Sunday
Morning Bible Study
August
21, 2016
Introduction
Do people see Jesus? Is the gospel
preached? Does it address the person who is: Empty, lonely, guilty, or afraid
to die? Does it speak to the broken
hearted? Does it build up the church? Milk – Meat – Manna Preach for a decision
Is the church loved? Regular: 2900
words Communion: 2500 words Video=75wpm
Financial Report (6 clicks)
Baptism – coming up on September 18.
We will have a big celebration - potluck, party, bounce houses, water slide. If you’ve never been baptized since you’ve
become a believer, then plan on coming.
Luke was a doctor and a traveling
companion of the apostle Paul.
He wrote this book while Paul was
in prison.
In writing this book about Jesus,
Luke made use of other older documents like the Gospel of Mark, as well as
extensive eyewitness accounts.
Jesus’ ministry is well under way, and the people have been amazed not just
at the things He’s been teaching, but the things He’s been doing.
14:25-35 Effective Disciples
:25 Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them,
:25 great multitudes went with Him
went with – sumporeuomai – to
go or journey together; to come together, to assemble
multitudes – ochlos – a crowd;
a throng; a multitude
He turned – strepho – to turn,
turn around; to turn one’s self (i.e. to turn the back to one; of one who no
longer cares for another); metaph. to turn one’s self from one’s course of
conduct, i.e. to change one’s mind
Lesson
Crowd or disciple?
At this point in Jesus’ ministry, He has been drawing increasingly larger
crowds.
Yet Jesus’ goal was not to have bigger crowds.
His goal was to make disciples.
This is one of the problems that a large church can face.
I’m not against big churches. Big
churches can be used by God in some pretty amazing ways.
The problem is, there will be people who are attending who just want to be
“one of the crowd”.
Some churches will in fact tailor their services just for the purpose of
drawing a crowd.
Jesus isn’t looking for crowds, He’s looking for disciples. He’s looking for people who will stand out
from the crowd.
The things He’s about to say are not “crowd-friendly”.
:26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife
and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My
disciple.
:26 he cannot be My disciple
cannot be – dunamai – to be able, have power whether by
virtue of one’s own ability and resources, to be able to do something; to be
capable
disciple – mathetes – a learner, pupil, disciple
Don’t think of a “disciple” as some sort of “super saint”.
This is a very simple word. This is simply describing the person who is
serious about wanting to learn more about Jesus, a person who considers Jesus
to be their teacher and model.
Like Daniel-son learning from Mr. Miyagi.
Jesus is going to teach on what it takes to be a successful disciple, and
it’s not what you’re going to like hearing…
He say … we do …
You are not going to be able to be a disciple of Jesus if…
:26 If anyone comes to Me and does not hate …
hate – miseo – to hate, pursue with hatred, detest
life – psuche – breath; the breath of life; the soul;
the seat of the feelings, desires, affections, aversions (our heart, soul etc.)
Lesson
Jesus First
If this verse was the only verse in the New Testament that defines what a
Christian looks like, then the church would be filled with hateful, mean
spirited people.
It’s actually the world that teaches us to hate.
The story of Ben-Hur is a story about a man who
is wrestling with hatred and revenge.
Life takes a cruel turn for Judah Ben-Hur and he
goes from being a prince among his people to a lowly rower on a slave ship.
Life is meant to be much more than hating and rowing.
Just like Ben-Hur, it’s finding Jesus
that lifts us out of a life of hatred.
In our passage, we need to keep the rest of the New Testament in mind when
we look at what Jesus is saying.
Scripture isn’t going to contradict scripture.
The Bible says that we are love one another.
(John 13:34–35 NKJV)
—34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I
have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are
My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
(1 John 3:11 NKJV) —11 For this
is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one
another,
(1 John 4:7–8 NKJV) —7 Beloved,
let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of
God and knows God. 8 He who
does not love does not know God, for God is love.
