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feast: The Sentinels

Ted E. Bowling
Given 10-Oct-25; Sermon #FT25-04B; 34 minutes

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When I was a junior in high school. I had the great opportunity to travel to Washington DC with with my classmates. That was really an exciting experience for me. Uh, it was the first time I've ever flown on an airplane. Uh, and we went to the Capitol, and we did all the tours. Uh, we went to the Capitol Building, we went to the White House we did the tours above those buildings. We, And we visited all the monuments. The Jefferson Monument. Washington Monument, and the Lincoln Monument. Then, then we went to cross the, the river. To Arlington Cemetery. And personally, It was probably the. Most special to me. Because I do have a special place. For the sacrifice of those that have gone before us. And so, as we walked through Arlington Cemetery, and looked at the graves, and looked at the, I was just in awe of everything I saw. To know that these men had sacrificed so much for our country. But then we reached the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. And It was an amazing experience. We watched the soldier march. And I noticed that the everyone around us, it was so quiet. And that's what they asked us to be, is quiet. But they also asked us to stand as well, out of respect. And I was amazed with the the precision of these guards. As they marched they would, there was a black mat across the way. And they would march exactly. 21 steps across there over the memorial. When when they reached the other end. They would pause. And then they would turn and face the memorial. And then they would hesitate 21 seconds. And then they would turn back. They would move their rifle to the outside shoulder away from the tomb. They would pause another 21 seconds. And by the way, their their gloves were wettened, so they would never have any issues with dropping the rifle. Uh, and then they would walk the same pace, 21 paces to the other end. And they would do This Over and over again, exactly the same way with the same precision. Now you may ask why 21 steps, why 21 seconds in a pause. Well, that is because that the highest military honor. That can be bestowed is the 21 gun salute. And the the other part that was so amazing. That's so memorable is the changing of the guard, which is done every 30 minutes. And again, this is done with such precision and and it was just amazing. And again, the audience would just be in awe, and you could tell everyone was mesmerized to watch them as they performed this. And when they did this, the new, the new guard would come on, there would be the relief commander that walked with him in perfect unity. Throughout this procedure. And I always found it interesting that That you could not even hardly tell when they were changing over from the new guards to field guards as they went because they were, they were in sequence so perfectly. And um and just so you'll know, the, this duty is performed by the 3rd US Infantry Regiment. Uh, also known, the old guard. And Know that there is a permanent guard. Uh, at this location. Every 24 hours a day. 7 days a week And it's been done since July 2nd. 1937. The night Rain or shine Even when the the cemetery is closed to visitors, whether it be 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Or 3 o'clock in the morning. They are faith they are faithful to their duty. And I found this to be an extremely profound commitment. And we could take so much from that because They were not doing it for their own glory. But out of respect. And our commitment. To God, and our duty to God. It is not for our glory but for his. They were not doing this for honor. Bring attention to themselves, but out of respect for those fallen soldiers. That's what we are here. Out of respect for God, not to bring attention to ourselves. But to bring glory to God. Can you imagine those long cold nights, the rain pelting. Or the snow or the driving winds. Or the blistering heats in the middle of the day. You might say, what's going through their minds. You think they ever go through frustrated? We're impatient Well, I can tell you this, 2003. When Hurricane Isabel approached Washington, Congress took off 2 days, and it was announced on TV that the guardian of the tomb was to be suspended. That the guards respectively declined. They bore the wind. They bore the silk skin. They endured the pelting rain. Because it was their assignment, it was their duty. And it was the highest honor they could give. To those servicemen that have fallen. And in fact, in 2004, the very next year, Hurricane Ivan hit the same area. I'm sure that they had this very same attitude. I happen to know that because I happened to be in Arlington that very same week at that time. Uh, it did not matter to them. It did not matter Because what was more important to them is to follow these procedures. They wanted to sacrifice themselves. They're willing to give of themselves. To a greater thing. And that's why I can't really, I do not want to give Bill's sermon again. But Uh It is about sacrifice. It was not done for show. It was in our respect. And that is the way our walk is to the