Matthew 8: 23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!" 26 He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.27 The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!"
Introduction:
Often time when we face distress, storm of life, grief, pain etc., we lose our balance and manifest fear.
Fear is defined as a feeling that something bad may happen to one. It is a feeling caused by nearness of danger or possibility of something bad happening. We have fear when we are not sure if we will succeed or fail in a venture. It is also sometimes defined as false expectation appearing real.
Fear prevents one from doing God’s will as seen in the life of the Israelites when they faced the red sea and the Egyptians were pursuing them from behind, Exodus 14:10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD. 11 They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!"
Fear makes one do foolish things and to loose God’s favor, as seen in the life of Saul, 1Samuel 13: 7 Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear. 8 He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul's men began to scatter. 9 So he said, "Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings. " And Saul offered up the burnt offering. 10 Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him. 11 "What have you done?" asked Samuel. Saul replied, "When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Micmash,12 I thought, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the LORD's favor.' So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering." 13 "You acted foolishly," Samuel said. "You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.14 But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD's command."
Fear has torments and limits one’ progress, or renders one immobile, as seen in the life of Saul and his army when they face Goliath, 1 Sam 17: 11 On hearing the Philistine's words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.
1Sam 17:23 As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it. 24 When the Israelites saw the man, they all ran from him in great fear,
Fear prevents Spirit filled Christians from utilizing God’s power, as seen in the life of Elijah when he was threatened by Jezebel, 1Kings 19: 1-5. Elijah had earlier through the power of God killed 450 prophets of Baal, but now under the influence of fear he not forgot to utilize God’s power in him but he was also praying to die. 1Kings19: 1 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, "May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them."3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there,
Fear makes one lose focus in life and even wish for death or commit suicide, as seen again in the life of Elijah, 1 Kings 19: 4 while he himself went a day's journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, LORD," he said. "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors."
Fear brings on the very thing we fear, Peter’s fear of sinking brought on his sinking, Mathew 14: 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."28 "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." 29"Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!".
And Job said in Job 3: 25 what I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me.26 I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil."
In general, fear comes when we keep God out of our lives and it evaporates when we trust God. Fear is therefore something we need to deal with if we are going to make progress in life.
How to overcome fear?
Recognize that God does not give us the spirit of fear, -2Timothy 1: 7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
Severally, God commanded us in the Bible “Fear not”; “Do not be afraid”, “Be strong and Courageous” Genesis 15: 1 After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward."
Genesis 26: 24 That night the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
Deut 1: 21 See, the LORD your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the LORD, the God of your fathers, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."
Joshua 1: 6 "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
Joshua 8:1 Then the LORD said to Joshua "Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.
In our text, we see Jesus Christ giving the disciples indication on how to overcome fear. He asked them; “Where is your faith? “You of little faith” In order word He expected them to overcome their fear with faith. Therefore the first thing we need to do to overcome our fear is to:
1. Act in faith instead of fear; Jesus asked the disciples to act in faith instead of fear.
Luke 8; 25 "Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him."
Fear is the opposite of faith. Fear is not being sure of what will happen next while faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see,
Heb 11: 1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
How do we get or develop faith.
Paul told us that faith comes by hearing and hearing God’s Word.
Romans 10: 17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
James on the other hand told us that, it is not just enough to hear the Word but we must also be the doer of it.
James 1: 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does.
Faith is therefore; believing in God and obeying His command or word.
We must keep our faith alive and growing at all time. Our faith must be increasing everyday.
Luke 17: 5 The apostles said to the LORD, "Increase our faith!" 6 He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you.
2. Remember God’s faithfulness in the past; remember what he did for you in the past instead of dwelling in fear. Recognize that He can still do greater things for NOW. Be like David.
1 Sam 17: 34 But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." Saul said to David, "Go, and the LORD be with you."
3. Claim/appropriate His word to your storm; There are so many of God’s promises that meet our situations and circumstances at all time. Find those promises and appropriate them to your situation.
Isaiah 41: 10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.11 "All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish.12 Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all. 13 For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. 14 Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob, O little Israel, for I myself will help you," declares the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
Isaiah 43: 1 But now, this is what the LORD says-- he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.3 For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead.
Psalm 23: 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Psalm 34: 4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.
4. Pray; Psalm 50: 15 and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me." James 5: 13 Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray.
5. Be faithful at all times; Proverbs 10: 25 When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.
We need to be righteous at all time so that we are not swept away by the storm of life.
Conclusion:
Fear is not of God. In our times of trouble, storm, grief, distress, etc; let us always remember to exercise faith in God.
