Courge

COURGE.

Introduction:

SELECTED SCRIPTURE

Courage is doing the right thing because our convictions won’t let us do anything else.

Doing something because it is the convenient thing to do is not courage. Doing something because everyone else is doing it is not courage. Doing something because it is the easiest thing for us to do; or produces the least amount of discomfort to us is not courage.

So today, we want to see what Biblical courage looks like and then we want to see if we have that quality in our Christian life.

#1 A PERSON WITH COURGE IS RESOLVED TO MEET DANGER HEAD ON WITHOUT RETREAT

LUKE 9:51

And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,

. I have to believe that Jesus was the most courageous person who ever lived. And it would seem logical if we are to follow Him that we too must have courage.

The Scripture says He “resolutely” set out for Jerusalem. He knew that by heading to Jerusalem that he was heading toward his death. He knew that His time on earth was coming soon to an end; He knew that before He could return to heaven that He must suffer and die and despite the danger He stayed the course.

We saw that two of the twelve spies were courageous. They saw giants in the land but they also saw a land flowing with milk and honey that God had given them. So they said: Let’s roll. Despite the danger they wanted to stay the course that God had set for them.

David didn’t want to retreat simply because some giant was making noise about what he was going to do to the Israelites. Instead David advanced against the mighty Goliath with just a sling shot and a few stones because God was on His side. David had the courage to stand up to Goliath.

#2 A person with courage recognizes God’s presence in whatever circumstance they find themselves in.

ACTS 16:22-30

22 And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.

23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:

24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.

27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.

28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.

29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,

30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy

Paul expelled an evil spirit from a slave girl who was a fortune teller and who earned her master a great sum of money. The owner got mad and brought him before the magistrate who had Paul and Silas beaten and thrown in prison and shackled.

An earthquake occurred and the door of the cell was opened and Paul and Silas could have escaped but didn’t. The jailer thinking Paul and Silas had escaped was about ready to kill himself when Paul and Silas yelled stopped. As result of what he saw in these two men he asked to be saved. What keep Paul and Silas in prison? It was the presence of God that gave them the courage to stay there.

Three Jewish boys were thrown into the fiery furnace for not bowing down to the king. They had the courage not to bow down because they understood God’s presence was with them. In fact, the king says that he saw a fourth person in the furnace with them- it was the presence of God.

Noah keep on building the ark despite the fact it had never rained before and despite the harassment of those who mocked him for his actions. What gave him the courage to keep on building was the presence of God because the Bible says that he walked with God.

#3 A person with courage is obedient to God despite how difficult it might be to be obedient.