25 January 2015
I. Introduction
-- turn in
Bibles to Acts 20:17-24
Acts 20:17-24 (NIV)
17 From Miletus, Paul
sent to Ephesus
for the elders of the church.
18 When they arrived,
he said to them: "You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from
the first day I came into the province of Asia.
19 I served the Lord
with great humility and with tears, although I was severely tested by the plots
of the Jews.
20 You know that I
have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have
taught you publicly and from house to house.
21 I have declared to
both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in
our Lord Jesus.
22 "And now,
compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem,
not knowing what will happen to me there.
23 I only know that
in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.
24 However, I
consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and
complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the
gospel of God's grace.
-- what
comes to mind when you think of courage? -- American soldiers storming the
beaches of Normandy
at D-Day as a hail of German bullets buffets their ranks? -- General Stonewall
Jackson sitting calmly astride his horse at the first Battle of Bull Run, as
shells and bullets were flying all around him? -- William Wallace taking the
field of battle at Banockburn with only a handful of Scotsmen against the might
of the English Army? -- the image of the lone Chinese student standing in the
street and staring down the tanks at Tiananmen Square?
--
certainly, those are some of the images of courage that come to mind when we
hear that word today -- but what about the story of a young monk who was called
to stand trial before the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire -- Emperor Charles V
was surrounded by his advisors and representatives from the church at Rome --
"Spanish troops, decked out in their parade best, surrounded the ruler, while
bishops, princes and representatives of the great cities [of Europe] filled the
rest of the great hall"
-- on a
table beside the monk sat a pile of books written by the monk -- treatises of
theology questioning the faith and practices of the Church at Rome -- the monk was asked two
questions: Had he written these books?
-- to which he affirmed he had -- and, secondly, was he willing to recant of
what he had written or suffer the pronouncement against him by the court of the
Holy Roman Emperor?
-- the monk
understood the implication of the question -- "Charles V and the other
Roman Catholics present" at the hearing believed the pope to be the
spokesman of God on earth -- his word and the practices of the Roman Catholic
Church were sacrosanct -- and they "thought the pope should be the final
authority in matters of faith and practice" -- to speak against the church
at Rome was to speak against the Empire -- and to speak against the church and
the Empire was a death sentence
-- in the
silence of the question, "Will you recant?", the monk stood still and
then "the young man turned to his accusers and asked for more time"
-- they gave him one day to make, what was for him, a life or death decision
-- the next
day the court reconvened and the young monk stood again before the arrayed
power of the Empire and the Church of Rome -- the question hung in the room --
"Will you recant?"
-- to
recant meant to affirm the pope and the Church of Rome were the sole dictators
of the faith and practice of Christianity in the western world -- but the young
monk, a man by the name of Martin Luther, did not believe that -- he believed
Scripture should be the final authority in matters of faith and practice
-- so he
"answered his accusers: Some of his books, he said, even his opponents
agreed contained edifying teaching about the Bible's message -- Naturally, he
would not retract these -- Other of his writings attacked "the papacy and
papist teaching," yet to retract them would only encourage tyranny, he
said
-- "In
some writings, he admitted, he had attacked individuals, perhaps too harshly.
Still he couldn't retract these books because these people defended papal
tyranny.
-- "The
examiner rebuked the monk for not speaking to the point, and demanded:
"You must give a simple, clear, proper answer to the question: Will you
recant or not?"
-- silence
once again reverberated through the courtroom -- "Unless I can be
instructed with evidence from the Holy Scriptures... I cannot and will not
recant."
