1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:12,500 Now the NBC network must have known that they were onto a winner, when they came up with the idea for a series of shows called The Fear Factor. 2 00:00:12,500 –> 00:00:15,540 Just in case, you haven’t seen a trailer for these… 3 00:00:15,540 –> 00:00:21,700 The Fear Factor is a show in which volunteers are challenged to confront their greatest fears. 4 00:00:21,700 –> 00:00:33,660 These can include anything from voluntarily sitting in a pit surrounded by snakes to sliding out on a horizontal flagpole on top of a multi-story building. 5 00:00:33,660 –> 00:00:44,740 The reason, of course, that the show has become so popular is very simply that it connects with something that resides very deep within the human mind and heart. 6 00:00:44,779 –> 00:00:54,279 This is indeed the kind of program that NBC can market all over the world because fear crosses every cultural barrier. 7 00:00:54,279 –> 00:01:02,419 All of us have fears and there is something profoundly fascinating about people overcoming the fear factor. 8 00:01:02,419 –> 00:01:12,820 Now, I want us to think together this morning as to what it means for us to overcome the fear factor through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 9 00:01:12,820 –> 00:01:16,739 Now, I invite you to open your Bibles at Matthew chapter 14. 10 00:01:16,739 –> 00:01:20,099 Folks say from time to time, I’m a visual learner. 11 00:01:20,099 –> 00:01:25,160 If that’s the case, let me remind you that the best visual learning you can do in church 12 00:01:25,160 –> 00:01:30,580 is to get a Bible open in front of you because there you will find the very words of God 13 00:01:30,580 –> 00:01:36,839 and you will be able to follow what it is that God, by his Holy Spirit, would teach you. 14 00:01:36,839 –> 00:01:39,239 So, if you will open to Matthew chapter 14. 15 00:01:40,180 –> 00:01:41,839 Matthew in chapter 14. 16 00:01:41,839 –> 00:01:46,580 We’re coming to one of the Bible’s great stories on overcoming fear. 17 00:01:46,580 –> 00:01:51,779 And I’m going to begin with verse 22 as we walk through the story together. 18 00:01:51,779 –> 00:01:57,820 Now you’ll notice there that we’re told that Jesus made the disciples get into the 19 00:01:57,820 –> 00:02:02,419 boat and go on ahead of him to the other side of the lake while he dismissed the crowd. 20 00:02:02,419 –> 00:02:03,779 Now that’s very significant. 21 00:02:03,779 –> 00:02:04,779 Notice it. 22 00:02:04,779 –> 00:02:07,660 Jesus made them get into the boat. 23 00:02:07,900 –> 00:02:11,979 In other words, more than likely they were saying, Jesus, we’ll stay with you while you 24 00:02:11,979 –> 00:02:17,580 dismiss the crowd and he said no, I want you to get in the boat and you go on your own 25 00:02:17,580 –> 00:02:21,820 to the other side of the lake. 26 00:02:21,820 –> 00:02:29,160 Now remember that the disciples had already been in a storm on this lake with Jesus in 27 00:02:29,160 –> 00:02:30,619 the boat. 28 00:02:30,619 –> 00:02:33,619 Matthew tells us about that story back in chapter 8. 29 00:02:33,619 –> 00:02:36,820 We thought about it just a few weeks ago. 30 00:02:37,059 –> 00:02:42,600 The important thing about this particular story is that Jesus put the disciples in a 31 00:02:42,600 –> 00:02:48,199 situation where they were without his visible and physical presence. 32 00:02:48,199 –> 00:02:55,559 In other words, Jesus was saying to the disciples, all right, you have learned to trust me when 33 00:02:55,559 –> 00:02:59,619 I am visibly, physically with you. 34 00:02:59,619 –> 00:03:04,259 But now I want you to learn to trust me where you cannot see me. 35 00:03:05,199 –> 00:03:08,880 And of course, that’s what makes this story especially interesting for us, because that 36 00:03:08,880 –> 00:03:12,880 is exactly what it is like for us in the life of faith. 37 00:03:12,880 –> 00:03:21,139 We have to trust a Christ who we do not see, a Christ who is with us, but we cannot see him. 38 00:03:21,139 –> 00:03:26,720 Now we are told, verse 23, that after Jesus dismissed the crowd, He went up the mountainside 39 00:03:26,720 –> 00:03:29,000 by himself to pray. 40 00:03:29,000 –> 00:03:30,940 And when the evening came, He was there alone. 41 00:03:31,000 –> 00:03:35,979 And the boat was already a considerable distance from the land and it’s baffeted by the waves 42 00:03:35,979 –> 00:03:38,759 because the wind is against it. 43 00:03:38,759 –> 00:03:44,339 Now here you have, if you can put these pieces together in your mind, a marvellous picture 44 00:03:44,339 –> 00:03:46,880 of the Christian life. 45 00:03:46,880 –> 00:03:50,339 The disciples are obeying Jesus’ instruction. 