The Bible makes it clear that we are to love and honor our families. (Mark
7:9-13; 1Tim. 5:8; Eph. 5:25)
Jesus rebuked the Pharisees because
they made excuses for not taking care of the needs of their parents. (Mark
7:9-13)
(Mark 7:9–13 NKJV) —9 He said
to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may
keep your tradition. 10 For Moses
said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father
or mother, let him be put to death.’ 11 But you
say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have
received from me is Corban”—’ (that is, a gift to God), 12 then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his
mother, 13 making the word of God
of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such
things you do.”
Paul said that if a person doesn’t
take care of their family, they are worse than an unbeliever.
(1 Timothy 5:8 NKJV) —8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for
those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an
unbeliever.
Husbands are commanded to love
their wives like Christ loved the church. (Eph. 5:25)
(Ephesians 5:25 NKJV) Husbands,
love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
Jesus told us to even love our enemies (Mat. 5:43-44)
(Matthew 5:43–44
NKJV) —43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor
and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do
good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and
persecute you,
The Bible also tells us that if we
“hate” people (same Greek word), then we must not be followers of Jesus.
(1 John 3:15 NKJV) Whoever
hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life
abiding in him.
(1 John 4:20 NKJV) —20 If someone
says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not
love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
So what is Jesus talking about?
We must love Jesus and respect Jesus and His leading above that of any
other person.
If we love or respect any other person above Jesus, then we are vulnerable
because that other person can direct us in ways that are contrary to Jesus.
Keep in mind that Jesus had just told a parable about a man who had invited
people to a great feast and the excuses he began to receive from his invited
guests. One of the excuses was that of family –
(Luke 14:20 NKJV) Still
another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’
Jesus is now saying that if you love your wife more than
you love Jesus, then you are not going to have the ability to be His disciple.
In verse 33, Jesus looks back at
these verses and uses a different phrase,
(Luke 14:33 NKJV) So
likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My
disciple.
(Luke 14:33 ESV) So therefore, any one
of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
Following Jesus is similar to the
relationship formed by marriage.
(Genesis 2:24 NKJV) Therefore
a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they
shall become one flesh.
A man doesn’t
break off all contact with his parents when he gets married, but he makes new
priorities.
His wife becomes
the single most important relationship in his life.
As a disciple, my relationship with Jesus needs to be the greatest priority
of my life.
Lesson
More than self
We are to love Jesus more than our
own selves (life), more than our own emotional well being,
more than our own comfort.
Here’s where things can get a
little confusing.
When is Jesus telling me to do
something, and when am I just telling myself that Jesus is telling me to do
this?
I have known
instances where very spiritually oriented people have chosen to disobey those
who were in authority over them. And I’ve heard excuses like, “It’s okay that I
disobey my husband because Jesus gave me permission to do that”. The
circumstances I’m thinking of weren’t life or death issues. These weren’t
issues that are clearly spelled out in Scripture like, “Thou shalt not steal”.
These were simple little decisions.
There is a sense in which each of
us is covered by a type of “umbrella” of authority. There are people to whom we are responsible,
and we are in a safe place when we obey those in authority. When you step outside your umbrella of
authority and decide to disobey your boss at work, your teacher at school, your
parents, or your husband, you need to be very careful that your disobedience is
truly let by the Lord an not
just by your own “soul”.
The disciples
disobeyed the authority of the Sanhedrin. But the Sanhedrin was telling them to
stop doing something that Jesus Himself had ordered them to do. The Sanhedrin
was telling the disciples to stop preaching the gospel. The disciples’ response
–
(Acts 5:29 NKJV) —29 But
Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God
rather than men.
Jesus wants us to honor Him above
what makes us comfortable.
:27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My
disciple.
:27 cannot be My disciple
This is the exact same phrase in Greek as in verse 26.