-- Knowing
he could be arrested or killed for his answer, he concluded, "Here I
stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen."1
-- as this
story shows, courage takes many forms -- while we typically relate courage to
field of valor, the true definition of courage is simply doing what is right
and just despite the consequences -- standing against adversity despite the
odds
-- it took
just as much courage for Martin Luther to stand before the political and
religious power of his day and speak out against the tyranny and injustice of
the church as it does for a soldier to take the battlefield
-- courage
is a state of the heart -- a virtue demanded by our Lord and Savior -- it comes
from a foundation of faith and is built upon the promises of God
II. Courage
-- this
morning we are continuing our sermon series, "Tested and Approved,"
looking at the cardinal virtues of Christianity -- the characteristics -- the
behaviors -- we need in order to live out our Christian lives in this world
-- last
week, we looked at the virtue of wisdom, which we said was the core virtue that
supported all the others -- this week, we are looking at the virtue of courage
-- the word
courage comes from the Latin word cor,
which means “heart” -- So to have courage simply means to have “heart.” --
"God's idea of strength is to have a heart like a lion" -- that's why
men who have heart -- like Richard the Lionhearted, the King of England -- are
known as men of courage and virtue
-- so when
we read in the Bible the command to "take heart," it is a call to be
lionhearted -- it's a call to have courage
-- but
"the courage to do what? -- the courage to do the right thing when all
else tells you not to do it -- the courage to rise above your surroundings and
circumstances -- the courage to be God's idea of a real man [or woman] and to
give of yourself for others when it costs you to do so and when everything
tells you to look out for yourself first"2
-- and while there are many
passages and many stories in the Bible of men and women of faith and courage --
stories like Peter walking on the water at Jesus' command -- Gideon facing down
the Midianites with only a handful of warriors -- Esther approaching King
Xerxes on behalf of her people -- and Daniel in the lion's den -- I was led
today to another great man of courage -- the Apostle Paul
-- this
passage in Acts 20 concerns one of the most important and moving moments in the
life of the Apostle Paul -- Paul is at the end of his third missionary journey
and is making his way to the city of Jerusalem in response to the prompting of
the Holy Spirit
-- and
while we may not see in this passage the image of courage we usually recognize
-- the courage of the battlefield -- the courage of standing in the face of
tyranny and injustice -- we do see the courage of faith developed over a
lifetime of following Jesus
-- think
about it -- most of us here will never face down an enemy on the field of
battle or be called to stand before the court to defend our faith -- we will
probably never need the courage of the soldier or of Martin Luther -- but the
courage of Paul that we see in this passage is the virtue we should be seeking
in our lives -- the courage to stand in our faith against whatever this life
may throw our way -- against the daily hardships we all face
-- as this
passage opens, Paul knows his time on earth is short -- the Spirit has told him
he would face prison and hardships on this journey -- his very death has been
prophesied -- but still he is faithful and turns his face to the end of the journey,
pressing on to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus Christ had
given him
-- as his
ship stops at the port of Miletus, Paul calls for his friends, the elders from
the church of Ephesus, to meet with him there on the shore -- they gather
around him, and as they realize this will be the last time they will see him on
earth, their tears begin to flow -- they share remembrances of their life
together -- they talk about the success of the church and Paul's hope for their
future -- he encourages them -- he gives them courage -- to carry on in the
face of adversity that will surely come against them -- and then they pray with
him as he boards his ship for his last journey to Jerusalem and they say
goodbye to their friend and their brother in Christ
III. Scripture Lesson (Acts 20:17-24)
-- let's
look together again at this passage and see what we can learn about the virtue
of courage from this glimpse of the Apostle Paul's life
-- Acts
20:17
Acts 20:17-21 (NIV)
17 From Miletus, Paul sent to
Ephesus for the
elders of the church.
18 When they arrived, he said to them: "You know how I
lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the
province of Asia.
19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears,
although I was severely tested by the plots of the Jews.
20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything
that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to
house.
21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must
turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.
