Get Back Up
– Proverbs 24:16, The godly man may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.
– This book is a collection of wise words and universal truths given to us by King Solomon.
– Proverbs 1:2, Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise.
– This proverb is pointing out that when you live by God’s precepts, you will endure, and have new strength. BUT if you do not, life will beat you down and keep you there.
– Think of an athlete: What stops them from getting back up? Pain, injury, self-doubt…
– Spiritually and emotionally, I believe it works the same way.
– Psychologists say that we are only born with 2 fears: Falling, and Loud Noises. (Self-protection.)
– All other fears are learned, and most in order to avoid pain and injury. (Self-protection also.)
– Fear of FAILURE, & looking FOOLISH are ones that will keep us from “getting back up”.
– Example: I think this is where the “fear of public speaking” comes in. (To avoid the pain of ridicule by our peers.) This stops us from sharing the gospel!
– These fears cause us to commit sins of omission.
– You have to get over your fear of looking foolish if you are going to step out in faith, and be the son or daughter God has created you to be.
- Its okay to fail.
– “The godly man may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.”
– The scriptures record 7 times where the Disciple Peter fails during his time with Jesus. I want to focus on a couple of them:
– Looking through Matthew 26:36-75 alone we see…
– 1st: Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him to pray before being crucified. They ALL fell asleep! They failed to “keep watch”. They didn’t protect Jesus. “For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” (All of them went on to become heroes of the faith later.)
– 2nd: Armed men lead by Judas “grabbed Jesus and arrested him.” Peter cuts off the ear. After receiving rebuke for not protecting Jesus in the garden, now he is being rebuked again for trying to protect him from arrest. (This was probably a little confusing…)
– 3rd: All the disciples deserted Jesus, but verse 58 says, “Meanwhile, Peter followed him at a distance and came to the high priest’s courtyard. He went in and sat with the guards and waited to see how it would all end.” (Peter, the only one close enough to deny Jesus.)
– All the disciples failed Jesus at one point or another, but why is scripture focused on mostly Peter’s failures?
– Peter always took action and pushed forward. Where was everyone else? Running away, or standing by watching? I don’t know because scripture doesn’t say what they did!
– You won’t fail if you don’t try. But, this is the sin of omission, and sin is failure.
– Your Pastors would much rather see you push forward, and have to pull you back in. Than for you to do nothing, fearing failure, and have to pull you along.
– I don’t think Jesus was mad at Peter. I think he loved it, and wished they were all like that!
– Don’t wait for the Pastor to ask you to serve! Get involved, and push forward.
– “Don’t let what you cannot do, interfere with what you can do.” – John Wooden
– “No tools, no smarts, no training, bad upbringing… I’M NOT READY!” All just excuses!!
– “Success is not final, failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill said that.
- Its okay to look foolish.
– Example: 1st football practice, tackling drills, stepped up 1st, boom! Feet above head…OOOHHH!!!!
– Humbled and humiliated, I could have quit, but instead asked my brother for help.
* What seemed like failure was actually one of my biggest successes. Actually one of the few times I have taken on a challenge without a reasonable assurance of victory.
– 1 Cor. 1:24-26, But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength. Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.
– 1 Cor. 4:10, (Paul says) Our dedication to Christ makes us look like fools, but you claim to be so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are so powerful! You are honored, but we are ridiculed.
– (read) Matthew 14:22-32, Peter and Jesus walk on water.
– The disciples were in trouble, fighting the waves. Jesus came to them, they were afraid.
– Jesus said, “Don’t be afraid, have courage, I am here.” But only Peter cries out for him.
– Peter trusts Jesus enough to foolishly think he could walk on top of the water! (#FTW)
– When peter starts to fail he calls out for his savior, and takes his hand. (How far did he get?)
– The rest of them did what? They only “believed” AFTER Jesus got in THEIR boat!
– Don’t worry looking foolish while stepping out in faith. Worry about not stepping out at all.
– DO NOT become paralyzed by not knowing what to do, or what will happen next.
– The fear of foolishness is unfounded among your brothers.
– My brother did not tease, he taught me. It doesn’t look like the disciple teased Peter either.
– Mark Batterson says, “We won’t regret the mistakes we made as much as we will regret not pursing our God ordained opportunities.”
- Its okay to be afraid. (This is NOT the same as “living in fear.”)
– Joshua 1:9, “This is my command. Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
– Joshua is taking over for the greatest leader the nation of Israel has ever known. (Moses)
“Be strong and courageous!”
– Moses tells Joshua this 2 different times before he died, and The Lord himself tells Joshua this 3 times, in one sitting.
– Why would Joshua have to be told so many times if he was NOT afraid?? (Because he was afraid!)
– I wonder what his critics were thinking? Could he live up to their expectations?
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” – Theodore Roosevelt
– I KNOW what his brothers-in-arms were thinking!
– Joshua 1:16-18, (His commanding officers) answered Joshua, “We will do whatever you command us, and we will go wherever you send us. We will obey you just as we obeyed Moses. And may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses. Anyone who rebels against your orders and does not obey your words and everything you command will be put to death. So be strong and courageous!”
– It’s easy to criticize the one who fails when you are the one who has never even tried.
– Don’t fear the critics. Serve God valiantly!*It’s okay to do it afraid!
- You can’t do this life alone!
– Matthew 19:26, Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”
– The power to overcome fear and foolishness is to “take the hand of Jesus”. Only the Holy Spirit.
– You can trust your fellow believer to support you, just as much as they can trust you. (Hmmm….)
– That means you better get your house and motives in order too!
– You need your spiritual family beside you, and they need you, to get back up again, and serve the Lord.
– We succeed in this Christian life together, by God’s grace and mercy.
*No more excuses.
– Give your life to Jesus, and seek God will first.
– Trust and support your pastor. Love your neighbor as yourself.
– Serve in your church. Use your gifts for the Kingdom.
STOP standing still in fear, and START stepping out in faith!
– prayer –
