Grab your Bibles, turn to the book of Joshua, and then get your fingers ready because we're going to be all over this morning.
Topics that affect us, topics we are living in and around.
We've talked about work. We've talked about homosexuality or sexuality.
We've talked about marriage and family.
And so this morning, the topic this morning is violence.
And it's one of those topics where you could just go in a hundred different directions on it.
I could preach about how violent our world is, or I could preach about how we should be pacifists.
Okay, not really, but that could come out.
I can talk about so many different things.
And I was surprised at where I was led in my studying this week.
Before we get to the book of Joshua,
there is reason to be concerned about our lives and how much we subject ourselves to violence.
We fill our brains with so much needless violence,
like video games and TV and movies,
that we have become numb to many types of violence.
For example, in Syria, since March of last year,
at least 17,000 people have died.
At least 17,000 people.
That's at least 100 people a month have died
during what the Red Cross is calling a civil war.
Refugees are fleeing the violence by thousands.
Now, there's a little bit of numbness there for me,
and I would imagine a lot of you in this room.
One, because, well, that's the other side of the world.
That doesn't really affect us.
That's kind of a bummer.
But two, because people dying, we see all the time.
We see it on a TV show.
We see it not just on primetime.
Kids watching TV shows where people are dying,
and it affects our lives.
People around the world are fleeing violence.
They're fleeing this danger.
But here in America, we're buying it up.
In 2010, Call of Duty Black Ops sold $360 million worth of video games
in the first 24 hours.
In less than a month, they sold over a billion dollars.
If you don't know what this game is,
it's a first-person shooter game.
You blow people's heads off.
You walk through, and it's war.
Well, we're playing these games.
At the movies this summer,
saw a trailer for a new video game coming out.
I think the new Call of Duty game coming out this fall.
It's all around us.
Big, big money.
And it's causing a numbness in us and in our future generations.
Next thing you know,
theater shootings will happen in Colorado
will happen on a more regular basis.
Now, you think that's kind of extreme,
but follow down the rabbit hole,
you see where you end up.
This numbness that we all have,
some level of numbness,
affects even our theology as we sit here this morning.
Affects what we think we know about God,
what we believe about God.
It can affect how and what we preach,
what we teach,
what we read.
Are the stories true?
Did God really do that?
Did those people really get wiped out just like that?
We question things.
It affects what we share with people.
Now, these stories, that's a little outrageous.
I'm not going to share that.
It can affect what we believe about God.
God is a God.
He's a loving God.
He's not a killer of innocent people.
This numbness to violence
gives reason to be concerned
for all of us in this room,
not just me standing up here
as I've thought through this this week.
So this morning,
I want for all of us to see
how God uses violence in the Bible.
Now, I can't show every story.
We're just going to hit four or five of them.
And to see for what purpose
He uses violence.
Familiar stories and not so familiar stories.
And then I want to look to Jesus,
our Savior,
and see how He endured
the greatest of all acts of violence.
And look at it with hopefully
a much less numbness.
Look at it with new eyes
to see the violence that He endured.
So let me pray for us.
You got your fingers in Joshua.
That's where we'll start.
Let me pray.
Heavenly Father,
gracious Lord,
God,
help us this morning
to hear from You.
Help us to see Your Word
alive.
Help us to see how You work,
even through violence,
and You use it
for Your kingdom.
God,
help us to see
with
new eyes,
with
just new perspective,
the cross
and what Jesus,
our Savior,
endured for us.
God,
I want to make
the truth known,
Your Word proclaimed.
Use me this morning.
Let me not lean on
my own understanding,
but let me lean on You
and trust in You
this morning.
Speak through me.
Let us all hear
a word from You.
Be gracious to us
in that
and let our hearing
lead to action.
Let our hearing
lead
to a greater perspective
on violence itself,
but on Christ
and what He has
done
and endured
for us.
I pray this
in the great,
wonderful,
and mighty name
of Jesus.
Amen.
In the book of Joshua,
we have a story
that is familiar
to all of us,
I would imagine.
The story of Jericho.
And if you don't know
the story,
we'll just read
the first seven verses
of chapter 6.
So Joshua chapter 6,
we'll read through.
