Vereran's Day - These Two Flags!

MELVIN NEWLAND, MINISTER

RIDGE CHAPEL, KANSAS, OK

TEXT: 2 Timothy 2:3-4; James 1:2-3; 2 Corinthians 10:4-5; Luke 8:14; Philippians.3:8

In many church buildings, including ours, two flags are displayed - the Christian flag & the American flag. These two flags declare two types of freedom that are ours.

A. The American flag declares our freedom to go where we want to go, say what we want to say, live where we want to live, dream big dreams & pursue them.

Someone wrote:

It is the veteran, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the veteran, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the veteran, not the campus organizer, who has given us freedom to assemble

It is the veteran, not the politician, who has given us the right to vote.

It is the veteran, not the preacher, who has given us freedom of religion.

Veterans over the last two centuries have sacrificed so much to obtain & preserve these precious freedoms, & more besides.

Sadly, many churches today do not honor veterans. Some are led by people who have never served in the military, or have never been around anyone who has, so they do not understand the depth of emotion associated with veterans.

Still others do not celebrate because they feel that celebrating & honoring veterans is tantamount to celebrating & honoring war itself. Let me set the record straight on that. NO! It is NOT the same thing by any leap of the imagination!

War is from Satan. It is meant for no other reason than to satisfy some ungodly men. But as much as we hate war, we are forever grateful for our men & women who are willing to serve, to be totally separated from their loved ones, to fight & even die for those left at home.

That is why we honor veterans: To tell them “Thank you” for keeping us free.

B. That leads us to another symbol of freedom, the Christian Flag. The Christian Flag declares freedoms found only in Christ, who died to set us free - free from a life of futility, free from the tyranny of sin, regret, hate, & bitterness - free to love God & love our neighbors.

To serve either of these flags (& the freedoms they symbolize) faithfully & effectively, we must meet certain requirements. Before being called a military Veteran, one must first be a good soldier. But what does it take to become a Christian Veteran?

The Apostle Paul knew. Having enlisted in the Lord’s army after encountering Jesus on the road to Damascus & enduring countless dangers, toils, & snares, Paul was a Christian Veteran if there ever was one.

Toward the end of his life, while facing execution for his commitment to Christ, Paul sat in a cold Roman prison, cut off from the world with just a quill with which to write, & some parchment upon which to write.

Paul knew that he would soon be executed, so he wrote his final thoughts to a young preacher named Timothy, reminding him of what was truly important, & encouraging him to keep the faith.

In 2 Timothy 2:3-4 (NKJV), Paul says: “You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.”

In these 2 short verses Paul uses four E-words — enlist, endure, engage, & entangle — each representing a different aspect of what it takes to become a Veteran soldier of Christ. I start with Paul’s last E-word, which is — enlist.

I. ENLIST

You can’t become a Veteran if you don’t enlist. As Paul says in another translation, “A soldier wants to please his enlisting officer.” (2 Timothy 2:4 NCV)

A. As you know, our country no longer uses a forced draft. Recruitment officers are sent out to encourage people to volunteer, but men & women have the freedom to choose whether or not to serve in the American military today. And people make that choice for different reasons.

Some young people enlist in a sense of patriotism; others so they can go to college on a GI Bill. Some were raised in military families, & still others because they’re looking for direction or purpose for their lives.

No matter the reason, it’s a tough decision — to dedicate themselves for a time to the service of their country.

B. God does not force anyone to serve in His Kingdom, either. He does send out recruiters, like you & me, to encourage people to serve in His Army, but it’s our choice.

People make this decision for different reasons also. Maybe you were brought up with the faith of your parents, maybe you sensed God’s leading in your life, or maybe you came to Christ looking for a sense of purpose & direction & forgiveness. No matter the reason, it’s a life changing decision & not one to be taken lightly.