February 19, 2010
would you rather live in fear or walk in faith?
Matthew 14:22-36
Tracy Lau
Central Truth
God does not want us to be afraid. Instead, He wants us to have faith in Him!
Key Verse | Matthew 14:27
But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." (Matthew 14:27)
Matthew 14:22-36
Jesus Walks on the Water
22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat by this time was a long way 1 14:24 Greek many stadia, a stadion was about 607 feet or 185 meters from the land, 2 14:24 Some manuscripts was out on the sea beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night 3 14:25 That is, between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. he came to them, walking on the sea. 26 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. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”
28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, 4 14:30 Some manuscripts strong wind he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret
34 And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent around to all that region and brought to him all who were sick 36 and implored him that they might only touch the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.
Dive Deeper | Matthew 14:22-36
If we are honest with ourselves, most of us struggle with being afraid. Webster's defines the word afraid as: "feeling fear; filled with apprehension." Whether it is being afraid that we don't have what it takes, fearing the unknown, or being frightened of walking through a hard situation, fear is a common struggle. I found it interesting that in the NIV, the word afraid is present in 206 verses, 96 of which say, "Do not be afraid." Easier said than done, right?
Even though Peter knew Jesus was with him, Peter was scared of the wind. Jesus, the visible image of the invisible God, the Lord of Lords, King of Kings, Alpha and Omega, all powerful, almighty, sovereign Lord was with him. Yet, Peter was still afraid. I love that Jesus challenges him on his "little faith" and asks, "Why did you doubt?" That is a question I often ask myself!
I happen to be a believer who struggles with being afraid. I usually refer to it as fear. In particular, fear of what people think of me and any situation that would affect that. I used to be consumed with thoughts about what I thought other people thought of me. This fear turned into anxiety and sinfully worrying. God used the ministry of Celebrate Recovery to show me that my unhealthy coping mechanisms were related to my ultimate struggle with fear, which was really a lack of faith in God. Before, I justified my "stress" and denied the fact that I was dwelling on those anxious thoughts that often included both the "what ifs" and dwelling on things that were not true!
Paul tells us something different in Philippians 4:4-9. He tells us to rejoice in the Lord always, not to be anxious about anything, to pray with thanksgiving, and to present our requests to God. He proceeds to tell us what to think on, namely what is true! The more you know God through prayer and through His Word, which reveals His character, the more faith and trust you will have in Him!
Discussion Questions
1. What are you afraid of? Are you trusting God to take care of those fears? Why or why not?
2. How well do you know God? Do you know enough about His character to trust Him? If not, what next step can you take to get to know God better? (Spending time alone with God in prayer and in His Word, getting involved in a Bible study, taking a class to equip you like Equipped Disciple?)
3. Are you accepting living in fear as a way of life? If so, what next steps can you take?
FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What caused Peter to sink?
2. Have you ever been so afraid of the hard things in your life that you took your eyes off of Jesus?
3. What will you do the next time hard things come?