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Amen. Okay, so, Nehemiah chapter 6, and I just want to look, just for a second, we're just going to look at a few verses here. First, we're going to look at Nehemiah 6.9, which reads, For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weak from the work that it be not done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands. Verse 13 there says, Therefore was he hired that I should be afraid, and do so in sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report that they might reproach me. And verse 19 there reads, Also they reported his good deeds before me, and uttered my word to him, and Tobias sent letters to put me in fear. Now, this is going to be the first one of a sermon series called Weapons of the Enemy. Weapons of the Enemy, and this is going to be an ongoing series. We're going to visit it over the next sort of few months, maybe. But today, the weapon of the enemy that we're going to talk about is fear. So, weapons of the enemy, and today it's going to be fear. Let's go to the Lord and a word of prayer before we get started with this. Father, thank you for your word. Thank you for this church. Thank you for all these people that want to serve you. Please just help us to, as we go through this series and start today, just to recognize the weapons that are used against us, to be aware of them, to be able to apply what we learned today to our lives, to be able to deal with these attacks. Lord, I pray that you just help everyone here to have attentive ears, that you fill me with your spirit, help me to preach boldly and accurately in Jesus' name. We pray all of this. Amen. Okay, so, fear. The Bible has a lot to say about fear. If anyone's ever just looked into kind of verses that just give you a bit of strength, if you're having times when you're a bit afraid about things, that there are literally hundreds of verses you could call on to encourage you, to strengthen you. There's a lot said about it. Who and what we should fear, who and what we shouldn't fear. Fear is a big part of life and obviously for anyone sitting here thinking, yeah, I don't fear anyone, yeah, whatever, yeah. Look, firstly, you're out of God's will if you do think that, okay, because there are specific times when we are commanded to fear, yeah. The Bible makes that clear, the most obvious one being when it comes to God, okay. Everyone here should fear God. Turn to Luke chapter 12. Well, I read Psalm 34, 9, which says, O fear the Lord, ye his saints, for there is no want to them that fear him. That's a command to his saints and by the way, that's not some weird people at the Catholic Church who decided, oh saints, that's every one of you believers here, okay. That's a command. Fear the Lord, ye his saints, that's us. Now, Luke chapter 12 and verse 4, Jesus said, and I say unto you, my friends, be not afraid of them that kill the body and after that have no more that they can do, but I will forewarn you whom you shall fear. Fear him, which after you have killed had power to cast into hell, yet I say unto you, fear him. Okay, who's that? That's God, yeah. And look, we should fear God. God is someone that needs to be feared. God is someone that requires fear and if you don't fear God, then you're a fool, okay. If you don't fear God, you are a fool and just because you're saved doesn't mean, oh well, I fear God on a day to day basis. Look, you need to fear God, okay. You need to fear God. He's a scary father like we talked about the other week. Proverbs 1 7 says, the fear of the Lord is a beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. And how many fools are there out there that have been conned by the cuddly, hippie God lie? How many fools are there out there that don't fear God that have somehow been pulled into that, you know, God is just kind of waiting to put his arm around everyone. No matter what you do, no matter what you say, you're a believer, it doesn't matter, God will punish you in life. God punishes the unbelievers in hell for eternity. God's a scary God, okay. He's a loving God, but he's a scary God too. And we need to fear God. And I would say, look, most people here probably have an understanding of that. And I would hope they do. And I've preached a sermon before, I think on the fear of the Lord. And I'm not going to go on about that too much today. But I'd say a lot of Christians understand that and maybe come out with the cliche, I fear no man but God. Yeah, that's the only person I'm told to fear in life, only God, no one else, you know, any other sort of fear is wicked. Well, is that true though? Because the Bible actually tells us that there's other people who should fear in life. So if you turn to Ephesians chapter six, because it is a common misconception is that you fear only God, no one else should be feared. But Ephesians chapter six, and verse five says, Ephesians 6 five says, servants be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling in singleness of your heart as unto Christ, basically fear your employer. Yeah, you should fear your employer, as unto Christ, because when you're a Christian in the workplace, and you're working for someone, it's basically like you're working for God. Okay, that person is that is that authority in the workplace, and you should fear them. And look, many people might go, Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. But do you really? Do you really fear your boss? Because you should, you should feel your boss like you would feel working for God, like, like Jesus Christ himself was supervising you at work. Yeah, we should fear our boss. Servants be obedient to them that your master according to the flesh with fear and trembling. Yeah, you tremble when your boss walks past. Most people don't, but well, we're told to fear and tremble in front of our boss, even if your boss is a right plonker. So even if your boss is just a complete moron, you have to turn there, but 1 Peter 2.18 says, servants be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. The froward is someone who's not very agreeable, basically. Okay, you should even fear your boss, even if your boss is a useless boss. Even if your boss is a rubbish boss, you've got to, you've got to fear your boss. Now, obviously, bad bosses should also be feared, but it's not just bosses. Turn to Romans chapter 13. Basically, when God has put an authority in your life, they're an extension of God. Okay, so an authority in your life is to be feared as unto God. Well, you turn to Romans 13, I'm going to read Leviticus 19.3, which says, you shall fear every man, his mother and his father and keep my Sabbaths. I am the Lord your God. So hear that kids, you ought to fear your parents. And it's not just fearing whichever one it is, it's a scary one. Okay, it's not just fearing your dad, but mum's a pushover, or in some case, it might be the other way around. Yeah, kids fear your mother and your father. Okay, you should fear them as unto the Lord again. Yeah. Romans 13 makes it clear basically that we're to fear the God given authority in our lives. Verse one says that every soul be subject unto the higher powers for there is no power but of God, the powers that be are ordained of God. Whoso therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil wilt thou then not be afraid of the power. Do that which is good and thou shalt have praise of the same. For he is a minister of God to thee for good, but if thou do that which is evil, be afraid. For he beareth not the sword in vain, for he is a minister of God, a avenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore you must need to be subject not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. For for this cause pay ye tribute also, for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their Jews, tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to whom custom, fear to whom fear, honour to whom honour. So there should be a healthy fear for God and the rulers in our life yeah. Okay, obviously when they're following what God tells them to do. So obviously you get the false Christians or at least the liberal Christians who go to the chapters like this and go you just obey everything a government tells you to do. Yeah that's not what it's saying it's saying talking about obeying the higher power and the highest power is God isn't it? And I'm not talking about a higher power in some weird Buddhist new age sort of sense where you just make a God of your own choosing and then call him your higher power. I'm talking about the God of the Bible as he revealed himself in his preserved word of God. We should fear him that's why Proverbs 24 21 says my son fear thou of the Lord and the king and meddle not with them that are given a change. So we should fear the king we should fear them as long as as long as that king is doing the will of God we should be obeying shouldn't we in terms of when I say the will of God as long as it's not going against the will of God. As long as it's not