Heart Check Part 7 -"Fear" - the invisible force that controls actions!

When I began in ministry, I had to be bi-vocational to live. I worked 2 outside jobs alongside my Pastorate. I chose to work 2 nights a week as a security guard, which enabled me to do my studies for my messages. One night about 2:00 AM I heard loud and frantic screaming. from a 26th floor balcony. I ran to my office to call 911 and noticed there were no complaints from anyone from the surrounding floors. I knew people could hear what was going on because this was Hawaii and windows were always left open. The "fear" I felt of becoming involved began to control me, I felt pressure to just call 911 and ignore the screaming I heard, let somebody else deal with it. The Holy Spirit had other ideas, so I called 911 and I preceded to the 26th floor. A man and a woman were in a fight, all I saw was blood. The man obeyed me and sat down but the woman was quite frantic and was holding a knife cutting herself. I disarmed her and wrapped a towel around her arm. She was weeping and kept saying she wanted to die. I asked her to please sit down and by God's grace she did. Suddenly she sprang towards the balcony. I caught her and just bear-hugged her, she kept screaming and kicking until the police came. Months later that couple was coming to our church. "Fear" had almost caused me to act like the rest of the people in the building, it's somebody else's problem. I'm glad the Holy Spirit did not allow me to give in to the pressure that fear can produce.   

     We must control our heart or it will lead us to move powered only by emotions! Wisdom, is Intellect + Emotion. Pilate was being led by his emotions and allowing pressure to dictate his actions. 

 

In Review:  

The Biased Heart…intends!

The Biased Heart does not care about right or wrong, just a personal agenda! 

The Biased Heart sets out to prove what it already believes.

The Biased Heart sidesteps truth and looks for ways to attack.

The Biased Heart will try and create proof.

The Biased Heart has an unwillingness to accept Truth

The Pressured Heart Reacts

The Pressured Heart Reacts based on Reputation

The Pressured Heart Reacts based on Rationalization

Third, his heart reacted based on Fear.

John 19:7–11 The Jewish leaders replied, “By our law he ought to die because he called himself the Son of God. Therefore when Pilate heard this statement, he was even "more afraid;" and he entered into the Praetorium again and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate said to Him, “You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have "authority" to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?” Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above;

     Fear is one of the fiercest emotions we have. Interestingly, I have found through years of counseling…and from observing my own sinful behavior, Fear usually reveals that the real issue is we feel we are losing control. Our sin nature desires and demands to be in control, to be the ultimate “authority” in our life. When Truth challenges that, we become fearful because we cannot control what happens. Pilate was gripped by fear, especially when he realized he could not intimidate Jesus.

 

     I have found my struggle with fear is directly related to my lack of faith. The Word of God makes it clear that Truth leads to faith and faith leads to real freedom. Freedom delivers us from the pressure that sin works hard to produce in us which will lead us to make decisions based on that pressure, not Truth. 

 

A wise man said this: "Give me 100 preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen; they alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the Kingdom of Heaven on earth" - John Wesley

 

The So What: What pressures do you feel in your heart? How are you responding to them? When was the last time you took a risk based on faith? 

Next -  The “Unprepared Heart,” which trips!