No Longer Afraid To Take A Punch | Pastor Shane Idleman

This message is something I put together just a day or two ago. I was praying about it. I had acts already done. The book of Acts already done, the next sermon. But many of you know, some of you don't know, we're able to take a trip to Washington, D.C. this week and visit Congress. We visited the Israeli Embassy and other things I'll talk about. It's kind of a special message. The title is, "No longer afraid to take a punch." "No longer afraid to take a punch." And I have to give a guy by the name of Pastor Tony credit for the title, because when he was talking to us, he mentioned in the day we're living in, we're going to have to realize we need to take a punch. And what he's talking about is boxers, as you know, when you're boxing, when you're going to go hit, you're also going to take one, usually, unless you're like this all the time. You know, you don't fight like that. You're Mike Tyson, you come in, but you're also going to get punched. And a lot of us don't like that aspect of our culture today. I'm all for ease and comfort and relaxation and vacations, but that doesn't get the work done that needs to get done. And I'm going to tell you, I don't have this all in order, I've been pranked. It was a difficult message to put together, but I feel that God has really put on my heart. And the scripture that gave me a lot of confirmation was when Jesus said, "Whatever I tell you in the darkness, speak it in the light. Whatever I tell you in your ear, shout it on the rooftops." Now, that can be a variety of different things, but what that really means is as you spend time with the Lord, and you know, those of you who've done this, you spend time with the Lord,

doesn't he really put something on your heart? And he should. As you're spending time with him, there's something burning in your heart, that burning fire, and he leads us differently. As long as it's doctrinally sound, and according to scripture, as you're praying and fasting and humbling yourself, and then what he puts on your heart, what he tells you in the darkness, you're delivered in the light, and what he puts in your ear to preach it to the rooftops. And sometimes it's not very popular. What I'm going to talk to you about this morning will not grow a church. It will shrink it because it cuts, but it needs to be said. No longer afraid to take a punch. Let me tell you, though, how we got to Washington, D.C. It was by special invite from the National Faith Advisory Board, and they send you an invite, and you have to fill out security questions, and they do background checks and all that. And the whole point is to get pastors, usually pastors that are influential in America, to go and learn really about what's going on in our nation, in Congress, in the Capitol, the White House, and to really know, because the pulpits are not supposed to be silent. So I want to lovingly challenge those who think that this is no place for politics, to first ask number one, where do you get that from? Because it's not in the Bible at all. It's actually the opposite. It's full of laws and how to lead people. Now we shouldn't be overly consumed. We shouldn't be, you know, we're not a political movement. We're a spiritual influence. But when the line of political lines begins to go into morality and to things the church should speak about,

it's very important because legislation matters, doesn't it? Just ask the Jews in Nazi Germany if politics mattered. Ask the Christians, I don't know how many there are, in North Korea, in the Middle East. Ask our servicemen or people that were left in Afghanistan when Biden pulled us out, if leadership matters, and what they did to those families who were still there. It's huge. And somehow there's been a lie perpetrated into the church where we're not supposed to talk about these issues. And if I were the devil, that makes good sense. Because I want to shut off the light to this area. And you need to know that pulpits used to always talk about moral issues. And leadership matters. Leadership determines religious freedoms. And by the way, these are God-given freedoms, not shame-idlement freedoms. God-given. God has given people freedoms. The right to life, liberty, right, the pursuit of happiness, to seek him to really worship him, the freedom to worship him. And there's a lot to say on that. So we think leadership matters. It's a very important issue. Politics just means leading a group of people, according to laws. And if we don't think God's word has to say, anything to say about that, we can start in Genesis and end in Revelation. And I can show you a lot of places where to get a tour of Congress, you know, in the big Rotunda, and all the Christian heritage that's in there. It's mind-blowing, really, what the founders envisioned and what they did. And then we went into where they make legislation for Congress, you know, all the

