This sermon was preached on Saturday evening December 10th 1988 at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville New Jersey. Having asserted last night that the Bible does reveal a distinctive profile of what manhood is all about I set before you eight avenues of study which will take one to an understanding of this authentic and distinctive masculinity. Now I might add tonight, a ninth could have been cited, and that would be a study of the pastoral epistles, specifically 1 Timothy chapter 3, the qualifications for the elder and the qualifications for the deacon. While we admit that the purpose of the listing of such virtues is unto the end of these men being discerned by an assembly, yet we would all agree that indeed they are goals for all men. And certainly again in the pastorals, Titus chapter 1, and the text read last night by Pastor Martin, Titus chapter 2, that then a ninth avenue of study that would lead to an understanding of the distinctive masculinity revealed in the Bible. Yes, the Word of God does tell perceptive students of Scripture how to act like men. And further, last night the question was posed of the several virtues which are to be found in a true man. Which one? is central to his manliness whenever, wherever, and however that manliness is expressed. What is it which is of the essence of his being and influences all of the roles and the duties he discharges? The answer, in a word, is courage. Courage, I remind you, is the primary, that is, first in rank, the fundamental, that is, of the very essence, and the comprehensive, that is, the all-encompassing virtue of true masculinity. Courage is at the heart of the notable imperative in 1 Corinthians 16, 13, like men. And we concluded last night's labors of preaching and hearing by considering that command, act like men. What does it mean to act like men? What does it mean to be men constantly? To show yourselves men always, summarily speaking, It means to demonstrate courage. Act like men is an imperative for men to courageously prosecute life. And the following imperative, be strong, confirms that sense. Be strong is explanatory of the preceding act like men. It speaks of the capacity to withstand adversity, to withstand pressure all the while, faithfully carrying out one's duties. Again, to remind you of the comment of Linsky, be strong is closely related to this display of courageous manliness. Now I left you with a question last night, and several of you tried to pry the answer loose at the door. Without success, I trust. I left you with the question of what does this courage consist? What are the constituent parts of the essential virtue of courage to ask another way, what convictions must a man have etched into his being which will produce this virtue that is at the root of acting like a man? Now, in the pursuit of the answers to such questions, I must begin by stating the hermeneutical or the interpretive relevancy of the Septuagint to New Testament vocabulary, particularly to New Testament vocabulary that is seldom used. And in our case, the Greek imperative in 1 Corinthians 16.13 translated, Act like men, an imperative used this solitary time. And for the sake of the men in the academy, I might refer you to Mickelson's work, pages 125 and 126, for an expanded statement of this relevancy of the Septuagint to New Testament language. The Septuagint, as I trust you know, was the standard Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament. Greek vocabulary was used to translate for the Greek-speaking world the original Hebrew of the Old Testament. And thus, in instances as the one before us here in 1 Corinthians 16.13, wherein one encounters a certain Greek term used sparingly or solitarily in the New Testament, a search of the Septuagint may well prove fruitful assuming that that New Testament term is found in the Septuagint. Now in the case of the Greeks, act like men. While used only here in the New Testament, it is used repeatedly in the Septuagint and its usage, and the supportive material associated with it, yields great light on the answer to the question of what does courage consist? And we're going to seek exposure to that light in this way. I'm going to read a litany of Old Testament which are translated in the Septuagint by the term from which we are working in 1 Corinthians 16, 13. And the term is found consistently along with these three constituent parts of true manly courage. And the three parts are these. there is the assurance of the presence of God with a man. We might express that as a first conviction prerequisite to knowing courage. We may say it's a constituent element of the courage itself. The assurance of the presence of God. Secondly, we shall find a certainty of a righteous cause. And then thirdly, we shall note confidence in the providence of God. And having read the first litany of Old Testament text with this 1 Corinthians 16.13 Septuagint connection, I will retreat briefly and point out these three aspects These three convictions are incentives to true courage. Now, you might want to follow along. Open the Bible, please, to Deuteronomy 31. Moses is addressing all of the people prior to his death. and prior to their crossing Jordan into Canaan. And now we read at verse 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. Again at verse 7, Moses is commissioning Joshua, his successor, for the arduous task of leading the people in the conquest of Canaan. And we read, Then Moses called to Joshua and said to him, in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and courageous, those imperatives reflecting this connection I make. Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance. And the Lord is the one who goes ahead of you. He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. Again, later in the same chapter, verse 23. Then he commissioned Joshua, the son of Nun, and said, Be strong and courageous, for you shall bring the sons of Israel into the land which I swore to them, and I will be with you. Then it turns, please, to Joshua chapter 1. Verse 5, No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Jehovah now addressing Joshua. No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life, just as I have been with Moses. I will be with you. I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them." Again, verse 7, only be strong and courageous to be careful to do according to all the law which Moses, my servant, commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left so that you may have success wherever you go. Verse 9, have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not tremble or be dismayed. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Now, in each of these texts, in this first of two litanies, where you read the imperative translated in the NAS, be courageous, or perhaps in the ASV, of good courage, the original Hebrew is translated by the Septuagint, with the same verb of 1 Corinthians 16.13 rendered, quit you like men or act like men. And where you read, be strong. The Hebrew is translated by the Septuagint with the verb of 1 Corinthians 16.13 likewise rendered, Be strong, the sense in these combined imperatives of acting with firmness, acting with steadiness, being resolute and fixed in purpose, the opposite of being saint-hearted, the opposite of shrinking back from decision and from purposeful, resolute action, the opposite. of halting and weak-kneed and vacillating responses when an occasion calls for decisiveness, for principled and determined action. And as to the three constituent parts of this courage, consider in the first place the assurance of the presence of God with a man who would be of good courage relative to the presence of God. Return to Deuteronomy 31, verse 6. The imperative is founded on this, be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. The imperatives are founded on this assurance. that Jehovah is the one present with them. Again in verse 7, be strong and courageous, and the Lord is the one who goes ahead of you. He will be with you. Verse 23, be strong and courageous, and I will be with you. Joshua chapter 1 verse 5, just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you. Be strong and courageous. First mind, be strong and courageous. Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. I say to you, brethren, that a man's courage, if it be true, spiritual and God-given courage, is mirrored by the sustaining and sure sense of the presence of God with him. In the face of adversity, in the face of perplexity and fear, the assurance, I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you. The Lord is my helper. I will not be afraid. What shall man do to me? That assurance. nerves his arm for a courageous prosecution of his roles and his duties given to him by his Heavenly Father. Whatever he faces, though the world would turn their backs, he knows that there is one with him who sticketh closer than a brother. The assurance of the presence of God, it puts steel in the heart of a man to face whatever may be his luck in life. But then again, consider the certainty of a righteous cause bound up in these repeated imperatives. Relative to the certainty of a righteous cause, Jehovah instructs Joshua to quit you like men, to play the man, to be courageous and strong, because the cause in which he was engaged was morally upright. He would be extending himself in the way of God-given duty. The conquest of Canaan. Joshua's assigned task, of which we've just read, was a morally upright task given to him by the Lord God. Again in Deuteronomy 31, verse 7, Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with his people into the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them. We would ask the question, was Joshua embarking upon a righteous course? And the answer can be given with another question. Was the sworn promise of the Old Covenant righteous? And we would say a resounding yes. And thus the cause of Joshua was righteous. Again, chapter 31, verse 23, Be strong and courageous, you shall bring the sons of Israel into the land which I swore to them." We see it again in Joshua 1.5 and Joshua 1.7. We might note a bit of distinction in Joshua 1, 7. Not only is the cause asserted to be righteous, now in the language that my servant Moses commanded these things to you, but we see that the executing of that cause is to be done righteously. Ways and means of conquering Canaan. were to conform to a righteous standard, be strong and courageous, careful to do according to all the law which Moses, my servant, commanded you, do not turn from it to the right or the left. A righteous cause, in other words, must be discharged by righteous means. And brethren, if there is anything which should and which does sap the courage of a man of God. It is an accusing or unsettled conscience. A man of God cannot resolutely and courageously discharge a given course of action while his conscience is