Knowing The Father Frees Us From Fear

One of the things we have to overcome is fear. Fear comes to all human beings, whether you are poor or rich. Some people think, if only I have money, all my problems are solved.

If only I have money, all my problems are solved. If you go and ask that Shree Mantra, they will have a greater fear than a robber. They will be afraid that someone might steal their property.

They might take our money and use it. I see how free we are. We don't need any security people around us.

We can come freely, go freely anywhere. So, don't think if you have more money, high position, you will be free from fear. Don't think if you have more power, you won't be afraid.

I will tell you how you can be free from fear. I will show you a verse in 1 John 4. Verse 18 There is no fear in love. Perfect love causes out fear.

The last part of verse 18, the one who fears is not perfected in love. The one who fears is not perfected in love. Now this has got two meanings.

In the middle of verse 18 it says, Fear involves punishment. The fear, God may punish me. That is the first fear that must go.

How to get rid of the fear that God may punish me? Is a little child afraid that his father may kill him? We must be established on one foundation that God loves us perfectly. If you don't believe this, you will be like a man who is building a house without a foundation. I have been a believer for 52 years.

I need this foundation even today. That I have a father in heaven who cares for me. God does not want us to live in fear.

See Jesus said, Matthew 6 Three times he said something. Within about 10 verses he repeated it three times. Supposing you get a letter from your father and in one page he repeats something three times.

That must be important. What does he say in Matthew 6 verse 25? Do not be anxious. Again in verse 31 Do not be anxious.

Verse 34 Do not be anxious. The same God who said don't murder said don't be anxious. Same God who said don't commit adultery said don't be anxious.

How many times are you permitted to commit murder in a week? Can you say only once a week I kill somebody? Or I commit adultery only once a week, not very often. What about anxious? You say I'm anxious only once a week. Don't murder.

Don't commit adultery. Don't be anxious. Who said these three things? Same God.

Jesus also said very often, don't be afraid. That comes many times in the Gospels. Don't be afraid.

I'm here. Just trust me. That's one of the most important words we need to hear for our time.

So before we finish this meeting we want to be finished with fear. So after five o'clock today there'll be no more fear in anybody's heart. We are doing a class here to eliminate fear.

We don't want a class that does not work in our daily lives. I'm teaching that does not work. We have heard these things so many times now we must take it seriously.

See many Christians go to church for 10 years and they don't get rid of some of these fears. It's like going for 10 years to a school to study swimming and you still have not learned how to swim. I say how many years you've been going to the school swimming class? 10 years.

Every Sunday. You still don't know how to swim. Then you have some useless teachers in that school.

I mean little children in six months they learn how to swim. It's not easy. Going to the river you'll fall down.

You have to learn how to swim. So we must learn how to overcome fear. I'll tell you why it is important.

First of all being afraid that God will punish me. That means you don't really believe that God is your own father. Now let me take a story.

Let me make a story and you'll understand it. Supposing in one home there's a 5 year old boy real son of the parents but because he was the only son they went to an orphanage and adopted another 5 year old boy to be a friend and they treated the same. One day the real son he breaks some expensive plate but the father says it's okay, don't worry.

So he goes to sleep peacefully. But the other son who was brought from the orphanage he breaks a plate and he knows what happens in the orphanage if he breaks a plate. The director will shout at them and all types of things.

So now when this father says it's okay, don't worry my other son also broke it, it's alright. But if you go to the bedroom at night this orphanage boy is sitting in fear. If you go and ask him why are you afraid? I broke one plate today.

I don't know what this father will do if he sends me back to the orphanage. Why is it the other son has no fear? He's sleeping peacefully. Both did the same thing but this one has a fear.

One is a real son the other is just brought in from an orphanage. I want to ask you are you a real child of God or did God pick you up in some orphanage and make you his child? Orphanage means you grew up in some church and they put some sprinkled water on your head or did something and say you're a child of God. They are not bad churches some churches are very good orphanages.