going against the commandment of God you should obey the government yeah and I know that you know what the government what those wicked people yeah yeah as long as they're not telling you to do something which is a sin you should obey them. God tells us to do that we want to be good citizens. Okay and and look here it says in Proverbs 20 you don't have to turn there but where I just read my son fear thou that the Lord and the king this is Proverbs 24 21 and meddle not with them that are given a change basically keep away from the rebellious and fear the rule in your life yeah meddle not with them that are given a change don't submit to that one don't look look keep away from those people yeah and that could be hard because for a lot of people they've been rebellious all their life you know in fact a lot of the time it's kind of it's almost rebellious putting your faith in Christ isn't it because it does go against the grain but in the same way really it's not because really you're obeying the God of this world aren't you and if you're obeying the God of this world you need to do that in every area that he tells you to do that as well now like I said of course God is the ultimate higher power there so if it doesn't contradict his rules okay we obey the authorities we obey those God-given authorities in our life but there is an example of this in Nehemiah chapter 2 where Nehemiah he works for the ruling Persian king as a cup bearer now if you've read the book you remember that Nehemiah is a tough guy isn't he okay Nehemiah is a tough guy he's basically beating everyone in the later chapters he's rules with an iron fist isn't he but in Nehemiah chapter 2 and verse 2 it says wherefore the king said unto me why is thy countenance sad seeing thou art not sick this is nothing else but sorrow of heart then I was very sore afraid so this is a tough guy Nehemiah but he is sore afraid of the king of Persia because he can't hide his sad countenance and the king of Persia doesn't want some moody grumpy upset looking cup bearer walking around you know he probably wants his servants to look happy doesn't he and he's worried that he's gonna get punished for that it could be severe punishment it could be kind of final punishment couldn't it so is there anything wrong with that is anything wrong with being afraid of the king there well the king's rule is that you're happy well maybe maybe not I don't think there is but the but here he says then I was very sore afraid so he's he's very fearful here and look again in case you're wondering okay in case you're silly you're going yeah well okay I I yeah I I fear that the authorities in my life I fear God but that's it because anything else it's sinful that's not me you know I'm a tough guy I'm a tough lady well look pretty much every single great man and woman of God in the Bible we see examples of them in fear and not in those in those areas I've just talked about because it's something that we all deal with we all have the sinful flesh okay and everyone here is gonna have times has had times will continue to have times in their life when they're in fear okay that's just the way it is that's why we're constantly being encouraged it's such a theme in the Bible not to fear and I'm gonna go through these quickly so don't worry about turning but just this night case you're wondering in case you're thinking really no look if you're a real godly guy you don't fear anything barring the authorities of God well Abraham is fearful in Genesis 26 7 where it says and the men of the place asked him of his wife and he said she is my sister for he feared to say she is my wife that's a great Abraham Isaac is told not to fear in Genesis 26 24 where it says and the Lord appeared unto him the same night and said I am the God of Abraham my father fear not for I am with thee Jacob is fearful in Genesis 32 11 deliver me I pray thee from the hand of my brother from the hand of Esau for I fear him Moses is told not to fear in Numbers 21 34 and the Lord said unto Moses fear him not for I've delivered him into the hand and all his people in his land and thou shalt do to him as thou didst unto Sion king of the Amorites which dwelt at Heshbon Joshua and Joshua 8 1 is told not to fear and the Lord said unto Joshua fear not neither be thou dismayed take all the people of war with thee arise and got to Ai Gideon in Judges 6 27 the great Gideon of 300 then Gideon took many of his servants did as the Lord has said unto him and so it was because he feared his father's household and the men of the city that he could not do it by day that he did it by night Samuel in first Samuel 3 15 the great Samuel and Samuel lay until the morning and open the doors of the house of the Lord and Samuel feared to show Eli the vision that's a young Samuel there David in first first Samuel 21 verse 12 where it says and David laid up these words his heart and was sore afraid of Akish the king of Gath Solomon is told not to fear first Chronicles 28 20 where he's told by David be strong and of a good courage and do it fear not nor be dismayed for the Lord God even my God will be with thee Daniel and Daniel 4 5 where it says I saw a dream which made me afraid and the thoughts upon my bed and visions in my head trouble me he was scared by a dream the 12 disciples in John 20 verse 19 and then the same day evening being the first day of the week when the doors were shut where the disciples assembled for fear of the Jews came Jesus stood in the midst the group of disciples in Acts 9 26 where it reads and when Paul was come to Jerusalem he has said to join himself the disciples but they were all afraid of him and believe not that he was a disciple and Paul tells them of his fear when he was in fear first Corinthians 2 3 where it says and I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling you know that tells me that tells me that every single person here is going to suffer with fear you know every single person here is perfectly capable and will have fear in their life yeah and will suffer with fear now it doesn't mean that we should that's that's our goal but it's a fact of life isn't it and often it's due to our weak flesh isn't it often it's due to our weak flesh it's due to the trials of life it's due to the things that we have to go through in life but and sometimes by the way it's a direct chastisement of God as well Deuteronomy I think it is 28 explains that that there is a direct chastisement of God where it involves you being just full of fear but I'm not talking about that today here in Nehemiah we see that it's used as a weapon of the enemies of God okay so fear is also a weapon used against us now in Nehemiah chapter 6 he's trying to rebuild the damaged walls of Jerusalem and we're going to look from verse 1 is and Nehemiah chapter 6 verse 1 that came to pass when Sanballat and Tobiah and Gisham the Arabian and the rest of our enemies heard that I had builded the wall and that there was no breach left there in though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates that Sambalat and Gisham sent unto me saying come let us meet together in some of sorry in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono but they thought to do me mischief and I sent messages on them saying I'm doing a great work so I cannot come down why should the work cease while I leave it and come down to you so notice how they're trying to lure him out to harm him and ultimately to stop God's work being done here okay and and if you're a bit unaware of what goes on in the book of Nehemiah basically they're doing a great work they go to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls okay to rebuild that community again to be able to serve God again okay look at verse 4 here yet they sent unto unto me four times after this salt and I answered them after the same manner then sent Sambalat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand wherein was written it is reported among the heathen and Gashami saith it that thou and the Jews think to rebel for which cause thou buildest a wall that thou mayest be their king according to these words and thou has appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem saying there is a king in Judah and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words come now therefore and let us take counsel together so basically they're trying to scare him that the king is going to come and destroy them yeah the ruling king this is a kingdom of Persia at this point here they're basically saying that we're going to report this to the king verse 8 then I sent unto him saying there are no such things done as thou sayest but thou faintest them out of thine own heart so Naomi is calling it what it is a lie it's a lie verse 9 for they all made us afraid saying their hand shall be weakened from the work that it be not done now therefore Oh God strengthen my hands and like I said we're looking at a weapon of the enemy fear and and I'm looking particularly today at things that target men and