It kind of gives us
a setup of what
will occur
and then we'll turn
to the end
of the chapter.
Joshua chapter 6,
verse 1.
Now Jericho
was shut up inside
and outside
because of the people
of Israel.
None went out
and none came in.
And the Lord
said to Joshua,
See,
I have given
Jericho into your hand
with its king
and mighty men
of valor.
You shall march
around the city,
all the men of war
going around the city
once.
Thus shall you do
for six days.
Seven priests
shall bear seven trumpets
of a ram's horns
before the ark.
On the seventh day
you shall march
around the city
seven times
and the priests
shall blow the trumpets
and then when they
make a long blast
with the ram's horn,
when you hear
the sound of the trumpet,
then all the people
shall shout
with a great shout
and the wall of the city
will fall down flat
and the people
shall go up,
everyone straight
before him.
So Joshua,
the son of Nun,
called the priests
and said to them,
Take up the ark
of the covenant
and let seven priests
bear seven trumpets
of ram's horns
before the ark
of the Lord.
And he said to the people,
Go forward,
march around the city
and let the armed men
pass on before
the ark of the Lord.
So the Lord
commanded them
to march around
the city of Jericho
seven times.
Six days,
seventh day,
they're below the horn,
everybody's going to shout
and God was going
to deliver Jericho.
We'll skip down
to verse 21.
The wall has crumbled down.
What God has said
would happen,
happened.
And verse 21 says,
Then they devoted all
in the city
to destruction,
both men and women,
young and old,
oxen,
sheep,
and donkeys
with the edge
of the sword.
Now this is a familiar story
to all of us
almost probably in this room.
Our kids know this story.
It's a good story.
But it's not just a story.
It really did happen.
And it shows us three things.
God shows us three things
through this act of violence.
He shows His power.
The walls of Jericho
tumbled to the ground.
No explosions,
no artillery.
God in His hand
knocked it over.
There's not a day
that goes by
where I don't hear
Jed yelling,
talking about how
LJ is tearing apart
his Lego creation.
They just come through
like Godzilla
and knock it over
or take it with his hands
and just break it apart.
That's what God did
to the walls of Jericho.
With His fingers,
with His hands,
He just knocked it over.
The walls
tumbled down.
God showed His power
through this
violent act.
The people of Jericho
suffered a violent end
under God's hand
and God's rule.
But not only do we see
God's power,
we also see God's
faithfulness.
verse 2.
It says,
See,
I have given Jericho
into your hands.
This is God speaking.
And it's as if God
is going back
to chapter 1
in Joshua
where He tells Joshua
in verse 9,
Have I not commanded you?
Be strong
and courageous.
Do not be frightened.
Do not be dismayed.
For the Lord your God
is with you
wherever you go.
It's almost God saying,
Look,
I've done this.
I will do this for you.
And look,
I have delivered Jericho
to you.
So we see God's faithfulness.
But we also see God's plan
through this act
of violence.
The people of Israel
were God's people
set apart.
God chose them,
made them,
set them apart,
said,
This is my people.
I am their God.
And He set them apart
and said,
That you have this land
that I will deliver to you.
And what does He do?
He delivers
that land
to the people of Israel.
So God displays
and shows His plan.
Sets apart
the people of Israel
using this act
of violence.
So it's violence
used by God
to show His power,
His faithfulness,
and His plan.
Turn to Genesis chapter 19.
We also,
we have a horrifying account
of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Cities where fire
came down from heaven
and destroyed
the city.
The cities.
So Genesis chapter 19,
verse 23 through 29.
The sun had risen
on the earth
when Lot came to Zor.
Zor was the city
that the angels of God
told him that he could go to.
Then the Lord rained
on Sodom and Gomorrah
sulfur and fire
from the Lord
out of heaven.
And He overthrew
those cities
and all the valley
and all the inhabitants
of the city
and what grew
on the ground.
But Lot's wife
behind him
looked back
and she became
a pillar of salt.
And Abraham
went early in the morning
to the place
where he had stood
before the Lord
and he looked down
toward Sodom and Gomorrah
and toward all the land
of the valley
and he looked
and behold,
the smoke of the land
went up like the smoke
of a furnace.
