll. It is an interesting song because the singer is transparent about the struggle to have a marginal relationship with God. This struggle is highlighted by how some only pray during a major crisis. Because of the struggles one has, they wonder if God will hear them. Sometimes all we can do is throw up Hail Mary prayers and hope God hears them.

We can feel that way when we face traumatic events that lead to grief. We want to pray but know we have yet to do so consistently. We have only prayed when we have a crisis; now that we have a crisis, we are afraid God will not answer.  We are worried that if we pray, God will not hear us. But let me assure you that He does. He will answer.

Grief is confusing enough without the guilt or feeling that we are not a good person or are not praying enough. The fact is that many people do not think God accepts them. They do not feel good enough. So instead of turning to God, they turn elsewhere to find relief.

Unfortunately, the church has not done much to help this scenario as they sometimes make you feel you must be a part of the club for God to listen to you. We think we must be a part of the in-crowd of Jesus to be accepted. The church does not always intend to do this, but we can make people feel like they are second-class citizens and need to rise to a certain level before they can pray or seek God. I do not include every church in this because I do not want to broad-brush the church. Some congregations see the need to accept people right where they are. They are doing this and they are reaching people with grace and mercy.

When I was younger, I attended a “revival” service, and a young couple went to the altar in response to the call. She was wearing a halter top and hot pants. He had cut-off jeans and a T-shirt. I was amazed that the evangelist instructed the couple to go home and change clothes. The man was to cut his hair. If they did this, they could return, and he would lead them in the sinner’s prayer.

Let me say this. There are so many things wrong with this on so many levels. It is no wonder that Jelly Roll has penned the words he has.  The church can unintentionally (and intentionally) set up roadblocks. But, I find that Jesus was accused of eating with sinners. He went to the lowly and the confused. He went to the woman at the well, who was rejected on many levels. He went to the demon-possessed. He went to the Samaritan, who had been rejected by the religious organization of Jesus’ day. I could go on but you get the picture.

With that said, I wonder how many never approach God or the church because of guilt and fear of acceptance. How many people reject God because of what the church has done? I also wonder what would happen if we made churches safe places for people to reach out. What would our communities look like if we permitted people to be who they are and meet God where they are? This does not mean we compromise the gospel, but rather it enables the power of the gospel to reach all people. Rather than roadblocks we need to be avenues for people to reach out to God.

Finally, if you find yourself in the position of being afraid of asking God for anything, let me say God accepts you right where you are. You do not have to pass an entrance exam. If you pray, He will hear you. This means wherever you are; he will be there. Whatever you have done, He will listen. Give it a try and see what happens.

So let me ask you:

  • What would your church look like if it were a safe place for all people to meet with God?
  • What in your life needs to change to be more accepting and less judgmental of others?
  • What are you holding back because you fear what the church or religious organization will do if the truth is exposed?
  • If you are afraid of not being accepted by the church or the people, continue to search for a church that provides a safe place. They are out there. What would that church look like for you?

© Robert W. Odom 2023

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April 20, 2023 · 6:57 pm

Emotional Healing

Robert W. Odom Ph. D.

One of the issues I have encountered and addressed with people recently is the idea of what shapes us. Additionally, I have looked at the triggers that cause us to respond and react to the things we encounter. Sometimes these are easy to recognize, but at other times we must dig deeper to discover what causes us to do what we do.

Today I want to examine why we do what we do. The best place to begin is in the beginning. When God created humankind, He did so in His image. Although we are not God, we have been created in the likeness of God. So, when we are born, we are born with the image of God stamped upon our hearts.

After birth, we are exposed to different stimuli and experiences as we move through life. These stimuli and experiences can shape us into something different from how we were created. In this discussion, there is a second dimension that needs consideration. Although we are made in the image or likeness of God, God also creates each of us differently. This is the foundation of the nature and nurture debate. Are we born that way, or do life experiences impact us? My simple answer is yes. While both impact our responses, I focus today on the learned traits or nurture aspects.

Combine our God-given traits with adverse exposures, and we can begin to respond negatively to our experiences. As we go through life, we are faced with problems. These problems shape us and begin to define us. They can define us in both positive and negative ways. We learn to put up a false front when confronted with the truth. We lie to cover our faults. We compartmentalize and close down when we face difficulties.  We use humor rather than process what is happening. We turn to drugs or alcohol in excess to numb our pain. We turn to pornography to fill a hole of intimacy. We could go on, but you get the point.

For our discussion, a trigger is defined as a stimulus that causes us to go to our negative space. The trigger is what moves us to respond the way we do. When we think about it, a trigger is an event or action that causes us to go to a bad space when confronted with a problem. Notably, the trigger is not the problem as much as the response to the problem. The problem is most likely an emotion that has formed in us. The trigger may be something that elicits fear. It might be something that impacts our self-esteem. The trigger might stir anger in us.  

For example, let’s say it is your performance on the job. Your supervisor approaches you with some changes that need to be made. Instead of listening, you take the confrontation personally. You begin to compartmentalize.  You speak to yourself and say things like, I am no good. I am defective. I am the problem. In cases like this, we shut down, get angry, and respond negatively to what we perceive as negative talk. Unfortunately, responding this way makes it personal and perhaps derails growth opportunities. The reason that we react this way is that we have been rejected on prior occasions. In the past, we have been criticized, and any comment is now taken personally. We become a critic of ourselves. Our response could also be because we have failed before, so we take any criticism personally, even if it is constructive and points to an area of growth. The trigger is the comment we take personally, and the emotion is fear or low self-esteem.

The second illustration is a relational one. We develop relationships, but as soon as the relationship grows, we back away because we fear intimacy or commitment. This happens because with have been let down and burned by previous commitments on more than one occasion. We struggle with commitment because we fear being hurt, and our hearts cannot take another bit of pain. The trigger that causes us to do this is the idea of commitment. That word alone scares us because we do not know what that looks like in a healthy environment.