seats of representatives. And as you walked down the aisle to where the speaker would be, on the right is Republicans, on the left is the Democrats, and that's where the left and right comes from. It's pretty interesting. And then they have these faces on top that are on, you know, side profile. I'm not sure exactly who they were. I think some of the founders. But then up here, right there, looking down, is Moses. And so the senator from North Carolina giving us a tour said, "Every time I come up here, I see Moses, and it reminds us that our law sits underneath God's law." And we were able to walk the Supreme Court stairs and go in and see the Supreme Court and pray, and it was an incredible experience. And then part of that, we were also supposed to go to the White House, they let you in, you know, on the, I don't even know the East Side, maybe, and just get an update from different political figures there, Sebastian Bork. I don't know if you guys recognize that name. Other people, I don't even pronounce it, right? But so we were getting updates, and then suppose that, you know, Trump found out where pastors were there, and that's when he called in on the speaker phone, and they said, "Hey, he wants to meet all the pastors over in the Rose Garden." So we're like, "Wow, that's pretty cool. I'm getting, you guys are happy, but I get all the critics online. Like, I wish you were as happy about Jesus as that." And like, come on, guys, give me a break. Are we in junior high? Of course we're excited about Jesus. So anyway, I think we've got a few pictures if you haven't seen it already. So that's the back of the White House. And that's all the pastors on the new helipad there. And then we have, is there a video? It's about real short. I think they played it. And we're going to be sitting on the front and the right. Right there. So that was totally unexpected. Of course, there's haters. There might be some of you here this morning. We had to actually remove somebody at the first service. You can go in and listen to that. If you want the live stream, I told them, "Security, get this guy out," especially when I got on the part about Israel. And I'm not going to be quiet. I'm going to take a punch. And I'm going to tell you the truth. I would encourage you, I would encourage you to be very careful where you get your information from. We actually talked to the people who were at the massacre on October 7, three years ago, okay? They had bodies piled on top of them who were shot and killed. And so you need to really be careful where you get your information from. Because there's a media out there that has held ban on giving you,

especially young adults. Be very careful who you listen to. If you wear free Palestine shirts in Gaza, they will kill you. You're trying to freeze. You're trying to free people that they will actually kill you. I saw Hamas's footage. We saw the body cam footage when they would call their mom and dad and say, "I killed 10 Jews and their kids," and their mom and dad said, "Praise Allah, praise Allah. Beheading people." They didn't have a knife. They would find a ho. We need to wake up America and you better start realizing that leadership matters. Yeah, there's issues with Trump. I've got issues. Of course. But you look at where is he leading the nation as a whole. And I'm tired of people. I don't answer in armchair critics. I don't answer to you if you don't even know me. I answer to our elders. I answer to this local congregation who knows me. And I answer ultimately to the Lord Jesus Christ. And so that was totally unexpected. Then from there, we did go to the Israeli embassy and watched some of the most horrific things I've ever seen in my life. And we didn't go for photo ops. I didn't want to take any pictures. That's my wife's job. But I would just want to pray and sense what God was doing because I wanted to see for myself experience it because you hear stuff on... You guys might not hear a lot, but there's negative stuff about the National Faith Advisory Board and some of the pastors we don't agree on certain things. But when we're fighting a common enemy, that's when we have to be united. And so I want to look at experience. And we have too many Hezekiahs and not enough Josiahs. [BLANK_AUDIO] and they'll be peace in your time but after you is coming judgment. And he said oh at least there's peace in my time. But Josiah ripped down the altars of Bell. He cleaned out the temple. He did what needed to be done even though judgment was coming. And we have too many people just sitting on the fence. They have to be willing to take a punch. And so now that we clarify that let me let me talk to you about why I wanted to give this message because many of you've heard when evil men do nothing. I'm sorry. When evil prevails it's because good men do nothing. And as the as our memory fades the voice of opposition grows. And we had a Jewish uber driver and I asked him why did you guys just elect that guy as mayor in New York. Wundami? Total. Total. And he said well