God does not have any adopted children. He has only real children. See what it says in John chapter 1 verse 12 It says that those who received Jesus Christ he gave them the right to become children of God.

That Adhikaram is a very strong word. I have a right. You know in voting time we say we have a right to vote because I'm a citizen I've got this voters ID card.

It's a right. Nobody can push you out saying you can't vote. If you have a train ticket you have a right to travel in that train.

It's a strong word. See if a policeman stands in the junction and he puts up his hand and says stop even these big big trucks have to stop. That is authority.

It says here we got authority God gave us authority to be children of God. So that is the first thing you need to know. Not just you change your name or change your religion that is useless.

I always tell people when I preach the gospel to them I'm not trying to change your religion. I'm not trying to make you come to some church. I'm trying to lead you to God.

Not my church. My church cannot save anybody. My church did not die for anybody's sins.

Jesus Christ died for the sins of the world. I'm trying to lead you to that Jesus. If you receive him you have the authority to be a child of God.

You come to almighty God and call him daddy. In the old testament they could not do that. God was like the big manager of a huge factory with 100,000 employees.

Think of some big factory here that has many employees. You cannot go to the top manager. That's how it was in the old testament.

Even Moses, Elijah they could not go so easily to God. I'll prove it to you. Sometimes a king would come to a prophet in the old testament and will ask him what is God saying about this? The prophet said I don't know but you wait here after one or two days I can tell you.

Even the prophet could not directly contact God straight away. He had to wait. He had to wait for an interview with the manager of the universe.

But a child doesn't have to do that. If somebody asks my son what does your dad think about this? He'll say oh, I'll call up my dad right now I'll tell you in two minutes. Do you know that you can talk to God like that? Everyone, if you receive Jesus as your lord you have a direct phone connection with God.

You don't have to go through the mother of Jesus, Mary. You don't have to go through a pastor. You don't have to go through me.

You go straight to your father. Even if you're young can't your one year old child come straight to you and talk to you? Like that we can go to God directly. When I know God is my own father if you have confessed your sins and said Lord Jesus you're the only one who died for my sins you're the one who rose from the dead I want you to become my lord I want you to become my husband When he comes into your life by his Holy Spirit the Spirit will make you say to God Daddy That's the most wonderful relationship that we can have with God.

Then like that story I told about that child Even if he broke something very valuable that child will not be afraid because his father loves him I want to show you a verse which you must never forget God is not only like a father he's like a mother because do you know what is the greatest love that can be found in this world? It is not the cinema love of boy and girl that is not the greatest love because that they fall in love with each other after six months they are fighting with each other till they get married they are full of love and smile and all and after they get married six months it is another story but that part they won't show in the cinema they show only up to the time of the marriage and everybody is very happy so that love is not the greatest love the love of a father to his son is not the greatest love the greatest love in the world is the love of a mother for a new born child you see that even in the animals you see a very gentle nice dog if it's a female one it has a few little pups if you go near it it will bark so how did it suddenly become like that? because it's so protective for its little pups even a cat for its little kittens you see that in animals also the father dog just produces the children and goes off somewhere doesn't know what's happening not the mother the love of a mother for a child is the greatest love in the whole world because she does not expect anything in return when a boy loves a girl he wants something from her usually her body when the girl loves a boy also she wants something usually his money but when a mother loves a child baby it wants nothing what a lot of work a mother will do especially if a child is sick and God says in Isaiah 49 verse 15 Isaiah 49 verse 15 can a woman forget her nursing child and have no compassion on the son of her womb even these may forget but I will not forget you see when God wants to tell us of his love he does not compare it with the love of a father as much as with the love of a mother he does use the example of a father he says if earthly fathers know how to give good things to their children how much more your heavenly father will give you there he is referring to gifts he gives us fathers give gifts to their children money so much God says I will give you much more but when he is speaking about a mother he is talking about forgetting the child a father when he is working 8 hours in his factory he may forget about his children because he can't think about his little child when he is working in the factory but a mother with a child just born last week wherever she is working in the kitchen or going to the shop she is thinking of her little child oh I left my child in that room is the child ok oh the child is coughing is it sick all the time that is how God thinks about us you must know that these are God's promises even if you don't know the whole bible at least you know few verses like this ok another verse psalm 139 when did God begin to know about you psalm 139 verse 13 he says oh God you made me inside my mother's womb you know when you were inside your mother's womb God was making your parts that is why we should never complain about our appearance or color of our skin or anything you must be happy I started losing my hair when I was 22 years old I was not married I was not worried who will marry me now I said in my mother's womb God was making me and decided to give me some genes that will make me lose my hair when I was 22 I said ok if God made me like that I am happy it's not a sickness I don't have any problem if I go in the sun I can wear a cap It's not like a sickness. Do you have a complaint about your appearance? God made you dark or short or some of you are losing your hair. Why are you worried about all these things? Or you did not make me as intelligent as somebody else? Or you did not allow me to be born in some rich family.

