SEPTEMBER 26, 2021 SUNDAY MESSAGE
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We are Courageous
Transcription:
There is this moment during my interview process here at CGNE that I’ll never forget? I don’t remember who it was but during a Q&A session after I preached, I remember this guy sitting in the chair right about here who raised his hand to ask a question. He said,
“Common Ground Northeast is a bold, BOLD church...are you ready for that?”
Now, he was referring to:
big decisions they’ve made to plant the Northeast Campus together and
engage in issues that were not popular and many churches avoid
Enter into ministries that require some level of grit
To do the hard thing when others shirk away and move on conviction.
But, it lit something up in me because, in other church contexts I’m like the one who others critique for taking things too far and I remember thinking: “this is my people.”
Once I was here...as the elders and I were determining the Core Values that we saw as present within our church, we thought about it like this aspect. What was it that this person was capturing when he said it?
bold didn’t quite feel like the right word,
“what about pioneering/ trailblazers” - “no, we aren’t that interested in just doing NEW things” it was more that,
...just because something was new or unpopular in the culture/christian sphere, it didn’t deter us from stepping into it...eventually we landed on this:
“WE ARE COURAGEOUS.”
It’s “the ability to do something that frightens one or to have strength in the face of pain or grief.”
When we think about it, there is no end to the types of pain, grief, anxieties, and fears we might encounter on a regular basis.
A few months ago, I had an opportunity to see a public speaker named Michelle Poler.
She is an author who is most known for writing a book called “Hello Fear” where she talks about the nature of fear and her desire to overcome it.
One news article described the endeavor with this: “From the time she was a little girl, Michelle Poler was afraid of the world. She avoided big, playful dogs, scared they might bite her. Terrified of pain, she dreaded doctor's appointments. She missed dinner parties that required her to drive at night.”
She had a professor assign her class with:
dreaming up and writing out what they would like to be/do in 10 years time
Next he asked them to write out the things stopping them from accomplishing it and pointed it out as a kind of fear,
Then he challenged them to overcome ONE of those fears within a week BUT Michelle decided to take it further and document herself overcoming 100 fears on social media.
Michelles is just discovering something about herself that God has made known to us in scripture: “Fear holds us back from living out our potential.”
Not in a “self help” way...
One of the most frequent commands in the Bible is “do not fear!” It occurs 365 times in the scriptures…
After thousands of years, God knows humans well and, apparently, we are a fearful bunch because He gave us a reminder for every day of the year!
I want you to see something...IF God is with us, fear becomes an opportunity. Because you can’t be courageous if you don’t have the occasion to test it and to put it on display, right?
So, when the test comes, what is it that lends confidence to God’s people enabling them to act courageously?
Turn to Psalm 23 (Jody credit)
Psalm 23 (A psalm of David)
Since this is a “Psalm of David” we need to read it as it pertains to David’s life! In Psalm 23, he articulates his THOUGHTS as he depicts a RELATIONSHIP between himself and YHWH in three separate but familiar seasons or environments:
The Pasture (green with quiet waters),
Think of David as a Shepherd boy tending His sheep
the Dark Valley (w/ death)
We think of battles David engaged in, the Power struggles with Saul and running for His life, and even the personal, moral failures of David
Walter Brueggeman points out a consistent theme in the Psalm of orientation > Disorientation > reorientation and you will see that the final movement here is even better than the first as the scene of the Psalm shifts to
the House of the Lord (specifically the banquet)
The temple life of the King is luxurious
Verse 1 says...
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
The first relationship is YHWH as a “CARING Shepherd”
As a former shepherd Himself, David compares the divine being that he serves as a Shepherd (this wasn’t an uncommon idea in the Ancient Near East mind for either Kings or Deities) and through it we realize that YHWH is
interested in us and caring for us,
and treats like a Shepherd treats their sheep.
Providing for needs
Giving rest
Refreshing
At times life does feel like this, right? The Lord guides us into seasons of
Abundant provision
Peace and
Renewal
But I think the last line in that section is important:
He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
Now I want you to imagine this Psalm as a journey THROUGH the environments I mentioned before (pastures, valleys, temple banquet)
...and you have to see that, although Green Pastures and Quiet Waters are good, and the shepherd is caring for us there - it’s VERY SAFE!
BUT, just like David in the pastures of his fathers fields, the pastures were a season and NOT the final destination
so the Shepherd guides us along.
It should also be noted that ALL OF THIS done - not for David’s sake or David’s fame - but for the sake of YHWH’S NAME!!
You see the motivation of this venture is found in something bigger than ourselves - something COSMIC!!
At first this seems oppressive because our culture of individualism and American Dreams sees no nobility in working on behalf of another but, as we will see, and as ecclesiastes/the life of Solomon points out, our ability to seek after and even ACHIEVE building our own empires will not satisfy us in the end.
For that, our purpose MUST be found in something greater than ourselves!!
And so, “for His name’s sake” becomes a higher purpose as God “guides along the right path” meaning we are obediently following the path our creator has told us to walk and, in the Psalm 23 journey, what stands between us and the final destination is a very grim valley.
Now listen to verse 4...
