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Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. I have a Father's Day story for you. When I was 15 years old, a sophomore in high school, my dad said to me, If you're going to be a pastor and want to speak the word of God, you should probably take a speech class. You don't say much yet. The first time I gave a speech in high school, I was very, very nervous. I was afraid that I could embarrass myself. What if someone asked you if it is frightening to be a disciple of Jesus? You may have been afraid to speak before others at some point in life. You may have been afraid to speak of Jesus. When Jesus sent the twelve into the world, he said, And fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul, but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Jesus' first disciples were probably fearful. God made them fearless. Jesus protected them while they were persecuted. They needed courage and they needed protection from God because this big unbelieving world can be a frightening place. There is an Islamic tradition, no longer practiced, but it was a practice for the non-Muslims. It was called the FIMA agreement. Now this pact granted protection to non-Muslims in exchange for their loyalty and a monetary tax. The FIMA rules brought protection and a degree of religious freedom for Christian folks. They, the Christians, were required to pay the tax, while pagans, those who were not a part of any monotheistic persuasion, while the pagans were required to accept Islam or die. The threat of persecution hung over society. Jesus' disciples are protected even when they are persecuted. We're not left alone, we're not left afraid when we speak of Jesus. We are followers of Jesus, the Lord of heaven and earth. At the conclusion of the Lord's prayer we say, For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen. His is the kingdom. In first Chronicles twenty nine, eleven we read, Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and is in the earth is yours. Yo is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. We are his subjects. And as his subjects, he can and he will protect us. His is the power. His name is omnipotence, all powerful. Great are his gifts to us, both temporal and spiritual. His is the power to do exceedingly above all that we can think or ask, Ephesians three twenty. Psalm seventy nine nine says, Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name deliver us and atone for our sins for your name's sake. All this he does for his disciples forever and ever. Do we know any fearless modern day disciples of Jesus? On december twenty first, twenty twenty five, our grandson Jaden and his Scottsdale baseball teammates attended a memorial service for Charlie Kirk in Glendale, Arizona. What a terrible tragedy that was, that he lost his life. Our U.S. President, our vice president, the Secretary of State, and others were there to support Kirk's wife, his family and friends. Charlie Kirk was a Christian. Was he persecuted? Was he martyred as a disciple of Jesus? Ask his wife. Ask Jaden and his nineteen-year-old teammates. The Bible confirms many examples of martyrdom. Their persecution is verified by the witness of the Holy Spirit and his inspired writers. Their stories are at the same time frightening and faith-conforming. Persecution is real. By faith, Moses faced persecution. Moses forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of Pharaoh. The God's Word reading of Hebrews 11 27 says, Faith led Moses to leave Egypt without being afraid of the king's anger. Moses didn't give up, but he continued as if he could actually see the invisible God. Professor George Steckhardt has a typological analysis of the calling of Moses at the fiery bush. It's quite beautiful. He says, the Lord appeared to Moses at Mount Horeb. Moses saw a fiery bush that was not consumed by its flames. And then Stecker goes on and says, This is a picture of God's people who are afflicted with severe trials and yet are not consumed even by death. What if someone asked you if you are afraid? If it is frightening for you to be a disciple, to speak of Jesus? Jesus said, Fear God, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. The story of Joseph in the Old Testament teaches us that the looking up to God, the fear of the Lord, the awareness that God sees and God hears, these protect us. God protects us from straying and falling. And every one of us here in time is under constant influence of the world, the flesh, and the devil. And we need, must be aware that we need God's protection. Protection from straying and falling. The Bible also reports the stories of spiritual weaklings, those who become impatient, who forget God's word, take his promises for granted, get out of the habit of regular worship and the receiving of holy communion. God has patience with us weaklings. He does not withdraw his protection, his helping hand, although we deserve to have him forsake us. The companion character of spiritual weakness is often rebellion. In 2 Samuel 15, we are told that almost all of Israel rebelled against God to follow David's unfaithful son, Absalom. Isn't it surprising how quickly the Israelites became unfaithful