kingdom of God. Are you committed to your duty? To your honoring of God. To be perfect as he is perfect. Last time a couple of times I have spoken. It's been the subject of That we must be holy as he is holy. And it comes at a cost. It comes with sacrifice. And I felt as I prepared this at The tomb guards. These are called the sentinels of the memorial. We're a perfect example. Of sacrifice and dedication. And something that we could draw from. They have this annually. Honor. and dedication. And when I meditate on this. I asked myself, Do I have the same type of dedication? And then my really thankful for the great gift. That has been given to me. We have been chosen To a higher calling. Which is unequaled by anything on this earth. We are called to something special, something unique. That requires a special duty. And service to God. Because he deserves it. Because he has sacrificed so much for us. We should be willing to sacrifice for him as well. In Matthew 7:14. It says Because narrow is the gate and difficult. is the way which leads to life. There are a few who find it. This was a very difficult path that they walked. And yes, today, Our path could be very difficult in this world. But if we stay true to God, we will have a great reward. See, to become a tomb guard. There are tremendous. Requirements on their part to become a part of this elite group. And they understand that it's going to take a total sacrifice, and they understand that sacrifice is not an option. But the requirement. And again, Bill, I'm sorry that we are all on the same page here, and it's right here in my notes. Uh, And so, Do we realize That our sacrifice is not an option. But a requirement. To be holy As God is holy. Takes total. Dedication. It's interesting the requirements of the tomb soldiers to become one of the guards, and I just wanna go through this first for a few moments. The A guard must be between 5'10 and 6'2, and his waist can be low, and it cannot exceed 30 inches. But I never had a chance. Uh, just so you know. Oh, thanks. Uh, Each guard He must commit 2 years of his life to guarding the tomb. And during this, during his 1st 6 months. The guard cannot watch TV. He can't even speak to anyone. But study He must live in the barracks which are below the tomb. And in their off-duty time is spent studying about the cemetery history, about certain individuals in that cemetery, cleaning their weapon, preparing it. And also I found Interesting is that they also spend time helping the other guards prepare for duty. I saw this in a documentary. I thought it was very interesting, because the guards take 5 to 6 hours of every day to prepare their uniforms. Uh, the, the, the guard's uniform must be completely free of wrinkles, folds, or limps. And the and they got this, these, these uniforms are so wool. So in the middle of the summer. It cannot be that comfortable. That regardless of the temperature. They They gladly And do it. It's also interesting that They cannot swear. In public for the rest of their lives. They cannot drink any alcohol on duty or off duty. For the rest of their lives. They can do, they cannot do anything that may disgrace the uniform, so they can't fight in any way, shape or form. And after the two years that they have served, they receive a wreath to wear on their lapel. Signifying their dedication to guarding the tomb. And by the way, there is only around 400 presently wearing that wreath. You know, When I think about this, They do so much sacrifice. And, and they are able to wear this wreath. And of course, have the reputation of being a part of this great Uh, regiment. But then when I look at and think about our reward for our sacrifice. It's immeasurable. It's immeasurable for what we are seeing here. And again, remember for the guards here. These rules apply. For the rest of their lives. If they do anything to bring dishonor. To their to their oath. Uh, they are stripped away of that batch. Even after all the commitment of that 2 years, if they do anything. To dishonor. That uniform is taken away. Brother, we have been given so much. Or do we think about the possibility? Of our great gifts that God has given to us. He stripped away. Because we were not willing to sacrifice. To give up ourselves. To give a total commitment and dedication to our God. It's really something to think about. I come across The it said here the, the tomb of the known soldiers, they are bound by the Sentinel's creed. And it's a set of words that defines their unwavering dedication, dignity, commitment to reserve the honor and memorial of the soldiers they protect. And This is a creed that they must learn in training, and again, it's a central part of their identity as a tomb soldier, as a tomb guard. And this is the principles that they live by. And I want to read this to you. Listen to the words of this creed. I think it could almost been taken straight out of the scriptures. It says, My dedication is this, sacred duty is total and wholehearted. In the responsibility bestowed on me, never will I falter. And with dignity and perseverance, my standard will remain perfection. Throughout the years of diligence and praise, and the discomfort of the ailments. I will walk my tour in humble humble