My challenge for you is to track when you respond negatively to comments made or actions taken against you. Think about the issue and why it affected you the way it did. The person’s comments are not the problem, but we must look deeper than that. Within us, some emotions need to be healed and restored to their proper place. Recognizing those emotions is the first step.

All this sounds so easy, but it is not. It takes time. It requires honesty and a look into what makes us tick. I do not expect these issues to be resolved quickly but anything good is worth the wait and the time spent.

I believe that this is why David made the following request to God. Search me. “O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts” (Psalm 139:23)! David prayed that God would search his heart and reveal what was there. God knows us and that prayer is one that He will answer. And then David prays this prayer. “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). It is not enough to have our emotions revealed. We must invite and allow change to take place. That is where healing comes.

So let me ask you:

  1. What are some of the triggers you recognize in your life? In other words, what sets you off?
  2. Since the trigger is not the problem, consider the emotion from the trigger. Is it anger? Fear? Low self-esteem?
  3. Once you recognize the trigger and the emotions that cause the trigger to cause the reaction, what steps can you take to counter those emotions and establish better responses?
  4. Pray Psalm 139:23 and Psalm 51:10. Allow God to reveal His truth within us. Then allow Him to heal you by creating a new heart and renewing the proper perspective about who you are.
  5. Find someone you trust to speak to about this. Perhaps this would be a good friend, a pastor, or a counselor.

© Robert W. Odom 2023

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January 13, 2023 · 7:56 am

Transition: Are you in One?

Robert Odom Ph. D.

January 12, 2023             

Through the years, I have been through several transitions. At this stage of my life, I realize that I do not like change and transition. I can get comfortable with where I am and what I am doing. But inevitable change must come. Don’t get me wrong, I love to see change occur and processes move forward when I can control it. But there are times when I struggle with change and transition, especially when it is personal. 

I recently met with a friend, and we discussed the idea of transition over dinner. Our focus was on church transition. But this discussion applies across the different types of organizations. The problem too often is that people resist change because of fear and, unfortunately, pride. As a result, too many stay beyond the time they should in some instances. There is a belief that the ministry or organization would be successful if we could do one more thing. It will reach the purposes needed and designed by God if we can have one more significant event. Sometimes we feel we will let people down if we transition out of leadership. If we had stayed longer, we could have succeeded. I know now that is not always the truth.

As I have thought about this subject, I would like to share some of my thoughts. First, when it is time to transition, I must pray and receive counsel from those who know me but are willing to speak the truth. In the transitions I have navigated, I discussed this with good friends. I tried to remain objective as I shared my story. Each one shared with me that they knew it was time to transition. This was a confirmation of what I was already feeling and surmised. The caution here is to avoid picking people who will say what you want them to. The people in my counseling circle did not fit this bill. They were honest and spoke the truth.

Second, have you lost the grace to lead? This is what I mean by this. Have you lost your joy and zeal to lead the organization? Have you become so discouraged that you no longer have a vision for the organization? These may be symptoms or signs that it is time to transition. Now, I am the first to recognize that sometimes in leading organizations, we lose our zeal and direction. Through retreats, time away, and counseling, the zeal is restored. But I am talking about an ongoing lack of vision and passion for the organization. You can love the organization but not have the capacity to lead the organization.

Third, are you able to add value to the organization you lead, or are you just a figurehead? How much time do you spend on the goals of the organization? Are you there to receive a check at the end of the week? Do you do just what is needed to get by? As leaders, we must be more than just one who receives a check at the end of the week. If this is the case, it may be time to transition.

Fourth, we can be afraid to transition for several reasons. We can be fearful of what the future will bring us. This has been my fear so often. After all, I like to control things. I have been amazed that when I step out of my comfort zone to make changes, I have been provided for in some amazing ways. I cannot say that we were not worried at times, but God always provided for us. Each time we transitioned, God opened unimaginable doors.

Fifth, our identity can be wrapped up in what we do and where we serve to the point that we cannot see ourselves doing anything else. This is, in essence, pride. Having our entire identity wrapped up in what we do can be unhealthy. It puts us in a place where we believe that the organization rises and falls on our presence. We certainly may be a key part, but if the timing for transition is right, the next person will succeed in leading the organization to the next level. It is not about us.

Finally, there is a passage in Scripture that speaks to transition. I fear using it as it is often misused and overused, but it is still valid. “I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11). Do you hear what is being said? When you are in transition, God has plans for you. It is a good plan. It is one that He will use to provide and care for you. So, if He is providing, do not fear. Do not worry about the future.

So let me ask you:

  1. Are you feeling that you are in a transitional period? If so, why do you think that way?
  2. Have you lost your zeal and vision to lead the organization? Have you taken some time to rest, renew your spirit, and seek counsel?
  3. Are you afraid to transition because you do not know the future? Why is this? Is it fear or pride?
  4. Do you have friends that can be honest with you? Will they speak the truth about your position?  Who are they? Please make a list and contact them.
  5. How does Jeremiah 29:11 speak to you? Does it give you hope? Why?

Copyright © Robert W. Odom 2023

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July 21, 2022 · 12:44 pm

The Lost Art of Conversation

As I look over the landscape of life, one of the issues I am seeing is that we have lost the power of conversation and exploring others’ ideas. Too often, communication is relegated to demanding acceptance and a loud tone of argumentation. What is lost is the art of listening to others. What is lost is the ability to understand what the other person is communicating and why.

I wonder how different things would be in our world if we listened more and talked less. I wonder how different things would be if we communicated to understand others rather than trying to force people to believe what we believe. I wonder how different things would be if we talked not to persuade but to learn more about the other person.

Now I realize that there are moments when we need to speak for influence but too much of communication today is to persuade someone to agree with us at all costs. And, when they disagree, we turn to angry and defiant forms of communication, or we use the power of the silent treatment. And worse, we communicate about the other person with other people. We gossip and tear down the other person without ever communicating with them. We assume we know them and judge their thoughts and motives.

