Paul Daugherty - Where Courage Comes From
Look at verse two of Acts chapter four. It says the leaders were very disturbed. They weren't just disturbed because they were preaching about the resurrection. They were disturbed because Peter and John were operating in their God given potential. Anytime you start living with courage, people who aren't living with courage get greatly disturbed. Anytime you start operating with a hundred percent of the potential that God's put inside you, there's someone out there who's operating at 50% and instead of being inspired they become jealous. But don't let them, you know don't let their jealousy and insecurity stop you from being 100% who God's made you to be. Peter and John were not intimidated by the threats. They weren't intimidated by the insecurities or the jealousy. They just kept preaching.
I want to talk to you today about Where Courage Comes From. If you're taking notes you can just write down: where courage comes from. In this passage we see courage and boldness as kind of the same thing and so I want to define for you what is this courageous boldness that they walked in. It is the willingness to take risks. When's the last time you took a risk? When's the last time you did something that was risky? This, this courage is risky, it's innovative, it's confidence, it's living with a daring mindset. It's going beyond the usual limits of conventional thought or action or convenience. It's being imaginative, it's being free from intimidation. Some of us today need to break the spirit of intimidation off of our lives. We are operating at a 50% level capacity of how God has created us to operate, because we care way too much about what people think of us. We care way too much about offending someone.
I would rather be a courageous man after God's own heart, offending some people along the way than pleasing everybody and yet not living to the full potential that God's called me to walk in. God didn't call us to be liked by everybody. He didn't call us to be popular with everybody. Christianity is not an invitation to live convenient, comfortable, and fit in with the crowd. I just wanna blend in, I don't wanna stand out Paul. I don't wanna offend anybody. I just want to, I'm gonna be a chameleon Christian. I'm gonna be a covert Christian. No one will even know that I have any Christianity. I won't live with any cur... I'm not going to pray for anyone. I'm not going to preach the gospel. I'm not gonna step out and try anything spiritually, you know, risky. I'm just gonna play it safe. I'll stay quiet, I'll stay to myself. No one will even know that I existed.
That is not the call that Christ has called us to. He has called us to live with courage. He has called us to be bold witnesses, empowered by the Holy Spirit. And when we live like that, it's sure to disturb some people who don't. Life and love and anything you do for God will always require boldness. People who are always criticizing people who are trying, they always think we can do it better. And I re reminded of this quote someone sent to me by Theodore Roosevelt, and it's a good quote that connects with Acts chapter four. It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, mom, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better, Lizzy. The credit belongs to the man, Ty, who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood Courtney.
Who strives valiantly, John, who errs and who comes short time and time again, Dom. Because there is no effort without error and shortcoming. But who does actually strive to do the deeds Debbie? Who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spins himself in a worthy cause Daniel. Who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, Abby, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. I would rather be a flawed contributor in the arena, serving in the kingdom of God than be a judgemental Caiaphas critic critiquing whether or not Peter and John should have healed a man on the Sabbath day.
Well we know everything there is to know about Peter. He cut a guy's ear off, he cussed last night. He cursed last, we saw what he did. We know these guys. Peter and John, they were not trying to figure out how many people were gonna respond to the sermon. When they preached in Acts chapter four. Look at this in verse, in verse three. They seized Peter and John because it was evening. They put them in jail, verse four. But many who heard the message believed, now stop right there. Peter and John cannot determine who believes. We can't determine the outcome of what happens with our seed. All we can do is plant the seed. Peter and John carried the burden of obedience which was to preach the gospel, to lay hands on the sick.
Paul, what if they don't get healed? My job is not to be the Lord of the harvest, not to be the Lord of the outcome, but to be the planter of the seed. All I can do is pray for healing. I can't determine who gets healed, but at least I obeyed God, at least I prayed. I can't meet everyone's needs but at least I walked in compassion in that moment with the person who was right in front of me. When we tried to carry the burden of outcome, we're lifting up this heavy pulpit and it's, it's heavy. Y'all remember when we were carrying this, it's like 150 pounds and it gets heavier every service I talk about it, it's like 200 pounds this service. But Jesus says my yolk is easy, my burden is light.
