Acts: The Lord's Message to the Fearful

Well, it's good to be with you this morning. If

you have your bible's turning with me to Acts Acts,

chapter eighteen. This morning. We're starting in verse five. This morning,

we're picking back up in our series and acts, and

so I'm excited to be with you. Excited you're here

with us this morning. Turned with me there, Acts eighteen,

starting in verse five today. My title of the message

this morning is the Lord's Message to the fearful. Have

you ever been afraid? I say there's one thing that

we all share in common this morning. We're all sinners.

I've talked about that at the beginning of the service.

But we've all been afraid, right, and fear starts at

a young age. All of us have been afraid as children.

I remember as my life as a child, I remember

being fearful of snakes and spiders. Some of you may

share that when you were little, right may some of

you may been fearful of clowns. I remember our girls

were fearful of the you know, going to maybe the

parks and someone been in a costume, right, fear of monsters.

I remember as a kid, my neighbor, Matt Hasty, lived

just the house next door one day came to my

house and he told me of a monster that lived

in the woods. And every time I went to take

out the trash at night, I thought that thing was

gonna come out of the woods and chase me back

down to the house. So we had fear of monsters

right growing up. I heard the story of a little

boy one night and he was afraid of thunderstorm was

coming through and he was in his bed, and his

mom was taking him in and she was turning off

the lights, and he was afraid of the storm, and

he trembling with his voice. He said, Mommy, will you

stay with me all night? Smiling. The mother looked at

him and reassured him, and she hugged him, and she

said tenderly, I can't, dear. I had to sleep in

your daddy's room. Long silence followed, little shaky voice. Little

boy said, big sissy, you know it's not only not

only the children get afraid, but also us adults, we

also have fears. And I remember not only that I

had fears as I was a young boy, but I

remember seeing fear of my mom. My mom. I'm so

thankful for my mom and all that she did for us,

but My mom worked as an insurance agent, and I

tell you that's the worst nightmare for any child, right

Why because people would call in and give claims that

their child fell off to trampoline right and burkeler legs,

and Mom's like, boy, he's not getting one of those.

Or my son flipped over his go cart and broken

the arm. Well, Jonathan's not getting one of those. I

remember one time we went to the Honda Fuller store

and I saw this beautiful blue Honda four tracks foiler.

I dreamed all year long that mama, maybe Mama would

bring that to me for Christmas. No way, Mama didn't

bring me that for Christmas. She brought me a two

ton golf cart that Jimmy Johnson couldn't turn over one

because she was fearful that something would happen. And that's

part of fear, right. We fear different things. We feared

different things like snakes and spiders and things, but also

we fear the unknown. You know, it's kind of basic

elements of fear. We think about them just for a moment,

and in particular this past this morning. Three elements of

fear that we see in this passage, but also three

basic elements of fear that we face in our life.

There's a fear of the unknown, fear of the future,

not knowing what may happen in the future, right with

my mom. Fearful that I might break something, or turn

over something or hurt something. We fear that different things

may come upon us. Many times we don't know if

there's anything of that might happen, but we fear the

unknown future. There's a fear of man. We're fearful of things,

We're fearful of people. We're also fearful of being alone.

And so those are three elements of fear that we

just kind of sense and we experience throughout our life.

We've come to this passive scripture. Paul is facing fear,

and Paul is fearful, and Paul the Lord has a

message for Paul. You see Paul and out throughout as

we walk through this missionary journey. Throughout his missionary journey,

he's experienced just trying, I mean trial, He's experienced persecution

no city has ever been through. In the second missionary journey,

he has been face and persecution and all those attacks

from individuals when he was in he was beaten in

Philippi he was ran out of Essanaika. When he got

to Bria. The people from deastinal Ika went to Bria

and ran him out of Bria. When he went to Athens,

he was scoffed. Everywhere he went. He faced persecution for others,

and that created fear in Paul. And so as to

come to this passage scripture, this morning God gives a message.

