Don’t Hesitate

                I like a good war movie.  A lot of the modern ones seem to be more violence and special effects than story, so I tend to watch old John Wayne films more often than not. But I have to tell you, one modern war movie that I like is Mel Gibson’s “We Were Soldiers”.

                It’s the story of Hal Moore and the seventh Calvary as they train for and then carry out a battle of La Drang in Vietnam.  They are going to be the first “air Calvary”; using helicopters to drop off soldiers in an isolated and potentially surrounded location, and then being dependent on those helicopters to provide support and transportation in and out of the battle zone. 

                There’s a point in the training where Mel Gibson’s Character Hal Moore is watching his soldiers drilling the drop off’s, and he shakes his head.  He walks on the field and when the next helicopter touches down he pops up, surprising the soldiers on board and says “bang, he’s dead!” looking at the next soldier on the deck, “what do you do son?” hesitation. “he hesitated, what do you do?” pointing to the next one. “Get off the copter?” the kid looks like he’s about ready to wet himself.

“Get off the copter!” Moore shouts and the men all pile out. 

The Helicopter pulls away and Moore gathers them together. 

“I want each of you to learn the job of the man above you, and to teach your job to the man below you.” 

               

                How many of you have a job in this family of Christ that is vital to its survival?  How many of those have someone who can step in at a moment’s notice and continue the work that you do?  What is the transition model God has laid out to us in His Word?  For that is the example we are all striving to follow; is it not?  

                The easy, go to example would be to focus on Jesus and his disciples.  I’m going to go back a little further, to Joshua. Joshua was the leader who took over the Hebrew’s trip from Egypt, where they lived in slavery under pharaohs’ whims, to the Promised Land, where God promised to take them.  Moses led them as long and as far as he could. He served God and taught the Hebrews the will of God and how to live their lives in a holy way.  And then he died.  God called him home.  Do you know how many Hebrews were out wandering the desert?  10’s of thousands? 100’s of thousands? In Numbers 1:45-46, the number given of “all the Israelites 20 years old or more who were able to serve in Israel’s army were counted according to their families. The total number was 603, 550”.     603 550 men of fighting age!  Add men too old to fight, crippled, women, children and the number jumps to millions, and that’s not even counting the tribe of Levi. (Numbers 1:48.49.)

                In Deuteronomy 31:1-8 Moses is 120 years old; his time of leadership is ending. He knows that there has to be a smooth transition in order for God’s people to survive out in the wilderness.  To leave them without leadership at such a delicate time would invite chaos and corruption.  Moses calls up Joshua, in front of everyone, and proclaims him the successor to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land.  In Joshua 1:1, the Bible says that the Lord spoke to Joshua, “Moses’ aide”, upon the death of Moses.  This implies that Joshua spent from the time of his appointment as successor until the time of Moses’ death at his side, learning the ins and outs of the job he was to inherit.  When the inevitable happened, he wasn’t taking the position “cold”.  He knew, by example, what his job was, and what it took to do it. 

                Ever try to apply for a job and the ad says “must have ‘this’ much experience to apply for this job”?  You think to yourself, “I need the job to get the experience to apply for the job”.   Frustrating isn’t it?  

                This is another example of God not working like the World.  God gives us plenty of examples of this.  Moses had Joshua, Jesus had 12 disciples learning from him, and Paul had Timothy.   Think of it as a biblical apprenticeship.  Experience comes from the example of , and instruction from, the person before you.        

As I look around, this is a critical time at this moment in our family at North Side.  We are beginning a new battle, so to speak.  The helicopter is landing. Who have you taken under your wing?  What happens to our Family if you are not here anymore?  Does the person behind you know your job? Who is your Joshua?  Preparation is essential for survival.

Back to The movie; “We Were Soldiers.”   The question was,

“What do you do?”   Answer:

Don’t hesitate.