Mark Gillmore: You can say with me what is the final wrap-up statement every time we have our GoMission podcast. Remember, the only way to stay at peace in a world of turmoil and uncertainty is to stay on mission with Jesus in his GoMission. Sound familiar?

Can you say it with me? Let’s try it again. All right, together.

The only way to stay at peace in a world of turmoil and uncertainty is to stay on mission with Jesus in his GoMission. And I want to take our time here and look at a passage of Scripture.

Turn with me towards John chapter 20. John 20, and really that’s the passage of Scripture out of which my wrap-up statement comes. And I really do believe what that statement is saying.

In John chapter 20, we have the disciples in verse 19. Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut, where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews. All right, so this is just a couple days after Christ’s crucifixion and the disciples are up in this upper room.

They’re gathered. They’ve got to make sure the door is closed and bolted. And why are they there?

Why are they in that room? They’re assembled there for, according to the verse, what’s it say? They’re there for fear of the Jews.

And no wonder their Savior had just been crucified, their master, their Messiah, had just been hung on a tree. He’d been arrested and tortured and crucified. And so if their Messiah couldn’t save himself, what would happen to them next?

There they are, gathered in fear. They had no one to turn to, the Jewish authorities.

the Roman authorities, they had no protection on any side, and there they are gathered in fear. Satan has, we could definitely identify, I think we probably would agree, on two chief weapons that Satan uses. The first one, I’m sure we would understand as deception.

That certainly started in the garden. John 8, 44, he’s the father, he is a liar from the beginning, and he’s the father of lies. And deception is certainly a chief weapon of Satan.

A second one is the weapon of fear. In Hebrews 2, we find that the devil holds people through fear of death all of their lifetime and subject to bondage. The fear of death and fear itself, of course, God doesn’t give us a spirit of fear, but Satan tries to give us a spirit of fear.

And I believe that that spirit of fear is

only increasing in our time and in our day. There is so much turmoil, uncertainty, international, Even the headlines that are happening right now as we speak, the spirit of fear. We’re living in a generation that has literally been assaulted by that spirit.

COVID was just an all-out evil assault. Even greater than the threat that was in the health realm was the threat in the fear realm. Our whole world locked down out of a response of pure fear.

That was not God. That was Satan. Who is behind all of this?

It’s the evil one. Now, the tragedy is not just that the world is falling into the fears. It’s God’s people that are falling into these fears.

And we have churches and we have people, we have individual believers who are making decisions out of fear. Fear of government, intrusion, loss of liberties, fear of financial shortfalls and persecution. But here we have a moment in Scripture where Jesus steps into a scene exactly like that.

In fact, look here at Jesus’ words here. Here they are assembled. Look at verse 19.

And Jesus came and stood in the midst, the end of that verse, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord.

Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you. As my Father has sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost.

Then look down at verse 26.

And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Say it with me. Peace be unto you.

Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands, and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side, and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus said unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed.

Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed. Three times we hear Jesus repeat this word, peace be unto you. You know what peace is?

Peace is a sense of calm and confidence. It is knowing that everything is right with me and my God and is right with my place in this world. It is being free from threat or impending harm.

Think about that. Wouldn’t that be a wonderful state of soul? To actually have a sense of calm confidence, To have a sense that everything is right in the surrounding nature of me and my life.

Everything between God and I is at peace. Everything at my place in this world is at peace. Isn’t that the opposite of fear?

That I have this sense that it’s right. That it’s okay. Wouldn’t that be sweet?

You think God would give a sense of peace to all of us and have that for us? It’s very interesting to me how much I hear headlines coming up mostly out of the health industry about mental health. And I hear about it especially as it applies to young people.

COVID isolated young people, COVID separated people. And the honest truth is that there, I think our world wants to create a mental health crisis, to take advantage of young people that think they’re messed up. Actually, we live in a world that wants the next generation to believe you are messed up.

Because Satan’s going to take advantage of that. He’s going to take away from you the foundation of what was a worldview that was more healthy and replace it with a worldview that is completely controlled by bias, misinformation, and a completely anti-Christ point of view.

I want you as young people to come out of this session, and I want you to realize that everything is right with me in my world. And I want you to understand why that is so and the idea of mental health and so forth. All those problems are solved through Jesus Christ and through what he’s doing in our world.

