Don't Be Afraid

Introduction

Setting — Jesus had just fed the 5000. He went up on a mountainside by himself to pray and the disciples set out for Capernaum by boat without Him.

The Sea of Galilee lies about six hundred feet below sea level. Cool air from the south-eastern tablelands can rush in to displace the warm moist air over the lake, churning up the water in a violent squall.

The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to John 4. Jesus Walks on the Water (6:16–21)

The Sea of Galilee lies about six hundred feet below sea level. Cool air from the south-eastern tablelands can rush in to displace the warm moist air over the lake, churning up the water in a violent squall.

The Sea of Galilee lies about six hundred feet below sea level. Cool air from the south-eastern tablelands can rush in to displace the warm moist air over the lake, churning up the water in a violent squall.

So the disciples were rowing and making slow progress through the night. Jesus had gone up on a mountain to pray…when He came down the disciples were about half way across the lake…so He decided to walk out to the boat…and they were afraid!

Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel according to John (p. 275). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans.

God knows that we have a tendency to be afraid. In fact, someone counted and determined that no less than 365 times Scripture admonishes us with the words, “Be not afraid.” Ironic, accidental or quite intentional, God has given us at least one scriptural encouragement a day to leave fears and instead place faith in Him.

Fear — Put to flight; terrify

There is a healthy fear — The kind which keeps us from putting our hand on the stove or walking too close to the edge of a cliff. But that is not the kind of fear we are talking about this morning. We aren’t talking about a momentary fear or harm or danger.

The kind of fear we are talking about this morning is a lifestyle of fear. A fear

Fear sets your feet in motion. Psychologists call it the “Fight or flight” mode. We enter it when we believe ourselves to be facing a circumstance which might, in some way, threaten our survival.

Sometimes that kind of fear is good…It keeps us from putting our hand on the stove. It keeps us from walking too close to the cliff. It keeps us from walking into the street without looking both ways.

But all too often this emotion, which is meant for our good, becomes a bad thing…a consuming, debilitating kind of thing which causes us to miss the life God wants for us. We fear things we shouldn’t

The disciples were in fight or flight mode. They were watching a man walk on water. Mark tells us they literally thought they were seeing a ghost. What else would you yourself have concluded under similar circumstances?

These men, all fishermen, all quite acquainted with the water, were literally watching someone or something walk across the lake…this was an unusual circumstance indeed…and one over which they felt little or no control.

But regardless the circumstances we face…God intends us to be free of fear…in fact we are not designed for fear!

I am inwardly fashioned for faith, not for fear. Fear is not my native land; faith is. I am so made that worry and anxiety are sand in the machinery of life; faith is the oil. I live better by faith and confidence than by fear, doubt and anxiety. In anxiety and worry, my being is gasping for breath—these are not my native air. But in faith and confidence, I breathe freely—these are my native air. A John Hopkins University doctor says, “We do not know why it is that worriers die sooner than the non-worriers, but that is a fact.” But I, who am simple of mind, think I know; We are inwardly constructed in nerve and tissue, brain cell and soul, for faith and not for fear. God made us that way. To live by worry is to live against reality.

A John Hopkins University doctor says, “We do not know why it is that worriers die sooner than the non-worriers, but that is a fact.” But I, who am simple of mind, think I know; We are inwardly constructed in nerve and tissue, brain cell and soul, for faith and not for fear. God made us that way. To live by worry is to live against reality.

Life

Circumstances out of the ordinary and beyond our control put us in fight or flight mode. The adrenaline flows, the mind races and we prepare for the worst possible outcome, all the while attempting to flee or fight it to the end.

Circumstances out of the ordinary or beyond our control put us in fight or flight mode. Unfortunately, so much of life falls into one of these two categories…Things out of the ordinary or out of our control...This is why we fight change and avoid anyone or anything which could threaten our feelings of security.

The adrenaline flows, the mind races and we prepare for the worst possible outcome, all the while attempting to flee or fight it to the end.

This is why we fight change and avoid anyone or anything which could threaten our feelings of security.

2. Unfortunately for us so much of life falls into one of these two categories…Things out of the ordinary or out of our control. This is why we fight change so much and avoid anyone or anything which could threaten our feelings of security.

But God never intended for us to live life this way. This is why He told us repeatedly, 365 times, not to be afraid. But in order to live the way God desires for us to do so, we must have a clear picture of who He is.

But God never intended for us to live life this way. This is why He told us repeatedly, 365 times, not to be afraid.

I am inwardly fashioned for faith, not for fear. Fear is not my native land; faith is. I am so made that worry and anxiety are sand in the machinery of life; faith is the oil. I live better by faith and confidence than by fear, doubt and anxiety. In anxiety and worry, my being is gasping for breath—these are not my native air. But in faith and confidence, I breathe freely—these are my native air. A John Hopkins University doctor says, “We do not know why it is that worriers die sooner than the non-worriers, but that is a fact.” But I, who am simple of mind, think I know; We are inwardly constructed in nerve and tissue, brain cell and soul, for faith and not for fear. God made us that way. To live by worry is to live against reality.

