Latest / In the Stillness Podcast / May We Dare...

Transcript

May We Dare... · In the Stillness Podcast

• 0:00
  Good morning, y'all, It's friendly.
• 0:02
  Welcome back to the podcast. Today we're going to be
• 0:05
  continuing in First Thessalonians chapter 2 verses
• 0:09
  one through 5. And I do really love that we're
• 0:13
  slowing down and breaking this letter apart.
• 0:15
  I believe there's so much depth, and although it could be easy to
• 0:19
  just read the whole chapter and skim through some things, I
• 0:23
  don't want to rush past what the Lord might want us to really
• 0:27
  press into. So with that, let's get started
• 0:30
  in chapter 2, verse 1. You know, brothers and sisters,
• 0:36
  that our visit to you was not without results.
• 0:39
  We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in
• 0:43
  Philippi, as you know. But with the help of our God, we
• 0:47
  dared to tell you His gospel in the face of strong opposition.
• 0:52
  For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure
• 0:56
  motives, nor are we trying to trick you.
• 0:59
  On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be
• 1:04
  entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please
• 1:08
  people, but God who tests our hearts.
• 1:11
  You know, we never used flattery, nor did we put on a
• 1:15
  mask to cover up greed. God is our witness.
• 1:20
  OK, so just a little context. When Paul refers to our visit,
• 1:25
  he's talking about his first time coming to Thessalonica when
• 1:29
  he's establishing the church. And we see this in Acts 17.
• 1:33
  The people there also, they knew that Paul and Silas had just
• 1:37
  been beaten and put in jail in Philippi before coming there.
• 1:42
  So when Paul says he dared to share the gospel, that was not
• 1:45
  just theoretical, he had already suffered so much.
• 1:50
  So the phrase that really stopped me when I was first
• 1:52
  reading it was with the help of our God, we dared.
• 1:57
  Because with that context in mind, Paul was not afraid of
• 2:02
  going back to jail. He knew the cost.
• 2:06
  He had already endured the public humiliation, the flogging
• 2:10
  and the physical pain, but he still dared to do it.
• 2:13
  And it just shows how precious and special the gospel was to
• 2:17
  him and that sense of urgency that he had to share it.
• 2:22
  So it really posed the question to me, why do I not always feel
• 2:27
  that same urgency? And I think it could be one of
• 2:31
  two things. Either we don't fully allow
• 2:35
  ourselves to meditate on what we've been rescued from, like
• 2:40
  thinking about hell and judgment.
• 2:42
  No, it's not pleasant or comfortable.
• 2:45
  But when we do, it puts everything into perspective, and
• 2:49
  it produces such a healthy fear of God and a deeper gratitude
• 2:53
  for his grace and for his sovereignty.
• 2:57
  Or it's possible that we've grown sleepy.
• 3:00
  Psalm 9012 tells us to teach us to number our days.
• 3:05
  And Paul lives like every single day, could be his last
• 3:08
  opportunity to fulfill his calling.
• 3:11
  Like he had a duty to make Christ known, as it says in
• 3:15
  Colossians 45. So here's the question that the
• 3:18
  Lord placed on my heart. Am I living with that mindset
• 3:23
  right now, today, in the present moment?
• 3:27
  Or am I only sharing the gospel when it's convenient for me?
• 3:31
  Maybe when I'm not exhausted after a long day, or I'm not
• 3:35
  hungry or busy, or whenever I quote UN quote, feel ready?
• 3:40
  Because The thing is, it's not dependent on your ability.
• 3:46
  It says God is with you. It was by the Lord's strength
• 3:51
  that Paul was able to do this. And that's literally why Jesus
• 3:55
  gave us his Spirit. So if God calls you to do
• 3:59
  something, whether it's small or big, He will provide you with
• 4:04
  what you need. He will give you the energy and
• 4:07
  the courage and the support. So practically looking at this,
• 4:14
  I believe all of us can pray for more boldness.
• 4:17
  And boldness does not need to be reckless.
• 4:21
  It's actually spirit LED courage that helps us conquer fear.
• 4:26
  And I recently memorized Colossians 4-5 through 6.
• 4:30
  I think it's so helpful with the practical application of this.
• 4:34
  It says be wise in the way you act toward outsiders, AK non
• 4:38
  believers, make the most of every opportunity.
• 4:42
  Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with
• 4:46
  salt so that you may know how to answer everyone.
• 4:50
  And I think that's such a tangible starting place, just
• 4:54
  being mindful in everyday conversations.
• 4:57
  This could be at work or within different classes or at the gym.
• 5:02
  It's making the most of opportunities that are already
• 5:05
  right in front of you and speaking with the same grace
• 5:08
  like Jesus, but not compromising truth.
• 5:12
  So I just want to encourage y'all stand firm and stand up
• 5:16
  for what's right. Live differently and set the
• 5:19
  example like your Savior. Now, Paul also makes it clear
• 5:24
  that he was not trying to trick anyone, and he did not water
• 5:28
  down the gospel. Truth is truth, he says in
• 5:33
  Romans 116. I am not ashamed of the gospel,
• 5:37
  and for a while I feel like I didn't fully understand what he
• 5:40
  meant by that, but I've grown to understand.
• 5:44
  I believe he said this because he kept preaching the same
• 5:48
  gospel message over and over, and he wasn't going to stop.
• 5:53
  He was confident and he saw it as an honor to do this.
• 5:58
  Now, here's something that really kind of burdened my heart