46 00:03:50,339 –> 00:03:53,699 He told them to go over the other side of the lake. 47 00:03:53,699 –> 00:03:56,580 He got them into this situation. 48 00:03:56,580 –> 00:04:01,899 And they’re finding that as they obey Jesus they’re running into all kinds of difficulties 49 00:04:01,899 –> 00:04:05,000 as they’re trying to row through the lake. 50 00:04:05,000 –> 00:04:09,179 But while they’re obeying Jesus’ instructions and getting themselves into all kinds of difficulties 51 00:04:09,179 –> 00:04:15,619 in the process, Jesus is on his own up on the mountain and he is praying. 52 00:04:15,619 –> 00:04:22,420 They cannot see Jesus, but Mark in his account of this story makes it very clear that Jesus 53 00:04:22,420 –> 00:04:25,420 sees them straining at the oars. 54 00:04:25,920 –> 00:04:28,619 That’s Mark six and verse forty-eight. 55 00:04:28,619 –> 00:04:32,859 Now here is a marvelous illustration if you like of what it is like for us as we live 56 00:04:32,859 –> 00:04:34,359 the Christian life. 57 00:04:34,359 –> 00:04:38,779 We have launched out in obedience to the command of Christ. 58 00:04:38,779 –> 00:04:42,420 We’re committed to obeying him and living for his glory. 59 00:04:42,420 –> 00:04:47,200 But as soon as we launch out in that kind of life, we find that it is much more difficult 60 00:04:47,200 –> 00:04:50,079 than we ever had thought it would be. 61 00:04:50,079 –> 00:04:54,880 We find that we’re up against some very strong currents that the bible calls the world, oh 62 00:04:54,899 –> 00:05:00,059 and this is the culture, the flesh, and the devil. 63 00:05:00,059 –> 00:05:08,519 And these currents pull and push against our desire to progress in obedience to Jesus. 64 00:05:08,519 –> 00:05:12,339 But as we’re struggling with that, and sometimes like the disciples pulling on the oars we 65 00:05:12,339 –> 00:05:15,279 feel we’re making very little progress. 66 00:05:15,279 –> 00:05:20,500 Jesus is praying for us, is what the bible teaches, he has ascended to heaven. 67 00:05:20,500 –> 00:05:23,839 He’s gone up to the highest of all places. 68 00:05:23,859 –> 00:05:28,920 And in heaven, he is interceding for us. 69 00:05:28,920 –> 00:05:34,380 That means that he gives himself wholly to representing us before the Father, praying 70 00:05:34,380 –> 00:05:35,959 for us. 71 00:05:35,959 –> 00:05:44,839 We cannot see him, but he can see you, and he knows everything about you. 72 00:05:44,839 –> 00:05:50,720 And I’m sure the disciples, being quite unaware of Jesus’ ministry of intercession, 73 00:05:50,720 –> 00:05:53,640 and unaware of the fact that he was watching them at that very moment. 74 00:05:53,640 –> 00:05:56,339 They must have been pulling on the oars and saying, my goodness, it’s all very well 75 00:05:56,339 –> 00:05:57,739 for him to tell us to do this. 76 00:05:57,739 –> 00:05:59,820 But does he realize how difficult it is? 77 00:05:59,820 –> 00:06:03,000 You ever felt that about the Christian life? 78 00:06:03,000 –> 00:06:08,959 Well, verse 25, as we follow the story, DOING THE FOURTH WATCH OF THE NIGHT, JESUS CAME 79 00:06:08,959 –> 00:06:10,000 TO THEM. 80 00:06:10,000 –> 00:06:13,739 Now, that’s between three and six o’clock in the morning. 81 00:06:13,739 –> 00:06:15,839 Three and six in the morning. 82 00:06:15,839 –> 00:06:20,420 Now remember, they had been on the lake since evening. 83 00:06:21,100 –> 00:06:26,299 And Christ was praying for them all through these hours, but for that long time he did 84 00:06:26,299 –> 00:06:32,179 not come to them, he allowed them to struggle against the force of the wind. 85 00:06:33,079 –> 00:06:37,179 And I think it’s good for us to remember that when we tire of the pressure of the culture 86 00:06:37,179 –> 00:06:41,339 or the pressure of the battle that we have against the flesh. 87 00:06:42,339 –> 00:06:50,320 You see, faith is hammered out on the anvil of experience and it is in the struggle of 88 00:06:50,320 –> 00:06:58,019 doing the will of Christ that he will make you into the person that he wants you to be. 89 00:06:58,019 –> 00:07:05,100 That struggle is one that he puts us into, because it’s in that struggle that he will 90 00:07:05,100 –> 00:07:11,079 shape and forge the strength of your faith. 91 00:07:11,079 –> 00:07:17,040 But he knows us perfectly and as he sees the strength of these disciples beginning to wane 92 00:07:17,040 –> 00:07:22,119 between the third and the sixth hour, the three o’clock and six o’clock in the morning, 93 00:07:22,119 –> 00:07:27,059 Christ comes out to them and gives them a glimpse of his glory. 