women of God now again in case you're unaware the devil uses fear throughout the world there is fear mongering everywhere there's so much fear mongering so much of it is to keep people gripped in this state of panic to rely on government or whatever else rely on someone to look after and to protect them and almost become you know to take the power out of their own lives you know in many ways and we see that throughout the world don't we but here I want to look at particularly the weapons against us okay the weapons against us not just someone that's saved I'm talking about people that are serving God okay that are doing a great work for God like we see going on here in the book of Nehemiah and the first kind of fear we see here is number one fear of the authorities okay fear of the authorities what was the goal of making them afraid that the work of God doesn't get done okay they're trying to prevent the work of God being done and that same tactic continues today doesn't it thousands of years later how about fear of arrest for hate speech how many people fear that and how many times are the enemies of us try and just just a little suggestion there a little something here and there you will have heard oh you can't really preach that you can't really preach the whole word of God in this country Kenya can you because are you wouldn't you're not gonna get oh you're never a church would never work in the UK how many times you hear that before we had a church here a church will never last a real church will never last in the UK yeah hate and the rest of it people trying to scare people trying to put fear in me people trying to put fear in everyone that comes here yeah it's a weapon of the enemy isn't it why because it's to prevent us preaching the word of God it's prevent us being a real churches to prevent us fulfilling God's will there how about all the stories you see in the media the repent of your sins preacher he's getting you know he's getting arrested the old man he's getting his arm twisted up behind his back by the old bill because he preached you queers you got to repent repent and get saved so the guys have but he's a heretic he's a flaming heretic he's trying to tell them they could somehow repent and get saved yeah he's got the whole in fact he's always shout repent your sins and they use that as an example don't know and then we look at that cause don't know you can't preach the word of God in England see that poor old man he got twist up the old man was so of course he got twisted up on the floor should have got worse yeah he's preaching lies but but does that does that does that stop us having a church here doesn't but I tell you what people use that though don't they people like to just see what happened here do you see what happened there fear mongering isn't it fear mongering what about Christian cake makers yeah but Christian cake maker refused to make a sodomite wedding cake oh you can't say anything about them but but is that true can you not say anything about them no you can say stuff about them I don't want to make cakes for anyone let alone some some sodomite wedding yeah but you can you can say no can't you and again those those those stories are spread around and put in our faces so then people are just in fear aren't they they're in fear of just living for God they're in fear of having a church and they're in fear of doing the work of God but what about other things we've seen fear about soul winning during a pandemic yeah there was a lot of that wasn't there when we first started this church there's a lot of fear mongering about that you can't go out you go you know you're gonna get arrested you go to people's doors you're gonna get arrested for knocking on a door did anyone get arrested here for soul winning no not at all no one did at all one event I think the police came out and and I just said well yeah we're two meters back and by the way the law says that we can do it okay yeah fine yeah yeah I see you later but the fear was there wasn't it the fear was being the fear was being put about by people people were spreading that having church services during it as well you won't you'll get shut down you can't do that but again we went through however many what was it was a year and a half two years I don't know since the beginning of it it's pretty you know we went through the first year of our church in the middle of it and we didn't get shut down we didn't get shut down but I tell you what people people wanted to make us think we would didn't they fear of huge fines and that those stupid fine they're all over the place they're giving out the fines notice how the actual paying of the fines they doesn't seem to be any news about that does it because I don't think I somewhere was it you telling me this recently that I don't think any of these fines have actually been paid I think any of these fines for not wearing a mask or for having a business open or anything else people just refuse to pay and nothing happened because they're illegal because the whole thing was unlawful but the fear was there wasn't it the fear and if you noticed a lot of the a lot of the way they would they would present it so for example it always just amuses me how the churches were told you should not do this you should not do this you should not do that and then cue the BBC and whatever other wicked news organizations full of pedophiles would then would then rewrite it as as you cannot do this you cannot do this you cannot do that you will get fined where it might you may be fine but you will get fined it and it they just reword it slightly because they're not bound by actually keeping the law there you know at least if you go on a gov website at least they should have as it's written in the law but the news news channels just fear mongering fear mongering fear mongering how about fear of fear of losing government type jobs if you don't poison yourself with a vaccine how about that that fears been going to everyone but why I'm not gonna be able to do this not going to do that but but for us Christians the target was I'm not gonna be able to provide for my family I'm gonna have to do something like that and there was fear there again because really you start going and getting jabbed up and everything else is Christian look there's a big chance you're gonna end up doing less for God because I don't think it's necessarily gonna go too well for you I hope it does those of you that have made that error but no so how about fear of the authorities for punishing your children how about that one yeah don't we see that everywhere people I hear that a lot oh you can't do that you know you can't smack your kids but so you can you can by the way but but whether you're not you can't God tells us to it anyway doesn't he okay but there is a big fear that so then people are just just basically raising little terrors and nightmares who again won't continue with the work of God will they so again a lot of fear and what's it all for what's the purpose of all of that what's the purpose of all that fear of the authorities to stop the work of God like we see in there am I here it's to stop the work of God it's to delay the work of God it's to to weaken the work of God to slow up it's it's all to weaken us and that weakens the work of God doesn't it I fear is a weapon of the enemy and like I said yeah obviously we see that through the media another thing but but there are there are people they're like we see here and they admire that will try and encourage fear in you okay and some are just useful useful tools of the devil some sadly are children of the devil okay we need to be aware of that the fear mongers okay go down to verse 10 for the next one afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Deliah the son of Mahatabeal who was shut up and he said let us meet together in the house of God within the temple and let us shut the doors of the temple for they will come to slay thee yea in the night will they come to slay thee so Shemaiah is saying but so he's saying here that they're coming to get you they're going to kill you okay verse 11 and I said should such a man as I flee and who is there that being as I am we're going to the temple save his life I will not go in he's he's saying here look you know I'm not running from these people I'm not running from these scoundrels look at verse 12 and lo I perceive that God had not sent him but that he pronounced his prophecy against me for Tobiah and Sambalat had hired him so Shemaiah is is pretending to be a godly man here okay but really he's working for the enemy verse 13 therefore was he hired that I should be afraid and do so and sin and that they might have matter for an evil report and that they might approach me so like I said it's weapons of the enemy fear the first time was fear of the authorities and that the goal of that was to stop the work of God and the second time here is fear of the enemies okay fear of the enemies and and the literal children of the devil