LWC SERMON GUIDE

Beyond Fear: Kingdom Power Unleashed

Scriptures to read and ponder

  • Main teaching text

    • 2 Timothy 1:6–7 (NKJV) — “Therefore I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God… For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

  • Key supporting texts from the sermon

    • John 10:10 — “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life…” (contrast of two kingdoms)

    • Acts 2:42 — the devotional life of the early church, fire kept burning.

    • Acts 1:8 — “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you…”

    • Ephesians 1:19–20 — the same power that raised Christ is working toward us.

    • Philippians 2:5–8 — love as the mindset of Christ; power grounded in love.

Sermon Recap

1. The security notice from Jesus

  • Jesus in John 10:10 is effectively putting up a sign: “Thieves operate in this area.”

  • Not your street — your inner neighbourhood: peace, joy, purpose, identity, calling.

  • The enemy’s economy: steal, kill, destroy.

  • Jesus’ economy: give, make alive, bring fullness.

  • Strategic takeaway: spiritual theft happens first in the unseen, then in the seen.

2. The first tactic of the thief: dampen the fire

  • Before the enemy goes after your joy, calling, or testimony, he goes after your devotion.

  • Paul tells Timothy: “I remind you… fan into flame the gift of God.” A reminder means there is a tendency to forget.

  • It is God’s gift but your fire — heaven supplies the grace, you supply the devotion.

  • The early church stayed hot because they were devoted — teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, prayer — not occasionally, but rhythmically.

  • Modern believers often live with cool embers because distraction has replaced devotion (Netflix, busyness, options).

3. Two kinds of fear

  • Healthy/bodily fear: God-built, protective, survival-based (like the cat illustration). It helps you exercise wise caution. This is not what Paul is rebuking.

  • Spirit of fear: not a feeling, an atmosphere; not intrinsic, but intrusive; not protective, but paralysing. It is a counterfeit pneuma that tries to rule the climate of your soul.

  • This spirit of fear works in line with John 10:10 — it steals confidence, kills initiative, destroys effectiveness.

  • Discernment for disciples: not all fear is demonic, but the fear that reduces, silences, or immobilises you is not from God.

4. God’s counter-architecture: Power, Love, Sound Mind

Paul doesn’t just say “don’t fear”; he reveals what God already gave instead.

  • Power (dunamis) — God-given, resurrection-quality energy to act, witness, obey, and operate spiritual gifts. Not bravado, not willpower, but Spirit-enabled capacity.

  • Love (agapē) — heaven’s motive. Power without love becomes control. The Spirit grounds authority in the servant-hearted mind of Christ (Phil 2). Ministry must smell like love.

  • Sound mind (sōphronismos) — Spirit-disciplined thinking, stable judgment, emotional self-control. When fear walks in, reasoning walks out; the Spirit reverses that. Like a pilot flying by instruments, not by feelings.

5. The call to LWC today

  • We are serving notice to the thief.

  • We are reclaiming what fear has stolen — peace, voice, confidence, calling.

  • We are reinstating a culture of devotion like Acts 2.

  • We move beyond fear by actively fanning the flame, discerning spirits, and walking daily in the Spirit’s threefold manifestation: power that acts, love that heals, a mind that’s sound.

Memorable quotes

  • “Jesus is effectively putting up the same kind of sign: ‘Thieves are operating in this area.’”

  • “It’s His gift — but it is your fire.”

  • “The first act of the thief is not to steal your joy — it’s to dampen your fire.”

  • “The devil doesn’t need to ban the Bible — he just needs to distract us.”

  • “The ‘spirit of fear’ isn’t how you feel; it’s what’s trying to control you.”

  • “God has not called the believer to be a power station — He has called the believer to be a lighthouse of love.”

  • “When fear says, ‘Stay small,’ the Spirit says, ‘Rise up — you carry resurrection power.’”

  • “When fear walks in, reasoning walks out.”

  • “We’ve spent too long letting the wrong voice narrate our story.”

  • “The thief’s currency is fear, lack, and shame — but Jesus trades in power, love, and a sound mind.”

Questions for discussion

  1. “Thieves operating in this area” — Where have you personally noticed spiritual theft (peace, joy, identity, enthusiasm for serving)? Identify one area and name it.