And when I have a light burden, I have more courage and confidence because my job is not to determine how many people get saved by my sermon. My job is not to determine how many people show up or how many people respond or whether or not the lame man gets fully healed. My job is just to obey. And this holding a microphone is a lot easier than holding a pulpit. It's the, it's the difference between the burden of obedience or the burden of outcome. Peter and John, they carried the burden of obedience and they lived with courage. And many people who heard the message believed, everybody say, "I got something... to share". You got something to share this week. Who could you encourage? The Bible says train a child up in the way he should go and he will not depart from it. It's, it's a word, it's a seed, as we sow it in someone's life. I'd rather be a flawed contributor in the kingdom of God than be a judgemental critic of those who are trying.
So Peter and John, they were flawed contributors. They were speaking, they were praying, they were preaching. And the next day the religious people gathered. And I love this right here in verse seven they said What power are you working with? Who gave you the authority? Whose name are you doing this in? Who showed you how to do this? Where did you learn this kind of power? We know you're not, you're not educated. You didn't graduate from a university. I love the religious guys. They're so, they're so attacking and, and Peter and John, I just love the response. They're like let me tell you where it came from. Let me tell you where the power came from.
In verse eight Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and he says let me tell you that we did not do this in the name of Peter, of John. We didn't do this in our own strength. We didn't bring a political agenda. We don't have a business strategy. We're not trying to win people to ourselves. We are here to lift up the name of Jesus Christ. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. It is only Jesus. He's the way, the truth, and the life. And there's no other name Peter says, there's no other way to find healing. There's no other way to experience salvation. There's no other way to be saved. Can I tell you today, you don't get to heaven by being a nice person. You don't get to heaven by being a good person. You get to heaven by putting your faith in Jesus Christ.
Salvation is in no other name. This bothered the religious people because they thought they could earn their salvation by being good enough, by following enough rules. And this is why they were so frustrated when they looked at Peter and John, that they healed a man on the Sabbath day. It broke the rules. It broke the religiosity off the city. They were flipping Jerusalem upside down. I think it's time to flip Tulsa-rusalem upside down. It's time to bring back the focus that it is not about men and women and agendas and parties and all of that stuff. It is about Jesus, it has always been about Jesus. We are going to be a spirit empowered church that continues to point people to Jesus.
So Peter and John, they were preaching and these guys said, you're not even educated. You're not, where did you get this courage? Where did you find this courage? This last week our, our boys finished their first year of school. And my brother and I decided, and Jason our friend, let's take our sons on a little canoe trip to celebrate a year that they just, you know, finished first grade, second grade, K5. So we took them to the Buffalo River just for the day. We drove on Friday and, and we came to a place where there was a waterfall. And then we came to a cliff that was overlooking the river. And I said boys, do y'all want to do something courageous? Do you want to do something brave? And they said what is it? I said we're gonna jump off that cliff into the river. Do you know how deep it is? I said yeah, I've been here before. I've jumped this before. Okay, if you do it, we'll do it. So they follow us. They're walking right behind us.
You know when the disciples followed Jesus there was something in the Old Testament that if you followed a rabbi, if you were right behind your rabbi, you caught the dust that would come from his feet. It would get on your feet. It was actually a privilege to be covered in the dust of your rabbi. That if you were so close to him the dust and the sand as he was walking, if it got on your feet there was an anointing that came. You got something that your father had. And I can just imagine Peter and John as they're talking to Jesus in the prison, as they're looking up to heaven, did you see what just happened? We laid hands on a sick man and he got healed. And I could just see God up and heaven going yes, that's what I've empowered the church to do. Follow the steps of your Father. Where does courage come? It comes from intimacy. It comes from being with Jesus. A relationship with God will always produce greater courage than just practicing religion.
