Part 2: Courage to Say 'Yes' and Take Action // In Rest

When fear whispers that we're not strong enough to bear our crosses, it's the echo of an enemy who dreads our potential in God's grand design.

Tune in, and be empowered to live out your calling with the courage and peace that can only come from embracing the fullness of life in Jesus Christ.

(Music Credit: 

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/paulo-kalazzi/heros-time

License code: CYBKG9VUB97VUU57)

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

We need courage and we need a drip of constant encouragement every single day, day and night. We need people who are ministers of encouragement. We need people who are going to reach out to us and encourage us when we need it most. Men need courage. There's a quote by John Eldridge that says the story of your life is the story of the long and brutal assault on your heart by the one who knows what you could be and fears it. Why are we hit with fear every single day? Why are we constantly afraid of failure? Why are we constantly afraid we don't have what it takes, or that maybe our story isn't going to work out, or maybe God's going to get us to the door and say away from me, I never knew you. Why are we so afraid? Well, because the enemy is afraid. He's afraid of you. Welcome to the In Rest podcast with Noah James Weeb. I'm so glad you're here Now. This is episode two of a two part sermon in which I preached on courage. Courage is critical. It's crucial for living life the way that God intended us to live, If we are going to live in such a way that we obey Jesus, that we face the difficulties that come with being a fully devoted follower of Christ. If we are going to live in such a way that we are disciplined, that we are present with the people in our life who are most valuable or whom God has given us to serve, we're going to need courage. We're going to need courage to speak up when something needs to be said. We're going to need courage when we're struggling just to get out of bed every morning. We're going to need courage in every crucial moment of our life, and so courage is critical for living the life that God has for you and I don't know where you're at today in the sense of accepting your God given identity, accepting a call or receiving a call from God. That goes deeper than just simply accepting the call to receive Jesus as your Savior. Jesus as your Savior is awesome. Jesus as your Lord means that you have a ministry and a purpose. Now, that doesn't necessarily mean you're going to be a pastor, a preacher, a teacher. It does mean that you are going to live before God as someone who is devoted to Christ. If that's the case, then you're going to need courage. Courage has purpose, and if you have a calling, you're going to need courage, because every calling, every purpose, every person who's a Christian has a cross to bear, which means that you need the courage to bear that cross. So this sermon, I hope, will be an encouragement to you. See what I did there Encouragement, Get it. No. Okay, I hope that this sermon is an encouragement to you to live courageously as a follower of Jesus in this age in which we are living. I pray that this sermon empowers you. It not only encourages you, but enlivens you in a fresh way.

Speaker 1: 3:36

This sermon was geared specifically towards men, but that doesn't necessarily mean it isn't for everyone listening. So if you are listening today, it doesn't matter what background you're coming from, who you are, what your name is. It matters that you are here and you're listening to this. I trust. I don't just pray, I'm not just asking. I trust genuinely and hope genuinely that this message is for you. So, without further ado, let's tune in and get going.

Speaker 1: 4:06

Can I tell you there's nothing more honorable about one person's call than another. Everybody needs everybody in the body of Christ. Each person is important. So, whatever your call is, you should obey it, even if it seems small or seems large or seems too big or seems to make too many in front of too many people. Regardless of what you do, if you are the one equipped to do it, if you are the one who God has called you are the one he's going to get to do it and he's not going to ask anybody else. He's going to ask you because you are the one who will lead these people.

Speaker 1: 4:37

So this is about Joshua's call, but in general, I would like to draw from this is that within the heart of every man there is a desire to add value through leadership and influence. There's a desire to add value. How many of you guys know someone who's a man who just wants to fix the thing? You know this one is fix it, fix the thing. You know what I'm saying. But that's an expression of leadership. Leadership in a biblical definition is not about dominating other people. Leadership in the biblical definition is honoring God's call to tend to the needs of other people. Now you're like, hold on a second. So you're saying if I'm a mom, that that doesn't count for me to be a leader, I can't be a leader. Or if I'm a woman, I can't be a leader. Of course that's ridiculous. Of course you can be. God called lots of women to be leaders in the Bible to take care of the needs of others. I mean good gracious. Just look at the call of motherhood, from month one in the womb or day one in the womb until the moment that child is finally birthed into the world and beyond. I mean leadership is at the core of humanity.

