Faith and Courage
Chapter 3
Faith and Courage
The crucial thing to note is that all our work for God should be faith in action. In all my life, I’ve never seen men or women disappointed in receiving answers to their prayers, if they are full of faith built on solid ground. Therefore, whosoever hears these words of mine and does them, I will liken him unto a prudent man, who built his house upon the rock; and the rain descended, and the rivers came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, and it did not fall, for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that hears these words of mine and does not do them shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand; and the rain descended, and the rivers came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, and it fell; and great was the fall of it (Matthew 7:24-27). Of course, we must have assurance in Scripture for what we expect, but I’m sure we have that assurance when we come together to pray for a blessing on our friends and neighbors.
Unbelief is as much an enemy to the Christian as it is to the unconverted. It keeps back the blessing now as much as it did in the days of Christ. In the Bible, we read that in one place he did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief (Matthew 13:58). If Christ couldn’t do this, how can we expect to accomplish anything if the people of God are unbelieving? I say that God’s children alone are able to hinder God’s work. Unbelievers, atheists, and sceptics can’t do it. Where there is unity, strong faith, and expectation among Christians, a mighty work is always done.
In Hebrews, we read that without faith it is impossible to please God. For he that comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those that diligently seek him (Hebrews 11:6). This statement is addressed to people who are Christians as well as to those who are seeking God for the first time. All of us seek a blessing for our friends. We want God to revive us, but we also want the outlying masses to be reached. We read in this passage that God blesses those who diligently seek him. So let’s diligently seek him today. Let us have great faith, and let our expectation be from God.
I remember when I was a boy, in the spring of the year when the snow melted away on the New England hills where I lived, I used to take a magnifying glass and hold it up to the warm rays of the sun. The rays struck it, and I could set the woods on fire. Faith is the magnifying glass that brings the fire of God out of heaven. It was faith that drew the fire down on Mount Carmel and burned up Elijah’s offering. We have the same God today, and the same faith. Some people seem to think faith is getting old, and the Bible is out of date. But the Lord will revive His work, and we will be able to set the world on fire if each believer has a strong and simple faith.
In the eleventh chapter of the epistle to the Hebrews, the writer brings up one worthy person after another − each of them a man or woman of faith. They made the world better by living in it. Listen to this description of what was accomplished by these men and women of faith:
Who by faith won kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, recovered from infirmities, were made valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of foreign enemies; women received their dead raised to life again, and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others experienced cruel mockings and scourgings, and added to this, bonds and imprisonment; they were stoned; they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword; they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; poor, afflicted, mistreated, (of whom the world was not worthy); they wandered in deserts and in mountains and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, approved by testimony of faith, received not the promise, God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. (Hebrews 11:33-40)
Surely, no child of God can read these words without being stirred. It is said that women received their dead raised to life again. Many of you have children who have gone far astray, taken captive by strong drink, or led away by their lusts and passions, and you’ve become really discouraged about them. But if you have faith in God, they can be raised up as from the dead and brought back again. The wanderers can be reclaimed. Drunkards and promiscuous women can be reached and saved. There is no man or woman, however low he or she may have sunk, who can’t be reached.
In these times, we should have far more faith than Abel, Enoch, or Abraham. They lived long ago on the other side of the cross. We talk about the faith of Elijah, the patriarchs, and the prophets, but they lived in the dim light of the past, while we are in the full blaze of Calvary and the resurrection. When we look back and think of what Christ did, how He poured out His blood so people could be saved, we should go forth in His strength and conquer the world. Our God is able to do great and mighty things.
Remember how the Roman centurion sent for Christ to heal his servant? When the Savior drew near, the centurion sent friends to Him to say that He need not take the trouble to come into his house. All that was needed was that He speak the word and his servant would live. He probably figured that if Christ had the power to create worlds, to say, Let there be light (Genesis 1:3), and there was light, and to make the sea and the earth bring forth abundantly, He could easily say the word and raise up his sick servant. We are told that when Christ received the Roman soldier’s message He marveled at his faith. Let us have faith at this moment that God will do great things in our midst.
Caleb and Joshua were men of faith. They were worth more to Israel than all the camp of unbelievers and the other ten spies put together. We read that Moses sent out twelve men to spy out the land. Let me say that faith never sends out any spies. You may perhaps reply that Moses was commanded by God to send them out, but we read that it was because of the hardness of their hearts. If they had believed in God, they would have taken possession of the land at Kadesh Barnea. I suppose these twelve men were chosen because they were leading men and influential in the twelve tribes.
