September 10, Grandparent's Day

Lesson: Matthew 27.27-44

Sermon Title: Casualties

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INTRODUCTION:

Two gentlemen were traveling on a plane and were seated next to each other. One turned to the other and asked, "What do you do?"

The gentleman replied: "I am a minister."

"Oh," said the first man. "I don't believe in this religious stuff. It's for kids, you know, 'Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.'"

The minister politely laughed and asked the other man what he did for a living.

"I'm an astronomer," said the first man.

"Oh, that stuff," said the minister. "I thought it was just for kids, you know, Twinkle, twinkle little star ..." '

  1. The challenge to these two men is "What do they believe?, and Why?

    1. What you believe has the capacity to color your life.

    2. The coloration in your life creates the options of casualty and good fortune.

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MAIN BODY:

  1. On September 11, 2001, I was traveling to the Congregational Church in Potter, Wisconsin

    1. It is about 150 miles to Potter.

    2. A trip of about 3½ hours.

    3. I was listening to National Public Radio when there was an announcement.

      1. We interrupt this program to being you the following news bulletin.

      2. 8:45 a.m. (all times are EDT): A hijacked passenger jet, American Airlines Flight 11 out of Boston, Massachusetts, crashes into the north tower of the World Trade Center, tearing a gaping hole in the building and setting it afire.

      3. 9:03 a.m.: A second hijacked airliner, United Airlines Flight 175 from Boston, crashes into the south tower of the World Trade Center and explodes. Both buildings are burning.

      4. 10:05 a.m.: The South Tower collapsed.

      5. 10:28 a.m.: The North Tower collapsed.

    4. When I arrived in Potter, the pastor had a television set in the meeting room.

      1. We could not keep our eyes from the screen.

      2. There was little conversation.

      3. The discussion turned to "Why?"

        1. There were those who were convinced that this was an act of God for whatever sins the nation had committed.

        2. Or, it was for the failure to reign some of their understanding of the "social" problems gripping America.

    5. The attack on September 11, 2001 left 3,000 casualties.

    6. It was not long before we were in a war on terror.

      1. October 7, 2001, aerial operations began in Afghanistan

      2. On March 18, 2003, then Secretary of State, Collin Powell, announced that there were 30 nations in the Coalition of the willing."

      3. On March 20, 2003, Iraq was invaded.

        1. As of September 4, 2006, 2,647 members of the U. S. Military were casualties.

        2. In August, 2006, alone, 1,203 civilian and Iraqi security forces were casualties.

    7. The war on terror is a war undeclared by Congress.

    8. It is a war in which the political rhetoric is dangerously escalating.

How Bush Plans to Repackage the War. By Mike Allen/Washington. Time Magazine Online. Posted Monday, Sep. 04, 2006

"Last week at the same venue (Salt Palace Convention hall in Salt Lake City before an audience of the American Legion.), the President had a strikingly similar message for the American Legion, before a backdrop showing iconic scenes of past wars:

"'As veterans, you have seen this kind of enemy before. They're successors to Fascists, to Nazis, to Communists, and other totalitarians of the 20th century. And history shows what the outcome will be: This war will be difficult; this war will be long; and this war will end in the defeat of the terrorists and totalitarians, and a victory for the cause of freedom and liberty.'"

  1. The war on Terror and the Gospel of Jesus Christ both challenge us with the a question.

Joe R. Jones, Introduction: Tumultuous Times in Politics, Terror, and War, On Being the Church of Jesus Christ in Tumultuous Times. p. xxi

"Certainly throughout the church's life it has been a constant temptation to Christians to regard their national/cultural identity as more basic than their Christian identity. Hence, many in the church in our time are confused about their most basic self-understanding and identity: am I first and last an American who happens also to be a Christian, or am I first and last a Christian who happens also to be an American? Which identity is the most powerful in shaping how one lives and thinks? I contend that one symptom of the disarray in the church today is that most of its actual members are more decisively formed and informed by their national identity than by their identity as disciples of Jesus Christ."

    1. He goes on to write:

"..I propose that the decisive identity for the church--and therefore for the Christian--is an identity grounded in affirming Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior."

    1. Are you first and last an American who happens also to be a Christian, or are you first and last a Christian who happens also to be an American?

