Conviction and Courage

1. Conviction & Courage

3. Conviction & Courage

4. The Crossroad of
Decision
The Reformation was a defining moment when the Christian convictions
and courage of Reformers, met the crossroads of decision
and engaged the battle fields of belief and behaviour.

5. “If I had a place to stand,
I could move the world.”
The Greek engineer
Archimedes was
referring to
the wonders of the lever.
In principle,
the capacity of a lever
was unlimited.
Archimedes

6. An ordinary
weakling could
move a rock the
size of a house.
All that he would
need would be a
fulcrum,
a pole strong
enough so that it
would not break,
and long enough to
multiply the force.
That,
and a place
to stand.

7. The Fulcr um
The force multiplying physics of the lever are a function of distance.
The heavier the object, or the weaker the person trying to move it,
the longer the pole would need to be,
and the further away from it you would have to stand.

8. However,
with the right fulcrum,
the right bar and
the right distance,
all you would need to
do would be to push
the lever down,
and the boulder,
no matter how heavy
it was, would move.

9. To Move the World
Theoretically, Archimedes famously declared, with the right fulcrum,
bar and distance, you could put a lever to planet Earth and move the
world itself. As long as you had a place to stand!

10. On 18 April 1521, a 37-year old Professor
from the University of Wittenberg found himself hauled
in front of the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.
A Defining Moment

11. Standing before the assembled political and spiritual authorities of his
day, Luther was presented with a simple choice: Will you recant, and
reject everything you have been teaching about the Gospel?

12. Or will you be cast out of the church and state as a heretic and traitor,
to be burned at the stake?

13. Courage and Conviction
Martin Luther’s reply moved the world. He changed history.
Because he had a place to stand. Dr. Martin Luther declared:
“My conscience is captive to the Word of God. Here I stand!”

14. Our Lord Jesus declared that our Faith would be able to move
mountains (Matthew 17:20). Martin Luther’s Faith
moved the world because he had a place to stand.

15. He stood on the Word of God.
The fulcrum he used was the Gospel.
This was balanced on the bar of the Law of God.

16. To Move The World
Dr. Martin Luther actually fulfilled what the Greek engineer Archimedes
had hypothisized about.

17. Standing on the
Word of God,
using the bar
of the Law of God
and the fulcrum
of the Gospel,
Martin Luther’s
Faith
not only moved
mountains,
it changed the
world.

18. It brought to an end the Middle Ages, and ushered in the modern world.

19. The Protestant Reformation, and the resultant Scientific Revolution and
Industrial Revolution, produced the most productive, prosperous
and free nations in the history of the world.

20. All this because Luther had a place to stand and he made his stand
on the unchangeable Word of Almighty God.

21. Decisive Action
These decisive actions
were blessed by God
with an outpouring of
the Holy Spirit, which
made the Protestant
Reformation one of
the greatest
movements for
Faith and freedom
in history.

22. Confronting Cor r uption
Dr. Martin Luther’s actions were described as that of another Elijah –
confronting the false prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel.

23. Indeed, there were many similarities between the religious superstition
and corruption confronted by Martin Luther in the 16th Century and the
national apostasy of Israel confronted by the prophet Elijah
in 1 Kings 18.

24. A Call for
Commitment
It was a defining
moment when
conviction and
courage confronted
corruption and
cowardice.

25. “And Elijah came to all the people, and said, ‘how long will you falter
between two opinions? If the Lord is God follow Him, but if Baal is god,
follow him’. But the people answered him not a word.” 1 Kings 18:21

26. Against All
Odds
Elijah stood alone
against the
450 prophets of
Baal and the
400 prophets
of Asherah.
Elijah challenged
them to a contest.

27. Those 850 false prophets
were to build their altar,
and Elijah would build his
altar. Each would pray.
The one who
answered with fire,
he would be recognised
as the one true God.

28. Cowardice
“But the people answered him not a word.”
Sometimes silence is golden, other times it is just plain yellow.

29. A Deafening Silence
The people of Israel were so backslidden and apostate that they just
nailed their colours to the fence. They didn’t say a word.

30. They remained uncommitted, waiting to see how things turned out.
They would surely back the winner. They are waiting to see
which way the wind blew and on which altar the fire fell.

31. The
Futility
of False
Religions
As there were far more
prophets of Baal and
Asherah, they started first.
From morning until noon
the false prophets called
out to the name of Baal.
They leapt about.

32. There was much shouting
and screaming, songs and
dances, even cutting
themselves with knives.
They worked themselves
into a frenzy,
but there was no answer.
No fire.
After several hours of
futility
the false prophets had
exhausted themselves.

33. Repairing the Altar
“Then Elijah said to all the people, ‘Come near to me’. So all the people
came near to him and he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken
down.” 1 Kings 18:30

34. Solid Foundations
Elijah first laid down the stones. This is symbolic of the foundational
doctrines which we must all know.
However, the stones were not enough.