94 00:07:27,540 –> 00:07:35,540 Here is the Son of God who holds the planets in their courses 95 00:07:35,540 –> 00:07:46,559 and he suspends the law of gravity so that they may have a glimpse of just how glorious he is 96 00:07:46,559 –> 00:07:54,399 as he comes out to them in their need, walking over the water. 97 00:07:54,559 –> 00:07:58,959 Now, it’s not surprising that the disciples are absolutely terrified, it never occurs to them 98 00:07:58,959 –> 00:08:05,279 to say, oh my goodness, this must be Jesus, and for a very good reason, because they knew Jesus 99 00:08:05,279 –> 00:08:11,679 flesh and blood, flesh and blood doesn’t walk on water. They knew his height, they could guess his 100 00:08:11,679 –> 00:08:17,679 weight, and what was more they had just shared in the previous story a good meal with Jesus 101 00:08:17,679 –> 00:08:24,239 and five thousand other people. They knew Jesus as a man, there was never any doubt 102 00:08:24,239 –> 00:08:30,720 about the humanity of Jesus, and so when they see a figure walking on the lake, they don’t say, 103 00:08:30,720 –> 00:08:36,000 oh this must be Jesus, they say, oh this must be some kind of a ghost, and therefore they’re 104 00:08:36,000 –> 00:08:44,080 terrified. And so verse 27, Jesus immediately said to them, take courage, it is I, don’t be afraid, 105 00:08:44,960 –> 00:08:50,080 and suddenly they have a glimpse of the greater glory 106 00:08:50,880 –> 00:08:59,200 of Jesus Christ. They’ve seen him earlier stop the wind blowing, they’ve seen him feed 5,000 people 107 00:08:59,200 –> 00:09:07,359 with loaves and fish, they’ve seen him heal the sick, but now they see him suspend even the laws 108 00:09:07,359 –> 00:09:15,119 of gravity as he walks to them over the lake. Now you find this pattern in the Gospels, 109 00:09:15,119 –> 00:09:22,159 that however much the disciples have seen of the glory of Jesus, he is always more wonderful 110 00:09:22,159 –> 00:09:28,000 than they have learned to that point. He’s always more glorious, more powerful than they have 111 00:09:28,000 –> 00:09:34,080 already seen. And of course that’s how it is in our experience too, because however much we have 112 00:09:34,080 –> 00:09:41,520 grasped of the greatness and the glory of Jesus, he is always greater than that which we have 113 00:09:41,520 –> 00:09:45,840 already grasped. Think of it this way, 114 00:09:47,359 –> 00:09:54,960 over the years I reckon I have driven thousands of miles around Scotland. I don’t think I will 115 00:09:55,039 –> 00:10:04,400 ever tire of it. There is a very profound sense in which I can say I have seen Scotland. 116 00:10:05,679 –> 00:10:12,239 But there is a much deeper sense in which I have to say I have not seen Scotland. 117 00:10:12,239 –> 00:10:15,919 Imagine driving in a beautiful country. I know this is a little biased on my part, 118 00:10:15,919 –> 00:10:20,799 so if you want to think of Colorado, that’s fine. It’s very nice, too. 119 00:10:21,520 –> 00:10:30,080 But think of driving on a beautiful country road, and you’re winding through the mountains. 120 00:10:30,080 –> 00:10:34,400 You come around a corner and you see a breathtaking view. And you say, 121 00:10:34,400 –> 00:10:41,359 oh, that’s magnificent. Then you turn another corner and you say, oh, that’s something else. 122 00:10:42,559 –> 00:10:48,159 Then you come to a view you’ve seen 20, 50, a hundred times before and you love it. 123 00:10:48,159 –> 00:10:53,440 But you see it today in a lighting that you never saw it in before. 124 00:10:54,400 –> 00:11:00,960 And you see that familiar landscape and you say, my, that’s new like I’m seeing it for the first 125 00:11:00,960 –> 00:11:09,760 time. Now even the angels of heaven cannot fully take in the extent of the glory of the Lord, 126 00:11:09,760 –> 00:11:20,239 and you will spend eternity taking in fresh gasps of wonder at just how great he is. 127 00:11:22,080 –> 00:11:28,239 Peter sees a fresh glimpse of the glory of the Lord and he gasps at what Christ can do, 128 00:11:28,239 –> 00:11:38,960 and his faith grows in response to that. Verse 28, Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you 129 00:11:40,000 –> 00:11:44,880 on the water. You see, he’s still not quite sure. Is this a con, is this a mirage, 130 00:11:44,880 –> 00:11:50,479 is this a psychological trick? But he knows enough to say, Jesus, if this is really you 131 00:11:52,080 –> 00:11:56,239 and you can suspend even the laws of gravity for yourself 132 00:11:57,520 –> 00:12:01,119 then I