On the Brink of War
Dr. Marty Baker
March 19, 2003
Stevens Creek Community Church
Augusta, GA
www.stevenscreek.net
Tonight the United States stands on the brink of war. After countless attempts at diplomacy, our nation is prepared to take a stand for justice in the world community. Saddam Hussein has violated sixteen United Nations Security Council Resolutions dating back to November 1990.1 He has repeatedly incited crimes against humanity and repressed his own countrymen. It is appalling to read the accounts of this malicious dictator.
Over and over the Iraqi government has sanctioned violence against women, the torture of religious and political detainees, and unfair treatment of children.2 The Iraqi government has sponsored the use of mustard gas and nerve agents on 60,000 of their own people. Thousands of people have died and countless others have been afflicted by these dangerous chemical and biological weapons.
What’s our response to these actions? Are we the world’s police force? I hope not, but we cannot sit idly by and do nothing. I am not here tonight to build a political case for war, but I am here to help you discern for yourself how to respond to the impending war. The America that we grew up in has changed. We are turning a page in history as we enter into conflict with Iraq.
From coast to coast, we have watched small groups of people protesting against the war. Some of us have recollections of the 1960s antiwar protesters in the streets of our cities. We are living different times, but we still have to ask the tough question: "Should we go to war?"
This is a loaded question that can only be answered with several other questions.
Will this war lead to greater order or more chaos?
Is this war really motivated by a desire to punish evil world conduct and encourage good world citizenship?
Will too many innocent civilians suffer as a result of our actions?
To what extent are we willing to punish evil in our own land and stand up for what is right?
We will not know all of the answers to these questions before the battle heats up, but questions like these must stay at the forefront of our minds as we march into battle.
I am not here as a political analyst; the world has enough of those already. I am here as a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ called to help you understand God’s Word as it relates to your world. I also need to remind you that this is a complex issue and we cannot know all that God is doing. The Old Testament teaches us that:
Ecclesiastes 3:8
(there is ...) a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
When do we know that the time for war is now? A nation enters into war when all diplomacy has failed. I believe that we are called to "get along" with one another. We should be peacemakers. Paul teaches us in
Romans 12:18
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
We are called to live at peace with everyone when it is possible. There are times when conflict prevails. During these seasons, it is best to separate and attempt to work out one’s differences. If peace is not possible, then doing what’s right must prevail. Over the last thirteen years, the United Nations has been working toward diplomacy, but their resolutions have not produced peace. Now, we must take the next step to establish peace in the region. We must be on the side of peace even if it means fighting for it. When is it right to fight?
1. We should fight to maintain liberty.
Our forefathers bled and died so that we could live in a land that allows people the freedom of choice. We would not be here tonight without their belief in religious freedom and their willingness to die for it. Their convictions ushered them into a war. They fought and died to preserve the freedom that we enjoy today. We must do the same. We must take a stand for freedom.
In the Old Testament, God told Joshua to go to war against the oppressive Midianite people. The Meditianites were known for atrocities against humanity even to the point of throwing babies into the fire. God called the Israelites to war, but they refused to go. As a result, they wandered in the desert for forty years.
This generation missed the promised land because they refused to fight. In your life, you have to decide what’s worth dying for. If you don’t know what’s worth dying for, you don’t know what’s worth living for. There are some things that are worse than war.
2. We should defend innocent people.
Psalm 82:3-4
3 Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.
4 Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.
Matthew 25:40
"The King will reply, `I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
We are called to be peacemakers, but along with that, we must stand for justice.
Isaiah 56:1
This is what the LORD says: "Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is close at hand and my righteousness will soon be revealed.
Psalm 112:5
Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice. (NIV)
Proverbs 21:15
When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers. (NIV)
3. We must stop the spread of evil.
The Bible makes it very clear that God has authorized the government to enforce the law and punish offenders. The problem that we are facing today is that the Iraqi government is causing the problems. The people of the country are defenseless against the evil regime. Someone must take a stand. God has allowed the United States to be the world’s only superpower. With this authority comes responsibility.
We are responsible for shining light into darkness. We must shine the light and expose evil atrocities and oppressive systems so that freedom can prevail.
In the Old Testament, God gave the sword to certain nations to accomplish his justice in the land. For a short period of time, Israel was used in this way, but her own wickedness disqualified her from this position of authority.
In the end, God judged Israel of her wickedness by allowing the gentile nations to take control over Israel. The Bible tells us that God in his sovereignty used the nations of Syria, Assyria and Babylon as instruments of his wrath and judgment on Israel.
