FLY LIKE AN EAGLE

I am not a preacher or even a good public speaker. But I have been asked to speak to you this morning. So rather than sermonize, I am going to do what I know how to do -- Talk about nature.

When I lived in Ark. I use to get a paper every month called “Arkansas Outdoors.” I read an interesting article about eagles. How many of you remember when the eagle population was decreasing in Arkansas, when eagles were found dead in large numbers for no apparent reason? Every day the TV news reported on the number of eagles found dead that day. It was a real concern. This article told how the number of eagles have been steadily increasing, according to those who do the eagle counts.

My dad was a member of the Arkansas Wildlife Federation & he participated in the yearly eagle count. Let explain how an eagle count works. Since the eagles live around the lakes & rivers in Ark. The Wildlife Federation assigns parts of a river or a lake to be floated by members so they can count the eagles. Most of the time my dad floated from Russellville to Morrilton about 30 miles of water counting. That’s why the article said that the population is looking better.

Deut. 32:11 speaks of the eagle the way it cares for it’s young. Particularity when it teaches it’s young to fly. Read text. This text is unique because God speaks of Himself as if He were an eagle with wings.

Exodus 19:4 which says I bore you on eagles’ wings. I think that is a picture of God’s care for His people.

The way an eagle teaches its eaglets to fly is a picture of the way God teaches His people to grow spiritually. And that His care for us sometimes involves unpleasant things. And sometimes the unpleasant things are on purpose.

How many have ever seen an eagle? We are most familiar with the Bald Eagle because it is the symbol of our country. Ask the congregation to participate.

Do you know how the Bald Eagle got its name? It isn’t really bald. Its head is covered with white feathers. And from a distance it appears to be completely feather-less.

The Golden Eagle is found in the forested areas of North America. I need a eagle to come up front for me. Ask congregation to participate.

· What is the length of an eagle? 2-2 1/2 ft. long

· What about its wingspans? 6-7 ft.

· How much does an eagle weigh? 6-13 lb..

· How long do they live in the wild? 15-20 years

· How long do they live in captivity? 40-45 years

· FYI - Eagles mate for life.

· How fast can they fly? Up to 95 mph.

· FYI - Golden Eagles spends 90% of their waking hours in the air, soaring.

Have you ever seen an eagle’s nest? I have not seen one, but I am told & I have read that they build their nests as high as possible on rocky ledges, cliffs or in tops of trees. Most birds abandon their nests when their babies leave. If they need another, they simply build one.

Eagles have used the same nest for many years. The nest are reused & expanded every year. A Bald Eagles nest built in Ohio in 1890 was used every year until storms destroyed it in 1925.

I have heard about an eagle’s nest in Juneau, Alaska that measured 6 ft. X 6 ft. X 6 ft. In fact they built the visitor’s center around the nest.

When you walk in on the 1st floor, you see huge poles. I don’t know how they carried them. Perhaps two eagles carried them together. Then they built up from there - sticks, twigs, small logs, & pieces of cloth - anything for a good base.

On the second story, as you look at the nest, you see all kind of things. They weave in all kinds of sharp, prickly objects - pieces of broken bone, teeth, razor sharp sticks, glass, & other sharp objects they find.

Then on the third story, as you look down into the nest, you see something that looks like grandma’s feather bed. They weave a beautiful feather mattress. They use the pelts of animals & soft comfortable leaves & moss. Then they line the nest with feathers, that they pluck from their own breasts.

The mother eagle lays 1-2 eggs. Then they wait for them to hatch. When the babies are about to hatch. Dad goes out & gets mom her favorite fast food, rabbit meat.

When the baby eagle pecks himself out of his shell, he doesn’t have to worry. He has automatic room service. Everytime he opens his mouth Mom or Dad is right there. His parents provide everything he needs. All he has to do is eat, sleep, & squawk.

This represents the first stage of growth. Eaglets don’t have a care or worry. Everything is wonderful. The strong nest is ultimate security to him & the world is far beneath. He doesn’t even look out at first. It looks kind of dark down there & fierce. He would much rather stay in the nest & let Mom & Dad bring everything to him.