know you are able to suspend the laws of gravity also for me. 133 00:12:01,119 –> 00:12:08,320 Now, notice that Peter does not immediately jump into the water and say, 134 00:12:08,320 –> 00:12:16,880 Jesus, anything you can do, I can do better. That is not the story here. And that would be a very, 135 00:12:16,880 –> 00:12:24,400 very dangerous misunderstanding. Notice what he says, verse 28, Jesus, if it’s you, 136 00:12:24,400 –> 00:12:33,359 tell me. Tell me to come to you on the water. See, Peter’s conviction is not that he can do 137 00:12:33,359 –> 00:12:38,799 anything that Jesus can do, that would be plainly false. But rather his conviction is 138 00:12:38,799 –> 00:12:46,679 that he can do anything Jesus tells him to do. If you tell me to do it, then it will become 139 00:12:46,679 –> 00:12:53,059 possible for me. Now, that is a very important distinction. Because if you go out to Lake 140 00:12:53,080 –> 00:12:58,659 Arlington after the service and attempt to walk on the water, I can promise you will 141 00:12:58,659 –> 00:13:06,799 become extremely wet. And if you take a trip to Mount Carmel and try and call down fire 142 00:13:06,799 –> 00:13:14,679 from heaven, I promise you that you will be extremely disappointed. Why? Because that 143 00:13:14,679 –> 00:13:22,960 is not what he is calling you to do. And the Bible never teaches that you are some kind 144 00:13:23,020 –> 00:13:29,099 of unlimited battle of potentiality, for whom all things are possible. The Bible does not 145 00:13:29,099 –> 00:13:37,979 say all things are possible for you. It tells us that all things are possible for Jesus, 146 00:13:37,979 –> 00:13:42,619 and that which Jesus wants you to do becomes possible for you. There’s all the difference 147 00:13:42,619 –> 00:13:51,940 in the world. When Christ calls you to do a thing, you can do it. And Peter gets it 148 00:13:51,940 –> 00:13:59,359 exactly right. This is what Paul means when he says, I can do all things through Christ, 149 00:13:59,359 –> 00:14:09,799 who gives me strength. You can do what Christ calls you to do. You are not an unlimited 150 00:14:09,799 –> 00:14:18,020 potential within yourself. You are a frail human being. But you are able to do what he 151 00:14:18,099 –> 00:14:23,080 calls you to do by his grace. That is why Augustine, the great Saint, caught the spirit 152 00:14:23,080 –> 00:14:29,820 of this in his famous prayer when he said, O Lord, command what you will. You can ask 153 00:14:29,820 –> 00:14:36,820 me to do anything, Lord, just give what you command because I’m not going to be able 154 00:14:36,820 –> 00:14:42,179 to do what you ask of me unless you pour that into me. 155 00:14:42,179 –> 00:14:47,960 I love this story of the man with the withered hand. Remember in the gospel Jesus said to 156 00:14:47,960 –> 00:14:53,020 him one thing, stretch out your hand. What an amazing thing to say to a man who can’t 157 00:14:53,020 –> 00:14:59,799 move his hand. It’s one thing all his life he hadn’t been able to do. But when Jesus 158 00:14:59,799 –> 00:15:06,799 said to him stretch out your hand, the Bible simply says and he stretched out his hand. 159 00:15:06,799 –> 00:15:13,799 For when Christ told him to do it he imparted with the command the ability to fulfill it. 160 00:15:14,539 –> 00:15:21,400 So Peter understanding this says, Jesus if you tell me to come to you, then I indeed 161 00:15:21,400 –> 00:15:28,400 will be able to walk on the water, tell me. And Jesus says verse 29, Come. And all credit 162 00:15:30,000 –> 00:15:33,619 to Peter, this is one of the highest moments of his faith, he takes everything on the word 163 00:15:33,619 –> 00:15:40,619 of God. He knows the law of gravity but he hears the call of Jesus. Jesus said it, I 164 00:15:41,039 –> 00:15:48,039 believe it, that settles it, I’m off, he gets out the boat and he walked on the water, verse 165 00:15:48,260 –> 00:15:53,780 29, toward Jesus. What a moment. He discovers that the power of Christ takes 166 00:15:53,780 –> 00:15:59,919 him beyond the level of his own ability, so that he can obey the word of God in a way 167 00:15:59,919 –> 00:16:06,099 that would otherwise be impossible for him. There is another great picture of the Christian 168 00:16:06,119 –> 00:16:13,119 life. The Christian life is beyond my natural ability, but Christ gives the power with the 169 00:16:17,960 –> 00:16:22,400 command. And of course, that’s the great difference between the Old and the New Testament. 