Courage

LESSON NOTES from Sunday's Adult Christian Education Class taught by Matt Sallee.

Joshua 1:9 says, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid, or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

In the Adult Class, Matt Sallee asked, "Is this command for us today?"

He then shared three other verses:  Isaiah 41:10, 2 Corinthians 1:20, and Romans 8:32.

Joshua 1:9 is for us today because of who God is and what He does. God is with his people wherever they go, and He gave us the one greatest thing we need: JESUS and so much more.

There are four commands in Joshua 1:9

• Be strong (Ephesians 6:10-18, Philippians 4:13, 2 Corinthians 13:4-6)
• Be courageous - Here are some Biblical examples of courage - Stephen (Acts 7), the church (Acts 8), Paul (Acts 17), Esther (Esther 5:7), wives, husbands, and children (Ephesians 5, 6), Joshua and Caleb (Number 13, 14)
• Do not be afraid
• Do not be dismayed

Remember the LORD is with you (Zephaniah 3:17, Matthew 28:20, Hebrews 13:5)

What can give the Christian strength and courage and not to be afraid or dismayed?

• A love for God - Luke 10:27: "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself."
•  Repentance of sin - Proverbs 28:13: "He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy. Do we mourn for our sins?"
• Genuine Humility Psalm 51:17: "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart - these, O God, You will not despise.
• Devotion to God's Glory - 1 Corinthians 10:28: "Therefore, whatever you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the Glory of God."
• Continual prayer - Philippians 4:6: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God."
• Selfless love - 1 John 2:9: "He who says he is in the light and hates his brother, is in darkness until now."
• Hunger for God's Word - 1 Peter 2:1-3 "laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of God's Word, that you may grow thereby if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious."
•  Proclaim, Defend the Gospel - Jude 3 "…I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints." and Ephesians 5:11 - "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them."

The bottom line is that the church is courageous because of who God is and what He has done.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

Time for the Talk gives the following definition of courage.

"To pursue courage means choosing to do what is right despite the opposition of others or your own desires (often the more difficult enemy)."

Interestingly, this definition states that courage is often the most challenging when facing opposition to our desires. 

From Courage by Joe Rigney 

"Fear may be present but not sinful."
He continues to develop the idea that to understand courage/fearlessness let's look at its opposite. "fearfulness is to give in and be mastered by fear; to allow fear to guide our actions.""God gives us two things that give us courage

Belief in Jesus
Suffering for Jesus 

G.K. Chesterton, in Orthodoxy, states that ""ourage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live today in the form of a readiness to die.""Old Testament:  

• Joshua and the Israelites, before and beginning of the time in the  Promised Land (Deuteronomy 31:17; 31:23; Joshua 1:6, 7, 9, 18, 10:25)
• Daniel, during the Exile

New Testament: 

• Jesus teaching - John 16:33;
• Disciples actions - Acts 5

Recent History:  Martyn Lloyd-Jones. The Doctor Who Became a Preacher. 

Additional Resources:

Courage:  How the Gospel Creates Christian Fortitude by Joe Rigney
Available in audiobook and ebook through Hoopla
Available in audiobook through Spotify Premium