Sermon Central
-
Same Sex Unions Series
Contributed by Barry O Johnson on Feb 15, 2021 (message contributor)
Summary: This message is the first in a series that will provide line upon line teaching that address issues and questions in which the body of Christ should be in complete agreement but are not.
Would you please open your bibles to Mark 10? This is where we will start. But first, let me introduce you to our subject for today.
Robert L. Scott was a fighter pilot back in World War II. But, at the start of the war, he piloted transport planes that delivered freight over The Hump into China. As the war continued, the need for qualified pilots grew and Scott eventually got his opportunity to be a fighter pilot.
In China, he persuaded General Chennault to let him fly with the famed Flying Tigers, the heroic band of airmen who had been fighting the Japanese long before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Getting his chance to fight, Scott ultimately engages the deadly Japanese pilot known as Tokyo Joe in combat and defeats him.
He later wrote the book, God is My Co-Pilot, which detailed the events of his confrontation with Tokyo Joe. He wanted the world to know that God “sat next to him” on every single flight – that God was his co-pilot.
My Father served in the Korean War (1950-53) and, like many veterans of his era, Scott’s story resonated with him so much so that he purchased a “God is My Co-Pilot” vanity plate for his car. A few years ago the Lord began showing me how this concept – God is my co-pilot – is playing out in the Church in a non-scriptural and rebellious way.
What does it mean to be a co-pilot?
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a pilot as someone who flies or is qualified to fly an aircraft or spacecraft; a guide or leader. A co-pilot is defined as a qualified pilot who assists or relieves the pilot – and this is the most important part – but is not in command. Let me repeat that: the co-pilot is not in command. The co-pilot follows the orders he receives from the pilot. Knowledge, experience and expertise are the markers that distinguish the pilot from the co-pilot.
In order for a flight to reach its desired destination, the pilot needs both a flight plan and a detailed knowledge and understanding of the flight manual.
Flight plans are documents the pilot or flight dispatcher are required to file prior to the aircraft’s departure that outlines the aircraft’s planned flight path. Did you notice that the co-pilot is not involved in filing this required document? This is important ladies and gentlemen and you will see this as we continue the message.
Flight plans also include departure and arrival points, the number of passengers on the aircraft and their names, alternate airports in case of bad weather and an estimated time of arrival. All of this makes it easier to provide assistance to the aircraft in case of an emergency or to locate it in case of an unexpected landing or crash.
Each aircraft has a flight manual. The flight manual contains the information required to safely operate the aircraft and is TAILORED FOR EACH SPECIFIC AIRCRAFT. It contains operating limitations for normal, abnormal and emergency situations. Please keep this in mind as we continue with the message.
Now, the flight plan – think of it as the “map” to get the aircraft from point A to point B. Think of the flight manual as the book you must know “backwards and forwards” (an American idiom describing “a thorough, complete and detailed understanding) to get the aircraft to point B safely.
With this in mind …
? If my pilot does not know the flight plan for my flight, would I get on the plane?
? If my pilot never read the flight manual, would I trust him or her to know what to do in an emergency situation?
? If my co-pilot is smarter than my pilot, who would I want “calling the shots” (an American idiom describing the person in charge) on my flight?
? If my co-pilot wrote the flight manual, who would I listen to if trouble occurs on my flight?
Based on Webster’s definitions of pilot and co-pilot – the pilot is the person in charged and the co-pilot is the assistant – if God is my co-pilot, that means I have more knowledge, experience and expertise to deal with the things in life than He does.
? If God is my co-pilot, that means Barry decides what is morally right and morally wrong for his life.
? If God is my co-pilot, that means Barry decides what he can and cannot do with his life.
? If God is my co-pilot, that means He assists me when I allow Him to.
? If God is my co-pilot, when it comes to what Barry believes, that means He doesn’t decide that – Barry does.
Ladies and gentlemen, when we look at the Body of Christ, it’s not too difficult to figure out who the pilot is and who the co-pilot is, is it?
