How Tough Are You - Luke 23 (Pastor Jeff Shipley)

The Call to Toughness Under Adversity

Now I want you to pay attention. It wasn't anything in Israel wasn't their military size.

I want you to read Luke chapter 23 verse 34. Luke chapter 23 verse 34 and Jesus said Father forgive them for they know not what they do. And then they cast lots to divide his garments. Ladies and gentlemen, I'm gonna let y 'all do whatever y 'all do back there.

Ladies and gentlemen, I want you to understand something. You cannot have toughness without adversity. Some of our young men in song ministry are trying to understand that and I'm looking forward to a couple of them.

You know this Tuesday to try to extend that education to them just a little bit myself. But guys toughness is this this is what the definition says. It says the state of being strong enough to withstand adverse conditions or rough handling the ability to deal with hardship or to cope with difficult situations a demonstration of a strict and uncompromising approach.

As you know, I Know Stuff like that and it's a really delicate balance because engineering speaking leader metallurgically speaking. There's a difference between hardness and toughness is something you are if you hit something with it.

It'll actually shatter like glass even though it's steel, but if it's Not tough enough. It's not going to be able to bend and sway and absorb the shock. Remember a perfect illustration of this there was a young man.

He was five foot six and weighed 135 pounds. Five foot six and 135 pounds basically the size of my right leg. And this young man was the captain of a defensive football team and one night they were playing the school and.

And He comes running to the fence and the trainer looked up in the stands of hundreds of people made eye contact with me and said I was like, oh god, one of my children are dead. So I walked down to the fence and as soon as I walked down to the fence.

One of my sons comes running up and he's running up like this. And he goes first thing he said to me is dad. I'm Okay to play and I look at the trainer. Because I have taught my wife for the whole lifetime of my children playing sports.

No matter what happens woman do not go on that field. So I'm wondering why they have beckoned me down here and feeling a little isolated and insecure. And I looked at the trainer and she said pull your jersey.

I can't do this so he pulled his jersey up undid his shoulder pad and pulled his shoulder pad up great pain and his pectoral muscle and all down his left arm was blue already. She looked at me and she said pastor.

He's torn his pectoral muscle. It's probably pulling on the bicep. As she's speaking No, Pastor Jeremiah at five foot six a hundred thirty-five pounds captain guys 220 230 looks at me and says dad I am okay.

To play. Son I don't know that you are and he's looking at me and there are tears welling up in his eyes. But he says dad, please. Let me go back. I promise I can do this and I said son you realize if you hurt yourself your football career is over.

He said dad I got it. Yeah. I looked at the trainer and over the trainer's shoulder was the defensive coordinator who kept turning around. Looking waiting for my judgment. So I'm sitting here as a father.

Looking at this 15 year old kid. Looking at the trainer looking at the coach and I said He's tough enough. Let me go back in went back in and the second half made 12 solo tackles with 11 assists. And had the best game of his entire high school career.

Now, how is that possible? How is that possible? Because what you have to understand is toughness. It's not about being strong and big. It's not about hitting hard. It's about what you can absorb through the trials of life and set your face against it and still Move forward.

Spiritual Maturity, Conviction, and Victory Over Temptation

Let me ask you this morning. How tough are you? Are you a modern american christian who is constantly offended or in victimhood? Because something has happened to you pastor. You don't understand ladies and gentlemen.

I don't have to understand because the truth of god's word does not change. According to what you've gone through. You see there's a problem. We keep coming up with excuses for failures. One of the things I hated my children telling me is dad i'll try.

You know what? You just said i'm going to give myself a plausible deniability to quit and some down down the road. Son, I want you to either die or go full speed. There's no halfway. How tough are you?

How tough are you in your spiritual life, man? How tough are you when that urge hits to go take your computer and hand it to your wife? To take your phone and turn it off and hand it to a brother in christ and say the temptation now is too great.

