THE VIRTUE OF COURAGE | Joshua 1:5-7

SCRIPTURE:  Joshua 1:5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.

OBJECTIVES:

1.     To know the Biblical principles of courage and what it takes to be courageous;

2.     To understand that conquest belongs to people who would take the courage and fight for the Kingdom of our God and our own Kingdom.

INTRODUCTION:

➢   People who are not informed about their original design and purpose as mandated by the Creator, are not aware of the tremendous potential and ability of what they can accomplish in their lifetime. 

➢   If you have heard the story of a farmer who found an eagle's egg in the mountains and placed the egg in a nest together with the eggs of a chicken until the eggs were all hatched under the wings of the mother chicken.  The eagle chick developed the "chicken paradigm" and does what every normal chicken does while growing up: scratching the ground for food, running and walking as a normal chicken and running for safety whenever they see eagles.  Until one day, he observed he was different from the rest, having larger wings and longer feathers, and his tweets were not the same with chicken cockle.  He walks with difficulty while his siblings can ran fast.  But he can easily jump with his wings wide spread.  One day, he observed a real eagle flying high and tweeting as if challenging him to recognize his true identity.  Then he tried to spread his wings and fly a bit with ease until he realized he was really different from the others he grew up with.  As he soar up high in the sky, nature revealed to him his true identity.  He was not meant to walk or run, but to soar the sky.

BORN TO CONQUER

➢   You were not meant to be the shy, and timid person you might be!  You were meant to be fruitful, to multiply, to replenish, to subdue and to manage God's vast creation (Genesis 1:28).  That is your original design and mandate in creation.  But since the devil stole away your identity with lies and deception you have seen, heard and believed as you grew up, your mindset was molded and limited by your surroundings and your experiences developing a chicken paradigm.

➢   It is not your fault to believe in all the lies that you have grown up with, but it would be a terrible mistake if you do not wake up to catch up with your real destiny.  Jesus can set you free!  You just need to wake up!  There is so much potential inside of you that need to be tapped!  If you stay around in this church, with your leaders and let the liberating Word of Truth change your life, you'll never be the same person as you are today!  You are an eagle not a chicken!

➢   You are born to conquer, created in the image and likeness of God, having such authority no demons can resist, if you know how.  You are destined to rule with Jesus Christ and not to be harassed by demons!  You are like that eagle who found his true nature.  So don't stay like a chicken scratching the ground for a living!  Grow your wings so you can fly!  There is nothing in this world that cannot be learned to make your life better and that you may fulfill what God intended you to fulfill.

➢   What is holding you to have wings or ability to fly or improve yourself?  Pray hard and work hard!  God can open doors of opportunities before you if you take courage.  Please God and God's favor would be upon you.  Do not continue to be trapped into the "chicken paradigm", when you begin to understand that you are not a chicken, but an eagle.  Stop your self-proclaimed liturgies: "I'm not good enough"; "I'm too shy";  "I'm born poor and needy"; "I have little education".

➢   Begin thinking like an eagle thinks: "I can soar the skies"; "I can travel with the strong winds"; "I can do great things for God's Kingdom and my Kingdom!

COURAGE, A CONQUEROR'S FRIEND.

➢   Man's Destiny is not predestined as many thought it is.  Your destiny is in your choosing and pursuing.  But you need courage to pursue it and conquer.  If you would be satisfied with what you are now, then that would be your destiny.  Remember this, God made you a moral man with a free will to choose.  Now that you understand the Bible principles of "Free Will" then make a wise and noble choice in your life.  Chart your own destiny with the guidance of God!  Take courage!

➢   There are people gifted with wisdom that I know.  They topped in the academics and excel in their studies.  And there are people not as much talented, but because of courage, they became more successful in business than those scholarly ones.  What's the difference?  The less in wisdom is more courageous to venture in business and succeed!

➢   What you need is courage to face every challenge in life and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you will go beyond your life's situation.  How to have courage, if you are that shy and timid person?

DEVELOPING A COURAGEOUS ATTITUDE FOR CONQUEST.

1.     KNOW WHO IS WITH YOU.

➢   Joshua 1:5 "No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.

➢   You have with you, residing in your heart the abiding presence of the Creator God, Sustainer of Life, Redeemer of Man's Soul, who promised "to be with you till the end of age" (Matthew 28:20).

➢   And the same with Joshua, because you responded to His call for the fulfillment of the Great Commission, of making Disciples, He promised, "No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life."  And "I will not leave you or forsake you."   Then whom shall you fear?

2.     KNOW WHAT IS YOUR PURPOSE.

➢   Joshua 1:6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.

➢   Your God-given assignment is to cause God's people to inherit the Promised Land!  Bear in mind that the physical and geographical Israel today referred to as the Promised Land is simply an allegory or symbolism of the Heavenly Kingdom prepared by God for mankind to be with Him in eternity. 

➢   You have the most noble, most important, most fulfilling and most rewarding purpose!  Take courage! 

3.     KNOW WHERE IS YOUR DIRECTION.

➢   Joshua 1:7 "Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.

➢   God is god of direction.  He would always give the direction what you need to do, where you need to go and how to do it.  Through His earthly Embassy, your local Church, God's designated place where you can get His full instructions.  You have your Cell Group, trainings and everything you need to fulfill your Divine assignment.  God have surrounded you with people from whom instructions would come.  Just be intentional in your desire to fulfill your purpose and take courage as your friend, you'll find success in everything you do. 

➢   Go the Romans 1:16 way, meditate it, memorize it, personalize it, internalize it, emphasize it so you can actualize it.  It's one of the most powerful tool we have in the Scripture.

CONCLUSION:

The word courageous have been emphasized twice in our Scripture where Joshua was commanded to conquer the Promised Land.  You have a more noble and a higher task than Joshua.  If you will heed your call and take courage, you would cause many to inherit God's Kingdom for eternity.  Remember, leave behind the Chicken Paradigm!  You are an Eagle, not a Chicken!