SACRIFICE, SERVICE, and DUTY

"I will very gladly spend and be spent for you;" 2 Corinthians 12:15. Close your eyes with me and imagine if you will the heat coming from your feet. Your feet groan and gasp for fresh air as the throb for more blood to flow through them. You rub at your feet through your boots. Your boots are hot and wet with sweat. You and fifty other recruits have just finished a five-mile forced march a Challenge. John over there fell behind constantly. Dexter …more about characteristics of the group… Which of these men will you pick to associate with? Why? Which of these will you shy away from? Why? God has done all He can to wash our selfishness away and make our hearts yearn to deliberately identify with Jesus Christ's interests in other people, and Jesus Christ is interested in every one of these men. We have no right to be guided by the things that we like; this is one of the biggest tests of our relationship to Jesus Christ. It is not about you or me. John 15:13, Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. Take some time right now and transition away from the thought of death as associated with this verse. When you read “lay down his life” think “give up his desires” or “let go of his plans”. You and I need to get to a spiritually mature place in life where we can sacrifice all. I don’t mean to fling my life away, but deliberately lay my selfish desires aside for the good of others around me. I need to lay out my life for Jesus to use as He sees fit. Jesus has interest in other people. Hmmm, Jesus is interested in people, not causes. Let’s you and I plan to win people to Jesus not to us. I challenge you to make yourself of use to your fellow men. Do what it takes to get off of any pedestals. Be with the common men. Became a sacramental personality; wherever you go, ensure Jesus Christ can help Himself to your life.
Many of us invest our lives engaged in activities that will get us where we want to go, make us who we want to be. Jesus Christ cannot help Himself to our lives. I challenge you to (and I will do it too) abandon your self to Jesus. If we can do this then we will have no ends of our own to serve. I want the backbone of our individual lives to be devotion to Jesus. Did you do the word study on “devote”? Did you find that it means irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the LORD, often by totally destroying them? We are inclined to be devoted. Unfortunately our inclination is not to Jesus Christ, but rather to things which distract us from our spiritual maturity. I remember when I was a little tike in grade school. My best friend, Sean Trapani, and I were bullied on the playground after recess. The leader of the gang told us he would kill us if we mentioned this to anyone. I vowed, with my best friend in the whole world, to take that risk and turn the bullies in to the principal. At the risk of death Sean and I went to the principal’s office and did our deed. We were devoted to each other. What a dynamic duo, we were. Wild? Extravagant? When a man is devoted or committed, it is not unheard of to live this way. Let’s be devoted to Jesus Christ and the things or people He is interested in.
So that is it for the sacrifice. Let’s deal with the service. The second part of our opening scripture verse is "Though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved." 2 Corinthians 12:15. Natural devotion expects some return, but I challenge you to not care whether you get love in return or not, be willing to empty yourself completely, so that that you can get others to God. 2 Corinthians 8:9 reminds us, "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor." Have the mindset, “I do not care what it costs. I will spend myself, and I will do it gladly”.
I always thought that the world prodigal meant returning. You know the story of the “prodigal son”. He came home after he failed miserably. Well I was wrong. Check it out. Prodigal means giving out in great abundance, threatening to lead to early exhaustion of resources. That makes sense for the story. It also makes me think that I want to be a prodigal son. An heir of God’s throne who spends everything on the ones that God cares about. Jesus Christ's idea of service is that we serve Him by being the servants of other men. He says that in His Kingdom he that is greatest shall be the servant of all. So go ahead and preach the gospel, but don’t forget to wash feet. Do the things that natural man does not value. Use God’s value system. Count it all joy to spend yourself out for God's interests in other people. Shake the natural or carnal economical notions - "Suppose God wants me to go there - what about the salary? What are the conditions like? What is in it for me?" These questions are an indication that we are serving God with a reserve. Remember…No reserve, No regret, and No retreat. Focus on Jesus Christ's idea of a New Testament saint, i.e. not one who proclaims the Gospel merely, but one who becomes broken bread and poured out wine in the hands of Jesus Christ for other lives. This idea brings to my mind the story of a group of men whose motto is “that others may live”. They are the pararescue or PJ (parachute jumper). Two U.S. pilots crashed in combat. The rescue helicopters were launched to recover the crashed pilots. PJ#2 was on the low bird. The downed pilots made their way to a useable LZ and the rescue birds landed near them. PJ#1 ran down to them to make sure that they were OK and that they could get to the rescue chopper. PJ#2 grabbed an M-60 machinegun and left the aircraft to get in a defensive position so that he could hold off the enemy that were moving into the area. After the survivors hopped on board, the PJ#1 covered PJ#2 who was now making his way back to the aircraft. All of this time, they were being shot at. Wow, let us sacrifice our comfort and safety for the souls that Jesus cares for.
John 16:32 shares a sad concept. "But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.” Many a Christian worker has left Jesus Christ alone and gone into the work place from a sense of duty, or a sense of need. This behavior arises out of man made discernment. Protect yourself young man from being enticed away from the life giving power of Jesus. The soul can grow out of intimate contact with God by leaning to its own understanding. There is no sin in it, and no punishment attached to it; but when the one realizes how he has held back his understanding of Jesus Christ, and produced for himself perplexities and sorrows and difficulties, it is with shame and great loss he has to come back. Don’t allow yourself to go away in the first place. Stay intimate with God. Seek His face, His presence, His being. Do not seek His hand, His ability to give to you, His possessions.
Be where God is. Look to see where He is blessing in your life and stay there. Do not go somewhere and ask to be blessed. We need to rely on our life-producing power of God much deeper than we do. We need to live a life that constantly refers all decisions back to God and His will, His domain. Instead, many of us make our natural-minded decisions and ask God to bless them. He cannot, it is not in His domain, and it is severed from reality. We are protected when we are in God’s domain. So service vice duty. If we do a thing from a sense of duty, we are acting in competition with Jesus Christ. We have the character that says; "Now in this matter I must do this and that." We have put our sense of duty on the throne instead of the life giving power of Jesus. We are not told to walk in the light of conscience or of a sense of duty. Isaiah 50:11 warns us, But now, all you who light fires and provide yourselves with flaming torches, go, walk in the light of your fires and of the torches you have set ablaze. This is what you shall receive from my hand: You will lie down in torment. We are to walk in the light as God is in the light. When we do anything from a sense of duty, we can back it up by argument; when we do anything in obedience to the Lord; there is no argument possible.

