Be strong and courageous

Introduction

Please turn with me to 1 Corinthians 16:13, 14. pray. Read (This is the very word of God)

I shouldn’t need to explain to you the times in which we live. Rife with immorality, self-worship, and drag queens. The Body of Christ has so many false shepherds, false Christs, that you can find just as much heresy at Joy Christian Bookstore as you can find at Barnes and Noble.

And yet here we are.

That is the very reason I bring you to this passage this morning.

Not a normal set of commands.

We see a list of four commands here:

1. Be watchful.

2. Stand firm in the faith.

3. Act like men.

Greek word: Andrizomai. Which can be translated Be courageous.

4. Be strong.

Before we break this down there is a greater context to these commands that would help greatly in our understanding of them, as we minister in the times in which we do.

These aren’t a normal set of commands. They follow a long standing pattern set all the way back in the days of Moses, that a group of people or, more often, a person was commissioned with these words.

Moses to the Israelites, getting ready to enter into the Promised Land.

Please to to Deuteronomy 31:3-6.

He commissions the Israelites to be strong and courageous, knowing that Yahweh their God would be with them. They would not need to fear the Nations that they were too drive out.

Moses to Joshua.

Look at Deuteronomy 31:7, 8.

This was essentially Moses passing the torch to Joshua, by giving this Commission him, to lead fearlessly, because of their awesome God.

Yahweh God to Joshua.

You’re probably familiar with the Yahweh’s commissioning to Joshua. Go ahead and look at it: Joshua 1:5-9.

Joshua to the Israelites.

Joshua 10:25. In a ruthless display of victory over the kings in battle, Joshua encourages the chiefs of the men at war to kill the kings. They did so to follow God’s commands.

Joab to his warriors.

2 Samuel 10:12. With the Ammonites on one side and the Arameans on the other, and what looked like likely defeat, Joab, Commander of King David’s army, gives the same command. They took the day.

King David to King Solomon.

We actually see this both in private and before all Israel.

Private: 1 Chronicles 22:11-13.

Public: 1 Chronicles 28:20.

1. Be watchful.

be sober, understand the times. Don’t be caught off guard by the times.

2. Stand firm in the faith.

Know what you believe and why you believe it. Live out the Scriptures. There is a reason we don’t run our church by “business managers weekly”.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be equipped, having been thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Remember in almost every commission there was a concerted focus on following what God set forth in His Law or the Scripture: Joshua 1:7-8 ““Only be strong and very courageous to be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn aside from it to the right or to the left, so that you may be prosperous wherever you go. “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way successful, and then you will be prosperous.”

3. Act like men.

Be courageous. Be ready to battle for the truth.

4. Be strong.

Have fortitude. Take the hit, and keep going, knowing Who you serve.

Ephesians 6:10-18.