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Need a little liquid courage for this one. Nice white claw spritzer. That's good. Hello there. This is AD Robles and you're listening to AD on the Fight Laugh Feast Network. All right. All right. Well today I wanted to talk about I promise this won't be winsome AD on the FLF network will not be winsome.
AD on the YouTube channel is having winsome November. Where I take all of the same opinions that I have and teach the same content. But I do it in as winsome of a way as possible. It's kind of the Counterpoint to Doug Wilson's no quarter November.
There's lots of quarter in winsome November. So come on to the AD Robles YouTube channel. If you want some winsome content and still hear the truth that that you like. Anyway, I want to talk today about courage and being a coward.
Courage and being a coward, you know, I had a couple of Things on Twitter that I saw and and they're kind of related but not really so I put on I put out some, you know motivational type biblical content last week and My co-host on well, not my co-host, but rather my fellow Fight Laugh Feast Network member Matt Williams.
He does the how to build a tent show very popular show very good show. If you don't watch it, you should or listen to it. You should definitely listen to it. Anyway, he posted something about how if he's honest with himself inside of him there is a coward and that really resonated with me man a it really did because I think that there's a There is a coward inside of me that I don't like.
I don't want to be like. But but he's there and I'm fighting against it. But if I'm honest with myself, I agree there's a coward inside of me and I think it was a couple days later or maybe the same day There was a a guy on Twitter who really doesn't like me and he he he you know.
He he gave me the normal insults and that kind of stuff doesn't really bother me ever, you know. People call me stupid people think I'm irrelevant people think nobody listens to me like that stuff. I don't really care about that stuff.
But one thing that he said to me that actually did get to me a little bit because there's truth to it. Is he said to me he said it's so obvious that you're trying way too hard To be this courageous brave guy, it's so it's so transparent ad and you know on the one I don't let that get to me too much, but there's a nugget of truth there that that actually did affect me.
So Congratulations, not too many people on the internet can affect me but that actually did because he's right. He's right I am trying hard to not be a coward now I wouldn't say I'm trying too hard, but I am trying to not be a coward because there is a coward inside of me.
There's no question about it, and I don't want to be that way. I don't want to be that way. I remember there's a very specific Series of memories in my mind when I was in high school and there was a kid that was being bullied a lot.
And I still see in my mind the images of this kid being bullied. I like this kid, right? He was weird. No question about he was a weirdo. But I liked him we got along fine. I got along with most people in in in high school.
I got along with the jocks. I got along with the nerds. I got along with You know all ethnicities like I got along with a lot of people most people in high school. And I I remember this kid being bullied.
I did nothing about it. Nothing. I didn't encourage it I didn't participate in it, but I didn't protect him and I always felt like such a coward because I knew what I was supposed to do. Right and at the end of the day like biblically God says that you're supposed to Take the cause of the oppressed take up the cause of those who can't take up that cause themselves, but I did nothing.
My brother wasn't like this by the way my brother was always a lot more courageous than I was. I remember a very specific Moment in the lunch table where my brother stood up for all his friends against all of the the bullies essentially.
And he challenged any of one of them to a fight and every one of them kept their mouths shut. They didn't want to fight my brother, and I remember wishing that I was like that, but I wasn't like that I was a coward.
I really was. Yeah, interesting side note to this story the kid that I'm talking about that was being bullied. He grew up to be a Marine, and he's a cool dude now like this is no question about it anyway.
What is going on with that like when you're a coward? What is cowardliness? Why is it so? Offensive right like why is it so disgusting? Because when you're a coward what you're doing is you're fearing something right like you you are a coward you're not being courageous because you have fear and in this particular instance you can easily see that I was afraid of Getting beat up and getting her or maybe they would stop picking on this guy and start picking on me like I was afraid of all those things and Here's the rub ready.
I was afraid of those things way more than I was afraid of God. Which sounds so stupid right? Like God says that I was supposed to help this guy defend him be on his side and I feared these bullies these idiots, and they weren't even like jacked or anything like they were just jerks.
I feared them more than I feared God you see I think sometimes we struggle. This is a Commandment from Ecclesiastes if you want to know what life is all about. It mean there's one verse. I mean there's a lot of verses you could memorize, but just memorize Ecclesiastes.
