Dare to Sit Down and Face Reality

Decades ago in his sermon, David Martyn Lloyd-Jones told his church, “This is an age of bewilderment, uncertainty and an age of fear.” He said, “The commonest way to show fear is to indulge in a riot of pleasure. It is nothing but a terrible spirit of fear and bewilderment.” More. “It’s pure escapism – drugging itself in a riot of pleasure because it dare not sit down and face reality.” He died thirty-four years ago, but I wonder what he would tell his church if he were around today. Some biblical meanings of ‘fear’ – be afraid exceedingly,anxiety, quaking, trembling, dread, terror, terribleness, horror. Some secular meanings: panic, agitation, trepidation, distress and consternation.

Such “a riot of pleasure” did one man indulge in, his wife got sick of him and filed for a divorce. Hoping to collect on fire insurance he decided to torch his home. When caught out by the police, he phoned seeking godly help, but later changed his mind. After he was released from jail he continued with his riot of pleasure for many years. Then he got cancer. Upon near death, instead of calling on Jesus Christ, the way, the truth, and the life John 14: 6, he called on his manipulating, intimidating and dominating church to minister him the wrong way, the non-truth and the lie! That’s how cruel and devastating fear of facing reality can be; it sends people to hell where, ‘their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched’ Mark 9:44, 46; cf Isaiah 66:24.

False religion caters well to false people, of course. Especially if the false religion claims itself to be “the one true” religion – or church. It is the ideal haven for those who “dare not sit down and face reality.” It doesn’t matter how drugged or drunk they are, they’ll still tell you, “ours is the one true church” when disputing the gospel of Jesus Christ as declared from the Bible. When drugged or drunk they are arrogant and belligerent, when sober they are self-righteous and smug. Regardless of which behavior they express themselves with, fear is the reality underpinning it all. It has to be … The sacrifice of the wicked and the way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord Proverbs 15:8-9. 

One other man’s “indulgence in a riot of pleasure’ was sexual perversion. It made him sick, both in mind and body. He walked into the church one day seeking help for the sickness more so than the guilt, strange as it sounds. On being informed no help from God would be forthcoming unless a genuine repentance took place first, he agreed to be led in a prayer of repentance. A few weeks went by and it became clear his repentance was not genuine, but his belligerence was! It’s taxing enough casting devils out of people; no way will I sit and argue with them so I wiped my hands of him. He went back out on the street and that was the last we saw of him. There is a time to help and a time to cut yourself loose from helping.

Although not drugging herself in a riot of pleasure as such, the lady said she found much pleasure engaging in the New Age practice of Meditation. On being informed that this practice is from the Occult and not God, she said she was going to keep practicing it anyhow, “because it does give peace.” She didn’t want to hear that eventually that “peace” would turn itself into fear – “a terrible spirit of fear and bewilderment.” I am always amazed at the number of people calling themselves Christians who are caught up in New Age philosophies and practices. In talking with them, one soon learns that Jesus Christ is not the Center of their lives and therefore, He is not their Lord. Like false-religion practitioners, unreality is their preference over and above reality!

Fear, with the above meanings, is the price paid for failing to, “dare sit down and face reality.” For some, it is fear that drives them to madness and insanity. For others, it is fear that drives them to murder and suicide. It is fear that paralyzes human minds from thinking honestly and it is fear that paralyzes human mouths from speaking truthfully. It is fear that allows tyrants and despots to bludgeon a nation’s constitution for tyrannical and despotic ends. It is fear that allows Satanic religious fanatics to murder and slaughter at will. It is fear that allows religious leaders of all kinds and all faiths to manipulate, intimidate and dominate their people. It is fear that causes people to accept a lie as the truth and the truth as a lie.

Sport entertainment is the “drug” of millions in this current age of bewilderment, uncertainty and fear. In Australia, horse racing, rugby union, rugby league, Australian Rules football, cricket, swimming – any one of them is more popular by far than any religions on offer, false or genuine! Attendance in season or non-attendance out of season, it doesn’t matter, people here eat, drink and sleep sport. Not only is it a drug for most, it is their idol. One of the greatest criticisms we get thrown at us is, “You people need a crutch to get you through life.” If only they would, “dare sit down and face reality,” they would see how silly they and their accusations are. Take away their sport and most would not survive.

Another major enticement for multitudes who, “dare not sit down and face reality” is the shopping center. And, the bigger the better! “Let’s hit the shops,” they say. “I’m in desperate need of some retail therapy.” It’s really no different than those who say they’re in desperate need of a drink! Psychologists have all sorts of names and behavioral excuses for those with a shopping “need” – compulsive buying disorder, impulsive control disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder … it doesn’t matter what they call it, it’s simply another demonic addiction underpinned by uncertainty and fear. “Pure escapism,” as the man said. Just like the sporting crowd, if the centers were shut down for a week or so, they would drive themselves up the wall!

One increasing practice bordering on madness and insanity in my town is that of young married, thirty-somethings coming into old established suburbs and pulling down perfectly good period homes, to build not simply a new home for themselves and their one or two-child family, but two and three story, five and six bedroom out-of-character, obtrusive mansions – built on “postage-stamp size” land. The homes are fully furnished, the lawns and gardens ready-made, two expensive European motor vehicles garaged in a space with room for many more. One up the street has room for ten motor vehicles. The cost of these places runs into millions of dollars, not hundreds of thousands.

And sadly for some, within a few months of home completion and family moving in, a “For Sale” sign is out front. Worse. Often the marriage falls apart, the family splits, and the debt still to be paid is horrendous. The peer pressure to out-do each other takes its toll. Insecurity is a child of fear, as is greed. These are the motivators; it’s written on their faces. The question some ask is where do they get that kind of money from in the first place? Not all win the lottery, not all inherit, but heaps of them are risk takers. Occasionally the odd home gets torched and the odd someone takes a bullet. One can assume these don’t work for the Salvation Army! As righteousness leads to life, so he who pursues evil pursues it to his own death Proverbs 11:19.

Much of the world is suffering “under a terrible spirit of fear and bewilderment” due to the murderous rampage of Satanic religious fanatics. No matter what methods people use to drug themselves “in a riot of pleasure,” this is one fear they’re not shaking off. But, they’re failing to see the high cost of caving in to foolish, political correctness. Others are fearful and bewildered at the lack of resolve from their nation’s leaders to call it what it is and deal with it. They know their nation’s armed forces are very capable of getting the job done and they wish that they were released and properly supported to do so before full on terror strikes their home shores. The older ones among them long for a Winston Churchill, a Franklin Roosevelt and a Ronald Reagan.

There’s one other biblical meaning of ‘fear’ – reverence … reverence for God. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge Proverbs 1:7. People ignorant of God’s knowledge live in fear. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom Proverbs 9:10. People void of God’s wisdom live in fear. That’s why they possess a “terrible spirit of fear and bewilderment.” They are sinners under God’s curse and wrath in need of forgiveness and deliverance. Forgiveness and deliverance from sin also guarantees deliverance from fear. That’s why the gospel of Jesus Christ is the Good News. Are you trapped in fear? Dare to sit down and face reality; confess all to the Ultimate Reality, Jesus Christ. Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand Matthew 4:17. Fear God 1 Peter 2:17.