After they had been gone about thirty days, they came back with what we might call a minority and a majority report. All twelve admitted the land was a good land, but the ten said, “We aren’t able to take it. We saw giants there − the sons of Anak.” Can’t you just see these ten spies in camp the night they returned, with great crowds gathered around them listening to their negative reports, while very few probably gathered to hear Caleb and Joshua? It often seems people are much more ready to believe a lie than to believe the truth. As unbelieving men gathered around the ten spies, imagine one of them describing the giants in the land. “Why, I had to look all the way up in order to see their faces. The earth trembled as they walked. The mountains and valleys are full of them. Then we saw great walled cities. We aren’t able to take the land.”
But Caleb and Joshua had quite a different story to tell. Those mighty giants seemed to be like grasshoppers in their sight. These men of faith remembered how God had delivered them from the hand of Pharaoh and brought them through the Red Sea. They didn’t forget how He had given them bread from heaven to eat and water to drink from the rock in the wilderness. If He marched with them, they believed they could go right up and take possession of the land. So they said, Let us go up at once and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it (Numbers 13:30).
What do we see in the church today? About ten out of every twelve professed Christians are looking at the giants, at the walls, and at the difficulties in the way. They say, “We aren’t able to accomplish this work. We might be able to do it if there weren’t so many bars and taverns − so much drunkenness − and so many atheists and opposers.” Let’s not give in to these unbelieving professors. If we have faith in God, we are perfectly able to go up and possess the land for Christ. God always delights to honor faith.
In the end, it could be that some godly frail woman, bedridden and unable to attend the meetings is found to have brought down the blessing. In the day when every person’s work is tested, it might be revealed that some unknown person who honored God by a simple faith was the one who caused such a blessing to descend on our cities and shake things up.
Again, in these biblical accounts, we find faith is always followed by courage. Caleb and Joshua were full of courage, because they were men of faith. Throughout the ages, those who have been greatly used of God have been men of courage. If we are full of faith, we won’t be full of fear and distrusting God all the time. That is the trouble with the church of Christ today − so many are fearful, because they don’t believe God is going to use them. What we need is to have the courage that will compel us to move forward. If we do this, we may have to go against the advice of lukewarm Christians.
Some people never seem to do anything but object or find fault, because the work isn’t always carried out exactly as they see fit. They will say, “I don’t think that’s the best way to do things.” When it comes to raising objections to any plans that can be suggested, they are very fruitful. If any step is taken to move forward, they are ready to throw cold water on it. They’ll quickly point out all kinds of possible difficulties. We desire to have faith and courage which will enable us to move forward without waiting for these timid unbelievers.
In the second book of Chronicles, we read that King Asa had to go against his father and mother. It took a lot of courage to do that. He removed his mother from being queen and cut down the idols and burned them.
At times, we have to go against those who should be our best friends. Isn’t it time for us to launch out into the deep? I’ve never seen people go out and try to bring people into the Lord’s fold, except that the Lord gave His blessing. If a man has the courage to go straight to his neighbor and speak to him about his soul, God is sure to smile upon the effort. The person he speaks to may end up angry about it, but that isn’t always a bad sign. Who knows, he may write a letter the next day and apologize. At any rate, it’s better to make him angry in this way than for him to continue on to eternal death and ruin.
When God was about to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Midianites, notice how He taught this lesson to Gideon. Gideon had gathered an army of thirty-two thousand men. He probably counted them, and when he knew that the Midianites had an army of a hundred and thirty-five thousand, he said to himself, “My army is too small. I am afraid I won’t succeed.” But the Lord’s thoughts were different. He said to Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many (Judges 7:2). So He told him that all those among the thirty-two thousand who were fearful and afraid should go back to their homes, to their wives and their mothers. No sooner had Gideon given this command than twenty-two thousand men stepped out of line and were sent home. Gideon could have thought the Lord had made a mistake as he watched his army melt away. If two-thirds of a big audience stood and walked out, you would think they were all going.