But i'm tougher than the temptation and i'm willing to be vulnerable enough to do something other than sit there and go. I hope I would have could have should. Where are you? How tough are you this morning?

Let's look at what I believe is the toughest man that's ever walked the face of the earth. Guys you have to understand that with trials and adversity. You're going to have to have one mindset to win you in your life spiritually.

Have to have the mentality that no matter what the cost you are going to win this battle. And ladies and gentlemen I'm telling you some of you have been sitting in churches for 30 years. And you still have the same authority level you did 30 years ago.

Why. Because you use this and get people to tickle your ears with it's okay or We all sin or they don't understand. But those are the friends you have may I suggest to you to find new ones. You see brothers and christians, uh christians sisters in christ have friends that iron sharpens iron.

That will tell you hey man your poop stink boy. You need to do something different girl. Well, baby, I know she hurt you, but you should not really be sitting here. Gossip guys, you got to win the fight.

Christ on the Cross and the Humility of the Repentant Thief

Look if you will. To the picture for a second jesus christ when he uttered those words father forgive them for they know not what they do was on a cross between two thieves. The word there in greek. We're not sure if they were thieves or rebels.

We're not really sure what they are, but they were two criminals that were condemned to death. And jesus fulfilling that old testament prophecy hung between the criminals and as he was dying there both of them.

Were reviving him now. Let me tell you what reviving means. They were throwing shade on an epic proportion. You catch that vibe. Are you vibing? Come on, guys. I'm trying up here man. Don't be afraid the church and religion.

And history has tried to paint the good and bad moral example. This thief is a good boy. This thief is a bad boy. But if you read carefully matthew 27 is a great example of this right at the beginning.

They both were making fun of jesus and not just those two people up there the chief priests and scribes. Were making fun of him. Oh, but wait, there's more. The centurion was making fun of him. But here's the part that had to have stung the worst the very people three days before.

Who were yelling as jesus came into jerusalem? Hosanna the son of david. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the lord. You know words stinging for people that hate you sting. But for those who betrayed the love and the friendship.

Those words hurt even more. Jesus sat there and taking all of that in said this father forgive. In that moment jesus made a choice. To be victorious. Not just to be victorious in an open grave to be victorious in the moment of adversity.

He chose to win that fight right then right there. How do you do that? How do you win that fight? How are you in the midst of that trial or tribulation? How do you get that much gumption? Well, first of all, it should be noted.

You got to be a christian to fight that spiritual battle and i'm not talking about you join the church. Or ask jesus in your heart or all that other garbage I'm talking about you truly have been converted by the power of the holy spirit.

But the second thing it takes is humility man. If if we could learn but one lesson in fighting trials. If we could learn one lesson in dealing with our household of faith if we could learn a lesson In dealing with the world, it would be an element of humility if you look in chapter 23 verse 40.

That same thief who was rejecting. Cursing and making fun of christ. He said this the other rebuked him saying do you not fear god? Since you are under the same sentence of condemnation. Ladies and gentlemen, listen to that again.

You are under the same sentence. You know, one of the ways to help you have humility. Is this? That when you see the queer walking by doing this little prissy thing. When you see the gossiping woman. When you see the adulterous affair.

When you see the drunkard or the addict? Remember that the level of condemnation upon them is the same that is upon you. That we are all unrighteous standing before god that our filthy our words were as filthy menstrual rags before god.

That there is nothing greater in me. That is greater than you. The street walking whore on that street right here this morning. Has the same value in the eyes of god as I do as a pastor. There is no one who is like this.

You see we're all under the same punishment of condemnation. We have all been declared guilty from birth and we are all in need of a savior. I love this man's words. You say how do you know how humble he was not because he just recognized the same condemnation?

But here is words just a few verses later. He looks to jesus. Not to the jewish religion not to the civil government. And some of y 'all remember that this november. Not to the civil government to the people to his friends or his family.

It says he turned towards jesus and said. Some of you people trying to struggle with if you're a christian not listen to this word lord. I want you to understand in context kurios that greek word for lord.