reverence to the best of my ability. It is he who commands the respect I protect. His bravery that made us so proud. Surrounded by well-meaning crowds by day. Alone In the thoughtful peace of night this soldier will in honor and glory the rest. Under my eternal vigilance. I just find it Very amazing. I'm just going to go through this a little bit if I could. Uh, the first line. My dedication to this sacred duty. Is total and wholehearted. It made me think of Romans chapter 12, verse 1 and verse 2. And it says I beseech you, therefore, brother, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice wholly acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service, and do not be conformed to this world. But be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what, what is that good and acceptable service. Acceptable and perfect will of God. Here we see Paul giving the church their marching orders, so to speak. It is our sacred duty. To offer ourselves as living sacrifices. That is our bodies, our minds, our actions. So they will align with God's purposes. This requires That we submit our desires, our plans. And even our fears We are to live a life set apart. From this world That we may be pleasing to God. To be transformed and shaped into his character. Like I said, there is no doubt, maybe whoever wrote this read Romans 12. The next line of the creed says. In the responsibility bestowed on me, never will I falter. And with dignity and perseverance, my standard will remain perfection. Through the years of diligence and praise. And the the in the discomfort of the elements. I Corinthians 5:15:8 says, Therefore, my brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. You're going to be steadfast. Reminds me of Galatians 6:9, it saysBut let's not become weary. Paul is telling us to hang in there. Don't lose faith. Don't use vision. And our goal. And remember that our strength. Does not lie in ourselves. the lies in Jesus Christ. Next line says, I will walk my tour in humble reverence to the best of my ability. You know, it's interesting. Uh, the guards do not wear any rank orignia on their on their, on their uniforms. Every member Every other member of the military wears some type of insignia to denote their their rank. But not the two soldiers. Why? Because the identities and the ranks of those soldiers within the tomb are unknown. And the guards did not want to wear insignia to avoid potentially outranking those soldiers. Which they are watching over. Their focus, see, is not to bring attention to themselves. But it's to give honor. In the service of those men that gave their lives. Philippians chapter 2 and verse 3 and 4 says, Not let let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind that each esteem others better than themselves. Let each look out for others. Not for their own interests, but also for the interests of others. Humility Must be at the core of our conversion. Sacrifice Must be at the core Of our conversion We must avoid self. Uh, gratification. A godly attitude is one of Selflessness. Seeming others better than ourselves. is exactly what God looks for us. We should not be looking for personal recognition. They lifting up others. That is a go. So we see here How These guards, these tomb soldiers, and our relationship with God. You match up a little bit. It is their command. That they Give respect To those that that that served so bravely. The bravery. Of Jesus Christ. is unmeasurable. No matter how hard we try. You will never be able to wrap your mind around it. At least for me. That God would take on mortal flesh. Live a perfect life. And then die a horrible death. How much greater Should our willingness to be a servants. To to guard this truth. To be dedicated To this duty than these soldiers. It makes me desire to Walk the line. Forgot To count my steps. To walk the walk. To pause Pause in prayer, meditation. Pause on the Sabbath. To focus on him For his great sacrifice. Next line of the reed says surrounded by well-meaning crowds by day. Alone in the thoughtful peace of night. This oath is saying that it doesn't matter if it's in the middle of the day. Or in the middle of the night. I'm still going to To 21 paces. I'm going to pause and turn. Pause for 21 seconds. And he's going to follow that procedure, no matter if there is someone before them, before he is alone. You know, True character is what we do when we are alone. It's easy to do the right thing. When we are around other people. But when we are alone, That is where true character shines through. Because that's the time that only you. And God, know what's going on. This reminded me of an article written by Mike Ford. He wrote back in the forerunner back in May of 1993 titled, What Do You Do in the Dark? You might want to give it a read. And Mark, Mike begins this by stating in Ephesians 5:1, that Paul is urging us to imitate. Or follow God, and it is not an easy thing to do, and it takes many qualities, not the least of which is good character. Character Definition is the the combination of qualities that distinguish one from that distinguishes one person, a group or thing from another. It is moral or ethical strength. Integrity, fortitude, and excellence. By the way, Character