Judges 7:21
NIV – “While each man held his position around the camp.“
NLT – “Each man stood at his position.”
Key Thought: Each person in their place is necessary to obtain victory.
1) RESOLVE (DETERMINATION) “stood”
God’s people must learn to take a stand for truth and for what is right.
- Where there is injustice—we must stand!
- As biblical truth is pushed farther and farther to the margins of our culture—we must stand!
- Where anger and hatred and murder run rampant—we must stand with mercy and love and compassion.
- Where society endeavors to press its sin and wickedness and idolatry into the fabric of our lives—we must stand!
Eph. 6:13-14
Church, the battles you are facing in your personal life and the battles in our country demand that we act with purpose and resolve.
2) RESPONSIBILITY “every man (everyone)”
One person out of place weakens the whole.
Are you standing, each one in their place?
In just the last year[i],
- Over 360 million Christians living in places where they experience high levels of persecution and discrimination
- 5,898 Christians killed for their faith
- 5,110 churches and other Christian buildings attacked
- 4,765 believers detained without trial, arrested, sentenced or imprisoned
- Top 5 Countries for persecution of Christians: Afghanistan, N. Korea, Somalia, Libya, Yemen
Brothers and sisters, we have a responsibility to care for them and to pray for them. We must take a stand and we must bear our responsibility!
Cain asked with the cocky indifference of the unconcerned, “Am I my brother's keeper?” Of course, the answer is “Yes. Yes, you are your brother’s keeper!”
And Hebrews 13:3 exhorts us: “Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.”
NLT – “Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself.”
John Chau accepted his responsibility and joyfully surrendered his life to bring the redemptive message of God to the Sentinelese.
3) READINESS “in place”
You can’t be “ready” if you are off doing your own thing. You must be where God wants you. You must be in your place.
Oswald Chambers reminds us: “Jesus takes us over for His enterprises, His building schemes entirely, and no soul has any right to claim where he shall be put.” My Utmost (May 7)
- Let’s be ready for the Master’s use.
- Let’s be alert and watching and dialed in to Heaven’s frequency.
- Let’s be available for His placement in His timing.
- For one day, every kindred will gather at His feet.
- One day, every tongue will sing of His worth.
- One day, every people will declare His majesty.
- And one day, those from every nation will sing in triumph: “Hallelujah! For the Lord God omnipotent reigns. King of kings and Lord of lords, and He shall reign forever and ever!”
Phil Wickham sings:
And on that day, we join the resurrection
And stand beside the heroes of the faith
With one voice, a thousand generations
Sing, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain"
So let it be today we shout the hymn of Heaven
With angels and the saints, we raise a mighty roar
Glory to our God who gave us life beyond the grave
Holy, holy is the Lord
[i] https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/ 2022 World Watch List reporting period