If you do not do this, you will not be successful or effective in being His
disciple.
cannot be – dunamai – to be
able, have power whether by virtue of one’s own ability and resources, or of a
state of mind, or through favourable circumstances,
or by permission of law or custom; to be able to do something; to be capable,
strong and powerful
disciple – mathetes – a
learner, pupil, disciple
:27 come after Me
after – opiso – back,
behind, after, afterwards
It’s one thing to say you are a follower of Jesus, but the thing that
defines if you are truly a follower is whether or not you are willing to “bear
your cross” and come after Him.
:27 bear his cross
bear – bastazo – to take up with the hands; to bear
what is burdensome
cross – stauros – a cross
The cross was a well-known instrument of punishment that was invented by
the Persians, picked up by the Greeks, and perfected by the Romans.
It was used to punish the worst of criminals.
On the way to the place of execution, the criminal was forced to carry his
own cross, showing that the Roman sentence was right and he was wrong.
It was done in a public place where everyone could pass by and see what
would happen if they committed the crime that the accused had committed.
Lesson
Enduring pain
Jesus is not talking about wearing a pretty piece of jewelry around your
neck.
The cross was an instrument of pain and shame.
It would be closer to our “electric chair”.
Our society works hard to avoid any type of pain.
In 2014, the global pain management market for pharmaceuticals and medical
devices was worth 36.6 billion dollars.
Some churches will give you the impression that if you will follow Jesus,
that He will heal every disease, take away every pain, and make you wealthy to
boot.
Our society also has an interesting
relationship with “shame” as well.
It is not politically correct to
participate in “body shaming”, or to ridicule a person for their weight or
appearance.
It does not seem that Christians
are afforded the same type of decency.
It’s completely acceptable to shame a Christian.
Jesus said that true disciples would “bear their cross”.
They would be willing to take up with their hands the thing that causes
pain or shame.
Some of the pain comes as a direct result of taking a stand for God.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego were given the
choice of either bowing down and worshipping Nebuchadnezzar’s idol, or being
thrown into a fiery furnace.
(Daniel
3:17–18 NKJV) —17 If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to
deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from
your hand, O king. 18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve
your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”
They took a stand whether God delivered them or not.
I think it also speaks to the kinds of pain that God allows into our lives.
Sometimes it’s through being hard-pressed that others see Jesus in us.
Paul wrote,
(2
Corinthians 4:7–12 NKJV) —7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels,
that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 8 We are
hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not
in despair; 9 persecuted,
but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—10 always carrying about in the body
the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in
our body. 11 For we who
live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also
may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death is working in us, but life in you.
Paul saw the pain in his life as being useful to God for
the sake of others.
We’re like clay pots that have light in them, and unless
the pots are broken, people don’t see the light.
If you love your “soul” more than Jesus, you are not going to be very
effective, because you will run from every hint of pain.
But if you’re a person willing to take up things that cause
you pain, then you’re a person who will reach out to people that others might
not want to touch.
We see Jesus doing this all the time.
Video: Ben-Hur
– Meeting Jesus
Jesus is looking for people who will endure pain to be His
hands in reaching out to this world.
Part of the pain in Paul’s life
seems to have involved some sort of physical illness. He wrote,
(2 Corinthians 12:7–10 NKJV) —7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of
the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to
buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it
might depart from me. 9 And He
said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in
weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast
in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in
needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak,
then I am strong.
We are all going to experience pain and unpleasantness in our lives. The issue to Jesus is, are you going to quit?
It’s important when we are facing difficult times, that we don’t quit.
(Hebrews 12:1–3
NKJV) —1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us,
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto
Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was
set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the
right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against
Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.
If Jesus is first place in your life, your eyes will be on
Him, and you will find you can endure the pain and the shame.
Lesson
More than pain (consequences)
We have this idea of the “cross”
being simply some kind of symbol of Christianity. But as Jesus was speaking
this to His disciples, this wasn’t what was in their minds. A cross was the
cruelest punishment for the world’s vilest offenders. Jesus was aware that His
message was going to offend people and bring responses such as torture and
death. This is exactly what happened to His disciples.