I can just hear the baby eaglet.

· Why fly? Why would anyone ever want to leave this cozy nest?

· Without flying lessons, someone could get hurt.

· Besides flying could be dangerous. It could be fatal.

· Nope, I think I’ll stay right here.

Do you see a parallel?

The parent eagle is God.

The nest is the church.

The eaglet is a newly baptized Christian. The new church member.

Do you remember when you first joined the church? Everything was wonderful. Everyone was so friendly, so helpful. God’s Word came as a spiritual feast. The more you learned, the more you wanted to learn. Everyone shook your hand. You were first in line at the potlucks. Everything was rosy.

Everything is wonderful for the eaglet. But the eaglet can’t stay in this blissful condition long. Even though he would like too.

Eagles were born to fly & God’s people are born to grow spiritually.

Dramatic changes begin to take place when the eaglet develops feathers of his own. In fact, one day in the middle of Spring, you can see the eaglet bouncing in the nest (kind of like teenagers listening to rock music).

He sees other eagles flying but says to himself,

“I am perfectly happy here. Don’t need a thing. This is cool! Look at those flying. Must be nice to soar at great heights, but not me. I’m totally content.”

But the parent eagles want him to fly. Besides he was born to fly.

This leads to the 2nd stage of growth. Suddenly everything in his world dramatically changes.

The parents who have been so kind & friendly, instead of bringing food one morning, mother eagle comes in, caring a big thorn bush & rams it down in the center of that feather mattress. She starts to stir up the nest.

Then both parents turn from friendly to fierce. Father eagle starts dive-bombing the nest. Mom starts ripping apart the cozy, little mattress. She starts exposing all the brambles & sharp objects. The baby starts to hop around the nest.

He screams at his parents, ‘Don’t you love me anymore? What are you doing?”

But the parents just sit & watch. The eaglet hops over to the edge of the nest & looks down - 500 ft. He can’t fly, but he is miserable in the nest. What can he do?

Father begins dive-bombing again. This time brushing the top of the baby’s head. He hops to the edge & looses his balance & plunges toward the earth.

Suddenly, Mom flies underneath & catches the baby on her back. She flies back to the nest & gently places him safely inside.

Just as he catches his breath they start dive-bombing again. Same thing happens but this time father catches him & puts him back into the nest.

They repeat this exercise over & over again until finally in desperation he flaps his wings & he begins flying. And he realizes that flying is not so bad. It’s kinda neat up here.

The parent eagles have to allow some uncomfortable things to happen to the baby eagle to get him to fly.

The new church member goes through a similar experience. Many ask the question, “Why do bad things happen to good people? God allows seemingly bad things to happen to strengthen us spiritually.

When my wife & I joined the church, we went through that blissful stage. After just a few months. I was put into the position of Pathfinder Leader, which put me on the church board. That’s when the stage of bliss ended.

Anyone who has ever served on a church board knows what I mean. You are forced to brush up against all kinds of thorns & other sharp objects. Because God’s church is made up of very human people.

After the first year, we went to Campmeeting & ran into the lady who studied with my wife & myself & brought us into the church. We hadn’t seen her since our baptism because we lived on opposite ends of the state. After we exchanged greetings, she said, “Were you very disappointed when you found out that not everyone in the church is a saint?”

You see, she knew it would happen, because it always does. We worry about the number we baptize, when that many or more are being lost out the back door.

Do they leave because they suddenly don’t believe the message? No, some gave up jobs, friends, & family to accept this message. Rather, they leave because of contact with other people. Maybe someone said something or did something to hurt their feelings. But those, who stay are strengthened & grow spiritually.

Sometimes the thorns & brambles of life are necessary, just like it was necessary for the baby eagle to help him learn to fly. It might be necessary for us to have the thorns & brambles in our lives.

So let’s be thankful for the thorns & the brambles, we encounter because they are helping us to grow.

It’s my prayer that we all will be ready for Jesus soon coming.