Speaker 1: 5:44

Genesis chapter one rule and subdue the earth. He didn't tell that to Adam, he told it to Adam and Eve at the same time. Rule and subdue the earth with a collaborative authority, a collaborative leadership, an allyship which will last from now until eternity. Rule and subdue the earth. But rule and subdue again. Subdue is the same word that I just mentioned to care for the needs of something so that it thrives. Cabash subdue, take care of, tend to. And so it's not about domination, it's not about wielding an iron scepter or being the judge, or being a critic, or being the person that everything's going to fall back on.

Speaker 1: 6:29

Yes, there's responsibility, but to be a leader, to be an influencer, to lead this, obey God's call to take care of the needs of others and whatever scope of responsibility you have been given. Does that make sense so far? I hope so. Be strong and very courageous. Verse seven be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. And then finally, in verse eight study this book of instruction continually, meditating on it day and night. So be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you be prosperous and successful in all you do. And then he emphasizes it again be strong and courageous. Now, if you notice, there's kind of like a sandwich going on here. He's like be strong and courageous, be strong and courageous. And right in the middle is this verse that says keep this book of the law, or book of instruction, continually on your lips, meditate on it day and night. It's to constantly think about the word of God. The only way that we, as men or as women or as children, whoever we are, the only way that we as God's people will live out the life that God has for us and serve well and live well in accordance with how he's commanded us, is by getting into the word, drawing from it our very life, reading it and taking it in and digesting it every single day and obeying it.

Speaker 1: 7:45

I did not change. I did not overcome depression, I did not decide not to commit suicide, I did not decide to lead people or help others or show love until I got into the word of God. I did not choose to love my neighbor until I got into the word of God. I didn't choose to change the way I spoke to my brothers and sisters until I got into the word of God. I didn't choose to be a good husband or a good dad or a good leader, even a good pastor. I didn't choose to be a good leader until I got into the word of God.

Speaker 1: 8:09

And as soon as I get away from the word of God, it's like getting out of an IV drip that's keeping you alive. Sure, you can go a day or two or a week or a month, but eventually something's going to fall through here if you're not getting refreshed in the word of God, meditating on it day and night. Only then will you prosper and be successful. Only then will you do the thing and exceed in the thing that God has given you to do and have the wisdom to see it through. Now God says, after all of this, at the end of it all, bottom line the Lord, your God, is with you wherever you go. This is not about you in the end. This is about what God is up to. This is about God is accomplishing in the world. This is what God is doing in and through your life as a man, as a husband, as a father, as a mom, as a child, as whoever.

Speaker 1: 9:07

So why is it so important that we know about these things? Why is it so important that God told Joshua this stuff? Why is it so important that, just before he goes on, like a military conquest or something? Why is that important? Why is it important to be strong and courageous? Why is it important to be unyielding in your conviction and yet also to do and act not out of fear but out of God's promises? Why is that so important? And it's because men need courage. Men need courage. We need it. Can I just tell you I don't think I know a single more fearful group of people on planet earth than men. Men are terrified. We don't admit it because that would be weak, you know. But we're scared man. We're scared we're not making enough money. We're scared that we're not going to take care of our family. We're scared that things aren't going to work out the way they're supposed to. We need courage and we need a drip of constant encouragement every single day, day and night. We need people who are ministers of encouragement. We need people who are going to reach out to us and encourage us when we need it most. Men need courage.

Speaker 1: 10:18

There's a quote by John Eldridge that says the story of your life is the story of the long and brutal assault on your heart by the one who knows what you could be and fears it. Why are we hit with fear every single day? Why are we constantly afraid of failure? Why are we constantly afraid we don't have what it takes, or that maybe our story isn't going to work out, or maybe God's going to get us to the door and say, away from me, I never knew you. Why are we so afraid? Well, because the enemy is afraid. He's afraid of you. He's afraid of what you are going to make an impact on. He's afraid of the change you are going to make. He's afraid of the return on investment that you are going to seed into the lives and hearts of women and children and other men and people who need you most. He's afraid of him losing ground. He's afraid and he's enraged by it. Why is that? It's because men are leaders. Men are leaders.

