Spiritual Warfare – The Full Armor of God - 3

Spiritual Warfare – The Full Armor of God - 3

Subject: A Life of Intentionality 

By Rick Welborne

Ephesians 6:10-13 (NIV)
¹⁰  Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
¹¹  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.
¹²  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
¹³  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

--It is so interesting to me that verse 10 starts with the word “Finally”. Obviously, something important was said before this. 

--Paul is exhorting believers to put on the full armor of God but he says something very significant before he tells them that…he tells them that they must submit to their authorities.

Ephesians 6:1-9 (NIV) ¹  Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
²  "Honor your father and mother"--which is the first commandment with a promise--
³  "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth."
⁴  Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
⁵  Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.
⁶  Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.
⁷  Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men,
⁸  because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.
⁹  And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him. 

--Children obey and honor your parents…Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger but bring them up with discipline and instruction from the Lord.

--Slaves or employees, obey your masters or bosses with deep respect and fear (honor). Serve as though you are serving Christ. Masters or employers treat your people respectfully and with honor.

It is so interesting to me that God tells us that before we get ready for battle or before we put on the whole armor of God that we are to submit to our God given authorities and treat each other respectfully.

--It does make sense in the context of being in preparation for battle that you submit to those over you and submit to one another…in the military (soldiers) that is how the victory is won. Rambo is not real!

Ephesians 5:21 (NIV) ²¹  Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

--Something to meditate on…if we do not submit to one another in the fear of the Lord do we forfeit our right to the armor of God and hence, become vulnerable to the enemy?

--An interesting note: Paul starts with parents and children (home…then servants and masters (work)…and then our text (spiritual warfare – our walk with God – church).

Ephesians 6:10 (NIV) ¹⁰  Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 

--We are exhorted (actually commanded) to put on God’s armor (it is our responsibility). Good news is this, we put on the armor but our strength and power comes from the Lord.

--It is something that has to be done intentionally…God will absolutely do His part but we must cooperate with Him and do ours…put on the whole armor of God…You put it on! It is a command!

--In my reading I came across something very interesting when it comes to our choices and how we live. Leading on Empty by Wayne Cordeiro…a God send for me.

Cordeiro – There are four basic courses by which we can live. These may not be planned but they will be followed regardless.  Every life follows a set of rules, a default of ideals that have been caught more than taught.

--We will have to intentionally choose one of these courses for our lives because this choice will alter our future. Attempting to opt out will only default you to one of the first three. 

1. In Spiritual Warfare We Can Choose a Life of Reaction.

--With this paradigm we plod forward until something forces us to change…the loss of a job forces us to find another…the perceived acceptance or rejection of another will dictate our circle of friendships.

--Many times we only change when we are faced with the consequences of our bad decisions or course of action. I spent 6 months thinking I was going to jail…every time I saw a police car my heart sank.

--How we are treated by someone determines our course of action when it comes to our circle of friends…treat me right, I am in…treat me wrong and I am out! Is that a friend? 

--A life of reaction is a life that is lived all over the place, roller coaster. Easy targets for the enemy.

--Cordeiro says a life of reaction is disorienting, sometimes a dangerous way to live, but the majority of people have chosen this lifestyle, most of them, because they have chosen no other course. Apostle Peter.

2. In Spiritual Warfare We Can Choose a Life of Conformity.

--In this course of life we live according to the view of the crowd. We float on the current of popular opinion.

This explains how the crowd in Jerusalem could go from Hosanna to Crucify with Jesus.

--We tend to gravitate toward trends for our sense of wellbeing. We allow how we look to trump what we believe, and we permit what others think drive what we do. Being liked.

--These people wrestle with appearances and grapple with perceptions…they are fighting the wrong battles so they are easy picking for the enemy.

--It is another dangerous way to live…it puts you at the mercy of opinion. Watch and study politicians who serve people this way. This year they are pro-life and next year they are pro-abortion.

Leo Buscalia – The easiest thing in the world to be is you. The most difficult thing in the world to be is what other people want you to be, Don’t let them put you in that position.

3. In Spiritual Warfare We Can Choose a Life of Independence.

--Men and women who choose this course for life cherish the illusion of autonomy. Self-reliance, self-direction, 

and self-sufficiency. They are usually the smartest person in the room…just ask them.

Pro. 18:1 (NKJV) ¹ A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; He rages against all wise judgment.

--When they do find people to hang with, they find those who think like they do. They become clones of one another…whether it is going organic, sporting tattoos, or avoiding the organized church. 

--It could be what I have watched played out in the church for years…what education preference you have. Private verses public verses home schooling. This is what I think about that:

Philippians 2:12 (NKJV) ¹² …work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;

--Whatever sets them apart is trendy so long as it distinguishes them from the herd of the former generation. Satan loves when one of God’s children separates himself from the herd.

