Cayman International Assembly 28 June 2015 Dave Tayman - Lead Pastor

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1 Avoiding Waterloo Cayman International Assembly 28 June 2015 Dave Tayman - Lead Pastor Paul tells us in Romans 8:37 (NIV84) 37...we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. When discussing Conquerors - as we have been all this month - it is natural for us to think back to some of the great Military Conquerors of history. Among the many names that may come to mind such as Alexander the Great, Atilla the Hun, Hannibal, Julius Caesar and Genghis Khan is Napoleon Bonaparte. On June 18, 1815 (200 years ago this month) the course of European history was changed when French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte found himself outmatched on the fields near Waterloo, Belgium. Britain's Duke of Wellington would become a celebrated hero and eventually Prime Minister, while Napoleon would retreat to Paris and soon after head into exile on the island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic. It all came down to a cool day in June that began with heavy rains. By nightfall some 10 hours after it began, the battle was over, as was the French leader's 100-day comeback. Waterloo wasn t the biggest battle of Bonaparte s career, "There had been much bigger battles," Paul O'Keeffe, author of Waterloo: The Aftermath told FoxNews.com. "The Battle of Leipzig in 1813 had some 90,000 dead and wounded, whereas Waterloo had some 45,000 dead and wounded." It may not have been the biggest, but it became the decisive and conclusive battle of his career. So what can we learn from Napoleon s Waterloo? There are many things in our world that we can learn from that have a way of translating into spiritual lessons. That s why Jesus spoke so often using parables. Confusion often contributes to defeat. If there is one word that could truly describe the situation on the ground on June 18, 1815 it was probably "confusion." This is noted by several authors and historians. Part of the reason was that the colorful uniforms of the day didn't make it easy to distinguish friend from foe. At one point the British 12th Light Dragoons, who wore blue coats as opposed to the more infamous "red coats" that were donned by the British

2 infantry, came under friendly fire; while later in the day the Prussian black uniforms may have been mistaken for French blue. That latter and seemingly simple mistake may have cost Napoleon the battle and his empire. "Napoleon knew that Marshal Grouchy was following the Prussians, and he hoped it was Grouchy who was approaching in the late afternoon," according to Tim Clayton, author of Waterloo: Four Days that Changed Europe's Destiny. The Prussians were not the only British allies at Waterloo who from a distance resembled their foes! Clayton noted that the Dutch Orange-Nassau Regiment wore blue uniforms with tall French style shakos, or hats. 1 Corinthians 14:33 (NLT) 33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace,... The King James version says that God is not the author of confusion The ability to distinguish friend from foe is critical on the battlefield. Too often we find ourselves fighting the very people who are there to support and assist us in our time of need. Christians are notorious for shooting their own wounded. Don t allow yourself to fall into that trap or stereotype. It is equally important to be able to identify those who are there to destroy and bring you down. Many may call you friend. You can t always tell by the uniform they wear. What are they doing? Where are their guns aimed? John 13:35 (NLT) 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. Poor directions can contribute to failure and defeat. "The last little 'sensation' reported around Waterloo is that Napoleon was using a map that was wrongly printed and therefore 'lost' the battle, or the result may have been different," explained Robert Kershaw, author of 24 Hours at Waterloo: 18th June "During a battle it is clear no one knows what... was going on," it was said. "But afterward the Duke of Wellington refused to give any account of the battle. There were 40 publications in the [following] six months that brought out accounts of the battle. But Wellington refused and didn't give account. The Duke did suggest that the battle was like a ball or dance, where you don't know what is happening on the other side of the room. Simply put

3 no-one could understand what was going on beyond their sector." This illustrates the importance of having a big picture perspective, or what some call a Kingdom Mentality that takes into account that each of us are a part of a much larger strategy that God has. Everything is not about us! If we insist on making everything about us we miss out on the important events occurring all around us - some of which is vitally dependent upon us being faithful and doing our part. Romans 8:28 (NLT) 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. That verse 28 is a really important truth for us to wrap our heads around. Notice that it says that God causes everything to work together for the good Sometimes we misunderstand that statement to say that God causes everything to happen for our good. It actually says that God causes all of the things that happen to those who serve Him to work out for their good. In other words, God is able to take bad things that happen to us and cause them to work together for good. He is able to take tragedies and use them to bring about triumphs! God doesn t cause everything to happen to us but He is able to repurpose those events to bring about good. And sometimes it isn t about us -- it s just possible that God has strategically placed you in the battle to help someone else survive it. As in any victorious military force - discipline and decorum are essential. In other words, we all have a specific role to play and job to do. Romans 12:4 8 (NLT) 4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5 so it is with Christ s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. 6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. Where do you fit best? God knows, because He made you and uniquely endowed you with abilities, strengths and gifts to equip you to play an important role in the battles we face.

4 1 Corinthians 12:18 27 (NLT) 18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. 19 How strange a body would be if it had only one part! 20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. 21 The eye can never say to the hand, I don t need you. The head can t say to the feet, I don t need you. 22 In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. 23 And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, 24 while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. 25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. 27 All of you together are Christ s body, and each of you is a part of it. If the body is not functioning properly - if the different parts of the body are not working together as one, then we are handicapped and vulnerable to defeat. Weakness or Poor Health can make us vulnerable to defeat. The general wellbeing and health of Napoleon has also been called into question since his defeat at Waterloo. It has been argued over the years that he wasn't feeling well and even the brief time he spent in the saddle may have been far more than he could handle. ( By Peter Suciu ) Too many of us go into battle before we have taken care to see that we are spiritually prepared to face it. This means that we need to take the time and make the effort to prepare our hearts and spirits before the battles begin. We can t blame God if we fail to prepare our hearts and minds for battle and then stumble on the battlefield. This is why consistent involvement in church and Bible study is critical to our preparation for spiritual warfare. You wouldn t go onto a modern battlefield before properly equipping yourself and training for the battle - would you? Then what makes you think it is a good idea in a spiritual battle? God, thankyou for loving me so much! That you would send your only Son, Jesus... to pay the price for my sin To die for me. Please forgive me of my sin...

5 and make me a new person... Lord, help me to change... I want to please you I invite Jesus to take control of my life,... In Jesus Name, Amen.

6 Study Guide for Avoiding Waterloo 1. There are many things in our world that we can learn from that have a way of translating into spiritual lessons. That s why Jesus spoke so often using. parables What are some spiritual lessons that you can see reflected in some everyday events? 2. Confusion often contributes to. defeat 3. Poor can contribute to failure and defeat. directions How can we apply the lesson about confusion that we see in the Battle of Waterloo? How can we apply the lesson about poor directions from Waterloo? 4. Everything is not about! us 5. As in any victorious military force - discipline and are essential. decorum 6. Too many of us go into battle before we have taken care to see that we are spiritually to face it. prepared How does (or should) the issue or lesson of Napoleon s health at Waterloo translate into our lives and battles? Remember to share any Prayer Requests and use the closing moments to pray for one another.