The Lord gives a message to the fearful. He gives

the message to a fearful Paul in this passage scripture.

And I hope today as we see the Lord's message

to the fearful Paul, I pray today. If you're here

today and you're battling fear, maybe it's fear of the unknown.

Maybe you've got a diagnosis this week. Maybe you're you're

battling something you don't know may happen at your workplace.

Maybe you're fearing of a relationship and what might happen

in this relationship. And maybe you today you're you're battling

fear of the unknown. Maybe you're battling fear of man.

Maybe today you're battling a relationship issue, you're fearful of

someone or something. Someone's done something to you. Maybe today

you're fear full of being alone. I tell you, God

has a message for you today, same message he had

for Paul. And I pray today that we would, just

as Paul would, cherish the word of the Lord today.

Might we cherish the word of the Lord as he speaks,

and as he speaks. May we listen. Let's stand un

let's read God's word today. It's Acts chapter five. IUT

Chapter five, Acts eighteen. So if you're listening Acts eighteen,

starting a verse five, how about that that's better. Now

I've told you to turn your bibles. That had turned

my bible to there, Acts eighteen, starting verse five. That's

what is what the word the Lord says. When Silas

and Timothy ride from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the Word,

testifying the Jews that Christ with Jesus. And when they

opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments. It

said to them, you your blood be on your hands,

your heads. I am innocent from now when I will

go to the Gentiles. And he left there, and he

went to the house of a man named Titius Justice,

a worshiper of God. In his house it was next

door to the sent of God of Crispus, the ruler

of the Syen of God, and he believed in the Lord,

together with his entire household, and many of the Corinthians

hearing Paul believed and were baptized. And the Lord said

to Paul one night in a vision, don't be afraid,

but go on speaking. Don't be silent, for I am

with you. No one will attack you to harm you.

For have many in this city who are my people.

And he stayed a year and six month teaching the

word of God among them. But when Gallio, the council

of our KaiA, the Jews met a united attack on

Paul and brought him before the tribunal, saying, this man

is persuading the people to worship God, contrary to the law.

But when Paul was about opening his mouth, Gallio said

to the Jews, if it were a matter of wrongdoing

or vicious crimes, old Jews, I would have reason to

accept your complaint. But since this is a matter of

questions about words and names and of your own law,

well see to it yourself. I refuse to be a

judge of these things. And he drove them from the tribunal,

and they all see softenies the ruler of the sin

of God and beat him in front of the tribunal,

but Gallio paid no attention to any of this. Let's

pray together, Father, or we thank you, Lord, that you

are sovereign God. We thank you that you are in control. God.

We thank you that you're omniscient today and you will

know all things. And Lord, you know the fear that's

in our hearts today. You know the fear that in

the hearts of people here today. And Lord, you have

a word for them. So Lord, just as you spoke

to Paul clearly in that vision, Lord, may you clearly

speak to our hearts today. And Lord, as you speak,

may our hearts be open and sensitive to your word.

And Lord, may our hearts surrender Lord to your teaching today. Lord,

may we hold to your word today, hold to your

promises today. And may we Lord not be afraid. But

may we continue to be your witnesses as you've called

us to be. Lord. Feel me today, I pray, Father,

you know I'm a sinful man, Lord, that's sent by you,

commissioned by you to deliver your words. That Lord, may

you cleanse me, that you might feel me that you

might pour me out today. Lord, May may the words

of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing.

Lord to you today and your name we pray, Amen,

you may be seated. Lord's messages to the fearful. First,

I am with you. Paul here is in Carinth, as

we looked at last week, and as he's in Karnth,

he's sharing the Gospel. And the Bible says that as

he shares the Gospel, Paul, I mean Timo, Stilace, and

Timothy come. And he's he's committed. He's occupied with the word.

Verse five I says, he's testifying. This, he's witnessing. He's

telling people about proclaiming Jesus. Jesus is the Christ, Jesus

is the Messiah. Look at the Bible. What the Bible

says of verse six, and when they opposed and revited him.

