WHAT'S WORTH FIGHTING FOR?

The battle of David and Goliath is not just a story about a shepherd boy and a seasoned military killer of gigantic proportions. David is stirred to step into battle because of the disrespect, the blasphemy, hurled at the LORD by this violent and insolent Philistine. Bill Hybels nails the heart of the story that we may lose in any visual portrayal of the battle. What is at heart is this one question: Is there anything I hold as so important that I view it as worth fighting for and even losing my life to defend?

The battle of the Cross is an even greater struggle of Jesus against forces greater than the obvious religious establishment and the power of Roman military and political might. Jesus is battling the evil one and the powers of hell as he goes to the Cross and faces death, and Jesus triumphs through the very vile form of death the devil tries to use to silence and put an end to God’s redemptive work:

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits — to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves youa also — not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heavena and is at God’s right hand — with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him (1 Peter 3:18-22).

And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he [Christ] made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over themb by the cross (Colossians 2:15).

Jesus, who came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10), says that we are worth fighting for… the lost and forgotten and trapped in sin are worthy fighting for… and our Lord was willing to pay the highest of prices to win this war for us.

So as some of us take flak and criticism for reaching out to places church folks won’t often go to share Jesus, our price is small indeed compared to the Lord’s price, but the price Jesus paid reminds us that these people are the very kinds of folks worth fighting for! Each time we take communion — each time we hold the bread the cup to our lips — we should hear the words from Jesus, “Given for you!” and be emboldened to do for others what Jesus has already done for us!

Written by phil

March 20th, 2013

http://www.thephilfiles.com/2013/03/20/whats-worth-fighting-for/