Your Prodigal Brother
Bruce Stansbury
2010 Challenge Program Director

Strength & Honor: Character Lessons of Centurion Leadership

“Brothers, what we do in life echoes in eternity.”-- Maximus Decimus Meridius

“I believe that character reaps destinies.” -- Colonel Jeff O’Leary (Ret.)

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.
1 Corinthians 16:13

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3:23-24


In 2000, the movie Gladiator won five Academy Awards. It is easy to understand why, as it is the story of an unselfish, courageous leader who led by example, fought to triumph good over evil and stood firm to the end in the face of overwhelming odds. The hero of the movie was Maximus Decimus Meridius, a Roman Centurion. Before each battle Maximus would say to his fellow warriors, “Strength and honor.” These words were the oath of Centurion and represented the ideal to which every Roman Centurion adhered. They also hold important character lessons and represent an important model for godly leadership.

To fully appreciate the ideals of “strength and honor,” it is necessary to understand what it meant to be a Roman Centurion. The Centurion was not your standard soldier or “legionnaire.” Rather, a Centurion was a leader in charge of 100 men. In his book, The Centurion Principles, author Colonel Jeff O’Leary (Ret.) describes a Centurion:

A battle-hardened legionnaire was promoted to the rank of Centurion based on at least sixteen years of combat service and valor at the point of the spear. He was able to carry ninety pounds of equipment at least twenty miles per day and train under the harshest of conditions. The Centurion was required to equip himself at his own expense and pay for his own food, clothing, bedding, boots, arms, armor, and pay dues to the burial club. He was a skilled engineer and builder in addition to being the finest combat soldier. He held ultimate sway over the welfare of every man who served in his hundred-man century. The enlistment period was for twenty-five years, after which a cash payment and small plot of land were provided (unless the treasury was short of cash, in which case, commitment to service was involuntarily extended)… To rise to Centurion was considered the highest honor a legionnaire could attain. The Centurion always led his troops from the front.