-- as Paul
meets with his friends for the very last time and encourages them to stand firm
in the future, he reminds them of the example he has given through his own life
of faith -- from the very beginning, Paul's courage to persevere in the face of
difficulty was evident
-- Paul had
been persecuted by his fellow Jews -- both from within and from outside the
church of Christ -- he had stood against the heresies of the Judaizers --
Jewish converts who demanded the Gentiles become Jews if they would seek
salvation through Christ -- in the face of their commands on the Gentiles, Paul
stood up and said, "No, salvation is by grace through faith alone -- not
by works, lest any man should boast" -- Christianity was not Jesus plus
Judaism, but Jesus alone
-- Paul's
stand against them is a reminder that the opposite of courage is not cowardice,
but conformance -- and sometimes courage is simply the ability to lean into
your wisdom and do something different -- to stand against the traditions of
religion and what the world says is the right way in order to uphold the true
doctrines of faith
-- Paul had
never wavered in his faith when confronted with the schemes and the plots of
the Jews against his life, but continued to serve God in the face of floggings
and imprisonment and stoning -- through shipwrecks and hardship -- through
trials and defeats
-- we learn
from Paul that courage is not necessarily success in all endeavors -- but
merely the ability to keep on keeping on -- the will to pick yourself up and
keep on doing what you know to be right despite what adversities you face
-- Paul
says he did not hesitate to preach anything that would be helpful -- but that
he declared to both the Jews and the Greeks the true gospel of Christ --
courage can be as simple as being obedient to God's word in a Christ-rejecting
world
-- verse 22
Acts 20:22-23 (NIV)
22 "And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing
what will happen to me there.
23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me
that prison and hardships are facing me.
-- courage
is facing the unknown without fear because you know that God is with you --
Paul didn't know what awaited him in Jerusalem
-- others had prophesied this trip would end in his death -- but Paul didn't
fear death
-- he had
faced prison and hardships before -- and the Lord had seen through you --
courage was trusting God to do it again
-- In John 16:33 Jesus told his disciples, "In this
world you will have trouble. But take heart -- have courage -- I have overcome
the world." -- as Bill Gothard wrote, courage is "acting on the
knowledge that He who is in me is greater than he who is against me."3
-- Paul tells us it was the Holy Spirit Himself who
compelled him to go on into the unknown at Jerusalem -- Paul could face the future unafraid because
he knew God was with him and he knew God was greater than anything and anyone
he was going to face
-- do you know God is with you? -- as Paul underscores in
these verses, courage is the fruit of trusting faith -- without God -- without
the faith that God is with you -- courage is not possible
-- verse 24
Acts 20:24 (NIV)
24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only
I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the
task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.
-- courage
comes from faith and purpose -- Paul knew why he was here -- he knew why God
had called him -- he understood his place in the story of God's grace
-- and leaning
on his purpose and calling -- knowing that God was with him and that God
undergirded his every move -- Paul had the courage to go forth and finish the
race and complete the task the Lord Jesus had given him
-- the
Bible tells us that without a vision, the people perish -- without a vision,
courage perishes -- do you know why you are here? -- do you know what God has
called you to do with your life?
-- Paul
knew that God had called him to preach the gospel to the Gentiles and he
resolutely completed his task -- finding the courage to continue despite the
hardships he faced
-- knowing
why God has called us and trusting He has placed us where He wants us is the
seed of courage in our lives -- we must know God and know His presence if we
want to live out the life He has called us to live in this place
IV. Developing the Courage of Faith
-- so how
do you develop the courage of faith? -- how do you build this virtue into your
life?
1. Begin with the small stuff
--
several years ago, I read a story from a preacher who had just moved to
Houston, Texas -- he was trying to find
his way around the area -- and, normally, he would drive his car -- but a few
weeks after he got settled into town, he had to go to the downtown area, and
rather than drive his car, he decided to take advantage of Houston's mass
transit system -- so, he went down to the bus stop near his home and waited for
a bus heading downtown
--
when the bus got there, he climbed on and handed his fare to the driver -- the
driver gave him his ticket and the change and the pastor headed to an empty
seat -- When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given
him too much change back
--
he sat there and tried to decide what to do -- it was only a quarter -- 25
cents -- he thought to himself, the right thing to do would be to give the
quarter back -- it would be wrong to keep it -- it wasn't his -- but then he
thought, "What does it matter? -- It's only a quarter. Who would worry
about this little amount? The bus company already gets too much fare for a trip
downtown -- they'll never miss it -- Maybe I should just accept it as a gift
from God and keep quiet."
