00:00:00.000 - 00:00:14.480

[ Silence ] [MUSIC PLAYING] [ Music ] ♪ How blessed indeed ♪

00:00:14.480 - 00:00:34.480

♪ My Savior be ♪ ♪ And in my sovereign love ♪ ♪ Would He depose ♪ ♪ That sacred head ♪

00:00:34.480 - 00:00:55.480

♪ For such a word as I ♪ ♪ At the cross, at the cross ♪ ♪ Where I first saw the light ♪ ♪ And the burden of my heart rolled away ♪

00:00:55.480 - 00:01:19.440

♪ It was there, my faith, I received ♪ ♪ I received my sight ♪ ♪ And now I am happy all the day ♪ ♪ At the cross, at the cross ♪

00:01:19.440 - 00:01:35.060

♪ Where I first saw the light ♪ ♪ And the burdens of my heart ♪ ♪ Wore away ♪ ♪ It was there I prayed ♪

00:01:35.060 - 00:01:59.660

♪ I received my sight ♪ ♪ And now I am happy all the day ♪ - Hear this word. We did esteem him stricken, smitten of God,

00:01:59.660 - 00:02:41.780

and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. The subject of the message, "The Wounded Warrior." Our country honors those who serve in the military and are wounded in combat, those

00:02:41.780 - 00:03:24.700

Those who exhibit an unusual degree of bravery are decorated with medals. The wounded may be awarded the Purple Heart. This is our nation's way of recognizing and expressing appreciation for the wounded warrior, for the warrior who shows the willingness to sacrifice life itself for his country.

00:03:24.700 - 00:04:10.760

Honor for the wounded. That place is suffering on a rather high level. Wounds inflict pain. There is a tendency for us to cry out, "Lord, take away pain." We live in a world of pain. God created a perfect world, but pain has come into this world because of our disobedience to the eternal.

00:04:10.760 - 00:04:40.560

Our rebellion against goodness, our rebellion against freedom has created for us an existence plagued with disease and suffering. We must fight to survive. And we become wounded in the struggle.

00:04:40.560 - 00:04:57.820

Even when existence is permeated, I say, with suffering, we get hurt. Sometimes we hurt ourselves. We slam the car door on our finger.

00:04:57.820 - 00:05:18.920

We step our toe and our foot and we fall. we hurt ourselves. There were those who inject poison in their veins. Many ways we hurt ourselves.

00:05:18.920 - 00:05:38.400

I'm reminded of a veteran of the Christian faith who was in his 80s and he would, from time to time, and testifying concerning the Christian pilgrimage, would say, "Well, the greatest harm that comes to me, I do to myself." And in many ways,

00:05:38.400 - 00:06:28.780

we hurt ourselves and become our own enemy. Then again, we are hurt by others. We get wounded. Somebody says something to hurt our feelings. And some of us never forget it when get hurt that way. Adam and Eve wounded themselves by eating the forbidden fruit. We become wounded in the garden of life when we fail to follow the instructions of the gardener. Suffering

00:06:28.780 - 00:06:56.300

Nothing becomes bearable if there is a reason for our suffering that gives comfort, strength, and hope. We become frustrated in our suffering when we do not see a reason for it, when we do do not derive from it some measure of comfort,

00:06:56.300 - 00:07:16.940

then we cannot see in and through it some hope. Job is frustrated by his suffering, because as he searches for a reason, he cannot see a reason for his suffering.

00:07:16.940 - 00:07:32.640

His three friends appear on the scene and they find a reason. They give the orthodox answer that this is happening to you because this is the way God wills it.

00:07:32.640 - 00:07:44.080

God is doing it. That's an easy answer for many. Many have that theology today. Whenever something happens, well God did this.

00:07:44.080 - 00:08:15.980

does not satisfy the deepest yearnings of the soul and we do not serve a God who delights in bringing pain to his children. Why was Israel suffering humiliation in Babylon? Why were God's favorite people bearing the burdens of oppression.