here really and what's the goal here what's their goal here to encourage him to sin so that basically he legs it and goes and hides in the temple and we again we see that same tactic thousands years later there's nothing new under the Sun what about fear of the protesting perverts yeah is it isn't that a real fear that people try and fear monger to churches like ours fear that they're going to be outside soon they're going to be out there protesting and and you're going to get kicked out of a building or they're going to cause trouble they're going to make you force you to be shut down or something else yeah there's a lot of people that fear that aren't there there are people that fear that and what's what's the result what's the result of fearing these these lewd fellows of the base of sort people stop going to church yeah pastors maybe tone down their message that's a goal anyway isn't it people fear there are real churches that aren't you know that aren't necessarily friends with our you know the pastors are the friends with our pastor but but look there are still real churches around that are scared by this aren't they yeah they're scared to preach the Word of God they're scared to do things properly they're scared to preach about something which is a real issue in in our world right now isn't it right because it's a massive issue that the sodomite agenda that the weirdness of the the freaks everywhere that that just the pure debauchery we're seeing on every corner needs preaching about doesn't it yeah look we have our kids okay look our kids aren't just in a cocoon are they okay and they have to be out you know the people ask men here we protect our wives our wives have to be out as well don't they in this world and there are some pretty sick twisted people and they're more and more sick twisted people now he's preaching about from a pulpit doesn't it he's preaching about let alone the rest of the reasons and the rest of the agendas with it but there are people that refuse to preach it aren't there why because they're scared they're scared of being whether it's a an online demonstration against them or if it's people physically outside their church building in all sorts of funny outfits with all sorts of funny placards and they're not really that funny are they what about what about for maybe individuals here as well fear of the angry reprobate when soul winning yeah I'm sure there are people here that have had that fear in their mind fear of that angry God hater he's gonna really be rude to you on the door maybe you might get violent a lot of the time it's just fear of fear of maybe a door slam or a nasty comment or something else but again that that's propagated as well isn't it fit because people do people fear it and then people talk about it oh well you know what happened or so you guys sold you know what if someone says this to you what if someone gives you a funny look you know or someone calls you an idiot or something else because sometimes it's it's fear of the seemingly intelligent oppositions of science falsely so-called isn't it oh just I don't know what to say to these people that coming out with these I like long words about evolution and stuff and big bangs I got some scientific terms what do I say oh just tell them they're a fool you don't have to go into it do you and I've talked about this before you don't have to study it you'd have to have to study something that's so foolish to prove it's foolish to you okay it's foolish you study the Word of God and it proves how foolish it is doesn't it okay and but what does it do it avoids you shining the light in certain circles isn't it makes people scared to maybe talk about their faith talk about the gospel when they're with those old school friends of which a couple of them think they're really brainy in the red half of the Stephen Hawking book or something you know well one day he wants watch something by by that wicked reprobate Richard Dawkins I better not talk to him about evolution oh I don't know what to say that how do I answer and there's a fear that isn't it yeah people people push that there is that fear okay now notice here in the next verse how it's the seemingly religious conspiring against Nehemiah so he says in verse 14 my god think now upon to buy and sample out according to these their works and on the prophetess Noah Dyer and the rest of the prophets that they would have put me in fear now Noah Noah dies one of the Levites mentioned in Ezra so I'm guessing that the prophetess Noah Dyer is a family member probably a wife or something of this Noah Dyer so the rest of those here he says and the rest of the prophets so these are supposed religious types that are fear-mongering and doing the work of the enemy aren't they here yeah so they're fear-mongering these are like supposed Christians so you know people that claim to be believers priests prophets who are fear-mongering and again we see that don't we we see that people people trying to encourage fear of the enemy so you wouldn't be able to do that you you'll get that amongst sadly saved men of God you get past you get people in churches that do that they're fear-mongering because fear is a weapon of the enemy isn't it we have verse 15 so the wall was finished in the 20 and fifth day of the month Elul and in 50 and two days and it came to pass that when all our enemies heard thereof and all the heathen that were about to saw these things they were much cast down in their own eyes for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God so the work of God is a success do you think the enemy is going to be happy then of course not now verse 17 moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah and the letters of Tobiah came unto them for there were many in Judah sworn unto him because he was the son-in-law of Shekinah the son of Arrah and his son Johannan had taken the daughter of Meshalem the son of Berachiah so the enemy Tobiah here is in with the nobles who respect the respective men of Judah verse 19 also they reported his good deeds before me and uttered my words to him and Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear and like I said we look at the weapons of the enemy fear the first time was fear of the authorities to stop the work of God the second was fear of the enemies that was to encourage sin and and we were talking about not going to church or not preaching the full word of God not going to soul winning number three is fear of the false prophet fear of the false prophet what's the goal here is to weaken with an ongoing state of fear he said that he sent letters to put him in fear is that because of some scary letters here is it because I don't think well maybe first Corinthians by Paul was quite scary but a lot of letters aren't necessarily scary it's ongoing letters to the influential Jews by Tobiah yeah he's basically doing an Absalom here that's what he's doing trying to turn the people away from Nehemiah to himself flick over to Nehemiah chapter 13 where we see that this was actually successful for a time whilst Nehemiah isn't in Jerusalem so Nehemiah chapter 13 and verse 4 reads and before this Eliashib the priest having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God was allied unto Tobiah so he's still around now seven chapters later and he had prepared for him a great chamber where a fourth time they laid the meat offerings the frankincense and the vessels and the tithes of the corn the new wine and the oil which was commanded to be given to the Levites and the singers and the porters and the offerings of the priests so basically Tobiah has been given his own room in the temple here and he's basically taking all of the offerings okay that's what it that's what it's insinuating and and if you look at verse 10 it says and I perceive that the portions of the Levites had not been given them for the Levites and the singers that did the work were fled everyone to his to his field so back in verse 5 there where his chamber is where they bring all the offerings and everything else nothing's going to the Levites for me it's all about filthy Luca with Tobiah isn't it I think he's there I think he's there taking the offerings now and a lot of lot of false prophets that's what it's about isn't it it's about the money okay so the offerings are going somewhere else but it doesn't last long until he's kicked out look at verse 6 but in all this time was not I at Jerusalem for in the two and thirtieth year of our tax yerxes king of Babylon came I unto the king and after certain days obtained I leave of the king so Nehemiah comes back to clean up basically verse 7 I came to Jerusalem and understood of the evil that a liar ship did for Tobiah in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God and it grieved me sore therefore I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber so he's basically thrown his stuff out and then I then I commanded and they cleansed the chambers and then the bull I again of us to the house God