The Courage to Endure

0:01 As a reminder, it is now 701 days since the kidnapping of Israeli citizens and foreign nationals living in Israel. There remain, uh, I think 48 in, in captivity, 20 of whom, or approximately 20 of whom are thought to remain alive. Uh, I do believe that proof of life was released this week for three of those 20. Um, by the way, Hamas doesn't do that for the good of the world. That's a, it's an element of psychological torture for the, for both the captive and for all of Israel. Uh, it, it's a way to exert control

0:49 in a situation in which really they have no control anymore. Uh, it's, it's a matter of days. As I said last week. It's amazing, astounding to me how anytime the world or the US or any any other government says, don't go into this place. You know, if you go into there, then you're gonna lose all your support Israel. And, and then Israel goes into that place. And lo and behold, guess what happens? They find hostages so amazing when they go into these places. They find hostages in journalists, house houses, and doctors', houses and un workers' houses not well either. A, they're Hamas operatives also, or B, they are a complicit part of the population.

1:36 Uh, anyways, I don't wanna dwell too much on that this morning. I would, I would like to show you a four and a half minute video, um, before we get to the message. Uh, so if you guys can go ahead and play that. The word genocide carries tremendous moral weight. It was coined in the 1940s to describe the Holocaust and others systematic attempts to destroy entire people groups and even religious communities. Today, some are applying this term to Israel's war in Gaza. And as a Jewish believer who spent 50 years in Jewish ministry, I feel a deep obligation to address this issue. The question is, do the facts actually support such a grave

2:25 and grievous charge? So let's evaluate the input of two experts and reflect upon some of what they have to say. One is a war scholar and the other, a veteran journalist. First, let's be clear about what genocide actually means. According to the UN Genocide Convention has mentioned genocide requires the intent to destroy in whole or in part a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. As such, note these key words, intent, and as such, meaning targeting people simply because of who they are and not what they've done. Maybe just because of what they believe. This is a high legal bar,

3:10 and for good reason, war is tragic. Civilian deaths are heartbreaking, but war itself is not genocide. John Spencer, a 25 year infantry veteran, an urban warfare expert puts it like this. He has seen no evidence of genocidal intent. Instead, he's witnessed soldiers taking dangerous risks to avoid harming civilians. And missions delayed because children were nearby and troops ordered not to return fire when civilians might be harmed. Journalist Brett Stevens asked a very provocative but important question. He says, if Israel truly intended genocide, why isn't the death toll a significantly higher? Israel has the capacity

3:55 to inflict much greater destruction upon gaits, but they don't They care. Spencer notes that Israel has delivered more humanitarian aid to an enemy population during wartime than any military in history, over 1.8 million tons of aid. This is not the behavior of a military committing genocide. Let's put this in perspective. The Korean War killed 2 million civilians, 54,000 a month. The fight against ISIS leveled entire cities and killing an estimated 11,000 civilians over nine months. And nobody feels good about it, but it happens during war. None of these were called genocide because the intent was not to destroy a people simply for who they were.

4:42 Context matters, intent matters, and truth matters. Calling Israel's actions genocide isn't just wrong. It's actually dangerous. It equates modern Israel with Nazi Germany. Let me say that again. It equates modern Israel with Nazi Germany fueling a new wave of antisemitism that targets not just Israeli policy, but any Jewish person who supports Israel's right to exist more broadly. If we label every military situation, we dislike a genocide, we risk diluting the meaning of the word, and we cannot afford to cheapen the term genocide when real genocides occur. And they do. We need this term to carry its full moral weight.

5:29 The war in Gaza is horrific and tragic, but tragedy is not genocide. People suffering is not genocide. We can debate how this war should end without falsely accusing Israel of history's most heinous crime. The truth matters too much for anything else. Has Israel committed genocide? The answer that I see that Spencer sees, that Stefan sees and that thousands upon thousands who understand what's happening in Gaza right now, the way they see it, the way I see it is no, Israel is not committing genocide. God bless you. Shalom. Thank you. And let's pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

6:20 It's really amazing to think about, by the way, when he had mentioned 1.8 million tons of humanitarian aid to cross the border, that was just Israel. That's not other people and other organizations. Um, but also if you really think about it, if there are truly 2 million inhabitants of Gaza, that is one ton of humanitarian aid per person that Israel has facilitated coming across the border. Now, the other thing that that most people don't mention is, I don't, I don't know if you know this, Israel's not the only country to have a border with Gaza. There's another country that has a border with Gaza called Egypt, and Egypt has allowed zero to cross.

