Courage
Do It Anyway
What is courage? How would you define it?
On this day, 20 years ago, at 9:02 a.m., a Ryder truck containing 4800 lbs of ammonium nitrate, nitromethane, and diesel fuel exploded in front of the Alfred P. Murrah building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people and wounding almost 700 more.
Most of us remember that day well. I was a Junior in High School, Ethan’s age, sitting in Trig when it happened. Our world here in Oklahoma stopped that day. The remainder of that day, and for days to come, our eyes stayed glued to the television, not believing what we were seeing.
One moment, though, really stood out to me, and made a permanent impression on my then-young mind. One of the news camera’s was rolling when the order came to evacuate the area because of the fear of another bomb. Many people were fleeing the scene in panic. But, it was not the ones fleeing that stood out to me. It was the ones the camera caught staying at the scene, even running toward it. I didn’t know at the time that one of those men the camera caught acting so bravely would soon become a very dear friend.
Fred was a fireman in Oklahoma City at the time of the bombing. He and his team were the first on the scene that day. He and his team were featured in Time magazine.
Fred worked day and night on rescue and recovery. He described that moment, that tragedy, and the courage he saw that day from the people who refused to run. People who showed the courage to stay, to reach out their hands and grasp what they could of someone trapped under the rubble. People who could hear others trapped, but could not reach them, so they reached out with the only thing they could, their voice, reassuring those buried beneath that there was still hope and that they were not alone. People who risked their own life, who very easily could have run, but stayed to give hope and help to someone else.
That, to me, is courage. To count the cost of doing the right thing, and then doing it anyway.
Most of us in our life will never be called to courage like that. But, nonetheless, we are called to be courageous. My thought, from that day forward, was this: If they can choose to be courageous in a moment like that, then when the opportunity arises that requires any act of courage, I can do the same. I haven’t been living that principle perfectly, but we’ll come back to that.
John Wayne said, “Courage is being scared to death, and saddling up anyway.” Jesus phrased it this way: Luke 9:23 “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” Some of the passion, the suffering, the hardship of the cross is lost on us due to time and to the glory that is now associated with the cross. But, Jesus was not here pointing to the glory of the cross. He was pointing to the suffering, the pain, and the hardship that is brought upon the one who desires the Christian life. Luke 9:24 “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.”
Being a Christian is not easy. Jesus pointed to this principle in Luke 14:26-33 where He commands that the one who wants to follow Him must first consider what it will cost.
Doing the right thing does not always result in praise. Many have suffered, even giving their life, for doing what was right. David lost his throne for a time. Daniel was cast into the lions den. Peter was crucified, Paul was beheaded. John was sent to the prison island of Patmos, full of rapists, thugs, and murderers. Polycarp was burned for not turning from Christ. They even took a man who healed the sick, reached out to the poor and needy, and they crucified Him. John 15:20 “Remember what I told you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.”
Count the cost. Can you handle the rejection? Can you withstand the hurt? Can you endure to the end? Do you have the courage?
Count the cost. Then do it anyway. If Jesus can endure the cross, then He will grant you the courage to face this life and all the terrifying obstacles that come our way.
Own Up
What do we do, though, when our courage fails? Do we give up?
In the early 16th century, a man named Thomas Bilney came to know Christ, and to see the errors of the dominant Catholic Church. He, in the excitement of this new found faith, began openly professing the gospel of Christ and the errors of Catholicism.
On November 29, 1527, Bilney was arrested and had to face several Catholic bishops and priests. On the threat of death, Bilney was told to recant the gospel he had spread. Finally, on December 7th, Bilney was given one last chance to forsake the Truth and adhere to Catholicism, or be killed that day. Bilney’s courage failed that day. He gave in and spent many months paying penance to the Catholic Church.
Returning home in 1528, Bilney fell into a deep depression. Nothing could lift his spirits, his friends and family even fearing he might take his own life.
However, in 1531, 3 years after his denial of Christ, Bilney decided he could go no further. He could no longer deny the truth of God. He said good-bye to his family and friends and left to openly preach God’s truth again.
