1. Overcoming a Spirit of Timidity By Hayley Solich As preached at Living Grace Dianella 9 March 2014

2. 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us the spirit of timidity (fear or made us timid), but of love and of power and of a sound mind (sound judgment or self-discipline). 3. What is timid? Timid means Lacking in self-assurance Lacking in courage Lacking in bravery Easily alarmed 4. What is the origin of timidity or fear? We can see from 2 Tim 1:7 that God does not give us a spirit of timidity/fear. So therefore, it must have its origin in the enemy or in a lack of understanding of God.Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. - 1 John 4:18 5. Father to Son Letter CONTEXT of 2 Tim 1:7 Paul was in prison. He was writing to Timothy, his son in the faith, to encourage him and to impart wisdom. He recognised that Timothy may have been feeling fearful because of his arrest and imprisonment and he wanted to reassure him and encourage him to continue in the faith. 6. Scripture immediately before 2 Tim 1:6 Fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of hands. 7. Scripture immediately after So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don't be ashamed of me, either, even though I'm in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News. 8. So in context Paul is encouraging Timothy to stir up the gifts within him and courageously, without hesitation, continue in his faith, sharing his testimony about Jesus Christ. This was an exhortation to not allow fear to take him off course and to not bury his gifts through fear. 9. Oprah (worldly methodology) Do it afraid. I disagree because this implies that you can coexist with your fear and achieve the goal. We must dispel fear through a better understanding of Gods love and the power he has given us and by applying self-discipline in the area of our mind so we can courageously move in the gifts of God and be a testimony for Jesus Christ. 10. Nelson Mandella I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. 11. Overcoming a spirit of timidity/fear Two parts: 1. Relaxing part 2. Action/faith application part 12. Relaxing Part UnderstandGods love better Trust that God will support you when you step out in faith Receive Gods love and power Understand Christ in you, the hope of glory and that it is all because of His grace 13. Taking Action Part Respondwhen there is an opportunity to exercise your faith and courage Take risks by trusting that God will meet you when you step out in faith Acknowledge your fear, its origins and repent of it Stir up the gifts within you and expect to see miracles 14. Examples Praying for a ladyI was praying for a lady. She was seeking to know Gods will for her life. I immediately got the word Fashion in my mind. I asked her what she did and it was a career in Accounting. I immediately thought I had misheard God. I was too afraid to just blurt out what I thought God had said to me, so I fished a little. I asked if she liked her job, she said she loved it. I felt I had definitely missed it but decided to ask again. I asked if she could do anything what would put a smile on her face the moment she got out of bed. She hesitated for a few moments, then said, Fashion. I was able to confirm that was what God wanted her to do. How much more powerful had I not been afraid to use the gift God had given me for prophecy and word of knowledge? 15. David and Goliath David was a teenager, a shepherd. Goliath was a 9ft tall, trained from a child killing machine. Everything about the situation was stacked in Goliaths favour. David immediately took action steps of faith, rather than embracing the fear around him. 16. Davids Process Heimmediately acknowledged Gods supremacy He demonstrates a willingness to go into battle himself He defends his right to fight to the King, declaring God would give him the victory He rejects the kings armour, as it is not suitable. 17. Davids process contd Hemarches out to face Goliath and immediately declares Gods sovereignty over the giant. He uses the weapons of warfare that he is familiar with to do the job He finishes the job, causing a victory for all of Israel 18. We can learn from David Opportunities arise when you are in service it was as he was doing his fathers will that the opportunity arose. When faced with an intimidating situation, remember your God and make declaration about his supremacy and your eminent victory Be yourself in all circumstances Boldly challenge opposing voices, within and without. Remember, the battle belongs to the Lord. 19. Pepsi Max Test Drive 2 Video 20. What changed? What changed when the guy who was the passenger and so full of fear found out who was driving the vehicle? He knew he could trust him because of his reputation and his abilities. So too can we trust God to help us overcome our fears. 21. Visit us at Living Grace Dianella, WA Sermon preached by 68 Waverley Street Hayley Solich Dianella WA 6054 Worship Service 9:30am All welcome Enquiries: 08 9275 3773 church@dianellacoc.org.au www.dianellacoc.org.au