You allowed me to be born in some poor family. Remember he made you in your mother's womb. So he says in verse 14, I will give thanks to you because you made me wonderfully.

Your works are wonderful and my soul knows it very well. I know it. Your work is perfect.

Whatever the color of my skin, whether I have hair or don't have hair, whether I'm thin or fat or short or tall, my soul knows, Father, your work is perfect. Because, verse 15, my frame was not hidden from you when I was being made inside my mother's womb. Your eyes were watching me, verse 16, my unformed substance.

Verse 16, and now it says, after that, verse 16, before I was born, there's a book where you have written out all the days I have to live on this earth. Now, I don't know when I'm going to die or when I'll leave this earth when Jesus comes. I'm absolutely sure of one thing, that before I was born, in God's mind, that's where his books are.

His books are all in his mind. He has written down exact number of days that Jack Poonen must live on this earth. You also, this verse is in your Bible also.

It's not only in my Bible. But I believe it. So it becomes true for me.

You don't believe it, it doesn't become true for you. Supposing somebody sends you a cheque for 10 lakhs, sends me also a cheque for 10 lakhs. I take it to the bank, I get the money.

You look at it and you admire it and say, it's so nice. And you frame it and put it in your room. You won't get any money.

Why? Because you didn't take it to the bank and say, this is cash it. The promises of God are like cheques. Don't just keep it inside the Bible.

Take it to God, to the bank of heaven. Say, Lord, this is in my Bible, this is for me. These are the ways fear goes out of our heart.

Verse 17 and 18, please read it. In the living Bible, it says like this. Lord, I cannot even number the number of times you think about me in one single day.

Do you believe that God is thinking about you many, many times in one single day? I don't think many of us believe it. Sometimes, once in a year, I may think of somebody in some country. And I send him a letter saying, brother, I thought about you today and I just prayed for you.

He's so excited. Brother Zach thought about me one day and he prayed for me. Imagine if God told you, I'm thinking about you every day.

Not only once. Many times during the day, I'm thinking about you. We can't understand that because as human beings, we cannot think of millions of people so many times a day.

We can think only about a few people, mostly our own immediate family members. Or a few people in our church we are very close to. But God is almighty.

He can think of each of his children many times during a single day. Then he says, when I go to sleep, verse 18, and when I wake up in the morning, I find you're still thinking about me. Like it says in Psalm 121, Many people say, where will my help come from? Psalm 121, verse 2. My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth.

Where does your help come from? My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth. And the last part of verse 3, he who keeps will not slumber, verse 4, he will neither slumber nor sleep. I don't know whether it's very clear in Kannada.

What is slumber and sleep? I look at it like this. Sleep is when you're fast asleep. The other is short sleep, when you just nod off to sleep for a few seconds.

Like now some of you, if you've got a food lunch, you can... But God, he doesn't even doze off like that for two seconds. He's always watching us. He's a father and he's a mother.

When you know that he loves you like that, if you make a mistake, what should you do? Go running to your father. Daddy, I'm sorry, I did something wrong. Supposing my three-year-old son comes to me.

