HOW TO BE COURAGEOUS

#01 Explore the Bible Lesson for January, 2010

SCRIPTURE TEXTS

Background Texts: Mark 6:6b-56

Focal Texts: Mark 6:35-52

INTRODUCTION:

Many of us think we are courageous people, but until we face a real crisis we don't really know for sure that we are. Sometimes we react completely differently than what we thought we would. In our Teachers Quarterly the story is told of a woman who saw her only son off to war in Afghanistan and was so upset about it that she was paralyzed with fear as to how she would be able to cope in the days ahead. Others, under the same circumstances, would react differently. All of us need courage in trying circumstances, but the question remains where do we find the spiritual and emotional resources for such courage? Our lesson today aims to help us in that quest. The Bible offers spiritual resources for us when we need courage.

    Let us look at our scripture passages and see if we can determine where we may obtain the courage we need to face difficult circumstances.

I.) IN OVERWHELMING NEED: Mark 6:35-37

“^6:35 And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, ‘This is a desert place, and now the time [is] far passed:

³⁶ Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat.’

³⁷ He answered and said unto them, ‘Give ye them to eat.’ And they say unto him, ‘Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?’ ”

Jesus continues His ministry in the area of Galilee. Having preached to a large multitude beside the Sea of Galilee late into the day, the crowd had become hungry. Jesus’ disciples told Him that the crowd needed to be sent away so that they could obtain food from the local villages. Jesus told His disciples that they needed to feed the people themselves. This astounded the disciples, for they did not have the resources to buy such a large quantity of food. Jesus was using this circumstance to teach the disciple some principles of faith. While this was an artificially created crisis, it holds lessons for us when dire circumstances overtake us in our lives.

Jesus was in the process of teaching His disciples that life circumstances could be dealt with through faith. He had sent them out into circumstances where they were dependant upon faith to supply their needs. He had given them authority over demons and illnesses. He had required that they take no money with them and that they were to carry no extra clothes or shoes. They were to go throughout all the countryside and preach the “good news’ of the kingdom without advance preparations for their physical needs. They did this and were astounded that God provided for them while they were on this mission. They were also astounded that they had power over illnesses and demons.

Here in our scripture passage He again tests their faith by requiring them to feed the multitude out of whatever resources they had.

Jesus’ patient dealing with the spiritual needs of the crowd contrasts sharply with the more mundane concerns of the disciples. They were concerned about physical food, while Jesus dealt with the deeper need - the spiritual needs of these people.

However, Jesus used this circumstance to demonstrate the power of faith. The amount of money the disciple mentioned here, 200 Denarii, was about eight months wage for a common laborer. This was, to the minds of the disciples an impossible task.

Today we are sometimes confronted with overwhelming needs also. Where do we get the courage to face such needs?

Just as Jesus used this circumstance to challenge His disciples, so too does God put before us circumstances to test and to grow our faith. Untested belief is feeble belief. Until it is put to the test it may prove to be false. Some mistake assumption to be faith. Faith is trusting in God despite all outward signs to the contrary. Until we face impossible circumstances, and yet seeing God resolve them, can we know that faith is a real resource. Hebrews expresses the definition of faith his way:

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” ^{Hebrews 11:1}

    The phrase “faith is the substance” means that faith is in reality those things for which we have trusted God, because faith stands in the place of the actual reality. This is a hard concept for the “rational” mind to accept. Yet the truth is that God guarantees that faith stands in for those things which God has promised.

Just as money, while actually only symbolic of value is accepted as the real thing; (that is the goods or services which we desire to have), so too is faith the medium of exchange in the spiritual realm. The spiritual realm is a real realm and will, in God’s own time, bring to pass tangible results according to His will.

II.) IN OBEYING GOD: Mark 6:38-44

“³⁸ He saith unto them, ‘How many loaves have ye? ‘Go and see.’ And when they knew, they say, five, and two fishes.

³⁹ And He commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.

⁴⁰ And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.

⁴¹ And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave [them] to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.

⁴² And they did all eat, and were filled.

⁴³ And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.

⁴⁴ And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.”

Notice that there was an order to Jesus’ distribution of the food. First He blessed it and then distributed it to the disciples, who in turn distributed it to the people. This is the same order in which God blesses the world. It is through His followers that God reaches out to people in need. This is especially true in the spiritual realm. Only through those who have believed in Him does God impart the Gospel to the world. This is the spiritual food that brings life to those who are dying of spiritual starvation.

Notice also that the crowd consisted of about 5,000 men. This does not count women and children. We can surmise then that at least 15,000 people were fed that day. This miracle illustrates the greater miracle of eternal salvation available to any who will accept Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Although the disciples had doubts about the ability of feeding such a multitude, they obeyed Christ’s commands and participated in the distribution of the food. They also organized the crowd into ranks to facilitate the distribution. This too is reflective of how we are to reach the world. It is not a “hit and miss” work. It is to be organized and ranked according to the needs of distribution. That is why we have the “Cooperative program” in our denomination. It is more efficient than the “hit and miss” efforts of some other groups. Many church groups rely upon each individual church to serve as sponsors to a missionary or a few missionaries. This is inefficient in that many who are willing to go do not get sponsorships and others who are sponsored are not adequately supported. Our missionaries have a salary and other funds to support their efforts. I believe we are obeying Jesus’ example in being organized in the distribution of our outreach efforts.

Notice further that there was more than enough to supple the needs of the people. This is an example of God’s overabundance of resources for the needs of the world. There is enough resource in the sacrifice of Christ to accommodate the spiritual needs of all people. His sacrifice is of infinite scope. As Paul wrote:

“Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” ^{1st Timothy 2:6}

It is possible that we cannot understand all the implications of how Christ could die for all mankind, and even all of fallen nature. However, the above scripture tells us that it will be testified to us in due time. I look forward to understanding the great mystery of the atonement when God reveals it to us in the hereafter.

There is one other thing I would like us to notice. Notice how that Jesus “...looked up to heaven, and blessed...” the food.

Heaven is the source of all blessings. In James we read that:

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” ^{James 1:17} Therefore we should seek the blessing of heaven in our every effort to serve God, for it is only as God blesses those efforts that they will succeed.

III.) IN OBVIOUS DISTRESS: Mark 6:45-52

“⁴⁵ And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people.

⁴⁶ And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.

⁴⁷ And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land.

⁴⁹ But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out:

⁵⁰ for they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, ‘Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.’

⁵¹ And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.

⁵² For they considered not [the miracle] of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.”

This incident in the lives of the disciples is also an illustration to us of how we should react to the work of God in our lives. The disciples were sent away by Jesus so that He could dismiss the crowd and also so that He might repair to a solitary place for prayer. No doubt He prayed for the disciples who at this point still did not understand the deeper implications of Christ's ministry. Jesus often went alone to pray. This was a mainstay of His work. If Jesus, the Son of God, needed to go alone to pray at times, how much more do we need to pray? We likely would be much stronger spiritually if we spent more time in prayer rather than many of our other pursuits.

The disciple must have been blown far off their course as they were in the midst (center) of the Sea of Galilee. The usual route for boats on the Sea of Galilee was to follow the coastline to reach destinations on the other side of the Sea. Bethsaida was on the Northwest corner of the Sea of Galilee. They left from the East side of the Sea. They likely would have followed the east side of the sea northward and then when they reached the northern end they would have followed the shoreline westward. However the storm must have pushed them south and west into the middle of the sea. They were very afraid and stressed. Jesus came to them about 3:00 AM in the morning: which was the forth watch of the night. When He came to their location in the middle of the sea they were very afraid, mistaking Him for a ghost. He immediately addressed their fear by calling to them to not be afraid but to have courage.

When we are afraid, either because circumstance are overwhelming us, or else mental fears such as the disciple experienced, do we recognize that the Master is near? He did say to all of us that He would be with us:

“...lo, I am with you always, [even] unto the end of the world.” ^{(Matthew 28:20 KJV)}

Notice also while the disciples were facing problems that Jesus was praying. This is a picture of His intercessory ministry for us today. He is our advocate at the throne of the Father. He is watching over us and pleading our case. He is telling us to have courage, to not be afraid, for He is near and He is our advocate in heaven.

CONCLUSION:

While our circumstances often look dire and dangerous, the spiritual reality is the very opposite for those whose faith is placed in the Master’s hand. He is near, He is our advocate and He will come to us in our hour of need. We need only muster our faith and trust in His provision. Even when death looms there is nothing to fear for our lives and our future are in His capable hands.

So the answer to the question as to how we can have courage lies in faith in the One who is all faithful. He never sleeps and He always has our benefit at heart. He can be trusted.

“‘Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.’ ” are His words to us in all of life’s circumstances, even when the outward appearances seem otherwise.

Prayerfully Submitted: Joe Forbus 12-30-09

May your New Year bring great spiritual growth and blessings!