I believe there’s so much waiting for you on the other side of what you are afraid of. But you’re never going to get to the other side if you don’t go through the thing that scares you. There are so many places we want to get to in our lives, but not if it means going through something really hard. Fear has paralyzed us and caused us to miss out on what could be present in our lives – if we would only go through it, then we could actually get to it.

For some of you, what’s on the other side is freedom from addiction. But you have to go through what you’re afraid of to get to the other side. You have to go through withdrawal from what’s become a close companion to you. You probably need some intense therapy that will cause you to talk about the painful things of your childhood. But if you walk through these hard things, freedom awaits you on the other side.

For others of you, what’s on the other side is a healthy marriage. But you have to step into what you’re afraid of – being vulnerable, being honest about how you really feel, and fully commit yourself before knowing how it will be received. But on the other side is an incredible marriage that you’ve never been able to imagine.

And for many of you, I believe there’s a calling God has for you on the other side. But you’ll have to go through the things you’re afraid of before you ever step into it. You’ll have to embrace the difficulties of starting something new. You’ll have to leave the comfort of what has been familiar to you. You might have to adopt a less expensive lifestyle. But on the other side of those hard things, you’ll step into the thing that God made you to do in this world.

As we’ve already seen, Jesus chooses 12 disciples. And there’s going to come a day when Jesus leaves earth and leaves His mission in the hands of these disciples. There’s so much He has for them on the other side. They’re going to start the church. They’re going to lead the movement. But to do what He has for them to do on the other side, they’re going to have to go through some things that scare them to death.

They are going to have to deal with Jesus no longer being around.

They’re going to need courage to stand up to the leaders who want to stop the movement.

They’re going to need conviction that helps them keep the faith when their lives are in jeopardy.

The only way they could ever get to the other side would be to go through the storm. ‍

Mark 4:35-41 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”‍

As Jesus told his disciples, I think He wants to say the same to us today – “Let us go over to the other side.” But to get to the other side, we must go through the storm.

There are four questions from this intense moment between Jesus, his disciples, and this powerful storm:‍

Do you care?

Why are you so afraid?

Do you still have no faith?

Who is this?‍

Jesus has been teaching all day and He is exhausted. I love how Mark keeps showing us the humanity of Jesus and the divinity of Jesus in the same story.

“A furious squall came up.” It was common for this kind of sudden storm to show up on the Sea of Galilee. A number of these disciples were experienced fishermen so they would know how to handle some a normal storm. But on this occasion, the waves are breaking over the boat, so that the boat is now filling up with water. ‍

How does Jesus sleep when He’s surrounded by the storm?‍

When the disciples see Jesus sleeping, they begin to make assumptions about why He is doing this. And we know what they were assuming by the question they asked him: “Don’t you care if we drown?”

Since Jesus was so calm, they assumed that He was apathetic to them and their situation. ‍

What do the storms in your life make you assume about Jesus?‍

That He doesn’t care? That He must not be good? That He’s out to get you or make you suffer for no good reason?‍

Jesus is sleeping in the boat not because He doesn’t care, but because His trust in the Father runs deep.‍

Why is Jesus calm when we are so anxious? Why are we so afraid, when Jesus is so confident? Why do we think we are all alone, when Jesus is right here with us? We think the only way we can be secure is to have all control, or to face things we know we can handle on our own. 

The disciples are asking Jesus why He doesn’t care. And this causes Jesus to ask the disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” We cannot just stop being afraid. We need something to replace our fear. The Scriptures teach that there are two things that will push fear out of our lives. The first thing we must have to replace our fear is faith.‍

Psalm 112:7-8 They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the LORD. Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.‍

Trust leads to steadfast and secure hearts. It starts with the belief that IN THE END we are going to win – we’re in His good hands.

Jesus and the disciples could both see this storm with their physical eyes. But Jesus had eyes of faith and He was trying to get the disciples to see what He sees.

Think about the life of Moses. When we look back, it’s easy for us to see how he got to the other side. But he had to go through some major things to get to the other side, so he could step into his calling from God.‍

Hebrews 11:27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.‍

How did Moses not give into fear of Pharaoh? BY FAITH.

How did Moses keep going? Because he saw him who is invisible.‍

If your fear of what you face is stronger than your faith in Jesus, you will miss out on so much.‍

Jesus speaks to the winds and the waves. He says, “Quiet! Be still!” Now check this out. When Jesus says this, it’s the same word He used in Mark 1:25 when he told the demon to come out of the man. The wind and waves had to do what Jesus told them to do, just like the demon.

And this causes the disciples to ask each other a question: “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” We can have faith in Him because He has authority over everything we will ever face. I mentioned that faith is one thing we need to replace fear. But what’s the other thing? LOVE.‍

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.‍

The way the disciples are going to get to the other side is by becoming convinced that the One who has all power is also the One who loves them more than they can comprehend. So they can trust Him! Eventually they’re going to lose their fear. Here’s just one example:‍

Acts 4:18-20 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”‍

By this point they’ve seen too much. They’re no longer afraid, even of death. And their courage and confidence are at all-time highs. This is possible for us too.

There was a time during COVID that fear was coursing through my mind, my heart, and my body. I found myself so afraid. No, not of the disease…but the implications if this kept going on. I was afraid of having to lay off staff members. I was afraid that everyone would move. I was afraid that I might need to get another job. 

But God went to work in me. I started seeing that I was in good hands, no matter what happened. That I can live without fear because I don’t have to have control to be okay. And I don’t have to have this job to be alright. Because I began to trust God regardless of outcomes, I made it to the other side.

And now I have more faith and less fear than any time in my life. And I have more confidence and less anxiety than ever. And part of the reason is this: I’m no longer attaching my well-being to outcomes. I’m attaching myself to Jesus. He’s steadfast, even in the storm. He’s promised to work things out for my good. And I trust Him deeply. 

I could not get to this place without going through the storm of the past couple of years.

Another thing I’m on the other side of is that this church is healthy and thriving. But you know how it got here? By a group of us deciding that getting to the other side was worth the sacrifice and risk of starting this new church over 10 years ago.

What’s waiting for you on the other side of what you are afraid of?

Jesus has something on the other side for you. And you want it to be easy or to take place overnight. But Jesus wants to build your faith through what is hard so that you can get to the other side. To the other side of your calling. Or the other side of your marriage. Or the other side of building your character.

I think God has weightier assignments ahead of us. But we must pass the test that’s in front of us now. 

Prayer Time at Front: I believe that ________________ is on the other side, but here’s what scares me: _________________. Pray for faith in God and receiving the love of God to replace my fear.