gnawing at him. guilt, ethical questions, moral uncertainties will cripple a man of God, whereas the certainty of a righteous cause. a blameless conscience, a clear view of duty, a certain grasp of the law of God, such things, on the other hand, will animate him, embolden him unto manly courage, the assurance of God with him, the certainty of a righteous cause, and thirdly, confidence in the providence of God. The third constituent element bound up in these imperatives is confidence in the providence of God, the truth, the language of the confession that God disposes, orders, governs all things to his glory and to his people's good. And I say to you that that larger truth is bound up in such statements as we find in Deuteronomy 31.6, the assertion, He will not fail you. Will not fail you relative to what? To the commission given to the people and to Joshua. to the duty, the action, the course of endeavors set before them. God will not fail you as to outcome. Again, verse 7 of Deuteronomy 31, you shall give it to them as an inheritance. He will not fail you. A stronger assertion in verse 23, you shall bring the sons of Israel into the land. There, a clear statement of result. given Joshua in advance, not something we're privileged to in every occasion. Joshua 1.5, no man will be able to stand before you again. I will not fail you. Whatever shall occur, whatever adversaries and difficulties a man faces in the line of righteous duty, a sovereign and present God overrules them all. He shall dispose of results as his wisdom dictates, in this particular instance by giving Joshua and the people of Israel the land of Canaan and granting them military victory. The task ahead for Joshua which demanded manly courage was not only an upright task, but a task the outcome of which was ordered and decreed and governed by an unfailing providence. Brethren, a man assured of the presence of God with him. Possessed of the certainty of the righteousness of the role he occupies, of the moral propriety of the courses of action he executes, the duties he undertakes, and thirdly, confident that a wise provident shall take care of the results, shall act like a man in the home. on the job, in the church, before the world, he shall act like a man. This trio of convictions is that which is of the essence of manly courage that bears upon masculinity wherever and whenever and however such masculinity is demonstrated. Now this trio of convictions, necessary to manly fortitude or these three constituent elements of manly courage, are found in a second litany of Old Testament texts which have the same 1 Corinthians 16.13, Septuagint connection. And this time I want to read the text and make comments as we proceed. Joshua 10, verse 25. Joshua is addressing the chiefs of the men of war. And he's echoing his own commission from Jehovah himself. Do not fear or be dismayed. Be strong and courageous, for thus the Lord will do to all your enemies with whom you fight. Same imperatives from 1 Corinthians 16.13, the assurance of God's presence, thus the Lord will do, the Lord is with you, the assurance of the righteousness of the cause taken, and confidence in the providence of God. 2 Samuel 10 verse 12, Joab, to all the choice men of Israel fighting Ammon and Syria. 2 Samuel 10-12. Be strong. And now a little bit of diversity. Let us show ourselves courageous for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God. And may the Lord do what is good. in his sight. Note the strong emphasis on God's providence. May the Lord do what is good in his sight. Let us prosecute our righteous cause and leave the outcome to the Lord God, who will do what is good. 1 Chronicles 22, verse 13, we come upon David's charge to his son Solomon. And we find the same two imperatives. Be strong and courageous, do not fear or be dismayed. And again in 1 Chronicles chapter 28 verse 20, Then David said to his son Solomon, Be strong and courageous and act Do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. Same to imperatives, the assurance of the presence of God. He will not fail you nor forsake you. An assertion of the overruling providence of God And now what about a righteous cause until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord, explicitly righteous, is finished. 2 Chronicles 32, verses 7 and 8, Hezekiah is addressing his military officers who are facing the besieging of Syrian army. And it says again, with the same two imperatives involved, be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be dismayed because of the king of Assyria, nor because of all the multitude which is with him. For the one with us is greater than the one with him. Assurance of the advocacy of Jehovah. I'm simply to read a couple of more brief utterances. 