Do not be afraid

Do Not Be Afraid

Acts 27.21-26w

 ‘Do not be afraid, Paul.’

Fear is a powerful emotion. It can cripple us. It can immoblize us.
It can freeze us in our tracks and make us worry. Fear and worry are cousins. They often come together in our minds. They can cause such confusion! They are merciless!

Paul, the Apostle, had faced three Roman Legal Trials/ Hearings as well as Jewish one. Now he is on his way to appear before Caesar! On his way to Rome. Rome was far away. Getting there was not easy. He would be placed with the centurion on a cargo ship.

On his way they are shipwrecked in a storm. But Paul is given encouragement.
It was a simple word. It was from an angel of God. God was speaking to Paul through His messenger. God speaks to us today through His Word, Jesus Christ and His written Word, the Scriptures and by His Spirit.

Proverbs 10.25 When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone,
    but the righteous stand firm forever. They were blessed to have the prisoner, Paul, the Apostle, on board. They were saved because of Him and God ‘s Kingdom.

Do not be afraid.


1. Do Not Be Afraid of the Present.
Present Sufferings
Paul wrote to the Church at Rome,
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Romans 8.18

They are real. We dare not deny them. That always make matters worse.
They are painful. We know that from experience.
They are temporal.  For now. In this immediate fixed time. Chronological Time vs. Eternity Timeless
There is the glory that will be revealed in us. View, brightness splendor ... the light of His Glory opening up our eyes, all things revealed. Knowing as we are fully known, all the details and connections.

Present Storms
We go through them if we are following Jesus.
Jesus can calm the storm.
More often He calms us in the storm, brining us through the storm.
He also can bring us around the storm.
We will not drown! Horrible fear if you have ever been held under water.
Matthew 8.27 The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey Him!"

v.25 LORD, save us! We are going to drown!

That was a boat ride they will never forget!

Present Political Scene
Worldwide and here at home... wars
Haiti Trip  2 weeks ‪from tomorrow‬: postponed! Demonstrations have begun again.
Sad thing is there are some great needs right now! We could help. But we are being prevented from relief work due to violence and danger to our safety and security.
Of course God reigns! 9,600 gallons of water delivered in a drought. Roof going on the church. Another house being built.

Present Danger
When I go to the city I am reminded we are still in a war on terror. Right ‪after 9-11‬, my daughter Tina, 20 years old, “Dad, this looks like a war zone!”
Driving is dangerous today!

This Day!


2. Do Not Be Afraid of the Future.
He holds the future.

What if....

I know...
David about Saul:
But David thought to himself, "One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul... I Samuel 27.1

I don’t know if I am going to make it...
Mark 4.38 “Teacher, don’t You care if we drown?”

Oh yes He cares!

Does Jesus Care?

Does Jesus care when my heart is pained
Too deeply for mirth or song,
As the burdens press, and the cares distress,
And the way grows weary and long?
Chorus:
Oh, yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.

Does Jesus care when my way is dark
With a nameless dread and fear?
As the daylight fades into deep night shades,
Does He care enough to be near?

Does Jesus care when I've tried and failed
To resist some temptation strong;
When for my deep grief there is no relief,
Though my tears flow all the night long?

Does Jesus care when I've said "goodbye"
To the dearest on earth to me,
And my sad heart aches till it nearly breaks—
Is it aught to Him? Does He see?

The day after Jesus died, the morning He rose.
John 20.19. 19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”
Jesus came to where they were.
He comes to where we are! He meets us. He gives us His peace!
Notice Paul is talking about his encouragement while he is encouraging the crew and passengers and soldiers.



3. Do Not Be Afraid of Tomorrow.
He holds tomorrow!

Matthew 6.34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Worry= to be anxious, to be troubled with care, to seek to promote one's interests in caring or providing for
God will take care of you! He will supply all your needs.

We are in a constant struggle with the fear of tomorrow. There are many types of struggles we are facing lately in the world. Some affects us personally (criticism, losing our jobs, our homes, the futures of our children, getting old, getting ill, etc.) and others affects the world in general (wars, hungers, weather climate, etc.)

Romans 8.31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.


X afraid to not be afraid