Courageous!
Courage - the ability to do something that you know is difficult or dangerous, mental or moral strength to go somewhere that is unknown, dangerous; to start to do something new or different that usually involves risk, perseverance; to withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.
In the Bible we read about many who were courageous. God told Noah to build an ark to save their family and mankind. God told Abram to go - but didn't tell him where. God told many He would do certain things for them - but didn't tell them how.
In the book of Joshua, Joshua is given the overwhelming task of taking over the leadership role of the children of Israel. Moses had died, the Promised Land is ahead of them - his job is to lead this second generation of freed slaves to fight and conquer some of the world's most seasoned soldiers and armies. Do you think some of those words - to go somewhere that is unknown, dangerous, to start to do something new or different that usually involves risk, perseverance, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty, may have entered in the heart and mind of Joshua?
Joshua 1:1 - 9 After the death of Moses the LORD's servant, the LORD spoke to Joshua son of Nun, who had served Moses: "Moses My servant is dead. Now you and all the people prepare to cross over the Jordan to the land I am giving the Israelites. I have given you every place where the sole of your foot treads, just as I promised Moses. Your territory will be from the wilderness and Lebanon to the great Euphrates River--all the land of the Hittites--and west to the Mediterranean Sea.
No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. I will be with you, just as I was with Moses. I will not leave you or forsake you. "Be strong and courageous, for you will distribute the land I swore to their fathers to give them as an inheritance. Above all, be strong and very courageous to carefully observe the whole instruction My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or the left, so that you will have success wherever you go.
This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite it day and night, so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do. Haven't I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."
Put yourself in Joshua's shoes - how would you feel after God spoke to you like that? "Be strong and courageous, be strong and very courageous, haven't I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." In Joshua 1:3 God said "I have given you every place where the sole of your foot treads". God already promised him the victory before any battle was fought.
God didn't tell Joshua how the battles would be won, He just simply told him to be strong and courageous - have faith - trust God. God didn't tell Joshua that he would walk around the walls of Jericho and they would fall down - He just told him to be strong and courageous. God didn't tell Joshua that during the battle over the Amorites that he would ask the sun to stand still so darkness wouldn't come till the battle was won - He just told him to be strong and courageous.
How would you like to go into any battle with the promise from God - already knowing the outcome? Would that confidence give you strength and courage and faith? Would that confidence take away all fear, would that faith and trust take away all fear?
2Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.
1John 4:18 There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear,
Where do you find your confidence - is it in God or yourself or your circumstances?
Where do you find your strength - is it in God or yourself or your circumstances?
Where do you find your courage - is it in God or yourself or your circumstances?
Who do you put your faith in - is it in God or yourself or your circumstances?
Who do you put your trust in - is it in God or yourself or your circumstances?
We live in a world where Satan has deceived man in believing that everything revolves around us and what we have going on. The sad thing is this attitude has entered the church - yea even the Refuge.
Look again at God's promises to Joshua:
Joshua 1:5 - 6 No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. I will be with you, just as I was with Moses. I will not leave you or forsake you. "Be strong and courageous
This promise was not for just Joshua look at the courage that God gives us through this promise:
Hebrews 13:5b - 6 He Himself has said, I will never leave you or forsake you. Therefore, we may boldly say: The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
Each of us can have that same courage - not through anything we do - but through everything He does.
Where do we find our courage?
God then adds instruction to Joshua not only who his courage comes from but also where it comes from:
Joshua 1:7 - 8 Above all, be strong and very courageous to carefully observe the whole instruction My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or the left, so that you will have success wherever you go. This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite it day and night, so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do.
Read and be obedient to the Word of God - all of it! God didn't tell Joshua to pick and choose and believe what you want to. He didn’t tell him to add it as a nice ritual. He told Joshua to carefully observe the whole instruction, This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite it day and night, so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. God’s Word was to be his whole navigating system. Everything he did was to be a reflection of what was inside.