So let’s pray here. Lord, we thank you for this, what you’re doing in our world in these different sessions. And thank you for the privilege to be here.

I think of Esther who had that sense that she had come to that place for such a time as this. And Lord, I believe that sitting right here in this auditorium are young people who are here for such a time as this. That it’s not a mistake that they’re here, that what’s happening in our world is really not a mistake.

But you’re here and you’ve got us here for a mission. And we’re on your side and everything is right. Lord, I pray that you would comfort our hearts and fill us with courage as we look at your word here now in Jesus’ name.

Amen. All right. Look there at the first statement of peace.

Look at the end of verse 19. Jesus says, Peace be unto you. Verse 20.

And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad when what? They saw the Lord.

There’s three reasons in this passage to be at peace. Here’s the first one. You and I can be at peace when we know Jesus is alive and well.

Jesus is alive and well. Look over two pages to Acts chapter 1.

Acts chapter 1 and verse 3. This is talking about that same period of time where Jesus showed up for the first time there in that assembly there in the upper room. And over the succeeding days, look at verse 3.

To whom also he showed himself, what’s the next word? Alive after his passion. What’s his passion?

What’s another word for that? His death, his crucifixion. To whom also he showed himself alive after his death by many, what’s the next word?

Infallible proofs. You know, young people, the most verified, historical, history-changing event is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The fact of the matter is, is that Jesus did die, and he did rise again, and he ascended, and he is seated at the right hand of God, and that fact of history changes everything. And for you all to sit here and be aware of that fact changes you. Jesus is alive and well, and he wants us to realize it.

It is so through infallible proofs. There are people who have cried out for God to show himself to them personally, and he has answered that prayer.

I want to just put this challenge before you here as young people. If you feel distant from God, tell him. And say, God, show me that you’re real.

God, show me in my life with an infallible, undeniable proof that you’re present and you’re working. I guarantee you out of a sincere heart, God will answer your prayer. He took 40 days to go among his disciples, and he made sure they knew one thing, he’s alive.

And he will do anything necessary in your life to affirm that in a personal way.

He is alive and he is well. I love Colossians chapter 2, the statement here. In verses 13 to 15, let me read that if you want to turn there.

And you being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross. And it says this, having spoiled principalities in power, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them.

What you need to understand, and I need to just realize again, That when Jesus hung on the cross, God allowed all of the record of our sin debt and everything that would separate us from God to be nailed to Jesus on that cross. All the record. And do you know that the only thing that could separate you from God is your sin?

Nothing in this world can come between you and God. Nothing can separate us from the love of God that’s in Christ. The only thing that has the power of that is the power is your sin.

And when Jesus is hanging on the cross, God took all of that record, nailed it to Jesus. Satan thought he had won. Because now he doesn’t only have man, he had the Son of Man.

And he had him in his fingers. And when he saw that all that sin was placed on the holy spotless Son of God, he thought now he had the ultimate prize. But there was one thing he didn’t count on.

the power of the blood of Jesus because as the blood of Jesus was applied to the record of all our sin on that holy guiltless man that blood washed away every last trace of that record of debt didn’t just wash it away from Christ he washed it away from you and I want to say on the authority of the word of God the power of sin has been broken in your life

the power to condemn you the power to damn you the power to send you to hell. When you come to Christ, sin no longer has that power over your life. It’s been completely canceled.

You can sin, I don’t care what sin you do tomorrow, that sin cannot send you to hell. It’s lost that power. When you come to Christ, and also has done this, the end of that verse says this, he made a show of them, he said he spoiled principalities and powers and he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

What is it when you spoil? When you spoil an enemy, what’s that referring? It’s saying that whatever was in his possession, you take to be in your possession.

And when it says that Jesus spoiled the principalities and powers, he’s saying that he took out of his possession what was under his control, and that was you and I. And he triumphed over them openly. And Satan has lost the authority over your life.

He has completely been spoiled. You now actually are, you’re now actually taken over onto Christ’s side.

Jesus said, whosoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you know if you’re a child of God, you actually can’t die. You say, well, one day my body’s going to die.

Yeah, your body’s going to die, but you can’t. Do you know what death is? Death is being separated from God.

Do you know the moment you’re absent from the body, you are what? You’re present with the Lord. That’s not death.

