Sermon: A Band of Christian Brothers

#1854B

Given 10-Jan-26; 35 minutes



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summary: Amid daily trials, temptations, and pressures to compromise, God's chosen saints are called to recognize that Christian life is a spiritual battlefield where faith, obedience, and discipline are essential for survival and victory. Drawing on the example of the Band of Brothers, we learn that just as soldiers are forged through hardship, discipline, and mutual dependence, God's chosen saints are similarly trained through prayer, study, obedience, and suffering to endure spiritual warfare against Satan, the world, and human nature. Scripture repeatedly affirms that we do not fight alone: Christ is our commander, God supplies spiritual armor, and His church is a united band of brothers bound by the Spirit, called to stand firm together in faith, love, and unity. Though the path occasionally involves hardship and comfort, God promises strength, encouragement, and ultimate victory to those who remain steadfast, disciplined, and faithful to the end.

transcript:
Oftentimes in our song service we sing one particular song. Uh, Onward Christian soldiers. It's on page 126. That first verse says, Onward Christian soldiers. Marching us to war. With the word of Jesus going on before Christ, the royal master leads against the foe, forward into battle, see his banner go. Now this is a song that we sing with a lot of gusto. But do we really think about what it means for you and me? When we hear the word soldier. We often think about uniforms, battles. We think about discipline, courage. Military strength and every day we are bombarded with battles and wars around the world. And on TV we see movies and TV shows constantly. Of men fighting. But do you think of yourself as a soldier? Being a Christian soldier does not mean being harsh or aggressive. We are not fighting a war. With a traditional weapon. Or against people. A Christian soldier is engaged in a spiritual warfare. And that is to reach a goal, the kingdom of heaven. And each soldier must have a singleness of mind and purpose to reach that. This means to be disciplined in study and prayer. To be courageous in all that is. Being courageous and doing right in all that we do and loyal to Jesus Christ, even when it is difficult. Every day We face challenges. To our faith, trials, temptations, fear, distractions. And pressure to compromise. God has called us to follow Him. And to put on a special spiritual armor. And trust him in this battle. Now, the New Testament is replete with admonitions of, of fighting and struggling to earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered. Throughout Paul's epistles, oftentimes he uses war, battles, and the church as soldiers. For a very good reason And that's because at the core of a military profession, Is discipline. And the essence of discipline is obedience. And one of the most important part of being a disciple of Jesus Christ. Is being disciplined. Now, discipline does not come to us naturally. It is something that we have to work for. Soldiers build a boot camp. Why? Well, starting out, they have to learn discipline. Because they can be trained. And brother, we are being trained through God's Holy Spirit. True. Our services, our prayers, and our study. That we can learn discipline and obedience. Because some days, someday, Our lives will depend on it even more. Now we are in a spiritual battle with Satan the devil. The world and with our own human nature. There is a book That that I've read and then, and listened to. And it's, it was also turned into a mini-series, it's called The Band of Brothers. In 1992, the historian Stephen Ambrose wrote the, the book. Titled Bander Brothers, and in 2001, HBO made a miniseries. Also called Band of Brothers, and again, it was based on Stephen Ambrose's book. And it's based on his research and recorded interviews with one particular company, E Company they are in the army or they are part of the paratroopers. This is a 10-part series which follows the grueling journey of E Company, of the the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment also known as Easy Company, which really is a Doesn't, doesn't fit at all. Uh, from their brutal training at Camp Tokoa, which is just over here in South Carolina to the freezing hell that they lived in, in Baston through, to the end of the the war, the European war there in in their Europe. In the miniseries, and in the book. It focuses on one particular group of men and and their leader Richard Dick Winters. He was the Easy Company, he was with Easy Company from the very beginning. He started out as a 2nd lieutenant and ended up as a major. You know, leading the whole group. And and then I had the opportunity to listen to his book, Beyond Band of Brothers, the War Memoirs of Dick Winters. And Through the book and the miniseries, it really dramatizes exactly what Easy Company went through. Again, through this brutal. Uh, training at this camp. And then the harrowing experiences of D-Day through to the Battle of Bastone. The Battle of the Bulge, and then even the liberation of a Nazi death camp and then through the end of the war there in Germany. From day one, They were learning. The core of the military profession, which is discipline. They learned that suffering was going to be a part of being a soldier. They learned That to survive would require