Confronting the Fear of Death - Charles D. Harris

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. - Rev 12:11 KJV

To listen to the audio-only version click below 

Have you ever thought…

What’s holding me back? What’s holding me captive?

Could it be, FEAR? More specifically the fear of DEATH

For many of us, just the word death or the discussion of death invokes emotions and fears in our hearts. For some we begin to feel anxious and worried. For some we want to run, hide, avoid the conversation all together.

The images of death presented bring a sense of finality, incompleteness, hopelessness, despair and the like. These images are what is in our hearts which empowers the “fear of death”.

I believe the Lord wants us to walk in freedom and liberty facing death all day long however experiencing eternal life.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. [We are] hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; [we are] perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed-- always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death is working in us, but life in you. And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I believed and therefore I spoke," we also believe and therefore speak, knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present [us] with you. - 2Co 4:7-14 NKJV

How would it feel to live a life free from fear of “Death where is your sting?” with a feeling of overcoming!

So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." "O Death, where [is] your sting? O Hades, where [is] your victory?" The sting of death [is] sin, and the strength of sin [is] the law. But thanks [be] to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. - 1Co 15:54-57 NKJV

Overcoming

Who would like to live a victorious life? Victory comes through overcoming, preserving, standing, resisting those things that would cause you to be defeated, right?

It comes through focus on the prize and not the problems.

Examples

30 Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, "We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it." - Num 13:30 NASB95

19 "They will fight against you, but they will not overcome you, for I am with you to deliver you," declares the LORD. - Jer 1:19 NASB95

Here are rewards for being an overcomer!

7 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God." ' ... 11 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death." ' ... 17 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives [it]." ' ... 26 "And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations-- - Rev 2:7, 11, 17, 26 NKJV

5 "He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. ... 12 "He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And [I will write on him] My new name. ... 21 "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. - Rev 3:5, 12, 21 NKJV

7 "He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. - Rev 21:7 NKJV

Wow, you might be saying to yourself I don't think i have what it takes to overcome.

Renounce and repent of that statement right now.

We need to be quick to listen and slow to speak.

1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the [child] born of Him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith. 5 Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. 9 If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for the testimony of God is this, that He has testified concerning His Son. 10 The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son. 11 And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. - 1Jo 5:1-13 NASB95

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. - Rom 12:21 NASB95

4 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. - 1Jo 4:4 NASB95

Overcoming has to do with hearing…let he who has an ear hear…

Blood of the Lamb

David’s teaching last week powerfully communicated the reality that the blood speaks and has a voice. Abel’s blood speaking and crying out for justice. And Yeshua’s blood bring the voice of the Lord to draw us near.

Here is a snippet of his message…

“The blood of Yeshua opens the words of life, because the life is in the blood!

"To Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven," Heb 12:24-25

The blood speaks of better things than the blood of Abel. His blood speaks to us from heaven! The blood opens the voice of heaven and this is how we overcome the adversary who speaks accusation into our hearts.”

Freedom from fear of death

14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. - Heb 2:14-15 NASB95

So the voice of the blood of Jesus is freedom from the fear of death. That treasure of freedom exists for everyone. Just like salvation.

16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 "He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. - Jhn 3:16-18 NASB95

So the blood is the sign (Word of God) over the doorpost of our heart and He comes in and speaks. 

Apply the blood of Jesus

By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks. ... And without faith it is impossible to please [Him,] for he who comes to God must believe that He is and [that] He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. - Heb 11:4, 6 NASB95

Faith comes by hearing - So faith [comes] from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. - Rom 10:17 NASB95

Testing of faith - Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have [its] perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. - Jas 1:2-4 NASB95

Activation:
Ask the Lord to show you an area in your life where you feel stuck or held back. Where you want to fight or run away. In that place of exposure allow the Word of the Lord to speak to you about it. Apply the completed work of the blood of Jesus to it.