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley (or through the valley of the shadow of death), I will fear no evil, (WHY?!) for YOU ARE WITH ME;
It is of the utmost importance that we realize David’s…
confidence in struggle,
confidence in darkness,
confidence when dodging spears and running for his life by hiding in caves from the very King he serves
...is the faithfulness of the God he trusts to protect Him and to never leave!
This is exactly how it plays out in the confrontation with Goliath in 1 Samuel 17:45 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”
48 As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. 49 Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.
50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.
The boy, David, displays A LOT of courage here (and the text points out that he didn’t even have a proper weapon for the moment) but DAVID’S bravery to walk into battle - and to say YES when the entire army of Israel sees a giant warrior named Goliath and says “NOPE” is 100% rooted in His confidence that God will come through on his behalf and HE DID!
...AND what we see is that, throughout David’s history with YHWH, he compiles a database of God’s faithfulness by which He will recall to memory (often through the Psalms) and LEAN ON or TRUST whenever he enters into the next valley, the next battle, and the conflict.
The tools of the Shepherd are important too, continuing Psalm 23 verse 4...
...your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
These tools are important to
keep the sheep together,
rescue them from themselves
Meme: sheep in crack
J. Rach sheep stuck in a bush
Rods and Staff are corrective tools but they don’t always register as “good”
Sometimes a little discipline is needed
and the tools defend from predators
Once they get used to the Shepherd’s protection and build a history of trust, the sheep rest easier when the rod and staff are raised
So the tools are good but, if you don’t trust the Shepherd holding them, they are of no use!
Remember, the sheep are under no assumption that they can defend themselves (they just panic and run in any direction)...so their ONLY CONFIDENCE is their dependence on Shepherd’s ability to step in on their behalf.
Verse five changes scenes a bit as God leads into a different season. It says...
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
This new environment is a place of great victory!
God changes roles becoming a hospitable host who rewards and celebrates with His people.
Abundance isn’t just restored but is out done as
Green Pastures become banquet tables and
thirst quenching streams become cups of wine overflowing.
The presence of God is enjoyed
Goodness and love are moving in the direction of the psalm-writer who no longer has to chase them
The final destination is a reward for bravely trusting God in the dark valley
Likewise, I believe there is a reward for bravery and courage to walk the path God has laid out for you today!!
Maybe we don’t get the fullness of it until the New Heavens and New Earth,
Maybe the DEFINITION of success is not how we typically define it,
We don’t want to depict Biblical courage with self help paradigms: “All you have to do is face your fears, take action, and you will get your American Dream.” Sam (sarcastically)
This is a trash endeavor! A distraction with a counterfeit reward.
A thief who lulls you into a deep faith-sleep so He can steal your growth in faith, your future encounters with God.
The enemy knows that if he can continually satisfy and distract your hunger for the eternal and the divine with temporary junk-food experiences he can remove the excitement in your faith and render you useless for the Kingdom.
People of God, don’t waste your courage on chasing things that fade, instead keep your eyes on Christ and the upward call he has placed on you.
there is a REAL reward for acting in courageous faith when our God leads us.
This Psalm serves as a sample for the personality of David and sets a trajectory for the rest of David’s reign as King (still severely flawed) but remaining in a state of willing surrender to make things right again...
So, once again, fear becomes an occasion for courage to be put on display.
Remember, you can’t be courageous if you don’t have an occasion to display it? If we look at these moments closely we will see there is a process taking place in Biblical Courage:
CALL to action
The initial part of the process is discerning or hearing from God
Because you can be courageous in the wrong direction, right?
So, IF God is guiding you into something new or to do something that’s DIFFICULT.
Why does God always call us to do hard things??
Courage REQUIRES difficulty cuz when it’s easy then you do it quickly with no trust required and no stretching or growth.
If the CALL is DIFFICULT then that means the thing to which you are being Called to do has a…
COST
If the cost is high, it produces FEAR!! Our minds go down the rabbit hole of...
What if I fail or what if it doesn’t work?
What if it’s uncomfortable
What if it hurts?
I want control of my life and I won’t put myself in a situation that puts me in over my head.
I want to read that again because our culture frames that one as responsibility.
What if I get embarrassed?
You often entertain the worst case scenario.
It might be dangerous?
Loneliness or rejection - what if I do it and nobody comes with me or calls me crazy?
...and the list goes on!!
The LEVEL of possible loss determines the COST and the level of FEAR which often makes decisions for us.
David’s brothers, King Saul and the ENTIRE army of Israel made their decision here.
SO, what put DAVID over the edge and what caused him to say “yes” when others said “no” in front of Goliath? I think there were TWO THINGS:
He had TRUST in God and their history together AND
He had something to weigh against the COST and the FEAR.
Franklin D. Roosevelt: “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.”
The defamation of God’s name was a high priority for David. The possibility of being killed or enslaved…
What do you weigh against your fear??
It could be a set values or a potential outcome like a reward!
Instead of entertaining the worst case scenario, you entertain the best case scenario.
Your “what could go wrong” turns into “what could go right?”
It could be loyalty to the one who asked you to do it
Whatever it is, if it outweighs the cost it can overwhelm the FEAR and prompt us to move forward!