1 Peter 5:5&8 (NKJV)                                                                                                                                                  ⁵ Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
⁸  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 

4. In Spiritual Warfare We Must Choose a Life of Intentionality. 

--A life of intentionality is the re-structured life that we must choose…as good soldiers of Jesus Christ we must discipline ourselves to fall in line and obey!

2 Timothy 2:3 (NIV) ³ Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

--When we were young, life happened as a matter of course. When we were hungry food appeared fully prepared by a parent or sibling…clothes were washed and appeared in our drawers…magic!

--School was just out there waiting for us to get plugged in and making friends was basically a slam dunk, all we needed was lunch or PE and we connected with people. 

--Our weight remained stable. We could pretty much eat whatever we wanted and stay fit and slim…no more! I look at a snickers bar and gain five pounds. 

--Stay with me, somewhere along the line things shifted from automatic to manual, from natural to deliberate, from involuntary to intentional. 

--You are not told when the switch takes place, but if you do not make the transition, you will always be in the wrong place in your life…off course and vulnerable to the enemy.

--It happens at different times for different people, but it does happen…life changes! The evolution comes without warning and it happens without your permission. 

--Your marriage which early on seemed to take care of itself will no longer survive the way it used to. Healthy marriages require intentionality and planned investment. 

--So will your waistline, your ministry, your faith, your spiritual warfare, and your emotional health.

1 Cor. 9:24-27 (NCV) ²⁴ You know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize. So run to win!
²⁵  All those who compete in the games use self-control so they can win a crown. That crown is an earthly thing that lasts only a short time, but our crown will never be destroyed.
²⁶  So I do not run without a goal. I fight like a boxer who is hitting something—not just the air.
²⁷  I treat my body hard and make it my slave so that I myself will not be disqualified after I have preached to others.

--You run, you fight this spiritual warfare with intentionality…it takes discipline, training, tenacity…you make that choice every day!

Welcome – 6

Welcome – 6

Subject – We Welcome the Word of God

By Rick Welborne

John 1:1-5, 10-14 (NKJV)
¹  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
²  He was in the beginning with God.
³  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
⁴  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
⁵  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
¹⁰  He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.
¹¹  He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.
¹²  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
¹³  who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
¹⁴  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. 

Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV)
¹²  For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

2 Peter 1:20-21 (NCV)
²⁰  Most of all, you must understand this: No prophecy in the Scriptures ever comes from the prophet’s own interpretation.
²¹  No prophecy ever came from what a person wanted to say, but people led by the Holy Spirit spoke words from God.

--Again today we see how intertwined Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are by the Scriptures we just read. Today we are speaking about welcoming the Word of God into our lives and into our church.

--Many of us (hopefully all of us) say we love the Word of God and I hope that is true. Sometimes we seem so dedicated to what God has to say and other times not so much. Example.

--I have seen so many people who say they love God and they love His Word so much until you hit a nerve with them. You tell them according to Jesus’ Word, you have to forgive everyone.

Matthew 6:14-15 (NLT2) ¹⁴ “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.
¹⁵  But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

--Even though they have heard it preached, heard it taught, and undoubtedly have read it on their own, they still say, “I could never forgive that person, you just don’t know what they have done to me!”

--Is it in the Bible…Yes! Is it the Words of Jesus…Yes! Should Jesus’ Words be obeyed…Yes! It is almost like their countenance changes…I could never!

--Do we only welcome the Words of God, the Word of God, the Words of Jesus, the Words inspired by Holy Spirit (the entire Bible), when they promise us blessings and prosperity?

--What about when God’s Words are correcting us or instructing us or even rebuking us for something in our lives that we know should not be there (un-forgiveness), do we welcome God’s Word then?

2 Timothy 4:1-4 (NKJV) ¹ I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:
²  Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.                                                                                                                                                           (NCV) ²  Preach the Good News. Be ready at all times, and tell people what they need to do. Tell them when they are wrong. Encourage them with great patience and careful teaching,                                                  (NLT2) ²  Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.                                                                                                       ³  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;
⁴  and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 

--Today I want us to look at welcoming the Word of God. From Heb. 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword…

1. We Welcome the Word of God Because It Is living.

Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV) ¹²  For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword...

--The Word of God is living…let me give you an example that may help you understand this principle better.

--Jesus said He would build His Church and the gates of hell would not prevail against it. Was Jesus talking about buildings, bricks, wood, and other inanimate materials or something that is alive.

--Of course Jesus was talking about “The Church” as a living breathing entity made up of people who love God and who are filled with His Holy Spirit.

 Romans 8:11, 16-17 (NKJV) ¹¹ But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
¹⁶  The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
¹⁷  and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. 

