(As with many of my sermons. . .a great deal of the inspiration for this message came from the writings of Max Lucado on this passage.)
Introduction - This message was launched with a video from Sermon Spice which addresses fear. It is a dynamic clip that runs just a couple minutes, and highlights the 144 commands in the Bible to "fear not."
Transcript - 144 times in God’s Word we are commanded to fear not. Might lead you to believe that God was aware of the fact that we, humans, have a problem with fear.
During the January 17, 1994, Northridge/Los Angeles earthquake, over one hundred Californians literally died of fright. This was the conclusion of Robert Kloner, cardiologist at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles. Apparently a terrorized brain can trigger the release of a mix of chemicals so potent it can cause the heart to contract - and never relax again.
Fear of the results of an earthquake is understandable. But surviving the earthquake, only to die from the fear of it. . .that’s another story. And at the same time there are lots of less traumatic things that produce even greater levels of fear than earthquakes. In fact, fear of dying has been ranked lower on some surveys than the fear of public speaking! We are a fearful bunch.
Jesus got to witness it first hand. He and the disciples are in a boat crossing the Sea of Galilee. A storm arises suddenly, and what was placid becomes violent. Monstrous waves rise out of the sea and slap the boat. Mark describes these events clearly in chapter 4, beginning in verse 35. Mark 4:35 (read through verse 37).
The NIV says, “A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.” It’s very important that you get an accurate picture, so I’m going to ask you to imagine yourself in the boat. It’s a sturdy vessel but no match for these ten-foot waves. The boat plunges nose first into the wall of water. The force of the waves dangerously tipping the boat until the bow seems to be pointing straight at the sky. And just when you fear flipping over backward, the vessel pitches forward into the valley of another wave. A dozen sets of hands join yours in clutching the mast. All your shipmates have wet heads and wide eyes. You tune your ear for a calming voice, but all you hear are screams and a few prayers.
Then, all of a sudden it hits you. Someone is missing. Where is Jesus? He’s not at the mast. He’s not grabbing the edge. Where is He? You turn and look, and there curled in the stern of the boat, is Jesus, sleeping!
How can He sleep at a time like this? Or as the disciples asked, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” How could He sleep through the storm? Simple, He was in charge of it.
So it says, “He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:39–40 NIV)
Incredible. He doesn’t chant a mantra or wave a wand. No angels are called; no help is needed. The raging water becomes a stilled sea, instantly. Immediate calm. Not a ripple. Not a drop. Not a gust. In a moment the sea goes from a churning torrent to a peaceful pond.
Now, you may be wondering, what does this have to do with healing? Isn’t that what I’m supposed to be preaching on? Hope for Healing. Well, I want you to see something with me today, which will not only make the tie to a series on healing, but will also help you truly understand the magnitude of this storm even deeper. To see both of these things, you need to understand who this storm was from.
You may ask, “Who this storm was from? What do you mean ‘from’ pastor? Storms just happen.” Or maybe God causes all that weather, but what does that have to do with anything?
Did you see what Jesus did? He “rebuked” the wind and the waves. Rebuked. What does Jesus rebuke? Throughout the gospel, when Jesus finds Himself in a position of rebuking, what is He rebuking? Is it acts of God? I think not. How in the world can God rebuke God? How about just normal courses of nature? I don’t think so.
Throughout the gospel, when Jesus finds himself in a position of rebuking, He is rebuking the enemy. Satan. Or at the very least, as is possible in this case, an attack from the enemy.
Oh boy. Here we go. Am I saying this storm was an attack from the enemy? You bet. Why wouldn’t it be? Satan had all the disciples, Jesus twelve closest friends, on the boat, in the middle of the water. Jesus was asleep in the back of the boat. From Satan’s demented little view, this was a perfect scenario for an attack. A perfect time to unleash the perfect storm.