170 00:16:22,400 –> 00:16:28,359 In the Old Testament, God is saying, thou shalt, he gives the command, but the Old Testament 171 00:16:28,359 –> 00:16:34,440 reminds me that God’s commands are beyond my ability. I cannot live the life that God 172 00:16:34,440 –> 00:16:41,440 has called me to lead. But in the New Testament, Jesus Christ comes and he says, thou shalt. 173 00:16:42,080 –> 00:16:46,719 He did not come to abolish the law, he came to fulfill it. He takes away its condemnation 174 00:16:46,719 –> 00:16:52,919 and gives the life-giving power of the spirit by which living according to the law of God 175 00:16:52,919 –> 00:16:58,299 becomes possible for those who repent and those who believe. He turned the condemning 176 00:16:58,299 –> 00:17:03,940 word of the law, that we could not keep, into the life-giving word of the law, that becomes 177 00:17:04,119 –> 00:17:10,579 the tracklines giving direction to a life that is lived in the power of the Spirit. 178 00:17:10,579 –> 00:17:15,819 Well, the command of Jesus makes what was impossible, possible for Peter and he walked 179 00:17:15,819 –> 00:17:22,819 on the water. That’s faith. Faith that’s rooted in the Word of God and is energized by the 180 00:17:22,819 –> 00:17:40,060 power of the Spirit. And then, the fear factor kicks in, verse 30. When Peter saw the wind, 181 00:17:40,060 –> 00:17:49,060 he was afraid. That’s when he began to sink. Now I want to ask the question very simply 182 00:17:49,599 –> 00:17:56,680 and very practically then, how are we to overcome the fear factor in our walk of faith that 183 00:17:56,680 –> 00:18:02,140 is a response to the Word of God that Jesus brings to us. I want to identify three very 184 00:18:02,140 –> 00:18:06,939 simple things from this story. The first is that it is very important to recognize the 185 00:18:06,939 –> 00:18:17,239 power of fear. You see, fear is actually a power that can grab your soul. It is a power 186 00:18:17,239 –> 00:18:27,119 that will fight against faith within you. It will battle for control of your mind and 187 00:18:27,119 –> 00:18:35,339 of your heart. Now, if fear were simply an emotion, we could ignore it, but the problem 188 00:18:35,339 –> 00:18:42,839 is that it is a debilitating power. Remember Jesus’s story about the man, servants who 189 00:18:42,839 –> 00:18:49,119 were given talents to invest for the use of a master, and the third one wasted his opportunity? 190 00:18:49,119 –> 00:18:58,319 And remember the reason? He said, I was afraid. Fear kept Him from doing anything useful with 191 00:18:58,319 –> 00:19:04,880 the opportunity and the commission of His life. Remember how the fear factor kicked 192 00:19:04,880 –> 00:19:08,959 in in the Old Testament when God’s people were on the verge of the land of Canaan, the 193 00:19:09,160 –> 00:19:13,839 spies were sent out by Moses, they walked through the land, and they saw the strength 194 00:19:13,839 –> 00:19:18,920 of the enemy, and by the time they came back, ten of them had been overwhelmed by the fear 195 00:19:18,920 –> 00:19:28,439 factor. Now let me say straightaway that some of us will have greater lifelong battles with 196 00:19:28,439 –> 00:19:37,599 this one than others. Some of us are more timid by temperament than 197 00:19:37,599 –> 00:19:46,900 others, and being born again will not change that. When you become a Christian, you still 198 00:19:46,900 –> 00:19:56,000 have to live with yourself. And if you can define your own temperament, you will have 199 00:19:56,000 –> 00:20:04,420 defined the primary battlegrounds on which you will fight throughout your Christian life. 200 00:20:04,479 –> 00:20:09,260 If you are of a nervous disposition, this will be one of your greatest areas of struggle. 201 00:20:09,260 –> 00:20:16,920 God will help you in the battle, but this is where the battles will be fought. You will 202 00:20:16,920 –> 00:20:23,680 say more than other people, what if? And especially at night your imagination will paint all kinds 203 00:20:23,680 –> 00:20:27,760 of scenarios that your husband or your wife will say, oh, don’t worry about that, it 204 00:20:27,760 –> 00:20:32,880 may never happen. But you are worried about it. 205 00:20:32,880 –> 00:20:37,640 Paul had a young assistant in the New Testament by the name of Timothy. He was gifted by God, 206 00:20:37,640 –> 00:20:44,599 but he was of a timid temperament. He served as a pastor very, very effectively, but throughout 207 00:20:44,599 –> 00:20:50,939 his life this was his primary area of battle. Paul had to say to him, Timothy, God did not 208 00:20:50,939 –> 00:20:55,959 give us a timid spirit, but remember that the spirit you gave us is one of power and 209 00:20:55,959 –> 00:21:01,780 