The Virtue of Courage_Liz

Joshua 1: 9 “Have not I commanded thee?

Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.�

The Virtue of Courage

Courage Defined

The ability to face physical pain, hardship, death, or threat of death. To act righteously in the face of popular opposition, shame or discouragement.

Christ Is Our Example His works & sacrifice on earth exemplify courage Christ faced opposition while teaching & healing The Pharisees & leaders sought to take his life He stood up for the truth no matter the hardship Ultimately Christ did die for his people & the truth

Examples of Christ’s Courage

Standing Up for the Truth Against Man

“My house shall be called the house of prayer…” Matthew 21: 12-13 The House of God is used exclusively to worship

God We must defend the House of God to ensure that only

his will is done By defending God’s house offenses & separation will

Standing Up for the Truth Against Man

 “Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God

by your tradition”  Matthew 15: 1-14  The Pharisees placed their traditions above the laws of

God  Christ advocated the keeping of God’s laws above all

else

Standing Up for the Truth Against Man

 Today the sons of men place their own traditions

above the laws of God •

Christmas and other pagan holidays

•

Worshipping on Sunday

 Despite the trends & traditions of this world we must

always obey and stand up for God’s law  By doing this we will face persecution and trials

Matthew 10: 28

“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.�

Standing Up for the Truth Against Satan

 Matthew 4: 1-11  Christ was tempted 3 times by Satan  He was fasting & physically in a weakened state  He did not use his power to defeat Satan  Instead he used his spiritual strength and the word of

God to stand up against Satan

Standing Up for the Truth Against Satan  Christ showed his children that we can use the word of

God as a weapon  We need courage & will power to stand against the

forces of Satan  Satan is more powerful than us & uses intimidation

tactics to persuade us to transgress the law  The word of God is a powerful weapon, liken to armor

(Eph 6: 12-17, Heb 4:12)

Christ Sacrificed His Life

 The most courageous act Christ performed was

sacrificing his life  Being in the flesh he too experienced fear & sorrow

before his death (Matthew 26: 38-39)  He did not let his emotions prevent him from obeying

his Father  He was scorned, mocked & suffered a horrible death

Christ Sacrificed His Life

 There are many people who have and will sacrifice

their lives for the word of God  These individuals drink of the same cup of Christ  We might not all have to die but we have our cups &

they are bitter to taste  We must maintain courage to drink of our cups

willingly to gain salvation

Closing Remarks & Scriptures

 “Enter ye in at the strait gate…”  Matthew 7: 13-14  Strait: a condition of narrowness or restriction; distress;

difficulty; poverty;  Looking at this term we see we have a difficult path to

walk & require the virtue of courage to continue our journey

Audience Participation!

Examples from People in the Bible

 Stephen (Acts Ch. 7)  Esther  David (before he was king)  Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego  Other individuals in the bible or share a personal

experience