Study Notes

I.      People in general are ignorant about what fear is

A.    Fear is the root to every problem and the cause of every failure

1.      Fear shuts off the anointing and failures don’t arise until the anointing shuts off

a.      If the problem is there it’s because the anointing is not working and if the anointing is not working it’s because fear is present

2.      If you don’t recognize fear as the problem you won’t go about the steps necessary to get rid of it

a.      If you continually try to deal with the results of fear, instead dealing with the fear itself you might cut the fruit off but as long as the root of fear is planted the fruit will continue to show up

3.      Fear’s at the bottom of this somehow and someway and if you’ll allow the Holy Spirit to teach you what fear is, the layers of the problem will get pealed back like an onion, and if you destroy the root of fear, you won’t see the fruit of the problem anymore

B.     The tendency is to think that fear is only operating in your life when you feel afraid

1.      Fear can operate apart from feelings of fear, the way faith can operate apart from feelings of faith

2.      The world defines fear as the feelings of fright; the Word defines fear as anything outside of the love of God

C.    Fear will mask itself and hide itself because if you don’t recognize it as fear you won’t deal with it as fear

1.      If you don’t recognize fear, it’ll just hide in your life and sit there and keep the anointing from working and you won’t even recognize what the problem is

II.     Fear is faith in the ability of the enemy to steal, kill, and destroy you or what’s yours; particularly fear is more faith in the enemy to harm you than God to keep you-PRACTICAL DEFINTION OF FEAR

A.    Mark 4:40-They had faith in the enemy’s ability to kill them through that storm and that manifested in fear

1.      They were certain that storm was going to harm them

a.      They weren’t killed, ruined, or destroyed yet, but fear is talking like it’s done

b.      They just knew that sooner or later that storm was going to kill them

2.      EX: Fear of rattlesnake is more faith in that snakes ability to harm you than God’s ability God keep you

B.     Fear is the reciprocal of faith; it’s twisted faith or faith in the wrong thing; it operates by the same principles, but produces opposite results

1.      Faith comes by hearing the Words of God, fear comes by hearing the words of the devil (1 Samuel 17:11, Romans 10:17)

2.      Faith is the victory that overcomes the world, fear is the defeat that is overcome by the world (1 John 5:4, Philippians 1:28)

3.      It’s impossible to please God without faith, it’s impossible to please Satan without fear (Hebrews 11:6)

4.      All things are possible to him that believes, things are impossible for him that fears (Mark 9:23, Matthew 14:24)

III.   Fear is anything that’s outside of the love of God-BIBLICAL DEFINITION (1 John 4:18)

A.    Fear is only present when love stops being developed or perfected

1.      Fear is present and operating the moment you step outside of love, whether you feel afraid or not

2.      If you’re outside of love the Bible said you’re in fear

3.      We need not judge weather or not fear is present by the feelings of fear, but we must judge weather or not fear is present by the love gauge

a.      If my love level is low, whether I feel afraid or not fear is present

B.     Anything that is not the love of God is fear and rooted in fear; we haven’t recognized some of these things as fear, but whether we recognize it or not fear is behind it

1.      1 Corinthians 13:4-Whatever love is fear isn’t; whatever love isn’t fear is

a.      4-Fear’s not patient because it’s afraid things will never change

1)      Patience is when a continued and unfavorable situation or circumstance doesn’t change you

2)      Fear that it will always be the way it is now

b.      4-Fear’s not kind because it’s afraid:

1)      If it’s always adapting to meeting your needs then it’s needs won’t be met

2)      If it's taking care of your good, then its good won’t be taken care of

3)      If it’s too kind to you, you’ll take advantage of it 

c.      4-Fear is envious because it’s afraid it will never get what you have

d.      4-Fear vaunts itself because it’s afraid that you won’t think highly of it

1)      It’s afraid that the truth won’t be enough to impress you

e.      4-Fear puffs himself up and puts others down because he’s afraid he won’t look good enough without knocking you down

f.       5-Fear is rude because:

1)      Fear dishonors others because it’s afraid it has no value himself

2)      Fear is carless and inconsiderate of others because it’s afraid that if it cares for others nobody will consider and care for it

3)      Fear that if I’m not rude people might think I’m soft in some way

4)      Fear is rude because it fears it won’t get its way

g.      5-Fear is self-seeking because it’s afraid it he doesn’t seek his own nobody will

h.      5-Fear is easily offended b/c it’s afraid you or others believe that to be the truth

i.       5-Fear thinks evil

1)      Fear is a consistent thought pattern on what God didn’t say; the gospel is good news fear thinks on bad news

j.       6-Fear rejoices when others fall because it’s always afraid that somebody is going to get higher than me

1)      It’s afraid if you look too good, it will make me look bad

k.      7-Fear doesn’t bear up under anything and everything that comes; it breaks down in times of pressure

l.       7-Fear doesn’t believe because it’s afraid that it’s not true

m.    7-Fear doesn’t expect because it fears it’s hopes will be crushed

n.      7-Fear doesn’t endure because it’s not brave

o.      8-Fear always fails because it can’t connect to the power necessary to win

2.      All sin and disobedience to God is rooted in fear (1 John 5:3, John 14:15)

a.      Love keeps God’s commandments; Fear doesn’t

1)      If love is the root to your obedience, fear is the root to disobedience

b.      Afraid that if you do what God says you’re going to miss out on something-Mk 10

3.      All discouragement and depression is rooted in fear (Deuteronomy 1:21)

a.      Discouraged-Deprived of courage or confidence; depressed in spirit, dejected; to be dismayed or afraid

1)      Lack confidence and courage resulting in depressed emotions

b.      Discouragement is a fear that things are never going to change and they’ll always be like this

4.      All unbelief is fear dependent (Deuteronomy 1:26-32)

a.      Afraid that what God said won’t come to pass

b.      They didn’t believe b/c they were afraid what God said wouldn’t come to pass

5.      All strife is fear rooted in fear (Strife-Contention, wrangling)

a.      Genesis 26:20-Strife was the result of a fear of lack

b.      All strife is rooted in the fear that won’t get your way

6.      All unforgiveness and bitterness rooted in fear

a.      Afraid that if you forgive them that they’ll do it again

b.      Afraid if forgive them they’ll walk all over you

c.      Afraid if you forgive them what you’ll look like to others

7.      All laziness is fear of discomfort (Matthew 25:26)

a.      All flesh actions or a fear of the flesh not being comfortable