they're better than the next guy. They're better than whoever was running. And you don't realize and I said did you see their thread on X and and what they were they hate Jews. And he's like well no he could have worded things differently but they're just they're just so oblivious they don't have the information that that is needed. And there is a big battle right now in our nation. Do you do not sense it? Do you feel it? And there's some verses we can put up. I think there's three we can just leave up as I'm talking just remind us of how important it is to seek God. And I don't have a lot of slides because I just put this together. I think a lot of people wanted to to hear about it because when our memory gets shorter the opposition gets louder. And we forget exactly just how important this is. And just about every profit in the Bible. I want you to think about this. Just about every profit in the Bible confronted their culture. They confronted their leaders and they confronted their laws. That's what they did. They were confront when they were getting off track. Jeremiah 23 God said I've seen the horrible things in the prophets. They strengthened the hands of evil doers so that nobody turns back from his wickedness. In other words there are preachers who will tell people what they want to hear. They will tickle the ear and that encourages sin. And God of course goes on to say I've not even sent these prophets but they spoke to the people. And so why this is so important it's about losing freedoms, losing God given freedoms. Do you think God wants us to have the freedom to worship? Do you think God wants parents to be able to parent their kids or go to the state? Come on guys we need to wake up or our apathy is what's got us in the struggle. If Christian if just half the Christians would vote you would get the right people in positions of leadership. And again if you don't think this is the topic for the church I want you to prove it with Scripture. Because I can prove it the other way with Scripture. Blessed is a nation whose God is the Lord God. The rules, the laws of God, His covenant, His commandments. And people have come up well we're not losing freedoms. Look we can just come and freely worship a church. I only preach the gospel they say I don't get involved. Well here's why I

get involved. Can I tell you you can't bow and knee at a high school football game or you'll lose your job. Do you know if you would have the wrong justices in there and that would have been precedents it would remove public prayer. Well bring the persecution on brethren well maybe but that's not what our heart should be our heart should be to care for those who have no voice to care for our grandchildren and children. Like I told the first service many of us will be fine. Correct. We'll be fine. Retirement. Who knows when God will take us. Probably not going to see tons of stuff. But what about for your kids and grandchildren. That's that's what we're that's what we're leaving them. How many of you heard about the grandmothers who were arrested for praying outside of Planned Parenthood are arrested. The thought police got them and you're telling me legislation leaders don't matter. Are you kidding me. The weaponization of the government and there's things they talk about that you know they're not going to be on the news and different things but what the the the Biden administration how they are coming after churches. Weaponizing the government to go after churches specifically. Remember do you guys remember when it was risky where PayPal would begin to hold your money on some of these big organizations. We had to move some of ours just in case. I mean it's So yes, freedoms are being attacked. What about parental rights, like I mentioned? The young girl who just she was allowed, she committed suicide with assisted suicide in her 20s. And other kids going to school and the counselor hides that from the parents and they want to be called by a different sex and maybe take hormone blockers. And it's just, you're telling me that doesn't matter? God doesn't have anything to say about that. Harming children? What about Massachusetts? California is, you know, no.

But legalizing abortion up to how many months? Can you imagine holding a newborn? And they legalized. So some of you need to check where you're getting your information from. MSNBC and CNN and even Fox are the Bible. The Bible, we do have a book that tells us what to do. Satanic prayers being offered up to Satan, the God of darkness, and all these things that are pushing. See, when you're silent, evil's not silent. It's not going to tire. It's going to keep pressing in and pressing in and pressing in. And so we've been reading in the book of Acts about persecution and where does persecution comes from? It comes from hatred for the one true and living God. Is that where not where hatred comes from? The guy who left it for service was so mad. He hated Israel so much. It's demonic. It's darkness. Here's the thing. You can disagree with Netanyahu and the Israeli government that, right, they're not Christians. It's a government who's like, right, but the land where Jesus walked, did you know he was a Jew? You guys, anybody know that? I mean, it's just that hatred. That hatred is demonic. And again, you cannot agree with policy. You can be even what they call replacement theology.

