Do Not be Afraid – 9

 Do Not be Afraid – 9

Subject – Do Overcome Fear, Do Not Look Down

by Rick Welborne

Matthew 14:22‑33 (NKJV) 

22 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. 

23 And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. 

24 But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. 

25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. 

26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear. 

27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid." 

28 And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." 

29 So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 

30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" 

31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" 

32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 

33 Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, "Truly You are the Son of God." 

–Last week:

1. The cave is a place where I can actually see that failure can be my teacher.

2. The cave is a place where I can definitely learn from my mistakes and failures but also a place I can learn God’s plan.

Isaiah 55:8‑11 (NLT) 

8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 

9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. 

10 “The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. 

11 It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. 

3. The cave is the place where we can find our ultimate refuge.

Hebrews 2:17‑18 (NIV) 

17 For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 

18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. 

–Tonight’s message:

1. One of the greatest lessons in life to overcome fear is: Don’t Look Down!

–Whether it is snow skiing, climbing a mountain, crossing a swinging bridge, turning on a motorcycle, or some crazy ride at a theme park...the key to your conquering your fear is Don’t Look Down! 

–For however long Peter could...he walked on the water...then, we are told three things that happened: The focus of his attention shifted from Jesus to the storm...he saw the wind!

–Once this happened, his thoughts and feelings shifted from being focused on Jesus to focusing on the storm ...He became frightened. He looked down!

–This in turn, disrupted his ability to continue walking on the water in Jesus’ power—he began to sink and cried out...Jesus, save me!

–I am a connoisseur of the old cartoons...this new stuff is so twisted in so many ways and if you listen to much of it...there are hidden messages...adult themes not child friendly.

–Give me Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, Foghorn Leghorn, Tasmanian Devil, and Road Runner. Wile E. Coyote always got my attention...I wanted him to catch the RR.

–He was always funny when he would run off the edge of a cliff but would not begin to fall until he looked down...He would have been ok but He looked down.

Psalm 3:1‑3 (NKJV) 

1 LORD, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me. 

2 Many are they who say of me, "There is no help for him in God." Selah 

3 But You, O LORD, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head. 

–Even when your enemies and problems have increased remember He is your glory and the One Who lifts up your head. Don’t look down!

–It does not really matter what others think about you...it is God Who will sustain you and lift up your head.

Psalm 27:4‑6 (NKJV) 

4 One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple. 

5 For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock. 

6 And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.  

–When Jesus asked Peter why he doubted...I don’t think He was just blaming Peter...I think as any good teacher He was wanting Peter to learn from his experience.

2. We must realize that hope is the fuel that helps us overcome fear.

–Matthew seems to want us to understand something clearly...while Peter’s mind was focused on the Lord, he was empowered to walk on water.

–But when his focus was on the storm...his fear short-circuited his ability to receive God’s sustaining power.

Hope got Peter out of the boat...Trust held him up...Fear sank him.

–Everything hinged on whether Peter was focused on the Savior or on the storm. There is a condition of the mind that is essential for us to live the kind of lives we want to live...Call it hope, trust, or confidence.

–It is the single greatest difference between those who try and those who give up. When it is lost, like Peter we are sunk. Don’t look down.

–Hope is the fuel that the human heart runs on. A car crash or a diving accident can paralyze a body, but the death of hope paralyzes the spirit.

–Hope is what makes a young couple and in this area (the not so young) to stand before a preacher and say “I do” though they have no guarantees.

–Hope is what fuels the same couple, many years later, after broken hearts and broken promises, to give their promise another try. Hope is why human being keep bringing children into a messed up world.

–Hope is why there are hospitals and universities...most of our older universities were Christian at their beginning. Hope is why there are counselors and therapist and why the Tampa Bay Buccaneers keep trying.

–No composer of music would struggle as he does over his notes and bars without a glimmer of hope that something of beauty will emerge.

–When he was an old man, the master painter Henri Matisse was crippled by arthritis. Wrapping his fingers around a brush was painful; painting was agony. Someone asked him why he kept painting...  

Matisse: The pain goes away; the beauty endures.

That is hope. Pablo Casals continued to practice the cello five hours a day after he was recognized to be the world’s greatest cellist, even when he was so old that his practice exhausted him...Someone asked him why he did it...I think I am getting better.

–The story of every Bible character God uses is a story of hope:

--Hope is what made Abraham leave his home...hope is what made Moses take on Pharaoh. Hope is what made the prophets take on the corruption of their day.

3. Our capacity to have hope, and to stay focused on the presence and power of God in our lives, is vital.

–We can suffer the loss of a lot of things but no one can live without hope. When we forget this truth we are like the steel worker walking on an I-beam 300 feet up and starts to look down.

–When we become more focused on the overwhelming nature of the storm than on the overwhelming presence of God, we are in trouble. The Bible calls this losing heart.

Luke 18:1 (NKJV) 

1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 

2 Corinthians 4:1 (NKJV) 

1 Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.

–What ministry is this speaking of and why we do not lose heart?

2 Corinthians 3:17‑18 (NKJV) 

17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 

18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.  

Galatians 6:7‑9 (NKJV) 

7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 

8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 

9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 

–You see, losing heart is the total opposite of having hope...Listen to David:

Psalm 27:12‑14 (NKJV) 

12 Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence. 

13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living. 

14 Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD! 

–David said I would have lost heart but I had hope (I believed) that I would see the goodness of God. God never wants us to fail but we have to be so careful to wait on God and let Him strengthen our hearts.

–When you are faced with adversity...what do you see?  Do you see giants or do you trust God?

–The twelve spies saw the same thing that Joshua and Caleb saw, they faced the same situation, but reached two diametrically opposed conclusions.

–The twelve saw giants so big that they should not be hit but Joshua and Caleb saw giants so big they could not miss them when they fought.

–The truth is, we all face giants...but what do you see...do you see a foe too large or do you see a big God? Are you focused on God when the giants are before you? What do you see today? A mess or God?

Luke 21:28 (NKJV) 

28 Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."