Four Core Beliefs of Undaunted People

How do you keep going through all of life's challenges and remain undaunted? That's the name of a brand new series that we start this weekend. Good morning everybody. My name is René. Great to have you with us on this live stream undaunted. The dictionary tells us that means not intimidated or discouraged by difficulty, danger or disappointment. You know what? I love stories of people who are like this. I kind of collect them. I love to read novels and books about people who are like this.

For example, Abraham Lincoln. He overcame so much in his life, overcame some pretty bad political defeats, his own chronic depression, a nation that was even more divided than our nation is right now. And yet he was undaunted through all of those difficulties and discouragements. And he went on to become by any reckoning, the greatest US president ever. Or how about this one? Booker T. Washington. Born into slavery, abject poverty, zero influence, zero money, zero connections. And yet he founded Tuskegee University, which by the time he died had over a hundred buildings, an endowment worth millions and more students than any college or university, public or private, in the entire state.

Or how about a contemporary example? Bethany Hamilton. At 13 years of age, she had her arm bitten off by a shark while surfing. And yet she remained undaunted and went on to become a champion surfer and the leader of an amazing Christian ministry. I mean, I could tell you so many stories, but what makes people like this tick? I want to know. One of my favorite authors is Irving Stone, and he has written all kinds of great nonfiction books about people like Van Gogh and Michelangelo, The American Pioneers and many, many more.

And really he says his life's work was to study greatness. And what makes people great? And so a reporter once asked him, is there a thread that runs through all of these lives of great people? And here's his answer. Yes, watch this now. They are beaten over the head, knocked down, vilified, and for years they get nowhere. But every time they're knocked down, they stand up. And at the end of their lives, they've accomplished some modest part of what they've set out to do.

I read that definition and I couldn't help but think of the Apostle Paul, who in my opinion would be the world's greatest example ever of that definition of greatness. Let me read you just some of his own life story in his own words from the book of 2 Corinthians in the Bible. He said, "I have been put in prison, whipped times without number." In other words, great injustice. Faced death again and again. He says, "Three times I was beaten with rods once I was stoned," and that is not Santa Cruz-style stoned people, that is rocks being thrown at you. "Three times I was shipwrecked once I spent a whole night and day adrift at sea. I have faced danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger in the city, danger in the deserts, danger on the seas, danger from men who claim to be believers, but are not. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold without enough clothing to keep me warm." And he doesn't even mention his painful eye disease. He doesn't even mention the fact that his reputation was slandered all over the world and yet he just keeps going, being undaunted.

And the book of the Bible where we learned how he did it is the book of 2 Corinthians and do we need that right now? I mean the headlines this year, everybody's talking about it, you got the virus and now the fires and the economy and civil unrest, uncertainty about the future. If all of these headlines that we're sifting through every single day are making you feel kind of disoriented and in need of hope, then this book of the Bible is for you. Check this out. The word "confident" appears in the book of 2 Corinthians more than any other book of the Bible ten times. And yet you could say that suffering is really in many ways the theme of this book.

Eight chapters of 2 Corinthians, about half of the book, are descriptions of Paul's difficulties and it's this juxtaposition of this sense of confidence in the face of danger with all this description of difficulty that really characterizes this very unique book in the Bible. Like for example, our key verse for this whole series really captures the spirit of this book. 2 Corinthians 4:8–9. Paul says, "We are hard-pressed on every side." Now let me press pause there for a second. The original Greek language word that's used for hard-pressed there literally means pressure. Like when you're snorkeling or scuba diving or swimming under water, you feel the pressure of the water all around you.

The original Greek word is the same root word from which we get our English word catastrophe. Like let's see, pandemics, lightning, hurricanes, fire, flood. The point is even good Christians are not immune from all these things. Paul's saying, "Hey, I'm an apostle. I was called by God. I'm on a mission from God and yet I'm not immune from all these difficulties." And yet he says, "I am not crushed." Not in despair. Not feeling abandoned. Not destroyed. See that juxtaposition between he's totally transparent about his suffering and his difficulties and yet he is also feeling totally confident in the -- he's not even through them yet. He's feeling confident in the midst of them.