The the word opposed the Greek means organized opposition. This

is not just a few people. This is the Jews

who've organized a band of opposition, a group of opposition

that has come against Paul. The next word that Paul,

that Luke uses to describe the opposition that Paul faced

in this and in Corinth, he uses the term opposed,

but he also uses the term reviled. The word reviled

in the Greek it means blashing me. It means to

slander verbally. So we understand that here, this this organized

group who is opposing Paul, is telling the people in

the city that he is blaspheming against God, and they

are slandering him. They are attacking him verbally. The Bible says,

we see in First Corinthians, as Paul writes his actually

second letter to the church in corinth Paul says to them,

listen what he says in First Corinthians two three. And

I was with you in weakness, in fear, and months trembling.

You said, I believe when Paul has seen what these

Jesu have done everywhere every city he has been in

this same group, maybe different people, but the same group

of Jews everywhere he's been has attacked him. And Philip

Hi they beat him. And as he went into Thessanaika

they ran him out of the city. When he went

to Brea, the Jews from test and Aika Candbria, and

they ran him out. And now as he comes to

the call Larenth, here this same group is organized they're

opposing him, they're slandering him verbally in the city, and

this has created fear. He's fearful of what might happen.

And the Bible says that we come to this passage

of scripture that Paul, hearing that he shakes off. We

saw that verse in verse six, he shakes off his

hands and he says, made of your blood, be on

your hands. I'm innocent. We see conversions of Titius and

Crispus and verse in verse eight. But the Bible says

in verse nine that the Lord said to Paul one

night in a vision. And listen is what the word

says to what Lord said to him. Don't be afraid.

It tells us. It tells us the Lord knew that

Paul was as he says in Corinth, he was fearful.

He was fearful of what was happening with these youths.

He is fearful of their attacks, and that fear was

paralyzing him. You know what fear does. Fear paralyzes you, right.

I remember one day I was a pastor of a

church in rock Hills, youth pastor and I lived, we lived.

The house we were renting was just a mile away

from the church we were at. One day, I got

a call and Brandy I could hear fear in her voice.

She says, come home now. Well, I jumped in my

little camera and I bugged on down to the road

and got to the house. And when I got to

the house and got into I walked in the house

and Brandy was on top of a chair and I said,

what is it? She said, it's a mouse and it's

in this house, and you're going to find it. You

understand what I'm saying. And if you don't find it,

we're not staying here tonight. You understand me? And I said, yes, ma'am,

I understand you. You see, fear, no matter what, it

paralyzes us, right, it stops us. There's an understanding of

fight or flight. Right, fight means I'm gonna push away.

I'm gonna push against I don't want this. Flight means

I get out. I get on top of the chair. Right,

I'm not going to do anything. Fear paralyzes us. We

see fear paralyzing Paul in this passage scripture. What does

the Lord says Paul, do not be afraid, but keep

on sharing. Listen to the verse there. He says in

this passage, let me find it and don't be afraid,

but go on speaking. Don't be silent. That tells us

because of the fear of the opposition that he was

facing against the Jews, there was a temptation of Paul

that says, you know what, I don't Maybe maybe I should,

Maybe I should back off a little bit, Maybe maybe

I should speak here. There's a thought that Paul was thinking,

you know what, maybe I just need to move on

from Corinth. Maybe I need to stay here because of

the opposition I'm facing. There was this paralyzing aspect of fear.

And when we face fear many times in our life,

and fear comes upon us, whether it's the fear of

the unknown, maybe it's fear of man, maybe it's fear

of I'm gonna be, It paralyzes us. It it stops us,

It keeps us from doing things, it keeps sys from

sharing the Gospel. Many times. The very things that we

face and the very reasons why we are not outspoken

about our faith in our workplaces, in our schools, everywhere

we go is because we fear what opposition we might face.

