Be Not Afraid

Be Not Afraid

Matthew 14:22-33

    A while ago,  I read about a church that had just had a change of ministers and was to be served by their first woman pastor. One of the parishioners was having a hard time accepting it, not because of any prejudice, but because his favorite pastime was fishing, and he had always enjoyed taking the pastor fishing. He just automatically assumed a woman pastor might not know anything about fishing. And in this particular case, he was right. But when she found out that he had always had this relationship with pastors in the past, she approached him and announced that whenever he wanted to go, she would enjoy going fishing with him. The time came when they decided to go, and when they had gotten into the boat and anchored down, he found out very quickly that she knew nothing about baiting a hook, so he had to bait the hook for her. When she hooked her first fish, he realized she knew nothing about how to reel it in, so he had to help her reel it in. Then, of course, he had to take the fish off the hook as well. The result was that the man really got no fishing done himself that day. Then the wind began to blow, and she was cold, so she mentioned that she should have brought her jacket from the car. When he suggested that he could pull up the anchor and take her back to get it, she said, “Oh no, don’t bother, I’ll get it myself.” And with that, she stood up, got out of the boat, and began walking across the water to the shore. The man sat there shaking his head sadly. “Just like I figured,” he muttered, “Can’t swim either.”

    I don't know if this idea was ever completed or not, but I believe this to be a true story.   I read recently about a novel  plan developed in 1999 for stimulating tourism at the time of the millennium near Capernaum, on Israel's Sea of Galilee.  This idea involved building an underwater bridge in the Sea which would have allowed tourists to simulate Jesus' miraculous walk on the water.   The bridge was to be 13 feet wide and 328 feet long and would have been submerged under two inches of water.  The span was to accommodate as many as 50 people at a time and would have given the effect of walking on water. Lifeguards were to have been on duty.

    Today's text comes from the inspiration of both of those stories.  In Matthew 14, 22-33, we find the account of Jesus walking across the water toward His disciples who were caught in a storm.  As we examine this passage together this morning, we will see the disciples experiencing some new revelations about fear and faith through their experience.  If you have your Bibles today, open them to Matthew 14, where we discover Jesus' disciples ...

Sent By Jesus  (vv. 22-24)

Met There By Jesus  (vv. 25-27) , and

To Realize Who Jesus Is  (vv. 28-33)

(parallel passages in Mark 6:45-51 ; John 6:15-21)