with the meat offerings and the frankincense so basically gives it a good deep clean after he's kicked him out as well and then they start bringing the offerings again for the people that are working for God there now go back to chapter 6 so go back to chapter 6 now with that in mind and what eventually where he gets to what his goal I believe was chapter 6 verse 17 where where we read where it says moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah and the letters of Tobiah came unto them for there were many in Judah sworn unto him because he was the son-in-law of Shechemiah the son of Aaron and his and his son Johanan had taken the daughter of Meshelim the son of Berachiah also they reported his good deeds before me and uttered my words to him and Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear so not only is he trying to schmooze his way to the top but he wants Nehemiah to fear that at the same time okay so he wants him to fear basically the support and the growing the growing group that he's got there okay that's what he's looking at why why to weaken Nehemiah to weaken Nehemiah if he doesn't feel like he hasn't got the support if he doesn't feel like so he has the support he's not going to be as bold is he it's not going to be as bold with them if he feels like there's all these nobles that are allied to the enemy that are allied to the problem if he worries about if the people are getting their heads turned by Tobiah he might be less likely to judge righteous judgment yeah might be less likely to to do things properly if he's worried about keeping that you know while keeping them on the side keeping the people on side because i'm in a battle for the people's minds for their hearts with this false prophet and look you could obviously apply this to a pastor fearing about having his sheep stolen by a false prophet but it's not just a pastor there'll be people in this church that worry about that that worry about that further and they should worry about that to some degree okay maybe worry is the wrong word they should at least you know have some healthy concern about that because that happens to good churches okay all good churches will have that okay and obviously look you could see that you can see a pastor going beyond just well yeah i need to be vigilant again to the point where they're just in this state of fear the whole time where they can see it kind of happening and it's um worried i'm going to lose you know these you know these people are getting their head turned by this false prophet fear of them being turned against him fear of losing popularity and and that could be within and without okay that could be people without and like we've seen there are people that kind of are half within and without who start trying to turn heads of people and we just had a good example of that last night didn't we okay and just just just idiots that try and they they with that and let's just talk about that quickly there because um i don't want to go into kind of all the other things like that if anyone's wondering like who even is this guy so basically we just had this weird guy um i want to go too much into a lot of these guys they like to feel that they're being preached about okay and and this is just a quick little advertisement here okay advertising break okay so basically this guy what was at that former church um nyarth he was involved with uk so many a long time ago he was the one if anyone noticed was these like fawning apologies about i'm so sorry brothers that i ever got involved with that church and if you could please forgive me and i could come and give me a part of your church and all of this and it was a bit like wow this guy's a bit weird but anyway you know he asked if he could be involved no i assumed he was in and out the country and he was friends with other people that were coming to the church and maybe i shouldn't have done nothing in hindsight probably i shouldn't have added him to the group because he wasn't a part of the church i am going to be strict strict with that from now on anyway and people i want to see them regularly at church before we add until what's that group because that is good access to everyone's phone numbers isn't it it's good access to to everyone's at least ears and eyes for for that one middle of the night which a lot of the time it is message it's like at least i get like 50 people or however many people got in a group to read that you know before they sign off you know and we never see them hopefully ever again but okay so because it is a good weapon it's a weapon of the enemy and obviously there i don't you know he wasn't going for the fear mongering there but this guy this guy was kind of in the background and if you notice and if anyone notices a few times he posted he was always trying to just a little bit of teaching anyone notice that yeah just i was kind of keeping eye on this and we talked about this a few weeks ago where because there was some other things that came to light and i'm saying well soon as he gives me some as soon as he gives me one more bit of teaching he's off and sure enough he came on the group and last night started basically teaching us how we're all wrong about calling on the name of the lord with it's funny how it's always a long essay he just thought about it but he happened to write a very long essay it happened to be at 12 30 you know happened to be when most people are in bed and will wake up to it and hopefully i'll be in bed because he probably you know of course we have church next day maybe he didn't think it through maybe it's just time differences in china where he is in that communist nation china but anyway um so this guy um obviously you know we see this sort of thing but what what's he want what's his goal his goal is to get you to turn your head his goal is to get people to doubt his goal is to get people to to start questioning our sort of church and everything else and sadly there are people like that inside and outside aren't there okay and on that note just something i want to mention again okay our prayer and chat group is a prayer and chat group yeah okay if you're not on a prayer chat group you come here regularly sorry it's nothing personal it's not because i think that you are uh some sort of evil infiltrator i just haven't actually added you on it so if you want to be involved in it please do yeah it's great people put prayer requests on it yeah great to have each other praying for each other yeah great to be able to chat about some things it's not there to teach you're not the teacher of the church that is a church whatsapp group so if you're on that group trying to teach other people you're well out of line and you're out of god's will okay that goes for everyone here so you're not on there to start trying to teach you want to you want to teach stuff yeah then wait till you're behind the pulpit to do that okay until you look that there's there's only room for one for one official teacher at the church okay until you get behind the pulpit and i'll give you a 10-minute sermon then we can decide whether or not it needs rebuking in front of everyone and kicking off if it if it was wrong and if it was something that was a heresy but look that guy was basically preaching heresy from our whatsapp group okay and it's no one's position like but even if you think well it's all sound look it's not your look if and i'm going to say this okay and again look and don't misconstrue me here okay please i i think it's great there's some great pasts and great preachers and great sermons out there by all means listen to them yeah listen to them enjoy them by all means tell people at church yeah like that's a really cool sermon i listen to nothing wrong with that i'd never have a problem with that but why are you posting them on a group of a church you're basically what's the pop like again it might be completely like it might just be yeah like you know i've just thought people like that but there are new people yeah we're not all now like it's not just uk soul winning anymore yeah there are newer christians are like oh okay is that uh is that an official i don't even know who that number is maybe that's something official from the church telling us that we need to watch this i might i might disagree with that message pastor thompson might disagree with that message if you actually asking that and look again you want to watch it you want to call but you advertise it to to the whole church and telling them to watch something for me that's not right okay and look some of you might just not not have thought about that because you come from where we're on a group where we're just sharing stuff and there was no authority but for me like look i don't think i haven't made a hard and fast rule yet on that but i just don't i don't think it's right because look i have to watch it don't i i have so straight away you've just gone brother here you have to take an hour out of your week now and by the way i have busy