Have you ever had a conversation with someone that did all the talking? Have you been with someone who did not seem interested in what you had to say? Have you ever ended a conversation where you did not know what had been communicated because it seemed highly one-sided? Have you had conversations where the other person’s primary focus was to persuade you or convince you to agree with them? Too often, I wonder if people are trying to persuade me to believe their point of view rather than have a conversation. Or worse, they are not interested in what I have to say or believe.  

There are so many issues today where this is applicable. As I look at the problems around us today, there are many places where the art of listening is critical. These include but are not limited to abortion, racism, religion, politics, climate change, or gay rights. What would happen if we could have a dialogue that is not accusatory, angry, or trying to persuade others to join “our side.” What if we asked questions to explore what the other person believes and why? What if we asked follow-up questions to find out more?

I have been amazed at what I have learned by listening to people and hearing their hearts. The fact is that I have often found that we have more to agree on than I imagined. I have learned that we are saying the same thing in many cases but in very different ways. Even when we are communicating different things, when we listen to others, we can learn from them. Why do they believe what they believe? Why do they hold onto that viewpoint?

I admit that it is often hard to listen. I want to interject my ideas and thoughts. I want to prove my position. I want others to get in line and follow my ideology. I can become impatient in the process. But it doesn’t work that way. We must listen to gain perspective.

During my years as a chaplain, I attempted to listen to those I was called to serve. It was always fun for me and a challenge to have them open up and talk. I am referring specifically to the paramedics and firefighters I helped. I laughed the first few times I would do a ride-along. Most often, before people got to know me, I was not well received, or I was received with an extended hand that spoke that I was to keep my distance. They had previous experiences that had soured their view of the chaplaincy. Some of the earlier chaplains did more preaching than listening. They would carry big Bibles and quote obscure or often misquoted scriptures.

However, their responses did not deter me but challenged me to communicate in a way that would get them to share about themselves. It did not take long for the paramedics and fire department if I asked a few key questions. I would start with “How long have you been doing this?” I would follow up with “What made you desire to become a paramedic?” And then, “What was the most memorable call you have ever been on?” This was usually followed by “What was the worse call you ever had?”

I was amazed that these simple and sincere questions opened doors for further communication. When asking these questions, I fought the battle to cut them off and resolve problems. Because I volunteered for a local fire department, they often asked me questions. It was interesting what questions I would be asked. Most often, I think it was to get a reaction. But I would share my thoughts but the conversation back to them and ask, “what is your opinion or thoughts on this?” My goal was to keep my answers short and turn the discussion back to them as soon as possible.

Some of the other paramedics who knew me well were surprised when some would stay after their shift to talk about issues in their life. It was in these discussions that I could share my views and give counsel. The biggest reason for this was that I was willing to listen.

Listening is not easy, but it is worth it. One of the biggest things I found in studying the issue of trauma is people need an outlet to talk. They do not need their problem solved. They need to talk. They do not need us to use language that deters healing and brings a deeper wound.

What would happen if we listened to the young mom who finds herself pregnant? What if we talked and listened rather than judged or brought accusations against her? What about people who may be different than us? They may differ by race, gender, sexual preference, political party, or religious persuasion. What could we learn from them? What could we learn about ourselves?

James, a pastor in the early church, had this to say, and it bears mentioning. “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”

As I close, I challenge you to find someone different in viewpoints and ideologies. Connect with them and listen. Ask open-ended questions that require more than one-word answers. This may take more than one meeting as the other person may need to feel secure in talking and not being judged or persuaded to believe another way. Try it. You might like it. And, in the process, you may find out some things about others that will amaze you. And who knows, you might find out something about yourself.

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May 3, 2022 · 8:28 pm

Spiritual and Emotional Implications of Trauma

Today, we will look at the spiritual implications of trauma. I am combining the spiritual and emotional impacts of trauma because they are so connected. When facing traumatic events, one can experience extreme emotions. It is also possible to have a faith crisis.

A crisis of faith can result from what has been termed cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance is a theory formulated by Leon Festinger in the 1950s. This theory states that when an individual holds two or more elements of knowledge relevant to each other but inconsistent with each other, a state of discomfort is created. Spiritually, this can lead individuals to believe their faith is being challenged and what they were taught is now questioned[i].

Churches have correctly taught that God is good. But when facing a traumatic event, God’s goodness can be questioned. We can struggle to understand why certain events happen. For example, we have a loved one killed in a motor vehicle accident. To make matters worse, the other driver was drunk and hit your loved one at a high rate of speed. The driver walks away with little or no injuries. When I was sixteen, my thirteen-year-old brother was killed in a hunting accident. He was killed when a gun we were using went off even though the safety was engaged. He was killed instantly.

When such events happen, we can question the goodness of God. We often ask, “Why God?” Why would God allow my brother to be killed at such a young age? Why at that time? How could a good God allow this to happen? These unanswered questions can draw us into a wave of anger toward God and others. We can begin to blame God. Sometimes we blame ourselves for an event that is beyond our control. And, of course, we blame others.

We need to know that asking the why question is natural during trauma. But, unfortunately, the answer that often comes to those facing trauma is to suck it up! It could be worse! Or have more faith. Now I believe in faith, and I am a man of faith, but I also know that telling someone just to have faith is not enough. For example, Romans 8:28 states, “And we know that all things work together for good..” This Scripture expresses an absolute truth, but it is hard to grasp this concept even though we know it to be true when dealing with severe trauma. The problem is that this one Scripture can be overused. Because this passage is misused, it can do more damage than good. People do not need an overused scripture thrown at them because we do not know what to say or do under the circumstances.

Secondly, we have been taught that God loves us. When trauma happens, we think that God does not love us as much as He did. As we begin to question the “why” of tragic events, we can also doubt His love. When we doubt His love, several things can happen. For one, we can reject God as being unloving and harsh. Secondly, we can strive and work for His love. Finally, we strive for a love that is already available to us.

