Sermon "At War" by Rick Shabi, October 2, 2021

i mentioned in the announcements that we learn something from the feast every year every year we hear wonderful sermons that are encouraging and that are inspiring that point us toward the kingdom of god and we should be coming back from the feast with a renewed energy to be there when jesus christ returns to be part of that kingdom if we don't have that vision of the feast when we come back then we've missed something we've missed something and we've gone to the feast maybe for the wrong reason we should always be going to the feast and always coming back with a greater desire to be there when when jesus christ returns to be part of that kingdom to be part of the eternity that he has called us to this year this year we had all that there are many lessons from the sermons that we will all learn i'm sure we all heard something that we can take with us that we can apply into our lives and be diligent in putting those into our lives but this year was different than every other feast even different than last year as we looked around and as we saw ourselves and as we looked at each other and saw what happened in the feast there are lessons we could east personally learn from what we did it should it is good and is beneficial and it is right for us to take the time to look and see what was our attitude toward the feast this year what did we go there for what did we learn from it did we keep it the way god intended to keep it if we didn't why not what does it say about us what does this say about our commitment to god what does it say about our loyalty to him and our and our desire to follow him there is something we can each learn and the value of the feast one of the values of the feast is to do that examination now and then the purpose in our hearts that we will go forward we will learn the lessons from this feast and we will put corrective practices into our lives build on the strength that's there but also look at the things that maybe we could have improved on and things that where we fell short a little bit for one reason or another whatever it is whatever the reason is you know some couldn't go to the feast to a last year if we had said you know we would have xx who was going to who would come down from covet or another disease and not be able to go to the feast we would have said oh no that doesn't happen but this year you know we saw that a number in this congregation just could not go to the feast they were sick others didn't go for other reasons others didn't go to the whole feast for other reasons that's between you and god but there are things that we can learn because everything that god has us go through everything we experience in life he tells us is for our own good he's getting our attention and he is preparing us for what he wants us to do so don't you know everything that we go through let's let's determine that we will live that we will learn from it and that we will make the changes in our lives because what god's interest is is that you are there for eternity that i'm there for eternity that everyone he calls is there for eternity but none of us are ready for it yet because we all have things to work on and every year as i go to the feast i i i won't say if i try i just don't listen to the news i like to kind of shut the world around us out when i go to the feast because there's a peace and there's a calm at the feast when you just leave the world behind and there's a reason that god has us leave our homes go to the feast be away for eight days nine days if you're there for the opening night you leave all that behind and you can feel the peace and you can feel the reason that we're there we can get a feeling of what the world will be like when the world is being when the world has jesus christ as its perfect king we can't experience that in in lives and i know when i do turn the news on and hear something during the feast it kind of brings me back into the world and the upset and the consternation and the agitation that you feel because we live in a world that is full of agitation we live in a world that's full of confusion and chaos it's a world that's totally different than any of us have lived in before well that's through the feast and it always is nice to be able to come home and have that peace and calm that you have experienced in the feast but then i come home and i listen to the news and this year was no different and every year i think look how much the world has changed in just the week or week and a half that we were away this year when i turned on the news on i guess it was thursday night when we got back i hear things about mandates i hear things about people losing their jobs and if they don't have if they don't let their if they don't take whatever medicine or whatever you want to call it and i'll stay away from one word here but if you don't take it then you're going to lose your job i hear politicians saying you know if you want these benefits you have to do this and you have to do that i hear about 80 000 80 000 hospital workers who will be laid off i hear about the number of teachers who are going to be laid off simply because they won't do what they're being told they won't allow the government to force them into something that they don't want to do medicinally and i have to stop and i think what kind of a world is it that we live in i see what covid has done to the world in the last two years i see what kova did to the feast and the and the church this year you know we we had people catch it while we're at the feast in every single feast site we have had people who couldn't go because of covid over the last year and a half we have been dominated by a disease by a virus that has been thrust upon the nation thrust upon the world thrust upon the church thrust upon god's people in a way that nothing else before has done it is an outright attack on the world around us make no mistake covet and everything that has emanated from it everything that has gone on as a result of covet entering our lifetimes and entering our space has been negative in every way shape and form you see the progress in society and you see a government and a world we live in and things that we hear that we never thought we could hear in america never thought you could hear about you know if you don't do this you'll lose your job if you don't do this you can't go here if you don't do this you can't be there