Hostility toward the gospel is nothing new. In fact, in Acts 23 we find the apostle Paul at the center of a deadly plot—more than forty men have sworn an oath to kill him. Humanly speaking, it looks like Paul’s mission may be coming to an abrupt end.
But Luke wants us to see something deeper. What appears to be a threat to Paul is actually part of God’s plan to move the gospel forward. Just a few verses earlier, the Lord had told Paul that he would testify about Him in Rome. And no conspiracy, no hostility, and no opposition will stop what God has determined to accomplish.
Over the past couple of weeks we’ve been asking: How do Christians respond when the gospel is met with hostility? We’ve seen that we can share our testimony—how Christ transformed our lives. We’ve seen that we can build credibility through humility, forgiveness, and clarity about the heart of the gospel: that Jesus Christ died and rose again for sinners like us.
In this sermon, we’re going to see something even deeper: where our peace under pressure comes from. When circumstances are hostile, confusing, or even frightening, we can still have peace because God is not absent. He is actively at work, and He is firmly in control. He holds us fast.
The Bible reminds us again and again that we only see a small part of what God is doing. Behind the scenes, His purposes are unfolding perfectly. That’s why, after losing nearly everything, Job could say with confidence:
“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” (Job 42:2)
The question for us this morning is simple: Do we believe that? And if we do, how does that truth give us peace—even in the hardest situations?
Our sermon is called, Peace Under Pressure. Will you join me in praying that God would come and do in our lives something powerful that fills us all with hope, courage, and peace?
