The Battle with the Giant of the Fear of Death: Part One by Dr. Rod Mattoon

About this sermon

1 Samuel 17:11- When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid. This is PART ONE of the series “The Battle with the Giant of the Fear of Death.” The massive appearance of Goliath and his thundering threats instilled terror, trepidation, and trauma into the hearts of King Saul and his army. The Bible says they were dismayed. The word is derived from the word chathath {khaw-thath'}. It means “to be shattered, broken, terrified, or dismayed.” The wave of worry moved through the ranks of Israel like a tsunami. Their fear broke their spirits and courage like a cruel hand crushing a delicate flower. Have you ever felt like this? The only difference between the army and a crowd running from a fire is that these soldiers were not running yet. Their knees were knocking as they shook in their sandals. They were shackled or snared by their fear like a ship caught in ice, unable to sail forward or back. Fear is probably the biggest obstacle that most people face in their lives. It visits at unexpected times and it surfaces frequently. People are afraid of so many different types of things, such as bugs, bears, badgers, baboons, bees, boa constrictors, black spiders, big rats, or bad people. When we look at Peter, we find his fear of man caused him to deny Jesus and not be associated with the disciples. The disciples locked themselves in the Upper Room because they were afraid of the Jews (John 20:19). The fear of death is a battle that every Christian has to face because of the fears that are attached to death. * Death causes us to fear a loss of control over our lives. * Death causes us to fear the unknown and the mysterious aspects of it that we do not know. * Death causes us to fear for our loved ones who are left behind. What will happen to them? * Death causes us to fear the process of dying. Will it be quick or slow? Will I suffer with great pain? You and I face the Battle with the Giant of the Fear of Death often in our lives. Is there a way to win the victory over the fear of death? Can a person get to a point where he or she has boldness, courage, and peace to face the fear of death head-on and take the “bull of death” by the horns?” The answer is “Yes,” and it will come from the attitudes and actions of people in the Bible who overcame their fears. In this message we look at people who conquered the fear of death. We provide the first two principles for overcoming this fear in this message. This message was preached on Sunday morning, October 5,2025, at Lincoln Land Baptist Church.

Topics

• Anxiety & Worry
• Heaven & Eternity