love and of a sound mind. That’s why Paul says in Romans, you did not receive a spirit 210 00:21:01,780 –> 00:21:06,760 that makes you a slave again to fear, but that you have received the spirit of sonship 211 00:21:06,760 –> 00:21:13,719 enabling you to call out Abba, Father. Some of us will struggle in this area more 212 00:21:13,719 –> 00:21:21,900 than others, but all of us at some point will experience the inner struggle of faith and 213 00:21:22,079 –> 00:21:29,400 fear. Peter was by no stretch of the imagination a timid person, but he came to experience 214 00:21:29,400 –> 00:21:41,199 the fear factor right at the heart of this story. Now, what makes you afraid? Is it the 215 00:21:41,199 –> 00:21:47,739 whole terrorism thing? Is it the economy? 216 00:21:48,439 –> 00:21:49,420 You say, 217 00:21:49,420 –> 00:21:52,180 Oh, yes, I trust in Jesus Christ, but now there’s 218 00:21:52,180 –> 00:22:02,520 this thing. Is it your fear of failure? You’re afraid of looking foolish. And that makes 219 00:22:02,520 –> 00:22:09,000 you hold back from what God is calling you to do. You’re dead scared of the power of 220 00:22:09,000 –> 00:22:13,839 sin and temptation within you. It seems so overwhelming you think, Can I really live 221 00:22:13,839 –> 00:22:22,079 the Christian life? You’re afraid of the future primarily? You’re afraid of loss? 222 00:22:22,079 –> 00:22:31,839 Is that the thing that grips you? Oh, what if I don’t have? See, fear is a mighty power, 223 00:22:31,839 –> 00:22:38,119 and it battles to grip your mind and your heart, and if you allow it to do so, it will 224 00:22:38,319 –> 00:22:47,119 paralyze your progress in faith. So if we’re ever going to make progress, and for some 225 00:22:47,119 –> 00:22:55,420 of us this is the primary area of battle, we need to know how to deal with this enemy. 226 00:22:55,420 –> 00:22:59,560 So let me suggest to you, secondly, that as we recognize the great power of fear, that 227 00:22:59,599 –> 00:23:06,560 we grasp the logic of faith. Now, notice what it says in verse 30. 228 00:23:06,560 –> 00:23:13,599 When he saw the wind, he was afraid. When he saw the wind. 229 00:23:13,599 –> 00:23:21,020 Now, it’s very interesting that Peter felt he could trust to a point. He felt that he 230 00:23:21,020 –> 00:23:28,319 could trust the Lord to suspend the laws of gravity, but he wasn’t so sure when he felt 231 00:23:28,319 –> 00:23:32,859 the wind blowing. Now, don’t you think there’s something profoundly illogical here? Think 232 00:23:32,859 –> 00:23:45,699 about it. I trust Jesus Christ to suspend the laws of gravity, but only when the weather’s 233 00:23:45,699 –> 00:23:57,300 good. It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. If Peter can trust Jesus to the point of stepping 234 00:23:57,319 –> 00:24:06,859 out in defiance of gravity on the basis of his word, why is he so worried about the wind? 235 00:24:06,859 –> 00:24:14,359 Now, I found it profoundly helpful to ask myself again, even in this last week, some 236 00:24:14,359 –> 00:24:19,599 basic questions about my own faith in Jesus Christ. And I want to ask you these questions, 237 00:24:19,599 –> 00:24:28,660 and I want you to answer aloud, yes, if you are able to respond positively to these questions. 238 00:24:28,660 –> 00:24:34,579 Okay? So everybody awake? These are not rhetorical questions that are coming up. I’m asking you 239 00:24:34,579 –> 00:24:44,380 about your conviction on the following points. Number one, can you trust Jesus Christ to 240 00:24:44,579 –> 00:24:51,579 blot out every one of your sins by the power of his blood? Answer? Yes! Here’s another 241 00:24:55,400 –> 00:25:02,400 question. Do you believe that at the point of your death, Christ will bring your soul 242 00:25:05,319 –> 00:25:12,319 immediately, consciously and joyfully into the presence of God? Answer? Yes! So I want 243 00:25:14,479 –> 00:25:20,760 you to repeat it with me. Answer? Yes! Third question. Can you trust Jesus Christ—now 244 00:25:20,760 –> 00:25:27,760 think about this—to raise your body if it were decayed by a hundred years of rotting 245 00:25:29,020 –> 00:25:36,020 in the ground, from the grave and give you a transformed body that is adapted for everlasting 246 00:25:37,000 –> 00:25:44,000 life? Answer? Yes! Now listen, if you can trust Him to save you like that, because what you’ve 247 00:25:48,300 –> 00:25:54,979 just confessed you believe is far, far, far greater than suspending the laws of gravity, 248 00:25:54,979 –> 00:26:01,979 can you not trust Him to keep you? If you can trust Him to redeem you, can you not trust 249 00:26:02,260 –> 00:26:09,260 Him to provide for you? If you can trust Him to usher you into everlasting life, can you 250 00:26:12,880 –> 00:26:19,500 not trust Him to bring you safely through the struggles of this life? And to use one 251 00:26:19,500 –> 00:26:26,500 of my favorite Americanisms, go figure! Years ago I heard a pastor who is now with 252 00:26:27,459 –> 00:26:33,579 the Lord preach a wonderful sermon on the first line of Psalm 23 that almost all of 253 00:26:33,579 –> 00:26:39,219 us will know well, you know? The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. And he called 254 00:26:39,219 –> 00:26:44,959 it, The Logic of Faith was his message. 