Understand in context. This is what he's saying. Hey you meat bag. That has been ripped had the flesh ripped from your body who is sitting there bleeding out in front of me hanging on the cross and dying.

I Accept you as my lord. The faith that that took you see because it wasn't seen anymore with the human eyes. But the regenerated spiritual eyes that the holy spirit had just given him with that. With those regenerated eyes he saw past what was going on the reality of the world and saw the things.

Which are spiritual? Ladies and gentlemen. We in the church far too often look at spiritual problems with worldly eyes. We too often do not go to our knees to christ in prayer. We too often rely on our intellect rather than the holy spirit of god, which is dwelling within us.

You see with that holy spirit that gave him the power to look at a bloody dying jesus. And call him superior lord over everybody else. Where are you today in your spiritual life? Do you really feel that coming into this silly building makes you a christian?

I tell you today that's not true. For you to believe in god. It's not enough for you to have morals. It's not enough. You are under still the condemnation of sin. I hope to look at jesus christ to turn Away from everything and everybody else to turn your eyes of your heart your mind your body and your soul.

From the cares of this world and to turn it to the person of jesus christ and say lord. Forever shall call upon the name of the lord shall be saved. I praise god in simplicity. I say praise god at the simplicity of my salvation.

You see it takes a level of humility, but watch this. Here's what else I also takes. You know what fuels me sometimes. I I know y 'all sitting here looking at me today. Shaving and wearing this suit. Sporting it quite nicely.

I do say so myself. And give my jc pennies look. At guys. It don't mean nothing. But you know what? It means to me why i'm doing this. I wasn't just kidding. I'm celebrating. You see it's march 3rd today.

That means i've made it through another five months. Of struggling with that depression and anxiety. And let me say this. It's hey, it's because of god and i'm not kidding when I say this it's because of you people.

You people the reason I get up. It is. It's not for my kids and grandkids. It's because of you people on the call, but I want to say this. Where the where's the hannah? Where's the hannah? There it is.

They did this pod. Podcast, you know what it's called? We just talked about depression and anxiety. Her and Amy Lowell and Dalty. And I want you to get your phone out and take that little podcast episode and Share it on your facebook page.

Because I have already been inundated with. I just got a text message this morning from georgia. From a young lady down there who knows me got my number from someone else and said oh my god I had never heard The truth about god's word about anxiety and depression.

Listen to me if you struggle with that you're not alone. You're not a woman man. You don't have to struggle in silence. I struggle with big time with that. I dread time change ask carrie. Ask carrie ask my wife ask the people that are closest to me.

I hate it. I started man having bad dreams, you know, I hate it. But every time I remember this Spring spring spring is coming. Lord remember me when you get to your kingdom. You know what fuels me. You know, I ain't win yet takes humility I tell you but the fuel that keeps that humility going the fuel that keeps you facing the adversity.

What keeps you going is hope and knowing that this is the dream. And heaven is the reality that we will wake up one day as a child of god in the arms of jesus christ. And so shall we ever be with him and each other just one more day.

I can do one more day. Give me one more round world. I can do one more round. Oh, i'm beating up. I'm bloody and i'm tired, but man you ring that bell because I promise you this i'm gonna come out swimming.

And even if I stumble and fall and go down, I promise you i'm gonna get back up for that bell ring. Because I know in the name of jesus christ our lord. That's how you win trials. Now let's go to the second day.

Why Trials Strengthen Us and Expose Excuses

How what is the reason for trials if he's such a loving god? Hold on for you Burton. Stop wearing hippies. Let me help you out. If he's such a loving god, why do bad things happen to good people? First of all, I want you to please note the epic sarcasm in my voice.

And i'll tell you why because i'm really sick of hearing that. Okay. Here's why. Show me an innocent person one. Show me look there's uh, silence down there. How old is it? Oh, there he is. Let's stand up pastor.