to God's servant David, because David was ruling with equity and justice. David's good friend and counselor, Ahithophel, fell away, became a traitor. He was at one time wise, stood by David in every situation, but he fell away. This is an Old Testament picture of Jesus' disciple. You know him? Judas Iscariot. Ahithophel fell away, became a traitor. And here's a word to older, more experienced disciples among us. During times of suffering and persecution, we, of whom you would not expect it, may become weak. And we too may even deny the faith, just as Peter did under pressure. However, we can find encouragement, look around. We can find encouragement from the young disciples, the newly converted, like David's new friend, Itai, who stood by David while Absalom persecuted him. The story of David is a prelude to the persecution endured by David's faithful son, the Lord Jesus. Samuel reports that David crossed the Kidron, crying, weeping, barefooted, with his head covered, ashamed, afraid, frightened by Absalom's threats. As David left the city and ascended the Mount of Olives, many people followed him and wept at the sight of David. What if someone asked you if it is frightening to be a disciple like David, a disciple of the living God? Every year at Lent we have followed Jesus, God's son and David's son on his way to the Garden of Gethsemane at the Mount of Olives. 2 Samuel 15 is a beautiful description, a typological description of what happens to Jesus. There at Gethsemane, in deep sorrow over and because of our sins, Jesus trembled and shook. Sometimes in Lent when we follow Jesus to the cross, we too may tremble. David avoided violence. He adjusted to his persecution and to his suffering. This resulted in his own safety and brought rescue to his people. In the most extraordinary way, Christ, by his difficult path of suffering, brought help and salvation to his people. Jesus fell on his face in the Garden of Gethsemane, and then he willingly took the bitter cup that his heavenly Father gave him to drink. Matthew 26, 38. Christ suffered. Christ suffered for the sake of sin. The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life. Christ suffered for the sake of sin. He carried foreign sin. Carrying his cross and dying upon the cross, he paid with his blood the blood guilt of all men. He redeemed us from the curse of the law by being made a curse for us. What if someone asked you if it is frightening to be a disciple of Jesus? The world opposes the message of the cross. In Matthew 10 22, Jesus tells his disciples that they will be hated by all. It's a general hatred that causes people to turn against everything that reveals Christ and makes his name known as Savior of the world. Jesus is not, as they accused him, Jesus is not Beelzebuble. His enemies called him by a devil's name because he drove out devils. Jesus said those who oppose the gospel will treat his disciples in the same way and with less hesitation. Matthew six twenty ten twenty five. Saint Paul referred to Ishmael's harassment of Isaac, to make the point that those who rely upon their own good works, born according to the flesh naturally persecute those who live by faith in God's promises, those born of the Spirit, Galatians 4 29. The enemies of Christ can persecute disciples only within the limits that He has established. Since Christ is in charge of our lives, we don't have to be afraid of those who oppose us on account of our faith and our confession of the gospel of Christ. In Matthew 10 26, Jesus said, Do not be afraid of them. And in Matthew 10, 31, Jesus said, Therefore do not be afraid. Jesus used a comparison in verse thirty one. God will God who watches every sparrow protect you. Will God who watches every sparrow? Will he neglect you for even one moment? He will not neglect you. With this simple comparison, absolutely every trace of fear will vanish. We are protected. The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm twenty seven one. Jesus uses all of his strength and all of his power for the welfare of those who created and for the salvation of his people. Therefore, we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, the Lord of Sabaoth, the Lord of hosts is with us. Professor Steckart said, Our whole pilgrimage is in the hands of the Lord. All of the Lord's arrangements are so ordered that we come near to the word of life, and the word comes near to us. The more the world fumes and rages against God's word, the more joyful and more confident disciples become in their faith in the Holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Christ is risen. In fact, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of all those who have fallen asleep, first Corinthians fifteen twenty. So it was for the first martyr Stephen, for Peter who was crucified upside down on a cross, and for Paul who once persecuted the Church of God. Dads, here's your Father's Day admonition. Be courageous, be prudent in teaching your children that the persecution and even the flight of Christians serves the purpose of spreading the gospel farther and farther. Now may the peace of God that surpasses all human understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus to life eternal. Amen.