Reasons Why NOT to FEAR (Part 19)

Today I will continue my current series entitled, REASONS WHY NOT TO FEAR! 

Here is Reason #19 why NOT to fear: YOUR DIVINE PURPOSE!  Let’s talk about it.

(Mark 4:35-40 ERV)

35 That day, at evening, Jesus said to his followers, “Come with me across the lake.”

36 So they left the crowd behind and went with Jesus in the boat he was already in. There were also other boats that went with them.

37 A very bad wind came up on the lake. The waves were coming over the sides and into the boat, and it was almost full of water. 

38 Jesus was inside the boat, sleeping with his head on a pillow. The followers went and woke him. They said, “Teacher, don’t you care about us? We are going to drown!”

39 Jesus stood up and gave a command to the wind and the water. He said, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind stopped, and the lake became calm.

40 He said to his followers, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

So what does this mean for you today?  A few things.

1.  When you are convinced of God’s purpose for your life, you can sleep through the storms that come.

a)  Jesus was on this planet for a purpose.  Jesus knew He was not a mistake. He was placed on the earth for the Father’s intended purposes and He was convinced that the only person who could stop God’s purposes from coming to pass, was Himself, if he ever decided to operate in human disobedience to the Father’s plans.  Guess what? Everything that was true for Jesus is true for you. You are on this planet because your heavenly Father chose to send you here for such a time as this. You are not a mistake. You were placed here on purpose and the only person who can stop that purpose from coming to pass is YOU if you choose to disobey God’s plans.   

b)  When you are convinced of your divine purpose, and you know the things that God has revealed to you about your future, that have not come to pass yet, you are not moved by the opposition.  Because you have already seen past it. God has already given you a glimpse of what the future holds. So while God did not show you all the storms, challenges and opposition will have to endure and overcome along the way, if you truly are convinced that what God revealed SHALL come to pass, you are able to sleep through the storms.

c)  In our text (Mark 4:35-40), Jesus told His disciples that they were going to the other side of the lake.  He only said what He heard the Father say, so Jesus was convinced that He had purpose waiting for Him on the other side.  Therefore, He was not concerned about getting there. Jesus was physically tired from performing ministry, so He went to sleep inside the boat, with His head on a pillow.  A storm came. It was a bad storm. It was so bad that time-tested fishermen, like Peter, James, and John, were afraid that they were going to die. The waves were coming over the sides and into the boat.  The boat was almost full of water. And through all of this, Jesus was sleeping. He was sleeping through the storm.  

While Jesus was sleeping, the disciples were ‘freaking out’.   They woke Jesus up. They said, “Teacher, don’t you care about us?  We are going to drown!”  Jesus got up and dealt with the situation.  But notice what He did not say when it was over.  Jesus did not say, “Hey guys, I’m sorry.  I should have let you know that we sometimes have to deal with storms in life.”  He did not say, “Hey guys, it’s understandable that you are afraid.  Anyone would be afraid in this situation.”  NO. What Jesus asked was, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”  These are questions that are very pertinent to today.

d)  I could take the angle of saying, “Hey, when Jesus is in your boat, you should be okay.  When Jesus is in your boat, you should not be afraid.” But that is not the angle I am taking.  I don’t want you to identify with the disciples in the text. Far too many people do that. I want you to identify with JESUS in the text.  Jesus was not just an example FOR us. He was an example OF us. As Jesus is, so are we, in this world (1 John 4:17). When you see Jesus as your example, and you identify with Him in this text, you realize that you can sleep through any storm that comes your way on the path to your ultimate destination — the completion of your divine purpose.  

e)  If you are convinced, like Jesus was, that you are on this planet for a reason and that God’s purpose for your life is not complete, then you will not be afraid of dying.  You will be convinced that satan cannot take you out, because you are in God’s hands. You will only die when you are DONE! This is a message that is much needed in the world today!  We need to be SO convinced of what God has revealed to us about our future, that we are not moved by storms and tests. As a matter of fact, we can sleep through the storms!

2.  Fear is an indication that you are not operating in faith.

a)  When the disciples that they were going to die, in the boat, in the middle of a storm, while Jesus was sleeping, Jesus asked them two questions.  He asked, “Why are you afraid?  Do you still have no faith?”  If you are struggling with fear this morning, especially the fear of COVID-19, ask yourself those two questions.

b)  Faith is not about you convincing God to do anything.  Faith is what happens when God convinces you of your divine purpose!

c)  The writer of Hebrews said, “Now faith is the assurance that what we hope for will come about and the certainty that what we cannot see exists” (Heb 11:1 ESV).  Faith comes down to simply being sure and certain.  You must be sure of what God said/promised and certain that He will deliver on His promises, even when you cannot validate the promises with your senses.  You must be sure and certain even when the promise makes no sense at all.  And you must be sure and certain until you see in your hands what you have already received in your heart.  This is a much-needed reminder for us today.

d)  To live by faith your confidence must be in God and what HE HAS ALREADY DONE!  If God revealed something to you about your future, you must realize that for Him, in heaven, in eternity, it is ALREADY DONE.  For us, in the earth, it is only a matter of time. If you truly believe this, then when something bad happens, like COVID-19, you are not moved, because while this pandemic caught you off-guard, it did not catch God off-guard.  God already knew it would come, and He called you anyway. God already knew the world would be in this situation, and He gave you those promises anyway. That means that you will get through this. Those promises are still waiting for you on the other side of the storm.  If you believe that, you can sleep through the storm. If you truly believe that, COVID-19 will not rob you of your peace!

That’s enough for today.

Declaration of Faith: 

Father, I am a believer and not a doubter.  I walk by faith and not by fear. I walk by faith and not by sight.  I believe every Word You have ever spoken over my life. I believe every promise You have revealed to me.  And I will continue to believe until I see, in my hands, what You revealed, in my heart. I am not moved by what I see down here.  I am only moved by what You reveal from UP THERE! I live by every Word You speak to me. I live by the Holy Spirit. I am not trying to convince You to give me what I want.  You have already convinced me to believe and receive what You want. This is the life of faith. This is how I live every day! So come what may, I am convinced that Your purpose will be manifested in my life.  I am so convinced, that when storms come, I am able to sleep through the storms! I declare this by faith! In Jesus’ name. Amen!

This is Today’s Word.  Apply it and prosper!