Duty, Obedience, And Courage In A Noisy World

We explore the tension between cultural noise and faithful obedience, moving from reluctance to speak to a grounded call to act with courage, discernment and love. Scripture guides the journey through loss, endurance and the surprising power of blessing enemies.

• duty to obey Christ in public and private
• awakening that compels truth-telling
• counting the cost of speaking up
• endurance through hostility and isolation
• encouragement rooted in scripture and grace
• blessing enemies and overcoming evil with good
• discernment in relationships and spaces
• trusting God’s favor, timing and protection
• prayer as practice, power and posture

Get right with Jesus. Pray with us today.

Chapters

• 0:00 Setting The Stakes And Struggle
• 3:01 Duty, Obedience, And Awakening
• 5:51 Called To Speak Despite The Cost
• 9:41 Endurance, Hope, And Scripture
• 13:31 Encouragement Over Condemnation
• 17:41 Spiritual Discernment And Isolation
• 21:31 Authority, Enemies, And God’s Favor

Transcript

Setting The Stakes And Struggle

SPEAKER_00 0:31

Hey guys, it's B Rob. It's the Food for Thought Faith Cast. And once again, Faith Cast fam, I appreciate you tuning in today. Um, today we're gonna do some different things, man. Y'all, it's there's a lot going on, so much going on. Um, you ever feel like you don't want to be included in this political charade and all this stuff, but you feel like there's no choice because you're being bombarded by it? You ever feel like that? I'm sure a lot of people feel that way. A lot of people that are content and comfortable in the way life is and the way society is, and they've gotten complacent, you see, and they don't want to get involved. And that's the thing. They go through life and they go through the motions, and there's a lot of people, and you might be that person. I'm not putting you down, but um whether or not you don't want to get involved, where we go when we go all is not a catchphrase from 2018. You're going to get involved because it involves you, whether you like it or not. So I'm uh I'm gonna read something. This is from John Wesley. It says, if doing good do excuse me, it says, if doing a good act in public will excite others to do more good, then let your light shine to all. Miss no opportunity to do good. That's a quote by John Wesley. In Luke, the Gospel of Luke, chapter six, verse forty-six, Jesus says, and why call me Lord, Lord, and do not do the things I say. That's um think about that. Think about that. And this is more of a duty type thing. These are these are verses that reflect duty because you know, even though you might not want to get involved, the truth is going to come out no matter what. The veil will be torn. Um and we're getting close to that point, and you can feel, you can feel we're at that precipice. So I'm gonna say this. You shouldn't get involved to the point to where it takes away all your time and you have no devotion to God, because that's not the that is not what is supposed to happen. This is supposed to bring you closer to God, if that makes sense. This awakening is supposed to bring you closer to God. Well, it did for me. Um, the wheat from the shaft type of thing. Um, in Exodus chapter 19, verse 5, it says, Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed and will keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people, for all the earth is mine. This is a reminder. Think about that. Think about it. A reminder that God is above all. And to find favor in his eye, you have to have obedience to him. And sometimes duty may call, sometimes the truth may shine the light. I mean, let me tell you when I had this awakening, I wasn't in church, I wasn't at work, I was not with a preacher preaching a sermon. I simply found something that I knew in my heart, in my spirit, that was true. And then from that moment on, God just kept showing me things and showing me things and telling me, He said, You have a big social media platform because of local music and working at a dealership, being in sales for almost 30 years, and being on Facebook since it opened and the original iPhone came out. So God kept telling me, and I knew it was God because I know when God's telling me something. He was saying, take this information that I'm showing you and make it public. And I struggled with that. I was like, God, I might lose my job. He's like, I'm gonna protect you. I'm like, God, I might lose some family. He was like, they were never family. It's not about that. I was like, God, I'm gonna lose friends. A lot of them. Probably. And he was like, you're not gonna lose friends. They were never friends. You're gonna separate the wheat from the shaft. Not only are you gonna separate the wheat from the shaft, I'm gonna make your next harvest sevenfold. So not only did I lose friends, and not only did people show their true cards and their true colors, and there were some people that I've known most or all of my adult life and some of my childhood life, and that was the sad part about it. Some were close to me. Well, I thought they were close to me. Um, others not so much. Family members calling me a crackhead, that sort of thing. I mean, it was it was wild. But I stepped out on the water, and it was good because God said it was gonna be good. So I I felt I felt like I had a duty, and did I create a lot of enemies? Probably so. Probably so. But in Isaiah chapter one, nineteen it says, if you're willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land. Yeah. So that's that's that's a good thing. And um in Matthew chapter ten, verse twenty-two, it reminds you, and you shall be hated by all men for my name's sake, but he that endures to the end shall be saved. And that verse alone gives hope and takes away all fear of being obedient to God. That verse alone, you know. So along the way, it's been a it's been a long ride, and a lot of times, you know, we need to be encouraged, and we were never told to go out and bash people. We were told to spread the truth and encourage that information to be spread so that more people will wake up to this knowledge. And instead of bashing them, we were told to encourage and try to teach. So that's uh, you know, and a lot of times we need encouragement more so than anything, because when you when you have that awakening, there's a lot of times where you're gonna feel alone. There's a lot of phases where you're gonna feel like you are crazy, maybe they're right. That's the evil one, and that's what he does. But here in Philippians 4 13, it says, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. So here we go back. We give we get our encouragement from the word of God, we get our encouragement and strength from Christ. 