Peter and John were not the world's smartest guys, but I love that just like Paul the Apostle he used to be a terrorist and God used him. He said God uses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. He uses the weak things of the world. Is there any foolish, weak, but surrendered men and women, ordinary men and women? Y'all are like I don't know if I wanna raise my hand. Is there any uneducated Oklahoma people in the house today? You may not have all the degrees, but you came to church and you say God can use me. That's all God liked, that's all God's looking for. It's just a man or woman who says you can use me Lord, if there's anyone you can use God. God is not interested in people knowing about him. He's interested in people knowing him.
People truly seeking to know him. And when you know God, courage comes from a relationship with him. It produces convictions, it produces not condemnation, it produces this sense of I can have boldness to come to God, I can have boldness to be used by God. And watch as the religious people try to threaten them after this. Since they saw the man who had been healed standing there with them in verse 14, there was nothing they could say. This miracle was unrefutable, undeniable, unbelieving for undeniable miracles in Tulsa, Oklahoma at Victory Church and wherever you're watching online. And they said this, they dismissed Peter and John and they got together a religious huddle. Don't you love it when the religious people get in the huddle to talk about you?
And so they get into a huddle and that what are we gonna do with Peter and John? We know these guys are, they're just uneducated. They're unqualified, they're ordinary men. We need to get rid of them. Everyone living in Jerusalem knows about this miracle though. And we can't deny what just happened. But to stop this thing from spreading, again you can't stop the gospel. You can't chain up the, you can arrest the preachers but you can't arrest the message. They said we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in the name of Jesus. And this courage that was inside of Peter and John was so strong that it was more powerful than the threats of high court, more powerful than the threats of the police in the temple. More powerful than any other name. And they called them in and they commanded them do not speak or teach again in the name of Jesus.
And watch. Remember Peter, he was on the boat with Jesus when a storm came and he was a fraidy cat. And he was, he was, I mean panic attack Peter, panicking Peter, he's the same guy that got out of the boat, walked on the water and then took his eyes off Jesus and started sinking. But at least he was walking on water. He's the only disciple that tried. I'd rather be a flawed contributor in the kingdom of God. At least I'm trying. At least you're trying. Don't let the devil beat you up with condemnation that you're not good enough, that you failed too much. At least you're trying. You're walking on water. Get your confidence back in him. The same guy who shouted at Jesus in a storm, don't you care? We're gonna drown, we're gonna die! There's no way we're gonna make it!
The same panicking Peter is now preaching with boldness and courage and he looks death right in the face. He looks threats right in the face. He looks prison right in the face. And he says this in verse 19, do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? Proverbs 29 verse 25 says the fear of man is a snare. It is a trap. When I fear people, I paralyze myself from living with any courage. The fear of man is a paralyzing tactic of the enemy. It keeps people from never writing books, starting businesses, launching products, stepping out to university, graduating, trying out that idea, asking someone to marry them.
I mean the fear of man just keeps people so afraid, I'm afraid of being rejected. I'm afraid of failing. What if I fail like, like my parents failed? What if I fail like this and because I'm afraid of people not accepting me I don't even wanna go back anymore and I'm just gonna stay in this cave of fear. And fear shuts people down, paralyzes people. And Peter says do you think that God wants us to obey you? Do you think God wants us to bow down to a spirit of fear? For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but power, love, and a sound mind.
Let me tell you something today. Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is not the absence of circumstances. Courage is not the absence of Covid 19. Courage is not the absence of government restrictions. Courage is not the absence of tyrannical governors, mayors, presidents, leaders. Courage is not the absence of Hitler. Courage is not the absence of abortion. Courage is not the absence of bad things that are happening in the world. Courage is looking everything right in the face and saying as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. So fear, you can go back to hell where you came from. Courage, I'm putting my faith in Jesus Christ. I want to be closer to God, so close to God that I care more about his heart than I care about pleasing the crowd. 'Cause the crowd is fickle. They're with you one day and they're against you the next day.