255 00:26:44,959 –> 00:26:51,959 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. That’s the logic of faith. If He is my 256 00:26:52,579 –> 00:26:57,939 shepherd, if my whole life and my eternity has been trusted into His care, if I have 257 00:26:57,939 –> 00:27:03,739 trusted Him with the greatest issues of my life of forgiveness, and of eternity, of resurrection 258 00:27:03,739 –> 00:27:10,739 itself, then I shall not want. I may go through all kinds of storms, but having trusted him 259 00:27:13,739 –> 00:27:20,739 in this, in what can I not trust Him? 260 00:27:21,459 –> 00:27:28,459 The logic of faith. Can you grasp it? Can you grasp it? Can you teach that to your own 261 00:27:29,020 –> 00:27:36,020 soul? And then here’s the very last thing this morning. Practice the discipline of worship. 262 00:27:39,260 –> 00:27:43,979 Remember that up to verse 30, Peter’s attention has been focused on Jesus. He’s been watching 263 00:27:43,979 –> 00:27:48,180 Jesus walk on the water towards him, he’s been listening to the command of Jesus, 264 00:27:48,979 –> 00:27:53,939 he has been stepping out of the boat in a risky initiative of obedient faith. He has been walking 265 00:27:53,939 –> 00:27:59,859 by faith in the Son of God, and everything has been focused on Jesus. But now we’re told in 266 00:27:59,859 –> 00:28:07,300 verse 30, when he saw the wind, he was afraid. That’s when he began to sink. You see what happened 267 00:28:07,300 –> 00:28:14,900 very simply? As long as his attention was taken up with his glimpse of Jesus Christ, he had the 268 00:28:14,900 –> 00:28:20,819 ability and the power to fulfill the command that Jesus was giving to him. His faith prevailed. 269 00:28:21,540 –> 00:28:28,979 But when his mind became full of the strength of the wind, the height of the waves, the difficulty 270 00:28:28,979 –> 00:28:34,900 and the danger of the situation into which Jesus had called him, then he began to sink. 271 00:28:36,979 –> 00:28:42,420 Now there are many ways in which you can describe this wonderful gift that God has given to us 272 00:28:43,060 –> 00:28:48,819 that we call worship, but here is one that I think gets to the heart of it that I have found 273 00:28:48,819 –> 00:29:00,099 most helpful. That worship is the gaze of a soul upon Jesus Christ. And I take that definition 274 00:29:00,099 –> 00:29:06,660 from Psalm 27 in verse 4, where you have that great prayer of David that he longs for one thing 275 00:29:06,660 –> 00:29:10,979 that he would ask of the Lord. He wants to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of his life 276 00:29:10,979 –> 00:29:18,819 for this purpose, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. 277 00:29:20,180 –> 00:29:28,420 That’s the very heart of worship. David knew what it was for his soul to catch a glimpse 278 00:29:28,420 –> 00:29:34,660 of the glory of the Lord he could not see with his eyes. And he knew that he couldn’t 279 00:29:34,739 –> 00:29:41,380 live on an occasional experience like that, that he couldn’t have a lively faith in this 280 00:29:41,380 –> 00:29:48,500 troubled world merely on a recollection of having glimpsed Jesus by faith once or twice. 281 00:29:49,459 –> 00:29:55,140 He longs that he should, day by day, have that opportunity of getting, as it were, 282 00:29:55,140 –> 00:30:00,180 that fresh view of Jesus — like turning the corner as you are driving through the hillsides 283 00:30:00,180 –> 00:30:05,859 and you’re getting a fresh glimpse of the beauty and the glory of the Lord who is your Savior. 284 00:30:06,979 –> 00:30:09,939 Of course, this is why the worship of heaven will be so rich 285 00:30:11,219 –> 00:30:15,859 because we will have a clear and an uninterrupted view of Jesus. 286 00:30:17,459 –> 00:30:20,979 And in the Psalms, David is longing for that in advance. 287 00:30:20,979 –> 00:30:26,339 It’s what Peter got in advance when he glimpsed something more of the glory of Jesus. 