Sunday, May 25, 2014

Memorial Day Message ~ May 25, 2014



INTRODUCTION

Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you: Jesus Christ and the American Soldier. One died for your soul. The other died for your freedom.[1]
My name is Malcolm Rios and I am the Operations Officer for the Army’s Chaplain Recruiting Branch here at Fort Knox. I’m honored to have been invited by Bill Knott to come and speak here at Radcliff First Assembly on this Memorial Day Sunday. I brought my family with me: Amanda, Sophia, and Angus.
You don’t know me from Adam … so I’m compelled to give you a little background about myself … possibly shed some light on why Bill asked me to join you in worship today. I graduated from high school in 1988 and by the end of the summer was at Naval Station Great Lakes for Basic Training. I spent four glorious years in the Navy. Got to see a lot of the world, deployed once, and did a few tours at GTMO. After my tour, I went back home and enrolled in college. I had three inglorious years in college. I think the best thing I did in college was get involved in rugby. I just came off my 19th year playing. It was with Louisville Rugby Football Club.
Jump ahead and in May of 1997 I gave my life to Christ. I gave my life to Christ in an A/G church – Trinity Assembly in Algood, TN, to be exact. Eddie Turner was the Senior Pastor but Mike Campbell was preaching the day I gave my life to Jesus. As a new Christian, I was hungry and jumped in head first. I immediately plugged into Chi Alpha. In 1998, I plugged into Young Life ministry. In 2000, an evangelist shared about the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary (AGTS) in church. I applied and was accepted but deferred to pay off some loans I had taken out to start a landscaping business.
In 2001, 9/11 goes down. On 9/12, I was in a recruiting station trying to figure out how I could come in as a chaplain. The recruiters told me I needed to go to seminary and get a M.Div. so on January 1, 2002, I left home and went to AGTS to begin my pursuit of chaplaincy. I was not picked up by the Navy (because the Navy is where I started). In the summer of 2003, I came back to TN & enlisted in the Tennessee Army National Guard (TNARNG) as medic.
Early in 2004, our Regiment (278th ACR) was mobilized and deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III. We returned from Iraq in 2005. In 2006, after six months of decompression and reintegration, I accepted a position as Associate Pastor / Youth Pastor of Livingston First United Methodist Church (LFUMC). That is where I met Amanda and we married almost a year later.
I ended my enlisted time with the TNARNG in November 2007 but always told Amanda that if the opportunity ever came up to be a chaplain, I would go for it. Our daughter, Sophia, was born in 2008. In 2009, I got a call from an old friend who I played rugby with in college and he asked me, “Do you want to be a chaplain?” He told me what I needed to do and who I needed to talk to so I enrolled online to complete the qualifications for a M.Div. through Liberty University. Angus was born in September.
I was commissioned as chaplain candidate in February 2010. Upon completion of my M.Div. in the summer of 2011, I was accessed as a Chaplain for the TNARNG. My heart’s intention was to be an Active Duty chaplain. I wanted to do it fulltime, full-bore. I applied and in 2012, was boarded and selected on an Order of Merit List. God opened doors and I sworn in on Active Duty in September of 2012; my first duty station being Fort Knox and my first position being Operations Officer in Charge, Chaplain Recruiting Branch. Folks … all of that was just a snapshot from 50000 feet of who I am and where I’ve come from … because of who God is and what He has done in my life.

OPENING PRAYER

Let us pray.

Lord … we come to you with open hearts and ask that you speak to our spirits with words of wisdom and direction, that we may know how you wish for us to pray. Help your humble servants to speak words of praise and adoration, for you are the King of kings and Lord of lords. Teach us, Lord, that we may know you and the power of your resurrection. Fill us with your presence and forgive our shortcomings. Lead us, O Lord, to a higher place, that you might be lifted up and draw all men to you. Amen.[2]

SCRIPTURE
1 And it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over the Jordan, that the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying: 2 “Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe, 3 and command them, saying, ‘Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight.’” 
4 Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the children of Israel, one man from every tribe; 5 and Joshua said to them: “Cross over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, 6 that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ 
7 Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.” 
8 And the children of Israel did so, just as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the midst of the Jordan, as the Lord had spoken to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. 
9 Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the Ark of the Covenant stood; and they are there to this day. (Joshua 4:4-9 NLT)

PRAYER
ALMIGHTY God, giver and sustainer of life and liberty … we bow our heads in honor and memory of all those who in past wars paid the ultimate sacrifice, that we might enjoy the blessings of governing our own land … according to our own laws … and by our own people. We remember not only those who left their homes never to come back again, but also the mothers in whose windows hangs a gold star; and the tens of thousands of wives who said good bye one last time; and for the children, whose daddies never got to hold their son or daughter again.Lord God of Hosts, be with us, lest we forget. Lest we forget the noble efforts of both the past and the present to free the enslaved, to maintain order in a world of unrest and chaos, to promote social justice, yes, and to preserve our land from terrorism and all who would take from us our freedom of thought … our freedom of expression … our freedom of worship … and our freedom of government.[3]May words of my mouth and the thoughts and meditations in our hearts be wholly and pleasing to you, Father. Amen.