Speaker 1: 11:23

Leadership as John Maxwell describes it John C Maxwell, leadership expert known throughout the world Leadership is influence. Nothing more, nothing less. If you have. If you're a person and you have influence over another person, you have leadership in that person's life, Whether that's as a mentor, as a father, as a friend, as an encourager. If you have influence in someone else's life, you have leadership. If you have influence in a group, you have leadership. If you have influence over a child or over a ministry, you have leadership. You are a leader, Men and women both. Leadership is at the core of humanity. Then, what is the single most important thing that we do as leaders? Ray Johnson, in his book Hope Quotient, was asked by his daughter in an interview what is the single most important thing you do as a leader? And he answered thusly the most important thing I do as a leader is stay encouraged, Stay encouraged.

Speaker 1: 12:22

Now, the reality is that God was giving Joshua a crown, position of leadership, a role, a title, and he even said later on if anybody disobeys you, they'll be put to death. Whoa, Okay, Lord, I better not screw this up. Like God was saying to Joshua you are a leader. He's as close to a king as you could get at the time for God's people. God made Joshua a leader. He put a crown on his head, metaphorically speaking, and he expected him to live out that authority.

Speaker 1: 12:56

But for every crown there is a cross. For every crown that is given among men there is a cross. It's for the joy set before him that Jesus endured the cross, scorned its shame and took his seat at the right hand of the Father in heaven For the joy set before him, for the authority set before him. And he already had authority. But Jesus was given authority and lived out his authority and lived. I mean, he was authority, you know, in eternity. But Jesus knew and was able to function well as a leader because he knew that his crown resulted in a cross. He knew that the end of his life was not going to be for himself. He knew that his purpose, his life, was not for his own success, but for the success and for the blessing of others, for our very lives. But for every cross there is courage available to take it up.

Speaker 1: 13:46

Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane, did not draw his strength only from his friends. He didn't draw his strength only from a good Passover meal. He didn't draw his strength only from, you know, coming out of a ministry high. In fact, I don't think he did get any strength from coming out of any ministry. High Palm Sunday he knew was leading towards Good Friday. And here he was, just before that pinnacle moment. What does he do? He goes to the Garden of Gethsemane, gathers the boys around him and he says pray with me. And he goes before the Lord and he gets the courage he needs to take up the cross as associated with his crown. So the question is, what are we going to do? I mean, what are we going to do?

Speaker 1: 14:32

The reality is we, as men, need courage, and anyone who knows any man who's ever faced discouragement knows that you have a special place in that person's heart, a level of trust, a level of influence. You know it's not just men that have influence over families. You know men, those of you who are married in this room how many of you know that you still think about what your wife thinks about you all the time? And not because happy wife, happy life thing. Quite frankly, I don't like that quote. Honestly, I don't. And the reason why I don't is because there's so many times where me, as a husband, doing the right thing put my wife into very uncomfortable circumstances and I needed a lot of courage to do that and knowing that it was the right thing, because I was still afraid of what my wife thought of me. When I get the chance, I still try to impress her. When I'm walking around in the house or whatever, got a t-shirt, I'm like working out. You know, the reason why that matters is because you women moms, sisters, friends, wives you have one of the most influential relationships possible for another man, for a man, If you're a man and you are, you know, going through a season of life where there's not a lot of friendships, not a lot of encouragement, you are leaning on one another. That allyship is sometimes the only encouragement that a person has to receive.

Speaker 1: 15:55

How many of you have read through, you know, Genesis 3 before? Why did we set into a life of sin to this day? The Bible says Adam listened to his wife and he took the fruit and ate it. Now, is that a condemning thing or a shame thing? No, it's speaking to the fact that the enemy knew where to go. The enemy knew where to go. The enemy knew that the biggest influence that Adam had in his life other than God was his wife. He's like well, I know that Adam's really steadfast, but you know what I could do, and he does it to men all the time Tries to wane away at your courage through your spouse. And I've failed my wife on many occasions and she received me with forgiveness and the impact that that had on me was tremendous. The impact on my well-being, the impact on my leadership. The best gift you can give to children your children is a good marriage. Did you know that the best gift you can give to your children is a good marriage, Tending to one another's hearts? Well, so what are we going to do? How are we going to honor the influence that we have in one another's lives?