• 6:02
  as I was going through this passage.
• 6:04
  I think so many people who are not believers, they view
• 6:08
  Christianity as something that robs them of fun.
• 6:13
  Like it's a list of rules that was created to limit them.
• 6:19
  But that is such a misunderstanding of what
• 6:22
  Christianity is because it's not about robbing you of joy.
• 6:26
  It's actually about rescuing you from the path of destruction.
• 6:31
  And we see in scripture how it talks about there is a wide path
• 6:37
  and a lot of people, non believers, like that's what they
• 6:41
  are on. Then there is a narrow path and
• 6:44
  not many find it. But The thing is that the wide
• 6:47
  path, it looks freeing at first, but it leads you to a dead end.
• 6:53
  It promises freedom, but it actually results in bondage,
• 6:58
  fullness, but emptiness. And so Jesus does not call us
• 7:03
  away from quote UN quote fun to restrict us.
• 7:06
  He's calling us onto the path of righteousness and freedom from
• 7:11
  sin, freedom from shame, and freedom from chasing things that
• 7:16
  will never satisfy. Y'all living for him.
• 7:20
  It's not smaller, it's so much bigger.
• 7:24
  It's fuller and it's what we were made for.
• 7:27
  So don't compromise the gospel. Never be ashamed of preaching
• 7:32
  the same gospel over and over. Your method, it might change
• 7:38
  depending on who you're talking to, who you're evangelizing to,
• 7:41
  because obviously people come from different backgrounds and
• 7:45
  have different stories, but the message does not change.
• 7:50
  And Paul says that he is approved and entrusted with the
• 7:54
  gospel, and we are too as believers, and that's our
• 7:59
  identity. But we also have a
• 8:01
  responsibility that comes with that meaning, integrity and
• 8:05
  honesty matters. So not telling people just what
• 8:10
  they want to hear, but what they need to hear, That's truth and
• 8:14
  that's loving. And then Paul says that God
• 8:18
  tests our hearts and man, that can come with conviction because
• 8:24
  he already knows your motives. If you're doing things for
• 8:29
  image, like going to church or service projects or posting
• 8:34
  verses on Instagram, those are all great things.
• 8:37
  I'm not saying they're bad, but not doing it for the Lord's name
• 8:41
  and for Christ to be exalted. That's in vain and God knows.
• 8:47
  So I think it's good for us to ask ourselves, why are you doing
• 8:51
  what you're doing? Is it for the Lord's approval or
• 8:56
  is it for other people's? Is it out of obligation or is it
• 9:00
  out of love? Is it for His presence?
• 9:04
  Are you going to church? Are you going to Bible study to
• 9:07
  simply soak up His presence and to meet with the Lord?
• 9:11
  Or are you doing it for attention from others?
• 9:14
  So here's kind of where I want to land the plane 'cause
• 9:17
  obviously there's so much y'all. We're not here for others to
• 9:22
  praise us. So I just want to ask, where
• 9:26
  have you been hungering for people's approval over God's
• 9:29
  approval? Because people pleasing it is so
• 9:34
  real. And I say that because it is a
• 9:37
  big, big part of my testimony. And sometimes you don't even
• 9:41
  realize that it's happening. It's not abnormal to want people
• 9:44
  to like you, but it's not meant to be what defines you.
• 9:50
  It's not meant to outrank obedience.
• 9:53
  And personally, I would rather get to heaven one day and know
• 9:58
  fully that I gave God my every effort.
• 10:01
  That I cared far more about his approval of me than what others
• 10:07
  thought of me, than to stand before Him knowing that I shrank
• 10:11
  back simply to stay comfortable or to be well liked.
• 10:16
  And if I were still enslaved to people pleasing y'all, I doubt I
• 10:21
  would be doing this podcast because truth, it can ruffle
• 10:25
  feathers. But Jesus is so much more
• 10:29
  powerful than that fear. And he is so worthy.
• 10:33
  Then he's far more worthy than temporary approval.
• 10:37
  So just let this be an encouragement and a testament
• 10:42
  that the Lord can heal you and completely free you from people
• 10:47
  pleasing. And just remember, you are
• 10:50
  approved by God as a Christian, as a believer, and you have been
• 10:54
  entrusted with the gospel. You have the help of his Spirit.
• 10:59
  It's not all on you. So with the help of our God, may
• 11:05
  we dare, may we dare to boldly proclaim the gospel.
• 11:09
  Let's go ahead and move into prayer.
• 11:14
  Dear Lord, thank you so much for Gosh entrusting us with the
• 11:22
  gospel. Would you forgive us for
• 11:27
  shrinking back in fear or for pursuing approval from others
• 11:32
  rather than you? Would you teach us to number our
• 11:36
  days and wake us up from complacency, from choosing
• 11:41
  comfort over what you have called us to do, to share your
• 11:46
  truth? Lord?
• 11:49
  Would you purify our hearts and our motives, make us more bold,
• 11:55
  not reckless, but humbly confident in who we are?
• 11:59
  In you, Jesus, with your help, may we dare to speak truth.
• 12:06
  May we dare to live effectively for the gospel, indifferently to
• 12:11
  love purely. May we dare to make Christ
• 12:15
  known. You are most worthy, God.
• 12:19
  We want you to be exalted in all areas of our life.
• 12:22
  Jesus, we pray this on your holy name, God, Amen.
• 12:27
  OK, well that's what I have praying y'all have a wonderful
• 12:32
  Thursday and that you can finish the week strong.
• 12:35
  You're almost to the weekend and I can't wait for the next
• 12:39
  episode.