00:08:15.980 - 00:08:34.740

Why do good people suffer? Second Isaiah lifts suffering to the noblest plateau known to humankind. In this vivid and moving description of the suffering servant,

00:08:34.900 - 00:09:05.440

The reason for Israel's suffering is realized through the suffering servant of history. The reason is realized through this peculiar one. And this suffering servant is God's wounded warrior. He comes to do battle against wickedness.

00:09:05.440 - 00:09:22.480

He is the one who comes to righten the wrongs. He comes to lead the human family to that higher righteousness. We're accustomed in our various dramas

00:09:22.480 - 00:09:46.320

that are depicted on television and on stage and screen. We see the warrior who has bullets all around him bums bursting in air and he comes through it all without a scratch. Well that's not quite the way life is. That in this battle of life we are wounded in the

00:09:46.320 - 00:10:25.600

struggle and the truth of the matter is that the innocent suffer. We have wars that inflict violence and we not only see this flashed on our screen day by day but we see it in our communities in the wave of crime. Just this past week a young lady came home and the key was not in her hands. Her relative had gone off

00:10:25.600 - 00:10:45.160

with the key and she came home a little earlier from school and she, the relative was a little later getting back and so she went to the corner telephone to call and while she's in the telephone booth there's a shootout involving persons no doubt dealing as the police think in the narcotic rings

00:10:45.160 - 00:11:10.600

and she's killed, wounded, destroyed and it happens time and time again. innocent children destroyed by bullets and bombs. Yet somehow that's the story of the cross in the web of human existence. Jesus blesses people,

00:11:10.600 - 00:11:43.640

but the hands that are lifted in blessing are nailed to the cross. He went to people, but those feet that were quick on errands of mercy, nailed to the cross. He was a comrade to all who stand in need of help and yet he is pierced in the side. Consider his wounds this warrior of royal

00:11:43.640 - 00:12:16.940

righteousness and the poet says here this poetic prophet I might say is that he was wounded for our transgressions. This righteous one who's wounded for us is not one who deserves such treatment. Many times a person is wounded because he or she is getting what may be deserved. Those who live by the sword

00:12:16.940 - 00:12:46.780

die by the sword, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But here is the sinless one who is wounded for our transgressions. The two revolutionaries that were on the cross were crucified because they had engaged in activities that were against the state. And And so they were caught and tried for their rebellious acts.

00:12:46.780 - 00:13:12.140

They were getting what they deserved. But here is one who comes to help, who comes to lift fallen humanity. And he is wounded for our transgressions. And the poet says that he is stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

00:13:12.140 - 00:13:51.100

of God, the suffering servant is smitten by righteousness. And you know, when you really seek to live the good life, somehow we need to identify with this wounded warrior who is smitten of God, smitten of God and afflicted. That if we would endeavor to live the good life, if we would endeavor to be holy, if we would endeavor to be like God, we will be like the

00:13:51.100 - 00:14:26.220

wounded warrior. There's something about righteousness that causes us to be smitten by it. You know Jacob wrestled with an angel and as he wrestled with the angel, when the angel let him go, Jacob walked with a limp for the rest of his life because he drew nigh unto the holy. And if we really draw nigh unto that which is holy, it will reorder our lives

00:14:26.940 - 00:14:38.140

and many of us will walk with a limp. We are wounded in the struggle. Wounded for our transgressions. He comes here.

00:14:38.140 - 00:14:55.260

He comes among us. And he comes among us to point to us the highway of happiness. And because he comes to make for us the highway of happiness and holiness, he is wounded in the struggle.

00:14:55.260 - 00:15:18.200

And he becomes what the prophet calls the wounded warrior. He's afflicted by God, he suffers because of his goodness. And this warrior is wounded for truth. Oh, many warriors are wounded for falsehood,

00:15:18.200 - 00:15:30.320

but to suffer for truth, to be wounded for truth, Ah, that's a different matter. Because when we tell the truth, we like to think that we're going to get rewarded.

00:15:30.320 - 00:15:40.920

And we say of the young warrior of the faith, we sing it in one of our hymns. Give of your best to the master. Give of the strength of your youth.

