Christ’s Call to Courage | Where to Find Courage

Hey, everybody, you're listening to A New Beginning, which is a podcast made possible by Harvest Partners. If this program has impacted you, I'd love to hear from you. So just send an email to me at gregatharvest.org. Again, it's gregatharvest.org.

You can learn more about becoming a Harvest Partner by going to harvest.org. Here's what your focus should be on. Not on success. Your focus should be on faithfulness, you see. Doing what God has told you to do, wherever it takes you. If it takes you to a palace or a prison cell, all I want to know is Jesus is with me, and I'm in the center of His will, and that for me is the right place to be. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound. Again, you hear all the angels are singing.

This is the day, the day when life begins. Sometimes it can seem as though we're swimming against the current in our life of faith. If it is an opposition and even persecution for what we believe, it's challenges in health or finances or relationships. How do we get through?

How have others made it? Well, today on A New Beginning, Pastor Greg Laurie points to the Apostle Paul as our inspiration. We're in the book of Acts considering the trial upon trial Paul faced, but the word of encouragement that pulled him through. This is the day, the day when life begins.

Why don't you grab your Bibles and turn to Acts chapter 23 and the title of my message is Christ's Call to Courage. So maybe I'm talking to somebody right now that is filled with anxiety, you're filled with stress. You find yourself depressed.

Well, you're not the first child of God to feel this way. In fact, psychologists have coined a new phrase. It's doomsday anxiety, doomsday anxiety, which includes, quote, the fear or worry about the end of the world or life as we know it. Symptoms include chronic nightmares, an underlying feeling of fear, and an obsession with the news or doom scrolling through online media. Thought that was an interesting phrase, doom scrolling.

You know when you're just scrolling the news sites and all this bad news, it just adds stress to your life. Even the great Apostle Paul got down at times. So we're gonna look at what Jesus said and did to revive the Apostle Paul in this message that I'm calling Christ's Call to Courage. In my last message from the book of Acts that was titled How to Live a Meaningful Life, we saw the Apostle Paul saying goodbye to the elders of Ephesus.

It was this final message to them, and he said, I want to finish my race with joy. So he began his journey, and he ended up staying with the evangelist Philip, where he encountered a very colorful prophet named Agabus who bound himself up and said, this is what's gonna happen to you, Paul, if you go to Jerusalem. Like, don't go, and Paul's saying, okay, being a little dramatic, but okay, I get the point, but I know what you're saying, so you're saying I'm gonna be arrested, and I'm gonna be put into chains, right? Yes, that's it, Paul, don't go, and sure enough, when he lands in Jerusalem, he is arrested, and he's put in prison, and here's what happened. Here's what the Lord did to encourage his servant. Acts 23, starting in verse nine. There arose a loud outcry, and the scribes of the Pharisees party arose and protested, saying, we find no evil against this man, but if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him, let us not fight against God. Now there arose a great dissension in the commander, fearing that Paul might be pulled to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them and bring him to the barracks, and the following night the Lord stood by him and said, be of good cheer, Paul, for you've testified of me in Jerusalem, and now you're gonna also bear witness in Rome.

We'll stop there. So here is Paul in prison again. I mean, Paul's middle name could have been trouble. It was always something with him. Everywhere he went, it was either a riot or a revival. There was never a dull day hanging around the apostle Paul, but I think here he was probably discouraged.

He was probably feeling down, and it's no wonder. He's in a Roman dungeon, and the Lord says to him, Paul, be of good cheer. But actually, if we look at the original language, we find a better translation would be have courage, and that makes a lot more sense. It's a unique phrase that is used multiple times in the Bible, each one showing a different facet of how to find courage in our lives.

The first is the story of a man who was a paraplegic in Matthew 9. He was carried by his friends to Jesus, and Jesus looks at this guy who is unable to walk, and he says to him, be of good courage. Your sins are forgiven. Now, the guy was probably thinking, well, okay, I'm glad my sins are forgiven, but I'd actually like to walk. That was kind of why I was brought here to you, and there's a protest among the religious leaders who can forgive sins but God alone.