The only thing that Satan can do is kill your body. He cannot kill you.

Death is not something a believer needs to fear. Paul didn’t. He said that I’m in a straight betwixt two.

I have a longing to be present with the Lord. For me to live is Christ and to die is gain. Satan should not hold the fear of death over God’s people.

And this is really key. See, young people can say, man, I’m afraid of what might kill me. I’m afraid of what might, I might die.

If I go and I get on mission and he calls me to go somewhere where they might kill me, what would happen then?

I’m afraid of that ultimate happening to me. And I want to tell you, you do not have to fear that. And when you realize that death isn’t something you fear any longer, Satan can’t control you.

It’s a big deal. And it’s reality. This summer, my father passed away.

He’s 82 years old. And we saw the hand of God just superintend him going through that valley. And I learned personally the reality of Psalm 116, precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.

Do you know that God personally superintends the moments and the lead up to the death of every one of his saints? There is nothing to fear in death. Jesus has won the victory over sin, over death, and over hell.

And he has given us the authority unto the end of the age. Let’s look at the next part of this verse. The disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

Look at verse 21. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you. As my Father has sent me, even so send I you.

And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said unto them, Receive you the Holy Ghost. Now here’s a second reason for peace. Peace comes, first of all, when we realize Jesus is alive and well.

He has conquered sin, death, and hell. And that is now part of my own identity. Secondly, peace comes when we realize that Jesus has a mission for us.

Look, he said, Peace be unto you. As my Father sent me, now, in the same manner, in the same mission, now I am sending you.

Now, Jesus came on a mission. We find that in Mark. Where he went, he said, let us go into the next towns that I may preach there also.

In fact, in Matthew, it says that he went to all the cities and the villages. He was intent. In fact, he sent out his 70, two by two.

And he said he sent them, and he sent them whither he himself would come. Do you know that Jesus is on a mission right now, and he is endeavoring to get to every village and to every person with the good news of the victory that’s in Christ?

And do you know who’s on that mission right now? You are. It’s your mission.

In the very same way transferred to you is the very same mission. You know, it changes everything when you know why you’re here. There could be someone in this event and has literally been thinking through your mind, you’ve been kind of thinking, I don’t even know why I’m here.

You can feel that. Someone told me to come, my parents, someone paid, you know, and you’re just sitting here. I don’t even know.

What’s that make you feel? You feel like you’re lost. Then there’s others who are sitting here saying, man, God’s talking to me.

And you know why you’re here, and it changed everything. You understand that? And if in the big scenario of life, you connect to why you’re here, it changes everything.

Our soldiers in Vietnam said, why are we here? Are we here to win, or are we here to lose? And when they didn’t feel like it was clear, it just sucked out the energy to fight.

And, you know, when God’s people and the church of God has forgotten why it’s here, you lose your mission. You lose your sense of what you’re supposed to be doing. Look back over to those couple pages where we, Acts chapter 1.

We were just there a moment ago. I love this. Look at Acts 1 and verse 6.

Here Jesus is again in this same moment of time as John 20. And when they were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom of Israel?

And he said to them, it’s not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father has put in his own power. Okay, all of a sudden, wait, our Messiah, he isn’t dead. He’s alive.

What are you going to do next, Jesus? Are you going to actually put the Jewish nation back into that identity, our national existence? Are you going to actually restore to us our own kingdom?

Are you going to remove the Romans? Are you going to, what’s happening? Because we’re Jews and like we’d really like to see this happen, you know, about now.

And Jesus said, it’s not for you to know the times of those seasons, which the Lord Father has put in his own hand. And he says, but you, look at verse 8, you shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you and you shall be witnesses unto me. I feel like the church of God can sometimes get stuck in verse 6 when God wants us to be living in verse 8.

You know, verse 6 is, Lord, what’s happening next? When are you going to return?

Things are getting really bad. You know, missions used to be strong, but the age of missions is declining. We can see the forces of evil are rising.

and are you going to show up and are you going to rescue the church out of its remnant state, just holding on to the end? Is this what we’re supposed to be overly concerned with? And I can just hear Jesus saying, hey, I got that.

I’ve got a mission for you. Stay on mission. Look over at Matthew 24, just for a moment.