7:12 Egypt hasn't helped at all. In fact, they erected a really big wall and said nobody's, nobody's going either way. So I just want you to think about that when you, when you hear these arguments, uh, in the pop culture world, I'd like to invite Rabbi Sean to come to the stage at this time, a may, my father in heaven. Lord, I just thank you for Rabbi Sean. Lord, I thank you for his heart and his dedication, uh, to study, to, to sift through your word. Lord, I just ask that you would speak to us today,

7:59 open our ears that we can hear from you through his study, uh, this week. And we bless you in Yeshua's name. Amen. I will tell you a tale which I've told you before. I'll shift my perspective to try not to bore a hole in your skull or a hole in the floor, but to bring the Lord's voice in your life to the fore. When I was a young man at school being trained,

8:44 I found an old mentor wise and big brained. He spoke of Yeshua, he spoke of the Jews. He had a real passion to spread the good news. I took a few classes and sometime later he invited me and my wife to a Seder. We had never been to a Seder like this where Yeshua was central and couldn't be missed. Although I had always been quite a skeptic. Something about this had proved antiseptic

9:32 to cleanse me of views. I had previously had Messianic Judaism may not be that bad. So we served with my mentor. I toured in the land, wrote some new songs, and played with the band. At the library I found a Beatles Haga. I thought, this is funny, I'll send it to Mudda. She thought it was good and then asked me had I considered the path of becoming a rabbi. I told her I wasn't going to let go of Yeshua

10:18 who showed me all that I know just around this time when my mother would marry, they called in the world's leading anti missionary To deprogram me from my wayward views so that I could be more like the rest of the Jews. So I went to the Lord and we had a talk. I felt he encouraged me to take a walk to meet with these people and see what they say. Get on with my life and get on with the day. So I called my old mentor and told him the news. He said, I should not be deceived by their ruse,

11:05 but I told him I prayed and I thought I should go. In that case, he said, there are things you should know. He'll start out real friendly, use your Hebrew name, but very soon after it won't be so tame. He'll speak a long time on the sins of the church, insult you to knock you right off of your perch. So I took his advice and I went to New York. My mother got married and much to my shock, the interrogator, nowhere to be found, but said he would call me at home safe and sound as the Lord spoke.

11:51 I agreed with the plan. He'd call after midnight. He lived in the land. We spoke for three hours a dozen times too. He followed the checklist and challenged my view. Yet I was prepared for the challenging calls, church history, theological brawls, and something transpired I didn't expect. As a Messianic Jew, I began to reflect. Although I prepared to face an opponent, I was surprised by another component. Not only did I wish to stay with Yeshua,

12:37 but I thought that other Jews should follow too. Uh, my grandfather heard and he wasn't too pleased. This Orthodox rabbi would not be appeased a grandson. I'd be considered no longer and just when I thought that he couldn't be stronger, he said it was one thing for me to be Christian. But Messianic Jews were doing Hitler's mission by removing Jews from the proverbial fold. I was being too brazen and being too bold. After graduation, we felt called to go

13:24 plant a congregation and what do you know? We found ourselves living just a stone's throw to where grandpa would stay to escape northeast snow in Southern California. I was called by my aunt. She said, visit grandpa. I said, well, I can't. She said, no, just trust me. I think they'll receive you. I said, I will take this chance and believe you. So we packed up great grandkids and some kosher foods and headed to Brentwood with uncertain moods. To our surprise, welcomed and received. We were see.

14:10 We were served. Coffee, bagels, locks, and ice cream. The visit was pleasant. Grandpa gave advice he had learned from the ministry and a few times we would get together at the Jewish museum. We'd bring the great grandkids. It was so nice to see 'em. In 2015, mom and I went to see Grandpa was dying. I thought I should be there to read a psalm, have a final goodbye. He told me he loved me, looked me in the eye, and although I never saw grandpa again, I'm grateful we had the chance to make amends.