--The church of Jesus Christ is made up of children of God, joint heirs with Christ, Jesus as the foundation, and Holy Spirit as the supplier of power. The Church should be very much alive!

--The Word of God is living…just like the church is a living breathing entity, so is the Word of God. Pastor, the Word is a book with paper and ink. I beg to differ.

John 1:1-2 (NKJV) ¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
²  He was in the beginning with God. 

--According to the Bible (the Word) has been around since the beginning of time. Mind blowing for sure. Listen to what John says about the Word proving that it (He) is filled with life.

--The Word has been here forever, The Word was with God, The Word was God! Watch this, He was in the beginning with God. Did it say “He”? Yes, it did. The Word is a person! Mind blowing again.

--All things were made through Him (the Word). Evidently the Word was the creator of everything.

Colossians 1:15-18 (NKJV) ¹⁵ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
¹⁶  For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
¹⁷  And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
¹⁸  And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

--The verses in Colossians say He and Him over and over again. He or Him Who? The Creator, the Word, the Creator God. Who is He?

Colossians 1:13-14 (NKJV)
¹³  He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
¹⁴  in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

--The Word that was in the beginning with God, the image of the invisible God, the Creator God, the Head of the Body, the Church, is the Son of His (the Father) love…Jesus Christ is alive. The Word is living!

2. We Welcome the Word of God Because It Is Powerful.

Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV) ¹² For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword.

Isaiah 55:11 (NKJV) ¹¹ So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.                                                                 (NCV) ¹¹  The same thing is true of the words I speak. They will not return to me empty. They make the things happen that I want to happen, and they succeed in doing what I send them to do. 

--Welcome God’s Word (the Words God speaks) because they are powerful, they accomplish the will of God, and because His Word succeeds in accomplishing what God wants to happen.

--When you speak, speak the Word of God! When you pray, pray the Word of God! When you believe, believe the Word of God! When you preach, preach the Word of God because it is powerful!

3. We Welcome the Word of God Because It Is Sharper Than Any Two Edged Sword. 

Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV) ¹² For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword.

—Remember the sword here was the “Machara” the sharp two edged sword...this sword is mentioned many times in the NT. 

Renner - The Phrase "two edged" is taken from the Greek word distomos. It is a compound of the word ‘di’, meaning 2, and the word ‘stomos’, which is the Greek word for one’s mouth. The Word of God is a two mouthed sword?

—I understand the thinking of the two edges dividing good and evil in us, and also in the world, but I believe and Renner believes there is more!

Renner - One sharpened edge of this sword came into being when the Word of God initially proceeded out of the mouth of God. The second edge of this sword is added when the Word of God proceeds out of your mouth! This is the reason that the original text calls the Word of God a 'two mouthed sword".                           

--It was sharp and powerful coming out of Jesus' mouth, and as the Spirit comes on us (it is the sword of the Spirit), it will be powerful and effective coming out of our mouths.

—Too much is coming out of our mouths and most of it is anything but God's Word...negative, critical, breaking instead of building, we must stop it and speak God's Word over our church and each other! 

--Come on, Life Church let’s welcome the Word of God because it is living, powerful, and sharper than any two mouthed sword. 

Welcome – 5

Welcome  – 5

Subject – Welcoming Everyone into the Community of God

By Rick Welborne

Genesis 2:18 (NKJV) 18 And the LORD God said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him." 

Matthew 18:20 (NKJV) 20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them." 

–Today I want to speak about the community of God and His invitation to everyone. The small elementary book The All Better Book children are asked to solve some of the world’s toughest problems. 

--“With billions of people in the world, someone should be able to figure out a system where no one is lonely. What do you suggest?”

1. A System Where No One is Lonely.

Kalani (age 8) - People should find lonely people and ask their name and address. Then ask people who aren’t lonely their name and address. When you have an even amount of each, assign lonely and not lonely people together in the newspaper. (Administrative gift)

Matt (age 8) - We could get people a pet or a husband or a wife and take them places. (Makes you wonder about his understanding of marriage).

Brian (age 8) - Sing a song. Stomp your feet. Read a book. Sometimes I think no one loves me so I do one of these. 

–This thing of being lonely is why we attend churches, join hunting clubs, have girls shopping days out.... why so many are joining on line...Find Me Somebody.com. King articulated the need.

Martin Luther King - "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. I have a dream today!".

 

2. No Pain Like the Pain of Loneliness.

–We would be shocked to know those around us who are so lonely or maybe we would not be surprised because we are. Home makers to CEOs are lonely and hurting. Lonely people in the Villages. Friendliest?

John Ortberg - If loneliness is common for women, it is epidemic among men. One survey indicated that 90% of the male population in America lack a true friend. “No one wants to admit they are lonely, “writes psychiatrist Jacqueline Olds. “Loneliness is something we associate with losers.” Loneliness has such a sting.