Look at Matthew 24. Here the disciples are really asking a very similar question. Jesus has just predicted that every stone in the existing temple is going to be broken down.

And by the way, it was. That Herod’s temple was literally razed to the ground in 8070. The Romans just destroyed it.

And it happened. And Jesus was predicting that. And in verse 3, he sat on the Mount of Olives, and the disciples came to him private, saying, Tell us when shall these things be, and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and the end of the world.

So he’s talking about the end of the world. And I think a lot of us can identify with this moment, maybe more than ever. And look what Jesus said in verse 4.

He says, Take heed that no man deceive you. Okay, watch out for deception. Remember we talked about Satan’s weapon, deception.

Okay, watch out. It’s going to be increasing. Many are going to come in my name.

Look at verse 6. and you’re going to hear of wars and rumors of wars, see that you be not what?

He said, don’t get caught in control by fear. Remember, Satan’s weapon is fear. He says, don’t fall into that trap.

You’re going to hear of wars. They’re going to be increasing all around you. Don’t get caught in fear.

All these things have to come to pass. I’m in control of this. And the end, notice at the end of verse 6, the end is what?

Not yet. Say, boy, look at all these wars. Look at all these things that are going on.

We must be close to the end.

Nope. Not yet. Look at verse 7.

Nation’s going to rise against nation. Kingdom against kingdom. All these beginning of SARS.

Look at verse 9. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted and shall kill you. And you’ll be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.

Okay, there is a persecution that is happening. And many are going to be offended. they’re going to be caused to stumble.

They’re going to betray one another. There’s going to be hatred between one another. Many false prophets.

There you have deception again.

Look at verse 12. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. There is going to be an access, an unprecedented access to evil.

And that’s going to result in many, the love for the Lord, diminishing lukewarmness. Certainly we can see that. And then look at verse 13.

And he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be what? Okay, that is not talking about personal salvation. He’s talking about how God will intervene in a delivering way those who stay on track with him.

Those who endure, those who stay on mission are going to experience deliverance. Look at verse 14. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations.

And what’s the next phrase? then shall the end come. Okay, there’s going to be a lot of wars and famine and all this stuff’s going on, but the end isn’t yet.

But I’m going to get the gospel preached to all nations, and there’s your end. Amen? Okay, so what’s God up to?

By the way, man is not going to be the one that determines when the end occurs. God is. We’ll see that in just a moment.

So man’s about ready to destroy this planet. I want to just say this, man can’t destroy this planet. God is holding our planet and when it is destroyed, it will be destroyed by the hand of God, not the hand of man.

So don’t be afraid of that one. God’s in control of this and when does he determine that the end comes when the gospel gets preached.

This could be a reference to the tribulation period, and if it is, I’m really excited that God’s going to be faithful to the tribulation generation, that he’s going to get the gospel preached to all nations. In fact, there’s going to be 144,000 born-again Jews that are going to go preach the gospel to the ends of the earth. Amen?

In fact, even as we see the world’s scenario center on the conflict in the Middle East, You know what we should be praying? We should be praying, God, bring the Israelite nation back to yourself.

That’s what God’s doing. Like this world’s disintegrating. No, it’s not.

God’s in control and he’s dealing with his nation. Getting their eyes back to the Messiah they rejected. These should be actually exciting times in which we live.

Just a couple days ago I was sitting in a restaurant and I had my Bible and I was reading it. And the waitress came up to me and she said, hey, she said, I’m back in the back of the restaurant in the kitchen, and I’m having an argument with the other waitresses.

She says, I’m telling them that Iran is going to connect with Russia and these events that are happening, that this is really what’s going on. She said, am I right? And I said, yeah, you’re right.

She says, they won’t believe me. And she said, you know, she said, I said to her, I could tell that she was a believer. I said, isn’t it awesome to actually know what’s happening in our world?

Like those people back in the kitchen don’t have a clue. And you and I know what’s going on.

Isn’t that awesome? And then she told me this. She says, yeah, she said she goes to a Baptist church actually in Waukesha.

She said, yeah, she said, my son started attending a good news club hosted in his public school by that church. And we all got saved just a couple of years ago. And I said, praise God.

And you know what? A couple of years ago, that lady wouldn’t have a clue either. Just like everyone else in the back of that kitchen.

