Be strong and courageous, a sermon on bravery
1. Two Russian leaders from within the last 100 years are fairly famous.
2. One of these men is Nikita Khrushchev; the other is Joseph Stalin.
3. Stalin was in power before Khrushchev and he was a mean.
4. Under his rule some 20 million people starved to death.
5. At least another million were executed for “political offenses.”
6. About 10 more million were deported, exiled, or sent to prison camps.
7. Khrushchev was one of Stalin’s colleagues. Time passed and finally Mr. Khrushchev came into power.
8. One day Khrushchev was at a gathering and someone shouted out a question.
9. They asked him, “Why didn’t you stop Stalin”?
10. Khrushchev immediately asked, “WHO SAID THAT”?
11. There was no reply.
12. Khrushchev answered a question with a question.
13. Khrushchev was afraid to intervene with Stalin just as the heckler was afraid to identify himself.
14. Fear affected both men.
WE HAVE SOME SPECIAL WORDS IN OUR ENGLISH LANGUAGE—WORDS LIKE COURAGE, BOLDNESS AND BRAVEY.
a) Most preachers have at one time or another spoken about courage.
b) Lessons have been presented about boldness in most congregations.
c) I do not recall much ever being said about bravery.
d) Maybe we do not see much difference between boldness, courage and bravery.
2) Whether we can draw much of a distinction or not, tonight’s lesson is about braveness.
3) I want to look at this topic by way of example.
4) The Bible says some things have been written for our example (Rom. 15:4).
5) We have information about braveness scattered throughout the Bible.
a) Our beginning point comes from the life of Abraham, Gen. 12:1-9.
b) In the opening verse of this chapter Abraham was told to leave his “country” and “people.”
6) It is one thing to have some relatives in an area and move to another area of the country.
7) If all our family were on the east coast and we go for the west coast, that would be a big change.
8) Imagine a situation where we do not go many miles away; we actually go to a different country.
a) In our day and time this type of move still might not be that bad.
b) Most foreign countries are accustomed to having American visitors.
c) We have ways to communicate with family members from almost anywhere in the world.
d) Abraham was not going to have this ability. He also lacked some other things.
e) Abraham was asked to go to a new place “sight unseen.”
f) He didn’t have the Internet to use so he could investigate this new area.
g) He couldn’t go down to his local travel center and get a brochure.
h) There was no encyclopedia for him to read for information.
i) He did not have a local library with resources to tell him about where he might be headed.
j) This man was asked to go into something entirely on faith and the help of God.
k) That required courage – Gen. 12:1 – READ.
9) For someone who in their 20’s, they might look at this matter as an adventure.
10) I recently read about a young person who is tens of thousands of dollars in debt.
11) He is young and wanted to travel the world for a couple of years so he borrowed money.
12) For him (and others), this is fun.
13) Was Abraham in his early 20’s at this time? Verse 4 – READ.
14) We can go through a trying time and then sort of sit back and breathe a sigh or relief.
15) Yes, we had to be courageous and brave, but thankfully that time has passed.
16) Abraham’s life (Gen. 22 is the next reference) became a little more complex as time passed.
17) He had to be brave on other occasions.
18) In Gen. 12:10 we read about a famine he had to endure.
19) This was a challenge, but probably not as great as what the 22nd chapter of Genesis describes.
a) This chapter opens by saying Abraham was “proven” by God.
b) A test was administered and the test involved Isaac, Abraham’s son.
c) The specifics of the test are found in verse 2: God told him to offer Isaac as a sacrifice.
d) Doing this required a great deal of courage and faith.
e) Many would look at this instruction and simply refuse to do it.
f) Listen to Gen. 22:3 – READ.
20) “Early the next morning” Abraham went to do what God had commanded.
21) Notice that braveness is associated with a willingness to begin work immediately.
22) A lack of courage is often associated with procrastination.
23) We also want to read verses 10-11 – READ.
a) If we think about braveness we can relate it to fearlessness.
b) Not everyone who is fearless is brave; some are fearless because they do not have much sense.
c) Abraham was brave and fearless. God told him what to do and it did it without hesitation.
24) Abraham is a pretty well known example so let’s turn to a less visible Bible character, Gideon.
25) In Judg. 6:1 the Bible says Israel “did what was evil” in the eyes of God.
26) For their sin they were delivered to the Midianites for seven years (same verse).
27) Midian was so cruel Israel began to hide in places like caves and dens.
28) It sounds a little modern Alcada.