1 Kings 2.2, David's charge again to Solomon, be strong therefore and show yourself a man. Ezra 10.4, counsel given by one of those working with Ezra, arise for this matter, and the matter was the putting away of foreign wives and children. This matter is your responsibility, but we will be with you. Be courageous and act." And I might say, brethren, we find this same combination of commands, of imperatives in the Psalms. Psalm 27, verse 14, connected with waiting for the Lord. Wait for the Lord. Be strong and let your heart take courage. Psalm 31 verse 24, Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the Lord. It seems to me that upon a careful examination of the first litany, of the second litany, These texts reveal undeniably this threefold view of manly courage, a man assured of the presence of God, certain of a righteous cause, and confident in divine providence. Now, along the way, I trust you have noted in both litanies what this manly courage is contrasted with. There's a common thread through both litanies wherein we find a prohibition not to be, in this case, and then the directive to be strong and courageous. We find often repeated such prohibitions. Do not be afraid or tremble. Again, do not fear or be dismayed. Again, do not tremble or be dismayed. Phrases which convey an undue yielding to fear are crippling, overtaking fear. Phrases that convey a sense of despondency, a sense of hopelessness and uselessness, of further action, feelings of futility, giving up what we called in college days the quitter's spirit. I can't go on. I throw in the towel and throw up my hands and hang the cleats on the wall outside and give up. What's the use? Manly courage is the opposite of such. This exhortation to fortitude As Calvin summarily calls the Joshua text, this command to contend manfully so as not to faint stands in contrast to trembling and dismay. Speaking again of strength, firmness of soul, which capacitates a man to contend with problem, to face his enemy, to meet challenges, to persevere in duty, to bear adversity without compromising, without whining and halting, all the while pressing on. relentlessly pursuing the fulfillment of his God-given roles, his God-given duties, his God-given functions and responsibilities. I tell you, that is the essence of acting like a man. And I would say that there are at least fourteen other texts that could be read tonight, but I'll spare you. because of other things that must be dealt with that would assert, either in identical language or in synonymous imperative language, the same thing. Now, turning from these two litanies of Old Testament text that I've used as the basis exegesis and consequent exposition, I now want us to turn to a series of texts for the usage of illustration. Several biblical narratives wherein such manly courage is plainly evident Biblical narratives wherein courage is operating in influencing men in their performance of all kinds of duties and functions. Turn please in the first instance to Nehemiah. As you know, in Nehemiah, Nehemiah has gained permission from King Artaxerxes to return to Jerusalem, and he does so. And I begin a narration of these events in chapter 2 at verse 13. Nehemiah is back in town, and he is doing an inspection of the walls. So I went out at night by the valley gate in the direction of the dragon's well and on to the refuse gate inspecting the walls of Jerusalem which were broken down and its gates which were consumed by fire." And at verse 17, same chapter, we find this resolution to embark on a righteous cause welling up in Nehemiah. Then I said to them, You see the bad situation we are in, that Jerusalem is desolate and its gates burned by fire? Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that we may no longer be a reproach." Verse 18, Now Nehemiah is assured of the presence and the advocacy of God. I told them how the hand of my God had been favorable to me, and also about the king's words which he had spoken to me. Then they said, Let us arise and build. So they put their hands to the good work. Verse 19, opposition now arises, but when Sanballat, the Horonite, and Tobiah, the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard it, they mocked us and despised us and said, What is this thing you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king? And now the assertion of confidence in divine providence. I answered them and said to them, the God of heaven will give us success. Chapter 3 details the work. Chapter 4, we find that opposition is intensifying. Now it came about that when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and very angry and mocked the Jews. And he spoke in the presence of his brothers and the wealthy men of Samaria and said, what are these feeble Jews doing? Are they going to restore it for themselves? Can they offer sacrifices? Can they finish in a day? Can they revive the stones from the dusty rubble, even the burned ones? Now, Tobiah the Ammonite was near him, and he said, even what they're building, if a fox should jump on it, he would break their stone wall down. mockery, contempt, deletion, now becoming intense unto the end of kicking the knees of courage out from under Nehemiah and his co-laborers. Verse 12, fear begins to arise, and it came about when the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times, they will come up against us from every place where you may turn. Then I stationed men in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, the exposed places, and I stationed the people in families with their swords, spears, and bows. When I saw their fear, I rose and spoke to the nobles and the officials and the rest of the people. And what did he say? He gave them a prohibition that is the equivalent of the directive, take courage. Do not be afraid of them. Why? Remember. The Lord who is great and awesome and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives and your houses. Remember the presence of God and that you are engaged not upon a fool's errand, but upon righteous endeavor. Thus, do not be afraid or tremble. And then we could go on in the balance of this narrative and see the ebbs and the flows of opposition