War of the Worlds

Gregory W. Lee
Preached 3 July 2005

I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Rev 12 [read vs. 7-17]
-- on March 23, 2003, a maintenance team from the U.S. Army's 507th Maintenance Company was following the advancing 3rd Infantry Division in Iraq as a support unit -- while advancing through the southern city of Nasiriyah, the team made a wrong turn and found themselves face-to-face with a contingent of Iraqi soldiers -- immediately, they came under attack from the Iraqis
-- After a fierce fire fight that resulted in the death of several military members, 12 people from this group were taken captive by the Iraqis, including PFC Jessica Lynch -- a 19 yr. old young lady from West Virginia
-- Ten days later, our forces received a tip that Jessica Lynch was being held at Saddam Hospital behind enemy lines -- across the river from our troops in Nasiriyah -- this hospital was being used as a military command post by the Iraqis
-- the decision was made to implement a daring rescue mission to go in and rescue Jessica and any of her team members that might be with her
-- on Tuesday, April 1st, shortly before midnight, US Forces took out the lighting grid in the city, plunging the entire area into total darkness -- immediately, a Special Operations force of Navy SEALs, Army Rangers and Air Force combat controllers touched down of the enemy's side of the river in the blacked-out conditions -- as they fanned out in enemy territory, an AC-130 gunship -- an aircraft capable of firing 1,800 rounds a minute from its 25mm cannon, circled overhead to support team -- as well as a reconnaissance aircraft that provided live video images of the operation as it unfolded
-- while the main force swarmed the hospital grounds, a detachment of Marines made a diversionary attack on the Iraqis in another part of the city to draw attention away from the covert rescue operation
-- rushing into the hospital facility, the special forces team quickly dispatched the enemy Iraqis and located Jessica on the first floor of the hospital -- as soon as they found her, they rushed her out of the facility and into a waiting Blackhawk Helicopter for transport back to safety across the river

-- that is an amazing story, isn't it? -- especially when you reflect on the fact that it is true -- there's just something about stories like these that seem to strike a chord with us -- especially when we celebrate holidays such as the Fourth of July -- as we take time to reflect on the founding of our country and the great stories of heroism and bravery by men and women throughout the history of our country as they fought for something larger than themselves
-- from the Revolutionary War to our present conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, stories like these become written on our hearts and become part of who we are -- as individuals and as a nation
-- it is because of stories like these that places like Bunker Hill, Yorktown, Gettysburg, Iwo Jima, Normandy, and Baghdad become as familiar to us as our own home towns
-- it is because of stories like these that men and women such as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, Clara Barton, General Patton, General Eisenhower, and Gen Swartzcoph become household names
-- the best stories are those where either a hero rises up from obscurity, and despite overwhelming odds, rallies others to fight with him to save the day and turn the tide against evil or stories like the Jessica Lynch story, where heros go behind enemy lines to rescue fallen comrades and bring them back to safety and freedom -- they inspire us to think past our current conditions and to imagine a glorious future where good triumphs and evil is vanquished
-- we see this theme played out in a lot of our movies -- several years ago, there was a great movie with Owen Wilson and Gene Hackman called, "Behind Enemy Lines," where a U.S. fighter pilot crashes in Bosnia and has to be rescued by special forces -- or, think about the movie, "Saving Private Ryan," where Captain John Miller risks his life and the life of his troop to go behind enemy lines to rescue a paratrooper, Private James Ryan in World War II
-- these are great stories of heroism and daring rescue, but have you ever stopped to consider the greatest tale of heroism and the greatest tale of a daring rescue ever told?

II. Description of the War Zone and the Fall of Satan
-- the Bible tells us that before time began, God was -- as it says in John 1, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning"
-- in some way that we can't fully comprehend, even before time began, God existed as the Trinity -- as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit -- living in harmony and perfect relationship with each other
-- but, even though this was a perfect relationship, God created other beings to share in His love and to be in a relationship with Him -- to worship Him and to serve Him and to honor Him -- these, of course, were God's angels
-- God made angels with different ranks and responsibilities -- from angels to cherubim to seraphim to archangels -- and for a time, all of these angels lived with God and enjoyed a perfect life with Him in Heaven
-- but then, something changed -- Lucifer, one of the archangels, apparently became dissatisfied with his position and wanted to become like God -- listen as I read Isaiah 14:12-15 [read vs. 12-15] -- that brings us to the passage that I opened with -- when Satan tried to place his throne above God and tried to become like God, war broke out in the dwelling place of God and the angels -- in Heaven itself
-- the archangel Michael and his angels fought against Satan -- against the dragon and his angels on behalf of God -- this passage tells us that Satan and his angels were not strong enough and that they were cast from heaven and hurled to earth
-- for some reason, God allowed Satan to have limited authority over earth -- in John 12:31, Jesus describes Satan as the "prince of this world" -- earth became, as it were, enemy territory
-- and from the moment that Adam and Eve were cast from the Garden of Eden after their fall, men and women lived in a hostile land -- behind enemy lines -- held captive and in the midst of a war -- as it says in verse 17, the dragon made war against those who obeyed God's commandments and held to the testimony of Jesus.


