The Battle In The Trenches – The Battle Buddy 

 

Accountability Part 2

 

Luke 17:1-6

 
[Today we begin our summer worship format - the auditorium is being used for the summer children's theater - so we move to the cafeteria and these round tables.  I know it may be a little unusual for you if you are relatively new to Gateway, but we've done this for a few summers now, and it has become a favorite time for many of us.  You will have a chance to get to know the people around the tables in a few minutes.]

I don’t know if we actually think about it very often in these terms, but did you realize that we have now been involved in the war in Iraq longer then we were engaged in World War 2?  That is just remarkable to me.  When you think about the history of our nation over the last 60 years, it has really been an almost ceaseless string of conflicts – some of which we recognize as wars – World War 2, Korea, Viet Nam, Desert Storm, and the current War Against Terrorism.  Other conflicts we have faced have kind of slipped under the radar screen – Indo China, Cuba, Grenada, Panama, Somalia, and Bosnia.  These smaller conflicts seemingly “fill the gaps” between the larger conflicts that we remember – but they produce casualties and death for the families involved just as real as those involved in the “big wars.”  When taken together, they form an almost endless string of conflict throughout our lifetime, and, truth be told, the string of conflict runs nearly unbroken throughout the history of humanity.

While that is not too hard for most of us to believe, there is a never-ending spiritual war that every one of us is involved in from the day we are born until the day we die that many of us are oblivious to.  It rages all around us.  The enemy of our souls, Satan, wants to destroy us.  He hates God, and his hatred of God has caused him to want to destroy the object of God’s love – you and me.  He will do all he can to blind us to God’s love, and keep us distant from God.  He will lie and deceive.  He will load us with guilt and discouragement.  On one hand he might fill our heads with a belief that we are too bad for God to love and forgive.  On the other hand he might try to convince us that we’re not so bad, and God will certainly let us into his kingdom – after all, we’re no worse than our neighbor, and God is love, so we’re OK! 

  Both are lies.  The truth is that no one is so bad that God is not willing to forgive them.  Conversely, no one is so good that they don’t need God’s forgiveness.  Jesus died for the pretty good, and the very bad – and both need to believe in Him and ask Him to forgive them and accept his free gift of love.  This week, here in Mayville, we gave out $1000 in free gas to 100 drivers.  When we gave them their free gas, some asked why we were doing it.  I loved the answer Dick Meckelburg gave – “This gas is free – just like God’s gift of salvation.” 

Now, you may not believe it, but there were some people who drove up to the station and put gas in their cars while we were pumping free gas 15 feet away, and they did not take advantage of it.  Some didn't know what was going on - in their ignorance they missed out on a free gift.  Some were suspicious - they assumed that nothing is really free (especially from a church!) - there must be some strings attached - so they refused.  Others probably still think that Gateway is that "cult on Main street," and didn't do it out of fear.  Those same reasons are the reasons why some people never accept the free gift of God for salvation – ignorance, suspicion and fear.

But let's say that, by the grace of God, you hear about His free gift and you respond to it.   Now, I'm not talking about getting baptized, or getting confirmed, or becoming a member of a church – that’s “religion.” I'm talking about you, personally, realizing that you are hopelessly lost and need God in your life, and you in your inner-most being, call out to God and ask Him to forgive you for all the junk you've done.  You ask Him to give you His gift of eternal life through Jesus and to be your sovereign, your Lord - do you know what I'm talking about?  

Yeah?  Good - now follow me here - so by God's grace, you've accepted God's gift of eternal life through Jesus - then Satan's defeated, right?  He's lost the battle.  He wants to take you to hell, and now you are a child of God - so Satan has lost the war - right?  Not exactly.  You see, it's true that he can't have you any more - you are a child of God - but he's no fool - he knows that YOU came to God because someone told you about God's free gift - so if he wants to keep as many people as possible in the dark about God's gift, he's going to do all he can to keep you from telling anyone else!  If you are a believer in Jesus, Satan is going to work overtime to keep you defeated, discouraged and disconnected.

Remember on May 1, 2003, when President Bush landed on the USS Abraham Lincoln and declared that the war in Iraq was over?  It was a little premature, wasn't it?  You see, we had won the primary mission - got rid of the dictator - but the real battle was just beginning  - the on going battle to wear down the US troops.  It's the same spiritually - God has won the primary mission - He has saved your soul - but the battle just begins - because Satan wants to wear you down - he can't take away your citizenship in heaven, but he can try to keep you ineffective until you die.  This is the nature of the battle in the trenches.

Turn in your Bibles to Luke chapter 17. 

