Remember the Sacrifice

Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. — John 15:13–14

Looking out across the rolling wooded acres of Arlington National Cemetery, with its hundreds of thousands of white stones in perfectly ordered rows, brings an assortment of emotions that are impossible to escape. Sadness. Desolation. Pride of country. Anger over so many lost young lives. The stones represent tremendous loss as well as the gift of freedom we are able to enjoy.

Arlington National Cemetery is a United States military cemetery located across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., in Arlington County, Virginia. Within its 624 acres, over four hundred thousand active-duty service members, veterans, and their families have been buried. In addition to the military heroes, Arlington is also the final resting place for a select number of presidents, astronauts, senators, and Supreme Court justices. Founded during the dark days of the Civil War, the cemetery now contains the remains of military personnel from every American war — from the Revolution to Iraq and Afghanistan.

But what about those of us who have never been called upon to lay down our lives in battle? Is the whole concept of “sacrifice” something for others and not for us? No! The Lord Jesus Christ calls each of His followers to a life of sacrifice, for His sake. The apostle Paul wrote,

Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. — Ephesians 5:1–2

Sacrifice isn’t just some dramatic final act of heroism. Sacrifice is also laying down our privileges, benefits, and pleasures for the good of someone else. The book of Hebrews says,

Do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. — Hebrews 13:16

We may yet be called on to give up our lives on earth for the sake of another. But in the meantime, Jesus calls us to daily follow Him by giving more attention, care, love, time, and help to others than we give to ourselves.

Lord Jesus, sometimes my sacrifices seem so small, so insignificant, compared with those who have given so very much. But my goal today is to follow You with all my heart, being ready to set aside my own plans and pleasures whenever You call me to.

Sacrifice is a daily determination to put the needs of others before our own.

Remember Pearl Harbor

I’ve had a lot of pastors and church staff members ask me, “How can we do a better job of developing volunteer leadership?”

Well, let me answer that question with a question.

Do you remember Pearl Harbor? The surprise attack on the U.S. Navy base in Hawaii that took the lives of over 2,400 Americans and incited the United States to join World War II.

It happened on December 7, 1941 at 7:55am. Exactly 74 years ago today.

As soon as word spread that Pearl Harbor was struck, there was an immediate flood of navy yard workers who volunteered to relocate to Pearl Harbor. See the pic below...

In addition, tons of men felt inspired to volunteer for military service when they got word of the attack.

Even today, the volunteerism continues.

There’s a Pacific Aviation Museum in Pearl Harbor that pays honor to those who lost their lives at Pearl Harbor.

It’s ran by volunteers.

The USS Arizona Memorial gives historical information about the attack. It, too, honors those who lost their lives. Over two million people visit it annually.

It’s maintained primarily by volunteers.

So what's the secret? The event of the attack on Pearl Harbor turned pacifists into card carrying, gun-toting GI's. It was that "Day which will live in infamy", as FDR called it, that motivated everyone to get behind a war effort which the United States desired to remain neutral. But when you're attacked? Neutrality goes out the window. When your back is against the wall? You've got to volunteer.

At oneChurch.tv, we have to remind everyone that we are in a war. Not a war of flesh and blood, as Paul writes in Ephesians 6:12. We are in a war in which the casualties are the folks who choose NOT to go to church. Of a people who think, "Go to Church? I am not a churched person? Why would I go to church?" 

We all work in communities or cities where, for the most part, people think that Church is for ChurchedPeople. They do. It’s true. In this community, people think that church is for churched people. The reason why unchurched people don’t go to church is because they believe church is for churched people. “Why would I go to church? Church is for churched people!’

But I don’t believe that. In fact, I believe you don’t believe that. But we live in a world that believes church is for churched people. That just drives me crazy. I know that church isn’t for churched people because that would mean Christianity is for churched people, which means that Jesus came for churched people and there wasn’t even a church when He came! We know that’s not what this is all about.

Unfortunately, (and you know who’s fault it is—its our fault) Unfortunately we live in a culture that believes that church is for churched people. And yet, we live in a country that people really do believe about God. People really do want to have a connection with God. The problem is not God, the problem has been the church. Yet I believe that church is the connection between people and God. The Body of Christ should be the equation of connecting people with God.

It drives me crazy that people want to connect with God, but because they have had such a bad experience in church, they just don’t want to go to church.

Every day, 125,274 people in Clarksville don't go to church anywhere. 88% of our community would rather stay home on Sunday because they don't believe that church has anything to offer. 

In our community and thousands of other communities all across America, there is a hunger for God, but the church gets in the way. And I would give the rest of my life to change that, because I love God and I love the church. Jesus said, “The way I’m going to get the world’s attention is that I am going to establish My church, and nothing is going to stop it.” But for some crazy reason, church history shows us over and over again how the church has gotten I the way of people connecting with God.

I believe that church should be the magnet that draws people to God—not an impediment. We ought to be irresistible.

I don’t want to play church. I don’t want to lead people around in a circle and keep people happy. Keep the pictures straight on the wall and argue over paint. I want to look back over this next year and se people’s lives changed. I am on a mission to get the church out of the margins of society, and to change the reputation of the local church. To make it irresistible, because Jesus was irresistible. If we’re His body, we should have the same magnetism. People should be able to walk in here on Sunday morning and say, “I don’t believe it. I don’t like it, but I’m coming back. I don’t agree with it. I didn’t even understand all of it, but I like those people. They are so weird, but they are the finest people I have ever been with. I felt more accepted by that group of people that I disagree with than I do feel accepted by the people I do agree with. There’s just something about them.” That is how Jesus was. That is why sinners liked to be around Him. They liked Him and yet they were nothing like Him.

That is our charge. Our mission. That is the bar. And where that doesn’t happen, we have to change it. And when we cast that vision? That people who are far from God can have a changed life? People can and will come out of the woodwork and do some amazing things... because they are willing to volunteer for a cause in which they believe.