29) Israel planted crops but their enemies destroyed what had been sown (verses 3-4).
a) Finally Israel “cried out to God” for help (verse 6).
b) We want to start with verse 12 – READ.
c) There was a man named Gideon and an angel said he was a “mighty warrior.”
d) We would expect braveness from a “mighty soldier.”
e) Gideon said he was not the right man to deliver the nation of Israel – verse 15 – READ.
30) Gideon then said if he were the choice man he wanted a sign – verse 17 – READ.
31) Where we see Gideon’s braveness is verse 25 and following – verse 25 – READ.
a) When something is wrong, it needs to be righted.
b) In this case there were idols and these needed to be torn down.
c) Gideon was told to tear out the false gods.
d) The idols, of course, would not harm him. What about those who worshipped them?
e) If you tear down the gods pagans worship, people will be angry.
f) Verse 30 – READ.
g) It takes a brave man to go in and start rooting out idolatry, but this is precisely what Gideon did.
32) Not only did Gideon tear out what was wrong, he put in what was right – verse 26 – READ.
33) As we look at this account we find something about braveness.
a) Being brave does not mean that our nerves are always completely calm.
b) Brave people still struggle with an element of fear.
c)
We know that because of
verse 27 –
READ.
d) Bravery means someone is willing and ready to stay up for what is right.
34) Moving through the Bible we come to an even lesser told story in the Book of Ezra.
a) Ezra and several others were leaving Babylon and returning to the land of Israel.
b) Ezra 8:22 says the group did not have any type of military escort.
c) This was a dangerous and perilous trip. It took a significant degree of braveness to go.
d) At the end of Ezra 8 we find that the people were depending upon God for help and they received it.
35) As I think about this account I remember a man who made several trips to Russia.
36) He did something that only a few members of the church did.
37) He went to that country carrying tens of thousands of dollars.
38) American currency was like gold and many congregations used it to help buy places for the church to meet.
a) Many Christians carried at least 20,000 in cash into that country for this work.
b) Traveling in a foreign country by yourself can be a little unnerving at times.
c) People will sometimes rob and kill someone, especially a foreigner, for $5.00 let alone tens of thousands.
d) Seeking to be brave was something people did in the past and it is still relevant.
39) Tonight we think about the three young men in Dan. 3:16-18; bravery is not limited to old people.
40) These three young fellows would not bow down to a false god.
41) The king promised punishment (a fiery furnace) and said the punishment would be executed quickly (Dan. 3:15).
a) What did these three men say? Verse 16 – they did not need to answer the king.
b) They said God could deliver them from the king’s furnace and even the hand of the king.
c) Talk such as this was not haughty or an idle threat; it was based on faith.
d) These men believed in the one they served.
42) Like Abraham, Gideon and Ezra, faith in a true and living God was a basis for bravery.
43) We have the additional example of Daniel being brave in Dan. 6:10.
44) He openly prayed when that action was destined to get him into trouble.
45) We know the story about Daniel and the lion’s den.
46) Similar accounts of bravery are found in the New Testament.
47) The apostles were told to stop preaching the gospel.
48) Acts 5:29 says, “we must obey God rather than man.”
49) In 1999 Kenny Rogers released a single song we know as “The Greatest.”
a) The son is about a young boy and a baseball game.
b) The young fellow puts the bat on his shoulder, tosses up the ball, and swings.
c) Down comes the ball and the batter misses.
d) Rather than saying a word, the fellow “grits his teeth” and tries again.
e) He fails, but he brave enough to try again.
f) Do you remember this line: “He shows no fear; he just closes his eyes and listens to the cheers”?
g) Now it is time for the third try.
h) The child adjusts his hat, stares at his bat, and says to himself, “the game is on the line.”
i) This is the third strike and the boy has struck out.
j) The child looks back on the matter and says he did not know he could pitch that well.
k) He struck himself out.
l) We can find bravery in children and it is a great quality.
m) This is a quality that also needs to be found in adults, especially Christians.
50) If we are a Christian, do we seek to be brave for God as we live our lives?
a) Do we seek to stand up for the Lord or often “sit down” for Him?
b) Jesus once spoke about “confessing” Him before men. That takes courage.
c) Inside we may sometimes tremble, but God wants us to be brave.
d) 2 Tim. 1:7 says God has not given us a “spirit of fearfulness.”
e) What has come from Him is power, love and discipline (strength).
f) Are we brave and courageous for God?