and the rallying of Nehemiah to undergird his co-laborers. And we find in Nehemiah chapter 4, 15 and following, this work continues, verse 20, the assertion, our God will fight for us. And through the end, through chapter 6, the work is completed. And brethren, if you examine these chapters hastily surveyed, you will see that that completion was nerved by courage, served by an assurance of the presence of God, By certainty of a righteous cause and by confidence in providence, our God will fight for us. Then we can turn to a further narrative in 2 Chronicles chapter 15. Here we find King Asa. being preached to by the prophet Azariah. And Asam is exhorted to be courageous in order to remove Judah's idols and restore the altar of the Lord. 2 Chronicles, chapter 15, verse 1. Now the Spirit of God came on Azariah, the son of Obed. And he went out to meet Asa and said to him, Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him. But if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. Verse 7, But you, be strong and do not lose courage, for there is reward for your work. Now when Asa heard these words and the prophecy which Azariah, the son of Oded, the prophet, spoke, He took courage. And now what about this righteous course? And removed the abominable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and from the cities which he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. He then restored the altar of the Lord which was in front of the porch of the Lord. An example of a man who, by way of the prophet's preaching, took courage unto the execution of a righteous cause. Turn with me, please, to Haggai. The time period, as you know, It's a near-equivalent one to the actions in Nehemiah. The task now is the building of the post-exilic temple. Verse 1, Haggai 2. On the 21st of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, Speak now to Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua, the son of Jehovadach, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying, Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison? But now, Take courage, Zerubbabel, declares the Lord. Take courage also, Joshua, son of Jehotadak, the high priest, and all you people of the land. Take courage, declares the Lord, and work, for I am with you, says the Lord. Thrice commanded, take courage. in a righteous endeavor, the building of the post-exilic temples, and grounded in the assurance, I am with you. Verses 5 to 9 continue and will not read them, but bound up in verses 5 to 9 plainly is the certainty of a righteous cause and confidence in the providence of God to lead these people in a righteous task. We can turn to Acts chapter 18 and come upon a New Testament narrative of a man nerved by courage to continue in the way. Acts 18 verse 9. Opposition had arisen in Corinth, as you know. God had revealed himself to Paul that he might not yield to fear and might persist in preaching. Verse 9, the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, Do not be afraid. And again, the prohibition is the equivalent of the directive, Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, but go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city. In the presence of God, I am with you. A righteous cause? Yes, go on speaking. Go on speaking in the way that Jesus was the Christ. Confidence in providence? I have many people in this city, many who will be effectually called as you persist in the righteousness of gospel preaching. Turn to Acts 23. We find Paul before the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem following his arrest. Verse 11, But on the night immediately following, the Lord stood at his side and said, Take courage! For as you have solemnly witnessed to my cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also. I might note, for accuracy's sake, the imperative here is not the exact imperative of 1 Corinthians 16.13, but it is an equivalent synonym. Note the presence of God. The Lord stood at his side. Note the righteous cause. You shall solemnly witness to my cause at Rome also, just as you did in Jerusalem. Turn please finally to Acts chapter 27 at verse 22. Paul is now on his way to Rome to do as the Lord stated when he stood at his side and revealed the former words. And there is a storm at sea off a creek on the journey and there is a need for courage, evidence, Verse 22 of Acts 27, and yet now I urge you, speaking to those on board ship, I urge you to keep up your courage, for there shall be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For this very night, an angel of the Lord, to whom I belong and whom I serve, stood before me saying, Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar, and behold, God has granted you all those who are sailing with you. Therefore, because of the assurance of the presence of God, the righteous cause to solemnly testify before Caesar, therefore, keep up your courage, men, For I believe, God, that it will turn out exactly as I have been told." Brethren, I ask you, what could be any plainer in precept and in instance than what is involved in this essential virtue of manly courage? But I must ask, What is the manly courage displayed by a Joshua, a Nehemiah, Asa, Hezekiah, Haggai, Daniel or Paul compared to the unsurpassed display of courage by the Incarnate Christ? By the Incarnate Christ as He resolutely in the face of enemies, hatred, unbelief, and the very forces of hell itself, pressed on to his God-appointed rendezvous