You can listen to this radio sermonette here. Just a fyi, the audio is a little different than what you will read
Good morning, this is Michael De Rosa. Today, let’s hear some more of Jesus’s sound advice to his followers. My text will be Luke 12:4-5
“I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do.5 But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!
While the Religious Leaders of the day secretly began plotting what they thought was going to be Jesus’ demise, Jesus boldly keeps on the offensive and openly calls them out on their hypocrisy and warns his followers that being caught off guard by this hypocrisy will be deadly.
Now, our word ‘phobia’ is the very word Jesus uses when telling us how to respond to both the hypocrites and to our Father. Basically, Jesus is saying
Don’t be scared witless at whatever persecutions you will undergo for that will one day end;
But be awe struck that God holds Your eternity in His hand
Strong words must be uttered in dire circumstances. So, when life gets hard, seemingly unbearable, consider, my friend, who is holding onto your life?