The Lord said, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there; . . . Every one that laps of the water with his tongue as a dog laps, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that bows down upon his knees to drink (Judges 7:4-5). Again, he gave the word, and ninety-seven hundred wheeled out of line and went to the rear, so Gideon was left with three hundred men. But this handful of men whose hearts beat true to the God of heaven, and who were ready to go forward in His name, were worth more than all the others who were always sowing seeds of discontent and predicting defeat. Nothing will discourage an army like that, and nothing is more discouraging in a church than to have a number of the people expecting disaster all the time and saying things like, “We don’t think this effort will amount to anything. It’s not the way I think things should be done.”
What would be good for the church is if all the fearful and faithless people were to step to the rear, and let those who are full of faith and courage take their empty pitchers and go forward against the enemy. This little band of three hundred men who were left with Gideon routed the Midianites, but it wasn’t their own might that gave them the victory. It was the sword of I AM The Hewer! (Judges 7:20). If we go on in the name of the Lord, trusting His might, we will succeed.
Before Moses went up to heaven, he did all he could to encourage Joshua, to strengthen and praise him. There was no sign of jealousy in the heart of Moses, even though he wasn’t allowed to go into the Promised Land. He went up to the top of Pisgah and saw that it was a good land, and he tried to encourage Joshua to go forward and take possession of it. After Moses was gone, we read that three times in one chapter God said to Joshua, “Be of good courage.”
Be strong and of a good courage; for thou shalt cause this people to inherit the land as an inheritance, which I swore unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous that thou mayest keep and do according to all the law, which Moses my slave commanded thee; turn not from it to the right hand or to the left that thou may be prospered in all the things that thou doest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou may keep and do according to all that is written therein; for then thou shalt make thy way to prosper, and then thou shalt understand everything. See that I command thee to be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed; for I, the LORD thy God, am with thee wherever thou goest. (Joshua 1:6-9)
God cheered his servant. No one shall be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life (Joshua 1:5). Soon after that, Joshua took a walk around the walls of Jericho. As he walked around, he saw a man standing before him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua wasn’t afraid, but said, Art thou one of us or one of our adversaries? (Joshua 5:13). His courage was rewarded, because the man replied, No, but I am the Prince of the host of the LORD (Joshua 5:14). He had been sent to encourage him and to lead him on to victory.
So, you will find all through the Scriptures that God uses those who have courage and not those looking for defeat.
Another thought: I never knew a case where God used a discouraged man or woman to accomplish anything great for Himself. Let a minister go into the pulpit in a discouraged frame of mind and it becomes contagious. It soon reaches the pews, and the whole church becomes discouraged. The same is true with a Sunday school teacher. I never knew a worker of any kind who was full of discouragement and successful in the Lord’s work. It seems God can’t make use of such a person.
One man told me that he preached for a number of years without any result. He used to say to his wife, as they went to church, that he knew the people wouldn’t believe anything he said − and there was no blessing. This man had expected nothing, and he received just what he expected. Finally, he saw his mistake and asked God to help him. He took courage and then the blessing came. According to your faith be it unto you (Matthew 9:29). Dear friend, let’s expect that God is going to use us. Let’s have courage and go forward, looking to God to do great things.
Elijah on Mount Carmel was one man, and Elijah under the juniper tree was quite another man. In the one case, he was a giant and nothing could stand in his way. When he grew terrified at Jezebel’s message, he lost heart and wished himself dead. God couldn’t use him. The Lord had to go to him and say, What doest thou here, Elijah? (1 Kings 19:13). I wish God would speak to many professing Christians who are out of fellowship with Him, to show them they are of no use in His cause.
When Peter denied his Master, he was a very different man from what he was on the day of Pentecost. He had fallen out of fellowship with his Lord, and the words spoken by a servant nearly frightened him out of his life. He denied his Master with oaths and cursing. How terribly a man falls when he loses faith and courage.
Then they took him and led him and brought him into the house of the prince of the priests. And Peter followed afar off. And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall and were set down together, Peter sat down among them. But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire and earnestly looked upon him and said, This man was also with him. And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not. And after a little while another saw him and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not. And about the space of one hour after, another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him, for he is a Galilaean. And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately while he yet spoke, the cock crew. Then the Lord turned and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord how he had said unto him, Before the cock crows, thou shalt deny me three times. And Peter went out and wept bitterly. (Luke 22:54-62)
But he was restored. Look at him on the day of Pentecost. If that maid whose question made him tremble had been in the crowd and heard him preach the marvelous sermon recorded in Acts 2, I imagine she would have been the most amazed person in all Jerusalem. She probably would have said something like, “Why, I saw him a few days ago, and he was terribly distressed at being called a disciple of Christ. Now he stands up boldly for this same Christ. He has no shame now.” God used Peter mightily on the day of Pentecost, as he preached to that vast crowd that even included some of the very murderers of his Lord and Master. But our Lord couldn’t use Peter until he repented of his cowardice and had his faith and courage restored. Consequently, when a person working for Christ loses heart and gets discouraged, the Lord has to lay him aside.