    2. Which identity is the most powerful in shaping how you live and think?

    3. The text for today is about casualties.

  1. It is about the casualties of war.

    1. We, dear friends and colleagues, are in a war.

    2. This is what Paul writes in Ephesians 6.12

"For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places," (Ephesians 6:12, NRSVA).

      1. The forces are genuine.

      2. The forces are powerful.

      3. The forces are persistent.

      4. The forces of which Paul speaks work through human agencies and natural disasters.

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  1. We are confronted with a wide array of applications.

    1. The soldiers.

    2. The bandits.

    3. The chief priests and the elders.

    4. The passers-by.

    5. The mockers.

      1. They are all intending to diminish the personhood of the person on the cross.

      2. They are all intending to weaken the will of the one on the cross.

      3. They are all provocations to an action that will undue what has been, and what is being done.

    6. All of these people are casualties of the war.

      1. Casualties of indifference.

      2. Casualties of ignorance.

      3. Casualties of faith.

      4. Casualties of assumed superiority.

  2. Jesus Christ in this event appears to be a casualty of this war.

    1. He is not a casualty, but the causality.

      1. He is not the acted-upon, but the actor.

      2. This is a planned event.

      3. The details were not worked out, the conclusion was, and is being worked out.

    2. It makes no difference who is responsible for Jesus execution.

      1. There are circumstances.

      2. There are responsibilities.

    3. Jesus is fulfilling his destiny.

      1. He would not let other people determine the person he was and would be.

      2. He would not let other people decide what he would do or not do.

      3. He would not let circumstances dictate his response.

      4. He would not be a casualty.

    4. If you remember the conversation between Pilate and Jesus from Matthew 2711-Let me read it from John 18, KJV.

"Pilate therefore said unto him, 'Art thou a king then?' Jesus answered, 'Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.'" (John 18:37 KJV).

      1. It was for this cause that he came into the world.

      2. There are no other options if human-kind were to have the choice of life, not death.

      3. There were no other options if we were to be able to choose salvation over destruction.

  1. For you and me there are options.

    1. To avoid becoming a casualty we learn.

      1. We learn the characteristics of the soldiers, the bandits, the false speakers, and the passing mockers.

    2. To avoid becoming a casualty we identify.

      1. We identify the of the soldiers, the bandits, the false speakers, and the passing mockers.

    3. To avoid becoming a casualty we accept.

      1. The alternative which is to take up our own cross daily.

    4. To avoid becoming a casualty we apply.

      1. We apply the principles of life that Jesus is teaching us.

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CONCLUSION

  1. We do this knowing that God has the will, the power, and the choice to help us.

    1. We do not have to be a casualty!

James Brown, in "One Lord, one faith, one baptism," writes: (1)

There is no situation I can get into that God cannot get me out. Some years ago I was learning to fly. My instructor told me to put the plane into a steep and extended dive. I was totally unprepared for what was about to happen. After a brief time the engine stalled, and the plane began to plunge out of control. It soon became evident that the instructor was not going to help me at all. After a few seconds, which seemed like eternity, my mind began to function again. I quickly corrected the situation. Immediately I turned to the instructor and began to vent my fearful frustrations on him. He very calmly said to me, "There is no position you can get this airplane into that I cannot get you out of. If you want to learn to fly, go up there and do it again." At that moment God seemed to be saying to me, "Remember this. As you serve Me, there is no situation you can get yourself into that I cannot get you out of. If you trust me, you will be all right." That lesson has been proven true in my ministry many times over the years.

    1. It has been proven to me as well.

      1. I do not fly planes.

      2. There have been other experiences that have shaped cooperation and faith.

        1. I will not let other people determine the kind of person that I am or will be.

        2. I will not let other people run my life and determine what I can do or not do.

      3. I will not let circumstances dictate my response.

      4. I take my instruction from my model, my mentor, my savior, Jesus Christ.

      5. I will not be a casualty.

  1. Do not be a casualty.

Amen.

1. James Brown, "One Lord, one faith, one baptism," Evangeline Baptist Church, Wildsville, Louisiana, in Discoveries, Fall, 1991, Vol. 2, No. 4.

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