But in order to live a life of faith in GOD and free from fear, we must have a clear picture of who He is.

Jesus told the disciples, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” It was when the disciples got a clear picture of Jesus that their fears vanished. Then they were willing to take Him in the boat.

Jesus told the disciples, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” It was when the disciples got a clear picture of Jesus that their fears vanished. Then they were willing to take Him into the boat.

When you get a clear picture of Jesus life’s extraordinary and uncontrollable circumstances lose their ability to place you in fight or flight mode…The reason for this is simple…you realize that you no longer do your own fighting…and nothing is big or bad enough to make the God fighting for you run away.

When you get a clear picture of Jesus, life’s extraordinary and uncontrollable circumstances lose their ability to place you in fight or flight mode…The reason for this is simple…you realize that you no longer do your own fighting…and nothing is big or bad enough to make the God fighting for you run away.

If God is fighting our battles and He never loses…If God is fighting our battles and He never runs…We can live a life without fear.

If God is fighting our battles and He never loses…If God is fighting our battles and He never runs…We can live a life without fear even in those moments when it appears that we are being defeated or swallowed up by that which we fear most.

Life or death was determined by the answer to a single question: are you a Christian?

Oregon’s Umpqua Community College Shooting on October 1st 2015 — Life or death was determined by the answer to a single question: are you a Christian? That was the question asked by an anti-Christian gunman who stormed into a classroom at the college. Eyewitnesses say the shooter targeted Christians.

Kortney Moore was inside the classroom. She told the Roseburg News-Review that the shooter ordered students to get on the ground -- and then told them to stand up and state their religion. “And they would stand up and state their religion and he said, ‘Good, because you’re a Christian, you’re going to see God in just about one second,” “And then he shot and killed them.” Davis Jaques, publisher of the Roseburg Beacon News, said he received a text message from a student who said she was inside the classroom. “The shooter was lining people up and asking if they were Christians,” the message read. “If they said yes, then they were shot in the head. If they said no or didn’t answer, they were shot in the leg.”

That was the question asked by an anti-Christian gunman who stormed into a classroom at Oregon’s Umpqua Community College.

How can a person confess their faith in Christ at gunpoint? How can a person live a bold, courageous kind of faith in a moment like that? The answer: A clear vision of Jesus and the gift of grace from Him for the moment.

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Most of us will never face such a decision…We will instead face our own personal fears…those things, circumstances, people, decisions which bring us to fear.

The question is…regardless the occasion of our fear…Will we look…will we put our eyes upon Jesus? How you view Jesus is a product of your faith in Him

Eyewitnesses say the shooter targeted Christians.

How you view Jesus is a product of your faith in Him

Christians were martyred for their faith, on American soil, a fact mostly ignored by most of the Mainstream Media and the White House.

Do you have faith? Do you need more faith?

People will make statements like, “Don’t be afraid just have faith.” But, how? How do I practically do this? I want to don’t you? We all want the kind of faith that puts our fear to flight…but we need the “how to” if this is ever really going to happen.

Faith isn’t just a feeling. It isn’t a product of our will…I don’t just decide, I am going to have faith and it happens! If this were the case then we could muster it up from within as a matter of choice…but mere choice to have faith must be accompanied by something else.

Real faith happens when we choose to believe what God says…If we do not know what God says our faith has no foundation from which to exist!

Kortney Moore was inside the classroom. She told the Roseburg News-Review that the shooter ordered students to get on the ground -- and then told them to stand up and state their religion.

Faith

“And they would stand up and he said, ‘Good, because you’re a Christian, you’re going to see God in just about one second,” Stacy Boylan said in a televised report. “And then he shot and killed them.”

His 18-year-old daughter was struck in the back by a bullet – that traveled down her spine. She survived. Miss Moore, too, survived.

Faith is belief plus trust which results in a changed life. So faith isn’t an emotion. It isn’t a feeling that I muster up by sheer willpower in order to replace the unwanted emotions of fear.

Faith is built. It grows.

Faith happens when we choose to believe who God is and what He says…If we do not know what God says our faith has no foundation from which to exist!

Faith is built. It grows.

Faith is built. It grows. We need it to grow strong so that it will be up to the task when the going gets tough.

Romans 10:17 NASB95

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

Our faith grows when we read and “hear” the word of God. The more we know of God’s Word, the greater our understanding of it, the clearer our picture of God. And just as Jesus encourages the disciples in John, KNOW Him and cease fear we must know Him in and through His word.