00:15:40.920 - 00:15:59.200

Throw your soul's fresh, glowing honor into the battle of truth. But what about it when you become wounded in the struggle? Become the wounded warrior. Wounded for freedom.

00:15:59.200 - 00:16:15.360

Wounded for justice. Wounded for peace. So you see, the wounded warrior suffers wrong for goodness. And that's rather hard to take, you know,

00:16:15.360 - 00:17:00.360

when you feel your hands. I remember I was in class, in the seventh grade history class, and we were taking an examination, and Essie May, who sat just beside me, asked me to let her see my test paper. And I figured it is the order, but I didn't get it like I got it. So I refused. And while she was arguing with me about it, the teacher who was there said, "What's happening back there?" And Hester May said, "Marvin is bothering me." And so he said, "Come up here Marvin." And he had his belt there as they did in those days.

00:17:00.360 - 00:17:14.040

and I received a few lashes, but I tried to protest, I'm innocent, I'm innocent, oh no, no, no. But life is like that, he never really understood, and there's so many circumstances in life

00:17:14.040 - 00:17:28.760

where something happens to you, the licks are just the same, and yet you've gotta take them, that's the way it is. But you somehow get wounded in the struggle, no matter how innocent you are, that's the way it happens.

00:17:28.760 - 00:17:44.960

And so it helps a great deal if somehow you understand that in the web of life, that there is this one who is stricken, who is smitten of God, who is afflicted, who's already gone along before you

00:17:44.960 - 00:18:00.680

to show us how to live that life. And then not only has he gone along ahead of us, he walks beside us to encourage us and to enable us to live victoriously the life of the wounded warrior.

00:18:00.680 - 00:18:16.080

He was wounded for our transgressions, he is bruised for our iniquities. So this wounded warrior suffers to reconcile humanity with divinity.

00:18:16.080 - 00:18:33.800

He suffers in order to bring man and God together again. And what a painful burden it is to bear the infirmities of others. We're caught in the struggle, trying to justify ourselves.

00:18:33.800 - 00:18:51.000

And this wounded warrior carries the infirmities of us all. To bear the infirmities of the weak, to be wounded for the wrongs of others, that's the mission of the wounded warrior.

00:18:51.000 - 00:19:02.040

the wounded warrior. He takes our place. He's arrested for us. He is condemned for us.

00:19:02.040 - 00:19:20.440

He's crucified for us. All our sins and griefs are given to him, and he carries our sins and makes them our own. He who is the judge becomes our brother

00:19:20.440 - 00:19:32.580

in order that we may be justified through him. He pays the price. And it's costly, costly. Bonhoeffer calls it costly grace.

00:19:32.580 - 00:19:37.200

No cheap grace. Some people cheapen religion. They don't wanna give their best. They wanna give what's left.

00:19:37.200 - 00:19:49.040

But when we look at the one who is the author and finisher of our faith, it's not any cheap grace. It's costly. Man sins, Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden sin.

00:19:49.040 - 00:20:04.080

They disobey, and so they are thrust as exiles east of Eden, they are driven out of the garden. There they have stepped into an existence that is plagued with uncertainty

00:20:04.080 - 00:20:18.000

and with the absurdities of human existence and all of the anxieties. And there is placed a flaming sword to keep them from ever coming back into the garden.

00:20:18.000 - 00:20:33.560

But the wounded warrior comes, and he goes outside the garden, and he goes through the flaming swords, and he bears all of the pain and the suffering in order to get those exiles and bring them back

00:20:33.560 - 00:20:43.680

into the paradise of Eden. That's what he does. So it is through him that we come to live the good life. It is through him.

00:20:43.680 - 00:20:52.640

He paid it all. Jesus paid it all. He comes to free us. Really, he frees us to live our lives.

00:20:52.640 - 00:21:07.320

And if you want to know what God designed you to be, what he designed me to be, every one of us, you look at Jesus Christ. He is the royal man.