Ecclesiastes 12 13 ready, this is the wisest person on the face of the earth saying this ready. Here's what he says. He says let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. King Solomon said this let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter.
Fear God and keep his commandments for this is man's all this is the whole duty of mankind. That's our man rather. That's what King that the King James says it's the whole duty of man is to fear God and keep his commandments.
And we sometimes wonder about that right like are we supposed to fear God? Like think about think about the sermons that you've heard and. And and and the songs that you've sung and the different teaching that you've heard.
I'm sure you've heard some good stuff about fearing God, but it almost like doesn't compute right like do we have to fear God? I thought perfect love drove out fear like why would I fear God? He's my friend.
He died for my sins, but but really when I became a father I understood this you know and maybe maybe you agree with me, but but fearing God Means that you respect his words his authority his you know Rebukes and his teaching more than anybody else's.
So since I become a father like I want my kids to to fear Me as their father they want them to respect my words. And it's not like it's not like when they see me. They're in abject terror, and they're like running away wondering if I'm gonna fly off the handle and hurt them.
No, that's not what the kind of fear that I'm trying to instill in them, but rather. It's a respect right so when when we're in the parking lot, and I say you know AJ stand right here. And don't move there's no running in the parking lot.
I want him to fear my words enough that he actually does that because there's danger in the parking lot. He needs to listen to me, so he needs to fear what might happen if he does run in the parking lot.
He needs to respect my word enough to say I'm going to listen because you're my dad and You know eventually he's gonna learn. It's not just because I'm his dad and just arbitrary commands that I'm giving him no.
It's because the things that I'm telling him are for his good. It's that kind of fear that we should fear God not that we should be an abject terror of him. You know and running the other way when we see him we should love our father in heaven.
But we should also fear his word. We should respect his word and obey it because it's for our good and. It's like like I was worried about what these kids would do to me if I defended you know this guy.
But really what I should have been worried about was what what will God do if I don't listen to him right like that's what? I should have been worried about that's why I should fear God. I mean God has the authority to cast my body into hell, and I'm just saying yeah I know you say that I should defend this guy God.
But these guys are gonna beat me up, and that's like the foundation of cowardliness is Fearing something more than what you fear God it's putting something in place of God because the whole duty of mankind is to fear God and keep his commandments and Sometimes when we're cowards.
I mean this is happens when we're cowards. We're fearing something else and Keeping its commandments as opposed to God and keeping his commandments see that's the point cowardliness is a primary version a primary aspect of idolatry.
You see does that make sense so when you're being a coward when you are shirking your responsibility when when you are Hiding the truth of God or not being clear about the truth of God where you should be where you know it is clear.
And you're not teaching it in a clear way. You're saying that there's a debate when you know that there isn't really a debate about what God says. When you're being a coward in that way what's happening is you're fearing something else?
More than you then fear than the way you fear God and that is idolatry. That is a primary sin. You see what I'm saying so that that's what this episode is about when you're being a coward you're actually committing idolatry you're actually bowing down to an idol a worthless idol and fearing what that idol will do to you as Opposed to what God will do to you, and that's a real problem.
That's a real problem. Now you know if you if you travel in the circles that I travel you might mistakenly think that that Potentially going too far or being too zealous or being too straightforward or being too direct that might be Something that keeps you from the kingdom of God right like like like it's almost like Too much zeal is actually one of the great sins, but that's actually not.
What the Bible says too much zeal for God is actually not a bad thing. You know what I mean? I mean Jesus Christ is our example of of godly zeal right and got and and he was so zealous. For his father's house and and and the temple that that he drove people out violently from this temple like zeal.
Is a good thing when it's placed in the right place. You know when it's zeal for God, and you fear God, and you want to you're zealous to keep his commandments. That's a good thing don't let anyone tell you that's a bad thing right?
But in our kind of mamby-pamby sort of sensitive. You know a soul of feels type of evangelicalism. No, you know if you ever heard this if you say the right thing, but you don't say it in the right way.
You're wrong. That's not correct that that's no that's actually not true. That's not true. So the Bible doesn't say that that that the zealous won't inherit the kingdom of God, but you know what it does say.
Here's Revelation chapter 21 verse 8 King James Version Says the fearful and unbelieving the abominable the murderers the whoremongers the sorcerers the idolaters and all liars Shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.
