“EARN THIS!”
Lighthouse Worship Center
July 6, 2008, 4TH of July Weekend
INTRODUCTION:
“FREEDOM” is & has been, bought & paid for by the “BLOOD OF PATRIOTS” who many times fought & will FIGHT & SPILL their “LIFE’S BLOOD on FOREIGN SOILS FOR THE CAUSE OF “LIBERTY, LIFE & THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS” TO BE REALIZED BY EVERY MAN, WOMAN & CHILD!
“FREEDOM” is not only won by the “BLOOD OF PATRIOTS” but it is “SUSTAINED” BY THE “BLOOD OF PATRIOTS” LIVING & DYING!
While in Washington DC almost 2 years ago I stood watching the “Changing of the Guard” the “Tomb of the Unknown Soldier”. I was moved as I felt emotion welling up in my spirit & tears in my eyes as I thought about a Patriot laying there in the Tomb whose family didn’t know where he was but he was willing to lay down all he had for the cause of “FREEDOM” without reservation. Just like Jesus did! Who thought “FREEDOM” more important than self so you and I and our children’s children could stand “FREE!”
As I walked the hallowed halls of our nation’s capital seeing all the pictures of patriots long gone who died so this nation’s “IDEALS & SENSE OF FREEDOM” could be realized & whose God could be served I FELT SMALL & AT THE SAME TIME I FELT “TALL & PROUD” TO BE AN AMERICAN!
I walked the War Monuments & the Korean War Monument. Outside of the Korean War Monument is a kiosk & there you can pull up the names & pictures of soldiers who fought & died in Korea. I carefully typed “CHARLES E. CARY” & his face showed up. He was my uncle, mother’s brother, who died there in Korea at the tender of age of 17 for his nation. I WANT TO MAKE HIM PROUD OF HIS SACRIFICE, DUTY & HIS NEPHEW!
I say again.
FREEDOM IS NOT ONLY “WON” BY THE “BLOOD OF PATRIOTS” BUT IT IS “SUSTAINED” BY THE “BLOOD OF PATRIOTS!”
PATRIOTS LIVING & DYING!
A few years ago a movie was made called “Saving Private Ryan.” The movie is set in France during WWII. The defense dept. receives word a mid-western family had 4 sons serving in the war at the same time & 3 of them killed in service to their country & fellow man. The 4th son in France. It was decided that no family in these great United States should have to suffer the tragedy of losing 4 sons to war, so they sent a team after this last son: Private Ryan.
The team overcame countless obstacles, not to mention the enemy, in their search for Private Ryan. Along the way, members of the team are wounded & killed. They begin to ask why the life of this one private should be deemed more important than the lives being sacrificed to bring him home? Why is his welfare held in higher regard than theirs?
In that movie Tom Hanks is the leader of that group of men searching for Private Ryan. He does his best to maintain the focus of his men, telling them that it’s not their place to question, but rather to accept their mission & carry out their orders. They duty is to their country & their country has asked this of them.
Finally, they find Private Ryan & tell him they’ve orders to retrieve him & get him home, but Ryan doesn’t want to leave his unit. Ryan has orders to keep a group of German tanks from crossing a bridge until adequate air support can arrive. If they can’t hold off the tanks, then they’re to blow up the bridge. Ryan’s honor & sense of duty to his unit would not allow him to walk away from an battle that cold cost his comrades their lives, not to mention his life. He didn’t feel justified in leaving for “Freedom & Safety” & leaving them to fight alone w/out him.
Ryan convinces Hanks & his outfit to stay & fight, promising to leave w/them after the battle. Hanks agrees, but only if Ryan will stay our of harm’s way so he can make it back home. A bloody battle takes place in which many lives are lost. Hanks’ entire outfit is killed but they save Private Ryan. There’s a gripping scene at the end of the battle while Hanks lay dying. Private Ryan comes to help, but Hanks tells him to go on & then he says to Private Ryan, “EARN THIS! EARN THIS!”
I look around this sanctuary & we didn’t earn a bit of it BUT NOW WE CAN & NOW WE MUST “EARN THIS!” I look around a nation today that for a great part is not “EARNING THIS FREEDOM!” we share not to mention their fare share of “FREEDOM!”
As men & women die across the oceans in the cause of “FREEDOM” I am saddened & sickened at that same time. People so caught up in what Britney Spears is doing, or what Oprah has to say, or what Madonna is doing or has Angelina had her babies yet! I am absolutely dumbfounded!
In Philippians 1:27
“Only let your conduct be WORTHY OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST,
so that whether I come & see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit w/one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel & not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition but to you of salvation & that from God.”
One of the fears that I have as a Pastor is that we’re not “EARNING THIS!” I know you’re thinking , “But you said we could never EARN SALVATION!” That is absolutely right YOU COULD NEVER “EARN SALVATION!” BUT I’M NOT TALKING ABOUT “EARNING SALVATION!”