Mother Teresa - Loneliness is the leprosy of modern society.  And no one wants anybody to know they’re a leper.

“With billions of people in the world, someone should be able to figure out a system where no one is lonely.”

–We do everything we can to try to avoid being lonely...we stay busy, we marry someone less than our standard, we join clubs, we do things that are crazy to not be alone. Loneliness hurts.

–Anyone who had great success in life and accomplished great things but never had friends died with bitter regrets. Every one of them.

–Other side, I have never known of anyone who succeeded at relationships–who cultivated good friendships, devoted to their families, who mastered the art of giving and receiving love–yet had a bad life.

–We learn that what really matters to us is not how high on the totem pole we get; it is people who matter the most. This beautiful idea of community and oneness. 

3. We Were Made for Oneness. 

Genesis 2:18 (NKJV) 18 And the LORD God said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him." 

–Man needed someone to be one with...not a monkey, dog, cat, horse...someone made in His image.

Matthew 19:5-6 (NKJV) 5 and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? 

6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let not man separate." 

 

–We were made for oneness. Loneliness is so painful. In v.18 it says man was alone and God said, “not good”.

“With billions of people in the world, someone should be able to figure out a system where no one is lonely.”

This oneness leads us into life giving relationships which makes us whole.

Alameda County Study - A Harvard study of 7000 people over a 9-year period found that the most isolated people were 3 times more likely to die younger than those with strong relational connections. People who had bad health habits (such as smoking, poor eating habits, obesity, or alcohol use) but strong social ties lived significantly longer than people who had great health habits but were isolated. In other words, it is better to eat Twinkies with good friends than to eat broccoli alone. 

–What is this saying...we were meant for oneness in the framework of community...we desperately need each other. We need each other, Life Church! La Vida Church!

–There has been a steady decline in our American society of what sociologist call “social capital”– a sense of connectedness and community.

Robert Putnam - Bowling Alone: The level of community in America is at its lowest point in our lifetimes, and this loss of social capital results in lower educational performance, more teen pregnancy, greater depression, and higher crime rates.

4. The Answer: The Divine Community.

--“With billions of people in the world, someone should be able to figure out a system where no one is lonely.”

Someone did. That system is called community.  

Ortberg - I believe that if you had to sum up in a single word what God is up to, what His goal is in creating the universe and the persons who inhabit it, that word would be community.

Dallas Willard - God’s aim in human history is the creation of an inclusive community of loving persons, with Himself as its primary sustainer and most glorious inhabitant.

–To show how important community was to God we can go back further than when man existed and see what life was like for Him. This is the doctrine of the Trinity.

--The Trinity turns out to be vitally important because it tells us that God Himself has been experiencing community throughout eternity. Community is rooted in the being of God.

5. Life Within the Trinity - The Great Invitation!

–Frederick Bruner in an essay on the Trinity begins with discussing Holy Spirit.

Bruner - One of the most surprising discoveries in my own study of the doctrine and experience of the Spirit in the New Testament is what I call the shyness of the Spirit...What I mean here is not the shyness of timidity but the shyness of deference, the shyness of a concentrated attention on another; it is not the shyness (which we often experience) of self-centeredness; but the shyness of an other-centeredness.

–Holy Spirit is constantly drawing attention not to Himself but to Jesus. Holy Spirit comes in the Son’s Name, bears witness to the Son, and glorifies the Son.

–It is as if Holy Spirit is hiding but saying…Look at Him, listen to Him, learn from Him, follow Him, worship Him, be devoted to Him, serve Him, love Him, be preoccupied with Him.

–Jesus has this shyness...He didn’t go around promoting Himself...If I glorify Myself, My glory means nothing. Jesus submitted to the Spirit and was led in the wilderness.

–The Father has this shyness...this otherness as He says at Jesus baptism...This is My Son in Whom I am well pleased. The Trinity has this shyness...they point faithfully and selflessly to each other.

Dallas Willard - The Trinity is a self-sufficing community of unspeakably magnificent personal beings of boundless love, knowledge, and power.

–So what about this great invitation? Imagine with me the Trinity in a circle in perfect love and unity. We get God’s invitation to come into the circle. Everyone is welcome. Jesus explains this:

John 17:21 - 23 (NLT) 21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. 

22 “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. 

23 I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.  

 –We have been invited into this fellowship of love...this community of love.  Why Jesus says:

Mat. 18:20 (NKJV) 20 Where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them." 

Ortberg - At enormous cost to every member of the Trinity, you and I have been welcomed to the eternal circle, to be held in the heart of the Father, Son, and Spirit. Therefore, to fail to prize community; to tolerate disunity with the people God loves–particularly disunity in the body of Christ; or to do things that could lead to disunity is unthinkable.