The church has replaced Israel. You can believe that. But you should not hate. You should not hate. That means darkness has overcome your heart. That's why it's called anti-Semitic. Against, you just hate. There's a darkness that hates. And it started way back with Esau and Jacob, Isaac. And the whole thing with Abraham, that's when it all started. And so what they showed us was, again, I mentioned the body cam footage from Hamas when they went in and went into neighborhoods. And it was-- I might have shared more at the first. It's hard to even share what they did to people. The hatred and that young kid calling his parents. And I killed 10 Jews and their kids. And their parents are praising them. One dad was running out of the house. There's just a shorts on. They go to a shed and they just throw a hand grenade in there. And the dad falls down. The kids run out. The kids, his eyes missing. And they're all bloodied. And eventually they bled to death. And the terrorists are laughing at them. And there's blood in the kitchen. They're drinking stuff out of the refrigerator.

And here's the thing, they'll do that to you, folks. They hate you. So those who wear free Palestine shirts, if you go over there, they will kill you. Tell them what religion you are, what sexuality, your American, you're done, your toes. Wake up. Listen to real voices with real truth. Again, I don't agree with everything. I need to clear, I don't agree with everything that is done. And here's Israel's response to Gaza, though. All that is terrible. Here's why. Hamas created that environment that they responded to. After watching those videos, I'm saying, if you did that to my family, all hell is breaking loose. Absolutely. So why don't you blame the people who caused it and did horrific things? It makes no sense to me. It makes no sense to me whatsoever. We can no longer be afraid to take a punch. We've got to stand up for what is right. And it was just a quick message today. It wasn't anything. I just want to share what God was doing. There's a lot of, I mean, you guys are seeing what's going on in Dallas this weekend, I think, with 80,000 people just in the cowboy stadium and a many thousands watching, tens of thousands on prayer.

They're having a big prayer meeting there and worship. And so there's a lot of things. Philip Anthony Mitchell's doing that. And there's a lot of great things, a lot of churches. But we've got to realize where the true enemy is. It's dividing our nation. It's trying to divide and bring in falsehood. And it's telling us we shouldn't be involved in that arena. And now maybe 100 years ago, right, when you're talking about should we pave the roads? Should we build bridges? But now they're talking about killing. to go and have a recitement and surgery. And we're not supposed to say anything. For the life of me, I cannot understand that. Many people won't say anything because there's cowardlyness. And that's what I would be if I wasn't seeking God and trying to be filled with Spirit, I'd be one of the biggest cowards you ever met. I'd be a people pleaser, trying to tell people what they want to hear. I don't want anybody upset at me. But when you understand really what's going on and how important, do you know you could get somebody in office as governor very easily if enough Christians would vote? Hopefully make it too big to rig. You know, there's still people are condescending and negative, I want to challenge you. It's not good to be critical. Yeah, there's a lot of things that may not work out, but it's not good to be critical. We're called to be thankful and positive and do what we can. So if you want to punch back, I'm going to just share a few things. You need to add more of God and less of the world. That's how you punch back.

Add more of God and less of the world's influence. Remember, that's why it's called a news feed. If it's feeding you more than God's word, and I watch these guys on CNN or MSNBC, I'm like, "What holy smokes." Like they hate America. The falsehoods are alarming. So if that's what you're watching, no wonder there's a division. We have to get the truth. Yes, our government can't be trusted. I got it. But there is a truth out there and God will lead you. He will show you through His Word. Also, stay humble, stay low, stay teachable, stay teachable, stay usable. You've got to stay humble, let God use you, let prayer mark you and penetrate your soul. Let me say that again, let prayer mark you and penetrate your soul. You want to make a difference, become a praying man or a praying woman. Yeah, and you might have different views. It's okay to have different views right now. I mean, one of the big things right now is that you're seeing is on the live stream execution on December 3rd. And I get pushed back like, how can you be pro-life and pro-death penalty? Well, can we do a quick history lesson? Apples and oranges. Pro-life means I don't want people murdering babies. Life penalty means you're going to kill the murderer. And God's Word says I for an eye tooth for tooth. I couldn't do it. I'm a citizen. I would pray for the person, lead them to the Lord. But the role of government is to execute judgment.

