Lord help me get one more

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Recap of last week’s sermon

Last week we started the book of Joshua. The theme of Joshua is to overtake the things that are standing in between the children of Israel and the promised land.

Let me ask you what is your promised land? What are you fighting for?

The awesome thing about the promised land is that it was already given to the children of Israel but there were just some illegal occupants of that land.

Intro

On Friday after our leadership meeting I was watching a movie that I have watched before that got me right in the heart. I felt the Holy Spirit speak to me as I watched this movie.

They were honoring Veterans day and playing war movies and the movie that I stumbled upon was Hacksaw Ridge.

This movie is centered around a man named Desmond Doss. Desmond was a devout 7th day Adventist that did not believe in killing. He wouldn’t even touch a gun and was almost kicked out of the army because of it. These people were known as conscientious objector. But because he was going to be a medic and help from his father they let him go to war.

You see Desmond wanted to serve his country. He saw the war happening and he had to enlist.

When I look at Desmond, he realized that he wasn’t going to wait for the fight to come to him, instead he went to the fight.

Regardless if you think that you want to be in a fight, your in. When you said yes to Jesus, you enlisted into the lords army. But we don’t use weapons of this world.

2 Corinthians 10:4–5 ESV

4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

Now if you don’t know about this battle, it took place on May 4th and 5th in Okinawa Japan. There was a 350ft cliff that the Americans had to scale and the Japanese were dug in this hill. There were tunnels and bunkers where the enemy was waiting for the Americans.

1 Peter 5:8–9 ESV

8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

As Desmond and the rest of the 77th Division crested the cliff they were met with heavy resistance. The Japanese were going to defend their land. There was heavy gunfire where men were cut in half. The men made some advancements but ultimately the American’s retreated except for one person. Desmond Doss.

I am sure that everything inside of him told him to run. I am sure that he looked around and saw all the casualties and didn’t want to be one of them.

Unfortunately I see many Christians in this same situation. They see the fallout. They see wounded christians, they are wounded themselves and they retreat. Some are wounded from the enemy but many are wounded from past leaders and pastors. Some of these people turn their back on God but many just leave the church.

The one place that was suppose to be a place of safety and healing has become a place of torment. A reminder of hurt.

I felt this so strong at the end of the service last week.

Desmond stayed in the fight

Ephesians 6:10–11 ESV

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

Let’s take a closer look at this scripture. The bible is clear that we are to be strong. We saw this last week in Joshua 1:9

Joshua 1:9 ESV

9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

But the beautiful thing is that I am not strong in of myself but in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

Psalm 27:1 ESV

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

The problem i see with Christians is that they are stuck in neutral. The engine is running. You can hear it. You will even rev up the engine, but unless it is in gear you won’t go anywhere.

Desmond knew his place in the fight

Could you imagine if anyone that was in a war just showed up to watch? Unfortunately we have christians that show up just to watch.

Christianity is a participation sport.

The beautiful thing about Desmond is that he knew his place in the fight. His job was a medic. He wasn’t to carry a gun but to help those who were wounded.

Everyone in the war said yes

Have Worship team come up

When everyone else retreated he went and found those who were wounded and said Lord help me get one more.

What if we had Christians with the same mindset?

I think we have been conditioned to go to a happy place. You remember in Happy Gilmore when Chubs would tell Happy to go to his happy place. I think that many christians live in this place. Where everyone goes to heaven. It is the job of a christian to get into the fight. Get into the fox holes with your neighbor, your co-worker.

Romans 10:14–15 ESV

14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”