Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:1-5 “THE CHARGE TO A SOLDIER OF CHRIST”
Title: “Kamikaze Christians”
Introduction: “Kamikaze” (Japanese, "divine wind"), squadrons organized by the Japanese air force in the last months of World War II
The term, “Kamikaze” was originally applied by grateful Japanese to a typhoon that destroyed a Mongol invasion fleet in 1281.
It was revived in 1945 and applied to pilots who flew their aircraft loaded with explosives directly into U.S.
Kamikaze pilots, sacrificing their lives in a last-ditch effort to stop the American advance, sank about 40 U.S. ships.
Although Japan’s position was hopeless by early 1945, an early end to the war was not in sight.
The Japanese gave a foretaste of what was yet in store by resorting to kamikaze (Japanese, "divine wind") attacks, or suicide air attacks, during the fighting for Luzon in the Philippines.
January 4-13, 1945, quickly trained kamikaze pilots flying obsolete planes had sunk 40 U.S. ships and damaged 50.
The very ingredients that drove these “Sacrificial Pilots” is the very thing that we need today to win in this “Warfare” that we are fighting against Sin.
I. DIVINE WIND - “Kamikaze”
a. The Japanese remembered a time when they received HELP in delivering them from their ENEMIES from a SOURCE from ABOVE by the intervention of a TYPHOON. (Therefore, “Divine”)
b. The Japanese realized their ONLY HOPE was again to be from a “Divine” source. * Therefore, they would SACRIFICE everything for their CAUSE.
c. The Japanese LOST the war, but they will never be forgotten for the tremendous SACRIFICE they made in men giving their LIVES in an effort to win the war.
d. We, as Christians, will never win the warfare of sin without the “Divine Wind” of the Holy Spirit. * There is only “defeat” when left to our own “Resources.”
e. Almost every church is waging a battle against the ELEMENTS of this sinful world, but TOO many are being slaughtered by the power of Satan.
* This is because they have left out the “Main Ingredient” of the Holy Spirit!
f. In Acts 2 there were THREE symbols presented that would characterize the ministry of the New Testament Church through the Holy Spirit:
(1) The Rushing Mighty Wind - This represents the God’s Sovereignty, His right to DIRECT the ACTIVITY of the Church. - Jesus said, “The wind blows wherever it wills, wherever it likes. You hear the sound of it, but you cannot tell where it is going, and you do not know from whence it comes. So is he that is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8) - The wind is an apt symbol of the of the sovereign direction of the Holy Spirit.
(2) The Tongues - This is a symbol of the PROCLAMATION of the truth in various languages. - That proclamation is increasing and spreading out to other parts of the world.
(3) The Fire - This is a symbol of the JUDGING and PURIFYING by the Holy Spirit at work within His Church, to KEEP it as a USABLE instrument, to keep it honest and available. * We see the Spirit working as fire in the story of Ananias and Sapphira, when God judged the hypocrisy, the sham of an empty Christian life.
II. DIVINE LOVE
a. The Japanese soldiers were told that if they gave their life for the Emperor of Japan they would receive a heavenly position and reward.
b. Their LOVE and FAITH for their Emperor, their Country, and the Cause gave them the energy to become a “devoted volunteer” even to the death.
c. This love and devotion was a product of EDUCATION from the time of childhood.
d. (Mark 8:35) “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.”
e. The Japanese had the principle right they just had the wrong Savior.
f. This “Divine Love” for God is what caused:
The Apostle Paul to say, “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.”
JOSEPH SAID “NO” TO SEXUAL COMPROMISE. (Genesis 39:2-4; 6b-10 )
SHADRACH, MESHACH AND ABEDNEGO SAID “NO” TO PEER PRESSURE. (Daniel 3:13-18.)
DANIEL SAID “NO” TO A GOVERNMENT-ISSUED ORDER THAT WENT AGAINST HIS RELIGIOUS BELIEFS. (Daniel 6:6-11.)
JESUS SAID “NO” WHEN THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS ASKED HIM
TO PREACH A MORE SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE GOSPEL.
PAUL AND SILAS SAID “NO” TO THE EVILS OF SOCIETY. (Acts 16:16-19) (This demon-possessed girl followed Paul and Silas around town “for many days.”)
g. God is calling this church to “lay it all on the line.”
h. He’s calling us out of a place of complacency and “business as usual” onto the front lines. Are you ready?
i. It’s time for the church to say, “Listen up devil! You can throw us in jail, throw us in the fiery furnace, or throw us in a den of hungry lions.
* You can strip us, beat us, whip us and throw us into prison, but you can’t stop us! * We’ve taken up the cross of Jesus. * We are crucified with Christ and we are “Sold Out and Radical!”
j. Cassie Burnall showed up for school the day of the Littleton high school massacre just like always. * She had no idea it would be the day she would die. She had no idea that one of her classmates would put a gun up to her head later that afternoon and threaten to kill her if she said she believed in God.
* But that is exactly what happened. Cassie Burnall was “Sold Out and Radical.” * She refused to deny Christ and she became a Martyr for Jesus in her High School library. * When that gun went off and Cassie went out into the presence of Jesus her death ignited something that is still bringing revival to the community of Littleton. * Two backslidden Christian kids in the library who watched Cassie give her life vowed in that moment never again to compromise their faith as long as they lived.
* Christian kids in the public schools in the area who had before been embarrassed to stand up for Christ because they wanted to be “cool” suddenly began standing up and opening their mouths. Hundreds of teenagers have since turned to Christ.
k. We will never attract people to Christ until we become FULLY DEVOTED Christians clothed with the POWER of the Holy Spirit!
III. DIVINE TARGET
a. When those Japanese Pilots signed their applications to volunteer to be “Kamikaze” pilots they knew what they were supposed to do.
b. They knew their airplanes only had enough fuel to get to the TARGET!
* They knew what their TARGET was!
c. There were a number of “Defining Moments” that occurred in each of the “Kamikaze” pilot’s lives.
They knew when they boarded the plane they could not turn back without bringing shame upon themselves and their family.
They knew they would reach “A Point of No Return” when they could not go back to the airport because of a LACK of fuel.
They knew they would reach the TARGET and have to make a CHOICE to follow through with their ASSIGNMENT.
d. Do we, as Christians, know what we are supposed to do?
* Have we applied to God for the position of giving our all as a SOLDIER for Christ?
e. Do you have a TARGET? (What are you AIMING for?)
* Where you have your sights set is exactly where you will go!
f. John Wesley - “Give me one hundred men who fear nothing but sin, and desire nothing but God, and I will shake the world.”
g. Jesus didn’t call us to be “undercover Christians” who apologize for our faith; he called us to be “Sold Out and Radical” for the cause of Christ.
CONCLUSION:
I wonder what would happen to our city, our country, and our world if everyone who called themselves Christians were to get “Sold Out and Radical” about what they believed?
What’s at “Stake?”
Do you care about others? What kind of person are you?
Some folks say, “There is nothing they wouldn’t do for the Lord.” Some say, “Nothing is too good for the Lord.” Some say, “There is nothing in their lives He cannot have.” And NOTHING is about what the Lord gets out of most of them!
If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.
God has given us enough FUEL to make the journey to Heaven. We won’t run out!
God doesn’t want us to DIE for Him; He wants us to live a FULLY DEVOTED life for Him.
www.jhcarver@excite.com