Why is he not crushed? Not despair? Not abandoned? Not destroyed? Why not? That's what we want to explore in this eight-week series. Today what I want to do is give you kind of an overview, kind of a peek into Paul's mind and what kept him going. An overview of four of the major themes of this book of the Bible. Then starting next weekend we're going to begin our closer look at how these themes unfold through the book. I think you're going to really love this and benefit from it but let me just challenge you with something to get the full hope-giving effect of this study.

I want to challenge you to go to TLC.org/smallgroups right now and pick a small group to sign up for. We're doing some small groups a little bit differently this year. They're mostly short Zoom meetings of only 40 minutes or so, once a week. Won't take you a lot of time but the benefit of the study will be vastly multiplied to you if you get into one of these Zoom small groups and some of the small groups are actually meeting in person, outdoors, COVID compliant and so on. I want to suggest just go online and try this as an experiment. If it doesn't work for you after a week or two you don't even have to continue. But more than ever right now we need to be bonding together in unity doing this study together with others.

So a little background about the book of 2 Corinthians as we begin. To Paul the Corinthian Christians were kind of like his rebellious teenage kids. They gave him so much trouble and it all starts in about 51 A.D. Paul's first visit to the ancient city of Corinth where he plants the church. Now after he leaves he hears about a moral problem and so he writes them his first letter which is now lost to us, maybe someday some archeologist will find it and he basically says hey guys you got to shape up. Well the Corinthians resent him for this letter and so he writes his second letter. This one is in our Bibles as 1 Corinthians and its theme is unity. He keeps saying hey listen let's unite in love with one another. Let's get past this division. Yet somehow that letter only succeeds in ticking them off even further.

So Paul makes his second in-person visit which again seems to make things worse and so he writes a third letter which we also don't have in our Bibles and their response is basically you're not the boss of me. Who gave you authority to tell us how to live? And so finally Paul sends Titus who was serving as his assistant. You know how it is when you sort of tag team parent. Have you parents ever done this where you say to your spouse I have had it with that kid you go talk to them? Well that's kind of what happens here with Paul and Titus and Titus comes back and he says hey I think things are starting to turn around. I think these Corinthians are starting to mature and then Paul writes his fourth letter and that's what we have in our Bibles as the book of 2 Corinthians.

Now why would I tell you all of this background? Well because all this background is why this letter is so personal and so emotional. What we have in this letter is kind of like if you ever had a kid who was kind of rebellious or sullen or surly or resentful for a little bit and finally you get to the point where you say listen let's just sit down and have a heart to heart. Let me tell you some stories about me. Times I really messed up. Times I was so discouraged I didn't know if I would make it to the end of the day but I made it and I think you're going to make it too. And I'm so glad that this letter is in the Bible because you see more of Paul's inner thought process here than you do in any of his other letters.

What you see is what I call four core beliefs of undaunted people. These are four themes all throughout this letter. Really what we're seeing in 2 Corinthians is what made Paul tick. And you know I want to say this maybe you're not a Christian and you're checking out the live stream today out of curiosity. Let me just suggest that these themes are worth studying because they worked, right? They worked for Paul. He went through all the stuff that we just reviewed and they worked for millions after him who were inspired by these thoughts. So if you're thinking how can I make it to the end of 2020 these are really worth checking out. You can download the notes at TLC.org/notes. Let's get into it right now.

Number one, no matter how bleak things get, I know that God wins. No matter what, this is a core belief of undaunted people. Martin Luther King Jr. How did he stay undaunted through all of the hatred and opposition that was thrown his way? Well he gives us a little peek into his spirit in his Nobel Prize acceptance speech. That's a photograph of it right there. And here's part of what he said. Listen to this. I refuse to accept despair as the final response to the ambiguities of history. I believe that unconditional love will have the final word in reality. And this is why he says right temporarily defeated is stronger than evil triumphant. He said, I still believe that one day mankind will bow before the altar of God and the lion and the lamb shall lie down together. Every man shall sit under his own vine tree and none shall be afraid. I believe that we shall overcome.