can't never thought you'd be ostracized not in the land that's free not in the land that has personal choice as part of what what its guarantees are and yet that has happened never thought we'd live in a world that is so divided that people literally hate each other because one wants to do this but the other doesn't the other one believes in this and the other one doesn't and so you have the vision and you have hate and you have people that are willing to even eliminate i mean cancel culture is one thing but as you look at the world around us we see where it is headed the world of revelation 13 a world of autocracy a world of you do it my way or you pay a world of of well a world of i want to say genocide because that world is well put to death anyone who doesn't agree with them and all of a sudden in 2021 we see the rudiments of a world that is all emanated from a virus that is totally different than anything that has been foisted on humankind in our lifetime and the results of it have not been anything except satanic simply put that's what it is and so we live in a world where you and i have entered a time where we're simply we are at war we are at war and in a time that god prophesied would come that we all knew would come and as we look at this time that we are post feast of tabernacles 20 21 i always wonder what should i be the first sermon when we get back from the feast to keep us moving forward to keep us focused and sometimes it's like we need we need to prepare we need to prepare our hearts we need to build the fire we need to rekindle the fire we need all the energy we need all those things that we always talk about this year we need to look at where we are who we are what god has called us to now what weapons he has given us to be able to traverse the land ahead of us to traverse the time ahead of us and to be prepared for what is surely coming turn with me if you will over to revelation 12. revelation 12. of course this is the chapter where it talks about satan going up to heaven that there is a war in heaven because satan is a being of war he is not about peace he is not about unity he is not about good things he is anti-god he is anti-god's people he is anti-the human race because the human race is part of god's plan and satan is against everything everything that is part of god's plan and so it tells us as you read down you know the verses in 9 10 and 11 there was a war in heaven and satan is cast down it tells us in verse 9. down in verse 12 as that time draws near it means the return of jesus christ is near and so the heavens and the heavenly beings rejoice because that is the ultimate the return of jesus christ where at which time a world of peace and harmony and abundance for everyone will be in place in verse 12 it says therefore rejoice o heavens and you who dwell in them woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea for the devil has come down to you having great wrath because he knows that he has a short time he is going to go to war with the world he is going to go to war with god's people he is going to go to war with god's church he will attack in any way he can with his entire mission being how can he separate me from god how can he separate you from god how can he would disrupt god's plan for mankind that's his sole mission our mission is just the opposite how do we stay close to god how do we draw close to god so that we can walk through this time under god's guidance with his holy spirit and be there when jesus christ returns so that we are part of the eternity that god has has promised us you know satan there's so many verses about him every single one shows he is anti-humans he is anti-everyone the bible tells us this world is under his sway we know that we know that when adam and eve chose to follow satan rather than god god gave god gave them what they asked for we'll follow our own way we'll follow the lead of of of satan and so we're still under that but we know that satan first peter 5 8 says he goes about as a roaring lion what he's seeking to do is conquer you what he's seeking to do is conquer me actually devour us that's what he is looking to do how do we fight against that we know that you and i are powerless against satan you and i are powerless about what's going on in this world the only hope we have and the only way we can conquer the world and conquer what is going on in us the only way we can become who god wants us to be is if we yield to him and you know god never leaves us unprepared he never leaves us unprepared he knows there's a battle ahead he knows that he has called us into a time that is going to be trying he knows that he has called us to be soldiers as we're going to see in a moment that we have to be prepared for the battle and he never leaves us unprepared we always have the opportunity to build what he wants us to build and become who he wants us to become as we look at revelation 12 and we might ask how can you overcome an enemy as powerful as satan who has the power of the heir who has the influence over our lives in a world that we live in where we see it and we're part of it every day and verse 11 god gives us some of the things that we do how do you overcome satan they that's you and me they overcame him by the blood of the lamb well jesus christ lived he died that our sins could be give forgiven he overcame satan with the holy spirit that god had given him with the word of god that he used to combat satan in that very first battle between jesus christ and satan and the great temptation you and i can claim that blood of the lamb when we do claim that blood of the lamb we have to be doing something about it we can't believe the way the world believes and just say i believe jesus christ is the messiah we talked about that at the feast there's that three-pronged approach of the word the greek word pistol that's translated believe virtually everywhere you see the word believe in the new testament you have to be strongly convicted of what you that jesus christ is him and that conviction that you have that he is the messiah has to result in conduct inspired by that that conviction and that acknowledgement that he is true you have to live the way he lives if you don't live the way that jesus christ lives then you simply aren't believing in him the way the bible says to believe him and if we don't believe in him with all our gusto and if that belief doesn't inspire a change in us then we simply