SERMON

What comes to mind when you hear the word “memorial?” Before I prayed, we read about Joshua leading the Nation of Israel across the Jordan. They were headed where? To the Promised Land, right. And what did God ask Joshua to do when they were crossing? Pick twelve men – twelve leaders – to pick up 12 stones and erect a memorial. Why’d God do that? What did these stones mean? Joshua 4:7 says, “You shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.” A memorial to the children of Israel forever … that got me wondering, “What else does the Bible say about memorials.”

Exodus 3:14-15 NKJV
“And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’”

So God gave his name as a memorial to the children of Israel. Why? It was to remind them that He is the living God. He’s not just the God of their ancestors or the God of everyone’s future hope. He is the God of the here and now! I AM!

Exodus 12:13-14 NKJV
“Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. ‘So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance.”

The Passover is a memorial. God’s work again on behalf of his people! Think about it … God sent “The Death Angel” to make a point to Pharaoh … and an example out of him … and He – God – made a way out for his people. Tell me Passover isn’t important to remember!

Mark 14:3-9 NKJV
And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head. But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, “Why was this fragrant oil wasted? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they criticized her sharply. But Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me. For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always. She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial. Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”

Do you see a pattern happening here? Somebody doing something for somebody else. A memorial – a remembrance – for someone who has given of themselves – sacrificed – for someone else.
As Christians, what do you think our greatest memorial is? It has to be the cross. Everything after the cross is what gives us hope … but it’s the cross … where Jesus bled and died and gave himself for us … that’s where the sacrifice happened.
Now let me ask you about Memorial Day? What does Memorial Day mean to you? Do you know the history of Memorial Day? There is some debate out there … and I got this off the internet … which only tells you the truth … but this is from the US Memorial Day website
Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in service of the United States of America. Over two dozen cities and towns claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day. Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966.
Memorial Day was borne out of the Civil War and a desire to honor our dead. It was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11. “The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,” he proclaimed. The date of Decoration Day, as he called it, was chosen because it wasn’t the anniversary of any particular battle.
On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, and 5,000 participants decorated the graves of the 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried there.
The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war).
It is now celebrated in almost every state on the last Monday in May with Congressional passage of the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 – 363).[4]
So what do we glean from that? Memorial Day was borne out of a desire to honor our dead. It was done by decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country. The date was chosen because it wasn’t the anniversary of any particular battle. So memorials are important because they help us … and future generations … remember the sacrifices that people before us have made so that we can enjoy what we enjoy today.
I gave you three biblical examples of memorials up front. But the Bible is filled with so many more because God wants us to remember the work He has done for us. That’s the whole message of the Gospel … the work God has done for us! That’s all it’s about. Let me share one more memorial with you from the New Testament. Turn to Matthew 17 … this is the story of the transfiguration. I love this story because it constantly reminds me of how zealous Peter was and how humble Jesus really was.

1 Six days later Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. 2 As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. 3 Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus. 4 Peter exclaimed, “Lord, it’s wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I’ll make three shelters as memorials – one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”5 But even as he spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.” 6 The disciples were terrified and fell face down on the ground. 7 Then Jesus came over and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 And when they looked up, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus. 9 As they went back down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead” (Matthew 17:1-9 NLT).

Peter wanted everyone to know that he had just experienced something great! Why wouldn’t he? He just saw Jesus with Moses and Elijah … two guys who had been dead for hundreds of years! And then he heard the voice of God! Wouldn’t you be a little excited? He wanted others to know and remember as well but Jesus had other plans. The Bible says that a lot, you know …”But God” or “But Jesus” … and then it’s followed by Jesus doing something or saying something that makes me think, “Silly disciples” or “Stupid Pharisees” or mostly, “Silly Malcolm.”
Jesus didn’t want anybody else to know what Peter, James, and John had seen … until He did something even more incredible … get raised from the dead! But isn’t that the case for anyone you’ve ever met or seen that has done something of any real significance for someone else … they don’t want all the hype.
Now, we’re gonna talk military here but think about it … when was the last time you watched a Medal of Honor Ceremony for a living recipient? What is consistent about those ceremonies? The recipient always says it’s not about him … it’s about the real heroes … the ones who didn’t make it back. Every time! To the recipient … the Medal is a memorial to those men and women he took action to protect and serve. Now there are all kinds of awards that given as memorials to those who serve and have served: Purple Heart, Silver Star, Bronze Star … but let’s focus on the one that says, “This guy really laid it all out there.”