Look, does everyone do the collective? Oh. Is he innocent if he is. You ain't never had a kid. 20 year olds you best keep it in check because the nights are long when they're that age. That is the most self-centered Selfish thing that god ever put on the face of the earth.

Amen for trial. What is the struggle for? Well guys, I'll tell you what it's for. It's to get stronger and stronger. When pastor josiah was training for one of his fights I used to make him I made a harness and I made him pull me on my motorcycle uphills.

300 pounds plus about 800 900 pounds. He would be running and sprinting and when he was about to stumble and fall, you know what I would do when he was at his. Point of exhaustion, you know what I did.

I'd hit the brakes. I'd make it harder. And harder and said we didn't do it good enough boy. Christian, oh, you're never going to be in sunshine because you're being bottle-fed constantly. Oh, I don't like correction pastor.

Well, then enjoy the first grade for the rest of your life. And also you might want to question your salvation for the word. God says god chastens those only I can't go back up. God will remove a flip-flop and start sweating.

You know why. Because he loves you. And he wants you to grow in your maturity. Why do we have trials? Well, let me tell you sometimes our trials Are by choice. Look at verse 41 in chapter 23. It says.

And we indeed justly for we are receiving our due Reward for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong. In the comparison of the two thieves the one who was repentant said this. This is the effect of the causality of our poor choices.

Are you an addict this morning? Are you we're about to have a meeting here in a second. Are you struggling with addiction? Is it because your daddy was mean to you. Was it because your mama abused you?

Well, let me cry for you one more time. Grow out past those excuses. Man up take Responsibility drunk for putting that bottle to your mouth and take the responsibility of using cans. Springs and broom handles and every other thing you can put all in to smoke your weed or your crack.

And you're not responsible for you in church. And so i'm struggling being here being a part of you. Take a baby aspirin reach down your back and feel those knots and realizes it's a spine. Start facing the adversity.

Start growing up in maturity. A guy hanging on a cross. The penalty who was just he was there. Take or even this for evidence of evidence now for you cops that are in here and you people that grew up like me.

You know what happened? Great time sitting there going. Right. Well, that's not right pastor. That's not right. You're right, you know. The other 432 000 times that I wasn't caught just because something happened that one time don't mean I wasn't guilty every other time.

You know what i'm saying? Deserve to be here some of your victimhood for the rest of your life. Stand up right now chair stand up, please. I hate hearing. About the whole reparations thing. I hate it.

San francisco's gonna pay 400 000 to all black folk who live there. I told jeremiah and my son joshua. You and your wives need to move to san francisco. At least for six months cash that check out and come on home.

You just can't make that kind of stupid. You cannot make that kind of stupid. But here's what it is. I'm going to live in a perpetual state of victimhood. So that I have a plausible liability to continue to be a loser.

Grow up man. You got to figure it out. You know why you have really bad. Because of a lack of discipline a lack of self-control and lack of drive. That's why. Sometimes though trials ain't because of you sometimes those trials are because.

Life just stinks. Sometimes trials happen to innocent people. Look here chapter 23 verse 47. Now when the centurion saw what had taken place he praised god saying. Certainly this man was innocent. Why was jesus christ being punished?

He was being punished because of us. But I understand this and understand this quickly. There's a lot of movement. Do I need to shoot somebody? What's wrong? You're good. Everybody good. I'm really gonna shoot anybody.

Jesus was hanging on that cross for me. You see he was the propitiation Of my sin, but not just my sin, but the sin of the whole world. It wasn't fair. It wasn't right guys. Fairness and rightness Are two illogical words when dealing with truth.

Fair is subjective based upon your culture in upbringing. Truth is always evident. Jesus died innocent. And guys, please stop saying. This makes me want to belch every time I hear it. Nails didn't hold jesus.

His love. No his obedience to the will of god. That's what held him there. Because remember this jesus said nobody takes my life. I lay it down and I can pick it up again whenever I want. Understand that jesus christ was sovereign as he was sitting on that cross.

