On Courage

welcome to everyone on this beautiful Sabbath day welcome to the church's listening and also the ministry assembled online for the virtual General Conference of elders meeting which is held in virtual fashion this year I'd like to invite you to read along with me in Joshua chapter 1 beginning with verse 5 please turn to Joshua chapter 1 and verse 5 God is speaking to Joshua just before Israel entered into the promised land he had some very very words of note Joshua chapter 1 verse 5 God says to Joshua as I was with Moses I will be with you I will not leave you nor forsake you be strong and of good courage for to this people you shall divide as inheritance the land which I swore to your father's to give them only be strong and very courageous that you may observe to do according to all the law of Moses my servant which he commanded you do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left that you may prosper wherever you go this book of the law shall not depart from your mouth but you shall meditate in it day and night that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it for then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have good success have I not commanded you be strong and of good courage do not be afraid nor be dismayed for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go we are celebrating the special 25th anniversary of the founding of the United Church of God and our theme this year is conviction commitment and courage and courage is what I want to talk to you about today we proposed a gala event to bring to Cincinnati as much as many as 80% of our ministry from around the world to celebrate the special event the 25th silver anniversary of the United Church of God but God wanted us to celebrate it differently very obviously the timing is not unfortunate it was not a mistake it is profound what is taking place because we are going to have things impressed upon us that only a unique situation like this can bring about kovat 19 is affecting many people's health but even more so it's affecting the world economy and geopolitics as well we don't really fully know exactly how this will all end up but we do know that God is with us and God will protect us and God will be with his church the health aspect is only one facet in this country in this crisis it has brought the world to a screeching halt and made it stop and think I think all of us have been thinking as we have been homebound I want to first of all thank all of our members who have been so patient and helpful to one another through phone calls email zoom Facebook and other means probably more so than when we were all together I want to thank all of our pastors who have been valiantly caring for their congregations as well without missing a beat communicating with brethren through streaming video email email along with prayers of encouragement for everyone who's isolated at home many have had steep learning curves in zoom Facebook WebEx teams to communicate with the Brethren and have set up even extra meetings creative meetings with online Sabbath school and other meetings I want to thank all those the Home Office who've been working remotely focusing on the jobs that we have to do they're not at the home office most aren't most are working from home but some have had to be here hooman finding ways to more resourcefully vegetative lead creatively do their jobs in vital functions with information technology mail processing sending out literature which we've been sending out as much as ever have through our media vital banking functions and much more all with the handicap of being remote and trying to find ways to do it without missing a beat I want to thank those who are making sure that this webcast is going out oftentimes they are forgotten and only noted when something goes wrong but I want to thank them for making certain that everything is covered and that this webcast is going out it's a big responsibility to make sure that everything works and above all I want to thank our God in heaven who is protecting us who is guiding us and we're thankful for his daily grace upon us with this almost 7 week lockdown maybe God is saying the following to the world I have breaking news here's my message to the world I interrupt human civilization with a special message please listen up I want your attention I have a few questions for you people on this planet number one who and what do you worship some people may scoff at those questions but God is still asking them who and what is occupying your time what's most important to you is it money God's response I will adjust you at the stock market and economy to get your attention just remember that you may love money but money doesn't love you you may love your stocks but they don't love you they'll betray you and drop you in a flash is it sports that you love and focus your attention on exclusively I'll close your stadiums at first it was an arenas first of all as basketball now baseball the NASCAR car race is going to be around with no spectators in the audience do you love your movies and theaters I'll close your theaters although people are making up for it on Netflix is it pleasure leisure cruises restaurants jetting these things that you'll become used to and expected to go on and on and on and on those activities been cut back by 90% and we're even sure how they will come back do you just worship yourself as well maybe you're thinking about yourself more than anybody else God is asking questions God says you have profaned the Sabbath I have wanted you to keep one day out of seven holy to spend time with me okay you can't keep the Sabbath I'll give you seven weeks of service you can stay home and think about it day after day after day why did Israel go into captivity in 2nd Kings chapter 17 I'm not going to read that chapter but it's one for reference because you should read it as a homework assignment from this sermon the entire chapter is devoted to why Israel went into captivity it was for their idolatry was for them not putting God first it's for them worshiping graven images that didn't love them when they could have worshiped God who did love them and had a plan for them their devotion to these idols led them to child sacrifice and so God sent those tribes off to Assyria in captivity but also a message is being sounded through this crisis to the church because it's only through crisis that we really start paying attention to the most important things hopefully we in a church listen closely to what is being said and what we're encouraged to do but I will do believe that the message is made