Sermon preached by Pastor Larry C. Brincefield on July 4, 2004
Title: Show Your True Colors: Raise Your Flag or “Raising the Flag of Faith”
Text: Matthew 5:16
Introduction
1. Vexillology is the study of flags…
• I don’t know about you…but that’s a new word for me…
• I learned it this week while preparing for this sermon.
• Vexillology is derived from the Latin word vexillum,
• a term used by the Romans to refer to a piece of fabric hung from a horizontal crossbar on a pole. (show picure)
• That seems to be one of the earlier references to flags in history…
• Today, flags are very common.
• Every country has a country flag…
• Every state in our country has a state flag…
• Families even design their own family flags.
• Some flags are decorative with fancy designs or pictures…
• Others have special meaning, like our American flag.
• Recently, many people have been putting the flag at half-staff—honoring the death of President Reagan.
• Patriotism seems high right now…
• We the continued fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
• We have flags on decals that we put on our cars…
• We have flags printed in our newspaper…
• We even have flags on our clothing…
• In fact, the tie I’m wearing this morning has the colors of the flag in it.
2. Raising a flag is our way of showing what we stand for…
• When we raise the American flag…
• It is showing support for America…
• It is saying, “I’m proud to be an American”.
• It is a way to “show our true colors”.
• This morning, I encourage you to “show your true colors: raise your flag”
Read Text: Matthew 5:16
Body
1. Raising the flag at Iwo Jima
A. This picture is the most reproduced photograph in history. Let me tell you the story behind the picture.
• This small island, smaller than Manhattan...
• Was very strategic..
• It was Japanese soil…
• located mid-way between Japan and American bomber bases in the Marianas Islands.
• No foreign army had ever occupied Japanese territory in 5,000 years.
• We were able to hit Japan with long range bombers…
• But the short range fighters that protected the bombers didn’t have long enough range to protect the bombers as they flew over Japan…
• As a result, Japanese fighter planes were able to attack our bombers pretty much unchecked.
• Iwo Jima had 3 airfields…
• And being able to use this island as a stopover point was essential.
• The Japanese knew of the strategic nature of this island…
• And their plan was to make it too costly in the terms of human lives for the Americans to take
• The Japanese had built 1,500 rooms underground…
• Connected by 16 miles of tunnels!
• The Japanese strategy called for “no Japanese survivors”…they planned not to survive…
• They planned for each Japanese soldier to kill 10 American soldiers.
• The US Airforce pounded Iwo Jima with the longest sustained aerial offensive of WW2.
• But because of the underground rooms and tunnels…
• The bombing had little effect.
• 22,000 Japanese soldiers were underground…
• Prepared to die to protect Japanese soil from being invaded.
• The US sent more Marines to Iwo Jima than to any other battle,
• 110,000 Marines in 880 Ships.
• The convoy of 880 US Ships sailed from Hawaii to Iwo Jima in 40 days.
• After the Navy pounded the Island…
• The marines landed…
• But they were unable to dig foxholes in the loose volcanic ash…
• They were sitting ducks for the hidden Japanese gunners.
• The battle was very unique….
• One hundred thousand men fighting on a tiny island
• for 36 days Iwo Jima was one of the most populated 7.5 miles on earth.
• The marines had to fight for every inch of land…
• Suffering high casualties…
• With the Japanese soldiers fighting from below ground…
• The Americans rarely even saw their enemy.
• Easy Company…the company that raised the flag in this famous photograph had a 75% casualty rate.
• In 36 days of fighting there were 25,851 US casualties (1 in 3 were killed or wounded).
• Of these, 6,825 American boys were killed.
• Virtually all 22,000 Japanese perished.
• More US Marines earned the Medal of Honor on Iwo Jima than in any other battle in US History.
• The Marines’ effort provided a vital link in the U.S.chain of bomber bases.
• By war’s end, 2,400 B-29 bombers carrying 27,000 crewman had made emergency landings on Iwo Jima.
• At the time that Easy Company raised the flag…
• The fighting had gone on for 4 days…
• Up to this point, Easy Company had already had a 40% casualty rate.
• Some of the men in the picture would soon be dead…
• (information from: www.iwojima.com)
• The prospect of raising the flag on Iwo Jima was a tremendous accomplishment…
• It didn’t end the war…
• But it provided a much needed message of hope and courage for those troops…
• And it became a symbol for the American commitment and fighting spirit.
B. There is something meaningful about the American Flag…
• Raising it…
• Showing our true colors…
• Acknowledging that we are proud to be an American…
• Even today, as we look at these men risking death in order to raise the American flag…
• It still moves us today.
2. Raising the Flag of Faith
A. This morning, I share all this to impress upon you to raise another flag…
• This other flag isn’t one you can buy at the store…
• It isn’t one that you can run up the flag pole…
• Or hang on your house…
• Or even wear it on a t-shirt…
• This other flag, is the flag of faith.
B. We fly the American flag to show our patriotism…
• To let people know that we are proud to be an American…
• And we should do that…
• But why is it that people who are so quick to raise an American flag…
• Are so reluctant to raise the flag of faith?
• They don’t want anyone to know that they are a Christian…
• Our Scripture says, “Let your light shine before men”…
• And we need to do that…
• Let people know that we are Christians…
• Telling them about Jesus…
• In fact, we need to be just as quick to do that…
• As we would be to raise an American flag.
C. Because of the current conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan…
• More people raise their flags…
• During war time, we are much more compelled to raise our flag and show our support…
• Did you know that we are in another war?
• I talked about it a little last week…
• We are in a spiritual war…
• We are in a battle…
• There are many casualties…
• People are being lost, left and right…
• They are dieing and going to spend an eternity in hell
• If there is ever a time to fly our spiritual flag of faith…
• It is now!
• We need to show our true colors…
• We need to be just as proud to be a Christian…
• As we are proud to be an American…
• (even more so…but for now, I would settle for “just as”)
D. How can we do that?
• Our text tells us to “let your light shine before men, SO THAT THEY MAY SEE YOUR GOOD DEEDS”
• On one hand, it is easy to be an American…
• In fact, it is even easy to raise an American flag…
• But it is much harder to be a good citizen…
• To vote…
• To support your country…
• Instead of tearing it down
• In the same way, it is easy to be a “closet Christian”
• (if there is such a thing)…
• But it is much harder to put feet to our faith…
• To tell others about Jesus…
• To reach out to those who are poor…
• And hurting…
• And lonely…
• But, if we just do good deeds…
• And we don’t tell them about Jesus…
• Then all that does is create a positive reflection upon YOU…
• But God wants us to reflect upon Him…
• (which we are learning on Sunday Nights during our “Reflecting God” series)..
• Our text says, “let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good deeds, AND PRAISE YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN”
• If we raise the flag of faith…
• If we are willing to show our true colors…
• if we will do good deeds…
• if we love and give and support and encourage…
• then people will KNOW we are Christians…
• and they will want to know Christ for themselves.
Conclusion
1. I started out this sermon with the definition of vexillology…
• If you didn’t know how important flags were…
• I hope you are beginning to get a better sense of how important this is…
• I hope you that you will show your true colors…
• To raise the American flag and let people know that you proudly support America…
• Especially now…because there’s a war going on…
• And people are losing their lives in the fight for freedom.
2. But even more than that….I want you to show your true colors as a Christian…
• I want you to raise the flag of faith…
• I want you to fly it proudly…
• Especially now…
• Because there’s a war going on…
• And people are losing their lives in the fight for spiritual freedom.
• We are fighting for this world inch by inch…
• And the image of hope that the flag of faith provides…
• Can make all the difference in the world.
