Is God’s Mission Bigger Than You?
written on Tuesday, August 19, 2014
This is based on my dad’s sermon this past Sunday morning. There was a story recently about a group of soldiers who dropped their weapons and ran when the going got tough. They placed themselves bigger than their mission. We, as Christian soldiers in the army of the Lord, must see God’s mission to draw as many people to Christ while standing up for Jesus as bigger than ourselves, or else we would do the same as the soldiers in the story…run taking down from what we know is right. In this spiritual warfare, our weapons are not carnal…we fight against principalities and powers. There is a constant battle to do good versus evil. But the good thing is we are already victorious if we put our total trust in God and let him (our Shepherd) lead us all the way from earth to glory. That is why we cannot serve God if we do not have faith, and with faith, our actions will show it because faith without works is dead.
In a natural army, a good soldier enlists because they love their country and believe in the mission of the fight. And most importantly, the mission is bigger than them. That is why they are willing to die fighting in the army defending their country. No soldier wants to be in a foxhole with a fellow soldier who does not see the mission bigger than themselves. Why? Because when the situation gets tough, they may get scared, run, and put their fellow soldiers’ lives in danger. Will you take a stand? Will you pay a price to stand up for what is right? Jesus paid a price when he died on Calvary. Must Jesus bear the cross alone and all the world go free? No, there’s a cross for everyone; there’s a cross for you and me.
Daniel paid a price and stood when he didn’t back down from praying and was thrown in the lion’s den. Job paid a price and stood when he lost all of his worldly possessions and his friends turned against him. The 3 Hebrew boys paid a price and stood even when they were thrown into the fiery furnace. Are we dependable? How much are we willing to pay for our stand? When the fiery furnace of your life comes, will you still stand like the 3 Hebrew boys? Importantly, they said “WE” won’t bow down. They stood together. Will we as Christians stand together? Are you dependable enough that you won’t leave your fellow soldiers and jump out of the foxhole to save yourself or will you pray together, stand together and die together?
We sing the song “I’m a soldier in the army of the Lord and if I die let me die in the army of the Lord, ’cause I’ll live again.” When my end has come I want to be able to say like Paul in 2 Timothy 4:7-8
“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” Praise God.
