AND HE WOULD’VE PASSED THEM BY
(Mark 6:45 KJV) And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida,
while he sent away the people.
(Mark 6:46 KJV) And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.
(Mark 6:47 KJV) And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land.
(Mark 6:48 KJV) And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he
cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.
(Mark 6:49 KJV) But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out:
(Mark 6:50 KJV) For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer:
it is I; be not afraid.
(Mark 6:51 KJV) And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure,
and wondered.
We see this scripture and often wonder, why would Jesus pass his disciples by? Jesus answered this question when he said,"it is I Be not afraid".
We as children of God should be afraid of nothing. We should know that the Lord has all things in control. God doesn’t want us to fear and as
we look at this issue of fear we will learn that fear is unacceptable to the Lord.
(1 John 4:17 KJV) Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
(1 John 4:18 KJV) There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
Perfect love casts out fear! The reason we fear is because our love is not perfected. Love for what you may ask? Love for God! Knowing the
Love of God, trusting God and having a perfect love for God that is what we need to perfect our love. The Disciples, in the above verses, had
not yet perfected their love for God and when they saw Jesus they were afraid. Jesus, who’s love is perfect, knew their love wasn’t perfected
yet and was set to teach them a lesson. Jesus was teaching the disciples that HE was indeed God and that there was nothing impossible for Him.
John learned that lesson, hence his admonation in 1 john 4:17-18.
(Mat 10:25 KJV) It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house
Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?
(Mat 10:26 KJV) Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.
(Mat 10:27 KJV) What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.
(Mat 10:28 KJV) And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both
soul and body in hell.
We live this present life in the flesh. The flesh at times tends to be extremely fearful. We are called to walk in the spirit, however, and that is
what Jesus is talking about in the above verses. We as Christians are going to be persecuted in this life but we must focus on the life to come.
We must overcome the flesh and walk in the spirit.
(Rom 8:13 KJV) For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
(Rom 8:14 KJV) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
(Rom 8:15 KJV) For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry,
Abba, Father.
Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear. Fear is an indicator to us that we are walking after the flesh and not after the spirit.
Look at how many times in the scriptures that and Angel or even Jesus says…fear not! We who are born again should not be afraid of
our heavenly brothers. We are heirs, and fellow heirs with Christ Jesus.
(Rom 8:16 KJV) The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
(Rom 8:17 KJV) And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be
also glorified together.
Know this! If we fear them that can destroy the flesh then we will not suffer with Christ but rather adept ourselves to this world to
avoid persecution.
(Phil 1:13 KJV) So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places;
(Phil 1:14 KJV) And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word
without fear.
How can we preach the word of God if we fear men? In a world of political correctness, men fear to even speak their minds, and these
are worldly men. Laws have been passed in different states and governments that make it against the law to speak out against
homosexuality. I am here to tell you today that Homosexuality and lesbianism is wrong and sinful and will send one to Hell if they
partake in these sins. Many "Church" leaders today fear the government more then God and will not speak out about the sin of
Homosexuality. These supposed church leaders are not made perfect in Love for God and will answer to him for not standing up
against sin.
(2 Tim 1:7 KJV) For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
If God doesn’t give us a spirit of fear then who does? That’s right, the devil does! The spirit of fear is a demonic spirit that has no place
in the life of a Christian. If you are feeling fearful, rebuke that spirit and it must flee.
(Heb 13:5 KJV) Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never
leave thee, nor forsake thee.
(Heb 13:6 KJV) So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
I have heard many men say that they will not share the food that they have stored up for tribulation, I will shoot them first. The Lord has told
me beyond a shadow of a doubt that if someone comes to you hungry, during the tribulation, and you don’t give them any food because you
are afraid you wont have enough for you and your family, the Lord will send the government in and take what food that you have.
God expects us to give, even to a enemy if he is hungry, and therefore show the Love of the Lord to those people. We as children of God
should trust God to provide for our needs if we continue to do righteously to those around us. Look at these scriptures.
(Mark 6:35 KJV) And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is
far passed:
(Mark 6:36 KJV) Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for
they have nothing to eat.
(Mark 6:37 KJV) He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred
pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?
(Mark 6:38 KJV) He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.
(Mark 6:39 KJV) And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.
(Mark 6:40 KJV) And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.
(Mark 6:41 KJV) And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves,
and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.
(Mark 6:42 KJV) And they did all eat, and were filled.
(Mark 6:43 KJV) And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.
(Mark 6:44 KJV) And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.
I will guarantee you that those baskets of Fish and Bread did not all the sudden fill up to the full. Those baskets only contained the 5 loaves
and 2 fishes. Each time the disciples stuck their hands into the basket there just happened to be another piece of fish there and some more
bread. They even took up 12 baskets of fragments after all had eaten. This is how God can provide for your needs if you will trust him.
Here is another example.
(1 Ki 17:13 KJV) And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto
me, and after make for thee and for thy son.
(1 Ki 17:14 KJV) For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day
that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.
(1 Ki 17:15 KJV) And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.
(1 Ki 17:16 KJV) And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake
by Elijah.
Here is a perfect example of how we should act during tribulation. The woman and her son was down to their last bit of food. A stranger
shows up and asks her to make him a cake. She believed the prophet of God, is obedient, and now has enough to whether the famine.
I also believe that the little widow woman didn’t all the sudden have a barrel full of meal and a cruse filled with oil. The woman just always
found that there was always more meal each time she reached into the barrel and that oil always poured out when she tipped it to pour.
I give these examples to you so that you may know that if we continue, even during great tribulation, to live Godly, we can have a blessed
assurance that the Lord will see us through those days and we will not starve to death. Fear not!
(Judg 7:2 KJV) And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands,
lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.
(Judg 7:3 KJV) Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart
early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.
God told Gideon to send the fearful home. A war is no place for fearful soldiers as they could just as soon shoot their fellow countrymen and
shoot the enemies. We, who are children of God, are supposed to be warriors for God. We are supposed to be on the
front lines doing battle against Satan and evil. If we are fearful then how can we effectively fight the good fight of faith?
(Mat 8:23 KJV) And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.
(Mat 8:24 KJV) And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.
(Mat 8:25 KJV) And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.
(Mat 8:26 KJV) And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and
there was a great calm.
Here is the reason men are fearful! They are lacking in faith! The disciples should of known that nothing was going to happen to them with
Jesus in the ship. This was proof that the disciples still didn’t believe in the Lord with all their hearts.
(Luke 21:10 KJV) Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:
(Luke 21:11 KJV) And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall
there be from heaven.
(Luke 21:12 KJV) But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into
prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.
(Luke 21:13 KJV) And it shall turn to you for a testimony.
(Luke 21:14 KJV) Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer:
(Luke 21:15 KJV) For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.
This passage is talking about the time just before the great tribulation. There will be many fearful things taking place. This is why we need to
exercise our faith now so that it is not lacking in that day.
In closing today I want to leave you with these thoughts.
(Rev 21:7 KJV) He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
(Rev 21:8 KJV) But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters,
and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Why is the Fearful included in this list? Because you have not perfected your love for God! If we love God and trust Him with all our hearts
then we need not be fearful.
(Isa 35:3 KJV) Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.
(Isa 35:4 KJV) Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with
a recompense; he will come and save you.
This is our blessed hope, the remnants hope. I am here to tell you today to be strong! Fear not, and behold, glory, God will come with
vengence and he Will save you.
Amen, even so, come Lord.