And check out what happens immediately following this storm. Mark chapter 5, verse 1 (read through verse 4). Look where they were all heading. They were heading to the other side. They were heading right towards someone that Satan had under his control. Someone that Satan had been able to destroy. You bet I believe this storm was an attack from the enemy. He didn’t want them reaching the other side. Or anyplace else for that matter. These guys were not helping Satan’s cause.
So what we have here is an act of spiritual deliverance. The disciples are under attack. Satan has managed to utilize this storm to instill fear within the spirits of the disciples. Fear is a form, a significant form, a common form of spiritual bondage. With the exception of a healthy fear that is a reverence for God, fear is not from God. God says, “Fear not.” And Jesus is in position to deliver them from this. Sounds like a miracle to me. An opportunity to be healed and delivered from the bondage of fear.
But what I want you to notice most today is the reaction of the disciples. Now, I don’t know about you. . .but an attack from the enemy is a pretty good reason to be afraid. Especially out there on the middle of a lake in a boat. When demonic attacks get physical, sounds like a good time to get scared.
But look at the disciples reactions after Jesus calms the storm. Is it relief? Is it a flooding into the boat of peace? An overwhelming assurance that God truly is awesome, and they truly are safe in the arms of their everlasting Father? Not according to my Bible. How about yours? Verse 41 (read).
A little grammar lesson for you today. If you look back with me into verse 40, Jesus describes the condition of the disciples. Jesus is a man of great wisdom, knowledge, spiritual discernment. So I would guess that His perception of the situation would be a fairly accurate one. Wouldn’t you agree? And Jesus looks at them and says, “Why are you so fearful?”
The word Jesus uses there is the adjective deilos. It comes from another Greek word that is deos, which refers to a degree of dread. And in its three occurrences, it is translated as fearful. It carries with it this sense of being timid. That is how Jesus perceives these disciples. They are afraid. Timid. Fearful. Makes sense in the midst of such a horrific storm, and attack.
But notice how things change. Verse 41, “And they feared exceedingly.” Here the language changes a bit. The Message says the disciples were staggered. Mark writes that no longer are the disciples what Jesus would describe as fearful, or timid. But now they fear exceedingly. In fact, the word used there is phobeomai, from phobeo. Any idea what word we might get from that? Phobias. Fears. Extreme paranoia of something.
And listen to some of the definitions for the use of this word phobeomai. In contrast to being timid, or fearful. . .it is translated as being put to flight by terrifying, to be scared away, to be seized with alarm. When you dive into this word phobos you find such utilizations as terror.
This is what I want to suggest to you today. I believe, that following Jesus calming the storm. Following Jesus rebuke of the enemy, and squelching the latest attack from Satan. Instead of the disciples entering in to a state of peace and thanksgiving, they entered a state of being even more frightened then they were in the midst of the storm. Here that again, I am proposing that after Jesus calmed the storm, the disciples were actually more afraid. Experiencing a greater fear.
Now, that doesn’t make much sense, does it? Jesus is awake. Storm is over. God has shown who is in charge. Doesn’t make much sense that following these events one would be even more afraid in the calm than they were in the storm. So why would I even suggest such a thing? Well, let me give you a few reasons.
1. THE LANGUAGE SUGGESTS A GREATER FEAR
Again, Jesus perception of the disciples was a fear that is synonymous with being timid. This is the shy kind of afraid. The, “I would like to ask that musician or athlete or movie star for his autograph, but I’m afraid to.”
But after the storm is quieted, we are told that the disciples feared exceedingly. Synonymous with being terrified. The run for your life kind of afraid. The downtown city street, after midnight, walking alone, with a sense that someone has started to follow you kind of fear.
The language in this passage suggests that the disciples were even more afraid after Jesus calmed the storm than they were in the midst of the storm. But that isn’t the only reason. Another reason I would suggest such a thing is because. . .
