Faith Amidst Fear: Embracing God's Transformative Presence

Taking a deep breath, I reflect on the profound truth that our faith often mirrors our circumstances. When life is smooth, our faith feels strong, but when challenges arise, fear can quickly replace our trust in God. This is a universal experience, and it's easy to feel like we're fortune tellers, predicting a future devoid of divine intervention. Yet, in these moments, we must remember the story of Simon Peter, who, despite his own doubts and fears, ultimately found unwavering faith in Jesus as the Messiah. [00:00:42]

Peter's journey with Jesus, as recounted in the Gospel of Mark, is a testament to the enduring nature of faith. Even after 35 years of following Jesus, Peter remained convinced of His divinity and messianic role. Jesus' message was clear: the kingdom of God is near, and we are invited to be part of this new reality. This invitation calls us to repent and embrace the good news that God is doing something new and transformative. [00:02:36]

As Jesus journeyed to Jerusalem, He challenged the existing power structures, teaching that true authority is found in service, not domination. This was a radical departure from the world's understanding of power, and it set the stage for the ultimate act of service—Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. His actions in the temple, His teachings, and His interactions with the Pharisees and Sadducees all pointed to a new kingdom, one that transcends earthly power and is rooted in divine love and justice. [00:03:46]

The destruction of the temple, predicted by Jesus, symbolized the end of the old covenant and the beginning of a new era where God's presence would dwell within His followers. This new covenant, ratified by Jesus' sacrifice, makes each believer a living temple, carrying the presence of God into the world. [00:18:38]

In moments of doubt and fear, we must remember Peter's story. Even when he deserted Jesus, thinking all was lost, he later realized that God was closer than ever, working in ways he couldn't comprehend. We are called to hold onto this truth, trusting that God is near, even when our circumstances suggest otherwise. [00:25:57]

The very disciples who fled in fear later dedicated their lives to spreading the message of God's nearness. Their transformation is a testament to the power of the resurrection and the enduring presence of God. [00:26:49]

Isn't it interesting, I think this is common to all of us, how often, how often faith deteriorates as our circumstance deteriorate. I mean, isn't this amazing? That faith often, for all of us at some level, right? That faith often deteriorates as our circumstances deteriorate. That our confidence in God, kind of rises and falls based on the circumstances of life. [00:00:17]

And in those moments our faith is suddenly and quickly, and sometimes instantaneously replaced with fear. And fear does a strange thing to all of us. You know what fear does? Fear turns all of us into fortune tellers. Fortune tellers, why? Because in those moments, somehow we become sure of what the future holds and what the future doesn't hold, and we become equally sure that perhaps nobody is holding the future. Certainly not God. [00:00:42]

And you may feel that way right now. In fact, I think all of us feel that way to some level right? And who can blame us, I mean, everything has changed. I mean, your future has changed. The future of your family has changed. The future of your finances have changed. And while it would be easy for me to stand up here and say, just believe, just hang on, we're gonna get through this, you're gonna be okay, God's gonna be faithful. [00:01:09]

I don't really have the moral authority to tell you that. But I know somebody who does. I think if Simon Peter were here, he would tell us exactly what to do, and tell us exactly how to respond. More on that in just a minute. Today we are actually in part six of our series, "You're Not Far". And this is a story of Peter's account of the life of Jesus as recorded by Mark, and it comes to us of course as the Gospel of Mark. [00:01:39]

And Peter right up front wants us to know that, because he writes this, or sort of dictates this to Mark, about maybe 30, 35 years after the resurrection. He wants his audience to know, that after 35 years of following Jesus, with all of his experience, he's lost most of his friends. With all of the things he's been through, he still believes that Jesus is the son of God, and he still believes that Jesus is his Messiah. [00:02:12]

And right out of the gate he tells us, everywhere we went when I was with Jesus, he basically preached the same message, and here was the message of Jesus. Here's what he said, the time has come, in other words, the waiting is over, the world has been waiting. The Jewish world, the pagan world, has been waiting for God to show up in a way that would make God clear. The time has come. The kingdom of God has come near. [00:02:36]