Courage, Strength, Love and Grace
Courage, Strength, Love and Grace
1 Corinthians 16:13-14; 23
1. INTRO:
A. Did you see the episode of American Idol recently where this guy showed up and sounded incredibly like a woman? Whether it made you laugh or not, it was jarring how a voice so feminine and high came out of a man’s body. It just didn’t seem right.
B. Today is Super Bowl Sunday and fittingly we have a passage about strength, courage and firmness.
2. Scripture 1 Corinthians 16:13, 14, 23
Ø Four Imperatives: Alert, Firm, Courageous, Strong
Ø Like Joshua 1:6-9
3. Be Alert
Ø Be alert, watchful, and vigilant; concerning ideas, actions and apathy.
Ø Quarterback better pick up the blitz, and he has to be alert to do it. Alert to the changing formations, movement in unexpected directions, etc. Otherwise, he sees it to late, and he is toast!
Ø 1 Peter 5:8 - Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
Ø Guards should never be sleeping, drowsy or careless.
Ø Our enemy is never idle, and is wiley. He longs to destroy you and your fruit.
4. Stand Firm (in the faith)
Ø Ask Aaron to get ready for me to crash into him, “ok, way too casual, pretend I am you and you are me; ok, way too scared, just pretend I am as big as Benton.” How did he stand and why?
Ø Baseball players (and golfers) getting ready to bat? Why, really comfy?
Ø In the faith: faith in Jesus, and the faith as in the core of the message: Jesus as perfect God & man, dieing & rising, as history, providing for your salvation by grace.
Ø While our salvation is secure, if we do not stand firm, it is very easy to get pushed off a confident understanding of our faith and become joyless and fruitless.
5. Be Courageous (Be a Man)
Ø Be manly, primarily as opposed to childish (be an adult), but in this passage has something of the man as warrior.
Ø Children are more easily terrified, defeated, discouraged, and distracted.
Ø We are all to be holy warriors, but not against infidels, they are not our enemy, but rather against spiritual enemies.
Ø Don’t cut and run when it gets tough.
Ø I doubt there are any starters in today’s game who aren’t prepared to battle every play, even if they are getting beaten. They keep fighting, they don’t wimp out.
6. Be Strong
Ø This command is a middle passive, between be strong and be strengthened, “get strong.” It is used in NT to refer primarily to spiritual strength.
Ø We cannot make ourselves spiritually strong. We can only strengthen our connection to the one who can.
Ø “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me,” Paul declared (Phil. 4:13)
Ø Isaiah 40:31 - but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
7. Act in Love
Ø If the enemy is spiritual, then love is a desired target.
Ø Here we leave the NFL analogy. It’s no problem if NFL players demoralize opposing players on the field. But our enemies are not those on the field with us.
Ø All things must be (done, held, decided, etc.) in love.
Ø Love reminder from Greatest Commandments, Mark of a Christian, & 1Co.13
Ø Love… is the beautiful, softening principle. It keeps our firmness from becoming hardness and our strength from becoming domineering. It keeps our maturity gentle and considerate. It keeps our right doctrine from becoming obstinate dogmatism and our right living from becoming smug self–righteousness. MacArthur, J. (1996, c1984). 1 Corinthians. Chicago: Moody Press.
8. Grace Be With You
Ø Before crucifixion charis had its emphasis on all that produced joy and wellbeing. Afterwards, due to the centrality of the cross in having that joy and wellbeing, its emphasis shifted toward the unmerited or unearned favor through which these come through Christ and salvation.
Ø the merciful kindness (gift) by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues.
Ø Paul’s blessing is that we might have God’s grace not just in salvation, but in our walk of sanctification.
Ø While we try to alertly and perfectly balance a strong, firm, mature faith without failing to love in everything, we are going to need it.