2. I’VE SEEN IT IN PEOPLE AROUND ME
I’ve seen people who are more afraid of what life would be like after the storm, than they are sitting in the storm that they know so well. I’ve seen people more afraid to imagine what power God might unleash in their life if they surrendered completely to Him, than they are afraid of living life outside the Holy Spirit’s full control. I’ve seen people that say, “At least I know these chains. I know what it feels like to be limited physically, or spiritually, or emotionally. To be free, fully free from the mindset and life that I have known for so long. . .with no excuses, crutches, or things to hide behind. . .that is truly frightening.”
There is a story told in Brazil about a missionary who discovered a tribe of Indians in a remote part of the jungle. They lived near a large river. The tribe was friendly and in need of medical attention. A contagious disease was ravaging the population and people were dying daily. An infirmary was located in another part of the jungle and the missionary determined that the only hope for the tribe was to go to the hospital for treatment and inoculations. In order to reach the hospital, however, the Indians would have to cross the river. A feat they were unwilling to perform.
The river, they believed, was inhabited by evil spirits. To enter the water meant certain death. So the missionary set about the difficult task of overcoming the superstition of the tribe. He explained how he had crossed the river and arrived unharmed. No luck. He led the people to the bank and placed his hand in the water. The people still wouldn’t believe him. He walked out into the river and splashed water on his face. The people watched closely, yet were still hesitant.
They were still less afraid of dying from this disease that was ravaging their tribe than their terrifying, exceeding fear of the unknown of the river. Finally the missionary turned and dove into the water. He swam beneath the surface until he emerged on the other side. Having proven that the power of the river was a farce, the missionary punched a triumphant fist into the air. He had entered the water and escaped. The Indians broke into cheers and followed him across.
It is sad, but true, that some people are more afraid of their deliverance, than they are their demise in their current condition. So they don’t let people pray for them. They don’t share their requests or concerns. They don’t dare ask God to fully heal them.
Not only does the language suggest the disciples were more afraid after Jesus calmed the storm, and not only have I seen the fear in people around me. . .but I also know that. . .
3. WHAT CAN FRIGHTEN US MOST IS A POWER WE CAN’T CONTROL. . .OR EXPLAIN
Look at the words of the disciples, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!” That is the power of God. We can’t control it, we can’t explain it, it is out of our grasp, and so it places great fear within us. So we settle for less power, because it fits in our nice little box.
(Example of our kids this summer wanting to jump in from the pool side versus utilizing the diving board).
The same thing happens throughout the Gospels. Jesus sees people enslaved by their fear of a cheap power. But even more afraid of His greater, freeing power. He touched a boy and called him back to life. The followers were still unconvinced. He whispered life into the dead body of a girl. The people were still cynical. He let a dead man spend four days in a grave and then called him out. Is that enough? Apparently not.
We humans refuse to accept what we can’t explain. A little girl told her teacher that Jonah was swallowed by a whale. The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though it was a very large mammal its throat was very small.
The little girl then repeated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale. Irritated, the teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human; it was physically impossible. So the little girl said, "When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah."
The teacher asked, "What if Jonah went to hell?"
The little girl replied, "Then you ask him". We refuse to accept what we can’t explain. But when it is right in front of us, moving, working, acting, intervening, without our permission, it frightens us greatly. We are terrified by that which we can’t control or explain.
So how do we cross the threshold? The threshold from fear to freedom, but a threshold that we perceive as a doorway to greater fear. How do we let go of the mast, and trust in the delivering power of Jesus? Three recognitions. First. . .
A. RECOGNIZE JESUS CARES
Look at what was a part of the fear that plagued the disciples. Jesus was asleep, and look at what they said to Him when they woke Him, “Do you not care that we are perishing?” Pretty good question if you ask me. Pretty honest question if nothing else.
Some of us have asked God such questions. Expressed to God such honest, doggedly painful cries. A mother weeps over a stillborn child. A husband is torn from his wife by a tragic accident. The tears of an eight-year-old fall on a daddy’s casket. And the question wails. “God, don’t you care?” “Why me?” “Why my friend?” “Why my business?” “Do you not care that we are perishing?”
