Written Sermons
Matthew 14:22-33 FEARLESS LIVING June 6, 2010
About ten years ago I went down to California to visit my nephew. While in San Francisco I stayed in a Youth Hostel that was located very close to the Golden Gate Bridge.
One day I decided I would like to walk across that bridge. Must be beautiful. Cars are passing, hundreds of cars on the bridge, extremely sturdy construction, absolutely nothing to worry about. However, I have acrophobia, an extreme and irrational fear of heights. As I walked on the bridge, after 100 meters or so, I was terrified. I knew it was silly. I knew I was safe. The bridge was not going to collapse. But I could not take another step.
As if walking on eggshells, I slowly, very slowly, turned around, and returned to land.
It made absolutely no sense, but fear paralyzed me from doing what I wanted to do.
One of the most fascinating stories in the Old Testament is about Moses sending the 12 spies into the Promised Land. God wanted His people to pass over to the other side, to the land of milk and honey. Ten of the spies were frightened by what they saw; the people looked like giants, the cities were strongly fortified. If we try to go there they will kill us. Only Joshua and Caleb had faith that God would protect them and bless them and give them victory.
But the ten spies infected the Hebrew people with the spirit of fear. They were paralyzed from going forward. They feared the unknown. They feared the giants. They feared the coming war. And so they refused to advance. They obstinately refused to go forward with God’s plan for their lives.
As a result they stayed where they were, in the wilderness, for another 40 years, until the old, fearful generation died off and the new generation, under the leadership of Joshua and Caleb, entered the Promised Land with the full blessing of God.
Fear has a paralyzing affect!
It can stop an individual; it can paralyze a whole nation. We all have fears of one kind or another. We have different phobias, some understandable, others absurd.
Some fears are indeed good, healthy and beneficial. A small child might not run out into the street because of a fear of traffic. Someone afraid of getting cancer might be afraid of smoking a pack of cigarettes. Someone afraid of getting AIDS or some other disease might well refrain from the temptation of a prostitute’s embrace. Fearing some lump may help us to detect a sickness in time to find healing. Some fears can keep us on the straight and narrow path of righteousness.
But often fear just terrifies us and we don’t know how to respond. It has been argued that we live in an age, which is more fearful than at any other time in history, even with all our blessings. One author has stated: “Ordinary children today are more fearful than psychiatric patients were in the 1950’s.” That’s horrible, that’s frightening.
The new technology, which has given us such freedom, is also the vehicle of fear. Identity theft is just one of the new threats, or something happening to our computers that causes us to lose all our data, all our records, all our files, all our photos.
The system may crash. Remember 11 years ago as we were approaching the year 2000. Y2K, the computers would all crash, airplanes would fall out of the sky, there would be no communications, everything operated by computer technology would fail. Billions of dollars were spent desperately trying to thwart technological breakdown and terror.
Really when you think about it an enormous percentage of the national budget is fear-based. The military system, the police, the prisons, how much time and money was focused on the fear of swine flu?
Ever since 911 the threshold has been raised from simple fear to utter terror. The job of a terrorist is to spread terror, to spread fear.
Billions of dollars, trillions has been spent because of the fear of terrorist attacks, the recent fear of economic ruin, bail out of banks, bail out of wall street, bail out of General Motors… on and on it goes because we fear that our comfortable lifestyles is threatened.
The nation is afraid.
Individuals are afraid.
What percentage of our personal income is devoted to trying to combat fear and find peace? Alarm systems for the house, insurance…. Insurance companies thrive on fear. The more we are afraid the more money they make. Think of all the things that can go wrong and purchase the corresponding insurance, health insurance, travel insurance, car insurance, house insurance, contents insurance. Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Earth quakes, Fire and flood and wind and vandalism and of course for this day and age, get lots of liability insurance to deal with the fear of senseless lawsuits.
We could spend all day talking about things we are afraid of, either rationally or irrationally afraid, from the fear of failure and the fear of rejection all the way to the fear of nuclear accidents and nuclear war.