Recently a study or regular churchgoers in America revealed — That shows only 19% of churchgoers personally read the Bible every day. That is roughly the same as those who responded "Rarely/Never" (18 percent). A quarter of respondents indicate they read the Bible a few times a week, and 14% say they read the Bible "Once a Week" while another 22 percent say "Once a Month" or "A Few Times a Month."

Davis Jaques, publisher of the Roseburg Beacon News, said he received a text message from a student who said she was inside the classroom.

Because we don't read God's Word, it follows that we don't know it. To understand the effects, we can look to statistics of another Western country: the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom Bible Society surveyed British children and found many could not identify common Bible stories. When given a list of stories, almost 1 in 3 didn't choose the Nativity as part of the Bible and over half (59 percent) didn't know that Jonah being swallowed by the great fish is in the Bible.

The United Kingdom Bible Society surveyed British children and found many could not identify common Bible stories. When given a list of stories, almost 1 in 3 didn't choose the Nativity as part of the Bible and over half (59 percent) didn't know that Jonah being swallowed by the great fish is in the Bible.

“The shooter was lining people up and asking if they were Christians,” the message read. “If they said yes, then they were shot in the head. If they said no or didn’t answer, they were shot in the leg.”

British parents didn't do much better. Around 30 percent of parents don't know Adam and Eve, David and Goliath, or the Good Samaritan are in the Bible. To make matters worse, 27 percent think Superman is or might be a biblical story. More than 1 in 3 believes the same about Harry Potter. And more than half (54 percent) believe The Hunger Games is or might be a story from the Bible.

British parents didn't do much better. Around 30 percent of parents don't know Adam and Eve, David and Goliath, or the Good Samaritan are in the Bible. To make matters worse, 27 percent think Superman is or might be a biblical story. More than 1 in 3 believes the same about Harry Potter. And more than half (54 percent) believe The Hunger Games is or might be a story from the Bible.

Before we point our finger at the poor British and think we are much better than they — Our lack of biblical literacy has led to a lack of biblical doctrine. 1 in 5 evangelical Christians believe there is more than one way to get to heaven. More than half of evangelicals (59 percent) believe the Holy Spirit is a force and not a personal being—in contrast to the orthodox biblical teaching of the Trinity being three Persons in one God.

As a whole, Americans, including many Christians, hold unbiblical views on hell, sin, salvation, Jesus, humanity, and the Bible itself.

“How can we be free of fear if we don’t know enough of God to have faith in Him?”

Conclusion

If we are to have faith in God we must have a clearer picture of who He is. In order for this to happen we must know His Word.

Read the Bible Daily — Get a reading program and stick to it. If you must make it a rule to read before you eat then do it! Make it a vital, daily, necessary part of your life the same way you do food, water and air

Memorize the Word — How hard is it to memorize one verse of scripture a week? If you did so you would memorize 52 in a year, 520 in 10 years. Having God’s word at the ready, in your heart and mind, builds the right vision of Christ and increases faith

Attend Bible Study — We are going to reinstitute Sunday morning Bible studies for the whole family in the Fall. There will be many topical studies for adults and classes for the whole family from which to choose. Get out of bed and be here. Commit! We all need teachers, study and the interaction with others so we might learn what God is teaching our brothers and sisters in Christ

Attend Worship — Pray, read ahead, study, listen and take notes. We go through books of the Bible here. A sermon should help you read your Bible better…don’t miss!

Live What You Learn — Faith is completed by what we do not what we know. Faith without works is dead. If what you are learning isn’t translating into a changed life then you are not believing what you learn. Pray, trust and step out and begin living what God says is true! Live as though it is so when it isn’t so because it is so because God says it is so!

James 2:17 NASB95

Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.

Do you want to see your life of fear replaced by a life of faith? Then get a better picture of who God is…and get a better picture by knowing, understanding, believing and trusting His Word.

When we run to Jesus we cease being afraid. The more we know the one we are running to the greater our comfort will be!

But a knowledge of the Word isn’t enough. Reading, studying, memorizing is great but if it doesn’t translate into transformation it hasn’t increased your faith.

Menu — The waiter puts the menu in your hands and you read about the food…now you have information…you have an intellectual knowledge of what the restaurant offers…then the waiter comes and testifies…explains the menu and makes what you read on the page come alive…now you’re hungry for what you have read and heard…but it isn’t until you order that things get real…when you order faith is born as you anticipate what comes next…then the food arrives and all the hunger is satisfied as you eat.

God has given us His Word…we can read it…come to church and hear it preached…but it is not until we begin to act upon the truth of the word that we are fed and satisfied…that is when our faith is grown.

Until we believe it is so, when it is not so, because it is so, because He has said it is so…we will stay hungry and fearful.

The Word of God gives us a picture of who He is…and changes our life as we place our faith in who He is.