Radicals For Christ
Series: The Real Reality - Part 4Pastor Ed Riddick - Sunday, July 27th, 2003
Introduction
This story is about a rather old fashioned lady, who was planning a couple of
weeks’ vacation in Florida. She also was quite delicate and elegant with her
language. She wrote a letter to a particular campground and asked for
reservations. She wanted to make sure the campground was fully equipped but didn’t know quite how to ask about the “toilet” facilities. She just
couldn’t bring herself to write the word “toilet” in her letter. After much
deliberation, she finally came up with the old fashioned term “Bathroom
Commode,” but when she wrote that down, she still thought she was being too forward so she rewrote the entire letter and referred to the “Bathroom
Commode” simply as the “B.C.” Does the campground have its own “B.C.?” is what she actually wrote.
The campground owner wasn’t old fashioned at all, and when he got the letter, he couldn’t figure out what the lady was talking about. The word “B.C.” really stumped him. After worrying about it for several days, he showed the letter to other campers, but they couldn’t figure out what the lady meant either. The campground owner finally came to the conclusion the lady must be asking about the location of the local Baptist Church. So he sat down and wrote the following reply:
Dear Madam:
I regret very much the delay in answering your letter, but I now take
pleasure in informing you that the “B.C.” is located nine miles north
of the camp site and is capable of seating 250 people at one time. I
admit it is quite a distance away if you are in the habit of going
regularly, but no doubt you will be pleased to know that a great
number of people take their lunches along, and make a day of it.
They usually arrive early and stay late. The last time my wife and I
went was six years ago, and it was so crowded we had to stand up
the whole time we were there.
Are you spending your life or investing it?
Have you found something worth giving your life for?
The battle for Iwo Jima began February 19, 1944
8 square mile square, 600 miles south of Tokyo with two air strips guarded by 22,000 Japanese soldiers ready to die for their country.
This would be the only battle in the Pacific where the invaders suffered more casualties (26,000) than the defenders (21,000)
The Marines fought for 43 months in WWII. In 1 month on Iwo Jima 1/3 of their total deaths occurred. Left behind a large cemetery with nearly 6,800 graves. Chiseled outside the cemetery are these words:
When you go have tell them for us
For your tomorrow we gave our today
From Flags of Our Fathers, by son of John Bradley
I. Stories of Radical Sacrifice
John Piper tells this story in Don’t Waste Your Life
Story #1 – Ray Dollins a fighter pilot at Iwo Jima
The first wave of amtracs headed for shore. The Marine fighter planes were finishing up their low strafing runs. As the last pilot began to pull is Corsair aloft, Japanese riddled the plane with flak.
The pilot, Major Ray Dollins, tried to gain altitude as he headed out over the ocean so he would avoid a deadly crash into the Marines headed for the beach. But his plane was too badly damaged.
Lt. Keith Wells watched it from the amtrac… “We could see him in the cockpit,” Wells said, “and he was trying everything. He was heading straight down for a group of approaching ‘tracs filled with Marines. At the last second he flipped the plane over on its back and aimed it into the water between two waves of tanks. We watched the water exploding into the air.”
Military personnel listening to the flight radio network from the ships could not only see Dollins go down; they could hear his last words
Oh, what a beautiful morning, Oh what a beautiful day
I’ve got a terrible feeling Everything’s coming my way
Jesus said “ Greater love has no one than this , that one lay down his life for his friends . Jn 15:13
Two greatest causes: to lay down your life to save the lives of others
To lay down your life to joyfully rescue people from hell making them
glad in Christ.
Story #2 – He fast-talked his way into the Marines at 14 fooling the recruiters with his muscled physique.
Assigned to drive a truck in Hawaii he grew frustrated; he
Wanted to fight. So, he stowed away on a transport out of
Honolulu, surviving on food passed along to him by
Sympathetic leathernecks on board.
He landed on Iwo Jima’s D-day without a rifle.
He grabbed one lying on the beach and fought his way
Inland. On D + 1 Jack and Lucas and 3 comrades were
Crawling through a trench when 8 Japanese sprang in front
of them. Jack shot on through the head then his rifle jammed.
As he struggled with it a grenade landed at his feet. He yelled a warning to the others and rammed the grenade into the soft ash.
Immediately another rolled in.
Jack Lucas, 17, fell on both grenades. “Luke you’re gonna
die,” he remembered thinking…
Doctors on board the hospital ship couldn’t believe it.
“Maybe he is too young and too tough to die” one said.
Jack Lucas had 21 reconstructive surgeries and became the youngest Medal of Honor winner – and the only high school freshman to ever receive it.
II. Radicals for God
A. Courageous Risk-Taker for God #1 - Esther, Esther 4:15-16
1. Her Story, Esther 2:7-17
Orphaned at an early age.
Raised by her cousin, Mordecai
Exiled in a foreign country.
Because she was very beautiful she was taken into a “Queen for the Kingdom” contest and placed into the King’s harem.
Before she met the king she spent an entire year in beauty school.
She had everything she desire.
The king loved Esther more than all the rest and so she became Queen
2. Her secret and a situation, Esther 3:5-13
Her secret: she was Jewish.
Her situation: Haman, the King’s second in command
Hated Mordecai because he wouldn’t bow to him.
So he hated the Jews.