Striving for God’s love creates another layer to the trauma experience. Can you imagine someone experiencing extreme trauma and at the same time feeling unloved? And, to make matters worse, they feel unloved by God. For a good part of my life, I struggled to get God’s approval and get people’s approval. I did not feel loved because I had a poor understanding of love. I grew up in several different family environments. Some were good and some bad. At least two of these environments were not healthy, and I developed an unhealthy view of love and myself. But, I am so glad that I have grown to understand that God loves me regardless. I may not be faithful to Him, but He still loves me. His love is not contingent on what I know but on what He has already done. As a result, I do not beat myself up as much as I did in the past. And my love for others is healthy, and I do not strive for love as much as I did.

Sometimes, church, work, and family environments produce an atmosphere of guilt, shame, and fear. Leaders manage people through fear and guilt. They handle things through an atmosphere of control. So, when trauma happens, people are filled with shame, guilt, and fear. Rather than experiencing the warmth of God’s love and others, they feel rejected and unloved. The reality is that many will not share their true selves and mask who they are. They will cover and hide how they feel when engaged in these environments. They will pretend to be okay so as not to be judged by those around them. They pretend to be okay because they fear the guilt and judgment that will come if they are honest.

Most organizations which include churches, are not equipped to handle trauma. Admittedly, it is a challenge to deal with severe traumatic events. Too often, as noted last week, too many pastors proclaim you need to have faith, and this will pass. They will share their pet passages even if they do not apply to the circumstances presented. They are not equipped to handle the complexity of trauma. In addition, many churches are not equipped to handle the plethora of emotions revealed through trauma.

Leaders of churches and other organizations must learn how to handle trauma and conflict better. For example, I have been listening to podcasts by Christianity Today! The podcasts discuss the rise and fall of Mars Hill and Mark Driscoll. They refer to spiritual trauma experienced due to an attitude of hostility and anger in the church, mainly by Mark himself. There is no doubt many great things that happened for the kingdom of God through Mark and Mars Hills. However, this success has been clouded by the events and the demise of Mars Hill.[ii]

In this post, it may appear that I am coming against the church and organizational structures. I am not against good churches and organizations. I am concerned about environments that produce shame, guilt, and fear more than grace, love, and healing. Many great churches and organizations attempt to do what is right. They have instituted systems that present an atmosphere where it is healthy to deal with trauma and issues without fear, guilt, or excessive control by the leadership.

Let us mention two of them. First, the Sussex County Emergency Medical Services Organization in Delaware has instituted systems to help employees deal with trauma in healthy and productive ways. Second, our home church, Hill City RVA in Richmond, VA, has also established positive systems to assist people in positive ways without judging them personally. We will discuss these organizations more in the future.

Finally, as I close this discussion if you feel unloved, know you are loved. You are loved more than you will ever know! Know that trauma takes time. Do not let anyone push you to do things you are not ready to do. Also, if you are dealing with fear, anger, and shame, forgiveness is the best thing you can do! Forgive God, forgive others, and forgive yourself.

Join us next week as we look at the power of forgiveness related to trauma. See you next week.

[i] Bonura, Dean. 2019. “Post-Traumatic Stress Spirituality and Trauma.” NP. The Warrior’s Journey. Acessed March 15, 2020. https://thewarriorsjourney.org/challenges/spiritual-truam/.

[ii] Christianity Today. https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/podcasts/rise-and-fall-of-mars-hill/. These podcasts consists of 13 sessions dealing with spiritual trauma. The hosts of the program deal with the growth of the mega church and the challenges that can come from the speed of the growth. In one of the podcasts, the speakers share that Mark Driscoll’s ability outpaced his character. This is the case in many environments that produce unhealthy systems for dealing with problems.

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April 7, 2019 · 6:22 pm

The Antidote to Fear – Perfect Love

Peninsula Community Church 

April 7, 2019 

1 John 4:15-18 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

Last week we looked at trust being an antidote for fear and this week we will look at the power of love to cast out all fear. One of the great authors of the New Testament is John. He had an understanding of love that surpassed most of the other disciples of his day. Perhaps that is why He was known as the beloved disciple. As you read his words, you see that he comprehended the meaning and power of love. Not a romantic love but a love that is stronger than romance. This was the love of a Father who would send His only son to take on mankind’s sin. John knew God’s love and he had a grasp of what that meant for him and for us.

As you read through Scripture we find that it was John that penned some of the most quotable and well known verses in the Bible. Listen to a couple of these passages. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13). A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:34-35). See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are (1 John 3:1) Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another (1 John 4:7-11). We love because he first loved us (1 John 4:19). This is just a splattering of the Scriptures that relate to God’s love but it gives us a sense of John’s heart and the power of God’s love that has been freely given to us. 

We also have the passage before us today. In this passage there are a couple of truths to consider. First of all, just as John knew God’s love we also get to know and believe in His love. Listen to these words. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. Did you get that? We have come to know and to believe. While knowing God requires an intellectual understanding of His love it is so much more than that. We do not just know about God, we experience God! How is this possible? It is possible because He gave Himself for us. It is possible because He has forgiven us our sin. It is possible because He not only forgives us, but He also takes the power of sin away. It is possible because His love extends beyond time into all of eternity. This is possible because He came to live in us. We can know and believe His love because it is a gift freely given. 

In this passage John makes an astounding proclamation. He states that God is love. You see, God does not just love, He is love. He is the embodiment of love and in Him is the power of love. Because of this statement we have come to understand that to define love we look to God. In 1 John 4:8-10 we find that anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. How is His love manifested through us? The amazing thing about love is that it was expressed long before we knew we needed it. He became the propitiation for our sins because of His love. He covers our sin but He does not just cover our sin, He hides them. In essence, our past sin disappears. His love is manifested in that He loved us before the foundation of the world. He loved us before we knew Him. He loved us before we loved Him. His love is worked out in us through Him who is love.