He says this faith can give us the courage to face the uncertainties of the future. Do you see what I'm getting at? This is how undaunted people think. Are you getting that? And this is how the Apostle Paul thought. He says this. The God who raises the dead can rescue us. He said he did rescue us and he'll do it again. We've placed our hope in him that he'll do it again. Now I want you to look at his thought process here. He says God who raises the dead. For Paul, it all comes back to this historical event. He says, remember the crucifixion? It looked really bleak then. In fact, the Bible even says that the light of the sun got very, very dim in midday like some of the days that we've experienced here these past few days. But then God raised Jesus from the dead. And what Paul is getting at is he says that sets the template for how God works.

He takes our crucifixions which are real and hurt. But he is the God who raises the dead. And so he takes our crucifixions and turns them into resurrections. In what way? Well, I mentioned Bethany Hamilton earlier. You know, she was scheduled to speak here at TLC this summer. Did you know that? And then of course COVID hit and all the events had to be canceled. We hope to have her back again someday. But here's just a minute of her story from her website. Watch this. You think you're going to surf again? I think I know. When I was 13 years old, life kind of came to a halt and I lost my arm to a shark surfing out in Hawaii. And that was definitely a huge obstacle I had to overcome. And you know, at the time I did have a relationship with God which was something that really carried me through this obstacle that I had to overcome.

And it's just amazing to look back on it now and just see how good God has been in my life and how he can take what seems like something so awful and turn it into something so beautiful. And today I'm a professional surfer and motivational speaker and I get to share my story with people all over the world and more importantly share Jesus Christ and His love for them. And yeah, it's amazing to see how an obstacle can turn your life upside down but turn into something totally awesome. Did you hear what she said? It's amazing to see how God can take something so awful and turn it into something so beautiful. And Paul is saying that's how God always works even if you don't see it in this lifetime. He eventually will redeem and resurrect you through every one of those hurts.

This is how Paul could say for our light and momentary troubles, they're momentary but they're real and they really hurt. But they're achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. God will win so we fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen. Now don't miss this. For what is seen is temporary. And have we all gotten reminders of that truth in the last couple of weeks with the fires? But what is unseen is eternal. So fix your eyes on what is unseen on Jesus. Stop just doom scrolling through all the latest news headlines on your phone because when you fix your eyes on Jesus Christ then you remember God will triumph.

Okay, second core belief of undaunted people. No matter how much pressure I feel I'm secure in God's grace. Now focus on this for a second. Often what's draining energy from you in times of crisis is this feeling of I'm just spiritually exhausted, right? I've been trying so hard to be good, trying to be a good Christian. And yet it never seems like it's enough. And we start to think one of two things. Either maybe I'm going through all these troubles because God's punishing me and I haven't been good enough. Or we think I have been good enough. I've been so much better than other people for nothing. Look at all the trouble in my life. Why have I been so good if I didn't get a better life?

Listen, this is why one huge key to overcoming despair in tough times is realizing our faith is not transactional. You know? It's not like we buy a good life with our good behavior. Our faith is a hundred percent by God's grace. God's grace, that means we did nothing to deserve it. God just loves me so much that he atoned for me through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. And now I'm securely in his hands and anything good in my life is just from my Father's loving hands. I don't deserve anything. But God has been so gracious to me. Paul was all about this. You see it all through the book of 2 Corinthians, all through all of his epistles. But look at chapter 1 verse 21. He says, "Now it is God." It's not you. It is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ.