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, verses 15 and 17 say, Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word or whether epistle. Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God, even our Father, which hath loved us and have given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good work and work. That's encouragement. That's encouragement that we have grace through our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God the Father. You see, it's even though you may feel lonely, you have to understand that if you are not solidly rooted in Christ, when you go down these rabbit holes and you have your awakening, the evil one will snatch you down and hold you down because some of the things you are going to find out, and it's coming. So you need to prepare your hearts, you need to prepare your minds for this. It's coming. Like a thief in the night is coming, and that's symbolically. So keep yourself encouraged, but most of all, understand your duty as a man of God, as a children of God. Um, in Galatians chapter six, verse two, it says, bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. We are supposed to be praying for each other, encouraging each other, loving each other. Doesn't mean we're gonna not have test. That's where this encouragement comes in. It doesn't mean we're not gonna have enemies. That's where the encouragement comes in that I'm talking about through Christ who strengthens us. Once again, Philippians 4 13, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. It's not just a catchphrase, it's a Bible verse to live by. The words of Abraham Lincoln, if I make my enemy my friend, have I not destroyed my enemies? That's wise words. That is wise words. In Romans 12, verse 14, it says, Bless them which persecute you. Bless and curse not. You are supposed to pray for your enemies. You're supposed to bless them, not curse them. You see, in Proverbs chapter 16, verse 7, it says, When a man's ways please the Lord, he make even his enemies to be at peace with him. You remember the authority we spoke of? That Jesus spoke of. He even cast them out. He spoke with authority. When you and your ways please the Lord, and the Lord is with you, your enemies will cower in front of you. A lot won't even be able to stand in the same room with your energy and your spirit, because most fear it. Because of their condemnation, if that makes total sense. You ever walked in a room? And I've I've done this many times. My wife isn't a good, she's got a big heart, but she's not a good judge of character. She's had many a friend that have taken her down many dark roads, okay? And um I she always thought I was a jerk or an a-hole because I either wouldn't I'd be like y'all go out, or I'll go out. I couldn't be in the same room with some of these people because my spirit knew there was something evil or something bad. I don't know if that makes sense to y'all, but it makes total sense to me, and it's happened many a times. And I'm not a I told you so type of guy. It's just that I just want to explain why I am the way I am. I'm not a jerk. It's that I just, you know, and I have a hard time explaining that because I'm a really nice guy to somebody's face. You know, that's that's the whole pray for your enemy type thing. And guys, I mean, it's you know, Psalms 23, 5 says, Thou preparest the table before me in the presence of my enemies, thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over. You see, in the simplest terms, God is the host of host, the God of host. He sets out a feast for you while your enemies watch. That shows that you're under his protection, under his favor. The anointing with oil is a sign of honor being set apart, an overflowing cup symbolizes that God is with you. The table symbolizes honored guest, protection in danger, abundance, not just survival, public vindication. You see, it all goes hand in hand when you honor God, when you're obedient to God. In Hebrews 13, 6 it says, so that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear. What man shall do unto me? If you have God, what can a man do to you? So we pray for our enemies. Once again, in Romans chapter 12, verses 20 and 21, it says, Therefore, if thy enemy hunger, feed him, if he thirsts, give him drink, for in doing so thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. That goes back to that Abraham Lincoln. If I make my enemy my friend, have I not destroyed my enemies? Guys, that's that's straight wisdom right there. There's nothing else that needs to be said. Nothing else. That's why right now is a time of encouragement. I mean, you're gonna have to, you're gonna have to know the truth. You're gonna get you're gonna have to, I mean, your involvement is inevitable. Change is inevitable. Nothing can stop what is coming, is not just a catchphrase. You see it happening every day. You've already changed. Things have already changed, and you're just going along with it because you're forced to. Guys, God always wins. God is the great author in the sky, God has the plan, and you have to trust it. Trust the plan's just not a catchphrase. It's trusting God and praying. And if enough people pray, God will redeem us. God will resolve us because that's what we need. I don't think we need revival because we haven't flatlined. We just need guys to understand their duty as men of God to have discernment and share the truth. We need encouragement from those same guys. And we need prayer. Most of all, we need prayer. But the very most thing, the biggest thing we need is to be obedient to God so we will find his favor once again. Well, guys, my dogs are going crazy, growling like gremlins, and they just got in the door. So I'm going to hop off, but it's been a great day. Thank you guys for tuning in. It's February 1st. Don't forget, God always changes the seasons. So we have new seasons, we got new times, we got new dates, and we got a new month. And blessings and lessings. We're gonna pray either way. Blessings and lessons. Thank you, God, for both. Blessings and lessons. We're gonna pray either way. Because if you do not have a relationship with Jesus, you better get right.