If you'll turn with me, please, to Acts chapter 18. Because meetings like this one, deputation meetings, soul winners convention meetings, they're meetings which are designed to focus our attention on the work of God in this world, whether that's in Kenya, whether that's here in Utnabi, or somewhere else. And it's instructive, I think, and encouraging also, to see how that work of God was done in the early church. And if you have your Bible open there at Acts chapter 18, we have a chapter here, in the course of which, just for me to summarize the opening verses, the apostle Paul arrives in Corinth, and he's followed closely after by Silas and Timothy. They go to the synagogue, and Paul preaches there, but they receive an incredibly hostile reception from the Jews as they preach in that particular place. And so they soon after that move on to teach in the home of a Gentile man by the name of Justice. And many were received as a result of that. Souls were won as a result of that preaching ministry. Not only Gentile people, but the Jewish ruler of the synagogue as well by the name of Crispus. And it's at that point where Paul, a sole winner in the work of God, is given a message directly from his master. And it's that message that I want to focus your attention on as we finish tonight. Truth for missionaries who will do the work of God away from home, but equally truth for congregants and members of the church here who will do the work at home. We're all His workers, and so we are all to remember what I can call God's message to soul winners. God's message to soul winners. The first half of that message is in verse 9, where we read the what, if I could describe it that way, the what. What are we to do? Verse 9, Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace." God's workers are to do essentially two things. Do not be afraid. Do speak. That's the what. What are we to do? God's expectations of His people in His work. And I find it really rather comforting, and I hope you do too, to think that even the apostle Paul needed to be told this kind of thing. Clearly, he was, for some reason or another at this point, afraid. Clearly, he was, for some reason, reluctant to speak. Probably, I imagine, it was because of the intense hostility of the Jews in this particular place. Maybe it was the overwhelming significance of his responsibility in bringing the gospel to this place for the first time. But whatever it was, he needed to be told what to do. He needed this encouragement and this comfort. And if the apostle Paul needed a reminder like this one, then surely all of us tonight here do as well. Do not be afraid. And that is so often our instinct, isn't it, in the work of God and in soul winning? Maybe let me start in a very narrow way and then widen out. If I think about my situation, how can I minister to people from a different language and culture? How can I leave home and family behind? Humanly speaking, these things are terrifying. And yet in that situation, I'm reminded, be not afraid, but speak. Let me broaden the scope. If you're someone here tonight who's feeling the call of God to go into His work, you might be thinking, how can I do that? How can I go into Bible college? How can I step away from the security and the comfort of normal employment and all that it brings with it? If you're burdened in that way tonight, the message is for you. Be not afraid, but speak. Let me broaden the scope to include everybody. You might be asking, how can I serve God in the church? How can I find the energy for that? How can I find the courage to speak in front of children or young people or whatever it is? How can I knock that door? How can I give out that invitation? How can I do it? God says, be not afraid, but speak. He's told all of us what we are to do. Question is, are you willing to put your human fears to one side and do it? To speak, to go, to give, to pray, to work, to win souls, holding nothing back. God gives us the what, but it's not just a matter of what, it's also a matter of why. And that's very important, I think, because He doesn't expect His workers to be brave just because He says so. Oh, don't be afraid. Well, okay, that's it. I won't be afraid. You know, that's about as useful or as effective as saying, don't worry, to your spouse when they're anxious or your child when they're afraid. It doesn't work. You need to give a little bit more than that. Just saying, don't worry, isn't enough to make the worry go away. Because, humanly, we need a reason not to fear, a reason to speak. That's exactly what God goes on to give in His message to soul winners. He, in verse 10, tells us not what we are to do, but why we are to do it. Why we are to do it. Verse 10. For, or I could say, because. So, Paul, be not afraid, but speak, hold not thy peace. For, or because, I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee, for I have much people in this city. Do the work because I'm with you. That's the first thing he says, I'm with you. The God who made all things, the God who keeps all of His promises, the God who has complete knowledge of and control over all the events of this world is with you and me as we go about this work. That's a pretty good why, isn't it? That's a pretty good reason not to be afraid, and instead of being afraid, speak. In fact, when we're reminded of that, reminded of who the God is who's with us, and the fact that He is with us, well, it makes all of those instinctive fears that we feel, and the silence that we naturally tend towards, it makes all of those things really start to seem very little sense. And it's true, they don't. We should do the work, because the sovereign God of heaven is with us as we go about it. He goes on to say, do the work, because I will protect you. No man shall set on thee to hurt thee. We know that that is truly the case. God had control over what the Jews would be able to do with Paul. We see that later in the chapter, as I'll mention in a moment. But he has control, not just over what happened with the apostle Paul, he has control over the lives that you and I lead. over the many, many risks that we spend so much time obsessing over. And the further I go into parenthood, the more I feel that obsessing over risks and different dangers. If He has a work for you and for me to do, He will make sure to protect us in order to do that work. It can't be done if He does not protect us. Therefore, we will be able to do the work if He's called us to do it. He's sovereign over it all. You do see that in this passage, not long after this promise is given to the apostle, the Jews do arrest him, bring him to the court, the judgment seat, And yet, when all of that happens, verse 16 in the chapter, if you look at that verse, tells us that when they brought Paul to the judgment seat before the man by the name Gallio, the Roman ruler in that place, it says that he drave them from the judgment seat. He had no interest in persecuting Paul, no interest in punishing him. In fact, the following verse tells us that the one who ended up getting beaten that day wasn't Paul. It was the Jewish ruler of the synagogue, the new Jewish ruler, we presume, after the first one had been saved by the grace of God. Not a finger was laid on Paul. Of course, that ought to be the case. The Lord said He would protect him, the Lord who cannot break His word. Do the work because I will protect you." Finally, he says in verse 10, do the work because I have a plan for sinners. I have much people in this city. Paul is to keep speaking and working because God has chosen people in Corinth who are going to be saved, who are going to be added to the church. And he intends to use the witness of the apostle Paul to that particular end. You might have forgiven the apostle for thinking at this point, it's time to move on. Everybody's had an opportunity. I went to the synagogue, preached to the Jews, they wanted nothing to do with it. The Gentiles, they've been preached to, they've had their opportunity, and so some have refused, some have accepted, but it's time for me to move on. Take the gospel somewhere else. God says to Paul, stay, because I have much people here. I want you to think about that tonight. Those of you who have been faithfully presenting the gospel to this community over the course of many, many years, you might, and I'm sure it's not a matter of might, it's a certainty, at times feel discouraged, thinking maybe there is no one else in this place. No one else who will receive this message of salvation. Things are so barren. Response is so hostile. Or maybe it might be that you know a friend or a family member, someone who has refused and opposed the gospel for years, who it might seem, humanly speaking, they've had their opportunity. God has had me in this place. I've spoken to them. They're not interested. Take God's message of encouragement tonight. Do not be afraid. Don't hold your pace. Don't stop. Keep on speaking. Why? Is it because eventually you'll combine the right words to convince that person? Is it because you'll just wear them down and eventually they'll grow so weary that they'll get saved? No. It wasn't about how well Paul preached or about how eloquently you might present the gospel to others. It is about the fact that God has people in every part of this world, people He has chosen, and in His time, He will open their hearts to enable them to receive the gospel. I have much people in this city. Keep speaking. I will open their hearts. God's message to soul winners, both at home and abroad, what we are to do not to be afraid, but speak. Why we are to do it? Because God will be with us, will protect us, and will fulfill His plan for sinners. May He be pleased to make all of us, wherever we are, wherever the Lord takes us, May he be pleased to make of each of us sole winners for his own glory.