A number of years ago, I became depressed for a good many weeks. One Sunday in particular, I preached and there didn’t seem to be any result. On the following Monday, I was really down. I sat in my study looking at myself and brooding over my lack of success. A young man called on me, who had a Bible class of a hundred adults in the Sunday school which I managed. As he came in, I could see he was emotionally way up on the mountaintop, while I was down in the valley. He said, “What kind of a day did you have yesterday?”
“Very poor.” I grumbled. “I had no success, and I feel quite miserable. How was your day?”
“Oh, I never had a better day.”
“What was the subject of your lesson?”
“I spoke on the life and character of Noah. Did you ever preach on Noah? Did you ever study up on his life?”
“Well, no. I don’t know that I ever did that particular study.” I thought I knew pretty much all there was about him in the Bible − you know − all that is taught about him is contained in a few verses.
My young friend said, “If you never studied it before, you had better do it now. It will do you good. Noah was a wonderful character.”
When the young man went out of my office, I took out my Bible and some other books, and read all I could find about Noah. I hadn’t been reading long before the thought came stealing over me: Here was a man who toiled for a hundred and twenty years and never had a single convert outside of his own family. Yet he did not get discouraged. I closed my Bible. The cloud had gone. I started out by going to the noon prayer meeting. I hadn’t been there long when a man got up and said he’d come from a little town in Illinois. On the day before, he had admitted a hundred young converts to church membership. As he spoke, I said to myself, “I wonder what Noah would have given if he could have heard that. He never had any such result as that for his efforts.”
After a few minutes, a man who sat right behind me stood up. The man was trembling. His hand rested on the back of my seat, and I felt it shake. He said, “I wish you would pray for me. I would like to become a Christian.” I thought, I wonder what Noah would have given if he had heard that. He never heard a single soul asking God for mercy, yet he didn’t get discouraged. I have never let myself get depressed like that since that day. Let’s ask God to take away the clouds of fear and unbelief. Let’s get out of Doubting Castle. Let’s move forward courageously in the name of our God and expect to see results.
If you can’t engage actively in the work, you can do a good deal by encouraging others. Some people not only do nothing to advance the work, but they also consistently throw discouragement on others, in every forward step they take. If you meet with them, they seem to chill you through and through. I think I’d rather face the east wind in Edinburgh in the month of March, than come in contact with some of these so-called Christians. Such people may say something about an effort like, “Well, yes, a good deal of work was done, but not many were reached at all.” Then they go on to say that things ought to have been done in a different way, but they have no idea how. They look at the dark side all the time.
Don’t listen to such gloomy, discouraging remarks. In the name of our great Commander, let’s march on to battle and to victory. Some generals have names worth more than a whole army of ten thousand men. In our army in the Civil War, there were some whose presence cheered all the ranks. As they passed the line of soldiers, cheer upon cheer went up. The men knew who was going to lead them, and they were sure of success. “The boys” liked to fight under such generals.
Let’s encourage ourselves in the Lord, and encourage each other. Then we will have good success.
In the book of 1 Chronicles, we see Joab encouraging those helping him in warfare. Be of good courage, and let us behave ourselves valiantly for our people and for the cities of our God; and let the LORD do that which is good in his sight (1 Chronicles 19:13). Let’s go forward in this spirit, and the Lord will help us triumph over our enemies. If we can’t be in the battle, we must try to find ways to encourage those who are.
A Highland Scottish chief of the MacGregor clan fell wounded at the battle of Sheriffmuir. Seeing their leader fall, the clan wavered and gave the enemy an advantage. The old chieftain perceived this and raised on his elbow while the blood streamed from his wounds. He cried out, “I am not dead, my children; I am looking at you to see you do your duty.” This energized them and roused them to make an almost superhuman effort. When our strength fails and our hearts sink within us, the Captain of our salvation cries, Observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and, behold, I am with you always even unto the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life (Revelation 2:10).
