Sermons
Afraid of the Unknown
Sun, Apr 02, 2017
Teacher: Mark Hull Series: Sunday Sermons - 2017 Scripture: John 6:15-21
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Fear of the Unknown John 6: 15 – 21
I once read the story of a man who was hitch hiking on a very dark night in the middle of a storm. It was late at night and no cars were passing. The storm was fierce and the winds strong he could hardly see a few feet ahead.
Suddenly, he saw a car coming towards him and stop. Without further thought, he got in the back seat of the car and the car began to slowly make its way down the road. But when he looked up front to thank the driver he realized THERE WAS NOBODY behind the wheel.
Just then he noticed that the car was headed for a curve but just before the car reached the curve, a hand appeared through the window and slowly turned the steering wheel. He closed his eyes and began to pray… and when he opened his eyes again he saw that the car was approaching another curve. And again a hand appeared and steered the car around the curve.
Filled with fear, he leaped from the car and ran for his life. Before long he saw a diner alongside the road and shaking from the cold and from his fear he ordered a hot cup of coffee. As he drank his coffee he told anyone who’d listen about the horrible experience he’s just been thru.
A silence hung over the diner as the man began to weep.
About half an hour later, two guys walk into the same diner… and one says to the other,
"Hey Bob, isn’t that the guy who jumped into the car when we were pushing it down the road?"
Now, who did that hitch-hiker THINK was driving that car? Maybe a GHOST
Keep that in the back of your mind for now as we consider a little background on our story this morning. It’s retold in Matthew, Mark and John.
The text for our lesson this morning is found in John 6 : 15 – 21 I am reading from the Revised Standard Version
15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into a boat, and started across the sea to Caper′na-um.
It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18 The sea rose because a strong wind was blowing. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles,[a] they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat. They were frightened, 20 but he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” 21 Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.
The disciples have been out on the Sea of Galilee headed for home. And it’s been a rough night. They’ve been rowing hard against a stormy sea for several hours and now it’s about 3 in the morning.
The day before was when Jesus had fed the 5000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish, and we’re told in Mark 6:45-46 that after that miracle, Jesus “…45 made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away. 46 And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.
The Gospel of Matthew tells us a little more about this incident in Chapter 14 verses 24-26: … 24 But the boat was now in the middle of the sea,[a] 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.
But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear.
Matthew goes on to tell us the story about how Peter asked Jesus if he could come walk on the water too… and Jesus said “Well, come on out.” And Peter actually walked on the water himself… but when he took his eyes off Jesus and focused on the wind and waves… he began to sink.
But this morning - we’re not going to talk about that part of the story.
Peter’s experience is not mentioned in the Gospel of John. There appears to be something else here that God want us to see. Something about the idea of fear of the unknown.
In fact that’s the one fact that stands out in this story. The disciples were afraid.
The Gospels of Mark and Matthew say that WHEN they saw Jesus they thought they were seeing a ghost. Now why would they think He’s a ghost?
Well… because nobody walks on water! In fact NOBODY should be here… unless they’re in a boat! But this person is walking ON the water. That’s not normal… that’s not supposed to happen. It’s a miracle… but they’re not prepared to see a miracle.
Lots of folks aren’t prepared to see miracles.
About 10 years ago, a physicist named Paul Davies found evidence for an intelligent designer - God) but then he said: “As a physicist, I feel very uncomfortable with a God who intervenes” in human affairs.
What’s he saying? He says he’s not prepared to see miracles.
Why? Because he rejects the idea of a supernatural power that would have the power to change the laws of nature that HE is comfortable with.
And he’s not the only one to have ever rejected the idea of God intervening.
From what I understand about what is written about Thomas Jefferson, he believed in God… but he was so offended by the idea that God would intervene in the course of human history that he put together his own Bible – The Jefferson Bible. He literally cut and pasted numerous sections from the New Testament with a razor and glue and excluded all of the miracles of Jesus and … most of the passages that mention the supernatural, including sections from the gospels that told the story of the Resurrection.
Why would he do that? Because folks ought not to walk on water; or feed 5000 people with just a little bit of food; or heal the lame and the blind and the leprous with a single touch. And they DEFINITELY don’t come back from the dead. It’s just not natural.
But now I can understand that thinking from agnostics and atheists. Those folks don’t buy into our God anyway! But these are Jesus’ disciples out in that boat… they’ve SEEN Him do miracles! Why should they be surprised at His walking on the water?
Well, 1st - they’d never seen Him do that before.
And 2ndly – because the nature of miracles is that… they’re not normal.
I have seen God do plenty of supernatural things. I’ve seen God heal people who should have died. I’ve seen God supply money where no one thought that money would come. I’ve seen God intercede in my life, time and time and time again. You’d think, after a while I’d get used to that. But even after having seen all God’s power time and time again EVERY TIME I see it happen… I am STILL amazed at what He does.
Miracles amaze us because they’re not normal.
One man once said: "If they were happening every day, they wouldn't be called miracles. They'd be called regulars."
So I’m not troubled by the disciples struggling with this miracle. They weren’t rejecting the idea that Jesus could do miracles. They just weren’t ready for THIS ONE.
Part of the reason the disciples didn’t recognize this event as a miracle was because they didn’t recognize Jesus.
Have you ever been out somewhere and met somebody and you know that you know them, but you can’t place them? There have been occasions where I have held conversations with parents of one of my past students and after they leave… my wife will ask me “You have no idea who they were do you?” and I admit, NOPE not at this time.
