The first time I heard someone speak from the story of Jonathan with his Armor Bearer in 1Sam. 14, was my first experience hearing Erwin McManus. Jonathan says to his Armor Bearer hiding at bottom of a hill of a Philistine Garrison, Let’s go up and pick a fight and Maybe God will be with us!
It’s a rare story in the Bible about Picking a Fight. But I’m glad it’s there because there are times to Pick a Fight.
I see people across this country exhausted from isolation without sufficient income let alone with pent up energy of wanting to get back to work!
Watching people willing to risk being jailed, fined, criticized or labeled a rebel is everywhere. Goes along with our Son’s latest book; “Beautiful Rebellion” where students are saying, “Enough! I’m only willing to live a life worth dying for! The life I see in normal people can’t be it! I’m going to Pick a Fight and Create Change in this Culture! Maybe God will be With Me!”
In 1969 God gave us a dream to reach the high school students of America. Quite our business and started the band thinking, Maybe God will be With Us! We would sing in 4 to 5 high school assemblies free a day violating every Christian norm thinking Maybe God will be With Us. Hundreds of students coming to Jesus many days through the 70’s.
By the end of the 70’s we were offered the Job of Entertainment Director at Disney World, but instead, let’s be a Youth Pastor; Maybe God will be With Us! Carol started a Youth Choir of 75 kids. Booked tours up and down the east coast during their summer break. But these students weren’t normal Christians raised in the church. Bad hair, Bad clothes, with No understanding of Christian behavior or language. Maybe God will be with Us! Their first song, many old timers stood up and walked out because they didn’t sound the part or look the part. Betrayal can stop some, but not these kids. Let’s keep going! Maybe God will be With Us! We switched to singing in Inner City Churches. Those poor people stood on their feet on the first song, and they are clapping, smiling and finding Jesus. We finished the concert with hugs, kisses, and people renewed in their faith, not wanting to leave. Why? God was With Us!
As Youth Pastors, after a few years we experienced betrayal along with the senior pastor destroying the church. Through the chaos, we were asked to move into the senior pastor position which scared us to death. We felt God saying, Come On! Let’s Pick a Fight. I’ll Be With You! Ok!
Could it be that wounds get too deep and the feeling like I can’t take one more blow, not one more betrayal, not one more time? Have decisions been made causing your passion to feel minimized, beat up, and criticized leaving you all alone? The Gospel is very simple but very serious, and it must be embraced with your heart. Once you do, the warmth of God’s embrace will heal, energize you with renewed passion to empower you to pick a fight.
Let’s go to the outcome of Jonathan and his Armor Bearer. They went up to the Uncircumcised Philistine Garrison and killed all 20 of them.
Most of the time our fight is not against people. Erwin later said, “A Warrior fights with all his might for Peace.” There is a Beautiful Wonder of knowing the reality that God is Good! He is the Prince of Peace. Could it be said of you, “I have fought a Good Fight, and laid up for me is a Crown of Righteousness?”