I’M TALKING ABOUT “LIVING A LIFE WORTHY” OF THE CALLING! “LIVING A LIFE WORTHY” OF THE “GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST!” THAT IS WHAT PAUL WAS STATING IN PHILIPPIANS 1:27-29!
PAUL SAYS TO “EARN THIS!” HE SAYS “LIVE A LIFE WORTHY” OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST! THINK ABOUT THAT FOR A MOMENT: “LIVING A LIFE WORTHY” OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST!
I ASK YOU THIS MORNING! ARE WE? IS THAT WHAT WE ARE DOING? ARE WE “LIVING A LIFE WORTHY” OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST? ARE “YOU LIVING A LIFE WORTHY” OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST?
I CAN’T HELP BUT THINK IF OUR FOREFATHERS AND PATRIOTS WERE ABLE TO SEE WHAT WE’VE, IN MANY WAYS BECOME, WOULD HAVE TO WONDER, “IS THIS WHAT I DIED FOR?”
I THINK, IN MANY WAYS, JESUS WOULD BE ABLE TO SAY THAT SAME THING: “THIS IS NOT WHAT I DIED FOR?”
HE DIED THAT WE MIGHT HAVE “FREEDOM & LIFE MORE ABUNDANTLY!” NOT THAT WE COULD “EARN IT” BUT THAT WE COULD “LIVE IT!”
FOR IT IS IN THE “LIVING” & THRU THE “BLOOD” OF JESUS CHRIST THAT WE ARE “WORTHY OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST!” WE ARE TOLD TO BE “WORTHY OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST!”
WHEN WE LET (OTHER THINGS) BECOME MORE IMPORTANT TO US THAN “LIVING” THE LIFE “WORTHY OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST!” THEN HOW CAN WE EXPECT THE BLESSINGS THAT COME WITH IT?
You know what else Paul says in this passage? He says...
“For to you it has been GRANTED on behalf of Christ,
NOT ONLY TO BELIEVE in Him but to SUFFER for His sake.”
What is this guy crazy? He says it has been “GRANTED” to us on behalf of Christ to “SUFFER” for His sake?” Paul understood what it was to “SUFFER” for the Cause of Christ! He understood that this life is nothing compared to that which is to come! James 1:2 said that he counted it all “JOY!”
Paul understood that it takes more than “BELIEF” alone. He says “NOT ONLY TO BELIEVE...” I wonder if we base our walk alone on our belief?
I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE THINKING! DON’T GET ME WRONG! BUT REMEMBER: WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN YOU WILL DIE FOR!
DO YOU BELIEVE ENOUGH TO “DIE FOR THIS GOSPEL?” DO YOU BELIEVE ENOUGH TO “PAY THE PRICE” TO BE “WORTHY OF THE GOSPEL?” DO YOU BELIEVE ENOUGH TO “GIVE UP FOR THIS GOSPEL?” DO YOU BELIEVE ENOUGH TO “SACRIFICE FOR THE CAUSE OF CHRIST THROUGH THIS CHURCH & MAKE IT A PRIORITY IN YOUR LIFE?” DO YOU BELIEVE ENOUGH TO “SACRIFICE FOR THIS GOSPEL & FOR HIS SAKE?”
IF YOU DON’T THEN YOU ARE “NOT” WORTHY
OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST!
Jesus said in Mark 4:30...
“To what shall we liken the Kingdom of God?
Or with what shall we compare it with?”
Paul understood what James was saying & he understood what Jesus was saying. HOW CAN WE COMPARE THIS LIFE WITH THE LIFE TO COME?
WE CAN’T!
Tom Hank’s character in “Saving Private Ryan” told Private Ryan to...
“EARN THIS!”
Paul in Philippians 1:27 told us to...
“EARN THIS!”
JESUS DYING OF THE CROSS LOOKED AT US & HIS EYES SAID “EARN THIS!”
IN MARK 16:15 HE SAID “EARN THIS!” WHEN HE SAID
“GO INTO ALL THE WORLD & PREACH THE GOSPEL TO EVERY LIVING CREATURE.”
I WANT TO ASK YOU A SIMPLE QUESTION THIS MORNING!
ARE YOU EARNING IT?
ARE YOU EARNING IT BY THE WAY YOU LIVE?
ARE YOU EARNING IT BY THE WAY YOU BELIEVE?
ARE YOU EARNING IT BY WHAT YOU FOCUS ON?
ARE YOU EARNING IT BY WHAT YOU ARE WILLING TO SACRIFICE?
ARE YOU EARNING IT BY YOUR FAITHFULNESS?
ARE YOU EARNING IT BY WHAT YOU GIVE?
ARE YOU EARNING IT BY THE WAY YOU SEE LOST SOULS?
ARE YOU EARNING IT IN THE EYES OF JESUS?