That leads us to a second point. We find there is a direct correlation between abiding in Christ and loving well. His love is best experienced as we abide in Him. This idea of abiding is another theme that runs through John’s writings. In verse 12-13 John states No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. In verse 16 John reaffirms this declaration. He states So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 

Our ability to understand His love is directly connected to our abiding in Him and vice versa. We must abide in Him. We must get to know Him. We must study His word. We must pray. We must engage with others who have a passion for God. Together, we learn the love of God. As we abide in Him His love becomes more real and more powerful than you would ever think. Our sustenance, our hope, and our passion is driven by a deepened relationship with Him. In this abiding, we learn to trust and His love is perfected in us.

It is in this regard that we are reminded of John’s words in John 15:1-10 I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 

Do you get that? There is a direct correlation between abiding in Christ and understanding His love. We abide in Him and His love is revealed in us and through us. Without abiding in Him, we lose focus and we begin to trust in those things that fail us. One of those issues is fear. Fear is a fruitless emotion as it relates to our growth in Christ. 

The third lesson here is that perfect love casts out fear. The word used here means to jettison. Remember in the old westerns when there was almost always a saloon scene and someone being thrown out of the salon. They would be thrown through the swinging doors or they would crash through the window. They were thrown out or in this case they were cast out of the saloon. God’s perfect love does just that, it jettisons fear. God’s love and fear do not go together. 

The word perfect means to bring into completeness or wholeness. This means that God’s love is perfect and does not need anything added to it. As noted God is love. His love is not contingent upon any outside source to satisfy the quality or power of His love. The love here is Agape love which is dependent on the benefactor. You see Agape love is conditioned on the one giving the love and not the one receiving love. His love has been and always is a free gift. 

Finally, the purpose of all of this is that perfect love counters our fear of judgment. We all deal with questions that cause fear in our heart. I am sure that you know what I mean. We deal with the question “Am I good enough?” “Do I have what it takes?” “Will God forgive me?” “Will I escape the final judgement?” “Have I been forgiven?” Paul in Romans 8:15 wrote For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” Paul also reminds Timothy that God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. (2 Timothy 1:7).

If there is a correlation between God’s perfect love and fear, when fear arises we can turn to Romans 8:31-39 where we have an incredible promise of hope. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

If perfect love casts out all fear and there is nothing that can take God’s love away from us, we do not have to walk in fear. If there is nothing that can separate us from His love, what is it that we have to fear? We are more than conquerors in Christ. We can deal with our fear and it is God’s perfect love that drives that fear away. Cast it off, reject it, jettison it and never return to that fear again. 

Let us pray!

For an audio of this message go to http://pccministry.org/messages.

Copyright © 2019 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

 

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April 1, 2019 · 10:35 am

The Antidote for Fear – Trust

Peninsula Community Church 

March 31, 2019 

Philippians 4:4-6 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

I wanted to take some time this morning to look at the power of fear. I am sure that we have all experienced overwhelming fear and anxiety at some point in our life. We may have experienced it for different reasons and in different ways, but we have all experienced it at some point. As a child I walked in fear because my step father would come home in a drunken stupor. He was angry at the world and he tended to take that anger out on myself and my mother. I remember that so many times I would cower in my room hoping that he would just leave me alone. Because of my situation at home, I would make up stories about my home life at school and walked in fear that someone would find out the truth. So as a child, I had fear at home and I had a fear that I would be found out and proven not to be the person I said I was. 

In my adult years, there are still times where I am driven by fear and anxiety. Paying bills, medical reports, issues that arise in my daily life, and looking into the future can drive me to fear rather than faith. In fact, as I have grown in the Lord most often my fear is a direct result of not trusting God and of not fully understanding His love for me. Conversely, my fear is diminished when I see God for who He is and I trust Him without wavering. 

In Scripture one of the most popular phrases and word choices is the phrase “Do not fear.” It does not appear 365 times as some have suggested, but it is a critically important phrase that needs our attention. The reasoning this is critical is that Jesus knew that when we walk in fear, we allow circumstances, events, and/or thoughts to control us. That was never the plan of God. He wanted to help us overcome fear and live a fearless life in Him. Jesus did not want us to be controlled or manipulated by fear, because He recognized that fear holds us back. It will get the best of us. Fear paralyzes us. Fear feeds our doubt. Fear kills the plans of God within us. You see what we fear will control us. It will bind us and it will cause us to do things that we never intended to do. To be honest, sometimes these fears are very real and based in the problems around us. Sometimes our fears are perceived and not based in reality. We are overcome with fear without any reason or basis for that fear.

Now while fear is a powerful force to be reckoned with, we need to consider the antidote to fear. As a noun an antidote is something that counteracts or neutralizes an unpleasant feeling or situation.  As a verb an antidote means to counteract or cancel. I propose that there are two antidotes to fear. The first is to trust God. When we trust God fear is counteracted and fear is cancelled. The second antidote is we must walk in His love. We do not deserve His love nor do we work for it. It is a precious gift given to us to cancel and counteract the fear that is in us. For today we will focus primarily on trust.

I love the stories of the disciples in the New Testament. Their stories show us their failures and shortcomings. They also show us how Christ accepted the disciples and loved them in spite of what they had done. When it comes to fear, we have one of those stories in Matthew 8:23-27 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

Notice something in this story. Jesus was with them and yet they still faced anxiety and fear. They were with Jesus. He was in the boat with them. He was right there, and yet they succumbed to the fear of the storm. The problem was that they were more focused on the storm than they were on Jesus. They allowed the storm to control their emotions rather than the One who was in their presence.

Here is the reality for us. When we focus on the storm and the issues in our life more than we do Jesus, we will succumb to fear and anxiety. Notice Jesus’ response when they woke Him up. “Why are you afraid?” In other words, do you not trust me? Do you not know that we are headed to the other side and we will make it. When Jesus is with us and we succumb to fear most often we have failed to trust God to work everything out for His will and purpose in our life. A lack of trust brings fear and anxiety to the forefront of our life. Being in His presence was not enough, they had to acknowledge that Jesus was their protector. They had to trust Him. 

