You Got to Have Courage 3

Remember the cowardly lion in the Wizard of Oz.  Even in our times of fear, we must press on and just as the lion said, “It takes Courage”.

Acts 22:21-29 NASB  "And He said to me, 'Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'"  (22)  They listened to him up to this statement, and then they raised their voices and said, "Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live!"  (23)  And as they were crying out and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air,  (24)  the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, stating that he should be examined by scourging so that he might find out the reason why they were shouting against him that way.  (25)  But when they stretched him out with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, "Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and uncondemned?"  (26)  When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and told him, saying, "What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman."  (27)  The commander came and said to him, "Tell me, are you a Roman?" And he said, "Yes."  (28)  The commander answered, "I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money." And Paul said, "But I was actually born a citizen."  (29)  Therefore those who were about to examine him immediately let go of him; and the commander also was afraid when he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had put him in chains.

God supplies the courage for a Godly response in confrontation.  Paul gives his testimony, telling of his conversion and how God had called him to witness to the Gentiles.

The crowd wants him dead.  The Roman Commander orders him to be examined.  They were going to scourge him.  Paul was a Roman citizen.  He tells the Roman Commander that he was born a citizen of Rome.  Any Roman citizen had the right to be tried in Rome and this is why they backed off from beating Paul. 

Being courageous does not mean we must take unnecessary persecution or suffering.  Sometimes God provides us a way to legitimately avoid it.

Deuteronomy 31:6  "Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you.  He will not fail you or forsake you."