But why does she know?

Why does she have peace? Why can’t she sort it out? Because the gospel reached her through her public school and her kid, and now they’re all attending that church.

And she’s got peace. Amen? Like, that’s how it works.

We know the end of the story, and we’re here for a mission. We’re here for a reason. I just actually just this morning ran across a video that had come my way.

How many of you know of, how many of you know, maybe you can help me back here on this.

How many of you know of Brother Andrew and God’s smuggler story? How many of you know that story? That guy who smuggled Bible.

Well, that ministry that he began is still going on today. And they just put out this particular little video here telling about what’s happening in the Middle East. And I want you to see this here.

I have to raise my voice because I’m in a printing press, but there’s something really special about this printing press.

Hi, I’m Brian with Global Christian Relief. Right now, we’re in the Middle East. Although for security reasons, we cannot tell you the name of the country, nor can we show you the faces of believers or even the covers of Bibles.

In spite of all these things, we’re about to see something very special. We’re driving to see something incredible I’m so excited about, but it’s also really incredibly sensitive and dangerous.

We’re going to have to take every precaution to make sure that we keep everything and all the information here safe.

It’s something that most people never get to see. We’re going through lots of checkpoints. It’s just funny to be in the backseat as Americans.

Here we go.

I have to raise my voice and speak loudly because I’m in a printing press, but there’s something really special about this printing press. It’s a secret Bible publishing warehouse. Right behind me are 25,000 copies of the New Testament.

They’re going to be bound, and then they’re going to be smuggled into Iran. The persecuted believers, they’ll strengthen them and strengthen the Turks. This is only made available because of your prayer and support.

I’m so excited even just to be here, to see the action, to see all of the printing happening, and to see the wonderful workers behind the scene, which we can’t show you because it’s too dangerous.

And now we’re on our way to a second printing facility. This facility specifically focused on children’s Bibles. These Bibles are awesome.

They’re meant to be used with families where you can see the different pictures that are there for children to color in while mom and dad are reading the story together. These Bibles are illegal. They’re going to be smuggled into dangerous places.

So please pray for those who are taking these Bibles to help strengthen the church. This Bible right here we know is going to impact a child in a powerful way for God’s kingdom.

We were overjoyed to finally see these Bibles being printed in real life. However, the unseen reality of being a Bible printer is much tougher than we could imagine.

He says, they tried to kill me five times. They’ve threatened my family. If you’re still alive, it’s because of the prayers of Christ’s protection.

Pray for us to succeed with the printing process. It’s important to print more Bibles

and hand it to more people to change their lives. To meet Simcoe and hear his story, it both broke my heart for what he and his fellow believers have suffered, but it also inspired me by his incredible resilience and faith in his mission. It is only through your support and prayer that Bible printers like Simcoe can keep printing Bibles to share God’s Word where it’s needed most.

When you took the Bible from me, he said it’s the most important book on earth. Oh, sure. Because of this, I will never give up.

When you say that that man’s on mission, right now in the Middle East, printing Bibles secretly in a warehouse, right there in the middle of that conflict, my guess is that’s probably in Iraq, where that location is. And they’re literally backpacking Bibles over the border into Iran. Amen?

Is that what we should be doing? Should we be walking away from the Middle East or should we be walking into the Middle East?

I know I heard the testimony of a man who when ISIS was taking over Syria, that’s when he went into Iraq as a missionary. We have the idea that we’re going to run away from the conflict when we should be running to it. And young people, I believe there’s young people in this room who God wants to call for a mission.

He wants you to join and respond with courage, not with fear. That’s why we’re here. That’s why we’re here.

Not to hold on to the end and count our noses and, okay, who’s here, who’s not here.

to actually send folks out to where the gospel’s never been heard. That’s why we’re here. And finally, let’s look here back in John chapter 20.

Look at John 20 and verse 26. He said, And after eight days, again, his disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Then came Jesus, the doors being shut.

Here’s eight days later. They’re still struggling with this fear matter. And Jesus shows up, and he stands in the midst.

And what does he say to them? Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas.

Thomas is there. By the way, don’t be eight days missing the next church meeting, all right? Be there.

Thomas wouldn’t have had eight as miserable days if he’d been there the first time. And so Jesus comes to Thomas. Notice he walks right up to him.