Watch this. He anointed us, that's past, he chose us to be saved and in a relationship with him. He set his seal of ownership on us that's present. He has secured us in him. And he put his spirit in our hearts as a deposit guaranteeing what is to come. That's future. My eternal destiny is secure in Jesus Christ. Past, present, future. It's a total package and it can't be lost because I did nothing to earn it in the first place. That brings a relaxed confidence when you're in danger and in crisis. Example. I read that the construction workers building the Golden Gate Bridge, what an amazing construction, but they were going slower and slower because sadly a couple of men fell off the girders to their deaths in the bay far, far below. And then they installed giant safety nets. And you know what happened? Production zoomed because they felt safe.

And you know what else happened? The way I heard it, not one person ever fell into the net by accident. That's the effect of grace, kind of a relaxed confidence and competence. And this is all through 2 Corinthians again I love this verse. For no matter how many promises God has made they are yes in Christ. And so through him the amen is spoken by us to the glory of God. Do you get what Paul is saying here? No matter how many promises God has made. In other words in general the promises of his provision, his presence, his power, all those promises all throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, those are all in essence yes to us in Christ. They are yes and amen. There's a great song written about this called yes and amen. Look at these lyrics. Father of kindness you have poured out grace. You brought me out of darkness. You filled me with peace. Giver of mercy. You're my help in time of need because he's gracious. Lord I can't help but sing faithful you are, faithful forever you will be because all your promises are yes and amen. All your promises are yes and amen.

When I soak in God's grace that brings relaxed, easy, undaunted confidence. Then the third core belief of an undaunted person no matter how things change I know. I have a purpose. You know Chadwick Boseman known for T'Challa in the movie Black Panther and many other roles passed away tragically from colon cancer on August 21st and apparently he'd been suffering, really painfully suffering with this cancer for the last four years and only his closest friends and family knew. What got him through all those amazing roles when he was in such pain? What made him undaunted? Well you know he was a Christian and he talked often about his faith.

For example in 2018 he delivered the commencement address at his alma mater Howard University. It was full of scripture and Christian concepts. Listen to just some of what he said. Graduating class hear me well on this day. This day when you've reached a hilltop and you're deciding on your next job, next steps, careers, further education, you would rather find purpose than a job or a career. As God says in Jeremiah, I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future if you're willing to take the harder way, the one that has ultimately proven to have more meaning, you will not regret it because when God has something for you, it doesn't matter who stands against it.

In other words, knowing that you have purpose given to you from God, that's going to get you up in the morning. That's going to help you stay undaunted. And this was huge for the Apostle Paul. Watch this. He says God reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them. That is huge. That is great news. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors as though God were making his appeal through us. He had this sense of mission and purpose.

So Paul knew no matter where he was, no matter if he was addressing kings, which he did at times, or sitting in a dank prison cell, which he did at times, he could still stay on mission. And guess what? If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you have the same mission. And no matter what happens to you, no matter if right now you're watching this on a comfy couch eating from a charcuterie board, or if you're in a hospital bed, or a jail cell, or in your own home, or a senior living center, or a starter apartment, or living in your car, all throughout life your circumstances are going to change. But your mission never changes. And that makes you undaunted.

Before our final point, every week in this series I plan on interviewing some people from TLC who are living out these truths. And this week I spoke with Eric and Sarah Swanson-Dexel, both on staff at our camp Camp Hammer. Eric is our camp director, and as you probably know, camp largely burned down in the fires that are still raging. And what breaks my heart the most is that Eric and Sarah and their family and the rest of the staff there lost their homes, lost most of their possessions, lost their physical place of ministry. So how are they doing? Well I spoke with them this week. Watch this.

Let me just ask the two of you, how are you both doing, and how's your family? Do you want to go first? I would say we're fine. No, we're juxtaposed between extreme grief and extreme gratitude. Yeah, I think both of us are so grateful that our family is safe, that we have shelter, and we're so grateful that the staff, everyone that was living up at camp is also safe. There is, of course, great loss in grief, but we take each day and every day looks different, but we're doing okay.