So it was that
when God destroyed
the cities of the valley,
God remembered Abraham
and sent Lot
out of the midst
of the overthrow
when he overthrew
the cities
in which Lot
had lived.
God destroys
Sodom and Gomorrah.
In chapter 18
we get kind of
a reason why.
Chapter 18
verse 20
Then the Lord said,
Because the outcry
against Sodom and Gomorrah
is great
and their sin
is very grave,
I will go down
to see whether
they have done
altogether
according to the outcry
that has come to me
and if not,
I will know.
So because of
Sodom and Gomorrah's sin,
wickedness,
God rains down fire
from heaven
and destroys
these two cities.
God uses violence
to show His judgment.
This is a repeated theme
throughout Scripture.
God's judgment
on Sodom and Gomorrah
and more specifically
on sin itself.
Another story
not so familiar.
Another way
that God uses violence.
Let's turn to 2 Kings
chapter 2.
The reason
you're going to turn here
and I'm going to read it
is because it is not familiar.
I guarantee you
there's only a few people
in here that may
even know this story
because we joke about it.
I've been encouraged
to teach my kids
about this story.
In 2 Kings chapter 2.
By the way,
I've been encouraged
by somebody
who doesn't have kids
to teach this story.
So,
verse 23.
2 Kings chapter 2
verse 23.
He,
being Elisha,
went up from there
to Bethel.
And while he was going
up on the way,
some small boys
came out of the city
and jeered at him
saying,
Go up you bald head!
And he turned around
and when he saw them
he cursed them
in the name of the Lord.
And two she-bears
came out of the woods
and tore 42 of the boys.
From there,
he went on to Mount Carmel
and from there
he returned to Samaria.
Not very often
do I stand up here
and say this,
but what?
Really?
She-bears
come out of the woods
and tear up 42 boys
because they mocked Elisha.
God uses violence
to show
that God's hand
is on a specific person,
that God's power
is on a specific person.
He shows
Elijah
was the prophet
before Elisha.
And Elisha had power.
He's the one
who mocked
the priests
of the idol gods,
the gods of Baal.
He mocked them
and he had this great power.
But Elisha
was to replace Elisha.
And so God
using His power,
using Elisha
to curse
these boys,
showed His power
and showed that
this is my prophet,
this is my messenger.
He is mine.
So God uses violence
to show
His hand
on a specific person.
David
is another example
of this.
Turn to 2 Samuel.
2 Samuel,
and we're almost done
flipping through
Bible drill this morning.
But this is actually
kind of fun
if you ask me.
2 Samuel
chapter 23.
We have an account
of David's mighty men.
2 Samuel 23
verse 8.
These are the names
of the mighty men
whom David had.
Hoseboshabeth.
I totally botched that,
but that's okay.
I tried really hard
this week.
And I'm not even going
to say this next word.
A
Tecumonite,
I guess I'll try.
He was chief
of the three.
He wielded
his spear
against 800
whom he killed
at one time.
That's pretty violent.
This guy killed
800 people,
800 guys,
800 soldiers
with one spear
at one time.
Look down
to
verse 10.
Eleazar.
And next to him,
verse 9,
among the three
mighty men
was Eleazar,
the son of Dodo,
son of Ahohi.
He was with David
when they defied
the Philistines
who were gathered
there for battle
and the men of Israel
withdrew.
He rose
and struck down
the Philistines
until his hand
was weary
and his hand
clung to the sword.
And the Lord
brought about
a great victory
that day
and the men
returned after him
only to strip
the slain.
Now you say,
well these are just
two guys.
The first guy
killed 800 with a spear.
Well that's pretty violent
if you ask me.
The second guy
fought
until there was
no strength left
in his body.
He could not
remove the sword
from his hand.
He had no strength
to move his fingers
from the grasp
of the sword.
But verse 10
tells us
that the Lord
brought about
a great victory
that day
they fought
for David.
They fought
for the Lord.
Proved that David
was God's man.
Showed that David
was God's
anointed king.
God's chosen king
and God's power
and might
was shown
through
some of these
violent circumstances.
New Testament.
John chapter 2.
Another story
that is familiar
to you.
John chapter 2
we have
an act of violence
from Jesus himself.
Jesus in the temple.
Jesus walks
into the temple
and he sees
that the temple
has been turned
into a marketplace.