very strong by the events that are occurring we're being exposed to a call or this is a wake-up call and it's a look at character and integrity that perhaps hasn't come out this way before in my ministry I've been in the ministry almost 50 years this is my 50th year of employment in the church I have met many many biblical people I've met Timothy or someone like Timothy I'm sure that we can identify with certain people that we've met I've met young eager people willing to serve and who had a heart to serve I've met Lydia I've met a few Lydia's women that had groups of people at home and established churches I've met to Lydia's and spent time with to Lydia's earlier this year I've met the Apostle Paul or those like him who understood grace and who could speak about all the dimensions of Jesus Christ the heights width and depth I've met people like that I've met Peter who was bold courageous I met John who truly loved people in a very special way by exemplifying the agape love of God I've met Daniel a person who was a captive and yet was on the board of Nebuchadnezzar's advisors as someone who did not compromise his beliefs one bit he could relate to people in government in the calling that he had I've met Isaiah I have met Barnabas a person who encouraged others we've also met others we've met anti Christ's and we met Diotrephes types but the Bible does bring out the character of so many many good people for us to emulate a crisis has the ability to reveal what a person is really like has the ability to reveal those who are courageous those who have olive oil or have oil in their lamps and those who don't because you can't tell the parable of the ten virgins all ten were there with lamps but only half had oil but you didn't know that until the midnight cry came and a call was made and when a crisis occurred when the midnight cry came we have seen in a crisis those who walked by faith and we see those who have capitulated and did not have faith but you don't know these things until there is a crisis we have seen how people have reacted in crises of faith some compromised some gave up some became very strong and you couldn't tell before the crisis which way who would go a crisis can be beneficial because it awakens people from their moral stupor and endanger moral issues come into focus when we face them how do we face them do it face them courageously or do we run courage is forged in crisis and conflict not so much in endless days of peace where's rarely shown except in platitudes and words courage is forged in crisis and conflict the habit of courage isn't acquired by study you can study take a course encouraged it is forged by practice and it starts with ourselves well today I've chosen to share with you the story of Peter and John the first evangelists in the New Testament starting with the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2 there are many stories that I could have chosen from the Bible I could have chosen David and Goliath could have chosen Daniel in the lion's den could have chosen Shadrach Meshach and Abednego but I've chosen one that I feel has special relevance to us in the ministry in doing the work of God so I've chosen the story about the first sermons given in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost and beyond I'd like you to turn to Acts chapter 2 verse 38 Acts chapter 2 and verse 38 this was the sermon by Peter when he spoke to the people he said you have killed Christ and the people I responded with what do we do Peter said verse 38 of Acts chapter 2 repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins that's what you do and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit for the promise is to you and to your children and to all who are afar off as many as the Lord our God will call seeing the Holy Spirit is available to you it's available to your children and it's available to all far off and in far distant times what a promise this promise is for us today and it's a message that we are to share with others the promise of the Holy Spirit which is the doorway to eternal life this was now made available as God's Holy Spirit was being poured out I'd like to look at the example at Peter John have set for us today and to glean from their courage and their boldness in preaching the Word of God which is for our children as well and for all who are far off turn continue on here in verse 40 and with many other words that's the sermon of Peter testified and exhorted them saying be saved from this perverse generation then those who gladly received his word were baptized and that day about three thousand souls were added to them a great day in the world of Christianity and they continued verse 42 steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship in the breaking of bread and in prayers then fear came upon every soul and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles a lot of wonderful things took place after this bold preaching by the Apostle Peter so continuing verse 46 with one Accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart praising God and having favor with all the people and the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved a great start for the church truly a great beginning in Chapter three we have the entry of the Apostle John where Peter and John are working together Peter was the first one but John was with him and here we see their character being tested because it wasn't going to be that easy now started off with a lot of encouragement with three thousand and two thousand more people five thousand people beginning the church verse 1 of Acts chapter three one day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer which was 3:00 in the afternoon now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called beautiful where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts when he saw Peter and John about to enter he asked them for money so he was sat down by these people who brought him in daily this man and so he saw Peter and John coming and so he lowered his head probably he stuck his hand out he asked him for money Peter looked at him straight at him as did John then Peter said to the lame man look at us look at us so the man gave them his attention expecting to get something from them then Peter said silver or gold I do not have but what I have I give you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth walk taking him by the right hand picked him up he helped him up and instantly that man's feet and ankles became strong he jumped to his feet and began to walk then he went with them into the temple courts walking and