He chose to live those trials and adversity out and face them no matter he was innocent or not. Here's another last will or last understanding of why we have trials. It says if jesus said father forgive them for they know not what they do.

Our text this morning why. Did jesus go through that trial. Little because it was the will of god to buy our Salvation. Guys, sometimes it's your fault. Sometimes your innocence is not your fault. But sometimes it's just the will of god to accomplish his will.

But whatever the trial is It doesn't matter how you handle it remains the same and the last point I have to you is how do we respond? How do we respond to this? Well, the first thing that i'm going to talk about is that humility, but i'm going to get into it.

Fear of the Lord, Deathbed Faith, and Fighting for the Gospel

Just a little bit deeper. It says this chapter 23 verse 40, but the other thief rebuked him saying do you not fear god? Since you are the same sentence of condemnation. The word of god says in proverbs 1 the fear of the lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Now I'm going to do you a favor here this morning. I'm going to become politically incorrect for you. Okay, because i'm sorry I feel like in too many churches We have folks that are not examining Themselves because they don't understand the peril that's coming at judgment day.

Do you realize? They die in some ethereal plane. Not in some nightmarish thing that you can wake up from but a reality greater than what you're experiencing. Right now with the same lungs expanded to fill the void with oxygen that reality times two Is going to face some of you in this room this morning.

You are going to stand one day before god. And you will be judged according to your actions rather than The atoning blood of jesus christ and you will face a hell and a damnation. For which there is no recess.

There is no time off for good behavior. There is no manipulation. To weave your way out of it's a damnation of eternal torment that will last. And some of you are playing a game with god. You're saying to yourself Well, i'll wait till I get older so that I can enjoy my youth.

I won't really apply the truth of god's word to my children because i'll. Now i'll deal with it when they get older and you're the one going down the street into popular saying I brought him up in church.

You ignored the word you ignored the warnings of god's way to christians and other jesus saying woe unto you. Repent for the kingdom of god is at hand ladies and gentlemen. You know the first thing you do when you hand your trials.

Is you recognize the reality of the fear of the word god? Well, brother i'm saved. I am too but i'll tell you. There is still if you're truly saved. The respect and the awe of god's holiness is greater than when you were even.

Yes, you're no longer in the fear of hell. But you recognize more your own sinful self. You recognize still even after redemption. How in need of jesus you are and that holiness and that call of god is even stronger on your life.

When you fail to tell what was I doing? You see? How do you face adversity as you recognize this that god? Does put on you more than you can handle so that you will crumble and cry out to him. So that you will know what it is to rely on something other than your own intellect or your own resources.

You handle adversity through the fear of god's word, but then secondly you handle it by faith. Chapter 23 verse 42 tells us. Tells us this and he said jesus. Remember me when you come into my kingdom.

I want you to understand something. And this is a deathbed confession i'm almost done adb people hold on. This is a deathbed confession and i'll be honest with you over the years I've tried to give solace to many people whose loved ones had rejected christ.

And the household of faith their whole lives and it somehow died and I say well you don't know. What they did on that deathbed and you don't. You don't know you have no idea. Well, can people really be safe on a deathbed?

We just read one and jesus said to him without need for membership in the church. Without the understanding of biblical doctrine without tithing or anything else today. You will be with me in paradise.

I think it's recorded once for the hope. But it ain't recorded more than once for the morning. For it may have happened but I promise you is the exception rather than the rule. And if you're a fool enough to think that you can gamble your soul.

To the pleasures of the world and the acceptance of your friends and this culture and still walk with god. You are a fool and you are a liar to yourself to the utter damnation of your soul. Last thing you can do have got to fight.

You gotta fight. And I mean fight. Like you're the third monkey on the ramp going to the arts maybe it's beginning to rain. You know what i'm saying? You got to learn how to fight. What do you mean by that pastor?

