Throwing Down Gauntlet for God

I'll never forget the day I spent up in Northfield, Massachusetts, years ago. I had traveled many times to D.L. Moody's grave and home site, but this particular day was special. It was a perfect sunny day in October.

As I sat on the porch of the homestead Moody was born in, I sat there for a couple of hours, reflecting on his useful life unto God. Then I walked on over to his home, where in the upstairs bedroom he died. Then up the hill I climbed to his favorite spot called Round Top, where he liked to conduct Bible studies and pray, and where his mortal remains lay buried next to his wife.

And as I stood atop Round Top and surveyed the campus of the school he built, with the old auditorium in the background, my thoughts ran to a story about him. Moody was in England, talking with a minister who told him, the world has yet to see what God can do with the man wholly consecrated to him. And Moody walked away, muttering under his breath, for God's sake, make me that man.

And God answered that prayer of Moody, which was a challenge to God, a throwing down of the gauntlet, so to speak, challenging God to answer that vow. And as Moody's words rang in my ears, as I walked down from Round Top that day, with tears in my eyes and a hunger in my heart, to be that kind of man for God as well, I believe God pays close attention, friends, to our heart's desire to serve him. And the more willing we are to give ourselves up entirely to God, it's a challenge to God to do that very thing in our life, by making it a reality.

The title of my message today, friends, is Throwing Down the Gauntlet for God. And my text can be found in Philippians chapter 3. You can turn in your Bibles there now, friends. We will be in verses 7 through 8. Here now is the word of God, and may the Spirit of the Lord attend the reading of his holy word.

But what things were gained to me, those I counted lost for Christ? Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ. Here in our text, the Apostle Paul sits in a Roman prison, reflecting on his life and ministry for the Lord Jesus. His body is scarred from beatings and persecutions for the sake of the gospel.

He sits there in chains, weighing his losses against his gains. Paul early in his ministry made up his mind to be willing to lose it all for the sake of the gospel by gambling his life away on the Lord Jesus Christ. And as he sits in that cold dank prison cell, he realizes it's all been worth it for the souls of men.

And he wants to share that with the Christians in Philippi. Oh, one of D.L. Moody's favorite Bible verses was 2 Chronicles 16.9, which states, For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. And I believe that verse to be true, friends, that God is continually on the search for another D.L. Moody.

He's looking for another George Whitefield, another John Wesley, another Sam Jones, a man like putting his hand that he can mold to bring him glory to himself. But there has to be that willingness to be wholly consecrated to him, that willingness to lose everything for him. Oddly, there aren't many Christians today willing to do that.

They rely on their 401ks too much. They don't want to lose their reputation they worked so hard to gain. They'd rather play it safe and serve God on their own terms in a more neat Christianity.

But there was nothing neat about Calvary. Rather, it was a bloody spectacle, a bloody mess, as Christ writhed and squirmed on that instrument of death, while a jeering world mocked him. The apostles, with the exception of John, all died martyr's deaths.

Peter was crucified upside down, and Paul was beheaded. The early church didn't play it safe, but they sure turned the world upside down. They each were willing to throw down the gauntlet in their life of faith for Christ and the sake of the gospel.

And I believe God can do a lot with the person who is willing to suffer the loss of all things for him. But the key word is willing. And all we have to do is to be willing to go out on a limb for God, and he will take care of the rest on his time and in his way for his purpose.

Let me ask you, are you willing, friend? Brother preacher, are you willing? Throwing down the gauntlet for God can be the biggest challenge of your life, but God is on the lookout for such men.