You know what that word the fearful the fearful will go to hell and burn in the lake of fire the fearful another way to say that is the cowardly and This is why by the way, it's not like an understandable coward that he's just he's just you know.
He's just kind of innocent. He's just experiencing cowardliness. He's experiencing fear. It's that's actually not what it is. It's because that that that cowardliness is Idolatry. The fearful when you fear something more than God and that's your that's part of your identity.
You're fearing whatever it is more than God the Bible actually says that cowardly people Do not inherit the kingdom of God. In fact, their portion is the lake of fire so I know that evangelicalism would have you think that being too zealous or too direct or too straightforward or too Unnuanced in other words, that's the thing that puts you in the lake of fire, but actually that's not true.
It's it's the cowardly. It's the faithless. It's the detestable. It's the sexually immoral. It's the sorcerers the idolaters liars. Those are the ones that their portion is the lake of fire. It's cowardly not the zealous.
It's the cowardly not the zealous. It's the people that obfuscate things that they know are straightforward instead of being straightforward about it. That's who it is. You know our one of our favorite Psalms, you know Psalm 23 Talks about you know being in the shadow of death, right?
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. I will fear no evil. Why? Because you are with me talking about God. And so when we experience this fear this this this this this this this cowardliness.
What are we really saying? Like yeah, I know you're with me God. But yeah, I'm still scared of being beat up by these guys, right and that's a real problem. That's a real problem. That's idolatry. Do you see what I'm saying?
That's idolatry and I think I have a finger on the pulse of the idolatry that most teachers authors professors some pastors even. The kind of idolatry what they actually fear instead of God. What they actually fear?
Instead of God man, I I've heard so many stories now now that I've been online and I've kind of been in the mix a little bit with some Of these the movers and shakers and evangelicalism now that I've done that I've kind of got my finger on the pulse of what what drives people, you know, I knew a guy who Was taking a job at a Southern Baptist seminary and he's a good guy, you know good guy.
Straight laced kind of guy but one thing he did enjoy every now and then was a cigar, right? He enjoyed smoking cigar a little wannabe Spurgeon, you know, you know the type right cigars are cool. I got nothing against cigars, right except that I have asthma and I can't really smoke them.
But anyway, I also every now and then would you know, maybe have a Have a cocktail something like that every now and then not a drunkard nothing like that didn't flaunt it. Wasn't one of these guys that was you know, posting pictures of his beers all the time, you know.
He wasn't drinking white cost spritzers, you know to me like that kind of thing. But he took this job and and The the president of the seminary told him like hey, you know I know you sometimes post pictures of you smoking cigars, but you're gonna have to stop that if you're gonna work here and.
The guy was like, well, he wanted the job. So he's like, yeah sure. No problem. I could do that. That's not cowardly. I mean you want a job you got to play by the employers rule sometimes read something cowardly about that.
But the president of the seminary was being cowardly you know what I mean and and the reason I know this is because his argument for why he should do that is because He would lose donors, right. He wouldn't be able to put in the new pool or whatever the put in the new wing the new wing of his seminary get The new building funds because because people would be offended.
They think it's a sin to smoke cigars. They think it's a sin to to have a cocktail every now and then right and and he knew the seminary president knew that that Wasn't a sin, but he needed to get he needed to maintain his funding right?
What was he worshipping there? What was he putting in the place of God? What was he fearing because he wasn't fearing God's Word there because God's words very clear. In fact that you know, one of our sacraments is actually alcohol, you know what I mean?
So it's kind of a weird thing. But but but but he was what was he fearing there, right? You could say it was money. Yeah, it was kind of money. Sure. You could also argue maybe it was success because he wanted to have a successful seminary.
He was in charge of sort of revitalizing this seminary and all that kind of stuff. Yeah, it's probably that I know a Guy and I really think this is the this is the primary thing guys. And I think that this is what I suffer from this is what this is what I will often put in the place of God.
So this is some confession here, right? This is some confession here and I got these words I'm gonna use a phrase that I got from a from a semi Problematic source. I've been listening to a comedian named Owen Benjamin a lot.
He's got some problems. He called himself a Christian and I actually the way he understands Christianity is very accurate. I don't know the guy but but he seems like it could be legit. He curses though.
So don't watch his thing with kids around and he's got some problems. No question about it with his theology and other things, right? But what he says is that It's because you want the fancy pants, right?