As you can see, there was no easy way to become a Centurion. It was not a position of appointment and could not be purchased. It required complete and total dedication to a singular purpose, seasoned by harsh, brutal experience over a long period of time. It is also an excellent model for the character Christ desires in a man, because it addresses the “how and why” of Godly leadership. For that reason, it is beneficial to take a closer look at the “strength” (how) and “honor” (why) of a Centurion.

There are many different aspects pertaining to the “strength” of a leader. However, the aspect I want to focus on is strength of character. In my last blog post, I talked about the importance of developing mental toughness in order to endure hardship. This time, I want to examine the role faith plays in maintaining strength of character. 1 Corinthians 16:13 states, “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.” This verse could easily be part of a Centurion’s order to his men before a battle and it effectively and succinctly summarizes the meaning of strength in the Centurion oath. The first time I studied it, however, one phrase stood out more than the others: stand firm in the faith. It begged the questions, “What does it mean to “stand firm” and how does that apply to faith?

There are many definitions for the phrase “stand firm,” but the following five seemed especially relevant: 1. Refusal to abandon one’s opinion or belief. 2. Not wavering in the face of fear or hardship. 3. Possessing fortitude (Strength of mind that enables a person to encounter danger or bear pain with adversity or courage) and perseverance. 4. Refuse to back down; remain solid under criticism or attack. 5. Be steadfast or upright. All of these are attributes any man would desire for himself. As for the definition of faith, one needs only to look up Hebrews 11:1-2, which states, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.” If these definitions of “stand firm” are applied to the Biblical definition of faith, then the picture becomes clear. Just as the Centurion was expected to persevere until the enemy was vanquished, “standing firm in the faith” means the man of God must maintain trust in our Heavenly Father and finish the mission regardless of the pain or perceived impossibility of the situation. In short, it is an unyielding confidence in the omnipotence of our Lord and King, Jesus Christ. Ironically, in Matthew 8:8-10, the Bible even uses a Roman Centurion to illustrate this truth. I do not think that is coincidence. Finally, the need for unwavering faith further reinforced by Hebrews 10:37-39, “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, ‘He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.’ But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved. “ How is Centurion strength of character attained? It is attained by learning to stand firm in your faith in God.

Nehemiah chapter 7 is a good place to begin examining the honor of a Centurion. The walls of Jerusalem had been rebuilt and it was time for Nehemiah to appoint leaders over the city. One of the men he chose to lead was Hananiah. The Bible says that Hananiah was chosen specifically because “… he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most men do.” In other words, Hananiah was chosen because he understood the meaning of honor. When used as a noun, honor is our reputation. It is our character, as seen or judged by others. Nehemiah also understood that men who have a reputation of integrity and purity of character have the ability to powerfully motivate those under their care. This is especially true for leaders, whose conduct (especially during times of difficulty and stress) speaks volumes about their character. When a godly man is appointed to a position of leadership, God uses him to affect the lives of others and speaks through him to accomplish His purpose.

Honor is not just a noun. It is also a verb. When used as a verb, honor is the respect or reverence we have for another. That is what is meant by Hananiah’s fear of God. To honor God is to revere Him; to have a profound, adoring, awed respect for Him. The Roman Centurion also understood this concept. Why did he adhere to uncompromising ideals? Not just because his personal reputation was at stake but, more importantly, to show honor to his emperor. As men of God in positions of leadership over others, we must also understand this. In the words of author Jeff O’Leary, “We who lead are reminded that we are responsible to more than earthly authority when we are placed in leadership over others.” We must never forget that Christ alone is the source of our strength and that we must strive to honor Him in everything we do and say. As the Bible says in Colossians 3:23-24, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. “ That, more than anything else, is why the man of God must possess character that demonstrates the honor of a Centurion.

Right about now, the enemy might be trying to convince you that you do not have what it takes to develop the character of a Centurion. That is a lie. The truth is that Satan knows God uses righteous men to lead the way here on earth. Satan also knows that God doesn’t need men who are skilled at many things. Rather, He looks for men of integrity, who fear Him and are willing to go when sent. If a man possesses those qualities, God will provide him with the additional training and skill necessary to complete the mission. As Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States, so eloquently puts it,

“It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.”

Young men, take 1 Corinthians 16:13 to heart. Strive to live your life in service to the Lord Jesus Christ with the strength and honor of a Centurion.

Mike McFarland
Guest Director