Courageous Christians
Text: Joshua 1:1-9
Theme: It takes courage to be a faithful and effectual Christian
Intro:
- Today, the Bible, Christian values, and Christians themselves are facing fierce attacks from the world and the Devil.
- The message today is intended to be a call to action. A call to courageously stand for the truth and not be intimidated by the world around us.
I. Be Courageous in Your Generation (Vs 1-6)
- The death of Moses signals a new era for Israel
a. Moses had been the leader of Israel since the Exodus.
b. Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land (Num 20:7-13) - The leadership of Moses was now gone.
a. Moses had elected Joshua as the new leader.
b. With Moses gone, the people needed someone to stand in the gap as a leader. (Joshua 1:1-2) - Joshua would have the presence of God to bless him (Vs 5)
a. The leadership in Israel had changed, but the God of Israel had not.
b. The important thing is that those in leadership are following God. - Joshua was commanded to be strong and of a good courage, so that he would be an effective leader for others.
II. Be Courageous in Your Stand (Vs 7-8)
- Joshua was going to have to be courageous if he was going to live according to the Word of God.
a. You know, there has never been, and never will be, a day in which the Christian faces no opposition for following God’s Word.
As long as the devil is active in the world there will always be opposition to the Word of God and to those who would follow God’s Word.
b. We need to be prepared for the opposition.
c. To be strong means to fasten upon something and cleave to it. If we would follow God’s Word, we are going to have to get a strong grip on what God has to say in His Word and never let that go.
d. To be courageous is to be mentally and physically alert and fortified. Again, this is part of being prepared to face opposition. We need to have our wits about us and be prepared to face opposition. - Be Courageous In Standing for the Bible (Vs 8)
a. You are probably going to be mocked for taking a stand for the KJV today.
b. Today, the majority of bible scholars have rejected the KJV and have gone for one of the many modern versions.
c. You will be mocked for believing the Bible is the inspired Word of God.
– Most people today hate Christianity, and they hate the Bible’s claim of being the inspired Word of God.
III. Be Courageous, With God’s Help (Vs 9)
- Be Courageous When Facing the Enemy (Vs 9a)
a. Why do you think Joshua was commanded to be courageous and not be afraid? Because there was obviously a human tendency to be afraid.
b. We are in a battle for the truth, for righteousness, for justice, and for freedom. (Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of thought.)
c. We need to be courageous in standing against error.
This really goes hand-in-hand with standing for the truth. If you are going to stand for the truth, then you should be clear in your stand against error. - Be Courageous With God’s Help (Vs 9b)
a. We can be courageous because we know that God is with us.
b. We need to be grounded in our faith.
Mark 4:16 “And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.”
c. We are not alone in the battle. We have not been forsaken.
2 Samuel 22:2-4 “And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; 3) The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence. 4) I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.”
Conclusion:
- Let’s be courageous as Christians and stand for our faith in spite of the opposition.
- We aren’t going to gain a lot of popularity if we stand for the truth, but it will bring honour to the Saviour and will be a rebuke to the lost world around us.