weeks yeah you have to take an hour out and you have to i have to listen to it because for all i know you're posting something that's maybe having a pop at me for all i know suddenly it might not be yeah and i'm not just sitting there paranoid going oh someone's going to have a pop at me otherwise this would be a bit odd because i'm actually trying to make a point here in a minute about not fearing those things but maybe not maybe it's just something that that look i still need to listen because you've basically just given it to the whole church does that make sense yeah okay so look if you want to between yourselves go check out this sermon do but don't put it on i i think don't put it on there okay and if someone comes up and gives me a good reason i'll change my mind on that and i'll make that clear because i'm gonna go oh why shouldn't i just be able to tell people what they should and shouldn't watch or why shouldn't i tell people what i think this verse of the bible really means why shouldn't because you're not the teacher of this church because there can only be one head can't there yeah because if there's two heads it's a monster yeah sure isn't it yeah there can only be one head and look otherwise there's always going to be issues that come from that and again like i said i'm sure it's all been innocent yeah i'm not trying to accuse anyone of anything but thinking about and seeing what this guy was like as well there's a problem there isn't there yeah so again if you've got any questions about that come and tell come and tell me why you think that that's wrong that you should you know just be able to make a decision to tell the whole church that they should watch a sermon um and again look they're always sound in general but sometimes they're not yeah and again that might just be from innocence here that might be that someone's just seen something and look but there's a reason isn't there there's a reason that the teaching comes from one person at a church yeah okay back to here back to here um okay so this was the fear of that false prophet yeah um look at verse 19 it says also they reported his good deeds before me and uttered my words to him and Tobias sent letters to put me in fear so the nobles are reporting his good deeds yeah you can imagine what a great christian he is he's so amazing they admire he's such a good man of god and everything else what's the intended result of all of this that i would say that he tones down his message yeah that he's just in this kind of state of worry all the time fear that he's trying to basically feel like he's trying to win the people and everything else he doesn't preach as hard maybe maybe just doesn't preach on that particular sin because that person's already buddied up with a false prophet a bit or that person's already you know was friends that false prophet that's just left he's probably ringing him up and telling him why why they shouldn't be at that church anymore oh well you know i better not maybe preach on his sin this week yeah i better not preach on that that i know he's gonna really really that they're gonna get offended by that week maybe i'll just maybe i'll just try and be a bit more popular yeah maybe i'll just try and be a bit more buddy-ish you know and and just make it more of a comedy routine you know than preaching things which people need to improve in their lives yeah maybe it's just distraction maybe it's just to distract that man of god he's just concerned and worrying and constantly dealing with that one issue rather than all the many other issues that they see needing dealing with and maybe that's what happened to many of these weak watered down churches we see around yeah the ones that that do still have the gospel right they've gone to the point maybe they're just so scared of that false prophet scared of people being taken up scared of the false prophet outside taking their sheet that they just try and become just this social club in the end just a fun centre where they just preach like fluffy things and try and be everyone's best friend you know pastor best friend you know he's just just you know he'll just be on the phone to you and just chatting about all and sundry and never say a cross word to you and never preach the truth from the word of god if it might offend you well that's not what we want to hear now like i said that's a weapon of the enemy i feel i feel to weaken especially the leadership there so we're looking at weapons of the enemy fear the first kind was fear of the authorities stop the work of god number two was fear of the enemies to encourage sin number three was fear of the false prophet to weaken the leader okay so what sort of offense uh defense do we have then so we're looking at weapons of the enemy yeah and look that is a weapon of the enemy isn't it fear what's our defense what's our defense how do we deal with these particular attacks how should we how can we how are we encouraged to deal with it well turn to nehemiah chapter four because god wants us to be prepared that's why he warns us that's why he gives us his examples yeah the word of god is constantly warning us of things and giving us examples of behavior and ways that we can deal with things he wants us to be wiser serpents doesn't he yeah well nehemiah chapter four and verse seven so this is when when the attacks first start but it came to pass that when sambalat and tibiah and the arabians and the ammonites and the ashtodites heard that the walls of jerusalem were made up and that the breaches began to be stopped then were they very rough yeah the you know the enemies of god are angry angry at the work of god being done they're angry at so many churches they're angry at churches that are changing lives that are going out and preaching the gospel they're angry at us and conspired all of them together to come and to fight against jerusalem and to hinder it nevertheless we made our prayer unto our god and set a watch against them day and night because of them so first thing is that they sought the lord that's a good rule right there isn't it yeah any time any problem first thing you should do is pray to god yeah straight to the lord make sure you're in the will of god straight away make sure you're seeking god okay verse um but they also they also took precautions look at this first standing judas said the strength of the bearers of birds is decayed and there is much more that we're not able to build the wall and our adversary said they shall not know neither see till we come in the midst among them and slay them and cause the work to cease so they're planning an attack and it came to pass that when the jews which dwelt by them came they said unto us 10 times from all places whence ye shall return unto us they will be upon you so you see the fear mongering here they're going to overrun you they're going to attack you verse 13 therefore set in the lower places behind the wall and on the high places i even set the people off their families with their swords their spears and their bows they armed themselves didn't they and i looked and rose up and said unto the nobles and to the rulers and to the rest of the people be not you afraid of them remember the lord which is great and terrible and fight for your brethren your sons and your daughters your wives and your houses and that's a good reminder isn't it yeah remember who you're fighting for okay if if if doing the work of god ain't enough you're fighting for your families as well find it for their salvation for their ongoing walk with the lord and to get their families saved you know the men of god in the Bible they always had a concern about their family line didn't they always had a concern and they should do shouldn't they you should have a concern you you if you're responsible for children coming into this world and then children coming from them children coming from them you want to make sure they get saved and not only that they want to live for god so then they end up getting their children saved and it carries on down yeah okay so they remembered who they're fighting for here verse 15 it came to pass when our enemies heard that it was known unto us and god had brought their counsel not that we returned all of us to the wall everyone unto his work okay it's much harder for our enemies when we know their strategy isn't it it's much harder when we know their goals and how they do things which again is one of the reasons for this for this series i want to go through verse 16 it came to pass from that time forth that the half my servants wrought in the work and the other half of them held both the spears the shields and the bows and abogens and the rulers were behind all the house of judas so they're still taking precautions they're armed to the teeth here it looks like they which build it on the wall and they that bear burdens with those that laid in every one with one of his hands wrought in the work and with the other hand held a weapon for the builders everyone had his sword girded