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STAY THE COURSE
The 2000 movie, The Patriot starred Mel Gibson as Benjamin Martin, a reluctant Revolutionary War hero.
Martin has an 18-year-old son named Gabriel who is eager to join the conflict.
Gabriel’s sentiments for his country are revealed by one pastime: throughout the first half of the movie, Gabriel diligently repairs an American flag he found in the dirt.
Tragically, Gabriel becomes a casualty of the war, and, suffering deep loss, his father Benjamin Martin appears ready to quit the cause.
While Martin is grieving at the side of his dead son, Colonel Harry Burwell, a Continental officer, attempts to persuade Martin not to quit.
He recognizes Martin has great influence with the soldiers and his departure would demoralize the troops.
As the scene opens, the colonel says, "Stay the course, Martin. Stay the course."
Grief-stricken, Martin responds, "I’ve run the course."
Resigned to the outcome, the colonel informs the troops and they ride on, leaving Martin behind.
As Martin loads his son’s personal effects on his horse, though, he finds the American flag Gabriel had successfully restored.
As the dejected soldiers ride away, certain they have seen the last of Benjamin Martin, Martin appears in the distance, carrying the flag.
With determination in his posture, he rides upright in his saddle, face like flint, the Stars and Stripes whipping in the wind.
Martin has been a symbol of perseverance for the men, and there is a triumphant shout of both relief and excitement from the once-weary troops as they see the patriot crest the hill.
Whether leaders at home, school, work or church, we must never underestimate the power of our influence to demoralize or to rally others.
People are watching. Soldiers look to officers.
Children look to parents.
We must stay the course.
["The Patriot": Perseverance despite Heartbreak, Citation: The Patriot, rated R, Columbia Pictures, Centropolis Entertainment; Executive Producers, William Fay, Ute Emmerich, Roland Emmerich; submitted by David Slagle, Lawrenceville, Georgia]
(Elapsed time: 2:13:09 to 2:15:50; Content: The Patriot is rated R for graphic violence. There is no nudity. )
Oh boy, Satan wants to kick you off your road of blessings. Have you ever played the game Crash Bandacoot for Sony Playstation? In this game Crash runs along and picks up little goodies. He jumps on crates and, the majority of the time, there are little goodies in them. In order to get to these crates he has to jump over ditches and he has to beat up the enemy. When he finally gets to the crate...He gets the goodie. Now the enemy doesn’t want Crash to get these goodies because they give him stength and he enjoys them. Crash knows that there are many crates ahead of him...so he keeps going.
Jumping ditches and beating the enemy...continually getting his goodies.
Have you got your goodies lately? Do you press on because you know there are crates of blessings ahead?
Or have you fallen in the ditch. Has the enemy beat you up? If so why didn’t you jump over it? Why didnt you take out your sword and destroy the enemy? The same power that enabled Jesus to die on the cross has been offered to you SO THAT you can jump over those ditches dug by the enemy, and when the enemy comes a knockin’ You can rely on the Power of God to kick him in the head and stomp him to the ground. Be a warrior!
Video Illustration: Ghost – Toward the end of the movie Sam the departed soul battles his friend who is trying to kill his wife. The man ends up killing himself in the battle and discovers he has made a wrong choice and he is hauled away into torment and darkness by demonic spirits. Sam tells his love when the Light of Heaven appears that the Love inside is what you take with you when you go to Heaven. This scene paints the picture that we wrestle not against flesh and blood but principalities and powers.
I am among the minority who had little interest in the original Star Wars movie but has a liking for the prequel story of Anakin Skywalker in Episode I and II. Anakin, who later evolved into the sinister Darth Vader, was a cute, helpful, and sacrificial 9-year-old boy in Episode I. In Episode II, the twenty year-old Anakin was a skillful, precocious, and daredevil Jedi apprentice who considered his mentorˇ¦s instructions overbearing, sidestepped the rule that forbade romance for Jedi Knights, and erred on the side of reckless abandon.
In one defining moment, when Anakin and his mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi were chasing an assassin in a space mobile at night, Anakin sped dangerously with no regard for the crowd or his own safety and chased the suspect through the crowded streets and airspace. No angle, acceleration, and altitude were disliked by the driver Anakin. Just as they had lost the assassinˇ¦s ship, Anakin threw himself overboard, glided his body through air and traffic, and landed his body perfectly on the suspectˇ¦s space mobile.
Obi-Wan Kenobi could only mutter, ˇ§I hate it when he does that!ˇ¨
In another incident, Anakin massacred a whole village, including women and children, to avenge his motherˇ¦s death at the hands of intruders.
Lucas explained to Time magazine why Anakin turned into t...