Speaker 1: 17:03

This is an important topic because it means the success of our mission as a church and as the church. And I know what I have to do. I know there's areas where I could be better, but I'm not, and that's not shame, it's just reality. It's where I've shrunk back, lost heart, lost courage and I need to change, as with Frodo Baggins and the Lord of the Rings and the Fellowship of the Ring, who says I know what I must do, it's just I'm afraid to do it. But the problem is again John Waxwell quote, to kind of close us out here without ownership, changes will be short term.

Speaker 1: 17:47

So what's the scoop. How do we go from here? How do we move forward in life as a church and as marriages, whether that's investing in friendships with other men, despite how busy you two may be, going on a walk instead of opting for coffee at Tim's so that you can be together in nature and maybe have more quiet, opting for solitude, taking on spiritual practices like fasting, or even worshiping together with a small group of men? You know, I never overcame or pornography addiction until I got into the room with trusted men who continue to build me up and encourage me, and until I started confessing every single time I messed up to my wife. It's like you have to think about the entire system of your life and think what do I want? What's my goal? What am I going to do? God says you will lead this people. You will take up your cross and follow Jesus. This task has been appointed to you and no other. You are irreplaceable.

Speaker 1: 18:44

So what are you going to do, men? What are we going to do to lift each other up and spur one another on to good deeds? What are we going to do to huddle together and build one another up? What are we going to do to encourage each other, to be valiant men of honor, to be men who do not use their influence for evil or for their pleasures or for making things peaceful at home and they're not peaceful. Are we going to have the courage to have that difficult conversation this week? Are we going to have the courage to ask for a raise or plan out our finances? Are we going to have the courage to step into a ministry role that we've been avoiding but that we know the God's putting on our hearts, but we don't want to do it because it's going to be too hard?

Speaker 1: 19:19

Are we going to do it? Are you going to reach out to that friend, even though he's so uncomfortable, it feels so vulnerable in front of another man, and say I need help? Are you going to have the courage to literally be so honest with your wife that you are just in a boat of tears before her and say I have given my heart to the wrong things and in fact I've even given my heart to you when I should have been giving it to the Lord? Are you going to have the courage to take it back? Are you going to have the courage to step into this next week, sent as a disciple of Jesus as an apprentice of his, not living out a life that you desire, but the one that he desires for you. And let me tell you, it's worth it, but it's one of the hardest things that you will ever do, but you are the one to take ownership. No one will force you to make this change. God said to Joshua be strong and very courageous, for you will lead these people.

Speaker 1: 20:15

So what is it for you today? Do you need to get in a journal? Do you need to get a piece of paper and write down the goals of the things that you know you need changing? Do you need to talk to a therapist? Do you need to talk to your wife? Do you need to say sorry to your children? Do you need to get before the Lord and tell him I want you in my life. I'm sorry. Let us have the courage to live out the call that God has given us. In Jesus' name, Father, God, thank you so much for your love for us and for your joy in our lives. It is not through our strength, but through yours, that we do all that we have been called to do. Bless us, Lord, in our work. Bless us in our ministry. Empower us in all we do to be the men you've called us to be. Yet not I, yet not us, but through Christ in us, Amen. Here's the thing. That message is so good to hear, to know, to get it into us, but it's so much harder to live out. I want to just acknowledge that it's not easy to take up that call. But if there's something in that list of things, or maybe there's something else that God is putting on your heart to apply from this and to take action on, I encourage you to do that, Because failure to act on what God is calling you to do, especially with the courage that he's given you to do it, it will result in other issues.