People were buying
and selling
and bartering
and gambling
and all sorts of things
and Jesus goes
and he makes a whip
and he goes in
and he overturns tables.
He gets angry.
He has this righteous
anger towards
the people.
See,
Jesus
fought
with righteous
anger
for truth.
He fought
for righteousness
and he used
violence.
We're going to
end with Jesus.
Flip back
to Psalm
chapter 22.
God uses
violence
for so many
different things.
We could just
go on
and on
with this
game this morning.
But I want
to end here.
That God
uses violence
to show
redemption.
To show
our
redemption.
And before
we go
any further
I want
to read
what Charles
Spurgeon
says about
this chapter.
I can't
say it
any better.
He says,
it is the
photograph
of our
Lord's
saddest
hours.
The record
of his
dying
words.
The
lachrymatory
of his
last
years.
The
memorial
of his
expiring
joys.
David
and his
afflictions
may be
here in
a very
modified
sense.
But as
the star
is concealed
by the
light of
the sun,
he who
sees Jesus
will probably
neither see
nor care to
see David.
Before us
we have a
description both
of the
darkness
and of the
glory of
the cross.
The
sufferings
of Christ
and the
glory which
shall follow.
O for
grace to
draw near
and see
this great
sight.
We should
read reverently
putting off
our shoes
from off
our feet
as Moses
did at the
burning bush
for if there
be holy
ground anywhere
in scripture
it is in
this song.
This is
where we
head.
As I
read
Psalm 22
listen to
the language
feel the
pain
and the
anguish
let the
numbness
towards
violence
be removed
we
approach
holy
ground
verse
one
my
God
my
God
why
have
you
forsaken
me
why
are
you
so
far
from
saving
me
from
the
words
of
my
groaning
oh
my
God
I
cry
by
day
but
you
do
not
answer
and
by
night
but
I
find
no
rest
yet
you
were
holy
enthroned
on the
praises
of
Israel
in
you
our
fathers
trusted
they
trusted
and
you
delivered
them
to
you
they
cried
and
were
rescued
in
you
they
trusted
and
were
not
put
to
shame
but
I
am
a
worm
and
not
a
man
scorned
by
mankind
and
despised
by
the
people
all
who
see
me
mock
me
they
make
mouths
at
me
they
wag
their
heads
he
trusts
in
the
Lord
let
him
deliver
him
let
him
rescue
him
for
he
delights
in
him
yet
you
are
he
who
took
me
from
the
womb
you
made
me
trust
you
at
my
mother's
breasts
on
you
was
I
cast
from
my
birth
and
from
my
mother's
womb
you
have
been
my
God
be
not
far
from
me
for
trouble
is
near
and
there
is
none
to
help
many
bulls
encompass
me
strong
bulls
of
Bashan
surround
me
they
open
wide
their
mouths
at
me
like
a
ravening
and
roaring
lion
I
am
poured
out
like
water
and
all
my
bones
are
out
of
joint
my
heart
is
like
wax
is
melted
within
my
breast
my
strength
is
dried
up
like
a
pot
shirt
!
me
in
the
dust
of
death
for
dogs
encompass
me
a
company
of
evildoers
encircles
me
they
have
pierced
my
hands
and
feet
I
can
count
all
my
bones
they
stare
and
gloat
over
me
they
divide
my
garments
among
them
and
for
my
clothing
they
cast
lots
but
you
oh
Lord
do
not
be
far
off
oh
you
my
help
come
quickly
to
my
aid
deliver
my
soul
from
the
sword
my
precious
life
from
the
power
of
the
dog
save
me
from
the
mouth
of
the
lion
you
have
rescued
me
from
the
horns
of
the
wild
oxen
I
will
tell
of
your
name
to
my
brothers
in
the
midst
of
the
congregations
I
will
praise
you
who
fear
the
Lord
praise
him
all
you
offspring
of
Jacob
glorify
him
and
stand
in
awe
of
him
all
you
or
aboard
the
affliction
of
the
afflicted
and
he
has
not
hidden
his
face
from
him
but
he
has
heard
when
he
cried
to
him
from
you
comes
my
praise
in
the
great
congregation
my
vows
I
will
perform
before
those
who
fear
him
the
afflicted
shall
eat
and
be
satisfied
those
who
seek
him
shall
praise
the
Lord
may
your
hearts
live
forever
!
