They will know by our love (Part 1)

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ I did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”

Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.” John 1:29-34 (NIV)

This year, on July 4, we celebrated America’s two hundred and forty-third birthday. Did we whisper a prayer or perhaps even shout out a THANK YOU to our forefathers and foremothers who fought for our freedom during the Revolutionary War?

If you attended church this past Sunday, you probably didn’t have to worry about being attacked. We don’t have to hide the fact that we are Christians. We are blessed to live in a democracy, have the privilege of voting to choose our governing officials, and the freedom to gather in church and worship our Lord.

It took grit, determination, and sacrifice by many men and women to give us that freedom 243 years ago. And it takes grit, determination, and sacrifice for us to keep that freedom here at home and worldwide as we support our allies.

Several weeks ago, Farmer Bob and I watched a segment on 60 Minutes about a Jewish man whose family immigrated to the United States prior to World War II. Benjamin Berrell Ferencz was at Harvard University when Pearl Harbor was bombed, and like many others, he immediately felt an obligation to serve his new country. His family had already experienced persecution in Romania because of their Jewish heritage, but had found safety and justice in the United States. He wanted to honor his new country, America, by fighting for freedom and justice in Europe and to protect those here at home. Mr. Ferencz wanted to be a fighter pilot, but was turned down because he was too short—they said he couldn’t reach the pedals to pilot a plane. He tried to join the marines, but was denied because he was too little. He finished his law degree, joined the army, and was soon in Europe.

Following the war, since he was an attorney, Ferencz was asked by the army to participate in the Nuremberg Trials. If you’ve forgotten some of your history, these trials were held between 1945 and 1949 and focused on bringing the perpetrators of war crimes to justice. These atrocities weren’t the typical casualties of war—these crimes were terrible experiments on people, torture, murder, and mass execution of men, women, and children. Included in these trials were German officers and soldiers that were responsible for murdering millions of Jews, gypsies, and any people that Adolf Hitler deemed unworthy.

At the opening of this news story, Mr. Ferencz was introduced as the last surviving prosecutor of the Nuremberg trials. We saw this tiny little man swimming, doing push-ups, and exercising with weights. Then we saw him in a suit, carrying a briefcase, and walking briskly to work.

Mr. Ferencz is 99 years old and still working.

What he’s working for now is peace—peace throughout the world. This man experienced persecution because he was a Jew, witnessed the liberation of Nazi death camps, and, in his very first appearance as a prosecutor, at age 27, came face to face with those who carried out horrible crimes against humanity during World War II.

Leslie Stahl was the lead interviewer of Mr. Ferencz. At the end of the segment she asked, “Were you glad to see these monsters brought to justice?” (referring to those convicted and sentenced for their participation in war crimes).

His answer surprised Leslie Stahl and me, too. Mr. Ferencz replied:

They weren’t monsters. They were patriots, following orders from the leaders of their country.” And, then he said, “War makes people do bad things that in normal circumstances, they wouldn’t do.”

That’s what has driven Mr. Ferencz to dedicate his life to seeking world peace.

This tiny little man was persistent and dedicated in pursuing justice for those murdered victims at the hands of Nazi Germany. He’s been persistent and dedicated in pursuing peace since. He says…

War isn’t the answer.

Back at the beginning of my message, I mentioned that we can worship our God openly, without danger. For the most part, that is true. But, we all probably agree that Christianity is being threatened. Of course, that’s nothing new. Christians have been persecuted since the founding of our faith following the death of Christ. But, for us, we’ve noticed new attacks on Christianity—churches being burned, the push to remove Christian symbols or statues from public places, and attacks on Christians through social media. We’re even being urged to say “Happy Holidays” instead of Merry Christmas.

So how do we combat those threats to Christianity? Do we go to war? Ephesians 6:11 tells us: Put on the full armor of God so that you may take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

That sounds like war doesn’t it? Should we fight with everyone that’s not a Christian? Attack everyone that doesn’t agree with us? Force them to be like us?

Let’s look further at what the Bible tell us about this “armor of God”: Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of righteousness in place, and your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:13-17)

So when attacked by evil, our response is that we are to be righteous, focus on the gospel of peace, have faith, recognize our salvation, and be in the word of God.

Doesn’t sound like we’re supposed to go to war of to kill those who don’t agree with us.

So, how are we to defend and protect Christianity? How are we to help those who don’t believe find their way to Christ? How are we to be persistent and faithful in spreading the love of Jesus to others?

The scripture I’ve listed at the beginning has the answer, I think. John the Baptist said, “Look the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29b).

The Jewish people had expected a warrior, a leader that would fight Rome and free the Jewish people. But, that’s not what happened.

They got a lamb.

Lambs are not often recognized as being ferocious fighters, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t brave or determined. And, consider–what strength and courage it must have taken for Jesus to go to the cross.

Jesus spread His message through persistence, hard work, and perhaps, most importantly, through love.

He is the Lamb of God with a capital L. He loved us so much that He sacrificed His life for our sins. We aren’t called to that ultimate sacrifice, but we are called to give ourselves completely to Him. We’re called to put our service to Him ahead of our own selfish desires.

That’s very much what our ancestors did when they sacrificed of themselves to gain our freedom from England. Our soldiers have freely given of themselves in many wars since to protect us. That’s what members of our own families and communities have done to protect freedom for us and others around the world.

But, back to my question—what can we do to protect Christianity? How can we share Christian love? One way is to show people what it means to be a Christian. What are some ways we can do that? What are some things you do every day that show your Christian love for others?

Next week in Part 2, I’ll share some traits and characteristics that Jesus exemplified that can help us find the answer as to how we can love as Jesus does.