FEAR

 

 

Matt. 8:23-27

 

Prayer

 

The story of Jesus calming the sea is just five verses long.

But it is still the Word of God;

 

 

Still very important;

And it still has a message far us.

 

 

Today, I want to look at this story.

And as I do, I will make four points:

 

 

(1) Following Jesus will not keep us out of trouble.

(2) Jesus understands our trouble.

 

 

(3) Even the best of God's children have fears, and

(4) Let's look at the power of God's Son.

 

 

1^st---Following Jesus will not keep us out of trouble.

Verse 23 says, Jesus entered the ship AND HIS DISCIPLES FOLLOWED   

HIM.

 

 

There’s nothing wrong with that.

We should follow Jesus.

 

 

But the point is we can follow Jesus and still have things go wrong.

If we think people who have problems are not following Jesus, we might be  

mistaken.

The Disciples were following Jesus.

But they were about to get in trouble.

 

 

Serving Jesus will not prevent us from having problems.

Jesus never said we will not get sick.

 

 

We will not have accidents,

Our family will not have accidents.

 

 

He never promised that danger will not stalk us;

Fear will not grip us;

 

 

Loneliness will not plague us;

Strokes will not strike us.

 

 

But Jesus did say, “In this world ye will have tribulation;”

He did say, “we will have crosses to bear.”

 

 

Remember what Paul said about God's people.

“Some were tortured, not accepting deliverance;”

 

 

“And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings,”

“Yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment;”

 

 

“They were stoned,”

“They were sawn asunder,”

 

 

“Were tempted,”

“Were slain with the sword.”

 

“They wandered about in sheepskins,”

“And in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented” (Heb. 11:35-37).

 

 

Their great faith did not bring them long life.

 They were tortured and killed.

 

 

Their great faith did not earn them nice clothes.

They wore animal skins.

 

 

Their great faith did not bring them popularity.

They were mocked and ridiculed.

 

 

Their great faith did not bring them wealth.

They were poverty stricken.

 

 

And they were not without fear.

“They wandered in deserts and in mountains and in dens and caves of the     

earth” (Heb. 11:38).

 

 

It’s normal to want to be liked, to want good health, a decent supply of        

money and clothes, to never have to worry or fear.

But Jesus never promised we will have all those things in this life.

 

 

His Disciples were His closest friends.

But most of them died cruel deaths.

 

 

Our text says Jesus entered a ship.

His Disciples followed Him.

 

 

 

“And behold there arose a great tempest in the sea insomuch that the ship was        

covered with the waves.”

They were Disciples, but trouble came to them.

 

 

2^nd---Jesus understands our trouble.

When the storm struck, Jesus was tired.

 

 

He needed rest.

He went to sleep.

 

 

This shows He possessed human characteristics.

And because He possessed human characteristics, He experienced human    

problems.

 

 

And because He experienced human problems, He understands human         

problems.

Do you get tired?

 

 

Jesus understands.

He was walking when He came to Jacob's well.

 

 

“Jesus therefore BEING WEARIED from His journey, sat thus on the well”  

(Jn. 4:6).

Do you get thirsty?

 

 

Jesus understands.

While He was sitting at Jacob's well, “There cometh a woman of Samaria to

draw water;”

 

 

“Jesus saith unto her, give me to drink” (Jn. 4:7).

Do you get hungry?

Jesus understands.

He was walking to Jerusalem when He came to a fig tree.

 

 

“Now in the morning as He returned into the city, he hungered” (Matt. 21:18).

Do you feel like you don't have very much of this world's goods?

 

 

Jesus understands.

He borrowed a boat to cross the sea;

 

 

A donkey to make His Triumphal Entry.

One of the scribes planned to follow Jesus.

 

 

“And Jesus saith unto him, the foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have         

nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay His head” (Matt. 8:20).

Do you feel rejected?

 

 

Jesus understands.

“He was in the world and the world was made by Him, and the world knew  

Him not.”

 

 

“He came unto His own and His own received Him not” (Jn. 1:10-11).

People in His home town rejected Him.

 

 

One of His Disciples betrayed Him.

One denied Him.

 

 

One did not believe He arose.

And most deserted Him when He went to the cross.

 

 

 

Do you feel that people do not understand you?

Or that they falsely accuse or criticize you?

 

 

Jesus understands.

He was called a glutton and a wine bibber;

 

 

Accused of having a devil;

Accused of lying.

 

 

False charges were leveled against Him at His trial.

Do you experience pain?

 

 

Jesus understands.

He was struck in the face.

 

 

His beard was pulled out.

He was scourged with a whip.

 

 

He was nailed to a cross.

Do you feel that God has forsaken you?

 

 

Jesus understands.

On the cross He cried, “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken Me”      

(Matt. 27:46)?

 

 

Do you fear some terrible thing you may have to go through?

Jesus understands.

 

 

 

 

Satan came against Him in the Garden of Gethsemane.

And “His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling to the ground”    

(Luke 22:44).

 

 

He prayed, “O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me.”

Jesus understands how we feel.

 

 

The Bible says, “We have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with   

the feeling of our infirmities” (Heb. 4:15).

3^rd---Even the best of God's children have fears.

 

 

The Disciples were just about as close to Jesus as anyone could be.

Many would include them with the best of God's children.

 

 

And yet when the storm threatened their boat, they feared for their lives.

They woke up Jesus saying, “Lord save us, we perish.”

 

 

“And He saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?”

These same men were with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.

 

 

When soldiers came to arrest Him, all of them except Peter and John quickly fled.

