Fear Not!

By William Chang

(A summary of the sermon by Rev. Dr. William Chang on 25 Jun 2023)

Introduction

The Augsburg Confession is a central statement of faith for Lutherans. It was one of the most important documents of the Protestant Reformation that the reformers presented before the Diet of Augsburg on 25 June 1530.

Today, 25 June 2023, is the 493rd anniversary of that momentous event.  To commemorate this, we have a Pulpit Exchange in LCS, where all the pastors are preaching in different congregations away from their home congregations. This is a sign of our unity and our confession of the same beliefs as professed in the Augsburg Confession.

On this special Sunday, Rev. Dr. William Chang preaches a sermon based on Matthew 10:24-39. He encourages the congregation to “Fear Not!” in the face of persecution and challenges. He reminds them that Jesus is with them always, and that they can find strength in his Word.
Below are some salient points from the sermon.

Fear and courage in the Christian Life

Fear is a natural human response to the unknown, but Christians are called to not fear. Jesus acknowledges that fear is real and intense, but He tells us not to fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather to fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (Mt 10:28) Christians should not fear because the Holy Spirit living inside them gives them the power to overcome fear.

When we live out our discipleship, we will face opposition, but we should not let any fear of this opposition control us. Instead, we should be courageous and continue to proclaim the gospel.

The sermon includes a warning about the dangers of living in a comfortable and secular environment. When we are comfortable, we are more likely to compromise our faith and lose our courage. We need to be aware of this danger and stay focused on our calling as disciples of Jesus Christ.

The Marytrs of Nagasaki

In 1549, the Jesuit priest Francis Xavier arrived in Japan with two other priests from Portugal. They were hoping to bring Catholicism to Japan. The feudal lord of the region of Kagoshima agreed to allow them to build a mission, hoping to create a good relationship with Europe.

However, the Imperial government soon became worried about foreign influence and began to persecute Christians. In 1597, 26 Catholics were martyred in Nagasaki. Nine were priests and 17 were lay people. Three of the lay people were teenagers.

When Rev. Dr. Chang visited the monument to the martyrs, he was moved by their courage. He asked himself if he would be able to be as fearless as they were.

Three Reasons to Overcome Fear

Rev Dr Chang goes on to talk about the different fears that Christians face, such as fear of the future, fear of our children, and fear of our health. He says that we should not give in to fear, but should trust in God.
He discusses three reasons why we should overcome fear:

1. 1. Nothing is lost. Whatever we do for God, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem, will not be lost. God sees everything we do, and he will reward us accordingly.

   2. God is greater than our fear. We should not fear our enemies or our fears, because God is greater than anything we can imagine. He is the one who ultimately controls our lives, and he will protect us from harm. Not fearing our fears means not succumbing to the fears that are stumbling blocks to the living out of our discipleship life.

   3. God knows us and cares for us. God knows everything about us, and he loves us unconditionally. He will never abandon us, no matter what we face.

We are encouraged to focus on God, to trust in his power and love, and to know that our efforts are not in vain.

Conclusion

Fear is a natural human emotion, but it is not something that we should let control our lives. As Christians, we are called to be courageous and to trust in God. When we do this, we can overcome any fear that we face.

The full sermon can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/4c85tcvj (starting at 29:55).