We might say in our culture, “whosoever
does not bear his electric chair …”
From Fox's Book of Martyrs:
(pg.6-7) – Persecution of Emperor Domitian –
“Among the numerous martyrs that
suffered during this persecution was Simeon, bishop of Jerusalem, who was
crucified; and St. John, who was boiled in oil, and afterward banished to
Patmos. Flavis, the daughter of a Roman senator, was
likewise banished to Pontus; and a law was made, “That no Christian, once
brought before the tribunal, should be exempted from punishment without
renouncing his religion.””
“Timothy was the celebrated
disciple of St. Paul, and bishop of Ephesus, where he zealously governed the
Church until A.D. 97. At this period, as the pagans were about to celebrate a
feast called Catagogion, Timothy, meeting the
procession, severely reproved them for their ridiculous idolatry, which so
exasperated the people that they fell upon him with their clubs, and beat him
in so dreadful a manner that he expired of the bruises two days after.”
Lesson
Take Jesus seriously
What Jesus says is in the face of
having lots of people follow Him. Jesus doesn’t just want lots of people
following Him, He wants people who are willing to be disciples.
I think we need to be careful when
we talk about Jesus to others. Sometimes
our hearts are so concerned that this person is saved, that we can tend to
water down the gospel and sugar coat it instead clarifying what a person is choosing
to do.
:28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first
and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—
:28 intending to build a tower
intending – thelo – to will, have in mind, intend; to be
resolved or determined, to purpose; to desire, to wish
tower – purgos – a tower;
a fortified structure rising to a considerable height, to repel a hostile
attack or to enable a watchman to see in every direction
Jesus is now going to give an example of what the commitment of
discipleship is all about by comparing it to someone who is deciding whether or
not to start a building project.
:28 sit down first and count the cost
sit down – kathizo – to make
to sit down; to sit down
count – psephizo – to
count with pebbles, to compute, calculate, reckon; to give one’s vote by
casting a pebble into the urn; to decide by voting
the cost – dapane – expense,
cost
to finish – apartismos –
completion
Following Jesus successfully requires that you examine what the cost will
be to follow Him, and be willing to do whatever it takes.
Some of us struggle with following Jesus because we are unwilling to love
Jesus more than our “selves” and our own comfort.
I am more concerned about making sure my own “needs” are met and then I
will give Jesus just a bit of the leftovers.
:29 lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all
who see it begin to mock him,
is not able – ischuo – to be
strong; to be strong in body, to be robust, to be in sound health; to have
power; to be able, can
to finish – ekteleo – to
finish, complete
:30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’
:29 all who see it begin to mock him
who
see – theoreo – to be a
spectator, look at, behold; to view attentively, take a view of, survey; to see
to
mock – empaizo – to play
with, trifle with; to mock; from paizo – to play like a child; to play, sport, jest; to give way to
hilarity, esp. by joking singing, dancing
Lesson
People are watching
There are people that are observing you, knowing that you are a
Christian. They are watching to see if
it’s just “another phase” you’re going through.
:30 was not able to finish
It’s a sad thing to see a building project that has started but sits
unfinished.
This kind of thing will happen when the things discussed in verses 26 &
27 aren’t followed. (“Jesus first”, “Enduring pain”)
When you aren’t willing to love Jesus more than any other person or your
own life, you will find that you will run out of resources and want to quit.
Every once in a while, I hear someone say, “Well I tried that Christian
thing, and it didn’t work for me.”
This is the person who was “not able to finish”.
This is the person who did not do what Jesus asked, and be willing to make
Him first in their life.
:31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down
first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes
against him with twenty thousand?
to make – sumballo – to
throw together, to bring together; to bring together in one’s mind, confer with
one’s self; to encounter in a hostile sense; to fight with one
war – polemos – a war; a
fight, a battle; a dispute, strife, quarrel
:31 sit down first and consider
Just like the builder, the king also “sits down” and makes his calculations
before he makes his declaration of war.
sit
down– kathizo – to make to sit down; to sit down
In both of Jesus’ examples, the
person making the decision “sits down” and considers what he is about to do.