God didn't tell Joshua to pick and choose what is convenient and live the way you think: Do not turn from it to the right or the left. It wasn’t a possible choice. It was the whole deal. How does knowing and following the Word of God give courage? We can base our decisions by the truth of God.
How do you treat the Word of God? Do you believe it? Do you live by it? Do you even read it so you know what God says? Do you allow the Holy Spirit to reveal Himself through it?
Deuteronomy 4:29 But from there, you will search for the LORD your God, and you will find Him when you seek Him with all your heart and all your soul.
To live this Christian life the way God designed it, there is no room for you. If you want confidence, if you want strength, if you want courage, if you want faith, if you want trust; get rid of yourself.
Hebrews 3:6 But Christ was faithful as a Son over His household. And we are that household if we hold on to the courage and the confidence of our hope.
Hebrews 10:35 So don't throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.
2Corinthians 1:12 For this is our confidence: The testimony of our conscience is that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you, with God-given sincerity and purity, not by fleshly wisdom but by God's grace.
2Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.
1John 4:18 There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear,
Where do you find your confidence - is it in God or yourself or your circumstances?
Where do you find your strength - is it in God or yourself or your circumstances?
Where do you find your courage - is it in God or yourself or your circumstances?
Who do you put your faith in - is it in God or yourself or your circumstances?
Who do you put your trust in - is it in God or yourself or your circumstances?
We live in a world where Satan has deceived man in believing that everything revolves around us and what we have going on. The sad thing is this attitude has entered the church - yea even the Refuge.
Look again at God's promises to Joshua:
Joshua 1:5 - 6 No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. I will be with you, just as I was with Moses. I will not leave you or forsake you. "Be strong and courageous
This promise was not for just Joshua look at the courage that God gives us through this promise:
Hebrews 13:5b - 6 He Himself has said, I will never leave you or forsake you. Therefore, we may boldly say: The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
Each of us can have that same courage - not through anything we do - but through everything He does.
Where do we find our courage?
God then adds instruction to Joshua not only who his courage comes from but also where it comes from:
Joshua 1:7 - 8 Above all, be strong and very courageous to carefully observe the whole instruction My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or the left, so that you will have success wherever you go. This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite it day and night, so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do.
Read and be obedient to the Word of God - all of it! God didn't tell Joshua to pick and choose and believe what you want to. He didn’t tell him to add it as a nice ritual. He told Joshua to carefully observe the whole instruction, This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite it day and night, so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. God’s Word was to be his whole navigating system. Everything he did was to be a reflection of what was inside.
God didn't tell Joshua to pick and choose what is convenient and live the way you think: Do not turn from it to the right or the left. It wasn’t a possible choice. It was the whole deal. How does knowing and following the Word of God give courage? We can base our decisions by the truth of God.
How do you treat the Word of God? Do you believe it? Do you live by it? Do you even read it so you know what God says? Do you allow the Holy Spirit to reveal Himself through it?
Deuteronomy 4:29 But from there, you will search for the LORD your God, and you will find Him when you seek Him with all your heart and all your soul.
To live this Christian life the way God designed it, there is no room for you. If you want confidence, if you want strength, if you want courage, if you want faith, if you want trust; get rid of yourself.
Hebrews 3:6 But Christ was faithful as a Son over His household. And we are that household if we hold on to the courage and the confidence of our hope.
Hebrews 10:35 So don't throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.
2Corinthians 1:12 For this is our confidence: The testimony of our conscience is that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you, with God-given sincerity and purity, not by fleshly wisdom but by God's grace.
Then God gives Joshua a stern command:
Joshua 1:9 Haven't I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."
Just as God commanded Joshua to be strong and courageous - not in himself but in God - He commands you also to be strong and courageous not in yourself but in God. When we do things His way we can have courage because:
Hebrews 13:5b He Himself has said, I will never leave you or forsake you.
No matter what we may have to go through in this life we have that promise, "I will never leave you or forsake you".
