1. Call To Courage 2 Tim. 1:8-12 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the L ORD your God is with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9

2. The testimony of Christ! This is summarized into three main areas – such as:  His Pain (Suffering/Affliction);  His Plan (The plan conflict with His state.);  His People (The people did not accept Him). Christ did not dodge the Pain of the cross, He did not escape the plan of God for Him, nor did He avoid the people for which He came for in spite of what they did to Him.

3. His Pain –We must identify ourselves with it! The benefits of His Pain!  His Salvation – verse 9 “who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,”  His Victory – verse 10 “but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,”

4. His Plan – Submit to God’s plan for your life! The Plan of God goes with: His Appointment - work and His Affliction - challenges! His chosen work with it challenges!  His Appointment – verse 11 “to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.”  His Afflictions – verse 12 “For this reason I also suffer these things…”

5. His People – The people we are sent to will seek us out! Will find fault with us to kill us! We have His Assurance!  His Assurance – verse 12b “…nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.” Our God is a faithful keeping of our Souls, our Sacrifices and our Services! This is our ASSURANCE! Our HOPE! – “… I know whom I have believed…”

6. Conclusion Apostle Paul began with “Be not thou therefore ashamed…” (vs 8) and ended with “I am not ashamed….” (vs 12). Luke 9:26, “For whosoever shall be ashamed of Me and of My words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when He shall come in his own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels.”