I love the words of Jeremiah 17:5-9. Thus says the LORD: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

How powerful is that? Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength. I would suggest that when we put more faith in anything rather than God fear and anxiety is created. I would also suggest that whatever we fear, we give power to it to control us and manipulate us. Jeremiah goes on to tell us that the man who trusts the Lord will be like a tree planted by the water. Notice the wording here, the one who trusts in the Lord is not immune from problems, but when the heat comes and there is a drought, they will not fear. 

In other words, when one trusts God, they do not have to fear when problems come. God will make a way. He will protect and guard them. Notice too that the one who trusts in the Lord will not be anxious in the year of drought. When we feel we lack the daily things we need: money, health, less conflict, less car problems, and so on, we do not have to be anxious. God has it and God is in control. 

Now back to our story. Jesus was right there with them and yet they were filled with fear and anxiety. They trusted the storm more than they trusted Jesus. They allowed the storm to dictate how they would respond to the problem. Now before we judge too harshly, we tend to do the same thing. When problems come and trials hit us we tend to allow those things to control us. The question for us is do we trust Jesus with everything in our life or do we get anxious when the storms blow in? Do we allow the storms to overtake us to the point that we miss Jesus, when He is right there with us all along? The disciples were right there with Jesus and yet they missed Him. They should have trusted Him, but instead they became fearful. 

But how do we overcome fear? How do we break the power of fear and take the antidote of trust? How do we learn to trust Him more? To overcome fear we must trust His character. We must trust His control. We must trust His care for us. We must realize that God does not fail us. Yes, we will encounter difficulty, but we must remember that God has our best interest in mind. Trusting God is simply believing that He loves you and knowing He is good, He has the power to help you, and He wants to help you.

One way to build trust is to look back to see where God has helped us before. By being reminded of past victories, we are more apt to remember that God is in control and that He is guiding our paths. I love the times in the Old testament where the children of Israel rehearsed and gave testimony to the things that God had done for them. They were reminded of His grace and His mercy. Remembering what He had done increased their faith and encouraged them to continue moving forward. 

To overcome fear we must not trust ourselves. To trust ourselves is a dangerous move because as we found in Jeremiah we will not withstand the drought that will come into our life. In Proverbs 3:5-6 we are reminded what this trust means. Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

To overcome fear we must be students of God’s Word. As we read God’s word we are encouraged to trust God. Allow His word to penetrate your heart. Memorize His word so that when you feel fear you can counter that fear through the power of His word. 

To overcome fear we must be people of prayer. As we pray, trust is built as we give God our problems each and every day. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:6-7). Prayer brings us to that place of humility and allows us to cast all of our anxiety. As a camel rolls the burdens off of his back so we too should roll the burdens we have onto Jesus, because He cares for us. 

So we can trust God and that trust will alleviate most of the fear we experience. It does not make it easy but it makes it possible. 

For an audio of this message go to http://pccministry.org/messages.

Copyright © 2019 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

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October 8, 2018 · 10:34 am

Strongholds Part 2

Peninsula Community Church 

Defining Strongholds

October 7, 2018 

Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Today, we will look at the second part of our study on strongholds. The goal is to learn about these strongholds so that we can understand how to break free from those things that hold us in bondage. I love the author’s perspective here in Hebrews 12. Lay aside every weight and sin that clings so closely. There are weights and sin that cling to us in such a way that it seems almost impossible to rid ourselves of them. We try but these things continue to arise and continue to impact us in negative ways. It seems that no matter what we do they are always there and we are always dealing with them. It reminds me of the plastic that clings to us and no matter how much we try and rid ourselves of it, it is there. 

As we look at this subject let us take a moment to review how we define what a stronghold is. Last week, we established that a stronghold is anything that diminishes the knowledge of God in our life or reduces how we see ourselves as a creation of God. That is the power and role of strongholds. Because our knowledge of God and our understanding of ourselves as a creation of God is impacted, these things affect us emotionally, relationally, spiritually, and mentally. Our whole man is impacted. Our whole life is affected. These strongholds become weights that minimize our growth and our effectiveness.

Because we have a diminished view of God and a misunderstanding of how God has created us, our relationships and our circumstances are affected. That is why we never truly sin to ourselves. We can say this will not hurt anyone else but that is a lie. Our sin and the strongholds we hold onto impact our jobs, our relationships, our future, and so much more. That is why it is critical that we both recognize and deal with these issues.

When we have issues because of our misunderstanding of who God is and how we have been created, we can believe that it is impossible to overcome the issue because we have sinned too much and what we have done is too great. We are often deceived into believing that we are the way we are and that will not change. Thus we never progress in dealing positively with our attachments and strongholds. We in fact get deeper rather than getting relief. Suddenly, the snow ball effect begins and the small manageable issue is suddenly a giant snowball out of control. Most of the issues we face did not start over night but slowly we become entrapped. The truth in this regard is that is that most of the issues we deal with in life did not happen overnight or in a instant. And yet it seems that all of a sudden we find ourselves embroiled in a fierce battle. 

How do these things happen? Let me give you a few things that might be helpful. First, weights occur because of the small steps toward compromise and the result of bad decisions. Strongholds are often the result of a series of smaller steps that we take or a series of bad decisions we make. That is why we say that our choices have consequences. The decisions we make today effect us tomorrow and beyond. We are battling strongholds in our life today because of the decisions we made at some juncture in the past. John Piper has stated that today’s decisions will determine what we will become tomorrow and how we will respond to the knowledge of God. That is so true.

In the Old Testament we find the story of Esau. A series of decisions by Esau changed the trajectory of his life. Esau took the temporary pleasure offered to him by his twin brother Jacob to satisfy his hunger, a bowl of stew. In doing so, he forfeited his future inheritance. He chose the now instead of what was promised to come. He chose temporary pleasure by forfeiting the eternal blessing promised to him as the firstborn son.