And so therefore, because we fear it. It paralyzes us. Yeah,

I'll be a Christian, but I want to be a

Christian at work. They maybe I won't tell them about it.

I won't be vocal about sharing the gospel. Why we're

paralyzed by not doing anything. And the reason why is

because we're fearful what might happen, and so therefore we

paralyze we don't do anything about it. Can I tell

you Paul was not alone. You see, fear is all

throughout scripture. Ed welch Is, a biblical counselor, writes a

wonderful book called Running Scared is one of the best

books on anxiety and fear that I've ever read. And

in that book he explains, you know the great you

know what the number one commandment that the Lord says

the most in the Old Testament, It's not do not lie,

it's not do not kill. You know what. The number

one command that the Lord says in the Old Testament

do not be afraid. Over and over God's people Israel

will continue to be fearful of man, continue to be

fearful of the enemy. And over and over and over

God says, do not be afraid. And here in this

passage again, he says the same message he said to

the Jews, and the Old Testament to that Moses said

to Israel, that Joshua said to God said to Joshua,

and Joshua declared to this people. It's the same message

that God says to Paul. Do not be afraid and

listen to there's this command do not do something that.

But there's also instruction, but what but go on speaking

and do not be silent. Listen to the next part.

In the verse ten, he says, why for I am

with you. I'm with you. You know what. The beautiful

thing about this passage of scripture is, as you go

to verse nine, you see he's fearful. He's fearful of

what attacks may come from these Jews, and so there's

a temptation of maybe he paralyzes. Maybe he says, I'm

not going to do anything. Maybe I'll share a little bit,

but maybe I need to shorten my stay in Corinth,

maybe I need to move on to the next town.

But God gives him a vision, and God tells him

that Paul, don't be afraid, but keep on speaking, don't

be silent, because I am with you. And then look

at the next verse and verse eleven tells us and

he stayed a year in six months, teaching the word

of God among them. You know what the Bible says,

because he heard the word of the Lord, because God

gave him my promise what he held onto. Listen to me,

this is very important. How do we fight against fear?

We fight against fear on holding onto the promises of God.

What was God's promise to Paul? Paul, don't be afraid,

but keep on what sharing keep? Don't be silent? Why

the promises is I will be with you, Paul, no

matter what comes your way, no matter what you're fearing

that might happen that you don't know, your fear of

and known. How do you face that? How do you

keep moving forward even though you're not sure what might happen?

You move forward by holding on that no matter what

comes my way, God will be with me. And Paul,

based upon holding onto the promise of God stayed a

year and a half. Now I want you to see something.

A year and a half later, the Jews, who he

was fearful of, would Scripture says, look at the verse

in verse eleven, I mean verse twelve. But when Gallia

the proscer was Akaia. The Jews made what a united

attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal a

year and a half. Listen to this, a year and

a half before the attack would come, God would give

Paul a vision that Paul, no matter what's gonna come,

don't be afraid. Paul, no matter what comes, don't be afraid.

Why because I will be with you. Listen to me

this morning, you who are fearful of the unknown. Years

before the attack ever comes, God already knows it. God

already knows it. Listen, and God right now is preparing you.

He's preparing your heart to say, no matter what comes

my way, no matter what I might fear the future,

I have confidence that, no matter what I face, that

I can stand firm. Why not because of my power

of my strength. Because I know that God will be

with me. So I'm to have courage today in the

midst of the unknown. Why because I rest that the

Lord has a promise no matter what comes in the future,

he will be with me. I remember, probably the scariest

thing in my life ever was when Brandy got sick.

We were thirty one and she had had this episode.