00:21:07.320 - 00:21:21.100

He is the new humanity that God made every one of us to be. You look at Adam, rebelling against God, that's the old humanity that has fallen. But in Jesus Christ, we find that person

00:21:21.100 - 00:21:34.320

that God made each one of us to be, and he paid the price for that. I hear the Savior say, thy strength indeed is small,

00:21:34.320 - 00:21:50.460

child of weakness, watch and pray. find in me that all in all. Jesus paid it all. All to him I owe.

00:21:50.460 - 00:22:08.780

Sin had left a crimson stain, he washed it white as snow. Thank God for the wounded warrior, for by his stripes we're healed. It's by his suffering that we have that healing wholeness

00:22:08.780 - 00:22:23.760

that God desires for all of his people. And as the apostle Paul picks it up, he says, for thy sake we are wounded all the day long, and we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.

00:22:23.760 - 00:22:38.760

And to somehow be identified with him is to recognize how this wounded warrior walks among us and finds us right where we are, that wounded traveler along the Jericho Road,

00:22:38.760 - 00:22:50.480

That's every one of us. Every one of us has somehow been attacked. We've been attacked by all kinds of conditions and we have not only been attacked by these robbers

00:22:50.480 - 00:23:03.760

and beaten, we've been left on the side of the road, bleeding to die there. But along comes one who picks us up, that's where we are, places us on his beast

00:23:03.760 - 00:23:16.740

and takes us to an end, having anointed our wounds and says to the innkeeper, "Take care of him. "Take care of him. "And when I come back, if there's anything

00:23:16.740 - 00:23:29.440

"that I owe you, I'll pay you." And I thank God that he has anointed my wounds, and he's anointed your wounds. Whenever we are heavy laden and somehow barren,

00:23:29.440 - 00:23:44.100

our griefs and hurt by all the circumstances of life, And he lifts us up and anoints our wounds. We can say to him, have thine own way, Lord. Have thine own way.

00:23:44.100 - 00:24:01.500

Wounded and weary, help me, I pray. Power, oh, power, surely is thine. Touch me and heal me, Savior divine. Oh, brothers and sisters, that's good news.

00:24:02.660 - 00:24:17.420

that the wounded warrior was wounded for us that we might live abundantly, that we may be free. So we extend now the invitation to accept Jesus Christ as Lord of your life.

00:24:17.420 - 00:24:28.820

Accept this wounded warrior who will fight every battle, who will open every closed door, who will bless you with that wholeness and that strength and that comfort.

00:24:31.660 - 00:24:59.160

(dramatic music) (chattering) (dramatic music) ♪ You ♪

00:24:59.160 - 00:25:23.520

♪ Can ♪ [singing] [MUSIC] [MUSIC]

00:25:23.520 - 00:25:43.560

♪ He was who made ♪ ♪ All of me ♪ ♪ All ♪ ♪ My transgressions and now I am free ♪

00:25:43.560 - 00:26:18.920

♪ All ♪ ♪ Because Jesus was born again for me ♪ ♪ Dying for me ♪ ♪ Dying for me ♪

00:26:18.920 - 00:26:48.180

♪ Dying for me ♪ ♪ He was dying for me ♪ ♪ Gone my transgressions ♪ ♪ And now I am free ♪

00:26:48.180 - 00:27:15.320

♪ All because Jesus was dying for me ♪ ♪ Listen for me ♪ ♪ He has risen for me ♪ (children screaming)

00:27:15.320 - 00:27:38.140

♪ He risen for me ♪ ♪ Aghh, No ♪ (crowd screaming) ♪ Earlier I was glad before you ♪

00:27:39.220 - 00:27:56.100

[Gunfire] ♪ I transgressed sin and now I am free ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ Because Jesus has risen for me ♪

00:27:56.100 - 00:28:29.360

♪ For me ♪ ♪ For me ♪ ♪ Coming for me ♪ ♪ Coming for me ♪

00:28:29.360 - 00:28:50.740

♪ He is coming for me ♪ ♪ One day ♪ ♪ There is the joyous ♪ ♪ Near face I shall see ♪

00:28:50.740 - 00:29:22.740

♪ Oh ♪ ♪ How I praise him ♪ He's coming for me. [BLANK_AUDIO]