What temporary fixes are we choosing today? Is it the bottle? Is it a drug? Is it a sexual relationship? Is it uncontrolled anger? Is it gambling? Is it spending that is out of control? Is it isolation? Is it control? Is it an unhealthy love of money? All these things are temporary solutions but can have lasting effects on us! 

When we choose the temporary over the eternal, the easy over the hard, the false over the true, it leads to deception and bondage. It is possible that Esau lived the rest of his life wondering what life would have been like if he had not made these decisions. As we know the awesomeness of God is found later in his life. Because of God’s grace, Jacob and Esau were reconciled and their relationship was restored. It is amazing that we have the privilege to take steps toward God. There is healing from very bad choice and decision we make.

Secondly, unnecessary weight comes upon us when we fail to endure. We are living in a society that fails to endure in marriage, in our jobs, in the church, and in so many other parts of our life. It is a normal way of life it seems. It appears that a consistent long-term obedience is hard to come by. No one is perfect but when we fail to endure and push through, we can succumb to the bondage of giving up. When things get hard we run. When things are tough we give up. The result is that we begin to live with rejection and without a vision for a new day. We talked about this last Tuesday in our men’s study. We fall into bondage when we fail to endure and live out the promises we made. To fight the battles and overcome the weights in our life we must endure. The reward for those who endure is eternal life (Matthew 24:13). 

Thirdly, weights are realized when we do not walk in forgiveness. When we fail to walk in forgiveness we are prone to debilitating emotional strongholds that can control our lives and our way of reasoning. Forgiveness allows others to control us. By not forgiving others we give control to others. By waiting for someone to apologize before we offer forgiveness gives that individual power over us. It is for that reason that we must learn to let go of the hurt, pain, or anger we experience for our own sake. We need to release others so that a root of bitterness does not grow in us. That is the problem when we do not forgive others. We are filled with bitterness, anger, and hatred. Therefore, we must release others so we can be healed. 

Fourth, weights occur when we do not effectively deal with the hurt and pain we have experienced. Rather than release the pain and hurt we hold on to it. Instead of releasing our hurt and pain we weaponize it. We use it as an excuse for failure. We use it against others. We use it get our way. In fact, we become so good at it that we do not even think we have a problem. We begin to think everyone else is the problem and fail to accept any responsibility for our part of the problem. 

We often use our pain to cover up and hide our issues. We can hide our hurt so deeply that we can believe that we can never love again. We can hide behind the pain so that we protect ourselves from any future hurt, or so we think. We turn to drugs, alcohol, sexual relationships, and so on to numb the pain in an attempt to live a normal life. But, the more we depend on these things the less we live in reality. The less we live with the truth of God’s love for us and the destiny of God’s purpose in our life. 

So what do we do? In this passage, we find a couple of specifics that introduce us to how we should deal with strongholds. We will look at this more deeply next week. The passage begins with the letting go of every weight and sin that clings to us and keeps us from running the race we have been called to. It is amazing that when we start to have problems, these things seem to never let us go but they keep fighting and battling us. They cling to us. No matter how we try they are there.

The term here is an athletic term. It refers to the one who runs a race that must rid themselves of everything that hinders them. I have known runners that wear heavier clothing and they wear weights while they are practicing, but when they are in the race they get rid of everything that would slow them down. We must shed the hindrances and the bondages of our life so we can run an effective race for Christ.

The second part of this passage calls us to focus on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. The point being made is this. We began this relationship with Christ by faith and it is that faith that will sustain us. When we have problems if we are not careful our focus will be misaligned and our hearts will be out of focus.

In the final analysis, we have to make a decision. We have to determine that we need and want to change. We have all heard it said that when they reach bottom they will change. There is truth to that but we do not have to wait until we reach the bottom. We can make a conscious decision to lay aside every weight and sin that so easily besets us or clings to us today. 

It is not easy but this works begins with a decision that we want to change and are tired of the way we have been living, and we are tired of giving control over to someone or something else. It is a decision that we will do whatever it takes to overcome the enemy’s purposes for our live and align ourselves with the purposes of God. Are you ready? I know you can do it! It begins with a simple decision to focus on Christ, the one who is the author and finisher of our faith.

For an audio of this message go to http://pccministry.org/messages.

Copyright © 2018 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

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September 10, 2018 · 8:09 am

Grace and Mercy 

Peninsula Community Church 

Grace and Mercy 

September 9, 2018

Hebrews 4:14-16 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

This is the second installment of our Amazing Grace study. Last week, we looked at the duality of grace and truth to realize that grace does not allow us to do what we want, but rather grace empowers us to overcome sin in our life. This week we will take some time to focus on the idea of grace and mercy. As we do that, we find this passage focuses on the great high priest that came to give Himself to provide the opportunity for us to receive grace and mercy. 

As we examine this passage, we determine that we have a great high priest who passed through the heavens. Here is what I see this means for us. Christ came to earth as a baby born of Mary. He came to us, so we could get to Him. He reached down to us, so we could reach up to Him. He came to fill the void between us and God. 

What is this void? We find in scripture that man could not look upon God because God was completely holy and totally sinless. In fact, God’s glory was so powerful that there was no way for man to look upon God without death. When Moses, one the holiest men ever to live, wanted to see God, God stated that “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live” (Exodus 33:20). So it was that God in His glorified state could not come to man directly nor could man get to God in his sinful state. There was a great chasm between man and God. That was a big problem. A bridge needed to built and Christ came to be that bridge for us. 

As we noted last week, Jesus came to earth to become man. He dwelled among us and it is here that He sympathized with our weaknesses and our struggles. Notice in this passage that He was tempted in every way we are, but there was a caveat. He was tempted, but He never sinned. He never succumbed to the temptations He faced. He successfully navigated the pitfalls of temptation and was able to maintain His sinless state. Some have rejected this concept as they cannot believe that Jesus was tempted and if He was He could not give into temptation because He was God and God cannot sin. They argue that He could not really understand us if He never sinned, because He was perfect in His ways. 