I'm not sure if you ever heard the story. She

had this episode called transverse my lightis and she lost

feeling on her complete right side. She couldn't walk, she

couldn't move her right arm. And I remember we were

at the hospital and the doctor pulled me aside and said,

he says, we've got to do a lot of testing,

but he says it's looking like it's MS. And he

gave me a report on MS, and I remember reading

through that, and you know, MS is treatable. There's a

lot of improvements since then. It was just ten fifteen

years ago, but it was scary, and I already seen

what it had done the first time, and I was

fearful of what might happen in the future. And I

remember going outside and I was walking down the path

of outside the hospital, just scared to death. And my

mentor at the time, still a huge mentor in my

life is Mari Sintson. He was my best friend's dad

who was a pastor of the church at my home church.

And I remember calling Maurice and Marius his wife had

just died of cancer, brain cancer, and I was telling

Maurice what I was fearful of, fearful of the future,

fearful of what might happen. And I'll never forget what

Maury said to me that day. He said, Jonathan, he said,

I can't promise you that she'll get better. He said,

Denise didn't get better. She died. He said, boy, I

can promise you this is that no matter what you're facing,

the future of the Lord will be with you. He'll

be with you. Resting that he will be with you.

Can I say to you today you're fearful of the unknown,

fearful of the future, fearful you've got the diagnosis. You're

worried about whether you're gonna be able to keep your job,

worried about what's gonna happen at school, what who, whatever

it may be you're batting this morning. Can I tell

you the Lord says, don't be afraid, keep on living

for me, keep on sharing, keep on being vocal about

your faith. Why because no matter what comes your way,

the Lord knows your future, and he promises you he

will be with you when you see. Secondly, in this

passage of scripture, know only the Lord's message to the fearful,

I am with you. The second message the Lord had

to the fearful is no one will harm you. The

Bible tells us that we we know that these the Paul,

I mean, the Jews were had this united attack. Scripture

says that in verse twelve, this united attack on Paul,

they bring him before this per council, this Roman per

council Gellio. We understand that he was a son of

a a man named Senec. He was an elder. He's

the older brother of a philosopher Sync, the younger. He's

very popular. He was known to be anti Semitic, anti believers,

anti jew He was not current very long, so we

know that he has hostility against religious groups. The Bible

says that the United Jews verse twelve, get Paul. They

bring him before the tribunal. Again, You've got to understand

this Roma per council. He was kind of the mayor

of the city. He was the governing power over this region.

They brought him in this verse twelve toes this he

brought for this tribunal. This tribunal was called the Beamas seat.

Paul actually alludes to this later on in his writing

in First Corinthians. It was a it was a seat,

and it was seven foot tall, and a judgment seat,

and people will be brought before so that here he is,

this Roman governor, he's sitting on this demas seat, it's

about seven foot tall, and they bring Paul before him.

That these Jews bring him before the Roman official. So

here this is a big deal. So understand here this

is if you think about it for a moment and

you remember kind of the past, of some of the

history we've talked about in the past. You remember, as

we last week we talked about Priscilla and Quilla came

from Rome, Italy and they were around out of Italy.

Why because the Roman government was tired of the fighting

between the Christians and the Jews, and they ban all

the Christians out of Rome. So we know Rome has

opposed Christianity at this point. And so the Jews kind

of think, man, this is our opportunity. We can't you know,

all the slander we've done, if not done anything, but

we'll bring before this Roman, this Roman official, and we'll

get him to sentence him, We'll get him to silence

him and maybe beat him, whatever it may be. So

there use them political power to try to silence and

try to stop Christianity from evancy. Say bring you before

this pro Council. He's on this seven foot seed, and

they bring these charges against Paul. The Bible says that

in the midst of that, Paul was about to speak

and defend himself, and Gallio stops him. He says to him,

if this was a matter of wrongdoing or vicious client

crime Jews, the verse fourteen says, I would have reason

to accept your complaint. This is a matter of questions

about your words and your names, and your own loan.

See to yourself. He doesn't do anything. See a year

and a half before Paul would ever come before the

Roman Council, God would give him a vision and God

would say, listen, Paul, I know what's coming. I know

you're fearful of these Jews. But one day you're going

to stand before the a judgment sea of a Roman

governor who has power to sentence you to prison, might

whatever it may be. But I tell you do not

fear him. No man will harm you. The Lord says,

how does he face the fear of man? He faces

the fear by holding on to the promise of God.