with the powers of darkness and sin. And as he pressed on to a torment that only his innocent soul could know, I say that the Lord Jesus was the embodiment of a perfect manhood and its essential premier virtue, courage, following from His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Through those days leading to His sin-bearing and wrath-incurring death, consider the resolution uttered repeatedly in various instances in that last week Consider his second cleansing of the temple. Consider his daily teaching in the face of vicious, violent opposition. Consider Gethsemane facing the drinking of a cup of our sins and divine wrath. Read of his arrest. Lead of His being betrayed and alone. His presence before Pilate, before Herod and the chief priests, the attending mob. Consider His traversing of the way to Calvary. His hours on the cross. Consider His becoming sin and enduring the full measure of sin's penalty. And I tell you, in such scenes, one sees a perfect manly courage of firmness and decisiveness, resolute action attending a righteous cause. One sees the Savior intelligently aware of the rigors and the torments of His course. But a Savior strong and courageous, acting like a man, and acting like a man that His seed may be men, conforms to His image, if they be men at all. Consider the manliness. of the Son of Man. I have begun at 1 Corinthians 16.13, with a command, act like men. Have proceeded through this litany of comparative text and illustrated text to demonstrate what is plain to my understanding, that the primary, the fundamental, and comprehensive virtue of true masculinity is that of courage, of fortitude, built by the trio of realities, the presence of God, an upright cause, and confidence in divine providence. And I hope perhaps you have noted along the way two very significant things. First, courage is set forth repetitiously as a state of being, a state of essence. The imperatives redundantly read, be courageous, be strong. Be strong, let your heart take courage, do not fear or be dismayed. Consistently, repetitiously, for purpose, courage is set forth as a state of being. But secondly, Courage is set forth as an essential state of being, as an essential prerequisite or necessity for all kinds of functions, a number of different forms and types of duties and responsibilities. We consider Joshua the duty of civil and military leadership. Solomon's duty of building a house to the name of the Lord. In 1 Kings 2-2, Solomon's duty to keep the charge of the Lord your God, that is to obey Him. In Ezra, courage is assigned to the function of Ezra's leading the people to put away foreign women and their children from the peoples of the land. Psalm 27, verse 14. Courage is assigned to the duty of waiting on the Lord. Nehemiah's responsibility of leading the post-exilic remnant and rebuilding the walls was nerved by courage. Asa's duty of extirpating idolatry and restoring the altar of the Lord, again, the result of courage. Paul's responsibility to preach in courage, nerve by courage. We read in Philippians 1.14 of the Philippian brethren who speak the word of God without fear because of the courage they've taken from Paul's imprisonment. And in text not read tonight, this same imperative is attached to the duties of prayer, of believing the Word of God, of rebuking sin, and finally, 2 Corinthians 5, of dying in the hope of heaven. A wide variety of manly duties for which men are first told Be strong and courageous! And it speaks plainly to anyone who will hear and perceive that courage is this essential virtue, foundational to all the various and numerous roles and duties assigned to men by God. It is that virtue. which underlies a man's consistent, forward, active leadership in his home, wherein a man as a husband and as a father sets the pace by precept and example for life and for children. And in an age of indolence, And in an age of passivity, in a culture which vilifies men who truly take up the reins of leadership in the home, a courageous man sets his faith to live according to biblically prescribed roles, being courageous. He rejects the evil of feminism and the vanity of machoism and bears the resultant reproach, gives himself to his God-given task, the righteous cause of being a manly leader in practice in his home. It is the same virtue of courage which underlies a man's honest and diligent discharge of his vocational duties. Courage that nerves his being, his soul, to stand against the incessant, sometimes overt, sometimes subtle pressures to cheat and to lie and to do as little as possible to get by with in the workplace. It is courage that nerves him to stand against the pressure to maximize profits at the expense of integrity. To say no when demands are made and compliance with such would kick the knees out from higher God-given priority. To say no when compliance with such would relocate his family into an ecclesiastical wasteland where there is no church. in which one can worship and invest their life in in good conscience. In an age of money loving, career idolizing men who are no men at all by the evaluation of this book. I tell you, I have been a privileged pastor in that kind of age within our small assembly of eleven men. to see demonstrated this kind of courage, which is a prod and a challenge to me, to see my fellow elder have in the past borne slander and reproach for refusing to play games with his expense account. And it made his colleagues look bad