However, I love what C.S. Lewis had to say about this subject when imagining someone objecting to Jesus being tempted without sin. Here is what Lewis wrote in response to that objection. A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is. A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense know very little about badness. They have lived a sheltered life by always giving in.Christ, because He was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation means — the only complete realist.

John Piper suggests that perhaps Jesus can sympathize with us in our allurements to sin, because He was tempted in many areas. Perhaps, he was tempted to covet all the nice things that Zacchaeus owned, when He himself had no place to lay His head. Perhaps, He was tempted to take revenge, when He was wrongly accused. Perhaps, He was tempted to lust, when a young girl Mary wiped His feet with her hair. Perhaps, He was tempted to pout with self-pity, when His disciples fell asleep in his last hour of trial. Perhaps, He was tempted to murmur at God, when John the Baptist died at the whim of a dancing girl. Perhaps, He was tempted to gloat over His accusers, when they couldn’t answer His questions. We do not know if that is true, but we do know that He was tempted in every way we are, but He resisted that temptation and remained pure and sinless. He knows temptation and He knows how to resist temptation. Therefore, He can sympathize with whatever you are facing. He has been there.  

We then come to the crux of the issue here. Because He was tempted without sinning, a door was opened for us to come before the throne of grace with confidence. At that throne He will hear us, and most importantly that He will understand us. It is there we are accepted. That is a miracle in itself. He understands us. He knows us and He is still willing to accept us even with all of our flaws. 

Notice this, the Son of God, who understood grace and mercy more than anyone else, has opened a door so that we can confidently approach the throne of grace. Notice two things here. It is a throne. That tells us that there is majesty and royalty on the throne. Thus the throne needs to be approached with honor and respect. Secondly, it is a throne of grace. While we approach with honor and respect, we do not have to fear the one on the throne in the sense that we believe He will reject us. It is a throne of grace. The problem for so many, and the lie that has been propagated by the enemy of our souls, is that when we have been tempted and we succumb to that temptation, there is no hope. We feel lost and helpless. But notice that when we approach the throne of grace with confidence, He gives us grace and mercy in our time of need. 

You see we approach the throne of grace with confidence, not fear and doubt. We can approach the throne of grace without the fear of rejection and the worry that we are good enough to be accepted by Him. Sometimes, it feels like we are being called into the principle’s office, or before the judge for a crime we have committed. But, when we are in God’s presence, it is a place of grace and mercy. It is a place of acceptance, where we boldly come to ask for repentance and healing. 

Because He has done what He has done, we can approach God with confidence. One of the saddest results of temptation is to be drawn away from God, but the lesson here is that He is for us. Rather than hide from our sin, our wrongs, and the issues we face, we can enter with confidence that He is going to accept us. Rather than trying to hide because of our sin, the author of Hebrews shows us that we should draw near to Jesus, our sympathetic high priest, who gives us access to God’s throne. For those who are in Christ, the throne is not a place of fear, but rather it is a throne of grace! It is not a place of doubt and questioning if He will accept us, it is a throne of grace. It is not a place of rejection because we have sinned some great sin that we believe is past God’s touch. It is a place of grace! It is a place of mercy! 

The story is told of a little boy who wanted to buy a puppy. He had saved his money and the day came to go down to the pet store to buy this new pet. The shop owner paraded several dogs before the young boy and finally he showed the boy four brand new puppies. The boy loved those puppies and wanted to buy them, but when he heard the price he hung his head. He responded that he could not afford to buy them, not even one of them. Suddenly, from around the corner came one last puppy. That puppy was also a part of the litter and had been born with only three legs and several birth defects. The shop owner stated that the dog would never grow up to be a normal dog. The little boy proclaimed emphatically that was the dog He wanted. The shop owner asked him why and the little boy rolled up his pant leg to show that he was missing a leg because he too had a birth defect. He told the shop owner that his family did not reject him and loved him in spite of his defects. The shop owner with a tear in his eye gave the dog to the young boy for free. Because Jesus knows our pain and our shortcomings, He accepts us just the way we are.  Regardless of our defects and issues, God receives us and accepts us, because His throne is one of grace and mercy. 

As we close this morning, let us look at the words grace and mercy for a brief moment. We discussed last week that grace is the unmerited favor of God. By grace we get what we do not deserve. Mercy on the other hand means that we do not get what we do deserve. We deserve death, but Christ came to pay that debt for us. You see the wages of sin is death, but Christ paid that debt upon the cross, and if we come before Him and humble ourselves before Him, He will receive us and give us grace and mercy.

Here is the point being made. We can enter with confidence into the throne room of grace because God understands us. That is amazing and that is amazing grace at its best. Jesus understands this and He knows the difficulties firsthand that we face in every day life. It is for that reason that He can extend us grace and mercy, so that we are free to live full lives, as a result. 

Finally, we can rejoice that there is a throne of grace. What a world would this be if God sat on a throne of “justice” only, and if no mercy were ever to be shown to people! Who is there who would not be overwhelmed with despair? But it is not so. He is on the throne of grace. By day and by night; from year to year; from generation to generation; He is on the throne of grace. In every land He may be approached, and in as many different languages as people speak, they can plead for mercy. In all our trials and temptations we may be assured that He is seated on that throne, and wherever we are, we may approach Him with confidence that He will receive us.

So, where has the enemy lied to you. How often has he communicated to you that you are not worthy to approach God? Where has He lied to you that you have sinned too much or that what you have done could never be forgiven? These are all lies because the throne of grace is alway available to us. We are never prevented from coming to that throne. It is a gift freely given through a God who freely gave His all for us. So, enter now with confidence and boldness. 

Let us pray!

For an audio of this message go to http://pccministry.org/media.php?pageID=14

Copyright © 2018 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

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