--
but, when his stop came and he was making his way off the bus, he conscience
got the better of him -- he stopped at the door and handed the quarter to the
driver and said, "Here, you gave me too much change."
--
The driver grinned and took the quarter -- and then he said, "You're the
new preacher in town, aren't you? -- I have been thinking lately about starting
back to church and someone suggested I go to your church -- so, I just wanted
to see what you would do if I gave you too much change."
--
When the preacher stepped off the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light
pole, and held on, and said, "O God, I almost sold your Son for a
quarter."
-- to begin developing courage and integrity,
begin with the small stuff, for it is the foundation of your life -- don't lie
-- don't cheat on your taxes -- don't accept too much change at the register --
don't illegally download music or movies -- your goal as a Christian should be
integrity above all
-- if you
can't be trusted in the small things, you can't be trusted at all
2. Compassion and Empathy -- Paul says in verse
19 he served the Lord with humility and tears
-- his ministry was paved with compassion and empathy -- but how does
that relate to courage, you may ask?
-- courage
is the epitome of selflessness -- courage is the willingness to stand up for
others in the face of personal adversity -- if you don't care about someone or
something, you will never stand for it -- but if you follow the example of Paul
-- if your life is characterized by humility and compassion and empathy for
others -- then you will not idly stand by as you see them face injustice and tyranny
and evil
-- this
week we took a moment to recognize the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. --
while he is often the face of the civil rights movement, we cannot forget the
men and women who stood with him on the front lines -- men and women who willingly
took the same abuse and rejection faced by African-Americans -- men and women
who chose to be beaten and imprisoned because of their compassion and empathy
-- for their stand against injustice and evil
-- to know
people is to care for them -- and to care for them, you must stand for them and
serve them -- strength in the service of others is courageous
3. Trust God -- this means living on faith,
without fear -- 365 times we are told in the Bible, "Fear not" -- and
Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:7, "For God has not given us the spirit
of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." -- the message
of Paul is to live in the courage of faith
-- trusting
in the promises of God gives you the ability to walk into the face of danger or
into unknown situations with the knowledge that no matter what happens, God is
with you -- the worst thing that can happen to you is that you die, but if you
die, you go to be with the Lord -- if you can walk through this life without
fear of death -- with no fear for yourself -- then you can be courageous in all
you do
V. CLOSING
-- as I was
studying for this message, I couldn't help but think of the Matt Damon movie,
"We Bought a Zoo" -- if you remember this movie, Matt Damon's
character, Benjamin Mee, steps out in courage to do something the world thought
was crazy -- in order to rebuild his family after the death of his wife, he
dared to go against the norm in order to live a life that would bring meaning
to them all
-- there's
a great quote in this movie that sums up where we need to begin with this
virtue of courage -- Mee's son is struggling with fear and anxiety and is
unable to muster up the courage he needs to step out and speak to the girl he
loves -- Mee tells him, "You know, sometimes all you need is twenty
seconds of insane courage -- just literally twenty seconds of embarrassing
bravery -- and I promise you, something great will come of it"
-- remember
this, the scariest moment is always just before you start -- that is the moment
where courage is birthed -- when faith is forged
-- when we
were in Dothan this weekend, we noticed the electronic signs that were all over
the place that said, "This year I will..." -- every one of them had
to do with courage -- every one of them had to do with standing on the
precipice of faith and taking twenty seconds of insane courage and embarrassing
bravery to do something different
-- one sign
said, "This year I will finally ask her out" -- another said, "This
year I will finish my novel"
-- what
does your sign say? -- what is God calling you to do in this new year? -- what
act of courage -- what step of faith -- is He asking you to do that will be the
start of something great in your life?
--
"This year I will... what?"
-- let us
pray
-------------------------------------
1 Mark J. Galli, "Adventures In Time Travel: Need
Courage? Hope? Inspiration? Take A Trip Through Church History." Discipleship Journal
2 Eric Metaxes, Seven Men and The Secret of their Greatness
3 Cynthia Heald, "How To Be A Courageous Christian
Woman" -- Discipleship Journal - Sept/Oct 1981