Peter followed Jesus afar off.

 

 

But when someone recognized him, he was afraid.

And he denied Jesus.

 

 

Moses was one of the best of God's children.

He did not want to lead the Hebrews out of the land of Egypt.

 

 

God asked what he had in his hand.

He replied, “a rod.”

 

 

God said, “cast it on the ground.”

Moses obeyed.

 

 

And the rod became a snake.

Moses was afraid and fled (Ex. 4:2, 3).

 

 

Abraham was one of the best of God's children.

At God's request, he moved to the land of Canaan.

 

 

But while he was there, a famine struck.

So he decided to go down into Egypt.

 

 

His wife Sara was beautiful.

He was afraid someone might kill him to get her.

 

 

So he asked her to tell people she was his sister;

To lie because he was afraid he would die (Gen. 12:11, 12).

 

 

Elijah was one of the best of God's children.

He called fire down from heaven.

 

 

But he was afraid of Jezebel.

He ran from her.

 

 

David was one of the best of God's children.

He wrote many of the Psalms.

 

But he committed adultery.

He killed Uriah because he was afraid of getting caught.

 

 

Some are afraid of getting up in front of people.

They would take a leadership roll in the Church were it not for fear.

 

 

Some are afraid of sickness.

They have seen loved ones go through terrible diseases.

 

 

They don’t want anything like that to happen to them.

So at the least symptom of anything, scary thoughts pass through their mind.

 

 

Some have a fear of old age.

They do not want to be helpless;

 

 

A burden;

Left alone.

 

 

Some have a fear of poverty.

They are afraid they may not be able to take care of themselves in later life;

 

 

Social security will go broke;

Medicare will run out of money, etc.

 

 

This is the point.

We all have fears.

 

 

But that does not mean we are not the children of God.

It simply means we have not yet matured as Christians.

 

We will not have perfect ways until we are perfect people.

And we will not be perfect people until we reach heaven.

 

 

4^th---I want to look at the power of God's Son.

Verse 26 says Jesus “arose and rebuked the winds and the sea and there was a

great calm.”

 

 

When Mt. St. Helens erupted a few years ago it blew the whole top off of that        

volcano.

Millions of tons of dirt and rocks were blown straight up into the air.

 

 

Multiplied thousands of trees were blown straight up out of the ground.

When hurricane Andrew hit our coast with winds in excess of 200mph          

thousands of trees, utility poles and buildings were toppled.

 

 

When a great earthquake struck Kobe, Japan, more than 5,000 people were   

killed.

More than 50,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed.

 

 

And more than 300,000 people were left homeless.

Nature is extremely powerful.

 

 

But as powerful as nature is there is One who is more powerful.

All Jesus had to do was speak.

 

 

He stopped a violent storm.

And calmed a raging sea.

 

 

 

 

 

That is power.

Paul says, Jesus is “Far above every principality, and power, and might, and

dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in

that which is to come” (Eph.1 :21 ).

 

 

Today, I say unto you some of God's children are afraid of sickness.

But there is One who spoke and healed the sick.

 

 

Some of God's children are afraid of death.

But there is One who spoke and raised the dead.

 

 

Some of God's children are afraid of nature.

But there is One who spoke and shut down nature.

 

 

Many things can attack us.

And we are still immature enough to be afraid.

 

 

But there is one who is more powerful.

And He has the final word.

 

 

Inner peace is something that is difficult to attain.

And even more difficult to maintain.

 

 

It is easy to forget those words, “Cast all your cares upon Him, for He careth         

for you;”

Easy to forget those words, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

It would be goad if we could be as mature as Paul who said, “I have learned

to be content in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Phil.   4:11).

Listen to this suggestion from Dr. Oliver B. Green: “Make yourself this         

promise.”

 

 

“This day I refuse to worry, knowing that all things work together for good to        

them that love God.”

“I refuse to fret, knowing that if God be for me who can be against me.”

 

 

“I refuse to be anxious knowing that not one sparrow falls to the ground, but          

that God sees it.”

“He knows the number of hairs in my head.”

 

 

“Why should I fret?”

“This day I accept what Jesus bequeathed to me in His last will and    

testament.”

 

 

“Here and now I accept by faith the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ;”

“Peace that passes all human understanding.”

 

 

“Thank you Jesus---that you said to me---yes even to me---Peace I leave you,         

my peace I give unto you.”

Isn't that great?

 

 

I refuse to be anxious.

I refuse to fret.

 

 

I refuse to worry.

I accept the peace that the Lord Jesus Christ bequeathed to me.

 

 

I like that famous poem about the two frogs:

          Two frogs fell in a deep cream bowl,

          One was an optimistic soul,

 

          But the other took the gloomy view.

          “We'll drown,” he cried without more ado,

 

          And with a last despairing cry,

          He flung up his legs and said, “Good-bye!”

 

          Quote the other frog with steadfast grin,

          “I can't get out, but I won't give in.”

 

          “I'll swim around til my strength is spent,”

          “Then I'll die the more content.”

 

          Bravely he swam to work his scheme,

          And his struggles began to churn the cream.

 

          The more he swam, his legs a-flutter,

          The more the cream turned to butter.

 

          On top of the butter at last he stopped,

          And out of the bowl he gaily hopped.

 

          What is the moral?

          It's easily found--

 

          If you can't hop out,

          Keep swimming around!

 

 

You are a Disciple of Christ.

Trouble will attack you.

 

 

Fears will beset you.

Never give up.

 

Jesus understands.

He can help.