MEDAL OF HONOR

I’d like to share with you the criteria for being nominated / awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor in action against an enemy force which can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Services of the United States. Generally, the Medal of Honor is presented to its recipient by the President of the United States of America.

The Medal of Honor is presented to the service member who distinguishes himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty:
(1) while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States;
(2) while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; or
(3) while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.

[Besides being given the individual award, the recipients are memorialized one step further.]  The Hall of Heroes is located inside the Pentagon and honors each and every Medal of Honor recipient. Inside the hall, three glass cases enclose the three versions of the Medal of Honor - the Army version; the sea-going version for the Navy, the Marine Corps and the Coast Guard; and the Air Force version. More than 3,100 thin silver metal strips, each engraved with a name of a Medal of Honor awardee, line the walls in long columns. The Hall of Heroes was opened and dedicated by President Lyndon B. Johnson on May 14, 1968.[5]

For all the Soldiers here, what are the Army Values?
·         Loyalty
·         Duty
·         Respect
·         Selfless Service
·         Honor
·         Integrity
·         Personal Courage

I want to talk about “Selfless Service.”
Put the welfare of the nation, the Army and your subordinates before your own. Selfless service is larger than just one person. In serving your country, you are doing your duty loyally without thought of recognition or gain. The basic building block of selfless service is the commitment of each team member to go a little further, endure a little longer, and look a little closer to see how he or she can add to the effort.[6]

Jesus wasn’t in the Army but isn’t that what he did? His mission was larger than himself Remember what Philippians 2:5-7 NKJV says? “5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.” Jesus went a little further. He endured a little longer. He took it upon himself – literally – to be the game changer. That’s what He did for you, for you, and for me.
Aren’t those the very things that we really remember on Memorial Day? Not just their names but what their lives represent. We honor the dead because they lived lives worthy of remembrances. Whether they died on a lonely battlefield thousands of miles away from home or years later in the company of generations of their family … we honor the sacrifices they made so that we can lived blessed lives today. I’m going to close out with one more story. It’s about a guy named Murph.

