Facing Your Fears

Watch the Facebook Live video of this sermon here: Facing Your Fears

Most people are afraid of something. There are so many fears that we have given them clinical names. Arachnophobia: the fear of spiders. Claustrophobia: fear of small spaces. Acrophobia: fear of heights. Agoraphobia: fear of places that might cause you to be afraid. I think scientists even like to poke fun at the irrational fears, otherwise they would not have named the fear of long words as: HippopotomonstrosesquiPedaliophobia.

As we continue our series, Going Viral, we will see that one of the reasons that the Gospel message spread so fast was that the followers of the Way faced their fears.

¹⁰ While we were staying there many days [in Tyre], a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. ¹¹ He came to us, took Paul’s belt, tied his own feet and hands, and said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into Gentile hands.’” ¹² When we heard this, both we and the local people begged him not to go up to Jerusalem.

¹³ Then Paul replied, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” (Acts 21:10-13)

Luke has written to Theophilus in great detail the stories of the early church. Sometimes these details were told in just a few short verses. But beginning in chapter 21 through 26, Luke begins to tell the story of how Paul faced one of his biggest fears. Paul was about to be hit smack dab in the face with his past. Remember that Paul used to be a member of the Sanhedrin: basically, the Supreme Court of the Jewish people.

Paul had been a Pharisee when he was on the court. He was not just any Pharisee, Paul was the most Pharisaical of them all. He didn’t just keep every law, but Paul saw it as his supreme calling to force everyone else to do the same. That led to his manhunt for all followers of Jesus so that he could have them imprisoned and possibly put to death.

After Paul accepted Jesus as Messiah, he was run out of Jerusalem by both the followers of the Way, who were afraid he was just trying to trick them into accepting him as a fellow believer, and by the Jews who now saw Paul as a traitor.

Now, after many years have passed, Paul is going to return to Jerusalem to face the music. He is determined to do this even though a prophet proclaims that he will be bound and imprisoned if he returns to Jerusalem. Nevertheless, Paul chose to face his fears because he knew that he was not going there alone. Paul understood that God would be with him every step of the way.

³⁰ The whole city was stirred up, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul, dragged him out of the temple complex, and at once the gates were shut.³¹ As they were trying to kill him, word went up to the commander of the regiment that all Jerusalem was in chaos. ³² Taking along soldiers and centurions, he immediately ran down to them. Seeing the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. ³³ Then the commander came up, took him into custody, and ordered him to be bound with two chains. (Acts 21:30-33a)

Seized in Jerusalem

Just the sight of Paul in the Temple complex angered the Jews. Paul had not been to Jerusalem in about 14 years, yet they recognized him, seized him, and beat him because of their hatred for him. If not for the Roman soldiers that intervened, Paul would likely have been torn apart by the mob. Obviously, Paul was a real people person, because everywhere he went people either loved him or wanted to kill him. But God was still right there with him.

¹¹ The following night, the Lord stood by him [Paul] and said, “Have courage! For as you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.” (Acts 23:11)

Paul knew that He was following the will of God. It wasn’t exactly a cozy, comfortable job that he had been called to do, but he had faith that God would bring him to Rome. Paul knew that God had the authority and power to see it accomplished.

The Jews, however, were furious that Paul had escaped them, so they asked the guards to bring him to the court for a trial the next day. Yet they planned to ambush him and kill him on his way. The plan was overheard by Paul’s nephew, who told Paul and the Centurion about the plan. The centurion took Paul out of Jerusalem that evening. Paul’s trip to Jerusalem was short and painful. But the trip was necessary as a means to get him eventually into a position to share Jesus with rulers and kings and even Caesar.

Secured in Caesarea

Paul spent over 2 years in prison in Caesarea. He spoke often to the ruler, Felix, until Felix left and another ruler, Festus, arrived. Festus had no idea what to do with Paul, so one day he presented him to King Agrippa and Paul told him all that he had seen and heard. His story, which naturally included the story of Jesus.

²⁸ Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Are you going to persuade me to become a Christian so easily?”

²⁹ “I wish before God,” replied Paul, “that whether easily or with difficulty, not only you but all who listen to me today might become as I am—except for these chains.”

³⁰ So the king, the governor, Bernice, and those sitting with them got up, ³¹ and when they had left they talked with each other and said, “This man is doing nothing that deserves death or chains.”

³² Then Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.” (Acts 26:28-32)

Shipped to Rome

Paul was then shipped to Rome where he lived out the rest of his days. Paul spent 6 years in prison there before he was eventually beheaded by Emperor Nero. Some believe that from the moment Paul first made plans to return to Jerusalem that he knew it was a one-way trip to death row. Others see in some of Paul’s letters that he hoped to one day be released and go out to plant more churches. Regardless, we can be certain that Paul knew his trip to Jerusalem would bring pain and suffering.

So why did he go? Luke and Paul’s other companions tried to convince him to call off his trip. The prophet warned Paul that he would be shackled and imprisoned. Yet Paul was following a higher calling. Paul was being obedient to God’s call for him to go to Rome and preach about the love of Jesus there. Because Rome was the center of the government for almost the entire world at that time. God wanted Paul to be in a place where he could help to transform lives of those that had influence around the world.

What does this say to us today? What can we learn about facing our fears? I see three things. First, God will always be with us. Jesus promised that in Matthew 28.

¹⁹ Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

Secondly, not everything God calls us to do is safe. Too many churches try to coddle their members by teaching that God works only for their good if they love Him. False. God works all things for His good so that He receives the glory and honor. Sometimes His good might include prison, beatings, and even death as we have seen through the Apostles. They teach that God will never give you more than you can handle. False. God will often call you to do things that you cannot possibly do on your own, but God can do them through you.

Thirdly, I see that even in the face of death, we can be happy…if we are doing what God has called us to do. Paul wrote these words:

³⁸ For I am persuaded that not even death or life, angels or rulers, things present or things to come, hostile powers, ³⁹ height or depth, or any other created thing

will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord! (Romans 8:38-39)

Paul knew that he was loved by God and that nothing could keep him away from that love…not even death. Because Paul was willing to face his fears, many more people came to hear about Jesus and accept him as their Lord and Savior.

We can face our fears when we understand that God is with us, God is directing us, and that regardless of what happens we can be happy when we are doing the will of God. If we face our fears, we can see the message of God once again go viral throughout Eastport, Annapolis, Maryland, the United States, and the world.