What do you mean learn how to fight? I mean this. It's funny. I'm 55 years old. I don't move like I do anymore. And I go over to the gym on tuesday nights 20 boys all in their 20s learning how to fight.

And i'll spar them, you know, and i'll throw a couple jabs and maybe a front kick. That's about it. You know what I did after that? I tried to run and just let it pound. I'll give them different looks.

I'll drop my right hand to see if they look bad. I just let it pound some of them. I did pretty good. Didn't I coach? Yeah, you did great you a bad tough day. They have no idea that I would snatch their soul right out of their freaking chest.

Beat them like a bloody ball. They flex a little bit but that's okay, you know why? Because i'm trying to teach them how to fight. But there's a difference between the rain and the street. I promise you there is.

There's a difference. Christians, one of the reasons our churches are so weak and your marriages are so weak is because you've never been taught how to really fight. Pastor I've struggled. No, no, no.

I ain't talking about fighting out there. The biggest enemy you got is right here. Oh, yeah, if you go back a chapter men i'm gonna hook you up just for a second. If you go back to Luke chapter 22 Just real quick.

I'm gonna read it to you. Luke men write this verse down. Especially the christmas time. Okay, write this verse down. Luke chapter 22 verse 35 and 36 men Jesus said to them when I sent you out with no money bag or knapsacks or sandals.

Did you like anything they said? Well, no, we sent us out the first time we were going to go first 36. But now i'm sending you out for the last time. Take whoever has a money bag take it and also a knapsack.

And let anyone who has no sword go and sell your clothes and buy one. So ladies. When he comes home and says i'm following on sale at buck and bass. And read with me. Read with me chapter 24 starting in verse 44 jesus.

These are some of his last words to his disciples. Then he said to them. These are my words that I spoke to you While I was still with you. That everything written about me in the law of moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled.

Because you know what the old testament is about jesus and jesus just said everything in the old testament had to do with me. Verse 45 then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures. You want to fight?

Get outside your brain get outside of your judgment right and wrong and get into them scriptures. And then he said to them. Thus it is written that the christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead.

And that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed better preached. In his name to all nations. Remember don't say all races don't let the idiots divide you all nations beginning from jerusalem's and you are My witnesses of these things ladies and gentlemen.

That fight you've got to have right now Is to recognize that stupid paycheck you're trying to collect on that business you're trying to build. That relationship that you're trying to fleet after young ladies that codependency.

That's calling you to find that significant other. All that garbage is fleeting in a garbage disposal. The only thing that's going to matter is if you fulfill the commission of jesus christ on your life.

And you fight to proclaim the gospel of jesus christ. And i'm here to tell you whitney the day is coming where it's going to cost you more than a little embarrassment. It's going to cost you your life.

And if you ain't faithful in the little things when those days come. You're gonna fall like a cheap walmart lawn chair and sell your soul and your famous soul down the river. Hear the words of christ.

Jesus christ was preached to be dead crucified crucified dead and buried. But on the third day raised again and your orders are this go and proclaim that to all Nations starting right where you're at.

Let me ask you a question this morning. Are you ready? Are you ready to learn how to fight? Some of you people have not been to the altar. Since you were converted as a christian may I ask you why? Some of you have not confessed your sins To one another.

And the same sin you're struggling with now is the same sin you were struggling with three years ago. May I suggest to you that you need to change your strategy for struggle? Some of you Church hop. Some of you don't want that accountability.

Because you don't need nobody up in your business. Well continue to be a freaking loser. Continue to be a loser. Watch your children falter and stumble because of your failures. Let that anxiety of a double-minded man or woman in a hypocritical life keep eating your soul away or Win the fight.

Don't wait till you feel something. Don't wait for next week. Don't wait till that shake is gone in your purse and after that you'll get right. Right here. Right now. Make a choice. Are you going to win?

I'm going to ask you to stand with me and the pastors and counselors come down. If god has spoken to you today be obedient and change your life you come this morning. It's godly.