Now because of
time
and because of
depth
of
what is
in this
chapter
I'm only
going to
look at
a few
verses
we're
going to
go through
verse 12
through 18
and as
I read
Spurgeon
say
sure
there may
be
David's
suffering
modified
in this
text
but when
the star
disappears
because of
the brightness
of the
sun
nobody
would read
this and
say
and look
to
David
they'll
look
to
Jesus
and see
Jesus
in this
text
so
let's
go
verse 12
many bulls
encompass
me
strong
bulls
of
Bashan
surround
me
the
leaders
the
Jewish
leaders
the
religious
leaders
surround
him
in this
time
of
suffering
they
mock
him
in this
time
they
rule
guilty
judgment
with
their
eyes
hate
pours
from
them
their
eyes
scream
death
to
you
their
eyes
penetrate
and say
die
hopelessness
violent
hopelessness
here for
our
savior
verse 13
they
open wide
their mouths
at me
like a
ravening
and roaring
lion
mocking
hate
firing
from their
mouths
grenades
of insult
and fire
being launched
and thrown
at them
at him
like lions
waiting to
devour
to see
this to
the end
waiting
for that
moment
starving
and hungry
lions
waiting
to devour
his
flesh
their
hate
devours
every
bit
of life
violence
from their
mouths
violence
in their
being
there
verse
14
I am
poured
out
like
water
and all
my bones
are out
of joint
my heart
is like
wax
it is
melted
within
my breast
brokenness
and pain
he is
utterly
spent
he is
like water
being poured
out onto
the earth
onto the
dry earth
like a
fountain
of tears
his heart
no longer
has
firmness
this
act
of being
nailed
and hung
on a
cross
the
jarring
of placing
the cross
in the
ground
could have
been
enough
just to
dislocate
his
bones
violent
death
he is
in
excessive
debility
he is
in
intense
pain
when it
talks about
heart
here
he is
not
talking
about
the
organ
that
beats
blood
he is
talking
about
who
and
what
makes
him
who
he
is
his
inmost
life
feels
like
wax
melted
by
fire
he is
melting
away
under
such
suffering
and
violence
this
is
violent
Spurgeon
says
the fire
of almighty
wrath
would have
consumed
our souls
forever
in hell
it was
no light
work
to bear
as a
substitute
the heart
of an
anger
so
justly
terrible
Jesus
endured
this
suffered
this
his
heart
melting
away
what
heart
can
endure
when
God
deals
with
them
in
his
wrath
no
heart
can
endure
verse
15
my
strength
is
dried
up
like
a
pot
shirt
and
my
tongue
sticks
to
my
jaws
you
lay
me
in
the
dust
of
death
our
Lord
is
done
he
can
take
no
more
he
is
complete
debility
the
picture
here
is
portrayed
as
a
piece
of
clay
a
piece
of
pottery
that
has
been
cooked
and
baked
in
fire
or
under
the
sun
until
no
moisture
exists
in
it
completely
and
utterly
dried
up
completely
fired
our
suffering
servant
thirst
and
fever
fastened
his
tongue
to
his
jaw
there's
no
moisture
that
exists
a
dryness
like
nothing
we have
experienced
so
tormented
!
