Fear or Faith?

Oil and water do not mix under normal circumstances. If you have a cup full oil and pour water into it, the oil will be displaced by the water so that all the water is in the bottom of the cup, and the oil that is displaced will spill out of the cup. Pour enough water into the cup and you will have a cup full of water because all of the oil will have been replaced by water.

Fear and faith are like that. We cannot be full of both fear and faith. The two are like oil and water. If you are fearful and turn to the Lord in faith and trust, faith will displace the fear. If we are full of faith, there will be no fear.

Let’s take a look at what being overcome with fear looks like versus walking in the calmness of faith.

Luke 8:22 NKJV

Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples. And He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.” And they launched out.

Jesus had been preaching in all the cities and villages around Galilee. “On a certain day,” a day which turns out to not be the best day to be traveling in a boat, unless of course, you have God traveling with you, Jesus want to cross over to the other side of the lake. This is actually the Sea of Galilee which is quite large.

And they launched out

These were macho men including several fishermen

You can imagine them saying to themselves as they set forth: “ No problem. We’ve got this!”

Luke 8:23 NKJV

But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy.

As they sailed He fell asleep

Jesus put in long days dealing with people

You can imagine the rocking of the boat, and the satisfaction with being in the center of God’s will, let Him easily fall asleep

And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water

Sudden storms with drastic affects are not unusual on water

Even small bodies of water can go from smooth to rough in a hurry

This is a big body of water, capable of big waves

This is also a good reminder that the only thing constant is change

You can be sailing easily along, and suddenly here come the problems

The Navy Seals use the saying “The only easy day was yesterday.”

This is a very good way of looking at what the future holds in store

You don’t know what the problems will be, or how bad they will be, but you know there will be problems

They were in jeopardy

Things became so bad that their very lives were in peril

Seasoned fishermen do not scare easily, but they do know the score

They KNEW their lives were in jeopardy

Luke 8:24 NKJV

And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm.

And they came to Him and awoke Him

They knew they were in over their heads

But

They had seen that Jesus could seeminly handle anything

They had seen Him do the impossible

“Master, Master,

Normally we would expect this to be Kurios , translated many time “Lord,” but also commonly translated “Master”

Luke uses a different word which means overseer or one who has authority

Interestingly this word can also mean when used of those in battle-order, one’s rear-rank man - the guy who has your back

Mark records that they said: “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” Mark 4:38

Matthew records: “Lord (Kurios), save us! We are perishing!”

As we read this story of their trip across the lake, you don’t have someone coming to gently wake Jesus up, and assist the group

The disciples have waited as long as they can not wanting to “bother” the Master

They are now in full panic mode

There is a deluge of noise as ALL of the disciples are crying out to him

One is saying one thing, and the next another, but they are all convinced that Jesus is their last and only hope

we are perishing”

“we are perishing” - we are in the process of dying here

There’s nothing more that we can do

Help! Help!

Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water

It is an awesome thing when God rises up

We are waiting for the Day of the Lord

One day God will rise up and judge this world and put everything right

It will be a terrible and awesome time

Here, Jesus rises up and rebukes the wind and the raging of the water

He didn’t just stop the wind and let the water gradually calm down because the wind was no longer whipping it up

He stops them both instantly

And they ceased, and there was a calm

Jesus told them to quit — and they quit

There was a calm

They went from being in the midst of dying in the storm, to the beauty of peace and calm

God wants to do that in your life

Even in the midst of the raging storms of life, we can have calm in our soul, but only if we cry out to Jesus

Luke 8:25 NKJV

But He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, “Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!”

But He said to them, “Where is your faith?”

This sounds a lot like a rebuke

Why are you fearful?

Why are you in a panic?

Where is your faith?

Fear and Faith cannot abide in you at the same time

If you are full of fear, where is your faith?

Remember these are His chosen disciples

The church will be built on the foundation of these men with Jesus Himself being the Chief Conerstone Ephesians 2:20

Yet they struggle with fear, just as we all do

Don’t stay in fear and in panic

Where is your faith?

And they were afraid and marveled

This is a different type of fear

This is a fear that we SHOULD have

This is a Holy Awe of who God is and what He can do

I love that it is coupled here with the word “Marveled”

We should every day be dumbfounded with marvel at who our God is.

He is Holy, and Powerful, and Awesome

He should be marveled at

We should have a Holy Reverent Fear of Him

saying to one another, “Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!”

In particular the thing that they are marveling at here is that He spoke and the winds and water obeyed Him

Is that so hard for Jesus?

He is the One who spoke all things into existence

John 1:3 tells us “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”

This is spoken of the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us John 1:14

Jesus spoke all things into existence

Jesus spoke and calmed the winds and the water

Jesus said “I Am” and all His would be captors drew back and fell to the ground

He never had to die

He was sinless

He was the Son of God

But He willingly let Himself be led away to die on the cross

He who knew no sin, became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him 2 Corinthians 5:21

Are You Afraid?

If you are still dead in your sin and your trespasses, you should be afraid, you should be very afraid

God will sooner or later devour His enemies

The Good News

John 3:16 NKJV

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

God has provided forgiveness and life, and that life is in His Son Jesus

Romans 10:13 NKJV

For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Just as the disciples cried out when they knew they were dying, so you can cry out to Jesus today to save you from your sin

He will give you a new life of love and service to the True Master of all creation

Are You Afraid?

Even disciples of Jesus can let fear creep into their lives

Jesus would say the same thing to us that He said to His disciples

Where is your faith

Remember our Awesome God and Savior

He spoke all things into existence

He speaks and the winds and water obey Him

He speaks and a way through the storms will be made for His precious ones

He will lose none of those that the Father has given into His hand

Let faith and trust replace your fear and experience the calm of resting in Jesus

John 10:27–30 NKJV

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.”