You know this weekend we're starting this series in 2 Corinthians, and it's all about Paul talking about how he has dealt with bad trouble in his life. But to me so much of what you've been saying about camp is like what Paul said in 2 Corinthians. You know it's so weird, here we are in a pandemic, and we had summer camp canceled, and then this fire, and it can feel like really God, something else, another something happening, but then I also find myself considering my own relationship with God, the gift of salvation for me, Eric, and what God's grace looks like. In my own personal life, my own relationship with Jesus, and I think of those verses, and I have hope, even when those verses at first can be hard to hear, and not ready for him, God, when I just think of my own relationship with Jesus, I know that it's the Holy Spirit and God's Word saying, you need this right now, because I'm here and you need me always, and I think in the harder times, sometimes we can feel like we've got to shake off God or we're frustrated and wait, but in this time I've learned I've got to lean into God and truly understand that his hope is the only real hope that goes beyond all these circumstances that have happened.

Sarah, what about you? Eric has told me now probably three different times, it's tough but I have hope. Where are you at? That's the weird thing about faith. It's teeny tiny and it can reside so deep, but like Eric said, if you lean into it, or if you choose to lean into a mustard seed of faith, there can be hope no matter what. I think you just have to have the courage to do that because it's filled with mystery and wonder and it's not something you can see but it's something you can choose and strive to lean into and trust.

The rest of our interview is on our website at TLC.org/fire. I encourage you to check it out and please keep Eric and Sarah and all the rest of camp staff in your prayers. I know that they'd really, really appreciate that. And of course if you yourself have lost your home or your possessions, please contact us again. The details are at TLC.org/fire. You know I love how Eric and Sarah put it, even if all you have left is a tiny mustard seed of faith. Lean into that. And I actually want to give you a chance to do that in prayer right after our final quick but super important point no matter how overwhelmed I feel, I have God's power. That's a huge core belief of undaunted people. It's a huge theme of 2 Corinthians.

Look at how much Paul emphasizes this. He says things like, "Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God." And again, but we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all surpassing power is from God and not from us. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power," this is the Lord speaking, "my power is made perfect in weakness." The point is, are you strong enough to be undaunted through all of life's difficulties? Absolutely not. But is God? Absolutely yes. And so he says, "Just lean on me, lean into me, and let me carry you."

So let's wrap this up. Look at these four core beliefs of undaunted people. You might be saying, "Well, René, how do I know this isn't just like some kind of phony pep talk?" Well, you know, this worked. I mean, just historically, it's just true that believing these things worked. It worked, as I said earlier, in the life of the Apostle Paul. He was undaunted. He really changed much of Western civilization by his influence. But this is also how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Chadwick Boseman and Bethany Hamilton and Eric and Sarah thought. It works.

Now, maybe you don't feel very undaunted right now. You just feel like quitting. I want to say something to you. And I'm thinking of a couple of people that I know are watching, and I know this applies to every single person who's joining us via the livestream. I have confidence that God is going to win and triumph in your circumstance in life and through your life. I have utter confidence that you are secure in God's grace and that all of your past problems and mistakes are covered by the grace of God. I'm confident that you still have a purpose and a ministry and a mission. I am confident that though you feel so weak right now, you have the resurrection of the power of God within you, the resurrection power.

How am I confident in all these four things? Because God says it's true in God's word, the Bible, and because I've seen it to be proven true over and over again. I'm confident that because of these four things, you can be undaunted throughout 2020 if you let the Lord work these four truths in you and through you. And so let's let Him right now in a word of prayer. Would you join me in prayer right now? Lord, I just want to pray for those who are just burned out and exhausted right now. May they lean in and find strength in you, in your grace and power. And I believe that maybe for the first time, or maybe as a recommitment, some right now are saying, "Lord, I need this in my life, so today I choose to lean in to Jesus. I don't understand it all, but as much as I understand it, I choose to follow you. Thank you for saving me through your death, burial, and resurrection. And now help me to grow in you and live for you." And Lord, we want to pray for all those who've been impacted by the fires, both fire victims, firefighters, community leaders. God, we just pray that you would give them strength and courage to be undaunted through these trying times. We pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen.