(Audio Transcription Below)

I listened to a podcast about courage and I had been thinking of Moses and the courage required of him. One of my favorite Bible verses is Joshua 1:9 – “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid for the Lord is with you wherever you go.” As you know, Joshua followed Moses in leadership – courage must be picked up by each new generation. I wondered about my own courage & the level of courage that will be required by my son and grandson. All this mixed together to talking about Courage today. 

Start – Pictures and Stories: 

April 18th, 1521 – Meeting at Worms/Germany – Martin Luther

• Martin Luther was told to recant his views about the Pope and the Bible or face death – Luther summoned the courage to stand up to the Holy Roman Emperor & the Pope, said: “Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason (for I do not trust either in the Pope or in councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not retract anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. HERE I STAND, I can do no other – may God help me.”— One man standing against the entire Political, Religious and Power Apparatus – Took Enormous courage: 

1935 – Nuremberg, Germany (414 years later)

• It is home of a very famous cathedral, The Church of Our Lady: Lutheran Congregation. The people who attended this church were birthed out of very courageous soil of Luther standing up against power, an unhealthy power.

Yet, 414 years later, something happened. In 1935 Hitler & the Nazi Regime used Nuremberg as the staging ground for Hitler’s propaganda. The images below are from a famous propaganda movie that shows Hitler at this parade ground with The Church of Our Lady in the background.

  

So think about this: Sunday after Sunday in the 1930’s – people like you and me gathered, prayed, sang, and learned from the Bible while just outside, evil was allowed to flourish. 

Question: What would you have done? Would you have had the courage to stand up against a sea of soldiers and excitement? If everyone around you is saying yes to evil, would you have the courage to say NO! – (Don’t answer too quickly, resist thinking too much of yourself). Saying NO could cost you and your family your livelihood, possibly no one would hire you- perhaps it could cost you your life. 

• 1940 – Contrast Churchill: Churchill was sitting in England and had to make a choice of how to deal with Hitler. Many leaders in England were afraid of the losses and would have chosen to make a peace treaty with Germany and keep England out of the War. 

Question: Would you settle for “Peace” rather than risking your entire family/country? — Curious: What is Courage? Can you grow in Courage? How? 

What would your “Courage Gage” read: 1-10? 

CS Lewis on Courage: “Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point. Chastity or honesty or mercy which yields to danger will be chaste or honest or merciful only on conditions. Pilate was merciful till it became risky.” 

Courage will be required at the testing point of every virtue – When it costs you to stand for truth….that’s the point you measure courage. 

Moses as a Model: 

1. It took real courage for Moses to squarely face Himself! – Exodus 2

“Moses’ natural gifting (Leadership) was at the mercy of his unresolved past and the unexamined emotional patterns that drove him.”— Moses’ forced time in the desert was his road to real freedom. Only those who have the COURAGE to ride their own monsters of anger and greed, jealousy and narcissism, fear and violence all the way down to the bottom will find a truer energy with which to lead. Only those who have faced their own dark sides can be trusted to lead others toward the light. This takes courage and this is where true spiritual leadership begins. Everything that comes before is something else.” (Barton)

Numbers 12:3 – “Moses was a humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.”- Without Humility you will never have the courage to face yourself. It takes courage to not allow your past failures to define the rest of your life. 

• Moses’ first opposition was himself. It takes courage to face yourself.

2. It took real courage to turn aside and listen to God – Exodus 3 

So many times it’s easier to just keep your head down and move through life trying to build the best life you can without ever looking for God and looking around at circumstances to see how you might engage – like the people sitting in church at Nuremberg. 

This is not a “One Time” turn….it takes courage to turn toward God and away from yourself everyday. 

• Moses’ Second Opposition was God. It takes courage to truly turn your life over to God and trust Him. 

3. It took real courage for Moses to face Pharoah – Exodus 5 

Like Luther & Emperor/Pope, – Moses was willing to stand and engage in the hard conversations. He was able to engage when NO ONE else would. Moses’ life was threatened – He was willing to live under the pressures of these threats. 

Question: How capable are you of holding up under threats: like Churchill…..or do you usually cave for “Peace” 

• Moses’ Third Opposition was external threats and power. 

4. It took real courage for Moses to lead people who often didn’t want to follow – Exodus 5ff 

1. General unrest – Refrain: “Would’ve been better stay in Egypt” 
2. Miriam and Aaron: Sister and Partner….tried to move Moses out and take over – O how painful! — Of course you know you are going to get resistance from Pharoah – but your own Partner or Sister!

*ILL: Former CCC Member in my office – “Paul, if you go in that direction people in my group will be lined up to get in your office & then leave CCC” 

*ILL: Former CCC Leader – “I would like to give a large sum of money to the building campaign but I want you to know if the church goes in a direction I don’t like, I reserve the right to withdraw my pledge” 

These are threats, coercion from within….it takes courage to engage in these crucial conversations with those on your team. Do you engage or shrink back….hoping things will change? 

• Moses’ fourth opposition was internal unrest & threats 

5. How Moses is Remembered: Hebrews 11:24-26 

“When Moses had grown up, he refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. Instead, he chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. Moses regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.” 

Courage will largely be determined by what you value, what you are looking ahead to, comfort, peace in this life or something beyond.

Conclusion: 

Video – A Hidden Life: Based on true story of Franz Jagerstatter was a peasant farmer in Austria when Hitler invaded his country. Hitler required able men to join his Army and Franz refused even as many men in his own country went along to join the army even though it was against their desire.

Again – What would you do? You are not Churchill but simply a peasant farmer. No speeches, no publicity-no one is going to remember you. It’s just you and what you believe – and the courage to choose. NOTE: cinematography – small church against the enormous dark mountain. 

Questions: 

1. Talk about Courage. What is Courage? What would your “Courage Gage” read: 1-10? Can you grow in Courage? How? 

2. What would you do? Would you settle for “Peace” rather than risking your entire family/country to dying? Why? 

3. Moses faced many oppositions to being courageous. We looked at 4 – which oppositions are most challenging to your courage?

 

Iron Leadership Meeting Materials:

• The Daily Office
• Meeting Handout