Sermon: A Call to Courage
Scripture - 1Corinthians 16:13-18 “Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love. You know that Stephanas and his household were the first of the harvest of believers in Greece, and they are spending their lives in service to God’s people. I urge you, dear brothers and sisters, to submit to them and others like them who serve with such devotion. I am very glad that Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus have come here. They have been providing the help you weren’t here to give me. They have been a wonderful encouragement to me, as they have been to you. You must show your appreciation to all who serve so well.”
Introduction: What does the Bible say about courage? In scripture, courage refers to an attitude of strength. Over and over believers are told to fear not and be of "good cheer." Which means to act with boldness and confidence in face of adversity. Throughout the Bible, God commands us to fear not, to be of good cheer, and to have courage in our life. Every believer must respond to God’s call to courage. The Christian life must be lived out in a hostile environment. The temptation to compromise, withdraw and abandon our assignment is on every side. How do Christians keep their eyes on the cross or on Jesus, who not only gives us direction, but it also connects us to the source of peace, strength and courage. Writing to the Church at Corinth, Apostle Paul encourages each member to be alert, stand firm in their faith, to be courageous, and be strong. Writing to the Church at Ephesus, Paul admonishes them in Ephesians 6:10-11 by saying, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
If courageous believers are going to be successful in their Christian endeavors, they must be alert to the actions of their enemies, be mindful of their relationship with Christ, be courageous in their attitude and be strong in their fortitude. This mindset is a matter of choice. We can choose to be alert or be sleep; to be in Christ or stand in ourselves; to be a coward or courageous and we can choose to be strong or weak. It’s a matter of choice for the believer. Every true believer has a choice. Unbelievers serve a different master who limits their ability and takes away their choice. Satan is a hard task master.
Considering the Missionary’s theme of courage and using 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 as my text, listen as Apostle Paul speaks from his heart to leadership at Corinth. He says, “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.” His word of encouragement shows us five characteristics of Courageous Believers.
1. Courageous Believers Must Be Watchful - As believers, we have to be aware of what is going on around us. Jesus said, “If the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit” (Matt. 15:14). Many believers are asleep. We need to be attentive. We need to know the condition of our life, our family, and the world around us. Believers need to know what is going on in their life, in their homes, church and community. If you continue the road you are on, what will your life, family, church and community look like in five years? Ephesians 5:14-18 cautions believers by saying, “Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;”
This passage of Scripture and many others tell us to be watchful. We should guard against the attack of the enemy, guard against anything that tries to rob you of your vision. Guard your mind against those defeating thoughts that try to make you feel powerless. You are in Christ. Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. Jesus came to give sight to the blind! He enables us to be watchful and aware. We can see spiritually. We know that without vision people perish and without people the vision perishes. Believers must be watchful. Where are you going? Make up your mind, as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. Through the good times and bad, be watchful and maintain your focus.
2. Courageous Believers Must Stand Firm. Standing firm means putting on spiritual armor, as described in Ephesians 6. The Bible tells us that we need to put on the whole armor of God so that we can stand firm against the enemy's schemes. We must be strong in our faith and not give in to temptation or pressure from this world. The second thing listed in 1 Corinthians 16:13 is to stand firm. Don’t waver in your faith or retreat from your position in Christ and for Christ. Believers need a daily supply of spiritual nourishment. Believers read the Word of God daily and meditate on it. Believers build their lives on the Word of God. There are many doctrines in the Bible such as doctrine of God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, the word of God, Sin, Salvation, Church, Christian Life, Angels and Demons, and End Times. Believers need to know what we believe about these things. Then take a stand. We must have compassion and love for those we disagree with. Having compassion does not mean compromise. Believers should show respect and love to everyone, but there are some basic truths on which we stand and should not compromise. The firmness of our stand will be determined by what we stand in, what we stand on and who we stand with.
3. Courageous Believers Must Grow Up. Paul uses the phrase is “act like men.” Some translations say, “be courageous” or “be brave. What does it mean to “act like men”? As the context suggests, the idea has to do with courage and bravery. Growing up is about accepting responsibility. Doing what you say you will do. Not making excuses. The word used in the original Greek means to behave like a man. The only place it’s found in the New Testament is here. Mature believers are given responsibility to lead, provide for, and to protect and take oversight. Jesus, who is the Word of God and the bread of life, gives his disciples a simple directive for their ministry. Feed my sheep, feed my lambs and tend my sheep, truly feeding Jesus's sheep means offering good news that impacts people's lives holistically.
Jesus came to this earth as a man. He grew in wisdom, stature, in favor with God and man. As a man, Jesus exemplifies and empowers us to walk in His steps, to live as He lived, to act like a man. Jesus is a man’s man. He made a whip and drove out the con artists and swindlers. He stood up for a woman caught in adultery. He called the Pharisees snakes. In the book of Revelation, Jesus is riding a white stallion, with a sword and a robe dipped in blood. His name is called The Word of God and all the armies in heaven follow Him. He will strike the nations and He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. In Jesus we see the attributes of maturity, boldness to stand against error, compassion to the fallen, boldness to call out hypocrisy and the courage to fight for victory. Believers Must Be Watchful. Believers Must Stand Firm. And Believers must grow up.