1. Body
1. Sent By Jesus  (vv. 22-24)
1. God sometimes leads us into places of fear.
1. He made them go
1. the greek word used here is forceful (compel)
1. Used also in Acts 26:11 where Paul is said to have tried to force believers to blaspheme.
2. Also used in Galatians of the Judiazers who tried to force Gentile believers to be circumcised.
2. They left at between 6PM and dusk (evening)
3. They were alone on the sea for six to ten hours or more.
4. The 'fourth watch' was between 3 and 6am.
2. Onto an angry sea
1. The wind was “contrary [NT1727 enantios],” this is a great term for us to learn. No matter which way the disciples set their sails and no matter how hard they worked; the wind blew the opposite way. The boat itself was “battered” [NT928 basanizo], a word meaning tortured or torn apart. Why are those terms important to us? Matthew wants us to understand the circumstances in which Jesus miraculously appears in our lives.  Look for our Lord when the wind is contrary and our vessels are tortured.  Matthew—who witnessed this event—wants us to know that it is when we feel most torn apart that we can also be most expectant of our Lord’s miraculous appearance.  In fact, Matthew tells us that Jesus doesn’t appear until the “fourth watch.”  That is the darkest watch of the morning.  That’s when Jesus is wonderfully present.  The fourth watch of the darkest storm when our boats are most tortured. Expect Jesus then!
2. The wind was 'hostile'  
3. against them
4. grievously agitated - Clark
5. one manuscript says the waves were breaking over the vessel.
3. Filled with fear
1. Nature -- fear of the natural torrent raging about them
2. Supernatural -- when they saw a figure approaching them, fear of spirits.
4. Remember it was Jesus who sent them out into the night. Don’t be afraid to go where Jesus sends you.  Don’t be afraid of venturing out into the storms.  Don’t be afraid of those stormy times when you are most battered.  Just when you think your life is at its absolute worst our Savior will be there to surprise you.Met There By Jesus  (vv. 25-27)
1. In those circumstances we need HIM most. 
5. "Be not afraid."
1. Jesus' delay in coming to them was intentional
2. Why does the Lord often delay in answering prayer? I once read this verse, penned by Ophelia Adams, which answers some of questions about prayer: “Unanswered yet? Nay, do not say ungranted; / Perhaps your part is not yet wholly done; / The work began when first your prayer was uttered, / And God will finish what He has begun. / Though years have passed since then, do not despair; / His glory you shall see, sometime, somewhere.”
3. This was the case in this instance. The Lord had a lesson he wanted to teach them.  It was a lesson in trusting Him for who HE IS.
4. Deut. 31:6 -- Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”
5. John 16:33 -- These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
6. "I AM"
1. Jesus identifies himself to the disciples to calm their fears. “It’s me,” he says. But the phrase that Matthew uses here is more than a mere greeting. Jesus uses a phrase that in the Greek Scriptures, both old and new means so much more than “Hey guys, It’s just me!” The Greek phrase here is Ego Eimi, which is the same identifying phrase that God uses in the Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament, when Moses asks for God’s name.
7. "Come," with me.
1. This is the call of Christ upon all of His followers.
2. "Follow me."
3. "Be where I am"
4. "You have been with me all these years and still you fear  (doubt) ?"
8. "Why did you doubt?"
1. James 1:6 -- But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
2. Clark -- "It was not the violence of the winds, nor the raging of the waves which endangered [Peter's] life, but his littleness of faith."To Realize Who Jesus Is  (vv. 28-33)
3. He desires that we grow in faith and learn from our fears.
9. He calmed the sea
1. "Tom" Wright describes the Israelite's fear of the sea and storms like this:
2. The sea is part of the original creation, part of the world of which God says that it is “very good.”  But already by the story of Noah the flood poses a threat to the creation, with Noah and his floating zoo rescued by God’s grace. From within the good creation itself come forces of chaos, harnessed to enact God’s judgment.  We then find Moses and the Israelites standing in front of the sea, chased by the Egyptians and at their wits’ end.  God makes a way through the sea to rescue his people, and again to judge the pagan world; like the Noah story, though now in a new mode.  As later poets look back on this decisive moment in the story of God’s people, they celebrate it in terms of the old creation myths themselves: the waters saw YHWH and were afraid, and they went backwards.  But then, in a passage of enormous influence on early Christianity, we find in the vision of Daniel 7 that the monsters who make war upon the people of the saints of the most high come up out of the sea. The sea has become the dark, fearsome, threatening place from which evil emerges, threatening God’s people like a giant tidal wave threatening those who live near the coast.  For the people of ancient Israel, who were not for the most part seafarers, the sea came to represent evil and chaos, the dark powers that might do to God’s people what the flood had done to the whole world, unless God rescues them as he rescued Noah.  (NT Wright, 2005 lecture to Seattle Pacific University's Church Leaders Forum, retrieved online.)
10. They worshipped Him
1. Jesus is the One who came and fulfilled all of the promises of God.  Promises such as Psalm 89:9 where, speaking of the Lord's Messiah, the Psalmist declares, "You rule the raging of the sea;  When its waves rise, You still them."  Or consider Psalm 93:4 which announces, "The LORD on high is mightier  Than the noise of many waters,   Than the mighty waves of the sea.” Or Psalm 77:19 — Your path led through the sea,    your way through the mighty waters,    though your footprints were not seen.Conclusion 
2. Chuck Smith tells of a time in his life when, as a pastor of a small church, he didn’t have a set salary. The congregation gave him whatever was left over in the offering after the church’s bills got paid. There was a period of time when there was not enough left over to live on. The bills began piling up and soon the creditors began calling. They were behind in their mortgage payments and the bank was about to foreclose. Their power was going to be cut off and the car repossessed. 
3. Chuck went before the Lord in prayer and fasting. And every time he prayed, the Lord repeatedly brought this scripture to mind: Phil 4:19, “My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” But the next day there was no sign of relief. So Chuck prayed more fervently and got the same reply from the Lord, “My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Soon Chuck couldn’t sleep at night, he was so anxious, and he continued crying out to the Lord. But still he saw no tangible answer. 
4. Then two days before the end of the month when they would lose their house and car, the phone rang. It was an old acquaintance with whom they hadn’t had contact for a long time. The man knew nothing about their circumstances, but he said, “I’m not sure why but I have been strongly impressed upon in my spirit to phone and tell you that my wife and I have recently mailed you a check. You should get it today or tomorrow. God impressed upon our hearts a few days ago to send you the money and we did, but we weren’t going to say anything to you. But now the Lord seems to be impressing upon our hearts that we need to call you now and tell you it is coming.”
5. So the man told Chuck how much the check was made out for. It was exactly the amount that was needed to completely pay off all of their debt. After getting off the phone, Chuck and his wife began to shout, “Praise the Lord, hallelujah, thank you Jesus” as they (jumped for joy) around their living room.
6. Later when Chuck was alone he said the Lord spoke so clearly to him it was almost audible. “Chuck, why are you so excited?” -- “Well you know Lord, because a check is coming in the mail for the full amount we need to pay our debts.”
7. Then God said, “How do you know it’s really going to come?” -- “Well Lord, my friend told me he put it in the mail and he wouldn’t lie about something like that.”
8. Then God said, “Chuck, why didn’t you believe Me and (jump for joy) when I repeatedly told you that I would supply all your needs?” 
9. I have no way of knowing what sort of circumstances you have experienced this month or may be facing this morning.  All I know is that, as a Christ-follower, your Lord is greater than any of those situations.
10. So, I ask you this morning... of what are you afraid?   And how does that compare with your understanding of Jesus?
11. He fed the five thousand, walked upon the sea, calmed the wind and waves, died and rose again.  He has faced all of the trials and troubles of this world and triumphed over them.  And He turns back, with a calm, gentle voice and and hand stretched out to you and me saying, "Fear not.  I am with you.  Follow me."