The Gospel of Mark #17 – “Facing Our Fear”
Mark 6:45-56
Intro –
1. What was your greatest fear as a child? Many of the things we feared had no basis in reality. However, some of the things we did not fear – we should have!!
2. ILL – Mrs. Monroe lives in Darlington, Maryland. She’s the mother of 8 children & except for a few interesting experiences, she’s just like any other mother in America. She came home one afternoon from the grocery store & walked into her home. Everything looked pretty much the same, though it was quite a bit quieter than usual. She looked into the middle of the living room & 5 of her darlings were sitting around in a circle, exceedingly quiet, doing something in the middle of the circle. She put down the groceries & walked over closely & saw that they were playing with 5 of the cutest little skunks you could imagine. She was instantly terrified & yelled, “Run children, run!” Each child grabbed a skunk & ran in 5 different directions! She was beside herself & screamed louder. It so scared the children that each one squeezed his skunk – & as we all know, skunks don’t like to be squeezed!
3. We all deal with our own fears in life. Everyone’s is different!
4. Fear is “a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined.”
5. Someone wrote an acrostic for fear, “F – Faulty E – Expectations & A – Assumptions about R – Reality.”
6. In our text today, the disciples were afraid, In fact, they were “terrified” (vs. 50).
7. Mark 6:45-56 (Read)
8. This is actually the 2nd time in our study of Mark that we find the disciples in the middle of a storm. The first was in Mark 4:35-41. In both accounts the disciples were obeying Jesus command & yet they found themselves unable to cope with the storm.
9. However, there is a big difference between the accounts involving Jesus. In Mark 4, Jesus was with then through the storm. In our text, Jesus sent them into the storm without Him. He let them exhaust their efforts before He came to their rescue.
10. Actually, 2 storms were brewing that night – 1 on the sea & another in the disciple’s hearts!
11. Did you know? The most often repeated command in the Bible is “Do not be afraid!”
12. Joshua 1:9 “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.”
I. What Causes Fear? Vs. 45-50a
While there are many causes of fear, there are 4 causes of fear in our text & the disciples were experiencing all of them!
A. Being in the dark causes fear – vs. 47 “when evening came”
1. How many are afraid of the dark? The darkness can be terrifying.
2. Gen. 15:12 (NLT) “As the sun was going down, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a terrifying darkness came down over him.”
3. It was now dark, so the disciples couldn’t see. The threat and danger and the emotional strain of the storm was probably more intense because of the dark.
4. Being in the dark spiritually is a strong emotional strain in that fear will swarm over a person, covering them with a sense of helplessness and hopelessness.
5. The danger is strong because they will definitely face some difficult times ahead. Being in darkness, they will be caught unprepared. They’ll be in the dark about God, about how to call on Him & receive strength & help from Him.
6. Certainly unsaved people are in spiritual darkness without the light of Christ. However, sometimes even believers allow the powers of darkness to hold such sway in their lives that they lose sight of the light of Christ.
B. Being alone causes fear – vs. 47b
1. At this point in our passage, Jesus had not yet joined the disciples. So they didn’t have His presence or His help. They were left alone to fend for themselves.
2. They had to rely on each other & their own strength.
3. There was possibility of them dying in this storm. So they had every reason to be afraid. These guys were honest men & they knew deep down inside that their strength was limited & would eventually fail.
4. God did not create us to go at life alone! We need others to combat fear!
5. C. S. Lewis once wrote, “We are born helpless. As soon as we are fully conscious we discover loneliness. We need others physically, emotionally, intellectually, we need them if we are to know anything, even ourselves.”
6. Eccl. 4:9-12 “9Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: 10If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! 11Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? 12Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
C. Being tired causes fear – vs. 48a
1. The disciples had been struggling against the storm for 6 to 9 hours, & they had only gotten 3 or 4 miles.
2. Note what happens – the disciples saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water. It scared them to death. These guys were physically exhausted & mentally drained from the exertion. They were struggling for survival.
3. All of a sudden, they see what looked like a ghost walking on the water. All of them saw the figure. They were scared. They might have been thinking that the death angel or a premonition of their death was at hand.
4. When we are tired our minds are not thinking correctly & fear can overtake us!
D. Being in the storms of life causes fear – vs. 48b
1. A strong wind & a violent storm arose. When they had launched out, it was calm and peaceful. They thought their journey would be successful with no trouble whatsoever. They never expected a violent storm, but the winds & the clouds DID COME. The terrible storm DID STRIKE & threaten their lives.
2. It’s the same way with the strong, violent storms of life. Trouble, trials, sickness, death, financial problems, & a host of other storms strike everyone. They often strike unexpectedly when we are the least prepared.
