Christian Courage
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Welcome
I was going to preach to you from Romans 5 tonight
But in my morning Bible study this passage just spoke to me
And I felt like God was wanting me to share this with you tonight
So I’ll save my little Romans series on sanctification for the week after next
Next Wednesday I will be gone to Salt Lake City Utah
I am taking a very short mission trip to Mormon country
I am leaving Wednesday morning and returning Thursday night
We are meeting with some church planters to see their ministries
We are also going so we can experience the culture there
Jimmy Stewart will be filling in for me next Wednesday
So I encourage you all to come and support him
Tonight I want to talk to you about courage
Courage just means: confident character
It means to not be afraid or intimidated
We as the people of God need to exercise courage
No one who walks with the Lord should be afraid to stand for Him
If God is who He says he is then we should be the most courageous people on the planet
Why? Because if God be for us who can stand against us?
Anyone ever have a problem with being courageous?
Moses sent spies into the Promise Land and they came back with a bad report because they lacked courage
And they wandered fro 40 years
Joshua was courageous and went in the name of the Lord
And God delivered the 430 promise to him
God wants His people to have courage
It takes courage to walk with the Lord
Because God calls us to do some radical things sometimes
And God takes us to go through some difficult places
Biblical courage is not like worldly courage
Its not taking a risk and doing something stupid
It is understanding biblical truth and standing firm on who God is and what God has promised
2 Chronicles 15:1-7
This story follows a great victory that king Asa just had in chapter 14
Asa and his army went out against the Ethiopians with 300,000 men
The Ethiopians has 1 million men and 300 chariots
And it looked hopeless
And from the world’s eyes it was hopeless
And it looked certain that the Ethiopians would have the victory
And do you know what Asa did?
He prayed
And God answered him
God rerouted the Ethiopians in front of Asa’s army and gave Asa the victory
And what is so amazing is what God did next
He sent Asa a message
And it is the message I want us to look at tonight
(v 1) “The Spirit of God came on Azariah”
In the OT the Spirit of God did not dwell in the people like it does today
And in the OT when prophets spoke it was as if God was speaking Himself
The spirit of God would come on someone but would not remain with them
Azariah was merely a mouthpiece for God
Listen to the message God gave to Asa
(v 2) “and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: the Lord is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you”
God is our basis to have courage
God is our basis to have courage
(v 2) “ The Lord is with you when you are with him”
There is no greater power in this world than Almighty God
We just learned this Sunday, “He who is in you, is greater than He who is in the world”
And that power of God literally dwells in our human bodies
That’s biblical truth
The Spirit of God dwells within us
But that power is not under our control but God’s control
And what we become is vessels of His power
God’s power is shown through us, not given to us
And what this verses is saying is “The Lord is with us, when we are with Him”
As long as we remain in God, His power will be present in our lives
That means anything you do (in the Lord) God is going to be with you
And if God is with you, then we have nothing to worry about!
If you are living a life to God then you can be sure God’s power will be with you
Not in your own might
Not in what you can or cannot do
BUT KNOWING THAT THE ALMIGHTY GOD IS WITH YOU!!
THIS VERSE IS CONDITIONAL
God’s help is always conditional
People get the wrong idea when they think God has to help them
People get the wrong idea when they think God is obligated to help them
People have a false idea that God helps everyone no matter how they live
God’s word to Asa was as long as he stayed faithful to Him, then he would be faithful to Asa
God will not be used
God cannot be manipulated
God will not be led
God will not join in with us and become our servant
We must always remain His servant
It’s the other way around!
God is with us
God protects us
God changes things in our lives
WHEN WE ARE WITH GOD
That means every decision you make in your life should be based upon your faithfulness to God
The Lord is with you, when you are with Him.
We can have courage in knowing that God fights for us!
We can have courage in knowing that God fights for us!
Satan loves to discourage us
He loves to make us think we are hopeless
And he makes things look like they are without hope for us
And he puts discouragement into our hearts
And he fills our heads with bad things
And his whole goal is to get us to quit and to walk away from the Lord
He wants you to give up because he knows as long as you remain in Christ you will be victorious!
But when we are with the lord, He is with us
BUT God fights your battles for you
The moment we cry out to Him God begins to work
Right now God is fighting for each one of us
Right now God is bringing victory to us!
All He requires of us is that we remain faithful to Him
2 Chron 20:14-19
Do not fear or be dismayed because this battle belongs to God
Who has more power than God?
Who has more strength than our God
Its not your war anymore, its God’s war
Its not your battle anymore its God’s battle
If you will remain in Him he will not leave you, and He is guaranteed to bring victory!!
It may not be victory the way you want it
It may not look like victory yet
But I am telling you what God has for you is much better than we could ever give ourselves
God has never lost a battle
God has never lost a battle
There is not one shred of Scripture that says God lost anything
There is not one verse that says God was outsmarted
There is not one verse that says those who trusted in God were let down
There is not one verses who says God forgot anyone
There is not one verse that says God was too weak
No where in the Bible or anywhere in history has God ever been beat!!
That’s the God who is with us
Does that say victory?
Does that say power!?
“Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.”
When you stand with God your not standing alone!
He will not fail you!
When you stand with God you are on the winning side
If you were God, would you have any fear?
If you were God would you ever stand down?
“The Lord is with you when you are with Him”
Understand your courage is not in yourself but in God!
If we will just be faithful to God we will win every single time
Your Courage will be Rewarded
Your Courage will be Rewarded
(v 7) “Be strong and do not lose courage, for there is reward in your work”
Work: “Deed or action expending considerable energy”
And it takes a considerable amount of energy t0 stand with the Lord sometimes
And the word quit will come up over an over
And it will wear you out
BUT great is the reward
I am telling you the things God has for you are so much better than you could give yourself
The great blessings that God gives when He brings the victory are in no comparison to what we have today
God wants to bless you
God has never put me through a battle that did not end with a blessing
God has never called me to stand firm and I have ever regretted it
TRUST HIM