A friend of mine told me about a worker who came to him very depressed. Everything was going wrong. My friend turned to him and said, “Do you have any doubt about how things will turn out in the end? Is Jesus Christ going to set up His kingdom and reign from the rivers to the ends of the earth? Is He going to triumph or not?”
The man said, “Of course Christ is going to triumph.” But he admitted that he’d never thought of it in that light. If people would take a look into the future at times and remember the promises, they wouldn’t be depressed.
Christ is going to reign, so let’s go out and do the work He has given us to do. If things happen to be dark around us, let’s remember it is light somewhere else. If we aren’t succeeding as much as we would like, it may be that others are seeing more victorious results.
Think of the opportunities we have compared with the early Christians. Look at the mighty obstacles they encountered − how they often sealed their testimony with their blood. See what Peter had to fight against on the day of Pentecost, when the people looked on him with scorn. The disciples in those days had no team to put up large buildings in which they could preach. They had no group of ministers sitting nearby to pray for them or help cheer them on. Yet look at the wonderful results of Peter’s preaching on the day of Pentecost.
Look at the dense darkness that surrounded Martin Luther in Germany. Look at the difficulties that John Knox met with in Scotland. Yet these men did a mighty and a lasting work for God in their day and generation. We reap the blessed fruits of their faithful labors even now. Look at the darkness that brooded over England in the days of Wesley and Whitefield. See how God blessed their efforts. Yet they faced a great many obstacles that we don’t have today. They went forward with strong and courageous hearts, and the Lord gave them success.
I believe if our forefathers who lived in the last century could come back to this world in the flesh, they would be amazed to see the wonderful opportunities we have. We have a great many advantages they didn’t possess and probably didn’t even dream possible. We live in a grand and glorious day.
It took John Wesley months to cross the Atlantic. Now we can do it in days. Think of the power of the printing press. We can print and scatter sermons to the corners of the earth. Look at the marvelous conveniences we have like the electric telegraph, and the railway train, which makes it possible to go and preach hundreds of miles away in a few hours. Don’t you agree that we live in a glorious day? So let’s not be discouraged. Instead, let’s use all these wonderful opportunities and honor God by expecting great things. If we do, we won’t be disappointed. God is ready and willing to work, if we are ready and willing to let Him and to be used by Him.
Some who are old and feeble might be saying to themselves, “I wish I were young again. I would like to go out into the thick of the battle.” But anyone, young or old, can go into the homes of people and invite them to come out to the meetings. There are large halls everywhere with plenty of room. Many are ready to help sing the gospel, and it will also be preached. Many who won’t go to a regular place of worship might be persuaded to come to a revival meeting.
If you aren’t able to go out and invite people, as I said earlier, you can still cheer on the ones doing the work and wish them success. Many times, when I’ve come down from the pulpit, some old man, trembling, on the very verge of death, and living perhaps on borrowed time, has caught hold of my hand, and in a quavering voice said, “God bless you!” How those words have cheered and helped me. So, if you are too feeble to do the work yourselves, many of you can speak a word of encouragement to your younger friends.
You can also pray. Pray that God will bless the words spoken and the efforts made. It is very easy to preach when others pray for you the whole time and are supportive of you, instead of criticizing and finding fault.
I suppose you’ve heard the story about the child who was rescued from the fourth floor of a house being engulfed by raging fire. The child came to the window as flames shot higher and higher. He cried out for help and a fireman started up the ladder of the fire escape to rescue the child. The wind swept the flames at him and it grew so hot that he wavered. It looked like he might have to return without the child. Thousands looked on, and their hearts shuddered at the thought of the child perishing in the fire if the fireman didn’t reach him. Someone in the crowd cried, “Give him a cheer!” Cheer after cheer went up, and as the fireman heard them he gathered fresh courage. Up he went into the midst of the smoke and fire and brought the child down in safety. If you can’t go and rescue the perishing yourself, you can at least pray for those who do, and cheer them on. If you do, the Lord will bless the effort.
Each one helped his neighbour; and each one said to his brother, Be of good courage. (Isaiah 41:6)
We are living, we are dwelling
In a grand and awful time,
In an age on ages telling −
To be living is sublime.
On! let all the soul within you
For the truth’s sake go abroad!
Strike! let every nerve and sinew
Tell on ages − tell for God!
– Cleveland Coxe