Christ’s Call to Courage | Faith Through the Storm

1:40 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. The day, the day when life begins.

2:00 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. I 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.

2:54 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. And 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 his 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?

3:50 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.

4:12 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 and 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.

5:08 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.

6:39 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 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 points. 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.

7:42 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.

8:36 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.

9:50 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.

10:48 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 under the throne of grace and obtain mercy to help in time of need.

11:14 You know, I've heard people describe a trip to Israel as seeing the Bible actually come to life. Hey, everybody, Greg Laurie. And I've been to Israel many times, and I've led a lot of tours, and I have to say that's absolutely true. Listen, when you're walking on the same stones that Jesus himself walked on, that's something that's enriching to your faith. It's not just a travel experience. It actually energizes and enhances your study of the Bible. Think of it this way. It's a vacation with a purpose. And we're going to be taking a tour of Israel, April 6 to 15, 2027. You can find out more at israel.harvest.org. Step right into biblical history. Join Pastor Greg for a tour of the Holy Land, April 6th through 15th, 2027. Get details at israel.harvest.org.

12:13 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 40 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 40 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.

13:06 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've testified for me in Jerusalem, you'll bear witness in Rome. In other words, Paul, you're gonna 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.

14:01 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 wanna 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 in that final day, the Lord does not say, well done, good and successful servant. He says, well done, good and what?

14:56 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 towards 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.

16:18 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.

17:11 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. Hebrews 12, it says, we should look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and now sat 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.

18:07 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 wanna 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.

19:02 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 wanna 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. And 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.

20:00 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 and 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.

20:57 And as our heads are bowed 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 wanna 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.

23:08 Waterfall or mullet? Well, I've never heard it described that way. Well, being a man who formerly had a mullet, but mine was more of a skullet. Let me explain. I was losing my hair in my late 30s, so I started doing a comb over. That's where you grow your hair out extra long and you comb it over to pretend you have hair, but you're fully known, by the way. But then it was also a time when the mullet was popular, so I grew my hair out long in the back, hence the scullet. But coming back to your question, I think it should be the waterfall over the mullet. I prefer that myself. I've never really thought about it. But when I put a new roll of toilet paper on the device, the spindle, the toilet paper holder, whatever you call it, I always have it coming over, not under. What on earth does this have to do with anything, Dave?

24:04 What's going on? Okay. There aren't just two thoughts on that subject. There's actually a third group. Okay. The third group are the people who use up the last square and then leave an empty cardboard tube for somebody else to deal with. The somebody else excuse. That may be a sin. I'm not sure it could be a sin. It may be. You know, we're listener supported, but there are some people that leave that to somebody else. And we'd invite everyone to have a part, wouldn't we? That's right. And so we're encouraging people to help us be ready for the next opportunity, the next place we can reach, the next group we can reach out to, the next soul we can bring the gospel to. You know, the cool thing about radio is it's a very personal medium. As an avid listener to Christian radio and as someone that's involved in producing a program, I feel there's an intimacy in radio that you don't have on television.

25:06 or in a podcast, and I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because you can't see the person, but it's almost like a conversation, and people connect in a different way. I love Christian radio. I'm a strong believer in it, and some of us do listen to us on their phones or online, you know, in our streaming version, but it's the same thing, and I feel you can reach people in a unique way through this audio-only medium. And so we want to continue to be on the cutting edge and reach as many people as possible. We've never been afraid to adopt new technologies. In fact, we like to try to lead the way when possible. But we want you to stand with us and help us continue to teach the Bible. You know, we do that every day on our broadcast, A New Beginning, but also, and this is somewhat unique to our broadcast, preach the gospel. Now, others do that as well, but here's what's super unique to our ministry, throw the net. And by throw the net, I mean we give people an opportunity to pray and accept Christ. You might wonder, does anyone ever pray with you when you do that? Oh, yes, they do. Thousands do every year. And I've had people come up to me and tell me their stories. You know, I prayed with you over the radio and gave my life to Jesus Christ. One guy came up to me once and said, I was listening to you in my car driving down the freeway, and you said, let's pray. So I pulled over to the side of the road so I could pray. Smart guy. So I believe that this is a powerful platform, and I believe you do too, because obviously you're listening right now. And maybe you're a regular listener, and thank you for that. But would you join our team? Would you become a part of what we are doing?

26:56 We have a special program we have called Harvest Partners. And all that means is these are folks that have chosen to stand with us on a monthly basis and give toward our ministry. Now, you might not be able to give a lot. You may only be able to give a little. Others can give more. Just do what you can while you can, and help us to reach more people like that guy on the freeway that gave his life to Jesus Christ. So in advance, let me say thank you for that.