Oh, I hear what you guys are saying. Jesus says, but just so you know that I, the son of man, have the power to forgive sins, I say, your sins are forgiven, and get up and walk. And that man got up and walked, but Jesus used this phrase, be of good courage to him. And this is the thing we remember, the forgiveness of Christ brought courage to that man. And we can be crippled by our sins, unable to walk, unable to move, unable to do anything. You know, we fail and we say, I'm a failure, I should just stop praying, I don't even, shouldn't even read the Bible anymore, or go to church. That's the devil lying to you. Jesus says, be of good courage, your sins are forgiven you. Don't miss his point. Because I know I'm talking to somebody right now who's crippled by their sin.

You don't have to be anymore, you can have a fresh start. This phrase, be of good courage, is used of a woman struggling to get to Jesus in a crowd of people. She had this physical ailment, and she reasoned, if I can touch the hem of his garment, I'll be healed. And she reaches through, and she touches him, and Jesus stops and says, who just touched me? Well the fact is, everyone had touched him.

Who touched me? He says, for I perceive that power has gone out of me. And there's a woman, and he says to her, be of good courage, you are made whole. So in this particular case, it was his power that gave her courage.

My power has gone out of me. And a lot of times we're afraid to share our faith. We're afraid to speak up for what we believe. But there's a promise in the beginning of the book of Acts, that we all looked at together. Where it says, you shall receive power after the Holy Spirit has come upon you to be witnesses for me. That same power that was given to the first century, causing them to turn their world upside down, is available for us today in the 21st century, to turn our world upside down.

His power gives courage. Number three, the third time this phrase is used, is when the disciples are on the storm-tossed sea of Galilee. And they thought they were gonna drown. And suddenly they see some form coming to them, walking on the water.

And they thought it was a ghost. But it wasn't Casper, it was Christ. Coming to them, and what does Jesus say to them? He says, be of good courage, it is me, don't be afraid. So let's review, his presence gives courage. His forgiveness gives courage. His power gives courage.

And then here's another point. God knew where Paul was and why he was there. That brought courage as well. Paul, Jesus is saying, buddy, I know you're here. And I'm here with you.

I'm standing by your side. Because Paul's probably second-guessing his decision. And sometimes we feel like, oh, God's forgotten about me.

No, never. He always is aware of us. And Paul's in this jail cell.

And I'm sure he would have liked to have just got out of that jail cell. I had a lady come up to me this morning, before the service started, because we have a little meeting of our volunteers that serve us, just because they love you. And they're out there helping you park your car, taking care of your children, helping you find a seat, and all that.

And so they have a little time where they pray and hear a little message. And afterwards, a lady came up and said, she has a cousin that's in prison who watches me in prison. And so I said, let's make a video for him. And so we made this little video, and I just said to her cousin, you know, Jesus is there with you.

And he says to you, be of good courage. And when you get out of that prison, walk with the Lord and serve the Lord. And, you know, maybe I'm talking to somebody who is literally in a prison cell right now.

Because people watch us online, literally, all around the world. Or maybe it's a different kind of prison cell. It might be the prison of a hospital bed. You wish you could get up and walk out, but you can't. But Jesus says, hey, be courageous. I'm aware of the suffering you're going through.

It could be a prison cell of mourning. You've lost a loved one through death. But the Lord is with you, and he understands what you are facing. Hebrews 4 16 says, we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses.

He was on all points tested as we are, yet without sin. So let us, therefore, come boldly unto the throne of grace and obtain mercy to help in time of need. Pastor Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment.

Our sins are no match for God's grace. A listener told us his story of discovering God's grace while watching Pastor Greg's Bible teaching on television. Dear Pastor Greg, I grew up going to church with my mother and father.