Remember the parable of the 2 sons and which son we are if we are followers of Jesus Christ? We are the son who repented and came back to the father who gave us the robe to wear - the best robe - we were given the right to enjoy the place of right standing with the father.
We were given the ring - we were given the power and authority to carry out the father's business.
We were given sandals to wear - in the Jewish household only the father and his sons had that right.
By His grace, we have everything we need to live a fruitful life, maybe not fruitful in the world’s eyes, but fruitful in God’s eyes. But fear is one of the major things that can hold us back. And if we are motivated by fear, we cannot be motivated by faith or love. What motivates you? What rules your life?
In the book of Mark, we find an example of fear in the disciples’ lives:
Mark 4:35 - 41 On that day, when evening had come, He told them, "Let's cross over to the other side of the sea." So they left the crowd and took Him along since He was already in the boat. And other boats were with Him. A fierce windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped.
But He was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke Him up and said to Him, "Teacher! Don't You care that we're going to die?" He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Silence! Be still!" The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Then He said to them, "Why are you fearful? Do you still have no faith?" And they were terrified and asked one another, "Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey Him!"
This event took place early in Jesus's ministry. The disciples had already witnessed many people being healed. They had already witnessed God's power through Jesus when it came to the lives of others, but how would it affect them when the storm came to their lives? Many in this room are facing storms you have never encountered before. How are you facing them?
Mark 4:38 But He was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke Him up and said to Him, "Teacher! Don't You care that we're going to die?"
I wonder how Jesus felt at this statement from those whom He chose to teach and would someday carry His message to others; "Teacher! Don't You care"?
The storms of life come and will come in our lives - how do you react? Jesus said He would never leave me or forsake me – so what is this storm all about? "Teacher! Don't You care"? Jesus don't you care? Jesus do you even know what I'm going through? How many have asked Jesus questions like that? How many have felt like that? Jesus responded this way:
Mark 4:39 – 40 He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Silence! Be still!" The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Then He said to them, "Why are you fearful? Do you still have no faith?"
Where is our faith when things don't go the way we think they should? Where is our courage when things don't go the way we think they should? "Why are you fearful? Do you still have no faith?"
Jeremiah 29:11 - 13 For I know the plans I have for you"--this is the LORD's declaration--"plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
God has a plan for you, He has had it long before you were ever born. Do you have the courage to trust Him with you entire life so He can fulfill that plan through you?
Will you be strong and courageous as God told Joshua?
God also told Joshua that he would prosper and succeed in whatever he did.
Some preach that verse that God will give you prosperity and success in the eyes of man. I see that promise that God will use you to bring prosperity and success in God's eyes.
The world might look and think or even say that you are wasting your life following God and doing His will – I don’t care what the world thinks.
Do you have courage to stand with God and live for Him and allow His purpose to work out through your life?
At the end of Joshua’s life, he gathered the Children of Israel together and gave this speech:
Joshua 24:13 – 15 I gave you a land you did not labor for, and cities you did not build, though you live in them; you are eating from vineyards and olive groves you did not plant.' "Therefore, fear the LORD and worship Him in sincerity and truth. Get rid of the gods your fathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and worship the Lord. But if it doesn't please you to worship the Lord, choose for yourselves today the one you will worship: the gods your fathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my family, we will worship the Lord."
Ask yourself – Who am I worshiping right now? Who is Lord of my life?
Who or what is God in my life?
Everything is great until the storms of life come, that will show us who we place our faith and trust in.
Is it our job – what happens if we lose it? Is it our kids – what happens if they go astray? Is it our health – what happens if we lose it?
Our faith, our confidence, our trust, must be in God and the finished work of His Son Jesus Christ.
Where is your faith this morning?
Is your faith and courage in yourself?
Or is your faith and courage in Jesus Christ?
We need a change of heart this morning. We need a change of trust this morning. We need to repent of the life we have been living and totally give ourselves over to Him.
To live a Christian life this morning we need to have the courage that only Christ can give us. Do you need it? Do you want it? He has a plan for you that you could never imagine – do you have the courage to follow Him completely?
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