And he hatched a plot to exterminate them.
Mordecai and the Jews torn their cloths and put on sackcloth in grief and anguish.
3. Her Sacrifice, Esther 4:3-5, 8, 11-17
The Queen was at first unaware of the decree or that the clock was ticking.
Her cousin’s behavior and dress embarrassed her.
Her cousin got word to her about the plot to kill all her people.
“Do not imagine that you can escape any more than all the Jews. If you remain silent relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this.?”
“If I perish, I perish.”
Esther did not know the outcome of her actions.
He had no assurance from God.
She made a decision based on wisdom and love for her people.
And she trusted God and handed the results over to Him.
B. Risk-takers #2 Shedrach, Meshack and Abednego
Skim through Daniel 3:8-30
The Jewish people are in exile in Babylon.
The king is Neb
He sets up a idol of gold and commands everyone to
But Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego won’t.
They worshipped the true God.
So Nebby threatened them
Daniel 3:16-18 “Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. “But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
They did not show disrespect but they would not compromise.
They handed over the outcome to God risking their lives for Him.
Jesus did not abandon them. They were perfectly safe in His care.
Here is what King Nebby said,
“Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their trust in Him, violating the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies so as not to serve or worship any god except their own God.” Dan 3:28
The events in their lives was not about them.
It was about exalting the greatest treasure in the whole world before a pagan king who was far away from God.
It is about 3 young men willing to lay down their lives so that in
the future this pagan king would come to faith in the true God.
Principle: The sacred cow is not security. The sacred cause is living for God not matter what the cost.
III. Radicals for Christ
Jesus said, “whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” Matthew 16:25
Mark 8:35 “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. “
Luke 9:24 “ The Son of Man must suffer many things (Calvary road) and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes , and be killed and be raised up on the third day .” And He was saying to them all, “ If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself , and take up his cross daily and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake , he is the one who will save it. “For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world , and loses or forfeits himself ? “ For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words , the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory , and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels”
Save his life
You get one pass at life
What would it mean to live it well and not waste it?
Do you have a passion for the essence and main point of life?
“Saving your life” means living your life for yourself.
It is self-centered living
Setting your heart and mind on small dreams. The things that
you cherish and rejoice in do not last.
Making much of yourself and your needs and your goals.
Living your life to please yourself and not serve others.
Saving your life has to do with what you love.
Do you love for people to make much of you and be impressed
With you.? Or do you make much of Christ and want people
to be impressed with Him?
Self-protecting, self-securing, self-pleasing ways.
Enchanted with security
Wasting our lives means losing our lives by trying to save them.
Lose his life
Throwing away his life on a 100 different things that are in the
end a waste.
Not fulfilling your divinely appointed purpose.
Being poor in your relationship with God.
“What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses
his soul.”
Refers to future judgment.
Lose his life for My sake and the gospel
Willing to let go of comfort and security and reputation and health
And family and friends and wealth and homeland for Christ.
Risking your life for the cause of Christ.
And in these loses you will go deep with God.
“All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be
persecuted.” 2 Tim 3:12
Acts 14:22 Paul’s words to young Christians
“through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God”
Making much of God
Desiring to please Him.
The one thing you cherish and rejoice in is Christ
“Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also” for Christ.
Satisfied in Christ. He is the ultimate treasure.
Embracing with joy the cost of following Christ.
You love for people to make much of Christ.
Viewing what you once thought was valuable as loss for the
Sake of knowing Christ.
Stepping out in faith
Willing to takes risks because God has promised and prompted
you to do so.
Save it – in the end it will count for something that will last.
Quote: John Piper
“You don’t have to know a lot of things for your life to make a lasting difference in the world. But you do have to know the few great things that matter, perhaps just one, and then be willing to live for them and die for them…If you want your life to count…you don’t need to have a high IQ. You don’t have to have good looks or riches or come from a fine family or a fine school. Instead you have to know a few great, majestic, unchanging, obvious, simple, glorious things – or one great all-embracing thing – and be set on fire by them.”
Applications: What About You and I?
Suggestions About How This Works In Ordinary Life
1. Make an accurate assessment of what you are giving your life to.
and live ‘this time of your life’ for the purpose of God.
“Who knows, maybe the Lord has brought you here for such a
time as this.”
Be willing to let of the things that comfort you to obey the voice of God in your life.
Believe His Promises
Luke 21:14-18 “ So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves; for I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute . “But you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends , and they will put some of you to death , and you will be hated by all because of My name . “ Yet not a hair of your head will perish.”
2. Decide to be a giver, not a taker! Make your moto “Here to serve”. Serve the people around you.
Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served , but to serve , and to give His life a ransom for many .”
3. Chose every day to be a “living sacrifice”.
a. Take God to work with you every day
He gives us our breath
His love never stops and his mercies are new every morning.
1 Cor 7:24 “In whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.” We go to work “with God”
b. Use the gifts God gave you and do your work well
Appreciate and use God’s gifts
Appreciate others and the gifts God gave them.
c. Dress up the Good News of Joy in Christ by choosing to have an enthusiastic attitude and joy in your heart.
d. Realize that “such a time as this” for you is doing your part to exalt Christ and long for others to experience the Good News of being glad in Christ.
He calls people into the work they are doing.
He has the right to move anyone of us to further his Kingdom.