Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus

[Intro]

Dudley Ting was a 29 year old Episcopalian preacher and he was known for his bold and

fearless and uncompromising character

preaching was however a bit too strong for the Episcopalian church of the Epiphany

in Philadelphia

this was especially true with regard to his stand against slavery

so because of that he resigned and organized the Church of the Covenant

and he

would hold noonday services at the downtown YMCA where large crowds would gather to

hear this dynamic young speaker that he was

[Verse 1]

one of the services there were about 5 000 gathered that day and Ting told

crowd I must tell my master's errand and I would rather that this right arm were amputated

at the trunk than that I should come short of my duty to you in delivering God's message

Well the week following this comment that he has made to this group that is gathered

downtown a week following this he's in the country and he is at a barn and he's watching

the operation of a corn sheller when he accidentally gets his arm caught in the sheller and his

right arm is amputated at the trunk

And after shock and a great loss of blood he died on April 19 1858

On his deathbed his friends and family are gathered around and as they are gathered

around at his deathbed he utters the words Let us all stand up for Jesus

[Verse 2]

Well George Duffield a Presbyterian minister and a good friend of Dudley Ting the following

Sunday as a tribute to his friend he preached from the text of Ephesians 6 and verse 14

It reads Stand therefore having your loins girded about with truth and having on the

breastplate of righteousness

And he closes his sermon by reading a poem that he had written which was inspired by

the dying words of his friend

Now this poem that Duffield wrote it was printed it was distributed for the Sunday

school class

And the editor of a Baptist periodical received one of the copies and it was eventually put

to music and it found its place in hymnals everywhere

[Verse 3]

At the time what was going on and it becoming a hymnal this was unknown to Duffield

didn't know that he had written a hymn until he visited a Union army camp in 1864

and he heard the soldiers there of that army camp singing the poem that he had written

written for his friend

beautiful inspirational hymn has found its place in the hearts of millions and has

encouraged many to stand up stand up for Jesus

[Verse 4]

In verse 1 we learn that we must stand up for Jesus because we are soldiers of the cross

The Christian is a soldier in the Lord's army

In 2 Timothy 2 and verse 3 the apostle Paul tells Timothy Thou therefore endure hardness

as a good soldier of Jesus Christ

good soldier seeks to please the one that enlists him in service

In verse 4 of that text Paul tells Timothy that no man that woreth entangleth himself

with the affairs of this life that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier

Christian soldier must lift high his royal banner

[Verse 5]

An army marches into battle carrying the banner or the battle standard which is a symbol

symbol of a nation's principles

a United States citizen we have the star spangled banner as our national anthem

And it's a major national symbol of patriotism and identity for us as Americans

And we proudly proclaim that as Americans

the loyal soldier will risk his very life to protect the flag or banner because of what

it stands for and what it represents

The Lord's royal banner is truth and all that he stands for

And that's something as soldiers of the cross of Jesus Christ that we must lift high both

in our preaching and in our conduct as soldiers of the cross

[Verse 6]

must show the world that we are proud to serve

We are proud to be in the army of the Lord as his children

As brothers and sisters in Christ as members of the Lord's body his church

We have been enlisted in his army to protect and defend the truth to stand up against

evil and wrong and to defend that which is right

And we must show that we are proud to serve and we are proud to defend

As Paul proclaimed in Romans chapter 1 and verse 16 I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus

Jesus Christ

rightly recognized and knew it is the power of God and the salvation to everyone

believes to the Jew and also to the Greek

[Verse 7]

He told the Philippians in chapter 1 and verse 16 that I am set for the defense of the gospel

gospel of Jesus Christ

He said I am ready to defend it at all costs

We lift up that royal banner of truth

not hide from it not dodge it not duck it but

lift it high the banner of truth

We're not to lift up our own banner

But we must seek to please our commander the one who enlisted us to be a soldier

[Verse 8]

Because it is under his banner that we serve

It is under his truth that we serve

But many don't respect the authority of our great commander and they want to do as they

wish

They want to lift up their own banner and do as they wish with regards to God's plan

of salvation and his church

They establish their own plan they erect their own church and they march under their

own banner

so the Lord's banner suffers loss when that happens when the enemy in the world

see the Lord's army in disarray because of disrespect or outright mutiny on the part

of many Christians

[Verse 9]

Their very life and conduct betray their marching orders and the oath that they have taken as

a soldier of the cross of Jesus

His army shall he lead he is the captain of our salvation

In Hebrews chapter 2 and in verse 10 it became him for whom are all things and by whom are

all things in bringing many sons into glory to make the captain of their salvation perfect

through sufferings

He

Jesus Christ our savior our friend our elder brother he is our commanding officer

and so we must pay close attention to him and follow him

[Chorus]

In Matthew 17 and verse 5 on the mount of transfiguration while he had spoke behold

a bright cloud overshadowed them and behold a voice from the cloud that said this is

my beloved son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him

Stand up stand up for Jesus ye soldiers of the cross

Lift high his royal banner it must not suffer loss

victory unto victory his army shall he lead till every foe is vanquished and Christ

is Lord indeed

[Verse 10]

That's what we sung

Those are the words to the hymn that we sung

Verse 2 tells us that we must stand up for Jesus because there is a mighty conflict

And let there be no mistake about it we are at war

The enemy is the devil and his cohorts and it is a conflict to the death a conflict

to eternal death

[Verse 11]

There is something worse than dying physically and it is dying spiritually for all of eternity

1 Peter chapter 5 and verses 8 and 9 Peter says be sober be vigilant because your adversary

the devil as a roaring lion walks about seeking whom he may devour whom resisteth steadfast

in the faith knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are

in the world

We have the responsibility of resisting him as a soldier of the cross being engaged in

the battle realizing and recognizing how serious of warfare we are engaged in

[Verse 12]

Lord says we must fight that we must resist

James 4 and verse 7 submit yourselves to God resist the devil and he will flee from

you which basically means that we are to humble ourselves with the attitude that it isn't

my will that is done but thine will be done

And Satan is behind every war that we have but we are told that if we resist him that

he will flee

[Verse 13]

The Christian soldier must put on the armor of God

We must unsheath our weapon and obey the call to battle and go out or go forth to the mighty

conflict

Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 10 notice the and I'm sure that you are well aware of what

these verses teach about the armament that is supplied to us as children of God by God

that we are to cover ourselves with that we are to put on to protect ourselves with

as we go out into battle and we face those fiery darts of the devil as soldiers of Jesus

Christ

[Verse 14]

says finally my brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might

Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the

devil

we wrestle not against flesh and blood but it's against principalities and powers

and rulers of the darkness of the world against spiritual wickedness in high places

[Verse 15]

Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the

evil day and having done all to stand

Stand therefore having your loins girded about with truth having on the breastplate

righteousness your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace above all taking the

shield of faith wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked

Take the helmet of salvation the sword