part
of
his
body
has
escaped
the
agony
of
our
redemption
The
tongue
has
clinged
itself
to
the
jaw
he
wrestles
no
more
with
death
he
says
lay
me
in
the
dust
of
death
it's
a
humiliation
for
the
son
of
God
this
is
our
savior
verse
16
for
dogs
encompass
me
a
company
of
evildoers
encircle
me
they
have
pierced
my
hands
and
my
feet
like
hungry
ravenous
unclean
dogs
howling
around
a
potential
meal
people
surround
our
Lord
you
go
hunting
you
hunt
with
dogs
the
dogs
surround
whatever
it's
hunting
this
is
birds
sometimes
you
go
with
a
lot
of
dogs
hunting
birds
and
they
surround
so
if
it's
a
deer
they
surround
the
deer
and
they
close
in
slowly
this
picture
here
is
of
men
closing
in
waiting
for
this
and
instead
of
a
deer
in
the
center
it's
a
fainting
bleeding
man
men
who
have
waiting
for
his
doom
waiting
for
this
to
be
over
this
is
one
of
those
examples
one
of
these
verses
here
there
is
no
way
this
is
talking
about
David
no
way
verse
17
I
can
count
all
my
bones
they
stare
and
gloat
over
me
so
empty
from
his
fasting
and
his
suffering
that
says
he
could
see
his
bones
and
he
could
count
the
bones
now
his
stature
on the
cross
could
very
well
cause
his
bones
all
to
protrude
and
he
could
count
them
and
see
them
the
people
glared
at
him
and
glared
at
his
nakedness
and
saw
him
so
our
savior
is
enduring
shame
now
as
well
the
people
still
poison
and
hate
is
hurled
at
him
now
the
first
Adam
made
us
all
naked
therefore
the
second
Adam
became
naked
that
he
might
clothe
our
naked
souls
so
we
see
is
this
redemption
through
what
Jesus
endured
in
verse
18
they
divide
my
garments
among
them
and
for
my
clothing
they
cast
lots
another
one
of
those
texts
another
one
of
those
verses
that
says
to
readers
this
is not
about
David
may
have
wrote
this
under
the
inspiration
of
the
Holy
Spirit
may
have
been
guided
by
God
but
in
God's
power
this
is
about
Jesus
on
the
cross
in
those
darkest
last
moments
even
at the
foot
of
Christ
even
underneath
the
cross
where
blood
is
dripping
on
their
backs
men
are
gambling
men
are
committing
the
very
sin
and
sins
that
he
was
dying
for
the
work
of the
cross
to
these
men
had
no
value
so
he
endured
shame
and
he
is
enduring
the
fact
that
according
to
these
men
there
is
no
value
in
what
he
is
doing
he
is
just
dying
Jesus
was
emptied
physically
and
spiritually
just
meat
and
bones
a
violent
death
a
violent
death
that
no
one
will
ever
see
again
now
it's
pretty
heavy
and I
may have
bored
you
and I
hope
I
didn't
I
hope
you
see
the
violence
here
and I
hope
that
numbness
whatever
level
has
disappeared
because
there's
going to
be a
time
in your
life
as a
Christian
there's
going to
be a
time
a
place
a
moment
where
you're
going to
be
faced
with a
decision
are
you
going
to
fight
for
truth
are
you
going
to
fight
for
justice
are
you
going
to
fight
for
God's
glory
or
are
you
not
are
you
going
to
be
men
and
women
of
violence
or
are
you
not
will
you
see
that
moment
or
will
you
still
be
numbed
to
it
and
that's
my
fear
with
the
amount
of
violence
we
take
in
we
will
not
see
the
violence
on the
cross
will
not
be
violence
it's
just
a
story
if
you're
a
Christian
in
here
then
your
model
is
Jesus
right
your
model
is
Jesus
he
has
modeled
the
life
for
us
that
!
we
should
strive
to
live
so
then
we
must
fight
for
truth
then
we
must
fight
injustice
we
may
be
asked
to
die
a
violent
death
for
his
glory
we
may
be
asked
to
be
alone
lonely
and
separated
a
violence
on
emotion
and
feeling
as
I've
gone
through
this
week
up
and
down
week
crazy
week
the
numbness
in me
concerns
me
the
numbness
that's
in me
scares
me
the
numbness
that
my
kids
and your
kids
and your
kids
will
have
most
likely
scares
me
because
the
cross
is
violent
the
truth
of
redemption
and what
Christ
endured
is
violent
and
if
it's
not
violent
then
it's
just
a
story
and
I
can
make
that
logical
that
irrational
and
make
irrational
so
Jesus'
life
death
and
resurrection
in us
can
break
the
numbness
because
he
endured
to the
end
for us
he
endured
to the
absolute
end
so the
numbness
that we
have
the
numbness
that we
keep
getting
from
playing
the
video
games
and
I
am
not
going
to
be
the
legalistic
guy
up
here
and
say
you
need
to
stop
video
games
and
watching
our
rated
violent
movies
and
no
that's
not
my
place
but
keep
a
perspective
keep
a
view
on
the
cross
Jesus'
suffering
was so
that we
can
fight
for
truth
and
for
justice
his
suffering
was so
we
can
fight
for
his
glory
it's
him
in
us
and
through
us
not
us
doing
it
it's
him
in
us
and
through
us
so
the
question
is
not
are
you
willing
to
fight
are
you
willing
to
take
a
stand
here
it's
not
are
you
willing
to
go
the
you know
just
be
the
bad
dude
who's
just
going
to
fight
for
all
injustice
and
against
injustice
and
fight
for
truth
no
that's
not
the
question
the
question
the
question
is
are
you
willing
to
let
Jesus
fight
in
you
and
through
you
see
then
we
can
fight
like
Eleazar
who
fought
until
he
couldn't
anymore
he
fought
with
the
sword
in
his
hand
that
needed
to
be
pried
off
he
had
no
strength
left
we
can
fight
till
exhaustion
but
Jesus
can
fight
till
victory
Jesus
can
fight
to
the
end
to
completion
!