I excelled as an athlete and as a student, also taking part in mission trips and youth groups. I was 16 when I first tried smoking weed. I managed to convince my parents that I was still a good boy while taking mushrooms and LSD. I was 18 when the hallucinations began. Those choices separated me from my parents and my friends, my church, from college, my job, from restful sleep, and ultimately, from society. In 2010, I was sentenced to five years in prison.

The darkness surrounded me. Interestingly, in prison, we have our own personal TV in the cell, and one of the channels carried your teaching program every day. This was my first encounter with your teaching, and I was truly inspired. It gave me hope.

I got out of prison in 2014, and my life has been on an upward trajectory. Like the prodigal son, I returned to my small hometown church with shame on my face. Everyone knew what I had done, but the Lord's grace was overflowing around me. I was given a job by a Christian man, which led to another job and another, pursuing my dream of architecture. I was led to my beautiful wife, who teaches first grade at the Christian Academy here.

We have a beautiful home and are hosting a Bible study this upcoming week. The Lord has done great things for me, and I pray that He will bring my story to a heart in need of hope in a dark place. It's inspiring hearing of God's grace at work. What hope have you found in God's Word, and how has Pastor Greg's teaching played a part? Write us today and tell us your story. Send an email to Greg at Harvest dot org. Give a testimony of what the Lord has done in your life.

Again, write to Greg at Harvest dot org. Well, we're nearing the finale in our study series in the book of Acts. Today's message from Pastor Greg is titled, Christ's Call to Courage. Now here's another thing.

Paul didn't know what was going on on the outside. But the fact is, there were forty men who had taken an oath to not eat or drink until they killed Paul. Wow. Sometimes ignorance is bliss. I'm glad I don't know of any plot against my life.

I'm glad I don't know of every person that dislikes me and says something about me. I'm glad I don't know all these things, frankly. And it's good Paul didn't know this, because that would have been a pretty stressful thing to think about forty guys who had taken an oath and said they wouldn't eat until they killed Paul.

So you have a bunch of hangry murderers. Not a good thing. But he didn't know that. You know, in the military they have a phrase they use. The phrase is, it's on a need-to-know basis. So everybody doesn't get to know the same thing.

It's certain kind of important information that only some people know. God gives us what we need to know on a need-to-know basis. But here's something Jesus says. Be of good courage, Paul, verse 11. For as you testified for me in Jerusalem, you'll bear witness in Rome. In other words, Paul, you're going to get out of this prison cell and you're going to Rome. So here's the takeaway truth. Paul, I have a future for you.

And God has a future for all of us as well. Now, of course, if we're honest, we'd have to say that it didn't seem like a great outcome, because ultimately, according to church tradition, Paul was martyred by beheading after he appeared to Caesar at some point. But we would say that was some kind of failure. Well, what is a failure? What is a success? I suggest to you that things we think are successes right now may be understood as failures later. And some things you think are a failure now will turn out to be a success later.

Here's what your focus should be on. Not on success, your focus should be on faithfulness, you see. Doing what God has told you to do, wherever it takes you. If it takes you to a palace or a prison cell, if it takes you to the top or it takes you to the bottom, all I want to know is Jesus is with me and I'm in the center of His will and that, for me, is the right place to be. For all of us to be. Because on that final day, the Lord does not say, well done, good and successful servant. He says, well done, good and what? Faithful servant. So our objective is to be faithful and obedient to the will of God. I know I quote this verse a lot, but I'm slightly obsessed with it.

Jeremiah 29, 11, the Lord says, I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. I gave my son Christopher a watch on his 21st birthday. It was my watch, I gave it to him. And I had that verse inscribed on the back of the watch.

But as you know, he died in a tragic automobile accident. I was given a plastic bag after he died with his belongings, including his wallet and that watch. And I took that watch out of the bag and I looked at it. And I looked at that inscription. And I thought, where's the future and hope now? And it would take some time for me to process that and realize that Christopher had run his race, he had finished his course.