It is a wise thing to stop and slow
down before you make big decisions.
consider – bouleuo – to deliberate with one’s self,
consider; to take counsel, resolve
This is what President Bush did
before invading Afghanistan and Iraq – remember him meeting with his advisors
and representatives of other coalition governments?
:32 Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a
delegation and asks conditions of peace.
a great way off – porrho – far, at a
distance, a great way off
delegation – presbeia – age,
dignity, right of the first-born; the business normally entrusted to elders,
spec. the office of an ambassador, an embassy
sends – apostello – to
order (one) to go to a place appointed; to send away, dismiss
asks – erotao – to
question; to ask; to request, entreat, beg, beseech
:31 whether he is able with ten
thousand
is able – dunatos – able,
powerful, mighty, strong
to meet – apantao – to go to
meet, to meet; in a military sense: a hostile meeting
I like the idea that a king is
considering whether or not to face an enemy twice his size.
I think there are going to be times
when God would want us to make choices and take steps that are way beyond our
abilities.
Yet only after sitting down and
considering what’s up ahead.
:32 he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace
A wise king will be willing to sacrifice his vision of battle victory if it
means saving his kingdom.
Following Jesus requires learning to sacrifice our hopes and desires for
the sake of His kingdom.
:33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be
My disciple.
forsake – apotassomai – to
set apart, separate; to separate one’s self, withdraw one’s self from anyone;
to take leave of, bid farewell to; to renounce, forsake
that he has – huparchonta –
possessions, goods, wealth, property
cannot – dunamai – to be
able, have power whether by virtue of one’s own ability and resources, or of a
state of mind, or through favourable circumstances,
or by permission of law or custom; to be able to do something; to be capable,
strong and powerful
:33 So likewise
Go back to vs. 26-27.
The person who is unwilling to make Jesus a priority over his loved ones or
who is unwilling to bear the pain of the cross, is the one who will fail to
complete the tower or who will not survive the war ahead.
On the other hand, the person who IS willing to make Jesus first and endure
pain is the one who will be effective.
This is what will make you “stand out from the crowd”.
:34 “Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it
be seasoned?
:34 if the salt has lost its flavor
Our modern salt is completely pure salt and it does not lose its flavor.
Salt in Jesus’ day was impure, and if it got mixed with too much dirt, it
had no flavor at all.
lost its flavor – moraino – to be
foolish, to act foolishly; to make foolish; to prove a person or a thing
foolish; to make flat and tasteless; of salt that has lost its strength and flavour
shall it be seasoned – artuo – to
prepare, arrange, with respect to food; to season, make savory
(Luke
14:34 NASB) "Therefore,
salt is good; but if even salt has become tasteless, with what will it be
seasoned?
:35 It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men
throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
land – ge – arable land;
the ground, the earth as a standing place; the earth as a whole
the dunghill – kopria – dung,
manure
fit – euthetos – well
placed; fit; useful
:34 Salt is good
good – kalos – beautiful,
handsome, excellent, eminent, choice, surpassing, precious, useful, suitable,
commendable, admirable
salt – halas – salt with
which food is seasoned and sacrifices are sprinkled
Lesson
Effective Disciples
While my cardiologist doesn’t want me to think that any salt is “good”,
today we’re going to ignore my doctor.
Salt is a flavor enhancer – it makes things taste good.
As Christians, we ought to make the things of God “taste good”.
Kind of like those videos that some of you keep posting on FaceBook…
Video: Chicken Parmesan-stuffed
Garlic Bread
You and I ought to be making the Kingdom of God “tasty”.
Salt is a preservative.
The world around us stinks, but as Christians we add a preserving quality
in the world. We are what is keeping the
world from totally spoiling.