But why didn’t we recognize them? Well… because they’re NOT WHERE you’re used to seeing them.
You see… the disciples weren’t looking for Jesus. As far as they knew, He was still back on the other shore. They’re not expecting Him to show up at this moment.
Some might say that the disciples were at fault because they’d left Jesus behind…
But that’s not true. Remember that we read in Mark 6:45-46 Jesus “…made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.”
It wasn’t their fault that Jesus wasn’t with them. Jesus had MADE them get into their boat. He probably said something like “You guys go on home and I’ll catch up with you later”.
But now, that begs the question of WHY Jesus would do that. Well the most obvious reason is the one stated in the text: Jesus wanted some ALONE TIME to pray
But I think there’s more to it than that. I think Jesus knew all about the storm the Disciples were about to encounter. I think He knew the wind and waves will be against them. He knew how they’ll have to struggle with the oars. AND He knew how they’ll react when He shows up… walking on the water.
I think Jesus did this on purpose! I think He intended to teach them a lesson on fear.
The disciples have been out on the sea rowing hard for hours. Yes, the water was rough, the winds were harsh… and it was 3 in the morning. But THAT doesn’t seem to bother them. These are things they know. Things they’re familiar with. They’re not afraid of the sea.
So what is it that they’re afraid of?
They were afraid of the unknown. They didn’t think they were seeing Jesus on the sea… they thought they were seeing a ghost.
Fear is a response to the unknown. People get afraid of all kinds of things: financial difficulties, unemployment, sickness, death, etc. etc. etc.
But almost without exception the one thing folks get most afraid of is something that hasn’t happened yet. And that fear of the unknown robs them of their life and their joy.
It’s fear of the unknown that often traps us in despair. There’s a true story about a woman who came to a counselor in despair. She was an older woman whose son lived with her in a small apartment. Her son was a lazy good for nothing free loader who did nothing all day except sit in front of the TV or sleep while she worked several hard hours a day. When she would get home, he'd ask her what was for supper.
She had just been to the doctor and had been informed that she MUST take time off and get bed rest and not do any significant labor if she was to regain her health. She came to the counselor hoping he could help her figure her way out of her situation.
The counselor then asked if she was a Christian. "Yes," she replied.
"What will happen if you take the time off?" he asked.
"Well, we'll run out of money, our food will eventually run out and the rent will not get paid."
"Then what will happen?" he asked.
"I'll probably get sicker each day." she responded.
"Then what will happen?"
"I'll probably die!"
"Ok, then what will happen?"
She paused for a few moments considering this and then said, "I guess I'll go to be with Jesus."
He looked in her eyes and then asked, "If you're a Christian, isn't that an acceptable alternative?"
Somehow this gave her a new insight and courage to face her difficulties. So, she went home to her apartment and went to bed. When her lazy son came home. Finding her in bed, he asked what was wrong.
"I'm sick," she responded.
"Well, aren't you going to work?"
"I can't. I won't be able to go back to work for some time?"
Taken back, he looked around and then asked "but how will we buy food?"
"I don't know, I guess we won't be able to get any."
"But we'll starve! What are we going to do?"
"I guess, we might die."
The next day, he went out and got a job.
Fear of the unknown traps us in despair. And that’s the situation Jesus placed His disciples in. He wanted them to face that fear in their own lives. And then, He gave them the cure for that fear.
Do you remember what He did to help them deal with their fear?
It wasn’t another miracle or a sign from heaven. We’re told “… They were frightened. But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” John 6:19-20
And that was it! Those few simple words removed their fear.
I believe you can find over 150 times in Scripture where we are told “Do not fear. Fear not. Don’t be afraid”.
Here Jesus is saying: “It’s me. Don’t be afraid”
Or another way of saying it… “I’m here now. It’s OK. I’ve got it under control.”
It’s kind of like the time when Joshua was about to up against Jericho. God says to him in Joshua 1:9
‘Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your GOD WILL BE WITH YOU wherever you go.’
And that’s OUR promise as well. God has promised us “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5
That’s the Jesus we believe in. The Jesus who can heal the sick, raise the dead, feed 1000s with little bit of nothing. The Jesus who can walk on water. But more than that He’s the Jesus who not only has such great power… but has such great love for us that we need to fear NOTHING.
It’s little wonder, that after Jesus stepped into the boat with His disciples, Matthew 14:33 tells us: “… those in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’”
Once they recognized Jesus… it changed their fear to joy.
I would like to close with the following story:
The early American Indians had a unique practice of training young braves.
On the night of a boy’s thirteenth birthday, after learning hunting, scouting, and fishing skills, he was put to one final test.
He was placed in a dense forest to spend the entire night alone.
Until then, he had never been away from the security of the family and tribe.
But on this night, he was blindfolded and taken several miles away.
When he took off the blindfold, he was in the middle of a thick woods, and he was terrified.
Every time a twig snapped, he visualized a wild animal ready to pounce.
After what seemed like an eternity, dawn broke and the first rays of sunlight entered the interior of the forest.
Looking around, the boy saw flowers, trees, and the outline of a path.
Then to his utter astonishment, he beheld the figure of a man standing just a few feet away, armed with bow and arrow.
It was his father.
He had been there all night long.
Invitation
Based on a Sermon
by Jeff Strite
Where and when we meet
Chardon, Ohio 44024