jumping and praising God when all the people saw him walking and praising God they recognized him as the same man who used to sit and beg at this temple gate called the beautiful gate and they were filled with Wonder and amazement and what had happened to him story's still pretty good everything is going just extremely well sometimes we feel hey this is great progress this is going to be easier than I thought the healing drew a large curious crowd and then Peter began to preach to them about Jesus Christ of Nazareth this is right there at the temple a center point those who've been to Jerusalem just know it's up there on the Temple Mount it's a noted location he told of how Jesus was crucified buried and rose from the dead and he challenged them to repent and receive forgiveness of sins verse 11 this is quite a narrative to me he's been one the most encouraging stories about evangelism now as a lay man verse 11 who was healed held on to Peter and John here he's been a lay man he was over 40 years old and he's hanging on to those who laid hands on him note what they said and all the people started running to this threesome here all the people ran together to them in the porch greatly amazed in verse 12 when Peter saw it he responded to the people this is the first thing you want to make clear men of Israel why do you marvel at this or why look so intently on us as though by our own power and godliness we have made this man walk the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob the god of Our Fathers glorified his servant Jesus whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate when he was determined to let him go he used this opportunity to talk about the origins of his people of the Jewish people the Israelite people and he talked about Jesus Christ at the very end here but you denied the Holy One and the just and asked for a murderer to be granted to you and killed the Prince of life whom God raised from the dead of which we are witnesses we see great humility on their part and giving glory and credit to God and his name through faith and his name has made this man strong whom you see and know yes the faith which comes through him has given him perfect soundness and presence of you all yet now brethren I know that what you did in ignorance is did your rulers but those things which God foretold by the mouth of all his prophets that Christ would suffer he has fulfilled repent therefore this is now the third time that repentance is brought up and be converted that your sins may be blotted out so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord these were the first messages of the New Testament church evangelism about Jesus Christ about his crucifixion about his resurrection and he may send Jesus Christ who was preached to you before whom heaven must receive which heaven did receive him shortly ten days before Pentecost until the time of restoration of all things so Jesus Christ has ascended to heaven and that's going to be the status of things until the restoration of all things which God has spoken by the mouth of all his prophets since the world began so what's he talking about what's going to be restored the kingdom of God is going to be restored on the earth let's talk about restoration it talks about something that was something that isn't and something that will once again be that was the kingdom of God and what was spoken by the prophets Isaiah spoke about the mountain of the Lord Daniel spoke about the stone that came from somewhere and destroyed the last kingdom of this earth Jeremiah 31 spoke about the New Covenant about a new heart being given all this was known all this was part of the prophets verse 22 for Moses truly said to the fathers the Lord your God will raise up to you a prophet from your brethren him shall you hear in all things whatever he says to you and it shall be that every soul that will not hear the prophet will be utterly destroyed from among the people and all the prophets from Samuel and those who follow as many as have spoken have also foretold these days he's linking the words of the Old Testament of the scriptures to Jesus Christ the religious leaders knew this because there was a Renaissance of the Word of God in the time of Jesus Christ and they knew these words they knew what they were saying you are the sons of the prophets and the people that are here you are the result of this nation's history now and of the Covenant which God made with our fathers going all the way back to Abraham to Abraham and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed to you first God have been raised up his servant Jesus sent him to bless you and turning away every one of you from your iniquities these men Peter and John had just seen Jesus Christ a short time before it was still very very clear and still very vivid to them pentecost's was less than two months after Jesus Christ was crucified the last time they saw him was ten days before Pentecost and the he had appeared to them many times after his resurrection in those forty days after his crucifixion so they were really filled with a subject Jesus Christ was very real to them and they were just filled with this subject as they spoke about it to the public and before that they were with Jesus Christ for three and a half years well upon hearing was preaching because now the religious leaders are kind of coming in to listen to what's being said and they see 3,000 people they see another couple thousand people following this movement they were livid and they were put into jail that's how the ministry began in the New Testament they were not happy because they were told that they were the who killed Jesus Christ let's go to the fourth chapter of Acts as this narrative continues now as they spoke to the people the priests the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached Jesus in Jesus the resurrection from the dead and they laid hands on them and put them in custody until the next day far was already evening as they went there at 3 o'clock in the afternoon now it's already getting to be evening however many of those who believed who heard the word believed a number came to about 5,000 verse 5 and it came to pass the next day now this is after they spent the night in prison you know how's that for first day of evangelism I don't think if we had a public appearance campaign and the first result was well a lot of people but we also were spent the night in prison it came to pass on the next day that their rulers elders and scribes as well as Anna's to high priest I mean these Saint characters that were there to bring about the death of