doesn't happen overnight. It's a process. It's something that we build over time. By making serious. Courageous and right decisions. Mark ended his article with the line, character is what we do in the dark. This reminded me A long time ago, when I used to work in Southern California as an inspector. And I was down in Temecula in Southern California, and I had was in a brand new subdivision. And There were no houses yet. But there were streets, and they put up the stop signs, and there was no one around for miles. But I remember stopping at the stoplights. And I can't tell you why. I can't remember, but I thought that the one thing I do remember that brings us back to mind is that one of those stop signs, I looked at the stop sign up there, and there was one of these little white owls sitting on the top. And You know, maybe that's why. God did that to help me remember. That little story. That It doesn't matter. If you're around someone else. That what you do. How do you conduct your life. In front of people or when you're alone. It means everything. And it is a sign If you want to measure if you are growing in godly character. Think about how you do or what you do when you're alone. And what principles? That you live by. The last two lines of the The creed says, this soldier will in honored glory rest under my eternal villages. My dedication. As to the sacred duty is total and wholehearted. A tomb soldiers Their vigilance Their duty, their responsibility, is everything. They marched with precision. In unhurried steps. Their movements are a testament. To their continued watchfulness. And for the Christian, for you and I. Is our walk of God is our. Work To be watchful and careful. And how we How we walk, how we take our steps. And what is our spiritual posture. First Pigger 5:18 and 9 says, be, be to be sober, be diligent. Be be prepared for Satan because there is no joy break of our faith. Last last Sabbath I read, First Peter one, where it said to grow up your loins of your mind. And in verse 16, it said be holy as I am holy. We're talking about sacrifice. We're talking about dedication, we are talking about duty. That's how we can be holy and perfect before God. I did not mention this earlier. But the the volunteers. Of the duty of the guard. About only about 97% of the trainees. Fail. They they can't handle the, the the difficult training program and they opt out. That says here the guards, the sentinels who successfully complete their training are described as men and women who are dedicated and devoted to their duty, humble. Selfless in service, the ultimate perfectionist. And then it says, the tomb guards are considered to be the elite. Of the elite. Bro. You are the elite of the elite. God has chosen you. To be his son And he wants us to walk before him perfectly. These men walked. With the highest of dedication, so they could be the best of the best. And that's what we need to be doing. It is work. It's a process. It takes time. We will stumble. We will falter But we can't stop. You know, these two soldiers, they walk a different way than other soldiers. Their whole lives. are to be lived on a higher standard. To put it simply, the message today is that we are expected to walk in a different way. We are to live our lives to a higher standard. We are committed In a constant state, we are in a constant state of being on guard. of sin and temptation and recognizing that our battle It's not seen, but it is spiritual. And so we must remain vigilant through our prayers, through our study. With our fellowship with our brethren. You Are sentinels. Your guards for God. They would never Never take for granted what we've been given. You know, these men They were not concerned about. Recognition Be popular. And that's the way our lives should be. Should be a labor of love. Rooted in the in in the unwavering trust in our God. A calling above personal comfort. To soldiers are volunteers, as I said. And they live And abide by a very strict set of duties. They, they march, no matter what the weather is. And their commitment is so much greater than we can understand as, as these, we see these soldiers. And that is what our lives should mirror on a Christian level. The Christian life demands a discipline that forsakes personal glory. Pleasure For our higher purpose of serving our God. Living in quiet honor and integrity. That's what the old guard does. They are a monument. Of honor And it's a powerful message. To me, I think. That we can take from this. And so when our actions of what we do. Even when no one is looking. We should be thinking about how we are. What our commitment is. And kind of and what type of reflection it is on our God. We live in a world that is self-rewarding, self-promoting. Our life is the one of humble service that points not to ourselves but to God. Let's be reminded that Through this metaphor. Of a guard that we must always Be looking to him for our strength. And that we will do our duty. Maybe in quiet Service. And remember that this is a this is a powerful testimony to your selfless honor of this calling.

TEB/aws+/

 

 

Sermon Topics

False Gospels

Jesus Christ's Return

Life after Death

Repentance

Resurrection

The Gospel

The Kingdom of God