Memorial Day 2019

Heroes Come In All Shapes and Sizes

Acts 7:54-60

Acts 7:54–60 KJV 1900

54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. 55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, 56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. 57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, 58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul. 59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

We honor those who sacrificed all. We think first of our military. We hear countless stories of our military who stepped in at just the right time to save someone’s life.

Posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, Navy SEAL Michael Monsoor was defending the position of SEAL snipers with a machine gun against insurgents on a rooftop in an insurgent-held part of Iraq in September 2006. The snipers thwarted the insurgents’ first attempt, but during the continued assault, an insurgent grenade reached the roof and bounced off Monsoor’s chest. Monsoor immediately called, "GRENADE," and jumped on it to absorb the explosion with his own body—even though he could have escaped the position. Monsoor died shortly after the explosion. He saved the lives of two other SEALs.

We honor those and many others who have sacrificed for our opportunity and privelege to come to church this morning. We set aside this time to honor their sacrifice.

John 15:13 ESV

13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

John There have many military personnel who have sacrificed, but it is not only the military

There have many military personnel who have sacrificed, but it is not only the military . The military is normally what comes to mind first. Many of us have family and/or friends who serve in the military. They may or may not have served overseas. But all of us have been touched by it to one extent or another. The military and their families are not the only ones we choose to honor this morning. In 2018, there have 32 deaths in the military. But they are not the only ones who lay their life on the line for the sake of others.

Police officers do also. There have been 47 deaths of police officers killed in the line of duty in 2018. We had one as close as Clinton in 2018. We should respect our police officers. They are here to serve and protect. I work with someone who is the wife of a Henry County Police Officer. She can not go into Kansas City wearing a t-shirt that identifies her as a wife of a police officer because then she becomes a target. That should not be. We as a church should lead the way in honoring our police officers. I look forward to the day, when we as a church, can give out honor bibles to our police officers and give them an honor day from the community.

Tommy Norman, a police officer in North Little Rock, Arkansas, hangs out with kids and the community. He reaches a hand out and encourages them to make right decisions and supports them as he does. He is changing the perception of police officers in his part of the world. He is hero to this community.

As sad as it is that as a country, we lost 47 police officers in the line of duty in 2018, you need to double that number for lost fire fighters. There were 84 fire fighters who died in the course of trying to save lives and property in 2018.

We honor our military, fire fighters, and police officers who lost their lives in 2018 to protect us. But there is a group that is forgotten. And they fight a greater battle. They are not fighting for personal liberites, demorcacy, or even physical life. They are engaged in a battle for the very soul.

Matthew 10:28 ESV

28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Matthew 10:28

These are the Christians on the front lines. Those who are in battle for the very soul of humanity. The enemy is trying to squash the message of the gospel. There were 3,066 Christians murdered for the sake of the gospel in 2018. 3,066 men, women, and children who would not deny the name of Jesus Christ and the power of our Resurrected Lord. We also those, who just like Stephen in our scripture this morning would not back down.

There are heroes of our faith such as William Tyndale who believed everybody had a right to read the bible and understand it for themselves. It had been in Latin and the Roman Catholic Church would tell people what it meant. It was believed at the time that the common man was unable to comprehend the will of God.

John 14:26 ESV

26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

No one could understand the scriptures if the Holy Spirit did not teach us. The Lord is no respecter of persons. He wants us all to understand His will for us and the love He has commended towards us. These great heroes of faith. They have led the way for us to hear the gospel and in turn for us to share the gospel with others. There have been countless millions who have willing to pay the ultimate price for others to hear the life changing gospel.

Hebrews 12:1 ESV

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

On lonely Golgotha stood a cross,

With my Lord raised to the sky;

And all who kneel there live forever

As all the saved can testify.

I’m so glad to be called a Christian.

To be named with the ransomed and whole;

As the statue liberates the citizen,

So the cross liberates the soul.

We honor all those who given their all for our civil freedoms and our spiritual freedom. The curse of sin has been broken.