Shall Your Brethren Go to War While You Sit Here?

Intro:

On December 7th, 1941, our country suffered a surprise attack that would later be called “a day of infamy” by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

It was cold, it was calculated, and it came with a cost of 2403 American lives.

What I want us to think about this morning as we begin our sermon is what happened on December 8th, 1941 — and that is the vast number of American men who showed up to recruiting stations nationwide to fulfill their patriotic duty to defend this nation from foreign aggression.

These men (and even women in various roles, too) understood something — They understood the importance of duty, honor, country.

They understood that it was up to THEM to protect this nation, which meant protecting their loved ones and everything they held dear.

They understood that “if I don’t step up in this hour when I am needed most,” and if countless others were to cower in the face of fear and do the same,” then we might not have a country!

And so they turned out en masse to defend this nation.

I think of one such individual named Desmond Doss:

This particular guy is an amazing guy to study when it comes to this, because he signed up, and he didn’t even hold a gun!

That’s right — He was a conscientious objecter. (He didn’t believe in killing even in war).

(And while I disagree with him on that particular detail, Desmond Doss is still a fascinating individual to study, and he was truly a man of courage and understanding of duty, nonetheless).

You see even though Desmond Doss didn’t believe in fighting, he figured he would sign up to do his duty for the war effort by being a medic.

And that he did, undergoing a lot of difficulty and dare I say persecution to do so.

But here’s the amazing feat of Desmond Doss: In the battle of Okinawa on Hacksaw Ridge, Desmond for his heroic efforts received the medal of honor — The first ever conscientious objecter to do so.

You see, Desmond Doss saved the lives of 75 (yes, 75!) American soldiers that day!

He would save one, fireman carrying him to the safety of a cliff below the battle, then climb back up the cliff, run into the gunfire and save one more.

All the while, he kept praying to himself, “God, help me save one more. Help me save one more.”

And he did it to the tune of saving 75 lives of wounded American soldiers.

It’s truly an amazing story!

Desmond Doss is just one example of countless American Patriots who understood their duty for the fight.

Sometimes I wonder: if Pearl Harbor had happened in today’s day and age …

What would the response have been?

Would there be enough men to step up and fulfill their duty? (duty, honor, country)

Spiritually speaking, are enough stepping up and fulfilling their duty? (duty, honor, church)

That brings me to our discussion for this morning: “Shall your brethren go to war, and you stay here?”

Num. 32:6:

“And Moses said to the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben: “Shall your brethren go to war while you sit here?”

So what’s going on in this particular verse?

Moses is having to tell the tribes of Gad and Reuben to fufill their duty.

They are getting ready to conquer the land of Canaan that God is giving them.

That is going to take place in the book of Joshua of course, but Moses is giving them a “pep talk,” if you will, to get them ready.

What’s the deal with Gad and Reuben?

Let’s read: (Read Num. 32:1-32 with a few comments).

Alright, three quick application points:

Shall Your Brethren Go to Worship While You Sit (at home)?

(Had to tweak that one a little bit!) :)

We need to face the music on this — Some Christians just don’t see the need to assemble with the saints faithfully.

Other Christians will do so on a Sunday morning, but don’t you dare ask anything else from them — Sunday night? Wednesday night? “Out of the question!” “It’s just too much,” we hear.

My question for those who feel this way — and they even ask “Do I HAVE to attend on Sunday night” — My question for them is always, “Why in the world would you NOT want to attend on Sunday night/Wednesday night?

Let’s turn and read Heb. 10:24-31 (Read in Bible).

Question: What did Jesus promise us in Heb. 13:5?

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

And what do many Christians turn right around and do?

FORSAKE HIM by forsaking the assembly, among other things! :(

But that’s not the only thing I want to look at in this first subpoint …

Not only do I ask if you attend faithfully, but WHEN YOU’RE HERE, do you participate?

Men, do you use your abilities to help lead in worship? (If not, why not?)

All of us — Do we actively participate in the worship services, worshipping in Spirit and in Truth?

For instance, why is it that some Christians outright refuse to sing? (comment about it)

Do you actively listen and pray along with the rest of us in our prayers?

Do you make application from the sermons in your daily life, or is the only application you find: “Brother ‘so and so’ sure needs to hear this?!”

(What about you?!)

Someone has said (in a book I believe) that there are too many Christians who act like “Pew Potatoes” (like couch potatoes, except on a pew!)

Is that the case with you?

Next …

Shall Your Brethren Go to Work Behind the Scenes While You Sit Here?

I have to say that in my almost three years here (come August), for the most part I have been highly impressed with the level of work that gets done “behind the scenes” by a lot of the members.

We really do have a great congregation!

I preached a sermon one time entitled “Unsung Heroes.”