NOTICE I DIDN’T SAY “REMOVE THE FEAR”
BUT, if you are convinced that GOD is the one leading you for a higher purpose (remember His name's sake) then we let the drive to please our King overturn the fear and then we have stepped into.
CONVICTION
IF you have a level of certainty that GOD is the one guiding you to make the move
IF you are obedient and loyal to a God who has proven trustworthy and faithful
You, just like David, might have ran into that battle with the same level of BOLDNESS.
THIS IS WHERE YOU AND I BECOME…COURAGEOUS
What I want for you all and for Common Ground Northeast is a community that hears from God, trust him and remains loyal to Him, Say YES when others may say no, and weigh out that our obedience to our calling is greater than the fear involved in accomplishing it so we act with BOLD COURAGE in all that we do!!
If we do this, there will be rewards of some kind. I don’t know what it is but I trust God that the Green Pastures are fine living quarters but if we follow Him through the valleys there is something greater! The challenges don’t end after the first victory...
Erwin McManus in his book The Way of the Warrior writes: “...the reward of winning a great battle is a greater battle.”
So, you have to keep in mind that, for a warrior, part of the reward is the next challenge and welcoming the next opportunity to grow...and it’s going to require more faith, trust, and courage than the one before.
Eventually that place of victory becomes familiar, safe, and comfortable so God will eventually take us out again, through a new valley to increase our faith again!!
And the new destination is better than the last even if it doesn’t fit the definition of success that we have now!!
A lot of courage comes down to:
WHO DO YOU TRUST and
WHAT DO YOU WEIGH AGAINST THE FEAR??
This is what caused:
Moses to overcome his past and his inability to speak
Shifra and Puah to stand against Phariah
Gideon to take walk into battle outnumbered
Esther to take a huge risk
Daniel to not give in
This can empower you and I today!!
Now, one question that I think is worth asking is: “How do you know when you are overdoing it? Right? How do you know when you boldness - your courage - has crossed a line into foolishnes, brash behavior, agressive, arrogant, or just plain stupid?”
While I was doing research for this sermon the verse popped up where Paul encourages Timothy not to be timid or fearful. It says:
2 Timothy 1:6-8a
6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid (or give us a Spirit of fear), but gives us power, love and self-control.
Timothy has been given a gift by God to use and, for whatever reason, he is afraid to use it. I don’t know why but the image that came to mind when Paul named these three things (power, love, and self-control) was of an archer with a target in their sites. Taking aim, the archer squares up in three ways and I’ll use the definition Paul gives timothy:
Love - it what I am doing loving or not? I heard someone once say that if you think someone needs to be confronted and you WANT to be the person to do it, you are the wrong person to do it.
Self-controlled - Are you being calculated and self controlled or are you flying off the handle with a decision.
Pulling the arrow back adds power and you don’t want too much or too little in a given situation.
If you engage all three well then it seems to be in the likeness of what the Spirit has given and you can let that arrow fly.
So, what are you afraid of?? What is standing between you and the things you beleive Jesus is leading you to do on this earth??
I want you ask yourself where you may be allowing FEAR to make decisions for you and where God is prompting you to be courageous in your life:
Personally
Is he calling you to step into something new?? Take heart!
Is he calling you to face your past? Have Faith
Is God calling you to confront an injustice? Step into it
Is he calling you to stand firm and not give in to some kind of pressure.
Is he calling to have face and impossible situation?
To take a big risk
If we do this well, then...
Corporately as a church, when God calls us into something challenging, I am confident that we will match it and be a courageous community!!
I believe that God has a few more valleys to walk through and battles to fight and so I want to you the same challenge I received during my interview…
If you’re new to CGNE or
you just needed a reminder as to who you are:
“Common Ground Northeast
is a bold, BOLD church…
are you ready for that?”
COMMUNION:
(1 COR. 11:23B-26)
“The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
PRAYER REQUESTS:
We are hosting prayer team meetings for both the congregation at large and individuals to sign up for individual prayer.
SUGGESTIONS FOR WORSHIP:
“Praise & Worship” Spotify playlist and “Praise & Worship” YouTube playlist (slightly different from each other), both of diverse music that are being constantly updated!
Bethel Music :
Bethel Music’s hours of live music YouTube Playlist, also being constantly updated
Bethel provides chords to most (if not all) of their songs here (just have to register email, but free!)
Live worship moments from the Upper Room YouTube Playlist
Journal writing! (I’m a writer too, so sometimes creative writing and writing my thoughts to God is my form of worship.)
Declare and worship with truth by singing and praying scriptures.
WORSHIP NIGHT! Dedicate a night to worship with friends and family, your house church or neighbors, those who need prayer, love worship, or just enjoy music through a video chat platform like Zoom. You can have one person leading at a time (switching off to whoever else wants to lead) while others sing along, pray, or prophesy, etc.
Serving your community, both online, in person, or both, is a great way to worship God, from spreading encouragement and God’s Word online to physically serving food to others. If you are able to go out and serve, click here for opportunities.
COMMISSIONING:
As Jesus said in John 20:21,
"Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."
Go, be the Church!
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Amen.