Mobilized For Mission

TEXT: Joel 3:9

TITLE: MOBILIZED FOR MISSION

NIV – “Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare for war! Rouse the warriors! Let all the fighting men draw near and attack.”

TLB – “Announce this far and wide: Get ready for war! Conscript your best soldiers; collect all your armies.”

“Make this announcement among the nations: ‘Prepare for war; call your warriors; gather all your soldiers and march!” (Good News Bible: Today’s English Version)

In case you haven’t realized it already we are engaged in a war. We are fighting for the souls of our children, our spouses, our neighbors, our fellow workers, our friends, and even our own souls. It is time to proclaim to the Church “PREPARE FOR WAR”; “CALL YOUR WARRIORS TOGETHER!”

War is serious business. Life and death are decided by the outcome of war. Freedom or bondage is decided by the outcome of war. Nobody can remain neutral when war comes to your country. Satan has invaded our country (territory) and we can’t remain neutral. We must choose sides; we must take a stand.

It is time to declare war on Satan!

In Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s inaugural address, he called for faith in America’s future. He said, “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Today I want to call for faith in the Church. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. We don’t have to fear the devil because Jesus died to destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8 – “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”

2 Timothy 1:7 – “For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

On Sunday, Dec. 7, 1941, Secretary of State Hull conferred with two Japanese diplomats. While they talked, Japanese planes attacked the U.S. Pacific Fleet, which lay at anchor in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. {You and I don’t have time to talk and reason with the devil. While we do he is destroying our friends, and family. All we have time to do is declare war on him and to make preparations to engage him. Negotiations broke down when the devil deceived Adam and Eve.}

President Roosevelt addressed Congress the next day. He said December 7th was "a date which will live in infamy." The United States declared war against Japan. Three days later, on December 11, Germany and Italy declared war on the United States. America then declared war on those countries. Germany, Italy, and Japan formed an alliance known as the Axis. Six other nations eventually joined the Axis. The United States, Great Britain, China, and the Soviet Union were the major powers fighting the Axis. They were called the Allies. The Allies totaled 50 nations by the end of the war.

How long will we wait before we declare war on the devil? Will he have to strike a devastating blow against us before we get serious about doing battle against him? Will he have to kill one of our children before we declare war; will he have to destroy our spouse before we declare war; will he have to destroy the unity of our church before we get mad and declare war on him? The results of waiting to long can have devastating consequences. The devil is pulling all of his resources in to fight against the church. He has called together his legion of forces to fight against the church: demon possession, drug addiction, pornography, sexual immorality, alcohol abuse, family problems, church schisms etc. What are we going to do about it?

We have to mobilize ourselves together if we are going to defeat him. We have got to join together in this fight if we are going to be victorious. One person can’t fight him alone. We must call all of the warriors together in unity under the commander (Jesus and his pastor) if we are going to defeat the enemy.

The Field Manual for the Armed Services of the United States defines mobilize as “The process by which the Armed Forces or part of them, are brought to a state of readiness for war or other national emergencies. This includes activating all or part of the reserve components as well as assembling and organizing personnel, supplies, and materials.”

Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary defines mobilize as: “To put into movement or circulation; to release for bodily use; to assemble and make ready for war duty; to marshal (as resources) for action.”

It is past time that everybody who is a part of this church get ready for war. It is time that the reserves be called in, those who have been sitting on the sidelines or waiting in the wings. Everyone must become active if you as a church are going to defeat the enemy. Everybody must be made ready for war if you are to be victorious. One or two can’t defeat the enemy; it will take all of us!