I talked about how every congregation has its unsung heroes, those who get things done behind the scenes!

And I tried to list as many different jobs as I could that are done behind the scenes in the congregation and give credit to whom credit is due.

Of course the only problem with that is?

Always going to forget somebody (or two or three), right?

So I’m not going to start listing all the jobs that get done behind the scenes around here, but I CAN say THIS — There are a lot!

And you know who you are!

My main verse for that particular sermon?

Gal. 6:9 - “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”

Maybe you’re an unsung hero in the sense that your “doing good” is totally behind the scenes?

Don’t grow weary.

Keep doing good.

In due season, you will reap if you do not lose heart.

So we have established that.

Question:

Are you doing any work for the Lord at all?

Ask yourself that.

Doesn’t matter if it is leading out in front, or if it is behind the scenes — But are you working for the Lord?

If not, the question is why?

Don’t just sit while your brethren go to work!

But finally this morning …

Shall Your Brethren Go to Work Evangelizing While You Sit Here?

We ALL are subject to the Great Commision.

We all as Christians are required to bear fruit.

Matt. 3:10 Jesus says, “Every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Yes, I know part of that is bearing fruit such as the fruit of the Spirit, evidence of Christian growth in our lives.

We could also look at verses like “add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperence (or self-control), etc.” (2 Peter 1:5-6)

But we also bear fruit to Christ (and very important fruit, at that) by making disciples of all the nations for Christ (Matt. 28:19).

If we’ve never done that, or at least never even attempted that, what does that say about our own walk with Christ?

What does it say?! Are we even a disciple if we aren’t discipling?

Jesus says multiple times in the New Testament — “Some brought forth fruit an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold” (Matt. 13:8 and other passages).

The point being — Faithful Christians bear fruit in various amounts …

But faithful Christians WILL bear some fruit for the Lord.

It can’t help but be so … if we are truly shining our lights like we ought!

Now church, we have to talk about something before we close this morning … :(

We’ve gotta talk about Frontier Days. :(

I don’t blame the elders for shutting that booth down — We had to — We didn’t have enough workers! (What was it 1? Or 2 signed up?)

My question is in a church of 130 to 140 some odd people, why didn’t we have enough workers willing to commit to do this work?

We had a spot picked out — prime real estate — right in front of the Baptist — biggest crowd I’ve ever seen at Frontier Days, too.

And guess what? Some other couple of booths were in our spot. (I hope we can get that spot back next year).

Just an observation that I’ve noticed in the past two years:

I’ve noticed we had a lot of our folks come by and stay a while at the evangelism booth that didn’t sign up — That’s fine and great, and I appreciate that!

(Next, year - please commit and sign up on the sign up sheet — I know it’s hard to make a commitment saying, “Yes, unless something big comes up, I WILL be at such and such spot for a two hour time commitment at such and such time,” but …

Is that really that hard?

Another thing I’ve noticed in past years — The vast majority of members who WERE at the evangelism booth were our elderly members.

Brethren, they’ve put in their time!

And so I’m looking at some of our young and healthy members, and I’m just gonna ask you, point blank — Why were you unwilling to help? :(

Now brethren, if there’s a legitimate reason you COULDN’T help, don’t be mad at me for pointing this out, because you had a legitimate reason and I’m not talking to you anyways.

But if you don’t have a legitimate reason for why you couldn’t carve out two hours to help us out …

Then I’m going to challenge you to do better.

Brethren, when the elders of this congregation ask us for our involvement in evangelizing this community once a year in this manner, it is our duty to support that.

Let me give a scenario — Elders ask for an evangelism booth. Signup sheet goes up. Preacher says, “I’m not signing up. That’s not my job. I don’t like it. Someone else can do that.”

Brethren, do you think it’s my favorite thing in the world sitting in the heat handing out water to people in the community and trying to start conversations that lead to Bible studies?

(Not really — I’m actually quite the introvert until I get to know somebody).

But I do it!

Why?

Because if that signup sheet goes up and Preacher doesn’t even care to help out, what would that say about your Preacher?

Now, when that signup sheet goes up, and YOU don’t care to help out, what does that say about YOU?

That signup sheet’s going back up next year, and I plan on seeing a lot more names. :)

Conclusion:

Now brethren, if Jason Rollo got through saying all of that he’d get at least three or four amens.

I don’t care about all of that, but I do care about YOU — and I care about your HEART, and so I’m gonna ask you to examine it this morning as we get ready for the invitation.

This congregation has a lot going on, a lotta good!

But that doesn’t mean we are incapable of dropping the ball.

Examine your heart, obey the Gospel this morning if you have yet to do so, and come for any other reason if you need to as we stand and sing.