  2. Paul says, “Therefore I remind you…” What spiritual practices in your life tend to drift unless you are deliberately reminded of them (prayer, gathering, giving, serving, worship, fasting)? How can your group/church family create “corporate reminders”?

  3. The sermon said, “It’s His gift but your fire.” What does “fanning into flame” look like for a busy 2025 disciple in Gibraltar — concretely, not theoretically?

  4. Contrast the Acts 2:42 devotional life with the average Western devotional life today. What specific habits have cooled the fire? Which one will you repudiate this week?

  5. Discuss the difference between healthy fear (protective, God-designed) and the spirit of fear (intrusive, paralysing). How do you personally recognise when it has crossed the line?

  6. The sermon taught that the spirit of fear produces: closed mouths, buried gifts, unsaid prayers. Which of those is most evident in your life right now?

  7. “God has given us power, love, and a sound mind.” Which of these three do you most need to be reactivated in this season?

    • Power — boldness to act/obey

    • Love — right motive, right tone

    • Sound mind — mental/emotional stability under pressure

  8. In what ways can LWC as a church institutionalise devotion — not just wait for people to “feel it,” but build fire-keeping into the operating model (midweek prayer, worship nights, discipleship tracks, fasting rhythms)?

  9. Where is LWC called to serve notice to the enemy — in families, youth, addictions, fear, infirmity? Identify concrete battlegrounds.

  10. What would it look like for your small group to become a “lighthouse of love” instead of just a meeting?

Further reading

  • Scripture

    • Deuteronomy 31:6–8 — God goes with you

    • Isaiah 43:1–3 — “Fear not… you are mine.”

    • Psalm 27 — confidence in the Lord

    • Mark 4:35–41 — Jesus calms the storm (sound mind in chaos)

    • Acts 4:23–31 — the church prays and is filled with boldness (power)

    • 1 John 4:7–21 — love and fear cannot co-rule

  • Themes to study

    • “Spiritual discernment” — how to tell what spirit is operating

    • “Life in the Spirit” — Romans 8

    • “Devotion in the early church” — study Acts 2–6 for rhythms

    • “Fear and spiritual warfare” — Ephesians 6

  • Books/resources

    • Pete Greig, How to Pray — sustaining the flame of devotion

    • John Wimber, Power Healing / Power Evangelism — life in the Spirit

    • NT Wright, God’s Spirit in the World (various sermons/articles) — theological framing for Spirit-filled living

Prayer points

  1. Repentance for cooled devotion

    • Father, forgive us where we allowed distraction, entertainment, or busyness to dampen the flame. Rekindle first love in LWC.

  2. Eviction of the spirit of fear

    • In Jesus’ name, we reject and renounce every intrusive spirit of fear that has stolen confidence, initiative, and witness. We serve notice to the thief; he has no legal right in this house.

  3. Fresh fire of the Holy Spirit

    • Lord, breathe on Your gift in us. Fan into flame the gift of God. Ignite prayer, worship, the Word, and fellowship again.

  4. Activation of power (dunamis)

    • Holy Spirit, release resurrection power to act, to obey, to witness, to move in spiritual gifts, to speak boldly.

  5. Rooting everything in love (agapē)

    • Father, let the culture of LWC smell like love. Heal offence, pride, comparison, and performance. Give us the mindset of Christ.

  6. Restored sound mind

    • Prince of Peace, stabilise minds under pressure. Silence panic, catastrophic thinking, and the “what ifs.” Establish disciplined, Spirit-governed thinking.

  7. Corporate devotion

    • Lord, make LWC a community that “devotes itself” — to teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer — not sporadically, but rhythmically and joyfully.

  8. Missional boldness

    • Jesus, where the enemy has stolen voices and testimonies, release courage to speak of Christ in Gibraltar — at work, at home, on the street.

  9. Protection over the flock

    • Shepherd of the church, place Your “Security Notice” over LWC — keep out the thief; expose his tactics early; keep the house clean, alert, and full of light.

  10. Thanksgiving

  • Thank You that You have not given us a spirit of fear, but You have given us power, love, and a sound mind — and what You give, You sustain.