Jump Start # 908

Revelation 21:8 “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

This week we have been looking at the subject of spiritual courage, profiles in courage, as we called it. We end this series by reminding ourselves that we must find that courage our selves to stand for God and be His voice today.

There are so many examples of spiritual courage throughout the Bible:

• The prophet Nathan confronting King David about his sexual sin.
• John the Baptist confronting Herod about his lawful marriage.
• Peter refusing to abide by order not to preach Jesus.
• Paul returning to Jerusalem as a Christian, after he had persecuted them earlier.
• Jesus facing the cross.
• Joseph asking Pilate for the body of Jesus.
• Daniel refusing to obey the rule not to pray
• The Hebrew Christians who accepted joyfully the seizure of their property.

There has never been a time when God’s people did not need courage. It is needed today. You and I need it. The voice of wrong is loud, offensive and intolerant of reason and right. A college student in a biology class will be ridiculed today if it is known that he accepts the Biblical account of creation. A young mother is degraded for being a stay-at-home mom, instead of a career woman. Anyone who raises a voice of opposition to same-sex marriage is quickly labeled a bigot and prejudicial . Anyone who insists upon following God’s word and nothing else is considered narrow, even by others who claim to love Jesus. It is easy to be silent and keep our beliefs and our thoughts to ourselves. We can’t. Courage is needed.

Courage is needed to be the godly parent today. Parents need to take control of the helm of the ship and direct the household toward Heaven. That means certain shows are off limits. Certain friends are off limits. Certain attitudes, certain clothing, certain words—off limits. Guidelines, accountability and responsibilities are expected. It takes courage to do that.

Courage is needed in the classroom and workplace today. Courage to be honest and to do the work expected. Courage to not go along with the gossip, the cheating, and the attitudes that are so common today. Courage to let our light shine. Courage to invite friends to worship. Courage to teach accurately the word of God. Courage to be different.

Paul told the Romans that he was not ashamed of the Gospel. Courage. Bow your head in restaurants and thank the Lord for your meal. Carry your Bible to work and on the airplane. Let people see you with it. Don’t apologize for God nor His word. Defend it. Promote it. Stand behind it.

Our passage today reminds us that among those lost would be the cowardly. In the context of Revelation, it probably is pointing to those who treasured their life above their faith. When the heat of persecution came upon them, they denied and renounced the Lord. They were cowards. One of the key expressions in Revelation is “overcome.” He who overcomes will be granted the tree of life. Overcome. It is those who surrender, those who run, those who become a traitor, those who sell out to the enemy that will suffer in the end. They will miss Heaven. They did not stand with the courageous. God only fit into their lives if He was easy, comfortable and non-threatening. When trouble came, they quickly tossed God. Such is not the characteristic of courageous Christians.

Strong churches are built upon the lives of men and women who have weathered battles, stood for what is right and refused to give the enemy an inch of ground. They endured. They worked hard. They were oppressed and afflicted. Awaiting them is the victor’s crown.

In the movie, The Wizard of Oz, the cowardly lion sings are sad song about all the things he would do, if he only had the nerve. That song is too familiar to us. All the things we would do, if we only had the nerve. The lack of nerve keeps us at home in the evening. It keeps our lips sealed. It closes our eyes to opportunities. Maybe it’s time we got around to getting some nerve. Stand beside the cross. Stand with the Lord.

Having courage is to see beyond yourself. It is seeing the principle of God. It is doing what is right regardless of who is with us, against us or are sitting on the sidelines. Courage is to put God before all things. We must remind ourselves that the cross of our Lord was heavy and rough wood. It wasn’t shiny or smooth. It wasn’t easy to carry. If the Lord could do that for me, can’t I stand for Him?

Courage…it’s time to find the nerve!

Roger