Daddy, I did something wrong. Daddy, I tore up that thousand rupee note. What will you say? That's a big loss, thousand rupees.

But when I see my three-year-old child crying, I'll pick him up and say, son, you're more precious than thousand rupees. I may not be a rich man, but you are more precious than thousand rupees, that I can say. If I will do that to my child, God is much, much better to do that to you.

You know, I feel that so many of God's children do not know how much their Heavenly Father loves them. When they get old, they say, oh Lord, I'm all lonely, who will take care of me when I'm old? One old father and mother told me that. Brother Zach, all our children have gone off somewhere, they don't care for us old parents.

I said, did you bring up your children to take care of you or did you bring up your children to live for God? Don't bring up children to look after you when you're old, that's a very selfish reason. I have four sons. I did not bring up any of them to take care of us when we are old.

I said, Lord, I bring them up to live for you and to serve you. Not to take care of me and my wife when we are old. Because the Lord says, Isaiah 46, what a wonderful thing when you know the promises in the Bible.

There is a wonderful promise. Isaiah 46, verse 3, middle of that verse, you were born by me from birth and I carried you from the womb. And to your old age I will be the same.

And to your graying years I will bear you. I made you and I will carry you. I will bear you and I will save you.

When you have a promise like that, why go to your children and say will you care for me when I'm old? God may use your children or anybody to care for you, but your trust is in God. From childhood to our grave, our trust must be in our heavenly daddy. Don't be anxious.

Jesus said look at the birds. Matthew 6.26 They don't sow any seeds. They don't reap any crops.

They don't gather all their grain into a barn. Who feeds them? Your heavenly father feeds the birds. We have all seen many dead human beings.

How many dead birds do you see on the road? I think in 72 years I must have seen about 10 dead birds. Where do they get their food from? They don't have a bank account. There's no little children to take care of the old birds when they get old.

Your heavenly father feeds them. I read a poem once. Two birds are talking to each other.

One bird is telling the other bird. Why these human beings are always so worried and afraid about the future? Wondering where will they get food from, where will they live? So the other bird says, I think they don't have any heavenly father like we have. We have a heavenly father, so we are happy.

But these poor human beings, they don't have any heavenly father. So next time you're anxious, ask yourself, what are the birds saying about you now? We have many problems in life. Just as much as the unbelievers, more than the unbelievers.

But it says, whenever problems arise, we must take it to the Lord. Why we are not to be anxious, because we take the request to our father and say, do it for me. You may think that supposing you have a problem.

Somebody is troubling you. Supposing your father is the director general of police in Karnataka. Somebody is troubling you.

You call your father. Daddy, this person is troubling me. He says, my child, don't worry, I'll take care of that.

Thank you, dad. Finished. Now I have one question.

Is God more powerful than the director general of police of Karnataka? Yes or no? Yes or no? Is he your father? Is he your father? Can you speak to him? Director general's phone may be engaged most of the time, but God's phone is not engaged. Multiple lines, you can always speak to God. It's wonderful.

In my younger life, as a believer, I used to have so much anxiety. But as I came to know God as my daddy, those fears gradually disappeared. So, he will not punish me? Because Jesus took all the punishment on the cross.

Somebody once wrote a letter to me. Brother Zach, I'm having some terrible sickness. Is God punishing me for some sin I committed 20 years ago? So I said, supposing I call my 12-year-old boy once to me, and I take a stick and keep on hitting him.

He said, daddy, what did I do? You remember seven years ago you disobeyed me? Can you imagine a father doing that? I can't even imagine doing that for what he did last week. How can God punish you for what you did so many years ago? Especially if you confessed it and he said, I've forgiven you. Not only forgiven you, here is another wonderful promise.

Hebrews 8.12 You know there are many cheques inside this book? Lakhs of rupees. Take it and cash it. Hebrews 8.12 I will remember their sins no more.

Do you believe that? What a wonderful father we have. You and I have done so many wrong things in our life. Everyone.