Jesus Christ Caiaphas John Alexander as many as were of the family the high priests were gathered together Jerusalem and when they had set them in the midst they asked the the John and Peter were brought to this group here and they were asked by what power or by what name have you done this and Peter filled with the Holy Spirit said to them rulers of the people and elders of Israel if we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man by what means he has been made well let it be known to you and all the people of Israel and by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth whom you crucified talking to those dead groups there whom God has raised the dead by him this man stands before you whole and then they quote from psalm 118 22 this is the stone which was rejected by you builders which has become the chief Cornerstone nor is there salvation in any other for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved and how clear can you get as far as a message coming through when they saw the courage there's 13 talking about the priests Sadducees of Peter and John they realized that they were unschooled ordinary men they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus but since they could see the man who had been healed standing there you see this great miracle that had taken place there was nothing that he could say verse 15 so they ordered them to was a drawers okay leave we want to talk if they confirmed together and then they talked among themselves what are we going to do with these men everybody living in Jerusalem knows they have done an outstanding miracle and we cannot deny it but to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people we must warn these men to speak no longer to anyone in his name then they called him in again and commanded them not to speak or to teach at all in the name of Jesus Peter's response and along with John judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God for we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and what we have learned and after further threats they let them go they could not decide how to punish them because all the people were praising God for what had happened for the man who had been a rep miraculously healed was over 40 years old actually the Apostles did nothing illegal the priest didn't like it but it was nothing illegal the Romans didn't step in all of a sudden and shut the preaching down but John and Peter condemned the Sadducees who were jealous they were so jealous they could not acknowledge the obvious their mind was on their own importance but notice what the Apostles did just after this incident after they were warned and they spoke back to the Sadducees saying that we need to continue doing this they got back to their compatriots the other Christians in verse 24 so when they had heard that they reported to their companions they raised their voice to God with one Accord and to me this is so inspiring about what they did and they had this prayer Lord you are God who has made heaven and earth in the sea and all that is in them who by the mouth of your servant David has said and here he quotes some Psalm 2 verse 1 and 2 why did the nation's rage and the people plot vain things the kings of the earth took their stand and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ verse 27 for truly your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles in the people of Israel were gathered together to do whatever your hand and your purpose determined to be done now look here's this is their emotional heartfelt prayer to God look on their threats and grant to your servants with with all boldness with all courage that they may speak your word by stretching out your hand to heal as they did to the man who was lame and the signs and wonders it may be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus this is truly an amazing start but didn't come is something which was a committee thing let's have this program you know it was two men they were filled with the Holy Spirit who spoke very clearly about things that were so very very convincing to them things that were knowledgeable to them they were convicted they were committed and they were courageous verse 31 and when they had prayed the place where they were assembled together was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and they spoke with the Word of God with courage with boldness I would hope that we can take a look at passages like this and say you know is there anything that we can learn from this is there anything that we could do differently is there anything that we could have as part of our character be able to come out more than what has verse 33 and with great or the Apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and great grace was upon them all this is how the church began later the Apostles were healing and preaching in the name of Jesus when guess what the leaders took them into prison again Acts chapter 5 and verse 17 and the high priest rose up and all those were with him which is the sect of the Sadducees and they were filled with indignation when they couldn't see the good they couldn't see people being healed they too were very very aware of Jesus Christ because they were hounding him for three and a half years trying to kill him and they did or they were responsible for it and now they're trying to stamp out the word the movement that's starting here and they laid their hands on the Apostles again and put them into a common prison but at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out saying go stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life and when they heard that they entered the temple early the morning and taught but the high priest and those with him called the counsel together with all the elders of the children of Israel and sent to the prison to have them brought but when the officers came and did not find him in prison they returned and said saying indeed we found the prison shut securely in the guard standing outside before the doors but when we opened them we found no one inside now when the high priest the captain the temple and the chief priests heard these things they wondered what the outcome would be so one came and told them look the men whom you put in prison are standing where in a temple and teaching the people the back oh no this is we stopped him three times then the captain verse 26 went with the officers and brought them without violence which is carefully brought them all because the people were excited about what was happening for they feared the people lest they should be stoned and when they brought