Transformed Week 6 - Facing Fears That Ruin Relationships

TRANSFORMED – Facing Fears That Ruin Relationships

Message by:
Pastor Terry Crawford
Covenant Church
Shepherdstown, WV

Genesis 3:6-19
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORDGod as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from theLORDGod among the trees of the garden. But the LORDGod called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” Then the LORDGod said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” So the LORDGod said to the serpent, “Because you have done this,“Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspringand hers; he will crushyour head, and you will strike his heel.” To the woman he said, “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”

THE 3 BASIC FEARS THAT RUIN RELATIONSHIPS

1. MY FEAR OF EXPOSURE MAKES ME DISTANT
   
   Genesis 3:9-10
   But the LORDGod called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”



2. MY FEAR OF DISAPPROVAL MAKES ME DEFENSIVE
   
   Genesis 3:12-13
   The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” Then the LORDGod said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”



3. MY FEAR OF LOSING CONTROL MAKES ME DEMANDING
   
   Genesis 3:16
   To the woman he said, “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”

THE ANTIDOTE: LOVE! LEARN TO LIVE IN GOD’S LOVE

1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

HOW DO I LIVE IN GOD’S LOVE?

1. Everyday surrender my HEART TO GOD.
   
   Luke 9:23
   And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
   
   Proverbs 3:5-6
   Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.



2. Everyday remember THE WAY GOD LOVES ME.
   
   
   • I’m completely accepted.
     
     Titus 3:7 (CEV)
     so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
   
   
   
   • I’m unconditionally loved.
     
     Romans 8:37-39
     No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
   
   
   
   • I’m totally forgiven.
     
     Colossians 2:13-14
     When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made youalive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.
   
   
   
   • I’m considered extremely valuable.
     
     1 Corinthians 7:23
     You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of human beings.
   
   
   
3. Everyday offer THAT SAME LOVE TO OTHERS.
   
   John 13:34
   “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
   
   Romans 15:7
   Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
   
   1 Corinthians 13:7
   Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

NEXT STEPS

• Today I surrender my heart to God’s.
• Today I commit to remember the way God loves me even when I mess up.
• Today I commit to believe the best of others and extend grace to others.