Fear or Faith is a choice!

Scripture: Luke 8:22-25 Verse 25, “Where is your faith?”

Introduction: As we journey through life, we face a variety of different situations, some good, and others bad. It is in these bad and dangerous situations, that we have to choose between being overcome by fear, or overcoming the fear and the dangerous situation by choosing to exercise our faith in God and his Word.

Some of you reading this may have just passed through such a situation, others of you may be in the midst of such a situation, and still others of you will one day be faced with such difficult situations. In John 16, Jesus had been speaking to his disciples about such things as grief, and pain. Then in John 16:33 niv, Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you might have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

In Luke 8:22-25 we have the record of Jesus and his disciples in a dangerous storm on the Sea of Galilee. The disciples chose to focus upon the storm, and they were filled with fear, while Jesus chose to believe the words he spoke at the beginning of the journey, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake.” The disciples, in their fearful state came to Jesus with a sense of desperation, and said, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown.”

It was because of the different focus of Jesus and his disciples that Jesus asked his disciples, “Where is your faith?” We need to know that fear is a negative expectation, and faith is a positive expectation. So where is your faith, is it focused on the storm, or is it focused on God and his Word?

What does faith and fear have in common?

1. Both faith and fear come as a result of our focus: Faith comes as we focus upon God and His Word! Romans 10:17 “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” In our story, as the disciples focused upon the wind and the waves, they became fearful and cried out to Jesus, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown.”

2. Both faith and fear bring results into our lives. Faith brought peace and positive expectation into the life of Jesus. The peace allowed him to sleep in the midst of the storm, and he expected to arrive safely on the other side of the lake. Fear brought anxiety and negative expectation into the lives of the disciples. Fear caused them to think that they were in the process of drowning, and they would not reach the other side of the lake.

3. Both faith and fear rule out the possibility of each other. If you have faith, you will overcome the possibility of fear, and if you have fear you hinder the possibility of faith. Neither one is compatible with the other. In Psalm 56:11 “In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.” At the point of faith there is no place for fear. Jesus was resting at the point of faith, and there was no place for fear. Then in Psalm 56:3: “When I am afraid, I will trust in you.” At the point of being afraid, there can be a determination to move out of fear to faith, but faith cannot dwell where there is fear. The disciples were at the point of fear as the storm came upon their boat, and their crying out to Jesus was an expression of their desire to move toward the point of faith.

What are the contrasting differences between faith and fear?

1. Faith brings us to focus upon positive possibilities, while fear brings us to focus upon negative possibilities.

2. Faith brings us to the possession of good and desirable things, while fear brings us to the possession of bad and undesirable things.

3. Faith brings us into a positive state of mind even in the most difficult times (Romans 8:28). While fear brings us into a negative state of mind, and most of the things that we fear as coming upon us, never happen. (Philippians 4:6-7).

As Jesus faced the storms of life, he made right choices because of two principles that governed his life. Those two principles are clearly stated in John 5:19 “… the Son can do nothing of himself; he can only do what he sees the Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” 1. The Son can do nothing of himself … he did not have a self-centered faith … he knew his own limitations. 2. The Son only does what he sees the Father do. But he did have a God-centered faith. He knew that when the Father showed him what he should do, he had faith in God that he could do it! This is a picture of the perfect faith of Jesus in relationship to his Father.

How can the model of Jesus’ faith come to be applied my life? Hebrews 12:1-2.

1. In verse one, there is a reference back to that which has been written in the Hebrews 11 faith chapter … neither of the words, faith or fear are actually mentioned in verse one, but there is an inference to both of them. The words, “… since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses” is a reference to the experience of the men and women of faith in Hebrews 11. Each of them, by their lives, affirm the positive results of faith! Then the words, “… let us throw off every thing that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles” is a reference to the fears that prevent the possession of an effective faith walk with God. Then the words, “… and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,” is a challenge to possess a faith that overcomes fear.

How can we develop a stronger faith that overcomes fear?

Verse two contains several significant statements in answer to this question: 1. “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus,” not on the difficult situation in our life at this moment. The word, “fix,” means to “look or focus attentively upon.”

2. Jesus is the “author and the finisher of faith.” Jesus is the originator and completer of faith in the life of the believer.

The storms of life that have come to Glenna and I in 55 years of pastoral ministry. These storms have been occasions in which God developed and strengthened our faith. But the greatest developments of my faith personally, have come to me when I have heard the inner voice of God’s Spirit calling me to do a certain thing. Then as I have been obedient to that voice of God, by stepping out in faith, I have experienced my greatest growth in faith. I believe that this is in harmony with Romans 10:17 where it states, “Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” The Greek word, rhema is used in the translation of “word,” in the case of the phrase, “word of God.” Rhema is a current word spoken into the heart of an individual, giving that individual, personal direction. It was a rhema word that I heard directing me to establish the Emmaus Place Society. Time has proven that Emmaus Place Society was not just a good idea, it was a God idea. So when I obeyed that word from God, two things occurred. The many steps of obedience that I was called upon to take brought considerable development to my personal faith in God! In addition to that, the operation of the non-profit society has brought great blessing to many people, including members of the society’s board, employees involved in the operation of Emmaus House, as well as the seniors who have been blessed by living in the senior supportive housing unit. For all of this we render our thanks to the Lord!

See the posting: "It's All About the Development of our Faith."