them they set them before the council and the high priest ask them ask John and Peter did we strictly command you not to teach in his name and look you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine and intend to bring this man's blood on us how stubborn how obstinate how avoiding the obvious then Peter has one of the classic statements in the Bible answered and said verse 29 we ought to obey God rather than men the god of Our Fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree him God has exalted to his right hand to be Prince and Savior to give repentance to Israel in the forgiveness of sins and we are his witnesses to these things and so also as the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those obey Him what can we learn from this example of courage and we might say well that was then it was a start if we don't have conditions like this every age is different conditions are different but what is similar and what should be similar is the courage that these men had they weren't afraid to speak up they weren't they weren't they weren't afraid to speak about not only Jesus Christ about his life about his crucifixion his death his resurrection but also about the fact that he was the very end of all the prophecies that were being said in the Old Testament about the things that would be talking about the restoration of all things in his return that courage was there and that is part of what we are going to be learning and part of what this conference is about we don't have all the lectures that we had hoped to have but nonetheless we still have the theme that we could apply to ourselves conviction commitment and courage the Apostles had unshakable belief in the god they knew gave them the courage to speak out in the face of adversity they knew that God would give them the courage they assembled together for specifically for the purpose of saying give us the boldness the courage to be able to speak your word they knew also what they had personally experienced that's a question to us to have you personally experienced Jesus Christ working in your life the working of the Holy Spirit they knew that they had been taught by Christ have we is Christ living his life in us the bun who was prophesied in many places throughout the Old Testament by this time they also had the Holy Spirit to give them the courage and they prayed with boldness how could we follow the footsteps of these men now be to our being personally taught and convicted through the Word of God and through the helper hold the Holy Spirit it's not just a word it's a real helper the Holy Spirit helps us when we feel upset when we feel frightened when we feel fearful God give me your spirit to help me to be courageous and bold in what I say and what I write what I speak we have the promises of God in the knowledge of God's Word to also be receivers of the Holy Spirit but the Holy Spirit would be upon our children and upon all those in faraway places as the Apostle Peter spoke on the first day of Pentecost we have the Holy Spirit to give us courage into so doing the work of God the Apostles had first-hand knowledge of living and working with Christ that we can have pretty much the same thing as he works in us as we commit our lives to him and put him first in our life Jesus Christ should be living his life in us we are going to be doing the work of God and preaching in the same manner towards the very end the work of God began in the New Testament in Acts chapter 2 but we see its final permutations in the end times in Matthew chapter 24 in Matthew chapter 25 are not only about prophecy we look to those chapters as well that's the listing of events chronology of events that are going to be in the future but what's interesting is what those events are and how they are positioned verse 11 of Matthew chapter 24 this is in the very end times then many false prophets will arise and deceive many and because lawlessness will abound the love of many will be will grow cold but he who endures verse 13 of Matthew 24 to the end will be saved and this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations and then the end will come can we bring this down to us and how relevant this is to us and where we fit in can we preach this message with courage as little as we are can we preach it with boldness with whatever God has blessed us with or whatever job is given to us as a presenter as a writer as a pastor this gospel of the kingdom will be preached and be preached it will take boldness and courage to do the same you know what continuing further in that chapter we're told to watch because you don't know when the Lord your God is coming and we're talking about also so doing the work of God well what is that doing that doing is preaching the gospel it isn't just being a nice Christian it's preaching the gospel at the very end or as far as you know this if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come he would have watched therefore be ready for the Son of Man is coming in an hour you know not then verse 45 who then is a faithful and wise servant whom his master made ruler over his household to give him food in due season who blessed is that servant whom his master when he comes will find so doing doing what preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God and then the end will come that's what that's about we're to be watching were to be the watchman of Ezekiel Ezekiel 33 that's part of what is being spoken up here and this in Chapter watch therefore in verse 42 and also the job of the ten virgins with the next chapter in Matthew 25 is to also be watching so that's what's set before us I feel it's a very important characteristic of not being fearful not shrinking back but asking the question how can I preach the gospel how can I proclaim God's Word John and Peter did it in their time you can say well that was them as apostles but they had the Holy Spirit do we not also have the Holy Spirit can we speak very very courageously in the same way well that's the job that's set before us so I'd like to conclude with where I started in Joshua verse 5 chapter 1 in verse 5 God says as I was with Moses I will be with you we don't have to do it by ourselves because everything that John and Peter did was because God helping them I will be with you I will not leave you nor forsake you have I not commanded you be strong and of good courage do not be afraid nor be dismayed the Lord Lord God is with you wherever you go

Channel: United Church of God Sermons

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Length: 41min 12sec (2472 seconds)

Published: Sat May 02 2020