St. Peter Lutheran Church, Arlington Heights, Illinois

Fear of Following

Jesus doesn’t call disciples to “Follow their feelings,” nor to “follow culture and the crowd,” nor to “follow their own dreams and desires.” Rather, Jesus summons Matthew and us to “Follow Me.” Jesus’ call can elicit fear in us, as Matthew’s eyes indicate in Caravaggio’s first painting The Calling of St. Matthew. Lord, You’re calling me? (Implied lump in the throat) Did Matthew follow? Did he leave his fears behind? Oh yes, and he held a great banquet to celebrate Jesus’ marvelous grace! Jesus is calling right here, right now? How will we respond to His gracious call? Textual questions to ponder: 1. Jesus called Levi—whom we know as Matthew—to leave his comfortable and prosperous life as a tax-collector. What is Jesus asking you to leave behind? Why does that bring fear? 2. “Levi got up, left everything and followed him.” (Luke 5:28) Why would anyone in their right mind do something like this? 3. What would your life look like if you answered Christ’s call to follow him? What is holding you back?

The Fear of Rejection

What do these people have in common? The teenager who gives into peer pressure. The wife who continues to give in to the absurd demands of an abusive husband. The Christian who never speaks to a friend about Jesus. They fear rejection. We too can be obsessed with this question, “What will people think?” We’re so afraid of people’s rejection, but the Bible warns us that that is a dangerous trap, as we see from the likes of Saul and the religious Pharisees. There is a better way to live! “Whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.” Faith sets us free from the fear of rejection, for the Father has forever claimed us in His Son.

Fear of Death

Today we tackle what can be one of life’s greatest fears – the fear of death. Dreams run their course. Seasons of life wind down. Relationships fizzle. Our bodies fade, and eventually we all die. It is imperative that we learn how to deal with the inevitable. That’s why today we zero in on John 11:32–44 and listen to Him who is the resurrection and the life; for as we see with Lazarus, death is never the end when Jesus shows up. Textual questions to ponder: 1) How did Lazarus’ sisters react to his death? How did Jesus react? 2) Why is death frequently our greatest fear? 3) What does Jesus promise you when you face the death of a dream, a job, a relationship, or someone you love?

Financial Fears

We live in a world engulfed in financial fear and unrest – the fear of inflation, healthcare costs, college expenses, retirement sustainability, and more. How do we live in a financial world and not have financial fears? Jesus tells us how we can win over financial worry: it’s faith in the goodness and providence of God that dispels financial fears. Textual questions to ponder: 1. Why are financial fears some of the most powerful fears we have? 2. What does Scripture have to say about our worry over money? 3. Contrast how unbelievers approach financial fears with that of how Jesus wants believers to face them?

The Fear of Leaving Our Shells

If we are honest, most of us would prefer to follow Jesus in our self-made, comfortable, safe shells. On the first Pentecost the Holy Spirit empowered 120 Jesus-followers to break out of their shells with the gospel of Jesus Christ — and the world was forever changed. Today we ask God to do it again—with us! Textual questions to ponder: 1. Compare the disciples before and after Pentecost. What changed them? 2. What would you have thought about the disciples, had you been in Jerusalem on that first Pentecost? 3. From Acts 2:1–24, make a list of what the Holy Spirit does and what he is like. What impresses you the most? What do you need the most?