Eagle Christians Series

Eagle Christians

Scripture: Exodus 19:4; John 13:15; 14:15-17; Psalm 57:1

The last time I stood before you I talked about “Vulture Christians”. This morning I want to elevate us and talk about Eagle Christians. As you listen to my message this morning, I want you to remember what I told you a couple of weeks ago about vulture Christians as compared to what I will share with you today about what it means to be a Christian with the same characteristics as an eagle.

The eagle is one of the most majestic animals in the animal kingdom. It is mentioned throughout Scripture in examples of the goodness of God and how He relates to His children. For example, when God brought the Children of Israel out of Egypt, He said to the people in Exodus 19:4, “You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself.” Also, in Deuteronomy 32:9-11 it says, “(9) For the LORD’s portion is His people; Jacob is the allotment of His inheritance. (10) He found him in a desert land, and in the howling wasteland of a wilderness; He encircled him, He cared for him, He guarded him as the pupil of His eye. (11) As an eagle stirs up its nest, and hovers over its young, He spread His wings, He caught them, He carried them on His pinions.” In these verses, God (and Moses) used the characteristics of an eagle to describe how He (God) brought the Children of Israel out of Egypt and how He would continue to watch over them (as an eagle does her fledgling) if they obeyed His commandments. The Church is compared to baby chicks which the mother cherishes and protects under her wings. Isaiah confirmed this when he wrote, “But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31) I will talk about this Scripture in more detail as I discuss the eagle’s characteristics that should be present in our lives. As before with the message on vulture Christians, I want you to ask yourself throughout this message, “Am I living like an eagle?”

Trains it’s young to emulate them. The first trait that I want to mention about the eagle is how it trains its young to be like them. The eagle trains up her young, which are called eaglets or fledglings, to be like herself and to mount as she mounts. It is believed that when the eaglet is ready to leave the nest the parent shoves them out of the nest. If they fly, they fly. If not, then they hit the ground with a mighty crash. While there is a 40% mortality rate amongst eagles taking their first flight, this is still lower than other birds. Also, for eagles, the transition from nest-bound adolescence to soaring adulthood is a gradual process that, according to ornithologists, relies on a combination of benevolent manipulation and guided experimentation. Ornithologists have observed eagles coaxing, even taunting, their young from the nest, rather than just giving them a shove. When the fledgling eagle is almost ready to fly, parents have been observed to swoop by the nest with a fresh kill. Instead of landing in the nest as usual to share the meal, the parent lands near the nest and eats in plain view of its squawking, hungry teenager. This behavior continues until the fledgling is hungry enough to venture out of the nest, at which point the parent will share its food. This taunting behavior creates the appetite and incentive necessary for the fledgling to venture out of the nest of its own volition in pursuit of what it wants. Their goal is not to get rid of their child, but to encourage its independence.

Christians are to do the same. We all know that Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.” However, even though we know we are supposed to do this, we often allow them to figure it out on their own. Think about this, how many parents sit down with their child and teach them about Jesus, expanding on the lessons as the child ages. As the child grows how many parents teach their children about relationships? About money management, saving and making purchases when they can be afforded versus when they are desired? How many parents teach their children about respect for others and the environment around them? All of these subjects fall under the directions that Solomon gave when he said we should “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.” The parent eagles do their best to prepare their fledglings for flight, but in the end they know it is up to them. We must prepare our children to leave the house and give them the best chance for success. Let’s continue.