Speaker 1: 21:57

We can either choose the pain that we have or that pain will happen to us in another area. I think it's Dave Ramsey actually finance guy, financial piece university that says choose your pain or your pain will choose you. Something into that effect. I might be completely botching that quote, but I don't care. The idea is this is you know, it's clear, If we don't choose to take action on the things that we know and we need to act on, we're not going to avoid the pain, we're just going to delay it a little bit longer. So we get short-term relief or maybe a short-term deferral of that, but we end up taking at least clutter in our life in which we're deferring the decision-making that we know we need to make, we know we need to take on, or we're actually experiencing something akin to the infection of a wound Pain is deferred, but it actually gets worse because the longer that you defer the pain that you know you need to handle, that you know you need to address, the harder and the more painful it is to actually finally address it. Or, of course, there's the other option, in which that pain will completely overwhelm you. So don't let that be. You Take action on the things that God has put in front of you. There is so much grace available for you.

Speaker 1: 23:26

Assuming, something that has always encouraged me about Jesus' call to be a disciple is that if you want to follow Jesus, you need to take up your cross. Yes, that's true Daily In the book of Luke, when Jesus says take up your cross daily and follow me. That dailiness has. There's so much beauty in the reality of our daily walk with God, in which it's not just yesterday's obedience or last year's victories or past failures, even Rather the next steps that are right in front of us. Today we can take that option and make that choice and decide. However, because it's a daily thing, we can leave behind the mistakes of yesterday. We can leave behind the areas in which we not the areas, but the decisions that we didn't make, the things that we should have done whatever consequences that we're handling in our day to day and in our moment right now, we can say goodbye to yesterday and say yes to taking up our cross. Today.

Speaker 1: 24:32

Jesus doesn't hold a big stick waiting for you to get to the part where you were supposed to say yes again and take that right chance, just so he can beat you on the head and say see, if you would have already done this, this would not be the case. Blah, blah, blah. Jesus is not looking to shame you. He's looking to empower you to live the life he's called you to live. So the dailiness of your walk with God, the dailiness and the nature of the taking up of your cross, it doesn't matter how many times you've failed. It doesn't matter how many times you've missed the mark. It doesn't matter how many times you have given in to fear. Fear is always waiting to be defeated. You just have to say yes to Jesus in this moment. Keep in mind you are going to get hit with spiritual warfare in this moment, because the fact is, it doesn't matter what success you've had in the past or what potential there is in your future.

Speaker 1: 25:27

Today, the enemy is afraid of you realizing your full potential as a disciple of Jesus. He's not afraid of you giving in to like listening to another sermon, because if you're not going to act on anything, it doesn't really make a difference. But as soon as you act, and as soon as you make the decision to act, the enemy is the one that wants to throw shame on you and discourage you and make you feel like you can't do it and take away your confidence and make you feel afraid and hit you with fear upon fear upon fear, just so that you will choose again to go back the way you came from and leave behind the call of discipleship for somebody else who maybe has more boldness than you have. My friend, do not give into that. Do not give into the enemy's schemes to make you feel frightened. Do not give into the enemy's schemes to make you feel that your past failures define your today's decisions. Okay, Yesterday's mistakes are yesterday and today.

Speaker 1: 26:21

You have the call right now, right now before you, to take up your cross and follow Jesus. It doesn't matter what relationship that you've had with this particular ministry or action step that you need to take, or even passage of scripture that you've been avoiding reading because you know it's really challenging to you, or a person that you've been avoiding and a problem in that relationship. It doesn't matter the magnitude of it, none of that. What matters is are you going to give Jesus your yes right now? Are you going to? And really not even that, it's not that, that's not important. The bottom line is you have the opportunity right now to take up your cross and be empowered with courage by God to walk into the scope of obedience to which he's calling you right now, to which he's leading you Right.

Speaker 1: 27:18

So I hope that makes sense, because the thing is, the enemy is the one that's throwing the fear at you on top of the fear you may already have. So you really need to be equipped, you need to be ready to face that battle, and next week we're going to be having or next week next episode, I guess, is going to be another episode yes, well, anyway, next week we're going to have another episode about how to be equipped how to be equipped to face the spiritual battle that we're in, to recognize the warfare that we're facing and to really meet that warfare, to face it in the way that God calls us to. And we're going to be exploring, you know, what does it mean to actually be equipped by the armor of God, and how do we take on that battle and how do we face it. Blah, blah, blah. So tune into that next week and pay attention, because that is going to be another one that you're not going to want to miss. That is another sermon clip that we're going to explore again next episode. Again, I hope that that will be a huge encouragement to you. I trust it will.