III. The Hero Arrives
-- for a time, it looked hopeless for man -- they lived in a fallen world -- in the very place where the devil made his throne -- where the devil danced
-- they knew that this was not their home -- they knew that they were made to live with God -- to be with Him in His heavenly abode -- but, try as they might, they could not break free from the cruel chains of the enemy -- life was without hope and without promise
-- but, then, in the midst of the despair of man, God launched the greatest military plan ever conceived -- a daring rescue behind enemy lines to save those who were crying out for salvation
-- you see, Satan knew that God had only given him limited authority on earth -- he knew that God would come to claim that which was His own and to redeem the captives held by Satan -- so, throughout time, Satan and his angels watched for God's attack -- planning, scheming, and devising plans to keep God from taking over total control of earth
-- knowing this, God launched His plan -- not a direct assault on Satan and his minions -- but a daring covert raid on occupied territory -- an infiltration behind enemy lines -- a special forces raid by the greatest Special Force in the world

-- flip over to Luke 2 and let's read the story once again of how God secretly sent His hero into battle behind enemy lines to rescue and redeem the lost [read Lk 2:1-16]
-- don't miss the impact of what has just happened in this passage -- you know, every year at Christmas we celebrate the birth of Christ -- we read this story and we give each other gifts -- but, have you ever really stopped and considered just what happened on this day?
-- in his book, Disappointment with God, Phillip Yancey points out that the incarnation -- the clothing of God in human form -- was a daring raid into enemy territory -- the whole world lay under the power of the evil one and we were all held in the dungeons of darkness -- the whole world groaned out under the weight of captivity and bondage -- and God risked everything to send His Son into the very place where the devil ruled
-- I think sometimes we forget the meaning of the incarnation -- I think we sometimes get caught up in the Christmas spirit -- in the singing of Christmas carols and the decorating of our homes and the giving of gifts -- and we forget just what God did when He sent Jesus into the world
-- that's why I wanted to share this story with you this morning -- on the weekend of July the Fourth -- so that you might see it from a new and fresh perspective and not just as a story told at Christmas
-- Christ came into the world as a soldier, disguised as a baby in a manger to fool the enemy, but sent behind enemy lines to rescue and redeem mankind -- to wrest us from the clutches of the enemy and to restore goodness and righteousness once and for all
-- but, in order to do so, it cost Him everything -- while freeing us Jesus was captured by the enemy -- He was crucified on the cross at Calvary -- sacrificing His very life -- pouring out His very blood -- to cover our transgressions and to cleanse us from our unrighteousness
-- with His death on the cross, He bought our freedom and with His resurrection, He demonstrated His victory over sin and death
-- it was the war of the worlds, and Christ proved victorious

IV. Closing
-- I opened this message with the story of Jessica Lynch -- every single one of us has been in her shoes -- every single one us has been taken captive and held hostage by an enemy who sought to destroy us
-- as Brent Curtis and John Eldredge point out, the sole purpose of our enemy Satan is to possess everything that belongs to God, including the worship of all those whom God loves -- he accomplishes this by keeping us in bondage -- by convincing us that we will never be free -- by taking away our hope of rescue
-- but, just when it seemed that things could not get any worse -- just when it seemed like Satan was winning -- God sent Christ to earth -- behind enemy lines -- to launch a daring raid and to bring us out of captivity and bondage to sin and death and out to freedom and life in Him

-- a lot of you know what I'm talking about -- you've been rescued from your prison -- you've been swept out of your prison cell in the arms of Christ -- you've entered into new life with Him -- you've been saved -- but maybe you don't know what to do now
-- when our troops broke into the hospital where Jessica Lynch was being held, they found her hiding under sheets in her bed in a room on the first floor -- A soldier called her name, and without answering she peeked out from under the sheets -- “Jessica Lynch,” he said, “we’re United States soldiers and we’re here to protect you and take you home.” -- As the soldier approached the bed and took his helmet off and she looked up at him and replied: “I’m an American soldier, too.”
-- Christ came to earth as a soldier -- as the leader of a daring attack on the stronghold of Satan -- He came to lead us into battle -- if you have been saved -- if you have been set free, lift up your head and say to Him, "I'm a soldier too" and head back across the enemy lines to set others free by introducing them to Christ

-- some of you are still being held by Satan -- you are still bound down by your sins and condemned to death -- simply because you haven't trusted in the ability of Christ to bring you life and freedom -- simply because you haven't trusted in the blood of Christ to cleanse you of your sins and to bring you from death into life -- simply because you've allowed yourself to believe the lies of Satan that there is no hope
-- there is hope -- there is life -- there is freedom with Christ -- all you have to do is ask Him to set you free -- confess your sins to Him and ask Him to forgive you and to come into your heart and be your Lord and Savior, and you will be rescued from the enemy just as Jessica Lynch was
-- as it says in Romans 10:9-10, "if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."
-- if you have not been set free from Satan's grasp, I pray that this morning would be your spiritual Fourth of July -- your spiritual independence day
-- as the last hymn is played, I would invite you to respond to God's word as you feel led
-- let's pray