4. Courageous Believers Must Be Strong - “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.” Our attitude of Strength comes from our association with Jesus Christ. He is our source of strength; he enables us to be strong. 1 Corinthians 10:12 says, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” Believers acknowledge their own weaknesses, yet know they are strong in the Spirit. Jesus does not only give us strength, He is our strength. We all have weaknesses or limitations in one area or another. Believers are not perfect, but they live their lives in pursuit of Scriptural holiness. We all are tempted, but remember It is not a sin to be tempted. Sin is when you yield to temptation. We have to be strong and resist temptation. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”
Samson was called the strongest man in the world, but Delilah got him. He was dedicated to God from his birth, raised up as a Nazarite by Godly parents, carried often to temple worship, yet Delilah got him. What the armies of the philistines could not do, a defenseless woman did. Why? Samsom refused to be watchful, refused to stand firm and he refused to grow up. He played with his gift and his assignment until he lost his anointing. We are told in 1 Corinthians 13:11 to put away childish things, “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” The devil knows what “Delilah” to send your way. Believers must exercise self-control by being under the Spirit’s control. Believers can be strong, and they should be strong. Believers must be watchful, stand firm, grow up and be strong.
5. Courageous Believers Must Walk In Love - Verse 14 says, “Let all that you do be done in love.”
Believers are called to love God and to love others. When they are in love with Jesus, they will love their families, love others, love God’s Word, His church, and the things of God. John 3:16 is probably the most well-known Bible verse: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” This passage shows us the extent of God’s love. His love extends from the worst of us to the best of us, the good, the bad and the ugly. Every sinner can find room in the “whosoever.”
Believers must always walk in love, never in anger, violence, cruel, rude, or abusive. In this hostile environment, believers must engage with all kinds of people. Some will be angry, violent, cruel, rude, even abusive, but believers must walk in love. Jesus is the ultimate example. Jesus was compassionate and courageous in all that He did. Tough and tender. In 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter, Paul says, “If I have not love I am nothing.” Without love you would become militant. When love is missing, a peaceful march can turn into a violent mob. Jesus is the perfect example for courageous believers. God became man. He faced work, fatigue, rejection, religious bigots, false friends, opportunistic associates, misunderstanding by family, and temptation, and He overcame every test and walked in love. Love one another was His command.
John 13:34, 35, “A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”
Believers must exercise self-control by being under the Spirit’s control. So, Believers can be strong, and they should be strong. Believers must be watchful, and they should be watchful, stand firm and they should stand firm in their relationship with Christ and their convictions for Christ. Believers must grow up, keep growing in the Grace of God and in knowledge of God. Believers must be strong in the armor of God and stand against the attacks of the enemy and the compromise of the world. Finally, we must do it all in love. Be on guard. Stand firm in faith and for the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love. Courage is always fueled by what we believe. Good courage is fueled by faith in the ultimate goodness of God and all he promises to us in Christ Jesus. Therefore, courage must be taken — we must take hold of promises of God knowing that victory is sure. Then having done all, we can stand firm in the evil day.
In the hymn, it says, Yield not to temptation For yielding, yielding is sin, Each victory will help you, some other to win. Fight manfully onward, dark passions subdue, you just look ever to Jesus and He will carry you through.
Just ask the Savior to help you, comfort, strengthen and keep you. He is willing to aid you, he will carry you through. Yes, Jesus will carry you through!
Mark Batterson, in his book “Play the Man: Becoming the Man God Created You to Be” relates a story of Polycarp, a disciple of John.
“Like a scene straight out of Gladiator, Polycarp was dragged into the Roman Colosseum. Discipled by the apostle John himself, the aged bishop faithfully and selflessly led the church at Smyrna through the persecution prophesied by his spiritual father. “Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer,” writes John in Revelation 2:10. “Be faithful, even to the point of death.”
John had died a half century before, but his voice still echoed in Polycarp’s ears as the Colosseum crowd chanted, “Let loose the lion!” That’s when Polycarp heard a voice from heaven that was audible above the crowd: strong, Polycarp. Play the man”.
Days before, Roman bounty hunters had tracked him down. Instead of fleeing, Polycarp fed them a meal. Perhaps that’s why they granted his last request—an hour of prayer. Two hours later, many of those who heard the way Polycarp prayed actually repented of their sin on the spot. They did not, however, relent of their mission.
Like Jesus entering Jerusalem, Polycarp was led into the city of Smyrna on a donkey. The Roman proconsul implored Polycarp to recant. “Swear by the genius of Caesar!” Polycarp held his tongue, held his ground. The proconsul prodded. “Swear, and I will release thee; revile the Christ!”
“Eighty and six years have I served Him,” said Polycarp. “And He has done me no wrong! How then can I blaspheme my King who saved me?” The die was cast.
Polycarp was led to the center of the Colosseum where three times the proconsul announced, “Polycarp has confessed himself to be a Christian.” The bloodthirsty crowd chanted for death by beast, but the proconsul opted for fire.
As his executioners seized his wrists to nail him to the stake, Polycarp stopped them. “He who gives me strength to endure the fire will enable me to do so without the help of your nails.”
As the pyre was lit on fire, Polycarp prayed one last prayer: “I bless you because you have thought me worthy of this day and this hour to be numbered among your martyrs in the cup of your Christ.”
Soon the flames engulfed him, but strangely they did not consume him. Like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego before him. Polycarp was fireproof. Instead of the stench of burning flesh, the scent of frankincense wafted through the Colosseum.
Using a spear, the executioner stabbed Polycarp through the flames. Polycarp bled out, but not before the twelfth martyr of Smyrna had lived out John’s exhortation: be faithful even to the “point of death. Polycarp died fearlessly and faithfully. And the way he died forever changed the way those eyewitnesses lived. He did what the voice from heaven had commanded. Polycarp played the man.
You and I must play the man for our generation. Our generation is confused, walking in darkness, and asleep to the danger around them. The culture has changed the standard, and sin has disguised itself. People are calling right wrong and wrong right. Courageous believers must be different. Courageous believers must be watchful, stand firm, grow up in Christ, be strong in the faith and walk in love. We must love God and love people, show compassion without compromising. We must proclaim that Jesus is still the way, the truth and the life. Who will be courageous for Jesus? Who will be strong for Christ? As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. Amen
