작성일 : 24-04-27 11:01
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2024년4월21일 주일말씀 English sermon " Take Courage To Witness" Acts 23:7-11
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Sermon English Text AKFPC / April 21, 2024 Rev. Yongjin Park
“Take Courage To Witness” (Acts 23:7-11)
May the grace and love of God is upon you who is listening God’s voice today in this worship.
Israel and Iran last week tried to strike territories of each other by missiles and drone bombs. They has given and taken each other. But because they had noticed before bombing each could defense effectively in resulting rare damaged.
Iran and Israel have been fighting as "Shadow War" not fighting directly each other. They have been in fighting indirectly through other military groups as Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthi rebellions.
This is first time to strike each other after building Israel. They showed their power to be able to damage but showed intention of no more war. They have nuclear weapon each other in Middle East so that they do not want to damage from huge war. We hope this battle does not expand World War in the world where we live together.
US congress passed a bill to support 95 billion dollars military aid on Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan that are ally.
This era is in conflicts and wars but the creation and salvation of God is going on continuously. Even though this world is evil and chaos, the plan of good God doesn't stop but keep going on.
Today Bible introduces Apostle Paul who proclaims gospel of Jesus Christ and God gives him the grace showing a vision to be with him.
Let us read together Acts 23:7-11,
"When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, buy the Pharisees acknowledge them all. There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. “We find nothing wrong with this man, they said, “What if a spirit or angle has spoken to him?”
The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks. The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”
When Paul went Jerusalem for report on mission work in Asia and Europe, he has been caught and hit by hand of hard Jews. The commander of Rome army saved him from hand of Jews before almost death.
Paul asked the commander to tell people of Jews in dangerous situations. Paul introduced himself and his life story before and after becoming saved through Jesus Christ.
But when Paul said again people of Jews became violent so the commander took him inside their safe place.
Verse 11 says,
"The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”
Now it was for Paul very risky to survive under fury threat of Jews community. Many wanted to kill him and more than 40 men were ready to kill him secretly. If the army of Rome would not protect him he would be killed immediately. That night Lord came to him and encouraged him by vision and voice.
Lord Jesus often used to give him a vision or voice when Paul need encouragement from God in midst of accomplishing his mission for God.
God does not say to us through vision or voice when we are working under safe or peaceful situation. Due to that we can control situation through our regular resources in accomplishing our will and in doing our ability.
But under big trouble or dangerous situation that we cannot control by ourselves, not able to protect ours, God used to give us grace through special way as vision or voice. God encourages us and keep us through His strong will of love.
This is urgent signal upon us under risk in resulting restored fast and stood firmly with God. It means that we rooted of deep faith leaning on God.
But if there is not enough faith to God, fear and worry drives us to leave God, to go world where are not Lord. They stop worship, pray, and spiritual life at all. They lose their faith before fear and pain.
So Jesus teaches us that we have three various spiritual grounds of minds as rocky place, thorn, or good soil.
Brothers and sisters in the Lord,
Let us be good soil of spiritual mind to produce much crop for God.
Paul was the servant to have good soil producing much spiritual crop. So Lord Jesus gave him a vision with voice "Take courage, I will be with you till in Rome as in here."
A faithful woman was struggling to fight cancer. She had more time to pray and serve with God because of his painful procedure to recover. She experienced to see visions and to ore kinds of rare voice from God rather than normal life. It is because of urgent for her life. God wants to let us know that He is with us always and does not leave anytime.
Let us be good faith to listen voice from God. If we are filled with this world we listen voice from the world. But we are filled with Sprit of God we listen voice from God.
David was in struggling with enemies so he learned to lean on God more because of no hope in the world. He found only God can be strong hope.
Psalm 16:1-2 says,
"Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge. I said to the Lord, "You are my Lord, apart from you I have no good thing,"
When David fought with Goliath, and with King Saul, God were with him because he sought God only not any other.
We are children of God faithful. We are encouraged only by God once we rely on Him. God protects us as long as we seek Him in anytime and anywhere.
Let us come to our Lord with thankful and joyful heart.
Rome 8:39 says,
"Neither higher 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."
God be with all of you, Amen.
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