14:58 My mother was mikva right here at the shul. They're streaming good shabbas to Michael too. Lord willing, I'll see Grandma in a few weeks. I'll visit Aunt Doty and hear what she speaks. Visit your family. Give it a go. You may be the only Yeshua they'll know. The title of my message is The Courage to Endure. It comes from Acts chapter 18 verses nine through 17. And I'd like to make three points from this text. First, the Lord knows the challenges that you will face.

15:47 Second, don't expect to be well received as a follower of Yeshua. And third, when we accuse others, we put ourselves at risk. Ultimately, although we face challenges as followers of Yeshua, the Lord knows our trials beforehand and orchestrates his purposes. My outline can be found on the YouVersion app and I will be reading from the Tree of Life version. Now, from what I understand, there are a limited number of handouts, worksheets available for those who would like to further reflect on the message. Uh, please just raise a hand

16:32 and we have some team members who will get those to you. Uh, as many as they have at least Acts 18 verses nine through 11, read as follows. Now, the Lord said to Paul through a vision in the night, do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent. For I am with you and no one shall attack you to harm you. Many people in this city are for me. So he stayed a year and six months teaching the word of God among them.

17:18 The Lord knows the challenges that you will face. This passage begins in a remarkable place. Paul is afraid you probably don't consider him this way. Too often Paul is thought of as brazen, bold, enduring, zealous and defiant. But here we get a glimpse into the inner workings of Paul's personal life. And yes, Paul is brazen, bold, enduring, zealous and defiant. But here just for a moment, we get a sneak peek into Paul's weakness, fear, and apprehension.

18:10 Why would Paul be worried? He had such a nice life. He lived in a mansion in uptown Corinth received favor everywhere he turned and never worked a day in his life. No, no, no. On the contrary, Paul lived a chaotic life. He was often on the move, suffered persecution and imprisonment and continually took on big, hairy, audacious challenges in the name of the Lord. His life was monumental and controversial, but no one would accuse Paul of having an easy life. Paul was a bold man of faith who contributed a great deal

18:57 to the scriptural record. Yet he was human just like us. When we read of Yeshua, we understand that he is God in the flesh. He subjected himself to weakness but was without sin. In Paul, we find a suffering person endeavoring to serve the Lord wholeheartedly, but nonetheless falling short of the mark. At times we can be encouraged by the life of Paul in a material sense. I would dare say that any North American listening now has surpassed Paul in material wealth.

19:45 While Paul came from a prominent family he chose to go without for the sake of Yeshua, he lived a highly portable life and would continually put himself at risk and while he was wildly successful, in hindsight, he didn't win every battle he suffered with bodily ailments and he died a brutal death. Yet to quote William Wallace, every man dies. Not every man really lives. Paul really lived, how can I say that?

20:30 Paul was afraid by simple deduction. The Lord tells Paul not to be afraid. People may tell us not to fear, but they don't necessarily know what's in our heart. I'm going out on a limb here, but I would suspect that the Lord was telling Paul not to fear because he was either in a place of anxiety or about to encounter it. It's also worthy of mention that Paul receives a night vision. Have you ever awoken in the middle of the night? Anybody? Did you skip around the room because you were oh so happy?

21:19 I doubt it. I don't know about you, but when I have awoken in the middle of the night, it is not because I wanted to. Something was troubling me. Perhaps you only needed to use the restroom. Just don't look at your phone or you may not go back to sleep for a while. Some people can fall asleep on command, but I'm not one of them. Once the mind starts going, it's difficult to turn it off. If I wake up at two or 3:00 AM or 4:00 AM even, it usually means that I'm deeply troubled and I won't be able to sleep unless my mind is restored to peace

22:05 or I can find some solution for what's bugging me. If I awake after 5:00 AM I may have more positive thoughts, but something about those lonely hours in the middle of the night makes us feel vulnerable, afraid and alone. Marlene said it well when she said nothing good happens after midnight and while I have a comfortable bed and a loving family, Paul's life was much different. He put himself in the place of suffering and sacrifice. He had just come off of a conflict

22:50 where he told the local Jewish community that their blood is on their own heads. If they disregarded his message, understand that Paul did not hate these people. On the contrary, he loved them so deeply that he was willing to put his reputation and wellbeing at risk in order for some of them to encounter the riches of Yeshua. Miraculously, Paul did see some of the fruit of his labor. He had even seen Crispus, a leader in the synagogue, come to faith in Yeshua. There is a saying, be careful what you wish for because you just might get it.