3. The storms of life can cause a sense of horror, even of impending death, & can strike an awful fear in our hearts.
II. How do we Face our Fears? Vs. 50b-56
ILL – A Methodist, Presbyterian & Baptist preacher went fishing 1 day. The Methodist pastor forgot his worms & walked on water to shore, got his worms & walked back to the boat! The Baptist pastor said, “Wow, what faith!” The Presbyterian pastor then realized that he forgot his lunch, so he walked on the water to the shore, got his lunch & walked back to the boat. The Baptist pastor exclaimed, “This is incredible! I'm in the presence of greatness, but I believe I have faith, too!” He told them that he needed to go to the restroom, stepped out of boat & immediately sunk to the bottom! He’s embarrassed & soaking wet, but he gets back in the boat. He steps out, & he plunges right in the water again. The Methodist pastor looked at Presbyterian pastor & says, “Maybe we should tell him where the rocks are?”
*Remember that when Jesus came to the disciples walking on the water, they did not recognize Him, but thought He was a ghost! How did they overcome their fear?
A. Recognize Who Jesus really is – vs. 50b
1. The Phrase “It is I” (Greek – “ego eimi”) = I AM
a. Jesus was saying “I AM” has come—fear not. He was reminding the disciples who He was, God in the flesh! He had the power so there was no reason to fear.
b. This was the same message God gave to Moses at the burning bush.
c. Ex. 3:14 “God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.’”
d. It was the same message that Jesus used as a defense against the pharisees.
e. John 8:58 “‘I tell you the truth,’ Jesus answered, ‘before Abraham was born, I am!’”
f. There are at least 15x that Jesus calls Himself “I am” – I am the Bread of Life. I am from above. I am the Light of the World. I am the door. I am the good shepherd. I am the resurrection and life. I am the way, the truth & the life. I am the true vine. I am the alpha and the omega. I am the first and the last!
g. So when Jesus said, “It is I,” or “I am,” the disciples understood & their fear left.
2. Jesus is Jehovah God
a. Jehovah or “YHWH” means, “Lord.” Since Jesus is Lord, He has power over all creation & can still the raging storm if He so chooses.
b. Psalm 107:23-30 “23Others went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. 24They saw the works of the LORD, his wonderful deeds in the deep. 25For he spoke and stirred up a tempest that lifted high the waves. 26They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths; in their peril their courage melted away. 27They reeled and staggered like drunken men; they were at their wits' end. 28Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. 29He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. 30They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven.”
c. The name for “Lord” in this particular Psalm is “Jehovah” or “Yahweh” which, in the first person, is translated “I AM” said twice in a row, like when God said to Moses “I AM who I AM” (Ex 3:14).
B. Invite Jesus into our fears – vs. 51-52
1. We must look at each account of this story to get the full story.
2. In Matthew’s version, we learn about Peter getting out of the boat to walk to Jesus.
3. Matt. 14:28-31 “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. 30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ 31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.”
4. John 6:21 (NASB) “So they were willing to receive Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.”
5. In both of these cases, Jesus let them struggle before He rescues them. Why?
6. ILL – Watchman Nee wrote about the episode of a Chinese man who was drowning. Several men were watching their countryman struggle in the water but they themselves could not swim. They yelled for help and one man raced to the shoreline. He assured them he could swim and could indeed save the man, but he took no action toward staging a rescue. The others became agitated with his passivity and began to verbally question his character. The man stood unaffected until the drowning man seemed to exhaust himself of all his energy. He then dove into the water and pulled the man to safety. The other men demanded an explanation for his seeming reluctance to show compassion on a drowning man. He simply told them that he was unable to save the man as long as he was still trying to save himself. When his efforts to save himself were expended, then it became possible for him to supply a safe rescue.
7. In similar fashion, our endeavors to save ourselves from the storms of life leave us flailing in an ocean of fear.
8. When we finally realize that we cannot save ourselves, then we will call out for help & Jesus will come to us. He will not abandon us in the storm if we ask for His help!
C. Follow Jesus wherever He leads – vs. 53-56
1. The last 4 verses of our text almost seem to be an afterthought to the preceding 2 miracles. As if they are of little consequence.
2. However, I think they teach us a valuable lesson – we must follow Jesus wherever he leads. We must let Him lead!
3. David Livingstone said, “I'd rather be in the heart of Africa in the will of God than on the throne of England out of His will.”
Conc. –
1. Who is in control of your life? Who’s piloting your boat? Are you at the helm, or is God?
2. ILL – In 1871 Edward Hopper wrote a hymn that revealed who was in charge of his life, & from this hymn we find some words that should be taken to heart. He wrote, “Jesus, Savior, pilot me, over life’s tempestuous sea. Unknown waves before me roll, hiding rock & treacherous shoal. Chart & compass come from thee: Jesus, Savior, pilot me.”
3. Do you sometimes feel lost, as though you have been separated from the Lord & cannot hear Him guiding you anymore? Maybe you kicked Jesus out of your boat & took control of the wheel. Will you invite Him to once again assume control of your life’s trajectory?
4. If you are not a Christian then Jesus never has been in control of your boat & you have been lost every single day of your life. Won’t you invite Jesus in this morning?
