'Hold the Fort for I Am Coming'
We are called to stand firm in our faith and trust in God's promise to come and help us, just like the soldiers who held the Kenesaw mountain fort.
D.L. Moody shares a powerful message about perseverance in faith, using the historical example of General Sherman's troops who were urged to 'Hold the fort' as they faced overwhelming odds. Despite the fierce battle and the temptation to surrender, the soldiers found hope in the message that reinforcements were on the way, symbolizing the assurance of Christ's return and support in our struggles. Moody emphasizes that just as the soldiers held their ground, Christians are called to stand firm in their faith, knowing that Jesus, our Great Commander, is coming to our aid. The sermon encourages believers to rally together and remain steadfast, echoing the hymn 'Hold the fort, for I am coming.'
Text
I am told that when General Sherman went through Atlanta toward the sea, through the southern states; he left in the fort, in the Kenesaw mountains, a little handful of men to guard some rations that he brought there. And General Hood got into the outer rear and attacked the fort, drove the men in from the outer works into the inner works, and for a long time the battle raged fearfully. Half of the men were either killed or wounded; the general who was in command was wounded seven different times; and when they were about ready to run up the white flag and surrender the fort, Sherman got within fifteen miles, and through the signal corps on the mountain he sent the message, "Hold the fort; I am coming. W. T. Sherman." That message fired up their hearts, and they held the fort till reinforcements came, and the fort did not go into the hands of their enemies. Our friend, Mr. Bliss, has written a hymn entitled "Hold the fort, for I am coming," and I'm going to ask Mr. Sankey to sing that hymn. I hope there will be a thousand young converts coming into our ranks to help hold the fort. Our Savior is in command, and He is coming. Let us take up the chorus.
Ho! my comrades, see the signal
Waving in the sky!
Reinforcements now appearing,
Victory is nigh!
CHORUS:-- "Hold the fort, for I am coming."
Jesus signals still,
Wave the answer back to heaven,
"By Thy grace we will."
See the mighty hosts advancing,
Satan lending on;
Mighty men around us falling,
Courage almost gone. -- CHORUS
See the glorious banner waving,
Hear the bugle blow,
In our leader's name we'll triumph
Over every foe. -- CHORUS
Fierce and long the battle rages,
But our Help is near;
Onward comes our Great Commander,
Cheer, my comrades, cheer! -- CHORUS
Sermon Outline
- Introduction
- The application of the story to our lives
- The call to action
- Hold the fort for I am coming
- Wave the answer back to heaven
- By Thy grace we will
Key Quotes
“Hold the fort; I am coming.” — D.L. Moody
“Our Savior is in command, and He is coming.” — D.L. Moody
“By Thy grace we will.” — D.L. Moody
Application Points
- We must stand firm in our faith and trust in God's promise to come and help us.
- We can find encouragement and hope in God's communication with us, just like the signal corps in the story.
- We must persevere and hold on to our faith, even in the midst of challenges and difficulties.