Moral

1
Moral
Courage
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To Grow Spiritually We Must
Add Virtue to our Faith

• Virtue moral excellence (courage) to stand for
  what is right against all opposition and every
  adversity
• God has called us by His...excellence (2 Peter
  13) and we are to add to our faith moral
  excellence (15)
• We must have a backbone to stand for the truth!
• When we are persecuted we are blessed (Mt. 510)
• When we are insulted and falsely accused for the
  sake of righteousness, we should rejoice because
  our reward in heaven is great (Mt. 511-12).
• But how do I get that moral courage to stand?

3
God told Joshua Be Strong Courageous

• "Be strong and courageous, for you shall give
  this people possession of the land which I swore
  to their fathers to give them. "Only be strong
  and very courageous be careful to do according
  to all the law which Moses My servant commanded
  you do not turn from it to the right or to the
  left, so that you may have success wherever you
  go. "This book of the law shall not depart from
  your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and
  night, so that you may be careful to do according
  to all that is written in it for then you will
  make your way prosperous, and then you will have
  success. "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and
  courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for
  the LORD your God is with you wherever you go
  (Joshua 16-9).

4
How was Joshua going to have Success?

• Meditate on Gods law (Psalms 11-2) so that he
  would be careful to do it and not depart from it.
• God had promised to be with him!
• God would fight for him!
• God would not fail!
• God would not forsake him!
• So he did not need to fear or be dismayed.
• Therefore he could be strong and courageous and
  have the moral courage to take the promised land
  over seemingly impossible odds (Joshua 1123
  2143ff)!

5
How will you have Success as a Christian?

• God has promised to be with you (Matthew 2820)!
• God will fight for you (2 Cor. 104 Eph. 616)!
• God will not fail (2 Peter 13-4)!
• God will not forsake you (Heb. 135)!
• So do not fear or be dismayed (Heb. 136)!
• Therefore you can have the moral courage to stand
  up for what is right in the midst of a wicked and
  perverse generation and go to heaven as we follow
  the example of Jesus (1 Peter 221-25)!
• Conditions
• Learn to obey what Jesus commanded (Matt. 2820),
  practice the Christian graces (2 Pet. 15-11),
  and put on the whole armor of God (Eph. 613ff).

6
Caleb Joshua had the Moral Courage to Stand Up
for God while Israel Followed the Majority

• Caleb said, We should by all means go up and
  take possession of it, for we will surely
  overcome it (Numbers 1330)
• Joshua said, the land which we passed through to
  spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord
  is pleased with us, then He will bring us into
  the land and give it to us a land flowing with
  milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the
  Lord and do not fear the people of the land, for
  they will be our prey. Their protection has been
  removed from them, and the Lord is with us do
  not fear them (Numbers 147-9).
• Only Joshua and Caleb went into the promised land
  while those who were 20 and older perished in the
  wilderness (Numbers 3211-13)

7
Christians Must Have the Moral Courage to Stand
Up for Gods Word and Not Follow the Majority

• Jesus said, "Enter by the narrow gate for wide
  is the gate and broad is the way that leads to
  destruction, and there are many who go in by it.
  "Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the
  way which leads to life, and there are few who
  find it (Matthew 713-14).
• The way to heaven is narrow, difficult and
  unpopular.
• Just like the Israelites followed the majority
  back then, many follow the broad way that leads
  to destruction.
• Do you have the moral courage to stand up for
  Gods word and not follow the majority today?

8
We Must Have the Moral Courage to Stand Up for
Gods Word Not Follow the Majority

• When anyone says, All you have to do is accept
  Christ as your personal Savior and you will be
  saved will you have the moral courage to say He
  who believes and is baptized shall be saved
  (Mark 1616).
• When others say, Go to the church of your
  choice will you have the moral courage to say
  that we must go to the church of Gods choice?
• It was prophesied (Daniel 244), built (Matt.
  1618-19), purchased with the blood of Christ
  (Acts 2028), it was according to Gods eternal
  purpose (Eph. 310-11), of which Christ is the
  Head (Eph. 122-23) and He is the Savior of it
  (Eph. 523), and it is called after His name
  (Romans 1616)

9
Young David had the Moral Courage to Stand Up for
God against Goliath

• While Saul all the Israelites soldiers cowered
  with fear when they heard Goliaths challenge,
  David said, who is this uncircumcised
  Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of
  the living God (1 Samuel 1726).
• David had killed a lion and a bear protecting the
  sheep and he said, The Lord who delivered me
  from the paw of the lion, He will deliver me from
  the hand of the Philistine...that all the earth
  may know that there is a God in Israel, and that
  all the assembly may know that the Lord does not
  deliver by sword or by spear for the battle is
  the Lords and He will give you into my hands (1
  Sam. 1737,46-47).

