Fear Or Faith Factor Series

From 2001-2006, the reality-TV game show Fear Factor brought contestants and viewers alike face to face with fears that they did not know they had. From death-defying stunts, to eating gross concoctions and so much more, contestants faced their fears in order to win challenges in the hopes of winning a big pot of money at the end of the season.

While people have genuine fears, the nature of the show and regulations here in the states made safety a priority. So when stunts were done, the contestants truly had to face their fears, but catastrophic danger was mitigated.

Did they really have to fear anything at all? Yes and no.

Motivational speakers have turned “fear” into an acronym - False Evidence Appearing Real. In some ways, our fears are more mental than real, but some fears that we experience are genuine and they impact how we act. What’s more, they may even impact how we relate with God and His will for us.

Today, as we continue looking at Luke 8, we get to see three different ways that people responded to Jesus - some with fear, some with faith.

For the sake of time and since we already read the text, I’m not going to re-read it here or in much of the sermon, but I do want to encourage you to have your Bibles open to Luke 8:22-39 so that you can see in your copy of God’s word what is happening, and make notes as you see fit.

Last week, we considered Jesus’ teaching on the Parable of the soils - the opportunity, responsibility and blessings that we receive when we hear and obey the Word of God. It’s unclear if this next segment is chronological. Luke simply tells us that “one day” Jesus and his disciples got into a boat. Jesus wanted to go to the other side. Along the way Jesus fell asleep. This must have been a deep, heavy sleep, because as they sailed they faced a big storm and began taking on water. When the disciples awoke Jesus, he “rebuked the wind and the raging waves…and there was calm.” He then asked the disciples, where is your faith? Luke notes their response in verse 25

Luke 8:25 ESV

…And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?”

What I find so interesting here is that…

The disciples responded with fear when they realized Jesus was greater than natural forces (22-25)

Sure, they had some fear over the storm, but they should have been used to those and several of them were fisherman. Many of these guys were familiar with the conditions as storms on Galilee are common.

Luke notes that their fear (phobos) was in response to Jesus’ calming the storm.

I do wonder, when they woke him, what were they expecting him to do? Did they simply want some help? Did they want his sympathy? Did they want a miracle? If so, then why did they respond in fear when he calmed the wind and the waves?

Jesus said they would go to the other side. That was his objective. They had reason to fear the storm, they were taking on water, and yet they doubted that they would survive, in spite of what Jesus said.

We may not face the periodic storms on Galilee that threaten our lives, but we do have storms in our lives.

There are natural storms - true weather events - like the flooding that some in our area are experiencing now. There are natural disasters that we have no control over.

There are relational storms - betrayal of a friend or loved one, hurtful words,

There are physical or medical storms - pains, disease, cancer, medical conditions with seemingly unknown origins or prognosis.

There are emotional storms - feelings of discouragement or depression, heart ache, disappointment.

There are mental storms -

There are spiritual storms as well - we’ll get into this in a moment, but these would be blatant attacks from Satan and his forces. Temptations, trials, …

The journey that Jesus has us on will not always be smooth or even. Jesus said

John 16:33 ESV

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

We should trust that Jesus will bring us to where he has promised. Which begs the question…

What has Jesus promised?

He didn’t tell the disciples “I promise we will get to the other side” he simply said “Let us go across to the other side.” Jesus had every intention of getting there. We could look all over Scripture and find promises of God - things that he has fulfilled and will fulfill. What has Jesus promised about our lives now and our future?