Speaker 1: 28:20

But why is it important that we talk about that? Well, because the enemy is not concerned about your past. He's not concerned about you know your potential and, necessarily, in terms of the things that you could do if you said yes, he's concerned about whether or not you're going to say yes right now. He's concerned about whether or not you know. He is worried that if you say yes, that potential will be realized. Today is the thing that he's concerned about. He wants to keep you stuck thinking about the future or stuck thinking about the past. So anyway, I've harped on that enough.

Speaker 1: 28:54

The bottom line is this Say yes to Jesus today. Take action on what God has called you to do, because that dailiness, the grace that is offered you in that dailiness, that is something that today is available to you. The Bible says in the book of Hebrews as long as it is called today, continue to spur one another on to good deeds. Friends, do not be discouraged, Do not be afraid. The Lord is with you. It doesn't matter what happened in the past. The Bible tells us in Isaiah, chapter 41, do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up by my righteous right hand. My friends, do not be discouraged, Do not be afraid. The Lord is with you. Take up your call. Say yes to God. Be that chain breaker and don't let another day go by, and don't let another moment go by. If there's a right now that you have to handle, do it, but don't be discouraged. He is with you.

Speaker 1: 29:59

Well, thank you so much for joining me for this episode of the In Rest podcast. I really hope that you are encouraged by this content and, if you are, I hope that you're following us on social media. On Instagram, it's inrestinstah, so I'd encourage you to follow us on Instagram. In addition, we have a website called inrestlivingcom, so inrestlivingcom. You're going to find mostly just information about coaching and speaking from me. If you're interested in being part of one of my group coaching programs that's coming up this spring, you're going to find information about that in the coming days. There's going to be more information about that as well throughout some of the other podcast episodes that are to come. In that. There's also our Facebook page as well, so inrest I think it's facebookcom slash inrest coaching, and then, of course, there's facebookcom slash inrest podcast and whatever platform you're listening to this on, I'd really encourage you to just go into the Spotify thing on the show app, Not the show app. What am I trying to say? The show. If you were to go to the Inrest podcast page on Spotify, just like it, Hit the five star thing. If you're listening to this on YouTube, hit the like button and subscribe, follow. If you're listening to this on Spotify.

Speaker 1: 31:30

It's so important to get this message out because I want more people to hear about Jesus. I want more people who are Christians to be encouraged in their faith. I want people who are struggling with fear to overcome and have courage. And if you want that too, please share this and help somebody else experience this message of the life changing power of the gospel of Jesus. He is so amazing. So, anyway, sorry, yes, continue to share in rest Would love that and leave a review.

Speaker 1: 31:57

That'd be awesome. Check us out on socials, Follow us. That'd be great. In any case, thank you so much for listening to the end. If you have, this is, you know, welcome to the end of the episode. You're awesome. Thank you so much for joining me for another episode of the In Rest podcast Tune in next week for Be Equipped, for being equipped, to face the spiritual battle that we're in. Until next time, may the Lord bless you and keep you and give you his peace, and may he give you courage to live the life that you're called to live in Jesus' name.

Speaker 1: 32:32

Okay, Let me pray for you, Father.

Speaker 1: 32:35

God, I pray for the listener that's on the other side of this Spotify screen, the person that's on the other end of these speakers.

Speaker 1: 32:44

I pray, Father, for whoever is listening to this, that he or she would be empowered with courage in this moment and a profound peace that they have not felt in a very long time, so that they may live the life you've called them to live. I pray that whoever is listening to me right now, whoever is under the sound of my voice, that they would be encouraged and empowered and enlivened to live out the life of a follower of Jesus Christ, One who is not only bearing their cross daily, but doing so courageously. I pray that you would give them hope for the future, for one day, they too, just like Paul and Jesus and so many others, made it to the end of the race and received the crown of righteousness waiting for those who love you. Let them receive it, Lord, and let them be encouraged and rejoicing in hope because of that day. So bless them and keep them and help them to say yes to you today. Help them to take action in what you've called them to do, In Jesus' name, amen.

Speaker 1: 34:04

Quisite music, mid-teams音樂 music, cooking and intense music.