Salt makes you thirsty
As Christians, we ought to make people thirsty for the things of God,
thirsty for the Living Water.
Illustration
Howard Hendricks writes,
I dare you to eat one pretzel. All I have to do is to pick
up one of those things, and I’m hooked. The salt in that pretzel creates a
desire for more.
He goes on to write,
A number of years ago, when I was a student at the
seminary, I was invited to preach in west Texas. You’ve all heard of Nowhere?
Well, this was twenty-five miles beyond that. The teeming crowds were
gathering—all seventeen of them. (I think it was Rally Day!) I preached with
all of the fervor and passion of my heart. When I got through, this tall Texan
came up and said, “You were wrong.”
“Well, sir,” I said, “I’ve been wrong on many occasions.
Give me the information.”
He said, “In your sermon you made a moronic statement. You
said you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. And that ain’t true, ‘cause
you can feed him salt.”
-- Howard Hendricks,
"Beyond the Bottom Line," Preaching Today, Tape No. 101.
Keep in mind our context of what it takes to be a disciple.
If we are to be useful salt in this world, it will never come unless Jesus
is first in our life and you are willing to endure the pain.
If you want those you know to taste and see that God is
good, Jesus must be first in your life.
If you want to be a preservative in the world around you, you
need to be willing to endure pain.
If you want those around you to become thirsty for Jesus, you
need to be an effective disciple.
Lesson
Successful Discipleship
(Proverbs 24:10 NKJV) If you faint in the day of adversity, Your
strength is small.
I don’t like this verse. But it’s true. When I’m going through difficult times and I
faint or want to faint, my strength is small. Solomon doesn’t tell us how to have more
strength, he simply states the fact.
Our success as disciples comes from
the nature of our commitment to Jesus.
When I allow my love for other
people to grow greater than my love for Jesus, when I become more concerned
about what others will think than what Jesus thinks, I’m going to fail.
When I allow myself to be more
concerned about my own “feelings” than serving Jesus, I’m going to fail.
The apostle Paul was one of the
greatest examples for us to follow. At one point in his ministry, he began to
receive warnings through the prophets that he was going to be arrested in
Jerusalem. Many people told him that he shouldn’t go to Jerusalem, but Paul
knew that Jesus wanted him to go. Paul said,
(Acts 20:22–24 NKJV) —22 And see,
now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will
happen to me there, 23 except
that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and
tribulations await me. 24 But none
of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may
finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus,
to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
For Paul, his
“cross” at that moment was the bonds and afflictions that were ahead. Yet knowing
these things were ahead did not stop him from doing his ministry. These things did not “move” him. Paul had the strength to keep going because
his commitment stayed strong.
Wild eyed fanatics –
Illustration
Towards the end of
World War II, the Japanese began a desperate attempt to stop the United States
Navy.
Kamikaze is the Japanese word for “divine wind.” And
divine the wind was in 1281 -- never was a typhoon more God-sent, if one were
Japanese. The typhoon crushed the invasion fleet mounted by the ambitious
Mongol emperor Kublai Khan (Marco Poli Kublai) in the
wake of his conquest of China’s Sung dynasty. To take the wind out of the sails
of the United States naval juggernaut, the retreating Japanese organized their
own kamikaze — a suicide air force. Navy pilots slammed their bomb-laden
planes—and themselves—into American ships in the Pacific. Twelve hundred pilots
killed themselves taking out thirty four U.S. ships.
(Beyond Trivia)
Illustration
We now know
another taste of what men can do who are willing to give up their lives for
their cause. Nineteen terrorists were
willing to spend years training and burrowing into America. They were willing to give up their lives for
their cause as they hijacked and flew the commercial airliners into their
targets. I’ve heard numerous people on
TV comment that the fact that these men are willing to die for their cause
makes it so much more difficult to stop them.
It is incredibly
sad that these men were willing to die for a cause that is based on hate.
Jesus desires that
we be willing to die for a cause that is based on love.