by his side and so builded and he that sounded the trumpet was by me and that's a good good place for us all to be isn't it girded by your side you want to bet you want to defend against attack whilst working for god you better have your sword ready yeah you better have your sword ready what's our sword word of god word of god yeah quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword that word of god yeah okay and that word of god we want to make sure it's by our side don't we want to make sure it's by our side but that sword it's no good just holding a sword is it yeah that sword needs to be able to be used you better practice with that sword yeah you better you better unsheathe that sword for starters if it's never been out of its scabbard see that yeah knowledge no i'm joking i'm only kidding right but if you've never had that out of its scabbard yeah then look like what sort of a man you're going to be when you do get it out yeah you want to make sure you open that word of god it can't be covered in dust can't be just you know well i get it out once we look you need to practice daily don't you yeah you want to be a good swordsman you need to use your sword daily and look you want to use the word you want to be able to use the word of god you want to be you want to basically use it daily don't you yeah you need to make sure you read it you need to make sure you're memorizing it it needs sharpening doesn't it it needs using yeah it needs using okay and look we need to have our swords girded by us all the time verse 19 and i said unto the nobles and to the rulers and to the rest of the people the work is great and large and we are separated upon the wall one far from another and what place therefore you shall sound sorry you you hear the sound of the trumpet resort ye thither unto us our god shall fight for us makes you think of proverbs 21 31 doesn't it which reads the horse is prepared against the day of battle but safety is of the lord so look god wants us to prepare but ultimately to rely on him yeah yeah but we should still prepare shouldn't we yeah we should be prepared god wants us prepared so when it comes to number one on our list there fear of the authorities to stop the work of god how can we be prepared well we can know our rights like paul did yeah paul knew his rights as a roman citizen didn't he paul used the law to his favor paul was aware of the law yeah we can do that can't we when it comes to fear of fear of the authorities we can make sure we know what we can and can't legally do in this country what's law and what's hearsay what's law and what's just conjecture and some sort of gray area that's never been actually tried in the courts before yeah which i think that the crossover between basically freedom of religion and hate speech i don't think it's been proven yet that's that's how i see it okay we need to be aware of that no oh you can't say you can't do this that's it you're going to get banged up look we need to be aware don't we we need to be aware yeah we need to be prepared by what knowing what's law and what's actually a guideline yeah i'm making sure we're checking what we can and can't do by law in this country and that's what we did didn't we with the covid stuff and we found out in fact yes we could go out soul winning yes we could do a voluntary and charitable work yes we could have church services yeah they told us we shouldn't but we could yeah and and yes we could sing even though they said you shouldn't but we could couldn't we yeah and look we need to be prepared like that turn to some 112 but how else are we also prepared against any attack of the enemy but specifically here fear of the authorities make sure that we're in god's will yeah that we're obeying the higher power that we're obeying the higher power that's god psalm 112 talking of the righteous man okay it's talking of the righteous man here it says he shall not be afraid of evil tidings his heart is fixed trusting in the lord now evil tidings are bad news that's bad news basically okay we don't have to fear the scaremongering stories do we yeah we don't look if you're if you're glued to the news all day every day or to news sites or whatever it is look you're out of god's will okay and you're gonna you're gonna basically be scared eventually because the whole purpose of it seems to be fear mongering okay but you don't you don't have to be afraid of those evil tidings yeah just keep them as far away as possible a quick kind of browse now and again just to make sure that i don't know that everyone hasn't been raptured i'm joking in case in case anyone is wondering yeah a quick browse that again is is is handy isn't it but look if you're staring at that stuff you're going to start being afraid of evil tidings aren't you okay we don't want to be afraid of evil tidings if we're righteous you won't be his heart is established he shall not be afraid until he see his desire upon his enemies he has dispersed he's given to the poor his righteousness endureth forever his horn shall be exalted with honor so if we're doing god's will if we're working for god if we're trying to be those men and women of god here then we don't have to fear do we the wicked shall see it and be grieved he shall gnash with his teeth and melt away the desire of the wicked shall perish yep they'll gnash and sometimes those teeth might hurt a little yeah sometimes they will hurt a little i'm not saying it's all going to be plain sailing okay and some authorities are harder than others aren't they here we've had it pretty easy but you know what we don't have to be in fear do we okay we don't have to fear and it says here they will melt away because hell's hot isn't it hell's hot just remember that these people they're eventually going to melt away first peter 314 you'd have to turn there says but but and if you suffer for righteousness sake happy are you and be not afraid of the terror neither be troubled if we're obeying the authority on our life and we then suffer for righteousness sake we should be happy shouldn't we should be happy because great as great is our reward in heaven yeah okay so how about when it comes to fear of the enemies fear of those literal reprobate children of the devil okay those just vile disgusting you know reprobate perverts and that fear is to do what to encourage us to sin isn't it to encourage us not to go to church or encourage us not to soul win to encourage us to be in fear well we can be prepared like for example i was talking about earlier our russia system on the door okay that's there for a reason and i know you in fear no we're just trying to be sensible okay we're trying to be sensible in a country where where unfortunately we can't walk around with with guns on our hips you know people are more likely to come up here and cause a fuss because we can't just well we can throw them out but that could cause trouble it's easier just not to let them in okay so we have we can have rules in place we can have things in place can't we to be aware of this we can make sure that we have our swords girded to our sides though can't we and i'm talking about the word of god there and that we're able to use that we can be prepared with that can't we for when you're dealing with these people be prepared for the attacks to try and make it look like you're an extremist and everything else well no actually this is what the word of god says yeah this is what the word of god says it's not it's not what we say it's what god says yeah turn to joshua one joshua chapter one where god is speaking to joshua before going into the promised land to basically fight the enemies of the lord here okay so they're about to claim the land and they're fighting again there's a lot of children abelial there there's a lot of just just wicked wicked people wicked nations there joshua chapter one and from verse six reads this is god speaking to joshua be strong and of a good courage for unto this people shout thou divide for inheritance a land which i swear unto their fathers to give them only be thou strong and very courageous that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law which moses my servant commanded thee turn not from it to the right hand or to the left that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest he's basically saying if you want to prosper against the enemy you want to prosper against god's enemies you need to follow his commandments okay you need to follow his commandments don't get scared and cut corners don't get scared of following his commandments and cut corners don't pick and choose which part you think applies to 2022 and which was only for that day observe to do according to all the law and obviously here for us that applies what applies is a moral law here yeah and that's to explain that i'll go that's the sermon for another day okay that's a moral law that you know what you should and shouldn't do you know all that all those moral decisions all those you know all of that right from wrong