And he had been faithful and I'm running my race as you are running yours. And here's the ultimate future and a hope. It doesn't mean everything is always going to turn out the way we want it to turn out. But what it does mean is one day we will be in the presence of God. That's the ultimate future and hope for every Christian.

It's a win-win situation. That's why we want to live our lives in obedience to him because we never know when that day will come. So be courageous, the Lord says to Paul.

And he says it to us as well. Remember what brought courage to Paul's heart. Number one, he was not alone.

Number two, God knew where he was and why he was there. Thirdly, God had a future for Paul. And as I said, God has a future for all of us.

Maybe I'm talking to somebody right now that is gripped with fear and worry. And the words of Jesus to you are don't be afraid, be of good courage. I can't think of a greater example of courage than Jesus himself when he went and died on the cross for the sins of humanity. He laid his life down, it was raw physical courage as he endured the beating and the scourging and then ultimately the crucifixion.

But he also withstood the withering criticisms and the harsh treatment and even temporarily being separated from his father as he bore the sin of the world. But here's a verse that pulls it all together and it applies it in our life. In Hebrews 12 it says, we should look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. For the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame and now set down on the right hand of God. And then it says, for consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. So if you're discouraged, if you're weary, look to Jesus.

Remember what he did for you and remember that he is with you and you are not alone. You feel perplexed and scared, Jesus says be of good courage, don't be afraid. And maybe I'm talking to somebody that doesn't have Jesus in their life right now and that's why it's so hard for you at this moment in time. Well of course Jesus didn't stay on that cross, they put him in a tomb and he rose again three days later.

It changed everything and it can change you. He came out of an empty tomb to fill your empty heart. He stands at the door of your life and he knocks and he says if you'll hear his voice and open the door, he will come in.

And I want to close by giving you an opportunity to ask Christ to come into your pain, come into your suffering, or come into your life that's going relatively well right now. And that's great but sooner or later this life that we're all living will come to an end and then there's the afterlife. And we decide in this life where we will spend the afterlife.

So let's all make sure that we're ready for heaven. You know I just flew back to California but I had to have my ticket, my boarding pass and now they scan them. And so you go and you take your seat assigned to you. You can't just go on any plane and take any seat you want to sit in. You have to go to your assigned seat that has been paid for.

And in the same way God has a place for you in heaven. He says I go to prepare a place for you but you have to have your ticket so to speak. You say well how do you get this ticket? How much does it cost?

Number one you can't afford it. But it's already been paid for by Jesus when he shed his blood on the cross for you. So just take the ticket and take your seat and you will go to your future destination. And if you're a believer in Jesus that destination is heaven.

But I wouldn't be telling you the whole truth if I didn't say there's another destination. And it's called hell. And God doesn't want anybody to go there. That's why he took such drastic measures by sending his own son to die in our place. So we would not have to go to hell.

So we could go to heaven but we have to accept this gift. And if you've never asked Jesus to come into your life you can do it right here right now. Let's pray together.

Father I pray for everybody that is here and those that are watching wherever they are. If they don't know Jesus. If you don't live in their heart yet. Let this be the moment they believe. The moment they turn from darkness to light.

From the power of Satan to the power of God. Let this be the moment they believe in Jesus. So I pray that you will help them make that decision. And as our heads are about and we're praying if you want Jesus to come into your life. If you want him to forgive you of your sin.

If you want to know that you'll go to heaven when you die. Why don't you just pray this prayer after me. And you can pray it out loud if you like.

You can pray it in the quietness of your heart if you choose to. But just pray this prayer after me now. Lord Jesus I know that I'm a sinner. But I know that you're the Savior who died on that cross for me. I turn from my sin and I receive you into my life.