He says, Thomas, Thomas, reach hither thy finger and behold my hands. Reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side and be not faithless but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, my Lord and my God.

Isn’t God good?

To me, if I were Thomas, I would have walked up to Thomas and said, Thomas, you’ve had a bad attitude. Look, you should have been believing this whole time, and I just am about ready to kick you out of my bunch. You’re not really worthy.

That’s kind of what sometimes we think, right? Isn’t Jesus gentle? He walks up to Thomas and says, Hey, Thomas, I know where you’re at.

I know what you said. And I just want you to say, Thomas, look. There it is.

Hey, Thomas, look.

Here it is. I don’t know who in this room would be the most marked by fear or doubt. But I want you to know this.

Jesus knows right where you’re at. And he loves you. And he’s not going to fault you for where you’re at.

what he wants to do is he wants to touch you right where you’re at and say I’m going to lift you up I know where you’re at and I’m not going to leave you there you say man I look at the personalities around me and they’re some bold guys I mean look at those guys leading the teams they’re crazy well yeah they are crazy agreed I could never do that I want you to listen.

Courage and faith is not a personality trait. Courage and faith is not an exuberant, outgoing personality, and it’s not being brash, and it’s not being rude. It is not being in your face.

Courage and faith are built on a knowledge of a Jesus who has won. And Jesus will meet you right where you’re at, and he will deliver you from your fears. If you’ll take that step of faith.

And Jesus comes to Thomas and says, Thomas, here, I’m gonna meet your need right where you’re at.

And then look what Thomas responds. My Lord and my God, and look at verse 29. Jesus said unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed.

Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed. He says, Thomas, I know where you’re at. And Thomas, there’s a better way to live.

Right now, you are requiring sight in order to find peace. And Thomas, I got something for you. There’s a better way to live.

And I want to show you that. Thomas, there’s a blessing for those who don’t need sight in order to believe.

Do you know what faith is? This is what faith is. Faith is only requiring of God his word on the matter.

that’s faith faith is only requiring of God his word on the matter do you know that it was God’s word that spoke this world into existence and God spoke and everything was do you know that it’s his word that still holds this word the world in existence by the same word it’s held in store do you know that all of the integrity and authority of the character of God stands behind every statement of Scripture, and all things must be fulfilled.

And if you and I will begin to live not by sight, but by faith in the unchanging Word of God, do you know what? We will live a consistent Christian life. If you require sight, you know what you’re going to be doing?

You’re going to be up and down, up and down, up and down. Sometimes you see, sometimes you don’t. Sometimes you see, sometimes you don’t.

And that will… There’s a better way to live. When you live on the authority of the Word of God, the just live by faith.

This is a time in history to live by faith as never before. I want to say this. If we aren’t living by faith, we’re going to be controlled by fear.

It’s faith or fear. Young people, if the Word of God is not forming your daily meditations, you’re going to be overcome by fear. It will.

And if you learn that the word of God is the foundation for what I think and for the direction I’m going with my life, then I want to tell you, you will be completely free from fear.

Oh, fear might come or be there, but it won’t be what is actually controlling you. Peace does not come from hiding. Peace comes from believing and from going.

Just a couple years ago, I communicated with a friend. He was in the Middle East. He was in one of the North African countries, actually.

And he was there as a missionary. And one day, he saw pictures of his family all displayed on an Islamic terrorist webpage. Wow, how would you respond to that?

Your family, your wife, your kids on an Arab terrorist website.

And they were basically saying, we know who you are, we know where you are, we know why you’re here. How would you respond? He said this, he said, I have learned that whenever I’m attacked with fear, I must do two things.

He said, one, I get to my knees in prayer. And he said, number two, I get on my feet and I go tell someone about Jesus.

you know what that’s saying he’s saying I get on my knees and I lay the matter before the Lord and then I get on the gospel mission and you know when you step out and you leave your fear behind you know what happens when you step out on mission you encounter God at work you have a divine appointment you experience the reality of God so peace be unto you amen Calm confidence.

Free from impending threat and harm. Peace because Jesus is alive and well. Peace because Jesus has a mission for me.

And peace because I don’t have to live by fear and doubt. I can live by faith in the unchanging word of God. Peace be unto you.

every one of you. Peace be unto you. Amen.