Last week we talked about the fact that the battle in the trenches requires that each of us have a battle buddy - someone who has our back - who will help us up when we fall, who will defend us when we are under attack, and who will encourage us when we are feeling overwhelmed.  YOU NEED A BATTLE BUDDY!  You need that person who will be by your side through the spiritual attacks and will help to keep you battle ready.  Today we're going to shift gears a little and talk about HOW TO BE A BATTLE BUDDY.  We all need a battle buddy, and we all need to be a battle buddy - so how do we do that?

Let me read to you these words from Jesus in Luke 17:1-6, (they are also printed on the discussion sheets that you will find on your tables).

1 Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. 2 It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. 3 So watch yourselves. "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. 4 If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him." 5 The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" 6 He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you.

Using the discussion questions on the sheet at your table, I would like you to take the next 5 minutes to discuss this passage among yourselves.

Discussion questions:  [Assign specific questions to specific tables...]

1.  Jesus said, "things that cause people to sin are bound to come."  The trials and temptations of life are unavoidable, a part of every life.  How does it make you feel to realize that Jesus understands the reality of our situation?

 2.  In light of the trials and temptations that we all face, Jesus gives three instructions:

    a.  Watch yourselves.  Don't be the cause of another persons sin.  (Verses 1-3a)  What are some ways we can cause someone to sin?

    b.  Correct those who sin.  How can we correct a Jesus follower who fails?  How do we often react?  What should our reaction be? 

    c.  Forgive them.  When a brother sins, and realizes it, and is sorry, we are to forgive them.  What is the nature of this forgiveness?  How does it compare to our typical behavior? 

[After 5 minutes of discussion among the tables, call everyone back to order, and discuss their findings as a group...}  

Question 1:  It is comforting to know that Jesus understands the reality of our existence - we all face trials and temptations, we will all slip up from time to time - it's not a question of if we will fall, but when.  But Jesus teaching here is not about the fact that we will fall, but how we are react when our friend falls...

Question 2a:  By being a bad example, by being judgmental, by encouraging bad behavior, by immodest dress, language, behavior, etc.

Question 2b:  The Bible tells us to "correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction." (2 Timothy 4:2) 

"Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted." (Galatians 6:1) - A very similar verse to our text.  Such correcting should be done privately and lovingly, "speaking the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15)  We correct because we are not allowed to have an "anything goes" attitude - there is an expected pattern of behavior as a child or God - we don't compromise that - but we correct in love and understanding.

Question 2c:  Forgiveness - We are to forgive - no matter how many times the person wrongs us - we are to forgive them and love them.  Forgiveness is not a cheap exchange of words - it is not a flippant "I'm sorry" to each other.  True forgiveness involves pain - someone has been hurt, and there is a price to pay to heal the wound.  Forgiveness does not ignore the pain, or forget the wound - it is impossible to "forgive and forget."  Instead forgiveness remembers the wound but is an act of the will that says, "I choose to not hold this wound against you."
  

No wonder the disciples responded with “Lord, increase our faith!” This type of behavior is a matter of faith – it is impossible in our flesh! This is a spiritual matter – it is requires divine power.

So what does this instruction from Jesus teach us about "How to be a Battle Buddy"?  First, it teaches us that the reason we need to have, and be a Battle Buddy is because we are all going to mess up some time.  Each one of us is going to fall - it is part of the human condition.  Sooner or later, I am going to have a moral failure, or a lapse in judgment, or face a trial that causes me to struggle.  When I do, I need a brother by my side to come along and wrap an arm around me, and get me on my feet and help me get back on track.

Secondly, this verse teaches me that as a Battle Buddy, I need to (1) be careful that I am not the cause of my brothers failure, (2) be willing to set him straight when he fails, and (3) not abandon him when he fails. 

You know what?  If the Church - and by that I mean this church, and the church around the world - if the Church would live by this single teaching of Jesus, we would have no problem filling this room to overflowing - we would not be able to build facilities big enough to contain all the people who would run to a place that was that supportive, that loving, that forgiving and that uncompromising.  I pray that God will make Gateway Community Church such a church - that you and I will be this kind of Battle Buddy to one another, and that we will have a love and acceptance and commitment to the Lord that will be a magnet to this community - and will draw people to Christ.

If every church in Dodge County were filled to capacity twice every weekend - we would only reach 17% of the population.  There are tens of thousands of people all around us who are looking for this kind of refuge in the Battle in the Trenches.  Let's allow ourselves to be that refuge - let's commit to being this type of church - this type of Battle Buddy to each other and to those who do not even know we exist.

Prayer