And I choose to follow you from this moment forward. In Jesus name I pray. Amen. It's a pivotal moment for many who've just prayed that prayer. And if you've just prayed with Pastor Greg Laurie and meant those words sincerely. We want to welcome you into God's family. And here at A New Beginning we want to help you begin growing in your faith. Let us send you Pastor Greg's New Believers Growth Packet. It's free of charge if you prayed with him today. And it'll help you get started in your relationship with the Lord. Ask for it when you call us at 1-800-821-3300. We can take your call anytime 1-800-821-3300.

Or go online to harvest.org. You know Pastor Greg when we look at world events. Global hostility toward Israel.

Recovering from a worldwide pandemic but talk of new ones. Contempt for biblical values. It sure seems like the time is right for the Lord to return.

But many people our age remember Pastor saying that back in the 70's. What can we learn from your book we're making available on Revelation? Well I think we want to always live our life ready for the Lord's imminent return. He may come tonight. He could come in a year. He may come in 10 years, 20 years. We don't know when he's coming.

I've always avoided any kind of date setting. Because Jesus says no one knows the day or the hour. However there are so many passages that tell us to wake up spiritually.

And to put on the armor of God because the day of the Lord is coming. It will come. It could come in our lifetime. It may come after but no matter what life will come to an end and we will enter eternity. So we want to be ready for that moment. But there are many signs of the times happening right now that I think we should pay attention to. The Bible tells us that in the end times it would be like a woman having labor pains. Now you know when a mother is ready to give birth.

Her labor pains become more frequent and they're closer together. And that is exactly the analogy Jesus issues. When you see these things begin to happen he says look up for your redemption is drawing near. We've had an increase in many things the Bible said would be happening. As an example the Bible predicted that one day there would be a cashless society. A hundred years ago that would have seemed absurd. But today with modern technology with cryptocurrency with all of the tech that's happening around us.

We can see how we could step into that immediately. The Bible tells us in the last days that there would be a spread of plagues globally. I think that you could say that this pandemic COVID-19 was a plague. And that is a sign of the times.

I could go on and on and things that are happening the tension in the Middle East and much much more. As we see these things happen they're reminders that Jesus is coming again. Well I'll tell you what the book of Revelation unlocks this for us. And I've written a book simply called Revelation subtitled A Book of Promises. This is a thick book. This is a hardcover book that will be a resource that you can go to again and again. And it's going to help make the book of Revelation more understandable to you. And you'll begin to understand perhaps for the first time how to apply these truths in your own life. Listen I want to send this book to you for no charge.

It's actually for your gift of any size. So we're encouraging you to send something to help us continue to reach out through this radio broadcast. A New Beginning and our other outreach efforts as well as how we proclaim the gospel. This is how we do it. You pray for us.

You support us. You give us the ability to reach new people. And as our way of saying thanks we'll send you your copy of this book Revelation subtitled A Book of Promises. Yeah and we'll be glad to get it on its way to you immediately. And we'll also include a custom bookmark we've produced that lays out the timeline of the events of Bible prophecy. The rapture, the second coming, the tribulation, the millennium.

See them all displayed in proper order. It's very helpful. And the bookmark is included when we send you a copy of Pastor Greg's book. When you send your donation be sure to ask for Revelation A Book of Promises. You can write A New Beginning, Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514. Or call 1-800-821-3300.

Our team is standing by around the clock so dial 1-800-821-3300. Or go online to harvest.org. You know there's nothing like hearing the word of God and worshiping the Lord together. I want to encourage you to join us for something we call Harvest at Home. It happens every Saturday and Sunday at harvest.org. You can join Christians literally from around the world as we worship and we study the word of God together.

So join us for Harvest at Home at harvest.org. Well next time Pastor Greg presents a warning to those who are faking it in their Christian faith. It's a pivotal study called The Almost Christian. Join us here on A New Beginning with pastor and Bible teacher Greg Laurie. This is the day, the day when life begins. A New Beginning is a podcast made possible by Harvest Partners, helping people everywhere know God. If this show has impacted your life, share your story. Leave a review on your favorite podcast app and help others find hope.