So to compare those two tells me you're either really naive or really not thinking this through. Being four babies and against those who murder people, shouldn't be in the same sentence. Now I know there are Christians. Christian go here that are not for the death penalty. And I get it. That's our heart, right? It's Christians. We don't like to see. Oh my God. But the government's role in Romans 13 actually says God says I have instituted the government to be a terror to those who do terrorists. So if you bear the sword, if you use the sword, be careful because that sword is coming after you and you have to have a deterrent. If we don't have a deterrent, that's actually why we're in the mess we're in. I can't go to Target without finding somebody who has a key to get socks. Yeah, socks are locked up. Everything's locked up because we had a DA who said, oh, if they run with $600 worth of stuff, as long as it's under $600, it's a big deal. I'm in the twilight zone. Like this is insane because remember though, here's the thing. There's only children of light and children of darkness. So the darkness is never going to understand the light. They're going to think rehabilitation. They just need a good environment. Sin will be sin in any environment. There's no way around that. And so when we dumb down punishment, crime escalates, increases. Do I agree with 100% of the way they handle things? No, of course not. Absolutely not.

But that's why when you minimize crime and I'm seeing it everywhere. How can you be pro-life and for the death penalty? you have no clue what the differences are. Because actually one is for life, and one is for justice. That's what it's really about. Now what I live stream it, now that's debatable. But to put that in the same sentence and think that they're the same really just shows how much the world is influencing us. The world got in by saying separation of church and state that loud pastor needs to be quiet. Have you heard that separation of church and state? It's a complete far. So it actually means the opposite. It means the opposite. Thomas Jefferson, the Baptist didn't want the America to become all congregational or all episcopalian or all Anglican. They wanted to worship freely. So Jefferson wrote the Danbury Baptist a letter and said, don't worry, we're not going to make one national, because remember they came from the church state in England. They said, don't worry, we're not going to make one national religion. There'll be a impregnable wall of separation between the church and the state. You can worship freely. And everything was fine for 150 years.

And tell the Supreme Court grabbed it and twisted it and now said the church and government can't prayer in school. Wait, wait, no prayer in school. The school was founded to teach kids the Bible and they prayed all the time. Where do you come up with this? Because when good men and women are silent, evil pushes in. Nothing's changed. Nothing's changed. So let prayer mark you and penetrate your soul. And even pray today, Lord, here I am, use me. Here I am, Lord, use me. How do you want to use me? I know some of you have heard this before, but it was 2008. I was actually at the LAX Hilton. We had a meeting down there. I don't know how it was invited, really. But it was 2008. And remember, I'm a construction. I'm digging ditches and they showed pictures of a partial birth abortion. Now, I'll never forget, I went back to my room and I cried myself to sleep. I said, God, if you ever give me a voice, if you ever give me a voice, I will not be silent. I will speak up, I will say something. And remember, I'm going back to work on Monday. Little did I know what God would do. Now, not everybody's gonna have the same calling, right?

There's a lot of different things. But when you say, God, here I am, use me. Maybe you'll minister at the pregnancy resource center here. Maybe you'll get involved in the school district, but so many of us, we can get so lazy, spiritually speaking, and we just, we're not used of God. It doesn't have to be tons of time, investment, but you have to pray, Lord, here I am, use me. And he will do that. It was interesting, as were one of the last things we did there, we saw the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. How many of you have seen that before? Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where they, it's just amazing. They're watching this tomb, right, 24/7. And I looked it up, I'm like, even at two in the morning when it's raining, right, yep. And they're called sentinels, and they just, and I'm like, how much more should we be? Watchmen, watch women. On guard, watching, who are our children associating with? What are we watching, what are we viewing, what are we allowing into our mind? What are we allowing into our country and our nation? And watching it, and being watchmen, watch women. And standing guard, that's what we need to get back to. Many of us were aloof, were asleep, and we just need to fire the spirit back to come and ignite our hearts. (upbeat music)

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