The prophets also predicted that because of this judgment upon Israel, a righteous remnant would be born, culminating in the birth of the Messiah. He would inaugurate a kingdom, not built by the sword, but by word and spirit.
The apostles clearly understood that this kingdom was not to be advanced with carnal weapons, but that the state had the right to bear the sword. The church’s weapons were heavenly, divinely powerful for the destruction of evil.
God has the ability to take bad things and bring good out of them. This is the message of Romans 8:28.
Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
I believe that God will bring good out of this conflict.
Finding Purpose in the Pain
1. War makes us aware of the spiritual battle.
War reminds us that we live in a real world and have a real enemy. At times we forget that we are in a spiritual battle with the forces of evil. War has a way of removing the shallow veneer of our spiritual lives and it reminds us that Satan is alive and well.
We must never forget that the devil is committed to our destruction. Though there may be times of peace on earth, let us be under no illusions that peace is here to stay, for it is merely an interlude "until a more opportune time."
War also takes away our confidence in the ability of the world system to establish lasting peace and reminds us that true peace is only found in Jesus Christ.
2. War reminds us of our weaknesses.
When tragedy strikes, we are reminded of how vulnerable we are. This reminder often drives some people to their knees. In our weakness, we can discover God’s strength. Over the next several weeks, some of the people in our community will be open to the gospel. Be sensitive to their questions and be willing to share your faith.
3. War makes us look forward to a better place. War awakens in us spiritual longings for a better place.
Micah 4:3-4
3 He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.
4 Every man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the LORD Almighty has spoken.
There is a better day coming and we have a lot to look forward to.
How should we respond to this war?
1. We must humble ourselves before God.
These events are far more than we can handle or control. No one but God alone knows the whole picture, and he is working everything out to his glory. In humility, we must repent of our sins.
Have you ever wondered why Iraq considers America an evil force? We are the most generous nation in the world. We are the first ones to send aid when tragedy strikes. We are the first ones to supply money and resources to rebuild a war-torn nation? Why do they call us "the great Satan?"
We are by far the major exporter of pornography to the world. We export our gross immorality through media which promotes promiscuity, homosexuality, and adultery. We are discipling the nations in our sin.
We are a murderous nation, killing millions of unborn babies every day. And even worse, justifying it, and legally defending our right to do so.
Some of our foreign policies and overseas business interests cripple and in some cases destroy economies of other nations and dehumanize workers in overseas factories.
Some people would point to Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, which was formerly called The School of Americas at Fort Benning and say that we have trained people to be less than peace loving. Several of the things we are accusing Saddam Hussein and Iraq we may be guilty of ourselves.
This calls us to examine our lifestyles. We need to humble ourselves before God and then we should pray.
2. We must sincerely pray.
2 Chronicles 7:14
...if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
We need to pray for our leaders. Pray for the president, pray for the generals, and pray for the Congress. The Bible says we also ought to pray for our enemies. We ought to pray that they will have a change of heart.
When I was growing up, the Communists were our the enemies. They were power-hungry atheists that sought to overthrow the world with their ideology. We lived to see communism fall and as a result a great door of evangelism has been opened.
In fact, one of our members, Mike Hodnick, will be going to Moldavia, a former communist nation, as a short term missionary next month. When I was a kid, no one ever thought that missionaries would be welcomed, but today there is a light shining in the darkness.
I believe that the same thing can happen in the Arab world. In the natural, we cannot imagine the gospel being shared in Mecca, but one day God’s light will pierce the darkness. Every knee will bow and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
We must pray for God’s kingdom to be established and His glory to shine down on the 10 / 40 window. We should also pray for the families that will lose loved ones in this conflict and pray that they will be able to trust God in their future.
3. We must pursue peace.
Psalms 34:14
Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
We must pursue peace in the world, our country, our church and our families.
4. We must support one another.
As believers in Christ, we are a family. The Bible encourages us to support one another and care for each other. We need to be open to God’s leadings and sensitive to the needs of people around us. We need to "be there" for people that God brings in our lives. We are a family.
We also need to support our troops. They are risking their lives for our freedom. Send a card, an e-mail, but most of all, send a prayer.
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1 Saddam Hussein’s Defiance of United Nations Resolutions, http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/iraq/decade/sect2.html
2 Saddam Hussein’s Repression of the Iraqi People, http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/iraq/decade/sect4.html
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