God promised me that no harm will come against me.

I wonder today you many times in our life, as

I mentioned to you earlier that one of the things

that paralyzes us from living our faith for the Lord

is fear of man. Right. We don't share maybe the

gospel with our neighbors, our coworkers, our classmates, our family members.

Why because we fear or fear that they may reject us.

Some students may at times fearful of sharing your faith

in being vocal about your faith in school. Why because

you're fearful of being rejected by your peers. Even at

times the peer pressures result of fear of man. Right,

we do something we don't normally would do. Why? Because

we want the We don't want to be rejected, and

we want to please our peers. We don't share the gospel.

Let me have you today or in the last week

shared the gospel? Why don't we? Because we fear man.

We're fearful of rejection. We feared that somebody might oppose

what we say, so therefore we are silent. We don't share.

I even would go so far. Listen to me today, church, family,

The fear of man even hinders our worship. You know

why you don't raise your hand, don't come to the

altar in prayer? Express when God speaks to your heart

and worship because we fear what someone might think if

we raise our hand. We fear what someone might think

if we come to the altar and pray. And so

therefore the fear of man, even men in the church,

silences and paralyzes from doing what we feel like God

is leading us to do. So what is the solution.

The solution is hearing the word of God and holding

onto the promise of God. God says to Paul, don't

be afraid, but go on speaking. Don't be silent, for

I am with you, And the second promises no man,

no one will attack you to harm you. No one

shall harm you. And ask you today, the Lord knows

your temptation when you face fear to stop sharing your faith.

The Lord knows your temptation that you don't want to

be open to your share of your faith at work

or at school. He knows your temptation not to express

be expressive in worship because of fearing others. Listen, God

declares today, don't be afraid, but go on speaking. Don't

be silent. No man will harm you. God's message to

the fearful, don't be afraid. I am with you. No

man shall harm you. Third, my people are with you.

You know I mentioned there's three basic elements of fear.

Fear of the unknown, of the future, there's fear of man.

There's also one other aspect, this fear of being alone.

For Paul. Here there's this idea of fear of what

might happen to him if he stood. You got to

imagine as he comes before this per council again, God

would know that what Paul would face in a year

and a half, and he's preparing him. He's giving him

promises of his word that when he faces a one

of the most fearful situations he experienced at that time,

that he would stand confident. So here Paul is he

a year later, a year and a half later, he's

before the beams seat. He's all alone. No one else

is there. There's few believers, Scripture tells us, right when

he gives him that message. We know there's Silas and Timothy.

Scripture tells us there were many believers who come to

know the Lord. We know the quill of Priscilla. Over there,

we know Titius and Christmas. There's a few believers. But

the Lord knows that one day he's going to stand

alone in front of this Roman governor, and he promises him,

do not fear. I will be with you. Secondly, he

promises that no man shall harm you. But third he says,

for I will have many in the city who are

my people. He understands what Paul, what the Lord is

telling Paul. Paul in the midst of fear. Fear paralyzes

you to be silent, to back away, to stop doing

what God's called you to do. And he says, Paul,

continue be faithful. And one of the reasons why is

because God many people will be with him. One of

the interesting things about this passage of scripture is again

when Paul, when the Lord gives Paul the message a

year and a half later, we only really know if

maybe five or six believers. Right, as I mentioned, the

Lord is saying to him, there will be many of

my people in that city. What is he saying, Paul,

If you keep on sharing, and you keep faithful sharing

the gospel, there are going to be many people. Lord,

if you're silent, right, but if you keep being faithful,

There's going to be many people in that city. He'll

be believers. And another part for Paul is this understanding

that this community that you have will help keep you

who helped support you. It's interesting which come to this

pastor of scripture. If you go to verse fifteen, Gallio,

as he stands before him, is long. He decides that

he's not going to prosecute him. He's not going to

do anything. He says, this is between the Jews and you.

