Worship is a place of fellowship and communion with God. We are designed by God to dwell in this place of relationship with Him where we are worshiping Him as our way of life through a constant and intimate interaction.
Sin entered the world and Adam’s response to the presence of God completely changes from worship to worry, from fellowship to fear as he said, “I was afraid.”
Jesus came to redeem all humanity and reverse this order back to its original place by restoring fellowship in the place of fear and worship in the place of worry.
2 Timothy 1:6-7 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. NKJV
Paul tells Timothy to stir up the gift that is in him but in other translations it speaks of fanning into flame those gifts. If you’ve been through a difficult season recently you must realize dry conditions are perfectly prepared for blazing fire to come through your soul. Fuel the Fire is all about stirring our God-given fire from God.
Fear is a spirit that works to move believers away from worship into a place of worry. The spirit of fear is part of the devil’s plan to steal kill and destroy. What does it steal from you? Peace, joy, confidence and a good night’s sleep. But God‘s Word says, “When you lie down your sleep will be sweet.” Money can’t buy these things because these things only come from God. He came that we might have and enjoy abundant life so let’s purpose to worship, give thanks and obey God in the face of worry.
The spirit of fear has taken control when you no longer feel you have control over whatever is taking place. You become self-absorbed and incapable of loving others because you are now consumed with preserving yourself.
It’s not that there is nothing to fear it’s just that fear does not serve you well. Fear will make you start grabbing at things to comfort you. You grab hand sanitizer and grab masks you grab anything you can to feel less fear but until you embrace God‘s perfect love you will just keep grabbing at more and more. God‘s love will serve you well there is a confidence you can have in the love of your father. We will have no fear because we’ve settled in our minds Jehovah God will take care of us.
The Bible speaks of challenges and describes our response in the presence of our enemies. We are told to eat our way out!
Psalm 23:1-6 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. NAS
God prepares a table in the presence of our enemies. In the presence of your enemy means that even while sickness is trying to attack your body, as your child is battling drugs, when your finances are being challenged. These difficulties are enemies trying to tear you down and destroy your legacy. Right in the middle of the challenge Jesus invites you to the table.
The only way out of this is to eat your way out. In the midst of life’s greatest challenges make sure you are purposing times of resting and feasting. Focus on the Word! Dwell in his presence. Eat your way out of the situation. Isa 10:27 speaks of how the anointing makes you fat. Circumstances and situations that you were confined to in times past can no longer confine you when God enlarges you so eat up!
I’ve seen people push away from the table and stop eating because they get mad at God. I’ve seen people stop eating because they have made mistakes and no longer feel worthy of the table of the Lord. These are tricks of the enemy! Whatever you do don’t stop eating. Don’t move away from the Table of the Lord.
When we move into fear and frustration rather than remaining in faith, we are focused on something we wanted God to change. Love gets dismissed and we’re reduced to people driven by a problem lacking intimacy with God.
When we get anxious, fearful and even angry our heart rate goes up and we move into a mindset of reaction rather than response.
When Lexi was just born she had many complications as a newborn preemie. One night I was commissioned to stay in the hospital with my tiny baby girl. The doctor’s orders were for me to be beside her small bed and console her but never pick her up. He had to explain this to me because he saw the protective father response when he told me I couldn’t pick up my baby girl when she cried.
When a father holds a child close to console the child something almost miraculous happens. The child’s breathing patterns begin to emulate the father’s breathing patterns. The child’s heartbeat begins to emulate the father’s heartbeat. The doctor explained that if I held her through the night we would have to do it all over again because the machines would be picking up my patterns more than hers.
Jesus is saying in the midst of everything going on, come close to me and let my heartbeat become yours. Sit with me at The Table and experience the communion with God for which you were born. Your heart rate slows down and the Father’s patterns start to become your own.
Somebody messaged me about having their tithe in savings ready to give but keeping it just in case. The Lord began to deal with them about the lack of trust. Giving is worship. We worship or we worry but we can’t do both at the same time. God is wanting to capture our hearts in these times of challenge. Let’s abandon ourselves to Him!
We Bring GP2RL Action Point:
Pray this week with expectation for God to do something supernatural in all of our hearts this coming weekend at Fuel The Fire.
WORSHIP OR WORRY: REACTIONS & RESPONSE
DISCUSSION GUIDE
Click here for a downloadable pdf file of this guide.
UNDERSTANDING THE SEASON: As a church family we want to be OUTRAGEOUSLY LOVING people who PASSIONATELY PURSUE the Lord with IRRATIONALLY GIVING lifestyles as we CONSISTENTLY SUBMIT to God’s desires and EFFECTIVELY DISCIPLE others to do the same.
Our 2022 New Year’s Revelation as a church family is EVERYONE IS CREATED FOR ABUNDANT LIFE! Much will flow from heaven into our hearts and homes this year!
The devil comes to steal, kill and destroy but realize the aim of death is not to kill you but to keep you from the fulness of life until you die. Distraction is destruction of what could have been in your life.
John 10:10b “...I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].” Amplified
Jesus came demonstrating that true life is discovered in a willing death. When we die to ourselves we learn what it means to be alive in Christ.
God’s plan is for us to hear his voice together as a family. This is why we start each group with the first question:
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
1. Where are you reading in your Bible and what are you sensing from God?
Ask each person in your group to answer the discussion questions below after reading the verses. Don’t move on to the next question until everybody who is willing to share has had the opportunity to give their perspective.
2 TIMOTHY 1:5-7 I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. 6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. NKJV
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Have each person give a 60 second summary of what these verses are saying, in their own words.
What do these verses teach us about God?
What do these verses teach us about people?
What should you do this week in response to what we are reading and what God is revealing?
Who comes to mind when considering a person you might share this with this week?
We Bring GP2RL Action Point:
Pray this week with expectation for God to do something supernatural in all of our hearts this coming weekend at Fuel The Fire.