Upon his arrest, Bilney was immediately sentenced to death. As the officers placed the firewood around him, Bilney remained firm. As the fire was lit, he would not deny Christ. Instead, with his final words as the flames engulfed him, Bilney said, “Jesus, I believe.”
When Peter was faced with the opportunity to stand for Christ his courage failed- 4 times no less. Once while on the water, and three times just before the crucifixion. But, Jesus came to Peter in John 21, and restored the man who had fallen so far. “Do you love me…Feed my sheep” were His words. Then Jesus showed Peter that the day would come when his courage would not fail, when he would give all.
In Pamphylia, Mark deserted Barnabus and Paul. His courage gave way. So hurtful was this betrayal that Paul initially refused to take Mark on any missions after this. His courage having failed, Mark was spiritually bankrupt. But, Barnabus took Mark under his wing, and the gospel of reconciliation once again reached Mark’s heart. His courage was renewed, even to the point of Paul having confidence that Mark would come to him in prison. 2 Timothy 4:11 “Send Mark, for he is useful for the service.” Jesus used this man with renewed courage to pen the earliest of the four gospels. A man who’s courage once failed, was now used by the Lord to bring countless souls to Him.
I have failed so often in my life. I have failed as a husband, as a father, as a brother, as a son, as a friend, as a preacher, as a person, as a Christian. Maybe you have, too.
What do we do? Do we give up? Absolutely not! Want to know why? Because Jesus has not given up on you. The same Jesus who can reconcile Peter and Mark, then turn them from failures in faith to courageous contenders for the faith, is the same Jesus who can take you from where you are to where He wants you to be.
But, you must own up. Owning up takes courage. We must own up to the mistakes we’ve made, own up to our inability to reconcile on our own, own up to our need of forgiveness from Christ, own up to our failure and His perfection. 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
Confession is not easy. Repentance is not easy. It takes courage to admit the wrong we’ve done, and admit to our dependance on Christ to do what we cannot. But, when we turn to Him for what we lack, He will work to “renew us day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16), strengthening us, and granting us the courage to stand.
Take a Stand
And stand we must. We are at war with Satan. Such a fierce enemy as he requires courage. Ephesians 6:10-13 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”
In 1521 Martin Luther was brought before a Catholic Council, knowing that his opposition to the Catholic teaching regarding indulgences could cost him his life. When asked to recant, here was his response:
“Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason- I do not accept the authority of the popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other. My conscience is captive to the word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise. God help me.”
Would you take such a stand? Would you have the courage?
For all history’s record of great courage, there is none greater than that told of Christ facing the cross. No fireman, no apostle, no martyr for the faith can compare with the courage Christ displayed when facing Jerusalem knowing what was ahead.
Luke 18:31-33 “Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; they will flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.”
Luke 22:41-44 “He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.”
What was it that brought Christ to this point? Was it the fear of the pain of the cross? Perhaps, since He was a human with weaknesses like ours. But, truth is thousands of men in history have had to endure the same physical pain as Christ.
What was it that made this different? 2 Corinthians 5:21 “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” If you don’t understand what is so difficult about the cross of Christ, then you don’t understand the nature of sin.
We can have our backs torn to pieces, a crown of thorns piercing our skull, be slapped and punched and spit on, have our hands and feet nailed to a cross, hang there in suffocating agony for hours before finally being taken over by death, and still not even come close to the agony our Savior suffered!
We will never know what Christ endured. We cannot even hold up under our own sin. We fall and are crushed by sins heavy load. But, here was Christ, set to take on the sins of the world, all while being cruelly beaten and nailed to the cross. And knowing full well what lie ahead for Him, Luke records that Jesus resolutely set His face to Jerusalem.
What courage!
Conclusion
Do you have the courage that Christ can give? When you count the cost, will you do it anyway? Will you have the courage when you fall to stand in Christ again? Will you follow the greatest example of courage found in Jesus Christ?
Can you live the life described in 2 Corinthians 4 “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body...Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