23:37 In order to persuade some Jewish people to trust Yeshua, Paul also had to encounter the rejection, the ridicule, and the physical threat of opposing a crowd. This anxiety that Paul suffers is quite normal given the circumstances. What things does the Lord speak when he speaks to Paul? He encourages Paul to speak out from this. We might deduce that Paul was thinking it might just be better and easier to keep his mouth shut. Look at all the trouble that he is facing for his boldness.

24:25 Yet the Lord gives Paul what he needs. Paul is assured by the presence of the Lord. Just having a sense of communing with God is often enough to overcome the fear and anxiety that is within our souls While others were sleeping. The Lord is continually available to Paul and he's continually available to you and I even at 3:00 AM especially at 3:00 AM the Lord encourages Paul to overcome his fear and speak out on behalf of the Lord. Furthermore, he assures Paul

25:12 of his support and protection. God would be with him and no one would harm him. Notice here that God doesn't say no backies to infinity. The Lord is referring to Paul's upcoming season in Corinth and the attempted trial before Gallo actually reading the remainder of the book of Acts, you can propose that Paul is typically spared from the brutality of those who seek his life. His imprisonment and shipwreck is recorded in the Book of Acts, but his death is not so.

25:57 While we may propose that Paul did indeed suffer in various seasons, he also seemed to experience the grace of God in such a way that it overcame his very real and earthly struggles. Few people live like Paul. He lived quite a dynamic and unusual life. For instance, Paul had no wife or children. He didn't stay in one place. Though he had a prolific pedigree, he abandoned it all to suffer and bring the good news of Yeshua to Israel and to the nations.

26:43 He lived in an entirely different context to you and I. He did things as a result of the Lord's revelation and personal guidance. I'm sure that he is more respected today than he was in his time. While none of us are the Apostle Paul, we seek to follow the same Lord who guided Paul like God's guidance to Paul. He has unique instruction for each one of our lives. We all have the same general instruction, though we may interpret the text differently, however, as it was true then it is true today

27:30 that the Lord can break through our fear and anxiety and speak to our troubled hearts in such a way that we are challenged to take courage. Be assured of the Lord's presence and protection and boldly face the challenges that lie before us. If God wanted to make you the apostle Paul, he would've made you the apostle Paul and you would've died nearly two millennia ago. Rather, he has made you Cheryl Mark Joy, Billy John, fill in your name here. The Lord has made you and there is only one of you.

28:18 Your circumstances are unique. God and his infinite wisdom has created billions of unique people and he has still not completely reflected the fullness of his image. Wrap your head around that yet. If we are indeed following the same eternal God as the apostle Paul, Just as God foresaw the challenges that Paul would face, he also knows the challenges that you will face. Just as God was able to encourage Paul in such a way that he stood boldly in the face of his oppressors, God is able to speak to you in such a way

29:05 that you will be prepared for the challenges you will face and live a dynamic life for Yeshua. Yet just as Paul availed himself to the Lord in the midst of his fear, we must also present ourselves to God if we desire such guidance. Some of you may have the position that you have never lost a minute of sleep or doubted yourself in any regard, and if that's you, congratulations. However I'm speaking to everyone else. If you have ever doubted God's presence

29:50 or protection, if you have ever questioned your own thoughts or deeds, if you have ever lied awake at night with a troubled mind, I'm speaking to you just as the Lord knew what was on Paul's heart and mind. The Lord knows what is troubling you. He designed you and understands the way that you are wired. Just as the Lord spoke to Paul in such a way that he was no longer fearful, alone and weak, The Lord can overcome your fear, loneliness, and your limitations in order for you to live a dynamic life. For His purposes,

30:37 Paul received the voice of the Lord. Do you what voice guides your life? Is it the voice of fear, anxiety, and weakness, or is it the voice of courage, confidence and strength? I'm not talking about mind games here. We cannot control what we feel and it is normal to feel this way at times. However, like Paul, we too can make a choice to either hear and receive or reject and discard the voice of the Lord in our lives. How do you respond?