MURPH
Michael P. Murphy, fondly referred to by friends and family as “Murph,” was born May 7, 1976 in Smithtown, N.Y. and grew up in the New York City commuter town of Patchogue, N.Y. on Long Island. Murphy grew up active in sports and attended Patchogue's Saxton Middle School. In high school, Murphy took a summer lifeguard job at the Brookhaven town beach in Lake Ronkonkoma -- a job he returned to each summer through his college years. Murphy graduated from Patchogue-Medford High School in 1994.
Murphy attended Penn State University, where he was an exceptional all-around athlete and student, excelling at ice hockey and graduating with honors. He was an avid reader; his reading tastes ranged from the Greek historian Herodotus to Tolstoy's "War and Peace." Murphy's favorite book was Steven Pressfield’s “Gates of Fire,” about the Spartan stand at Thermopylae. In 1998, he graduated with a pair of Bachelor of Arts degrees from Penn State -- in political science and psychology.
Following graduation, he was accepted to several law schools, but instead he changed course.  Slightly built at 5 feet 10 inches, Murphy decided to attend SEAL mentoring sessions at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point with his sights on becoming a U.S. Navy SEAL. Murphy accepted an appointment to the Navy's Officer Candidate School at Pensacola, Fla., in September, 2000.
Murphy was commissioned as an ensign in the Navy on Dec. 13, 2000, and began Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training in Coronado, Calif., in January 2001, graduating with Class 236. BUD/S is a six-month training course and the first step to becoming a Navy SEAL.
Upon graduation from BUD/S, he attended the Army Jump School, SEAL Qualification Training and SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV) School. Lt. Murphy earned his SEAL Trident and checked on board SDV Team (SDVT) 1 in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in July of 2002. In October of 2002, he deployed with Foxtrot Platoon to Jordan as the liaison officer for Exercise Early Victor.
Following his tour with SDVT-1, Lt. Murphy was assigned to Special Operations Central Command in Florida and deployed to Qatar in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. After returning from Qatar, Lt. Murphy was deployed to the Horn of Africa, Djibouti, to assist in the operational planning of future SDV missions.
In early 2005, Murphy was assigned to SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 1 as assistant officer in charge of ALFA Platoon and deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
On June 28, 2005, Lt. Murphy was the officer-in-charge of a four-man SEAL element in support of Operation Red Wing tasked with finding key anti-coalition militia commander near Asadabad, Afghanistan. Shortly after inserting into the objective area, the SEALs were spotted by three goat herders who were initially detained and then released. It is believed the goat herders immediately reported the SEALs’ presence to Taliban fighters.
A fierce gun battle ensued on the steep face of the mountain between the SEALs and a much larger enemy force. Despite the intensity of the firefight and suffering grave gunshot wounds himself, Murphy is credited with risking his own life to save the lives of his teammates. Murphy, intent on making contact with headquarters, but realizing this would be impossible in the extreme terrain where they were fighting, unhesitatingly and with complete disregard for his own life moved into the open, where he could gain a better position to transmit a call to get help for his men.
Moving away from the protective mountain rocks, he knowingly exposed himself to increased enemy gunfire.  This deliberate and heroic act deprived him of cover and made him a target for the enemy.  While continuing to be fired upon, Murphy made contact with the SOF Quick Reaction Force at Bagram Air Base and requested assistance. He calmly provided his unit’s location and the size of the enemy force while requesting immediate support for his team. At one point, he was shot in the back causing him to drop the transmitter. Murphy picked it back up, completed the call and continued firing at the enemy who was closing in.  Severely wounded, Lt. Murphy returned to his cover position with his men and continued the battle.
As a result of Murphy’s call, an MH-47 Chinook helicopter, with eight additional SEALs and eight Army Night Stalkers aboard, was sent in as part of the QRF to extract the four embattled SEALs. As the Chinook drew nearer to the fight, a rocket-propelled grenade hit the helicopter, causing it to crash and killing all 16 men aboard.
On the ground and nearly out of ammunition, the four SEALs continued to fight.  By the end of a two-hour gunfight that careened through the hills and over cliffs, Murphy, Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class (SEAL) Danny Dietz and Sonar Technician 2nd Class (SEAL) Matthew Axelson had fallen. An estimated 35 Taliban were also dead.  The fourth SEAL, Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class (SEAL) Marcus Luttrell, was blasted over a ridge by a rocket-propelled grenade and knocked unconscious. Though severely wounded, the fourth SEAL and sole survivor, Luttrell, was able to evade the enemy for nearly a day; after which local nationals came to his aide, carrying him to a nearby village where they kept him for three more days. Luttrell was rescued by U.S. Forces on July 2, 2005.
By his undaunted courage, intrepid fighting spirit and inspirational devotion to his men in the face of certain death, Lt. Murphy was able to relay the position of his unit, an act that ultimately led to the rescue of Luttrell and the recovery of the remains of the three who were killed in the battle.
Lt. Murphy was buried at Calverton National Cemetery less than 20 miles from his childhood home. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. His other personal awards include the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Ribbon and National Defense Service Medal.[7]
Murph has been memorialized by his teammate, Marcus Luttrell, in the book Lone Survivor which is also now a major motion picture. His family and close friends have released a documentary titled, Murph, which honors him like nothing I’ve ever seen. I hope we all live lives worthy of being remembered on the scale that Murph continues to be remembered … because he gave all.
On this Memorial Day … remember the fallen. Honor the dead … for “only the dead have seen the end of war.”[8]

 And know this …
1 to everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven:
2 A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted;
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to gain, and a time to lose;
A time to keep, and a time to throw away;
7 A time to tear, and a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 A time to love, and a time to hate;
A time of war, and a time of peace (Ecc. 3:1-8 NLT).

I pray this is your time of peace. I pray that if you have not picked up your memorial stone – come to the memorial of the cross – make this day your day – make this day your memorial. All gave some … some gave all.
Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you: The American Soldier and Jesus Christ. One died for your freedom. The other died for your soul.

CLOSING PRAYER 

Let us pray the prayer of Francis of Assisi: “Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is darkness, light; where there is sickness, health; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be loved as to love; for it is in giving we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; it is in dying that we are born to eternal life." This we pray in Jesus name. Amen
[1] Dennis Edward O'Brien, Sergeant, USMC.

[2] Jack Countryman, If My People …: A 40-Day Prayer Guide for Our Nation (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2008), 36.
[4] http://www.usmemorialday.org/?page_id=2 (Accessed May 23, 2014).
[5] http://www.navy.mil/moh/faq.html (Accessed May 23, 2014).
[8] Plato.
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