We are all sinners. It doesn't matter whether we did big sins or small sins. Some people think big sins, small sins.

Supposing you kill a big man and a small baby, both are murder only. Both are murder. It's not more serious that you killed a big giant and I killed only a small baby.

We are all sinners. I'm very thankful that God does not remember any of my sins against me. That's why when he looks at me, he looks at me as if I've never sinned in my life.

What shall we learn from that? What shall we learn from that, dear brothers and sisters? One, we shall not live in condemnation about any of our past sins if you have confessed them. If you have not confessed it, confess it now. No condemnation.

What is the second lesson we have to learn from that? Who can tell me? All of you are very clever people. You can tell me. We must not remember other people's sins against them.

Do you do that? Supposing you tell your wife, Do you remember 5 years ago you did this? Last year also you did that. I remember last month you did it. And I remember about 17 years ago on 18th August.

What are all the things we remember? Against your husband, against your wife. Be like God. I will not remember your sins anymore.

Then you will also be free from fear. If you keep things in your heart against others, you will have a lot of fear in your mind. And you will have some frightening dreams.

Or if you are a man, you will have dirty dreams. Rest in the love of God. And know that He has forgiven you.

You won't have any more terrifying dreams. I have never had terrifying dreams for many many years. Sometimes God gives me dreams like this.

Where I see scorpions and snakes crawling on my body. And they cannot touch me. And the Lord tells me, That is to teach you What it says in Luke 10 verse 19.

I have given you authority over serpents and scorpions And over all the power of the enemy And nothing shall injure you. No fear. Imagine seeing snakes and scorpions and no fear.

It's not because I am better than you. I am as much a sinner as you. But I believe the blood of Jesus has cleansed me 100%.

I believe God does not remember my sins against me. I try my best not to have anything against other people. I have forgiven everybody.

I have confessed every sin. I have asked forgiveness from people I have hurt. My conscience is clear.

So I can sleep peacefully. You know, there are many advertisements in the newspapers About various types of pillows you can get to sleep on. I will give you the name of the best pillow.

A good conscience. Go to bed every night With a good conscience. If you hurt your wife, ask forgiveness.

Before you go to bed. Tondram is a big word. Even a small word if you have hurt your wife.

And if you hurt your husband in a small way, with a word perhaps. Ask forgiveness. Go to bed with a clear conscience.

You will have a peaceful sleep. What a wonderful way to go to bed every night. Lord, if you call me home tonight, I am ready to go.

My conscience is clear. Nobody can accuse me of anything. I have wronged people.

I have asked forgiveness. I borrowed money or took money wrongfully. I have given it back.

We must set everything right. When Jesus comes, Make sure your conscience is clear. If you live like this, You can be free from fear.

One more thing I want to say. You must ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit's power is like electricity.

The moment electricity comes into a bulb, it burns. The power of the Holy Spirit is like that. It helps us to live like Jesus lived on this earth.

It will help us to control our tongue. Most Christians sit in their homes and speak evil about other people. That family, the other family, That church, that pastor, this elder, Don't waste your time like that.

That is like eating poison every day. Just stop eating that poison. Instead of that, talk about what you read in the Bible today.

If somebody comes to visit your house, Don't say, What did you hear about that person? Some news story that you heard, Which you don't even know whether it's true. Instead of that, why not say like this? I was reading the Bible today. God gave me a word that blessed me.

I want to share it with you. You can become a prophet. You can prophesy, brothers and sisters.

And bless people. The Christian life is a wonderful life. It's made me so happy obeying the commands of Scripture.

Claiming the promises in the Bible. Let's pray. Thank you, Father.

For giving us such wonderful brothers and sisters. I pray your name will be greatly honored here in Hulagi. Let your name be glorified here in Hulagi.

And let there be a strong, powerful church here. We don't pray it will be a big church. But we pray it will be a pure church.

A bright light without sin. Where everybody loves one another. Where people will know these are the disciples of Jesus because they love one another.

We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.