31:26 The Lord knew the things that Paul would face and yet he encouraged him all the more. If your challenges are greater than those around you, your faith will also need to be greater in order to fulfill your calling. Acts 18 verses 12 through 13 read as follows, but when Gallo was proconsul of Akea, the Jewish leaders made a united attack against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat saying, this man persuades men to worship God. Contrary to the Torah,

32:11 don't expect to be well received as a follower of Yeshua. If you wish to be popular, say you're a Christian. It has been the policy of every American president in modern history. We are a quote unquote Christian nation. However, I don't believe that Yeshua would feel at home in our context. I don't believe that the apostle Paul would be well received. It is one thing to identify with a label that is considered safe or acceptable and it is another thing entirely to walk in the ways of Yeshua.

32:57 Of course, Yeshua claimed equality with God and this is something that Yeshua's followers cannot claim. However, he also challenged the norms and power structures of society and was an advocate for the downtrodden and rejected as one of the wealthiest nations in world history. I doubt that Yeshua would be so kind if he was to assess our conduct and our nation's history, so to be Christian or even Messianic may be relatively safe in our context. We may even find ourselves in the majority within many contexts.

33:44 However, if we were a bit more serious about our faith, the things that the Lord calls us to might not be so safe or popular. Now, if you're a believer and no one likes you, don't blame it on the Lord. It may be something that you are doing or something that you are neglecting, but with this said, following Yeshua is not a neutral stance. It is counter-cultural and some element of our life should be addressing some issue that would matter to Yeshua. If we call ourselves his followers, I don't have the impression that Paul was a mean person.

34:32 On the contrary, Luke's account of Paul paints a picture of a man who has a tremendous amount of compassion and humility. Yet as a result of his encounter with Yeshua, he cannot help but speak in such a way that challenges Jews and Gentiles to get right with the God of Israel through putting their trust in Yeshua. This was not a popular opinion at the time, but represented a minority report and while Paul had led some Jews, God fearers and Gentiles to faith in Yeshua, he had also managed to bother several Jewish leaders who were united

35:18 in their message that Paul was teaching contrary to the Torah, in what way are you standing up for Yeshua in the face of opposition? I don't suspect that everyone should be like Paul living every day with their life on the line. As I said, you may be called to be a wife, husband, mother, father, or some other role that necessitates that you live at least somewhat within the norms of society. However, if you are truly following Yeshua, there should also be some element of your life

36:03 that pushes back provokes or challenges outsiders to consider the ways of Yeshua. Remember, it was not Paul's goal to be rejected, but he was willing to sacrifice his reputation and welfare. If it meant bringing the good news of Yeshua to others. In what way are you willing to represent Yeshua to outsiders? Are you willing to endure rejection for the sake of his name? Acts 18 verses 14 through 17 read as follows, but when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallo said to the Jewish people,

36:50 if it were a matter of wrongdoing or a vicious crime, there would be a reason to put up with you o Jews. But since it is issues about words, names and your own law, see to it yourselves, I do not wish to be a judge of these, and he drove them from the judgment seat. Then they all grabbed Sese, the synagogue leader and began beating him in front of the judgment seat. But Gallo paid no attention to these things. When we accuse others, we put ourselves at risk. Paul had accused these Jewish leaders of failing

37:38 to receive Yeshua, the one who came in fulfillment of the Torah, and according to Newton's third law of motion, every action has an equal and opposite reaction, and these leaders responded in a united front to take down Paul by appealing to the Proconsul Galio. Perhaps Galio was new to the job. Perhaps Galio was not as sympathetic or knowledgeable of the Jewish establishment. Perhaps Sceo simply had thousands of cases to resolve and couldn't be concerned with such matters as they involved Jewish law rather than Roman law. Whatever the case may be, it seems that these leaders

38:27 did not find as much sympathy in the eyes of Galleo as they had expected. What's funny about this passage is that God tells Paul not to be silent and then just as he's about to open his mouth, Galio speaks in such a way that Paul doesn't need to say anything Again, Newton's third law was at work and the Jewish leaders got a response, just not the one they were hoping for. If they had known better, they might have appealed to Roman law. However, Gallo saw this as a debate between Jews and removed the court, uh, the case from his court.