You want the fancy pants and what he means by that is you want comfort you want to wear nice clothes? You want to have a nice house? You want to have a nice car? Essentially you want to have a comfortable life.
And so you don't want to risk Doing something that'll make your job your your your your ability to get money to provide for your family more difficult. You don't want to risk the fancy pants, right? That's your big concern.
That's what you fear more than you fear. God you risk you you fear I should say not being able to afford the fancy pants. And that's pathetic. That's super pathetic and I don't want you to hear me accusing you of this but I gotta tell you this is something that I certainly suffer from because oftentimes I'll be Worried I'll sit here and I'll upload a video on my youtube channel, right and I'll be like man.
This is gonna be the one. Maybe I shouldn't have said that maybe I'll maybe I'll edit it and and what's the reason it was because well What if what if one of my clients finds this right? What if I need what if I what if I what if my business fails and I need to go find a job and then they google me and then they find my youtube channel and then I can't get a job.
What am I gonna do? And really what do I trust God to provide for me? Yeah, sure. But I want a certain level of comfort right? I want a car in the driveway, you know a nice car. I want to be able to have nice clothes and there's nothing wrong with money provide for your family, right?
There's nothing wrong with that but God says that he will provide for you, right and I worry that maybe it won't be up to my standards. I want the fancy pants, right? I don't wear nice clothes. So for me fancy pants is other things fancy pants is is other things but How do you guys out there?
I know it. I know this is true guys because I've talked to a lot of you. You want the fancy pants and so you don't want to say things that might rock the boat. I know of another guy. You know the member the founders ministry thing.
They're saying straightforwardly good things, right and everyone wants to distance themselves even people that were interviewed for it right like people that will that were interviewed for it that have Epic things to say right and listen, I want you to listen to me guys.
Especially you pastors and leaders and professors and authors and conference speakers guys. Stop worrying about the fancy pants. Because God's Word is straightforward guys, it's straightforward and a lot of you guys I know you got interviewed for that thing, right?
You got interviewed for that thing and you've got epic things to say you've got all the right beliefs. You know that it is unacceptable for Beth Moore to preach in a church and it's not an innocent little mistake.
It's damaging to the church. It hurts God's church. In fact, it brings Disrepute on God's church. That's what Paul says by the way. I mean, it's disordered. Everybody knows it and people will look on you and laugh at you because you're so disordered that you're having a woman preach at Your church right a woman preach at your church against the way God created things.
You're bringing you're bringing disrepute to Christ. You're saying that and then you got you saw the backlash of the founders trailer and you're like, oh guys I don't want to be part of it anymore. I know there are guys out there like this.
And it's not just the founders ministry. It's other things too. What I I saw you saw the the machine come down on these guys and I know a lot of you guys got threatened I know because people have told me about it.
They said to me. Hey Adam, you know, they told me I would never get another book deal again If I participated in this if I said it this way if I if I if I speak too much if I rock the boat too Much, I'll never get promoted again.
I'll never get hired again in the Southern Baptist seminary you know what that is you're putting the fear of. Not having that comfortable life not having the fancy pants in place of the fear of God because we're God is clear you need to be clear and Don't fear and don't fear because why because God is with you.
God is with you. What can man do to me? Yeah, you might not have the fancy pants. That's true. You might not be able to afford the fancy pants. But what would you rather do who do you fear. Do you fear God?
What do you fear? People really. Because the people that are gonna talk bad at you are they gonna even are they even gonna do it? That's the other thing. This is all made up to is no one's gonna look down on you.
Cuz you don't have the fancy pants. You don't have the nice car in the garage. You don't have the big house. You didn't get another book deal. Oh, well, what do you fear? And I'd be careful guys because Christ can forgive this in of cowardliness.
But if cowardliness defines your existence in the church and your existence in the seminaries and your existence in the conference speaking. You know that you should be saying things a certain way, but you but you want the fancy pants.
So you don't. The Bible has a word for you in Revelation 21. Let me read it again. Let me read it again. This should stop all of us and me first in our traps. The cowardly unbelieving abominable murder or sexually moral for immoral Sorcerers idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire in brimstone, which is the second death.
Anyway, I hope this is helpful. God bless. Don't forget to tune in next week on Thursday for ad on the fight laugh feast network.