It’s a timeless question. There has probably never been a president, a worker, or a businessman who hasn’t asked it. There has never been a soul who hasn’t wrestled with this aching question. Does my God care? Or is my pain God’s great goof?
As the winds howled and the sea raged, the impatient and frightened disciples screamed their fear at the sleeping Jesus. “Teacher, don’t you care that we are about to die?” And think about what He could have done. He could have kept on sleeping. He could have told them to shut up. He could have impatiently jumped up and angrily dismissed the storm. He could have pointed out their immaturity. But he didn’t.
With all the patience that only one who cares can have, He answered the question. He hushed the storm. He cares. To truly experience God’s healing, freeing power in your life. To take that step into the unknown, and walk from fear to freedom. . .you have to recognize that Jesus cares. Secondly. . .
B. RECOGNIZE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN YOUR FEAR AND YOUR FAITH
Now, I know preachers say a lot of things that people in the pews really don’t like. So if I were to just stand up before you today, and say that your fear is a direct reflection of your lack of faith, you probably wouldn’t be too pleased with me.
Unfortunately, often the stuff that preachers say that makes the parishioners so mad is truth from God’s Word, and truth from Jesus mouth. So look at what Jesus says, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”
That’s not a preacher. . .that’s Jesus. Why are you so fearful? Why don’t you have any faith? The two go together. If you are afraid, it is a crack in your armor of faith. If you are terrified, that isn’t a very good reflection on your faith.
Listen to what Oswald Chambers writes in his famous work My Utmost for His Highest. “It is much easier to do something than to trust in God; we see the activity and mistake panic for inspiration. That is why we see so few fellow workers with God, yet so many people working for God. We would much rather work for God than believe in Him. Do I really believe that God will do in me what I cannot do? The degree of panic activity in my life is equal to the degree of my lack of personal spiritual experience.”
We may not want to face it, but God’s Word tells us that there is a direct connection, a see-saw if you will between our fears and our faith. When fears are up, faith is down. Recognize that connection. And then, maybe most difficult of all. . .
C. RECOGNIZE YOUR COMFORT WITH YOUR CONDITION
I find it interesting that following this early miracle. This early deliverance from doom. The disciples do not respond the way you would think. Just down the road when faced with 5,000 hungry people, they don’t say, “Yo, Jesus. Do another one of those miracle things, and feed these guys before they turn on us.” When faced with another storm, without Jesus in the boat, they don’t pray, “God, your Son calmed storm no. 1, what can You do with this one.” When faced with a possessed, mute boy, they don’t even know how to pray on behalf of his healing. They just find themselves frozen until Jesus comes along and saves the day.
It is almost as if they are more comfortable dealing with the junk, more used to life in the mess, than having to face the reality of another uncontrollable deliverance of God. They would almost rather reside in the comfort of their miserable condition than risk seeing God’s power once again unleashed in their life. Because when that happens, it terrifies them.
A Georgia farmer, ragged and barefooted, was standing on the steps of his tumbledown shack.
A stranger stopped for a drink of water and just to pass the time of day he asked: "How is your cotton coming along?" he asked. "Ain’t got none," replied the farmer.
"Did you plant any?" asked the stranger. "Nope," was the reply, "afraid of bollweevils."
"Well," continued the stranger, "how is your corn?" "Didn’t plant none," came the answer, "’fraid there weren’t going to be no rain."
The visitor persevered: "Well, how are your potatoes?" "Ain’t got none. Scairt - of potato bugs."
"Really, what did you plant?" pressed the stranger. "Nothin’," was the calm reply, "I jest played safe."
As we pass through these 40 Days of Prayer. . .where are you playing it safe? Oh, you are afraid of your current condition. You are afraid of your spiritual bondage, your physical ailments, or your relational pains. But what you are really afraid of, what truly frightens you, is opening the door for God to move in those areas and situations.
Where do you need to recognize that Jesus cares? Where do you need to be honest about the connection between your faith and your fear? Where are you more comfortable with your condition than you would be with a miraculous, divine intervening in your life?
