“Jesus Is With Us”

5 But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. 6 But when they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood is on your own heads! I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” 7 Then he left the synagogue and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house was next door to the synagogue. 8 Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord together with his entire household; and many of the Corinthians, as they listened to Paul, were believing and being baptized. 9 And the Lord said to Paul by a vision at night, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many people in this city.” 11 And he settled there for a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. Acts 18:5-11

Beginning in August, we will resume our sermon series on the book of Acts, God willing. We’ll pick up where we left off at the end of October 2024.

In Acts chapter 18 we find the Apostle Paul preaching in the Greek seaport city of Corinth. As in other seaports, it was filled with rowdy sailors. It was also home to a sizeable Jewish community and Paul went there first to tell them about Jesus who was the Messiah they had been sent by God. But the Jews resisted Paul’s message and blasphemed. They probably committed blasphemy by denying that Jesus is God the Son and the Messiah.

So, Paul shifted his focus to the Gentiles: the rough and tumble sailors and their families. And who wouldn’t want to spend time with those rascals, singing sea chanteys and comparing tattoos? Nevertheless, Paul must have been a bit apprehensive about his decision, because the Lord said to him in a vision at night:

“Do not be afraid any longer but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many people in this city.” 

With this assurance of the Lord’s presence with him, Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and six months. He taught the Gentiles and the Jews who would listen the word of God.

Where would you go and how long would you stay if you were assured that the Lord would be with you? God has sent me to some scary places to teach Sailors His word. Even Coronado where there are Sailors and Soldiers and Marines. Oh. my!

After Jesus rose from the dead, He met with his disciples and told them:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

Jesus is with us, just as He was with Paul. We don’t need to be afraid to tell others about Him. Even in Coronado.

In Christ,

Pastor David