But instead of doing that let us devote our time to see what the Word of God says to us.
I remember that one of the first things I heard when I went to Romania is that throughout the Bible in one form or another God tells us “be not afraid” 366 times, one for every day of the year including Leap Year.
Perhaps our favorite is when God tells us “Fear Not, for I bring you good news of great joy, for unto you in born this day in the city of David, a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.”
Another author, Max Lucado, in his book “Fearless” says that throughout the four Gospels, if you have a red letter edition which highlights the quotations of Jesus in red, the Lord gives us about 125 direct commandments, and of these 125 there are 21 times in which Jesus tells people, do not be afraid.
“Don’t be afraid, just believe and your daughter will be well….. Do not fear those who can kill the body but not kill your soul… You will hear of wars and rumors of wars but see to it that you are not alarmed….
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid….
And in today’s lesson we read, “Take courage. I am here.”
The disciples have been on their boat struggling against a sudden and fierce storm.
In the middle of the night they see a figure calmly walking on top of the water.
Terrified, they scream “it’s a ghost”.
Was their fear reasonable or unreasonable?
People could argue it one way or another, but it comes down to the reality that their fear was real.
In an act of amazing faith Peter starts to walk out, also walking on the water towards Jesus. Then, seized by fear, Peter’s faith peters out and he starts to sink and drown. In desperation he cries out “Save me, Lord.”
One very practical response to fear is prayer. If you are concerned enough to pay for it, pray for it. Don’t just buy travel insurance, pray for safety.
Don’t just buy insurance against accidents pray that you may be kept safe.
Don’t just pay for more liability coverage, pray for God’s providential protection.
As one old fellow said: “If fear has your knees knocking together, then get down on those knees and pray.”
I well remember when living in Romania I was really afraid of driving. Over here I do it when necessary. I don’t like the heavy traffic but I will face it when I have to. But over there I was really scared. Every time I got into the car I would pray.
I’d pray to avoid being in an accident.
I’d pray not to have mechanical problems.
And I’d pray to be kept safe from the police.
Fear drove me to prayer.
I would say that the most important factor in experiencing God’s peace in the midst of this life is by being mindful, and remembering that the God who loves you dearly, is with you.
Remember and rely on God’s presence. Take courage, He says, I am here.
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.”
I have been thinking about this topic ever since John preached in TMR on the Great Commission.
All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
What is it that has hindered us from doing this work?
What is it that stops us from effective evangelism?
Fear.
Fear of rejection, fear of ridicule, fear of being misunderstood, fear that we won’t know what to say,
Fear of being labeled a fanatic, fear of what people will say about us…
At this point, in this verse, we do not have the word, “do not be afraid”, but we do have that tremendous assurance, “Lo, I am with you always…” In short, I will never leave you nor forsake you.
What is it that hinders us from following any of the Lord’s commands that we are suppose to teach throughout the world both by word and by example?
The huge command is to love. What hinders us from loving one another, what keeps us from expressing our love for each other? What hinders us from telling one another that we love them, simply saying “God loves you and so do I”?
Fear. Fear that our love will be misunderstood.
Fear that someone will say we are gay or we are perverts or we are just weird.
Afraid to be different. Afraid to love.
But the main thought that I had when John read that verse was the assuring promise, “Lo, I am with you always.”
God does not want us to live in fear.
He leads us into a life of faith, hope and love.
God wants to lead us into the Promised Land of Freedom, Love, Joy and Peace.
There are forces out there that seek to keep us down.
There are forces in the world that want us to shut up.
There are forces that want us to meekly stay in our little box.
These forces seem gigantic.
Fear kept the Hebrew people out of God’s will for another generation.
Finally when Joshua was ready to lead the people forward he received this word from the Lord.
His great commission.
Have I not commanded you. Be strong and courageous.
Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord Thy God is with you wherever you go.
In Rome, the traditional site where St. Peter was kept in prison.