This is a matter of questions about words and names.

In verse sixteen, it says he drove them from the

tribunal and they see Soophones, the ruler of the Synategod,

and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio

paid no attention to any of this. It's interesting trying

to figure out who Soothenes is. Scripture tells us as

he's a ruler of the synate. Good Christmas is also

mentioned as one of the rulers of the Synagod who

get saved. It's believed that there may been several different

rulers of the Synego at the time Christmas gets saved,

and maybe right after he is saved, Soothenes takes his

place and as a ruler. Is believed that most likely

this Sophones, because he's the ruler of the Synagod is

one of the main ones who's bringing opposition against Paul

and brought Paul before the Roman per council. After the

Gallio says, I'm not going to do anything about this.

This is a matter between you and them. The Bible

tells us. The crowd grabs this ruler of the synagod

who's opposed Paul, and a beating, and Gallio doesn't do anything.

The interesting thing about this is in First Corinthians one one,

Paul says to my fellow believer, you know what that means,

the very one who brought him before the tribunal, and

Paul continues to be faithful to share the gospel surrounded

by other believers. Eventually is one who comes to know

the Lord Jesus as his Lord and savior. You see,

God had a plan for the persecution for Paul suffering,

and so Paul's He sends him a message of says Paul, Hey,

I know you're fearful, and I know you're fearful of

the future. I know you're fearful of being alone. I

know you're you're a tempted to be silent, But Paul,

I'm gonna give you a message. The messages. I am

with you, Paul. The message is Paul, no man shall

harm you. And Paul, I have a message for you.

There'll be many believers who will be with you. So Paul,

hold on to the promises of God, hold on in

the midst of your fear, and be faithful to the end.

And I I will do a work in and through you.

And Paul was faithful not to be silent, but to

keep on sharing. And the result of his faithfulness, the

result of him not being fearful, is Soothanes comes know

the Lord. Can I tell you today Satan wants to

paralyze you with fear, fear the future, fear of the unknown,

fear of man, fear of being alone. God has a

promise for you today. Go I tell you today. God

knows your fear, and God has a promised for you. Today.

He will be with you. No one shall harm you.

And God's given you a room full of other believers

who will be with you today. Will you make a

commitment to say, I will not stop sharing, I will

not be silent. You pray with me. Lord, We love you,

We thank you for this morning. Lord. I pray for

the hearers here today. Lord does all of us in

this room have face fear, fear sharing our faith, fear

being vocal about our faith, fear of taking stands for

our faith. We fear our classmates, We fear our neighbors,

We fear our coworkers, We fear our family members. We

fear the uncertainty of what might happen in the future. Lord. Today, Lord,

you gave your word to Paul, and today that same

word you've given to us, Lord the fearful Lord. Today,

as you commanded Paul not to be afraid, Lord, I

pray today we would hear your command to not be fearful,

not to be afraid. But in turn, Lord, may we

receive Lord, your promises today for us, that you will

be with us, that Lord, no one shall harm us.

And Lord, there be many people, many believers, even in

this church, Lord, who will be with us. Say, Lord,

may we hold to your word today when we find

peace in your promises today? Or I pray as we

go in the time of invitation, there's something that come

to this alter and and pray. I pray they would

do that. Maybe there would be those who would pray

in their seats. Lord, however you lead, Lor, I pray Lord,

that for a Lord, you to for them to respond

Lord to your leading. Today, Lord, if I could pray

for someone or at this altar and you have them come, Lord,

I pray you'd lead them. Lord, however you lead us, Lord,

may we respond. Or I pray for someone here today

that doesn't know you're as Lord and Savior and has

never found that peace that Paul had, piece of salvation

and relationship with you. I pray today there'd be those who,

Lord would put their faith in what you've done for

them on the cross and found salvation in you today.

Or we love you lead us in this time you name.

We pray Amen Jesus to