okay we should be observing to follow shouldn't we yeah anyone here think we shouldn't anyone here think that that well the law is just kind of for back then we're you know we're just under grace we just kind of do what you like if it feels good do it no because the heart feels good about all sorts of wickedness doesn't it yeah we try and follow what the word of god tells us to do he said in verse 8 this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then thou shalt have good success so how do we have success against god's enemies we read it we memorize it we apply it yeah we read it we memorize it we apply it have not i commanded thee be strong and of a good courage be not afraid neither be thou dismayed for the lord thy god is with thee whither so ever thou goest and when we remember that greater is he that is in us and he that is in the world yeah when we remember that with that and when we're living for god look we can be confident you can be like david said in psalms chapter 3 verse 6 i will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set themselves against me round about arise oh lord save me oh my god for thou has smitten all mine enemies upon the cheekbone thou has broken the teeth of the ungodly yeah god will do that but let him do that yeah put your faith in god trust god but make sure you're living right as well at the same time okay and when it comes to number three fear of the false prophet fear of the false prophet to weaken the leader okay so anyone look and on this if you're thinking well this only applies to you know myself and you know pastor thompson and specifically pastors well anyone here who wants to eventually go in a church ministry yeah this is something to know about isn't it and and also to be able to support church ministry to understand it as well they can be prepared by being vigilant yeah of weird behavior okay that's good preparation isn't it being vigilant of these sorts of tactics of the way these people work but we can also be prepared as a church by taking heed to this massive topic in the bible okay this is a massive to anyone ready to buy this is like time and time and time again beware of false prophets be what you know it's just constant okay again we'd have to be in fear of them but we should be vigilant we should be aware shouldn't we and that's outside and inside the church but turn to second timothy chapter one because part of the goal is to weaken the pastor weaken that leader with an ongoing fear because when you're in fear you're generally going to be weaker now that's why in second timothy chapter one paul is telling the young pastor here in verse six second timothy one six wherefore i put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of god which is in thee by the putting on of my hands he's saying that when i ordained you god blessed you with a gift and it wasn't fear look at verse seven for god has not given us the spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind so that spirit of fear is coming from the enemy and fear weakens people doesn't it fear makes you weak a pastor needs to keep the spirit of power the spirit of love it says here in the spirit of a sound mind because remember that when you make god your refuge you put your trust in him don't you okay you put your trust in him psalm 91 13 says thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder the young lion and the dragon shout thou trample under feet and psalm 91 is talking about when you make god your refuge when you put your trust in him that you you will have that power then you have that power to tread upon the lion and adder the young lion and the dragon shout thou trample under feet and that's what nehemiah did in the end didn't he he turfed him out he threw him out and he made things right again and ultimately that's what happens to these wicked rep rates in the end so there is really nothing to fear with it and and i like this description of them they're basically trash collectors okay look when you get this like i said that could be inside that could be outside yeah when you get these people if for example that idiot from last night if he starts bringing people up from the group and trying to encourage them out okay start trying to whisper to them about calling on the name of the lord look anyone who eventually goes with him good riddance if anyone was like yeah actually yeah yeah i don't know yeah i think i think it's it's actually a work calling on the name of the lord yeah it's basically what he's saying yeah well good riddance get out yeah we don't want you in here anyway yeah anyone goes with these wicked people good riddance yeah let them collect the trash yeah oh no problem with it at all get out uh you know we're happy with that so you know and that's going to be that's going to happen in the future there'll be some wicked people gathering up the trash with his dustpan and brush just sweeping a few people up and getting out of them good good good riddance because look we don't have to fear do we there's nothing to fear with it as long as we're in the will of god okay as long as we're in the will of god because look really you could summarize our defense in two words fear god okay our defense against all of the fear is fear god that's what it is turn to psalm uh one one five and while you turn i'm going to read proverbs 14 26 which says in the fear of the lord is strong confidence and his children shall have a place of refuge so there's strong confidence when you fear the lord and there's safety with it isn't there now psalm 115 and verse 11 says ye that fear the lord trust in the lord he is a help and their shield so read that again ye that fear the lord trust in the lord he is their help and their shield if you fear the lord you can then trust in the lord and then he will help and protect you yeah that's pretty pretty amazing really isn't it it basically just goes full circle to just fear god yeah fear god you know this is you know the conclusion of the matter fear god and keep keep his commandments yeah this is the whole duty of man that that's really once you fear god and you and when i say fear god oh yeah yeah well i better get saved yeah no i'm not talking about that i'm talking about when you fear god yeah your day to day is trying your utmost to please him not to disobey him to do do what you can that your your heart is for god that you want to you want to live right you want to fear him keep his commandments you don't want the whipping of god in life look when you live like that i honestly believe that that fear just starts going for everything else yeah the fear of everything else can go you don't have to worry you don't have to fear look you're going to have times that we just saw early in the sermon a great all these great men of god had times of fear and it wasn't necessarily because of the enemy trying to make them fear might just be the flesh the carnal flesh fear of things in life but look when you're in god's will when you when you're fearing god properly you don't have to fear yeah you don't have to fear anything you that fear the lord trust in the lord if you fear him you're going to trust in him aren't you because if you fear him you're going to be reading you're going to be learning you're going to be listening you're going to be praying you're going to be trying to live and walk that walk and ultimately you're going to learn to trust god aren't you and when you trust him you know that he's your help and your shield yeah and that's what it comes down to because look fear is one of the main weapons of the enemy but fear is our main defense yeah fear is our main defense and when we fear god we've we have nothing to fear okay and on that let's pray father thank you um thank you for for that you know the book in the bible nam i there that just just shows us shows us those attacks shows us how the enemy likes to attack and how some of the tactics that that you know him being you know that the god small g of this world the devil and his minions and those that are easily used by him and that help us to see that in life help us to be aware of that help us to then combat that help us to just put more fear into you more more trust in you so we we we understand that we don't have to fear fear what man shall do unto us and lord i pray that you help everyone here who struggles with that help them to to to try and get that fear out of their life fear fear in a fleshly sense and and fear when it comes to be being pushed upon us as well help us to just fight back against that help us to be the sorts of people that you want us to be bold and courageous and and not dismayed and lord i pray that you help us with that starting this afternoon that we just go out and boldly go and preach the gospel preach the gospel to to every creature like you told us help us to just knock those doors preach it loud preach it clear help us to get many people saved and to return here for this evening's service and in jesus name we pray all of this amen