39:13 There's some ambiguity in what happens next. Gallo drove them from the judgment seat and they all grabbed Sese, the synagogue leader. Who is this all who grabbed Sese? I check the Greek and it said all Were these Jews, onlookers court officials, the Jewish leaders we don't know. What we do know is that a synagogue leader named Sese received a beating in front of the bema and Gallo ignored it. Was he antisemitic or merely apathetic?

39:59 The text does not say. Once again, I bring up this principle that when we accuse others, we put ourselves at risk. Paul accused these Jewish leaders and put himself at risk. The Jewish leaders accused Paul and put themselves at risk. Gallo accused the Jewish leaders of bringing an irrelevant case and nearly 2000 years later reassessed his motives, his dismissal led to the shameful beating of Sese. Who is this Sese? Sese is mentioned twice in the Bible. The name is mentioned here in this passage

40:46 and is also mentioned in the first verse of Paul's first letter to the Corinthians. While I cannot say with certainty that this is the same sese in both passages, it is certainly peculiar that there is a synagogue leader in Corinth named Sese who opposes Paul and suffers humiliation as a result, as well as another Jewish leader named Sese in Corinth, and that Paul doesn't feel the need to differentiate the two. There is certainly a possibility that this Sese who seem to be to be a predominant Jewish voice against Paul, would later become a follower of Yeshua

41:33 and a beloved brother and associate to Paul. Remember, Paul didn't come in the easy way either, and if this sese in First Corinthians is the same sese in Acts 18, it wouldn't be the first Corinthians synagogue leader who came to faith in Yeshua. It might even help to understand the amount of time and correspondence that Paul committed to Corinth. This teaches us something about accusations. When we accuse others, we open ourselves up to judgment. Even if you are a hundred percent right and the other party is a hundred percent wrong,

42:18 by pursuing an accusation, you open up the risk of not being believed or even being retaliated upon by the accused or some other party. Sadly, many hurting people and victims stay silent due to this fear, yet in most cases, each side bears some fault in the matter. We might win a case but lose a friendship. Worse, we might think that we are in the right, but those who judge the matter might not agree. I'm not saying that you should never bring an accusation against someone. There are times when it is entirely appropriate.

43:05 However, I am saying in the words of the stoic philosopher ice cube To chicky, check yourself before you wreck yourself. Sometimes in seeking to take someone else out, we bring on our own downfall. With this said, if it is the same sese like Paul, his fighting would eventually lead to his own salvation. What's ironic in both of these cases would be that the men sincerely thought that they were serving the Lord, but they were not.

43:52 This shows us that we can be mistaken in our perception of hearing the Lord's voice. I don't get the sense that Paul or Luke or any of the followers of Yeshua would take joy by the fact that Sese caught a beating at the Bima. It would be inconsistent with Paul's message and the teachings of Yeshua. Yet there is a lesson that we can derive from this, particularly if it is the same Sese from one Corinthians, and this lesson would also be true in Paul's life. God can make something great from our failures if we are willing to leave them behind.

44:42 I'm not saying that we even need to forget about them. I think that Paul always remembered where he came from. However, once he saw the error of his ways, he let go and accepted a new and better way. How about you? Are you the same person you were 10 years ago? And don't go saying, I was eight, 10 years ago. Perhaps you were a child. That's a big difference. Obviously, you were younger 10 years ago, but have you changed as a person? Has your perspective changed? Have you changed as a follower of Yeshua?

45:31 If you're honest with yourself, maybe the change hasn't been for the good, maybe you haven't changed enough. My goal here is not to ridicule you, but if you see some weakness in yourself like Paul, to present yourself to the Lord, to humble yourself, to hear the Lord's voice and to walk in a better way. In conclusion, the Lord knows the challenges that you will face don't expect to be well received as a follower of Yeshua. And third, when we accuse others, we put ourselves and others at risk.

46:16 Although we do face challenges as followers of Yeshua, the Lord knows our trials beforehand and orchestrates his purposes. Shabbat shalom, May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

47:20 Yeshua, in the name of our Messiah, Yeshua Shabbat Shalom.