Introduction –
A. The Medal of Honor.
1. What is the Medal of Honor?
a. Gilt-bronze star suspended from a pale blue ribbon with 13 tiny white stars.
b. Highest medal given to a soldier.
2. How does one receive the Medal of Honor?
a. Deed must be witnessed by at least 2 other eyewitnesses.
b. Deed must be so outstanding that it clearly distinguishes bravery and courage above and beyond the call of duty.
c. It must involve risk of life.
d. Must be type of deed that if it had not been done, the nominee would not have received any criticism.
3. Medal of Honor History.
a. 135 year history.
b. 3416 men & women have received it.
c. 70% did not live to see their award.
d. 213 men living entitled to wear it.
e. When seen, respect is shown.
4. William H. Carney Story.
a. Fought for Union.
b. Put preaching on side and became a soldier.
c. “I felt I could best serve my God by serving my country.”
d. He was 23 years old.
e. July 18, 1863 re-enacted in movie ‘Glory’.
f. Battle scene.
B. Patriotism & Faith.
1. These are character qualities which stir men to do the type of things like William H. Carney
a. While sinister forces work to mold America, Jesus beckons with the call of personal faith through a relationship with Him.
C. Death at Infancy.
1. A spirit of revival is being born in America and Satan is trying to combat God’s plan at its infancy.
a. He has tried this before.
1. He tried to kill Moses as a baby by issuing a decree to kill all male babies.
a. Moses ended up being raised in Pharoah’s palace as royalty and led exodus.
2. Joseph was thrown into a pit and left for dead.
a. Yet he became the 2nd in command of all Egypt.
3. Daniel was taken into slavery as a teenager.
a. Yet he became ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief of the governors over all the wise men.
4. Paul’s life was at risk as soon as his conversion.
a. He was eventually thrown into jail where he wrote most of the New Testament.
5. Jesus had a contract on his head as soon as he was born.
a. He lived and died and rose again as our wonderful Savior.
D. Satan is on the Attack.
1. He is attacking this great movement at its infancy.
2. But remember. Every time Satan has attacked the result was a mighty triumph of righteousness.
a. His plans have failed.
b. God had His way.
c. But not with out a price.
d. The good fight must be fought but our victory is guaranteed.
e. Why is he starting at infancy?
1. Satan know that 90% of personality is learned by 10 years old.
2. By the age of 20 95% of a childs values are unalterable.
a. He may change clothing styles or haircuts but basic personality will stay same.
b. Until he goes through a life changing emotional experience.
c. I know that experience.
I. What are we fighing.
A. In 1990 Iraq invaded the oil rich country of Kuwait.
1. Saddam Hussein raped that small country and tried to go into Saudi Arabia.
2. That sent off an alarm to the world and The Trumpet had sounded.
a. America sent troops as did 28 other countries for “Operation Desert Storm”.
b. On January 17th, 1991 ODS opened with the most awesome and well coordiated strike in the history of Military power.
c. Cruise missile hit communication targets just as bombers hit the lines to take out what the cruise missiles didn’t.
d. There were 1800 US aircraft and 435 from other countries flying as many as 3000 missions per day.
B. Before we can act we must hear the alarm and see the need.
1. We live in a fast paced society but we live with death all around.
a. AIDS is the only unquarantined plague of our time.
b. No one knows its full effect.
2. Death by suicide ranks #2 behind drugs and alcohol among youth of today.
a. Young people have lost the will to live.
3. Family life is awful.
a. Less than 50% of kids in public schools know what it is like to have mom and dad together at home.
b. And what % of them are happy homes.
4. Churches and church leaders.
a. We have failed to provide reason to say “NO” to hell and “YES” to life.
b. Destruction and Death are knocking at the door and we must be able to answer the call God is giving us.
II. The Best Defense is a Good Offense.
A. Persian Gulf Air raids. – Illustration.
1. Laser Bombers.
2. Heat seekers.
3. Video bombers.
4. Patriot missiles.
III. Becoming Armed & Dangerous.
A. Power is Funny.
1. Illustration of Muhammed Ali.
a. He was on a plane and didn’t fasten his seatbelt… stewardess said he had to and he said Superman didn’t need a seatbelt… she said… superman didn’t need a plane either.
B. To effectively fight in this last day war, we need the ultimate weapon of spiritual warfare, the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you” Acts 1:8
C. There has never been a battle won without the weapons to do so.
D. Our weapon is the Holy Spirit.
E. The Holy Spirit came upon Jesus in the form of a dove and then he defeated Satan.
F. The disciples were in the upper room when the Spirit hit them and gave them power.
G. Then they immediately began to preach and 3000 were converted.
H. From that day on the disciples were roaring lions, proclaiming the life changing message of Christ.
I. Healing Sick.
J. Casting out Demons.
K. Raising the Dead.
L. The Baptism puts into action the powerful gifts of the Spirit. (Read I Cor. 12)
a. Wisdom.
b. Knowledge.
c. Faith.
d. Healing.
e. Miraculous powers.
f. Prophecy.
g. Discernment.
h. Tongues.
i. Interpretation of Tongues.
M. There is not a believer that doesn’t have a gift and there is not an unbeleiver that has one.
N. Once you have been baptized, Christ will demand greatness from you.
IV. How do we receive the Holy Spirit.
“If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will you Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who Ask Him!” (Luke 11:13)
A. Just as a soldier will not engage in battle with out a weapon, Christians should not engage in battle without the Spirit.
B. If the baptism wasn’t important then Jesus would not have recorded his own.
C. He did so we would follow his example and ambassadors on earth.
D. When you are saved you are drafted into the Army of God.
E. When you are baptized you are given the authority to fight and become armed and dangerous.
“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living waters will flow from within him.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not been glorified. (John 7:37-39)
V. Keeping your Supply High.
A. Illustration: City man moved to the country.
1. A fellow who had been reared in the city bought a farm and several milk cows. In the feed store one day he complained his best cow had gone dry. "Aren’t you feeding her right?" asked the store owner. "I’m feeding her what you’ve been selling me," said the man. "Are you milking her every day?" "Just about. If I need six or eight ounces of milk for breakfast, I go out and get it - I just let her save it up." The feed store owner had to explain it doesn’t work that way. With cow’s milk, like God’s presence, you take all that’s there, or you eventually have nothing.
2. Asking for God’s power in six-ounce doses, or asking sporadically only at our convenience, may mean that for us, the source dries up.
B. One of the great advantages in Iraq was supply provision.
C. We blew up their supply warehouses and they couldn’t supply their troops.
D. We didn’t have to go into bunkers to get them, they came out. Hungry, thirsty and tired.
E. Since we are in a war, we need this principle in our lives.
“For I know that through your prayers and the help (supply) of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn our for my deliverance.” (Phil 1:19)
F. We are not to experience the baptism and then run off and find our supply line empty and destroyed.
G. This must be dealt with on a daily basis.
H. I don’t care that you spoke in tongues 2 years ago.
I. Are you filled today?
“Do not quench the Spirit.” (I Thessalonians 5:19)
J. To quench means to put our or extenguish.
“The people who know their God will firmly resist Satan.” (Daniel 11:32)