I'd rather just keep walking on the greens, hitting the golf balls. I'd rather keep shooting the shots. I'd rather be a flawed contributor in the arena of the kingdom of God than stand on the sidelines critiquing Peter and John for at least trying. So Peter looks at the religious people and he says no my friends, we cannot stop telling about what we've seen and heard. It's like a fire shut up in my bones. I cannot contain this passion for Jesus. I cannot contain the testimony that's inside my heart. Once you realize that death is not the end, to live as Christ and to die is gain. Then you realize I can live with more courage. I can be more bold. And without wanting to start a riot, they decided to withdraw. And they released Peter and John and everyone began to praise God.
Now I want to skip forward. Peter and John go back to the church. They tell 'em guys, they can't stop the gospel. The church is spreading like wildfire. Don't miss this last part. It's probably one of my favorite parts of the sermon that I've been preparing for you. When they heard the report they start, they start giving God praise. The church just starts shouting, oh sovereign Lord, creator of heaven and earth, the seas, and everything in them You knew about this, you knew that this would happen. David prophesied this.
Go to verse 26. They said this, The kings of the earth prepared for battle. The rulers gathered together against the Messiah, verse 27. In fact this happened right here in Jerusalem. They turned against Jesus, your holy servant, verse 28. They crucified him, but everything they did was determined beforehand according to your will in verse 29. And now Lord, hear their threats and give us your servants great boldness, boldness, courage to preach your word and confirm it Lord. Stretch out your hand with healing power in Tulsa, Oklahoma in Victory 11:00 AM service. May miraculous signs, 11:15 AM service, may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus. It's about to happen y'all, revival. It's just the beginning. After this prayer, the meeting place began to shake.
Come on, there was a shaking that began to happen in the room. There was like an earthquake. It was like drums just began to pound and beat the whole place they were in started to feel like a rumble, a rumble, a revival, the sound of something fresh. And they were filled with the Holy Spirit. And they preached the word of God with boldness, boldness, courage. And all the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own. So they shared everything they had. And the apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and God's great grace, great grace. His great favor, His great grace was upon the church so powerfully.
I want you to stand to your feet all over this room. I believe the grace of God, the great grace of God is about to touch you. But I wanna do something today. All of it started because Peter and John answered a need. None of this would, none of this revival, this earthquake, this Holy Spirit empowerment, this explosion of the early church would've happened had they not stopped and met a need. So I wanna stop right now and meet a need. If you have a need today, whatever that need is. I turned to our CFO last night. I said what do we have to to give every single week in benevolence towards people that have needs? And every week our church is always trying to do whatever we can to meet people's needs.
Whether it's paying for electricity bills or helping someone find an apartment or helping someone with, with whatever we can. Gas money, gas prices are high. As a church we always try to do what we can for whoever we can because that's the calling of the church to help those that are poor and in need and those that have fallen on hard times to get back up again. And so last night we asked hey, does anyone have needs? And people came up and some people had big needs. We couldn't meet all their needs, but we were able to meet part of their needs. You don't have to go on a missions trip to reach people. They're right here in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
There are people at Walmart, Quick-Trip, people in our parking lot, people who are coming back from PGA, people that you're gonna ride with this week. People in your neighborhood, people at the airport, people all over our city, people in north, south, east, and west Tulsa, they need Victory. They need someone to stop and see them and speak to them and pray for them. You go Paul if I pray for them people might find out I'm a Christian. Good! It's about time you showed them that you were.
This last week we had a family in Manford. We blessed them with a brand new mobile home. But here's what happened. Their previous mobile home just four weeks ago burned in a fire. They lost everything. They lost their clothes, their furniture, their whole mobile home burned to the ground. Well our Manford campus heard about it. They said we've got a little bit in our benevolence fund, not enough to to help them. Could Victory Tulsa partner? I said yeah let's, let's use the Benevolence Fund for Victory Tulsa and Victory North said we wanna be a part of that. We'll give towards it too. All three campuses came together.
We bought them a brand new mobile home with new furniture and that, I mean they were so blessed. They were testifying about it. The whole town of Manford knows this family. They've seen this family. They knew what happened to them. They heard about the fire. When they heard what the church did for them, people who haven't been to church in a long time are now being open to come back to church and hearing the gospel because good deeds opens the door for good news. And when people hear the good news, it saves entire communities and families.