288 00:30:26,339 –> 00:30:33,140 This is what worship is all about. What are we trying to do fundamentally when we gather here 289 00:30:33,140 –> 00:30:39,140 on Sunday mornings? What should we seek as we come before the Lord and open his word at home day by 290 00:30:39,140 –> 00:30:49,780 day to gain a fresh glimpse of Jesus? And why do we need that? Because that is how faith is renewed 291 00:30:50,579 –> 00:30:56,979 and how faith is sustained. So we come here today from the pressures of the week. 292 00:30:57,780 –> 00:31:04,660 We’ve been seeing the waves, we’ve been observing as it were and feeling the strength of the wind. 293 00:31:05,619 –> 00:31:14,339 And we’ve come because that is erosive to us to intentionally direct the gaze of our attention 294 00:31:14,339 –> 00:31:23,699 towards Jesus Christ. And when we see Him clearly in His Word, and as we lift our hearts to 295 00:31:24,339 –> 00:31:30,420 view Him with the eyes of the inner being, our faith is strengthened. 296 00:31:32,180 –> 00:31:39,780 So when we sing a hymn, the point as I read the words and I enter into the music is that I 297 00:31:39,939 –> 00:31:45,380 look to get a glimpse of Jesus. That’s how it’ll become meaningful to me. 298 00:31:46,979 –> 00:31:50,819 It’s the point of reading the Bible and explaining it in the sermon, because 299 00:31:52,579 –> 00:32:00,180 we’re looking to catch a fresh glimpse of Jesus in His Word. That’s a good Sunday 300 00:32:00,180 –> 00:32:05,380 where you say, you know, Jesus is more wonderful and fresher than I’d seen or known. 301 00:32:06,180 –> 00:32:10,819 It’s what the offering is all about. It’s a reminder to us of the self-giving of Jesus 302 00:32:10,819 –> 00:32:17,619 and a reminder to us that He’s provided for me in another week. And the choir sings, 303 00:32:17,619 –> 00:32:21,619 the words and the music have helped us to think already this morning about Jesus, 304 00:32:21,619 –> 00:32:31,219 He’s my Redeemer and He lives. And when we come to pray, we’re seeing in that very act, 305 00:32:32,180 –> 00:32:37,780 here’s all our problems O Lord and you’re bigger than them all. 306 00:32:39,300 –> 00:32:43,540 True worship brings Jesus into view. 307 00:32:46,660 –> 00:32:49,780 Now throughout this series, we have seen that it’s important to 308 00:32:49,780 –> 00:32:53,540 understand how we should respond to each of these varieties of doubt. 309 00:32:54,900 –> 00:32:59,619 And last week, we saw that when you have doubts that come from disappointed hopes or a broken 310 00:32:59,619 –> 00:33:06,819 heart, the discipline of honest confession is very, very helpful. Pour it all out before God. 311 00:33:09,060 –> 00:33:13,300 Let me suggest to you that when it comes to fear, the prescription is very different 312 00:33:15,060 –> 00:33:18,579 because if you take all your fears that you can possibly imagine 313 00:33:18,579 –> 00:33:21,699 and you turn your prayer time into pouring all of them out before God, 314 00:33:21,699 –> 00:33:28,739 you know what your prayer time will become? It’ll be an exercise in worrying on your knees. 315 00:33:29,699 –> 00:33:38,099 And that’s no good. It’ll help you not one bit. So, here’s the prescription where we struggle 316 00:33:38,099 –> 00:33:50,180 with fear. Stop looking at it and get your eyes fixed on Jesus and that’s what worship is all 317 00:33:50,180 –> 00:33:57,219 about. That’s why you need it. That’s why we must bring Jesus into view. We are to fill our minds 318 00:33:57,219 –> 00:34:02,979 not with the waves, but with the greatness and the power and the glory and the beauty of the Savior 319 00:34:02,979 –> 00:34:10,260 until we come to the point where we say, I can trust Him even in this kind of a wind. 320 00:34:10,260 –> 00:34:15,939 And that’s exactly what Peter did. He became afraid, he was beginning to sink, but he cried 321 00:34:15,939 –> 00:34:22,419 out, Lord, save me. And immediately, Jesus reached out His hand and caught him, O you of little faith, 322 00:34:23,379 –> 00:34:28,580 Why did you doubt? The marvelous thing is that the security of Peter doesn’t depend on the 323 00:34:28,580 –> 00:34:33,060 strength of his faith, but on the strength of the hand of Jesus, who catches him. 324 00:34:35,060 –> 00:34:38,179 Charles Price has made a wonderful comment, with which I close. 325 00:34:39,860 –> 00:34:51,459 The waves, he says, that threatened to be over Peter’s head were under Jesus’ feet. 326 00:34:51,459 –> 00:35:03,780 Don’t you love that? And what is it that threatens to be over your head? It’s under Jesus’ feet.