discipline. They were being trained to endure. And how to handle suffering. Because their lives depended on it in battle, which is the same for us on a spiritual level. And through this series, we learned the untold stories of these men. Revealing their testament of endurance, courage, character. And the true cost of war. In fact, in during the Battle of the Bulge at Bathstone. That was the worst of it for them. They faced, they faced overwhelming odds, relentless shelling. And the devastating loss of comrades. They were in extreme cold. Yet, the temperatures actually dropped to 18 below at times. And so they were fighting an icy. Uh, snowy. Ground. The ground that they worked, that they were on was frozen hard, so it made it very difficult for them just to dig a foxhole. And one of the major threats for these men was frostbite. Lack of lack of food, they had difficulty supplying them. And because of all this, these men were surviving. Just on What they had in, the, the, the strength that they had them because they are all suffering from physical and mental and mental fatigue. But what kept them going? Well, first it was a bond forged in fire, a commitment to duty. And a single-mindedness. For it, for their mission. And these men, these soldiers were defined by their willingness to suffer and endure in the worst conditions. And through these interviews, you learned that they are also defined. By their commitment to the other soldiers. The man to their left and the man to their right. They understood the strengths and weaknesses. Of their brothers. They knew what the others would do in certain circumstances. And through all this, To the battle, to this. Fighting. And actually, again, going through hell. They learned to trust one another, especially their leader. And that is very important for us to consider. Cause as a band of Christian brother, brothers. There are times when we are going to face adversities. But we have Jesus Christ. He has called us. Not to a life of passionate comfort. We are called to be soldiers in his army. And it's not easy. Just as Easy Company endured the hardships of that European theater, we are called to endure the spiritual hardships of this world. And we are going to have times of hardship. There are going to be times of pain. Both physical and mental. There are going to be times when sorrows will lead to depression. Perhaps even bitterness. The trials we go through, whether or not they are brought on by Satan. Because Satan will use that opportunity regardless of where they come from. To separate us from Jesus Christ and our God. So no matter where the trials come from, It may not come from him That he will take advantage of them because he is our enemy. Satan the devil is our enemy. Please turn to I Peter chapter 5. There is quite a bit in the Bible about our enemy and being at war. Verse 8, the alert. And of sober mind, your enemy, the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him standing firm in the faith. Again, here, Peter. It's verifying that we have an enemy. And we are in the, in, in the middle of a spiritual battle. And he is telling us that we need to be inspired by God. To trust Him, to rely upon, have our faith in Him, that we might survive. Please turn to II Thessalonians chapter 2. Now I'm going to read this from the Phillips translation because it It's very really brings this out very clearly. So, II Thessalonians chapter 2 and verse 13. But we can thank God continually for you, brothers. whom the Lord loves. He has chosen you from the beginning to save you, to make you holy by the work of His Spirit. And now verse 15, Stand firm and hold on. Be loyal to the teachings we pass on to you, whether by word of mouth or by our writings. They our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father, who loved us. And, and, and giving us unending encouragement and unfailing hope by His grace. Inspire you with courage and confidence in every good thing you say or do. I was thinking this might be one of the most inspiring words I've ever read. To know that Jesus Christ. And our father has our back. And they love us. And they They have an unending. That's the one word that, that I find that amazing, unending. encouragement. And an unfailing hope for us. Brother, It takes work. It takes work to live up to God's standards. It requires a great deal of courage. But know that our leader, Jesus Christ, stands by our side, every bit of the way. Because we do not know what the future's going to hold for us. All we can do is stand firm and be prepared. And if we do, we will endure to the end. Please turn to Ephesians 6. Efficient 6. He provides tools for us for this war. Paul tells us here again that we are in the middle of a battle and we need to prepare for it, to recognize it, to understand it, and be ready for that war. And those battles that will come. Again, this is a very well-known scripture. Ephesians 6, start verse 10. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, and against spiritual host of wickedness. In the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand. Stand therefore, having Having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet. With the preparation of the gospel of peace, above all, taking the field, the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all of the fiery darts of the wicked one and take the helmet of salvation. And the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. Paul is working hard. To prepare us for that war. 4 times within there, he does talk about standing. Firm, stand against, withstand. He is telling us. That if we stand firm in Christ, Then Christ will be with us because we are standing up for Christ. And know only through Jesus Christ that we can defeat this enemy. And that's why he provides these resources for us. We cannot do it on our own. Again, this is a spiritual war. And so only through his strength and his power that we will overcome it. I'm going back to the song. Onward Christian soldiers. And in the second verse, it says, and I'm not going to sing it, by the way, I thought of it just, but I'm, I'm not going to do it. Like a mighty army moves the Church of God. Brothers, we are treading for the saints. Have trod. We are not divided, all one body, we, one in hope, one in doctrine. One in charity. Again, We are a band of Christian brothers. I started again, talking about this book, The Band of Brothers. The book Bender Brothers teaches us that they could not survive on their own. Easy company dependent on each other. In those talks, so, the men beside them. We're the same way. As a church of a band of brothers and sisters. Even though we are separated. By miles. And some are very isolated. I was thinking somewhere in Canada. South Africa, Trinidad. In Europe, and at times in the middle of the ocean. We have each other We can strengthen each other. That's why we have been called. To be a band of spiritual brothers. And just as we see men serving together. In war. We are a bond. We have a bond like no one else. We too, again, in the spiritual battle. Have to be bonded together. We We need to trust our God that He is going to lead us and direct us. In a way that No one else could And we have to trust. In love And be a part. Of our brethren. We can gain strength from each other. We have to have that bond. We have something that men do not, normal men do not have. Because we are bonded through the Spirit of God. How much closer How much better should our bonds be with one another? If we are willing to sacrifice for him. Now, I do not know how many times that Paul refers to the church members in the epistles, but I Googled and asked how many times the word brother or brethren was used in the old, in the New Testament. And it stated that they could not give me an exact number. It said it was in the hundreds. But it appears that the word brethren itself, by itself is nearly 200 times. And so, how many verses, so many verses. are focusing on our brotherhood. And that is because it is God that unifies. God unifies. He doesn't destroy But we are being changed from surviving as individuals. Into a band of brothers. In the church Not one person is an island. We are body knit together. Where each member We'll work it efficiently. Promoting growth. We have been called to build bonds of love. Bonds of unity. Not walls of separation or division. We are to be not just at one with our Father. And not just at one with Jesus Christ, but we are to be at one with each other. And Jesus Christ paid a high price. That we might have that bond. And so it is an honor. It's an honor to seek. That unity To seek unity with him. Turn to Philippians chapter one, please. Chapter one. I'm gonna, I'm going to read from the Phillips again. Chapter 1 verse 27. 22:30. But whatever happens, make sure that your everyday life is worthy of the gospel of Christ. So that whether I do come and see you or merely hear about you from a distance, I may know that you are standing fast in the, in a united spirit, battling with a single mind. For the faith of the gospel. Is there any doubt? What we need to be doing here. We are spiritual soldiers. And we are to be of one mind. And unified. In these verses It hit me that Paul is really pouring out his heart. To us, to stand fast. Because this war, again, it's not just physical. That is mental. And this life that we have is not easy. And maybe that's why Paul uses such strong language in here. Now, I want to read several verses. And you'll see. The love how God wants us to. Love each other. And build bonds With our brothers in arms first. Romans 12 and 1. Romans 12:1. I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And then in verse 10. And this commandment will have from him that he who loves God must love his brothers also. Galatians chapter 5. In verse 13. For you, brethren have been called to liberty. Only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love, serve one another. II Corinthians chapter 13. Verse 11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind. Live in peace, and the, and the God of love and peace will be with you. II Thessalonians chapter 1 and verse 3. We are bound To thank God always for you, brethren. As it is fitting because your faith grows exceedingly. And the love of every one of you all bounds toward each other. Just got a few more here. Probably shouldn't have so many, but I do. I Peter chapter 3, verse 8. Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another. Love as brothers, be tenderhearted. Be courteous. First John Chapter 3. Verse 16. By this, we know love because he laid down his life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for our brethren. Hebrews chapter 13. One be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love. In honor, giving preference to one another. I'm almost done. I Corinthians 15. Verse one. Therefore, brethren. Be even more diligent to make your call an election sure, for if, if, for if you do these things, you will never stumble. For so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of, of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and dropping down to verse 58. Therefore, my broth, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, be unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain. I wanted to read all these. Because His all the apostles that are, that wrote these. Or stressing how much. Our God wants us to be unified together as brethren, to love one another, to tear down those walls. Of animosity, separation. Because we are coming in the future, we are going to need each other. And we are going to have to rely upon each other. From the moment you all were baptized. We become brothers in arms in this spiritual conflict. God intends us to be a band of brothers, being encouraged together by the faith of God that He's building in us. And ready always to serve each other. Turn to 2 Timothy. Chapter 2 These are some of the first verses I actually read when I started on this. You know, um, Chapter II Timothy was the, the last book that Paul wrote. Uh, he was in chains in Rome just before his death. And so, he was trying to prepare Timothy to lead the people and prepare them for the warfare that was about to come. Paul was not just speaking to them, but he was speaking to us as well. In verse one, it says, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace. That is in Christ Jesus. That you must Verse 3 You therefore must endure hardship. As a good soldier. Of Christ Jesus. You know, contrary to Some of the modern views of religions. There is a lot more to it than just saying, I love God. It's a faith Being a Christian is a faith that does not come easily. And you can see the Bible clearly shows that the Christian life. is one of a spiritual battle. We are called to endure hardship. And not seek comfort. And then in verse 4, it says, not one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of his life, that he may please him who enlisted him. As a soldier. Our first responsibilities are to God. And to our commander, Jesus Christ. You're called to be soldiers in the army of God. Just as the men from Easy Company had to endure hardships. In the European theater. You are called to endure spiritual battles. and hardships of this world. There are going to be times of hardship and difficulties. There is going to be times of pain, both physical and mental as well. There are going to be times of sorrow that may even lead us to depression or perhaps even bitterness. The question is, Will we be faithful? To endure with patience. Will we endure? With a vision. Of the kingdom of God Well, we endure with the understanding about what's going on. And also to do it without complaining. We will endure these things. If we endure these things, we will reach our goal. Which is the glory of God or the kingdom of God. And in the process, we will glorify God. We each have different strengths and different weaknesses. But God wants us to stand together as one. And I guess as I said, There are many that are isolated. We are separated by many miles. But please know, you do not stand alone. We are with you. We're with you. Our sabor's with you. So, do not give up. No matter what trial you go through, no how hard. The difficulties become. Endure. I mentioned the book Beyond Band of Brothers War Memoirs of Dick Winters. And there is a line in here that says, in war. Great commanders lead soldiers into hell to do the impossible. That's exactly what Jesus Christ does with us. Isn't it? Those soldiers They were part of Easy Company would do anything. That their captain would ask of him. Why Because they knew that. He was going to suffer right along with them. How much more? Can we, how much more should we follow Jesus Christ anywhere? Remember Hebrews 5:8. Jesus Christ, and though he was the Son of God. He was willing to suffer. The verse says he learned obedience by the things which he suffered. There is no commander greater than Jesus Christ. He is the captain of our salvation. And we cannot ask for a better leader because he knows us better than we know ourselves. And then he knows what's best for us. He's never going to put us through more than we can handle. But he does call us to stand and to endure. And to to stand in the door with each other. Suffering does come through trials, especially when we face them together with our brethren, so we can grow, both individually and collectively. And I want to finish going back to I Peter one more time. In chapter 8. I'm going to read just a little bit more on this. First Peter Chapter 85, excuse me, and verse 8, I'm going to go through 11. Pierre says here, be sober, be vigilant. Because your adversary, the devil walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him. Steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace who called us to His eternal glory. By Jesus Christ. After all you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. We still have a lot to overcome. But we will make it through it. Everyone here will face trials. But that's exactly what God wants because that's how we grow. That's how we mature. That's how I become more like him. And then in verse 11, to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

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