Jackie Chan movie. This man is very innovative in the way that he makes fight scenes. Instead of just using normal karate chops and the like, he will use common every day items and create unbelievable fight scenes with them. In one scene, he fights off dozens of men with a common every day step ladder. I suppose some would be unimpressed with his action scenes. But when I saw that, I couldn’t believe how he orchestrated the action. In a sense, that’s what’s so amazing about God! But a hundred times more! He creates salvation through the birth of a boy - something that we see every day. He decides to save the world and bring life - through all things - an instrument of death - a cross! You would expect God - a powerful God - to use power to save the world. You would expect God to try and impress us with powerful miracles to convert us. But instead, He uses weakness! He uses the staff of His Word! With this simple tool - words - God converts us! He gets us to put our hands over our mouths - crawl on our knees before Him - and turn in fear to HIM for forgiveness. When we see God take us out of this sinful world and plant us into HIS kingdom - it brings us out of our dens of self righteousness and into the light of his SON! That’s exciting! If that doesn’t at least bring some joy to your heart - you’d best pinch yourself - because you must be dead!
Owen Bourgaize
When I was preparing this sermon I had just seen again the film ’Gandhi’ and was moved by the account of that great Indian leader - how he overcame injustice and oppression, not by force, but by non-violent resistance. He said to his followers, ’so long as we’re peaceful, the initiative is ours, we are in control’. But oh, what suffering he and his followers endured before freedom was finally won. This is a picture of the kingdom that Jesus proclaimed. It would come through suffering and servanthood - values that the wisdom of this world scorns - but the kingdom of God finally will come in power. The book of the Revelation leaves no doubt about that.
Michael McCartney
McCartney’s Video Illustration: From The movie “The Great Escape” preview of the movie. The movie is about Allied soldiers who planned and executed “The Great Escape” from a German Prisoner of War camp in WWII. The movie focuses on how determined these soldiers were to escape from their present condition of bondage. These men planned their escape carefully. They worked hard and sacrificed to execute their escape plan. This plan was designed to set over 200 prisoners of war free. The escape was successful but many of the ones who got freed were recaptured by the Germans. The good news is though there were those who made it home to their land of freedom.
Spiritual Point: These men knew the risk for breaking out of their prisoner of war camp. They knew that to execute the escape would require sacrifice and hard work. They knew that if the Germans caught them as they dug tunnels or forged documents that the result would be severe punishment. But they did it any way so that they could be free. So they planned the route to freedom and executed it with their sacrificial lives. The big day came and many were freed temporally. The officers who escaped were executed and the others returned to face severe punishment but the truth was some of them made it.
There are many who are prisoners today in the current spiritual war fro the world. The warring powers are the powers of good and evil. One power wants us to yield to our sinful evil desires and the other wants us to resist the sinful way of this corrupt world. The one who resists and takes the route to freedom will be freed for all eternity. The other one who allows themselves to stay in captivity to this world will have no life and no future.
Many have seen the movie "A Beautiful Mind" and the incredible story of John Nash, but the strength behind the story is Nash’s wife.
Toward the end of the movie Alysia has a conversation with one of her husband’s lifelong friends. It shows the power of genuine love and commitment.
From "A Beautiful Mind"
"So Allisa how, how are you holding up...I mean how are you?"
"I think often what I feel is obligation...or guilt...over wanting to leave...against John, against God...but then I look at him and I force myself to see the man that I married and he...
Last season’s new TV reality show “The Apprentice” centering around Donald Trump was a big hit. The 58 year old Trump commands an empire of over 100 companies, billions of dollars, and some of the most illustrious buildings in the world. The newest addition to the Trump kingdom is a massive skyscraper under construction in Chicago and that project is being supervised by Bill he winner of the first season of The Apprentice.
This season began 10 days ago with a new group of business hopefuls vying for the job of a lifetime. The position: Trump is looking for the right person to come and work with him in a high level role in one of his companies. 18 candidates arrived on the scene for a 15 week job interview. They came from all over the country from all walks of life, the best and brightest of what America has to offer: attorneys, stockbrokers, executives, and entrepreneurs. Those who watch the show become acquainted with these candidates and select their own favorites while Trump decides by the process of elimination-- AKA firing candidates each week in the board room--who he will select as one of his inner circle, his leaders, his apprentice.
Almost 2000 years ago there was a 30 year old man who had more power and influence than Donald Trump could ever dream of. And he was ready to begin a three year venture of building a Kingdom here on earth that would alter the course of human history and would stand forever. How did he begin? He began with a search for a team, an inner circle. High level leaders who would take on the leadership of his Kingdom after he completed His mission here.
This morning we are going to begin a brief series in which we will get to know the “Apprentices” Jesus chose. What type of people were they? What does that tell us about the type of person God chooses today?
Video Illustration: This is the music video done to Mark Schultz’s song “Letters From War!” It models the extent of a Mother’s love for her child. A mother’s love gives strength and power to the life of a child who is going through hard times in life. It shows the value of a mother’s love.
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