So then
we
become
men
and
women
of
violence
for
the
kingdom
and
not
because
we
play
call
of
duty
or
because
we
play
a
violent
sport
or
whatever
is
the
numbness
wearing
off
do
you
see
what
our
savior
endured
or
are
you
numb
to
all
of
this
are
you
known
to
every
bit
of
this
is
this
just
a
story
is
this
just
words
that are
being
spoken
that
goes
in
and
out
that's
the
question
this
morning
see
when
David's
mighty
men
killed
the
Philistines
they
killed
the
Philistines
and that
was
part
of
God's
judgment
they
were
guilty
when
Sodom
and
Gomorrah
was
destroyed
not
just
a
story
of
fire
coming
down
from
heaven
they
were
guilty
of
something
they
were
guilty
of
sin
and
that
sin
and
that
guilt
runs
through
your
veins
and
it
runs
through
mine
we
are
all
guilty
this
morning
and
our
punishment
what
we
deserve
is
death
not
just
an
end
not
just
dying
and
it's
over
not
just
game
over
but
eternity
and
torment
is
what
we
deserve
but
Jesus
endured
a
violent
gruesome
debilitating
death
for you
and for
me
he
made
a way
so that
you
and I
would
not
suffer
like
he
did
he
made
a
way
he
says
in
John
chapter
14
I
am
the
way
the
truth
and
the
life
no
man
comes
to
the
father
except
through
me
he
is
the
way
to
the
father
he
made
a
way
by
taking
the
wrath
upon
himself
instead
of
on
us
giving
us
access
to
the
father
your
sin
can
be
taken
away
as
if
you've
never
sinned
before
but
not
by
how
many
church
meetings
you
attend
and
not
by
how
many
prayers
you
make
or
how
many
times
you've
been
baptized
and
not
by
how
good
you
are
but
only
through
Jesus
and
his
life
violent
death
and his
resurrection
Jesus
on the
cross
died
for
us
so
that
we
can
be
righteous
so
that
we
can
be
sinless
believe
in him
trust
to him
this
morning
he
is
calling
now
violence
we
can
talk
about
it
all
day
long
I
believe
in
this
much
violence
I
believe
in
this
much
this
morning
none
of that
matters
this
morning
what
matters
is the
violence
that
Jesus
endured
for
you
and
for
me
what
matters
is that
because
of
Jesus
we
can
fight
for
things
that
are
right
that
he
can
give
us
strength
and
the
ability
to
fight
for
truth
to
fight
for
righteousness
to
fight
for
justice
and
it's
not
us
doing
it
it's
us
being
part
of
what
he's
doing
in
us
and
through
us
to
the
world
so
some
of
you
in
here
may
be
called
to
Afghanistan
there's
a
family
headed
back
some
of
you
may
be
headed
to
China
some
of
you
may
be
headed
to
some
war
torn
area
in the
Middle
East
Syria
and
are
you
willing
to
stand
and
fight
for
justice
Jesus
fought
for
justice
God
uses
violence
to
show
his
power
to
show
his
redemption
to
show
his
faithfulness
to
show
who
he
is
will
you
be
part
of
that
will
you
be
part
of
what
he
is
doing
this
morning
let's
pray