10
We Must Have the Courage to Stand Up for Gods
Word Against the Wisdom of this World

• And do not be conformed to this world, but be
  transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that
  you may prove what the will of God is, that which
  is good and acceptable and perfect (Rom. 122).
• See that no one takes you captive through
  philosophy, and empty deception, according to the
  tradition of men, according to the elementary
  principles of the world, rather than according to
  Christ (Col. 28).
• We cannot compromise with the giant false
  doctrines of men including evolution, humanism,
  abortion, homosexuality, materialism,
  premillenialism, Islam, and denominationalism.

11
Queen Esther had the Moral Courage to Risk Her
Life to Go Before the King

• Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman because of
  his religious beliefs and Haman is so angry that
  he desires to kill all the Jews of which included
  Queen Esther (Esther 3).
• Mordecai tells Esther, "Do not think in your
  heart that you will escape in the king's palace
  any more than all the other Jews. "For if you
  remain completely silent at this time, relief and
  deliverance will arise for the Jews from another
  place, but you and your father's house will
  perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to
  the kingdom for such a time as this" (Esther
  413-14)?
• She asks all the Jews to fast for 3 says and
  says, If I perish, I perish (416) but
  eventually she and all the Jews are delivered
  (91ff).

12
We Must Have the Moral Courage to Give Up Our
Lives for Jesus

• Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes
  to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take
  up his cross and follow Me. "For whoever wishes
  to save his life will lose it but whoever loses
  his life for My sake will find it. "For what will
  it profit a man if he gains the whole world and
  forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in
  exchange for his soul? "For the Son of Man is
  going to come in the glory of His Father with His
  angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING
  TO HIS DEEDS. (Matt. 1624-27)
• What are you giving up for Jesus?

13
Have the Moral Courage to Do His Will

• Are you studying your Bible so that you might
  have the knowledge courage to do His will or
  are you letting evil overtake you (2 Tim. 215
  Ephesians 516-17)?
• Are you confessing Christ before men as Paul did
  or denying Him as Peter did (Matthew 1032-33)?
• Are you praying for boldness as Peter and John
  did so that you might have the courage and
  knowledge to teach unbelievers (Acts 429-32
  Col. 42-6) or are you neglecting to pray?
• Are you casting down things that are raised up
  against Gods knowledge or your own (2
  Corinthians 103-5)?

14
Have the Moral Courage to Do His Will

• Are you having fellowship with the unfruitful
  works of darkness or exposing them (Ephesians
  511)?
• Are you following the difficult and unpopular way
  that leads to eternal life or the easy and broad
  path that leads to destruction (Matthew 713-14)?
  
• Are you standing up for Gods promises against
  the wisdom of this world or compromising with it?
  (James 44)
• Are you giving up your will for righteousness or
  give in to unrighteousness (Romans 616)?

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Conclusion

• Virtue moral excellence (courage) to stand for
  what is right against all opposition and every
  adversity
• Joshua, Caleb, David, Esther had the moral
  courage to stand up for what was right even when
  they faced death and most importantly Jesus did.
  Will you?
• God has promised to be with you!
• God will not fail!
• God will not forsake you!
• God will fight for you!
• So do not fear or be dismayed.
• Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His
  might and you will be able to stand firm against
  the schemes of the devil (Eph. 610-13).

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Conclusion

• If you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of
  God, have the moral courage and humility to
  confess it before this assembly this morning
  (Acts 837) and be baptized in water for the
  remission of sins (Acts 238) and the Lord will
  you add you to His church (v. 47).
• If you are a Christian who has failed to have
  that moral courage to do Gods will, repent and
  pray that God will help you to grow stronger so
  that you will have the conviction to contend
  earnestly for the faith. (Acts
  822-24)