Luke 12:1-7 – Fear

Christ warns His disciples many times about hypocrisy. The principles of the Pharisees are deeply engrained in human nature, and Christians should be always on their guard against them. The love of show and outward appearance is all around us. How can we avoid it? We must have a heart religion. We must realise that our God looks below the surface of the things we say, and He measures us by the state of our hearts. We must be real and true in our Christianity, not pretending to be something we’re not, not putting on a public show of our faith. We can deceive many people, but we can’t deceive God.

Christ also warns us about the fear of man. The fear of man is one of the greatest obstacles between the soul and heaven – “What will he say about me? What will he think about me? What will they do to me?” How often these questions have kept men and women bound to the devil. Thousands will not hesitate to face a storm or a wild animal, but they are afraid to face the laughter of those they know.

How can we fight against the fear of man? We must replace it with the fear of God. We must look away from those who can only hurt the body to Him who controls the soul. When we look on Him who is all powerful, we find the lesser fear melting away before the greater.

Christ encourages persecuted Christians here. He reminds them that God takes care of all His creatures. Nothing whatever, whether great or small, can happen to a believer, without God’s permission. And He has the promise of God that all that happens to him is for his good and God’s glory.

Questions
1. How can we avoid hypocrisy?
2. How can we get rid of the fear of man?
3. What does God promise about what happens to us?

Prayer Points
1. Give thanks for God’s care of us.
2. Use prayer points from your congregation.
3. Pray for family matters.