who did. who will turn down cases and money where there is even a shadow of something unethical. Men who have said no to promotions, no to transfers at the very threat of their careers to remain in the church. Men, and one of them is here, who is left an advancing and lucrative position to return to a little church in the backwaters of New York State for the sake of his soul and the soul of his family. Men who refuse to overcharge their customers even when they know they could get away with it. I say it's courage that causes a man in the workplace to do his work heartily as for the with sincerity of heart, fearing God. It's courage that causes a man to pay his employees a proper wage, even when budgets are tight and profits are marginal, and to stand behind goods and services for the sake of integrity and honesty, to inculcate and practice a biblical ethic of gainful employment, I say in this money-loving age, in this career-idolizing age, it's courage that nerves a man to work in such a way. It's the virtue of courage that is foundational to a church's men being men in the local church, consistently faithful to God-given duty when life is encompassed by a swarm of distractions and lesser demands. Courage that nerves to attend when their bodies are worn out, to engage their faculties in worship by, in some cases, sheer sanctified resolution and a firmly nailed down purpose. It is courage that nerves a man to carry out 1 Timothy 2.8, the duty to public prayer, after a hectic day. and a frantic commute, and he's choked down supper if he's had any supper at all, but he's in his place and he's doing his duty to lead his brethren in the charge given to him. It is courage that nerves a man to pull out the checkbook or take out the wallet and give liberally of tithes and offerings. even when money is tight on the home front. It is courage that nerves a man to speak forth the gospel, to defend his assembly, and to defend his elders in the face of grumbling and false accusation and disaffection. It is courage that causes a man to remain in a true church rather than relocate for career advances and at the cost of his never-dying soul. I tell you, it's courage also which underlies a pastor in the oversight of his local church, fearing not the faces of men within the walls of the assembly, nor outside. Men who malign and propagate their charges of being overbearing, negative, unloving, dictatorial, heavy-handed, and will stand before it and instruct and govern God's sheep knowing that God is my judge. It is curry. that underlies a man in civil authority to forget political expediency, to act by principle and in the best interest of a nation. It is the virtue of courage that underlies a man in making bold decisions, in taking on challenges, in taking risks that may cost dearly. It is courage that causes a man to venture out on a course of duty despite the chorus of the plain safers who prefer their security and comfort to a clear conscience. And I say to you, brethren, not only as brethren, but as fellow citizens, it is the virtue of that is the legacy of a hundred battlefields in our beloved but dying nations. Battlefields on which Americans fought with valor. Places like Saratoga and the Cowpens and Manassas and Sharksburg and Gettysburg. the Bloody Angle, Normandy, Iwo Jima, Inchon, and Ket. Not saying that all, by no means, involved in such battlefields who spilt their blood were men of precisely the same courage that we've described tonight, but certainly many were in those ranks. But I say nevertheless that courage is a legacy that we as Americans own, and it's been demonstrated on a hundred battlefields. What is the one basic virtue which constitutes a true man? What makes a man a man? Fortitude of heart. Courage of soul. It's that which fits a man for headship in the family, headship and leadership in the church and on the job, that fits a man for duty and for sacrifice and, as noted last night, for perseverance. I ask you, shall the men of Trinity rise and be men. Shall the men of Trinity be men of courage, with steel in their hearts, a steel forge on the anvils described tonight? Shall the men of Trinity follow in the way of the Joshua's and the Nehemiah's and the Daniel's and the Paul's. Perhaps the more precise question is this. Shall the Son of Man rise as the perfect specimen of authentic masculinity before the mind and the consciences of the men of Trinity. Shall the Son of Man rise before your souls that you may prosecute life and whatever lot God gives with this manly courage. Let's bow. Father, I would ask tonight that by mercy, by the unstopping of our ears and the straightening out of our minds prone to confusion, that we would get a clear sight that such a virtue as courage is no man-made thing. But rather may we see clearly that it is only as we come to embrace the Son of Man that we shall repent of our effeminacy as men on the one hand, our wimpishness as men, that we shall repent of machoism on the other, and embrace with the heart the teaching of the Word of God written. Father, may we see clearly that it is only as the Son of Man, His perfect rise, perfect specimen of distinctive masculinity, rises before our souls that we shall be the men you have called us to be, men who act like men. Father, I pray that the proven men of God in the annals of scripture and history would have a plentiful descendancy in this place. By the grace of God and the saving work of Jesus Christ I ask, Amen.