Everyone Takes the Stand

There are some funny exchanges between lawyers and witnesses during trials and I would like to share some of them with you.

ATTORNEY: She had three children, right? WITNESS: Yes. ATTORNEY: How many were boys? WITNESS: None. ATTORNEY: Were there any girls?

ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated? WITNESS: By death ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated?

ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn’t it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn’t know about it until the next morning? WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?

LAWYER: What happened then? WITNESS: He told me, he says, 'I have to kill you because you can identify me.' LAWYER: Did he kill you? WITNESS: No.

LAWYER: Any suggestions as to what prevented this from being a murder trial instead of an attempted murder trial? WITNESS: The victim lived.

LAWYER: How far apart were the vehicles at the time of the collision?

LAWYER: Were you acquainted with the deceased? WITNESS: Yes sir. LAWYER: Before or after he died?

LAWYER: Were you alone or by yourself?

LAWYER: What was the first thing your husband said to you when you woke that Thursday? WITNESS: He said, “where am I, Cathy?” LAWYER: And why did that upset you? WITNESS: My name is Susan.

Sometimes you just got to shake your head, laugh and go on. Hopefully none of you will be called as witnesses in a trial and have to put up with that kind of stuff.

We all are on the stand everyday of our lives, whether in front of a courtroom of people or maybe just one or just a few. Maybe it is wen we are alone? Let’s read about John the Baptizer and how he took the “stand”. Our main text in Mathew 14:1-11.

John did not care the consequences and he took a stand for what was right.

The thing is that, in life, we will always be taking a stand and it’s that simple, with the choices you make, you take the stand. Let’s unravel this a little and see the ways we take the stand. Point #1 tells us.

1. Standing up for nothing is still taking a stand.

Matthew 14:5,9, Matthew 12:30

If you don’t know by now, then it is obvious that you don’t listen to me. Just kidding, but if you don’t know, I am a Dallas Cowboys’. Through and through America’s Team, is my team. I know, I know you all are jealous.

Now I have respect for people that support different teams than me, I don’t understand it, but I respect them. It doesn’t matter if you are a Bears or the Bills, the Chiefs or the Chargers, or the Jets or the Jaguars. What gets my goat is people that criticize other teams but will say things like, “I don’t really have a team.” Let me tell you if you are a fan of the NFL, you will like one team more than another one and to not stand up for the team that you like is taking the stand of being a coward.

I mean seriously, it’s just a game. It is not life or death. All the hype for the Super Bowl a few weeks ago is long gone. A new regular season is still a half a year away.

When I think about this story of John the Baptizer, I think about the actions of Herod. What a weak ruler! I mean the bible tells us that he wanted to kill John, but was afraid to of the people. Weak! It goes on to say that he regretted what his promise of giving Herodias’s daughter anything she wanted.

Did he regret it because, he had a change of heart about John being right? No, he regretted it because it forced his hand to take the Stand against John. He was the ruler and could have made a stand for John, but he didn’t do that. His not standing up for anything was still taking a stand.

I had a person send me an inappropriate joke on Messenger. I kindly asked that they person not send me jokes like that anymore. The person said, “Sorry.” I took a stand against jokes like that, but if I would have not said anything, it would have led to the conclusion that I am okay with it and that I stood as a person okay with being told dirty jokes.

If you are around someone or a group of someone’s that are telling lies, gossiping, backbiting, or telling inappropriate jokes and you don’t say anything. Standing up for nothing is still taking a stand. And the stand you are taking is point #2.

2. Stand for evil.

Matthew 14:6-11, John 3:20

I never ever, ever, ever thought in my life there would even a discussion of there were more than 2 genders. The thought never crossed my mind, but here we are in a world, wait, this isn’t something that is supported worldwide, here we are in a country were “experts” want to tell you that there are more than 2 genders. They will argue. They will yell. They will say things like it is scientific, which is absolutely amazing.

In all the years that I have been alive this push of more than 2 sexes is a relatively new thing. I can’t remember a single time in any of the archeology findings, in digging up old civilizations have they ever found a human body that they have said was something other than a male or female. Now some of these scientists of today say that we learn more and more every day and that science proves that there is more and more scientific evidence of more than 2 genders.

I am amazed but I am not surprised and do you know why? Satan will do anything to try and discredit things that God has said or done. Jesus even commented on this in Matthew 19:4 “Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’” So, Satan plants a seed in the minds of “scientist” and they become very outspoken, doctors, politicians and just everyday people are making a stand on this topic.

Jesus’s words didn’t stop with just only male and female, He goes on to talk about marriage and says, “This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” Jesus tells us what God says marriage is.

People have changed that to man and man or woman and woman. Did I tell you that Satan will do anything to discredit anything that God has done or said. I can even continue with just the breaking up of God’s idea of a family. Society wants us to believe that children born without a father figure in their lives is okay. Women are strong and can do it without problem. I will never say that it isn’t possible, but I will say that it is not God’s plan.

I have some stats for you. 70% of juveniles in state-run institutions and 85% of youth in prisons come from fatherless homes. 75% of adolescent patients in substance abuse centers are from fatherless homes. 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes. 80% of rapists come from fatherless homes. 90% of all homeless and runaway children come from fatherless homes.

Politicians, Hollywood, and even some Preachers will take the stand for evil. I am telling you to be careful in what you believe and what you will stand for, because that road seems okay, but unless it is based on scripture and backed by God it is wrong. So the other option it the one we should all chose, which is point #3.

3. Stand for what is right.

Matthew 14:3-4, Luke 23:39-43

Steve Chiles told about a situation that he had gotten into and it went a little something like this. If I remember correctly, the church where he was pastor had all but outgrown the building that they were in and so they were in the process of figuring out what to do. They talked about buying different places that were for sale and they talked about buying land and building on the new site.

They talked and they prayed for God to open their eyes to His plan and to lead them in the right direction. One day Steve gets a call about a small school or a strip mall or something like that and the person wanted to show him. So, he met them at the place and there it was, a big parking lot, plenty of places for classrooms, a big place for their sanctuary and Steve knew that this was it. God had led them to the place. The price on the place was a really good price for what they would get and he told they guy that they would take it. He called the Chairman of the Board and told her what he had done and she said call him back and tell him that you spoke out of turn and that the board will need to vote on it first. After some argument, “this is the perfect place”, “God led me here”, “big parking lot”. She said, “You call him back and tell him that we will have a meeting this Sunday and we will let him know.

Steve called him to tell him and the guy said, “Ok, but if I get a buyer I can’t wait.” So, the board met. There wasn’t much discussion and the vote was unanimous. Steve said to the chairman, “I knew they would approve, why did you make me wait.” She said, “I had complete confidence in you and that this was a good deal, but if anyone would have gotten upset, I could not protect you.”

As the praise team comes up, let me give you these thoughts…

There is more to standing up for what is right than just empty words. There is more to being a child of God than just posting it on Facebook. Maybe you have seen a post that quotes this?

• Matthew 10:34-35

Do not let Satan lie to you. Taking a stand is more than lip service. Look at how the demons react in Mark 5.

• Mark 5:6-7

II Corinthians 5:10, “For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.”