35. The Wood of Faith
It is not enough to know the great truths of the Scripture, we must
believe them. This is symbolised by the wood that was laid on the altar.

36. For, to lay the wood indicated faith that the fire would fall.
We must not only know the truth in our head,
we must believe the truth in our hearts.

37. Putting Flesh to our Faith
On top of the stones and wood, Elijah placed the meat of the sacrifice.
We need to put flesh to our Faith. We need to put feet to our Faith.

38. It is not enough to know the truth in our head, and to believe the truth
in our heart, we need to live the truth in our life.

39. Living Water
Over the sacrifice, the wood and the stones, Elijah had water poured
until it saturated the sacrifice, the wood and filled the trench around
the altar. This symbolises the prayer with which we should soak our
lives, faith and doctrines.

40. The Fire of God
“And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice,
that Elijah the prophet came near and said, ‘Lord God of Abraham, Isaac
and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am
Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your Word.

41. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that
You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts
back to You again’.

42. Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice
and the wood and the stones and the dust and it licked up the water
that was in the trench.

43. Now when all the people
saw it, they fell on their
faces; and they said,
‘The Lord,
He is God!
The Lord,
He is God!’.”
1 Kings 18:36-39

44. Boldness
There is a time to stand up, a time to step out, and a time to speak up.
This is what Elijah did at Mount Carmel when he confronted the false
prophets of Baal.

45. Although heavily outnumbered, and opposed
by the wicked King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, Elijah had the conviction
and courage to fight the good fight of Faith.

46. Two Foundations
There were two altars, but only one had the fire. Jesus spoke of two
men who built two houses on two different foundations.

47. But the one house was built upon the sand and when the rain fell and
the winds blew and the floods rose, that house built on the sand
collapsed. However, the house built upon the solid rock stood firm.

48. Two Ways
There are two ways, the broad way that leads to destruction,
and the narrow way that leads to life.

49. The broad way is smooth,
easy, downhill and popular.
The narrow way that leads
to life is steep, difficult,
often rough and lonely.

50. However, we should not choose a road by how comfortable
and easy it is, but by whether it is going in the right direction
to get us where we need to go.

51. Which road are you on?

52. On what foundation are
you building your life?

53. The Fr uit of the Spirit
Jesus said that we would know a tree by its fruit. What is the fruit of
your life? Is it the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control? (Galatians 5:22-23)

54. The Fr uit of the Flesh
Or is it the fruit of the flesh: “adultery, fornication, uncleanness,
licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies,

55. outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy,
murders, drunkenness, revelries and the like; of which …
those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.”
Galatians 5:19-21

56. Are You For Christ or
Against Him?
Jesus said: “You are either with Me, or against Me.
You are either gathering, or scattering.

57. If you confess Me before men, I will confess you before My Father,
who is in Heaven, but if you deny Me before men,
I will deny you before the Father and the Holy Angels.”

58. Making a Stand
Despite the social pressures, the political dangers and ecclesiastical
pressure Elijah stood up, stepped out and spoke out for Almighty God.

59. He confessed the Lord before men,
and God most powerfully answered his prayer.

60. John Wycliffe
In the Reformation, bold believers made a courageous stand for
righteousness and truth. Professor John Wycliffe, of Oxford University,
spoke out against the superstitions and corruptions
of the Roman Catholic church.

61. Wycliffe proclaimed:
Christ alone is the Head of the Church ;
Scripture contains everything
necessary for our Salvation, and
all authorities must be tested by the Scripture.

62. Jan Hus
Professor Jan Hus gave his life standing up for the truth of God’s Word
against papal idolatry.

63. Savonarola
Jerome Savonarola was burned at the stake in Florence
for his brave attempts at Reform.

64. Martin Luther
Dr. Martin Luther boldly confessed his faith before the assembled might
of the papacy and the Holy Roman Empire.

65. “Unless I am convinced by Scripture, or by clear reasoning, that I am in
error – for popes and councils have often erred and contradicted
themselves – I cannot recant, for I am subject to the Scriptures I have
quoted; my conscience is captive to the Word of God.

66. It is unsafe and dangerous to do anything against one’s conscience.
Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise. So help me God. Amen.”

67. Vision
The Reformation was inspired by a great vision.
“Without a vision a people perish.”
What is your vision?

68. Purpose
What are you living for?
Reformers, like Dr. Martin Luther, were living for a vision far bigger
than themselves, far bigger than their times and their nations.

69. Their vision continues
to impact
and bless the world,
even hundreds of years
after their life.

70. Who Will Rise Up?
The Word of God declares: “Who will rise up for Me against the
wicked? Who will make a stand up for Me against the
workers of iniquity?” Psalm 94:16

71. “If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest
exposition every portion of the truth of God,

72. except precisely that point which the world and the devil are
at that moment attacking, then I am not confessing Christ,
however boldly I may be professing Him.

73. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the
soldier is proved;

74. and to be steady on all the battle front
besides is mere flight and disgrace if he
flinches at that point.”
Martin Luther

75. David
against
Goliath
The young shepherd boy,
David, although he was the
youngest and the least,
he rose up and made a
stand against the
blaspheming Philistine
giant Goliath:

76. “You come to me with
a sword, with a spear,
and with a javelin,
but I come to you in
the Name of the Lord
of Hosts, the God of
the armies of Israel,
Whom you have
defied.”
1 Samuel 17:45

77. Christian Courage
In many ways the Reformation was a David against Goliath campaign.
Courageous Reformers challenged the political and ecclesiastical
authorities who had abused their powers and distorted the Scriptures.

78. Martin Luther nailed his 95 arguments against papal indulgences
to the door of the Castle Church. He burned the papal bull publically
in Wittenberg. He stood firm before the emperor
and refused to back down from his Scriptural position.

79. Nathan before the King
Nathan the prophet had the courage to confront the King:
“You are the man!” 2 Samuel 12:7

80. John Knox
Scottish Reformer, John Knox, confronted the wicked Mary,
Queen of Scots, in the same spirit as the prophet Nathan.

81. John Knox described Mary, Queen of Scots, as “a traitoress and rebel
against God.” The Queen declared, trembling and in tears, that she was
more afraid of the Prayers of John Knox than of an army of 10,000.

82. D a n i e l ’s
S t e a d f a s t n e s s
Daniel courageously
stood firm under 3
pagan kings. Exiled from
his own land
in childhood,
Daniel is an example of
steadfast integrity.
He served in the
governments of
Nebuchadnezzar and
Belshazzar in Babylon and
under King Darius of the
Medo-Persian Empire.

83. Yet, without compromise. He refused the meat offered to idols, from
the king’s table. He courageously confronted Belshazzar over his
blasphemous abuse of the elements, from the Temple in Jerusalem
at a Babylonian banquet: “You have been weighed in the balances,
and found wanting!” Daniel 5:27.

84. When commanded to only pray to the king,
Daniel continued to faithfully pray to the Lord God Almighty.
For this he was thrown into the lions’ den.

85. Luther and Zwingli
Martin Luther and Ulrich Zwingli stand out as courageous and principled
Daniel’s standing firm and faithfully expounding the Scriptures amidst
many threats and dangers.

86. John the Baptist and Jan Hus
As John the Baptist courageously preached against sin and confronted
corruption and hypocrisy, even losing his own head for opposing and
exposing the wickedness of King Herod, Professor Jan Hus stands out in
the same spirit, and with the same courage.

87. Standing in the Gap
The Word of the Lord declares: “So I sought for a man
among them who would make a wall, and
stand in the gap before Me, on behalf of the land,
that I should not destroy it …” Ezekiel 22:30

88. Are you
standing
in the gap
and
interceding
on behalf
of the land?

89. A r e y o u h e l p i n g t o r e b u i l d
t h e w a l l ?

90. Are you impacting your
world for Christ?

91. Repentance
God now commands all men everywhere to repent(Acts 17:30).

92. “If My people who are called by My Name will humble themselves and
pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways then I will
hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
2 Chronicles 7:14

93. Have you humbled yourself?

94. Are you praying?

95. Are you seeking
His face?

96. Are you turning from your wicked ways?

97. I heard the voice of the Lord saying:
“Whom shall I send and who will go for us?’
Then I said: ‘Here I am! Send Me!’ Isaiah 6:8

98. The Great Commission
“And Jesus came and spoke to them saying: ‘All authority has been
given to Me on Heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples
of all the nations, baptising them in the Name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things
that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always,
even to the end of the age. Amen’.” Matthew 28:18-20

99. What does God want you to do ?
Today? This week? This month? Next year?

100. Decisions
Every day there are decisions we need to make,
temptations we need to resist, challenges to face,
opportunities to seize, battles to win,

101. Scriptural commands we need to obey.
Every decision we make makes us more a
creature of Heaven, or hell.

102. Choices
Every choice we make sets us further down the broad way
to destruction, or the narrow way to life.

103. There are many defining moments which we need to respond to with
courage and conviction, determination and decisiveness.

104. However, we sometimes come across major defining moments on which
far more than even our own eternal destinies depend.

105. On such occasions we need to respond with
the vision, courage, dedication and determination
of the prophets and Reformers of old.

106. W h e n t h e t i m e c o m e s f o r y o u t o
s t a n d u p , s t a n d u p b o l d l y.

107. When the
time comes
for you to
step out,
step out
in Faith.

108. When the time comes
when yo u must spea k up,
spe ak courage ously

109. and with Christian conv iction
the truths
o f the Ho ly Scriptures.

110. “Choose for yourselves this day
Whom you will serve … but as for
me and my house, we will serve
the Lord.” Joshua 24:15

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