Subject: Armed Servants
by Rick Welborne
Ephesians 6:5-13 (NIV)
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.
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.
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.
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 very difficult to get away from this subject of the armor of God and tonight will be no different.
--Tonight I want to talk to you about being armed servants...soldiers with the full armor of God on willing to serve their God and people.
1. Armed servants must be inspired to serve!
Isn't it interesting that our military branches are called the armed services...see what I found on this military website: Today's Military:
Inspired to Serve. Every day, many thousands devote themselves to protecting-freedoms, maintaining peace, providing relief and supporting policy around the globe. For many young Americans, the benefits of serving can be tremendous: training, honor, education, travel, pay, and self-discovery. However, military service is not for everyone. It requires self-discipline, intense physical work and time away from family and friends while protecting America and its citizens at home and abroad. For some, these commitments impose too great a burden. Young people need a plan for their lives.
—Protecting freedoms - we serve to help people find their freedom. Maintaining peace - serving to help people find peace that passes all understanding. Providing relief - serving the poor and hurting in our church and community...world! Supporting policy around the globe - serving thru missions around the globe.
—The benefits - training (discipleship), honor (serving our King Jesus), education (studying God's Word), travel (missions), pay (Jesus - My reward is with Me), and self-discovery (finding our purpose).
—However, military service is not for everyone...putting on the full armor of God and praying in the Spirit doesn't appear to be what everyone chooses...why?
—It requires self-discipline, intense physical work and time away from family and friends while protecting America and its citizens at home and abroad...as we said last week, there is a full price that we have to pay...we must count the cost.
—Protecting our families and brothers and sisters in Christ will absolutely take armed servants who are disciplined (disciples) and it will take sacrifice.
—Young people need support as they consider their life path - Armed servants are willing to lead the generation coming after them...Legacy...Leading every generation...adults, children, and youth!
2. Armed servants must be leaders!
—Tom Clancy is known for his dramatic military novels but years ago he wrote a historical account on the art of warfare: Into the Storm: A Study in Command
—It is a profile of General Fred Franks...did not look like a war hero...short in stature, mild mannered, slight of build...but on the inside...General Franks is the epitome of competence and confidence.
You read this book and your mind is stretched as you learn about the life and death nature of this thing called leadership.
—You follow Franks early in his career as he leads his troops thru firefights in the jungles of Vietnam.
—You suffer with him as he steps on a land mine that blows off his foot and confines him to a VA hospital for a never-ending recuperation process. Wounded Christians quit!
—You hope with him as he petitions the US army to allow him to serve as one of the few amputee commanders in the US Military history.
—You strategize with him as he puts together the entire ground operation for the 1991 Gulf War, involving hundreds of thousands of troops and thousands of tanks and other supply vehicles.
—You pray with him throughout the long restless night before the invasion.
You agonize with him as he visits the front lines and sees US soldiers being zipped into body bags, others being carried away on blood soaked stretchers.
—You celebrate with him as he congratulates every soldier he can get an audience with as Desert Storm goes down in history as one of our nation's greatest military victories.
—Bill Hybels in his book Axiom says: Every soldier deserves competent command.
Franks: Air conditioned officers' quarters are no place for a leader whose troops are under fire...You gotta get in the fight...Franks would often say. They must be present in order to ignite the soldiers' resolve. They must provide a bottomless supply of courage for soldiers to feed on when their own supply begins to dry up!
— We should be there for each other. Jesus is our Commander in Chief and He leads us by an example of sacrifice and willingness to lay down His life.
Your Lord and your pastors here have been and are in the trenches with you...we are armed servants and we are fighting soldier to soldier...shield to shield…side by side.
—We are not only in a battle to help each other...we are in a battle for the souls of men!
Hybels: It's high time that leaders in the local church got crystal clear on the intensity of the battle we are in and on what it will take to win...thus our teaching and exhortation on putting on the whole armor of God!
Hybels: We are engaged in a wild spiritual battle for the hearts and minds and souls of human beings. As tragic as it is to see soldier's dead bodies being stuffed into black bags, the stakes of our battle are infinitely higher.
—Cont. Our effectiveness, or lack thereof, seals men's and women's eternities: for us, it is not just a life or death deal. In our leadership battles, the stakes are eternal life and eternal death, a reality that has always been present in kingdom warfare. Jesus knew it, the Scriptures preach it, and we must believe it.
—God is the giver of the leadership gift, and he fully expects us to keep heading straight into the fight until such time as He changes our orders or takes us home.
--We are in the highest stakes battle in existence on the broadest battlefield of engagement ever imagined. Those we lead within the faith deserve our most competent, confident efforts. And Christ's instruction to reach the rest (lost) demands them.
—I guess the question is this: Will we be armed servants or will we make excuse of why we can't? Will we be good soldiers of the cross or not?
3. Armed servants must serve!
Helen Keller – I am only one, but I am still one. I cannot do everything but I can still do something. And because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do something I can do!
—You cannot do everything when it comes to being an armed servant for Christ...but you can do something...you can serve! You can be faithful and consistent!!
—Wasn't it the army who had the slogan...An Army of One...
—When God is on my side or more correctly...when I am on the side of God's army...we are an incredible force. We are one and we are powerful when we are together for the Lord.
Romans 8:31-39 (NKJV)
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
33 Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
33 Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.
34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Do we really want to serve in God's army, do we want to put on the full armor of God, and do we want to pray in the Spirit so that we can stand against Satan's attacks?
Matthew 20:25-28 (NKJV)
25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them.
26 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.
27 And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave--
28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them.
26 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.
27 And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave--
28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
—We don't need more lords...we need more soldiers who are willing to serve...armed soldiers willing to fight for the souls of men and women!
Willing to fight for our families, our church, our community, and our country!
—Barclay's Daily Study Bible (NT) - What Jesus calls upon his followers to do what he himself did. He came not to be served, but to serve. He came to occupy not a throne, but a cross. It was just because of this that the orthodox religious people of his time could not understand him. All through their history the Jews had dreamed of the Messiah; but the Messiah of whom they had dreamed was always a conquering king, a mighty leader, one who would smash the enemies of Israel and reign in power over the kingdoms of the earth. They looked for a conqueror; they received one broken on a cross. They looked for the raging Lion of Judah; they received the gentle Lamb of God. Here is demonstrated the new glory and the new greatness of suffering love and sacrificial service. Here is royalty and kingship restated and remade. Jesus gave everything to bring men back to God; and we must walk in the steps of him who loved to the uttermost.
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