don't believe we simply are playing a game it has to inspire as it has i believe for all of us in this room who have been called who have been repented who have repented who have been baptized and received god's holy spirit so they overcame him by the blood of the lamb without jesus christ we cannot do it we are all sitting ducks and we are all hopeless they overcame him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony here's people who simply stood up for god in the face of whatever was thrown their way you'll lose your job if you don't do it no i'm going to do it the way god said i'm going to cut your head off if you don't bow down to me as we have several examples in the bible no i'll cut my head off i am going to stand for god the strength that comes from being able to to stand for what you believe and say it comes from god it comes from a belief in god and comes from the spirit of god that is in us and it's a strength that we have to develop in our lives it's not going to come automatically it's something that we have to build that when the time comes if we're faced with something we would stay say no you can do with me what you want you can put me through whatever you want i stand by god i will not deny god i will not compromise with the world i will not i will not choose you or the world or any part of it i will choose god and whatever that may cost me physically or personally at this time knowing that god is faithful knowing that god is true and that there is eternal life on the other side of that they they did it by the word of their testimony and sometime in our life the word of our testimony will be yes we believe god yes we do keep the sabbath day no we will not bow down to any other god no we will not bow down or worship on any other day no we will keep doing what god said to do we will follow him and remember going on in verse 11 they didn't love their lives to the death they didn't love their lives to the death there's three things right off the bat he tells us that we need to do you know it's very easy for us i read those words and i think like everyone in the room i would say yes i would die for jesus christ if someone came in now and said either you know renounce jesus christ or you die i would i would hope and i'd believe i would say i will not renounce jesus christ no matter what the cost but it's very easy to say those words when it's theory when it's reality when you can see the writing on the wall when you can project into the future and see a time coming that those things that we are going to be faced with those situations where today we can't imagine it someone saying i you know i would just as soon see you dead as know that you're even in my neighborhood or in my place of employment if you keep that sabbath day if you believe in the bible if you believe this or that i just as soon see you dead and you're faced with that that takes some thought doesn't it when it's a reality time is now for us to be thinking about those things and letting god prepare us so that when that time comes we can stand and the word of our testimony will be i stand with god i stand with god and no one else and if we would not leave live our lives love our lives to the death because we would be fully convicted that after this physical life there is eternal life that god has promised well the bible speaks in many places many places about warfare warfare let's go back and turn with me back to ii timothy there's many roles that you and i have in life many hats that we wear we're husbands we're fathers we're mothers we're wives or children we're disciples of christ we're in training we're servants many many hats that we wear god gives us another one that you and i each wear find that in another hat that we wear in second timothy 2 and verse 3. he says to timothy a young minister you therefore timothy and you can put your name in that too because the bible speaks to each of us individually as well as collectively you therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of jesus christ a good soldier ever think of yourself as a soldier maybe some of you have been in the armed services or in the military the army and you have been a soldier you would know what it means to be a soldier the rest of us have seen pictures we know what a soldier is as well but every single one of us in this room have been called to be a soldier of jesus christ whatever you think of soldiers we could probably go down a list here and talk about the things that soldiers do they are first and foremost loyal to the nation that they are serving they are loyal and they have to be completely submitted to their commander and trust in him and there's a number of other responsibilities they have as well let me read to you something about the responsibilities of the shoulder soldier that comes out of the u.s army and national soldier national guard soldiers crazed says the responsibilities in addition to those other things include placing the mission first whatever you're called to do that's the most important thing in life family weights other things wait mission first never giving up good soldiers never give up they fight to the death and they fight to the end good soldiers maintain fitness and expertise and discipline they're aware of their bodies and how they need to be used and they are they take care of those things you've heard of the rigorous exercises that people go through discipline they make themselves do what they need to do it's a character trait that all of us need to have and every soldier needs to have they have to take care of self and they have to maintain their equipment maintain their equipment now maintaining equipment is what we'll focus on more today all these other things yes we could talk about each one of those in a sermon or two over the time all those things are important and you and i have those responsibilities as well but what about maintaining our equipment god does not leave us unarmed in our role as soldier god does not leave us unarmed in the warfare that we face god does not leave us unarmed when we feel an attack from a from covet or whatever the next generation of cove it is because i believe we're in a time where there will be wave after wave destruction after disaster after disaster like it says in ezekiel whatever the attack is god does not leave us unarmed and he does not leave us unprepared what are we doing what are we doing about the weapons that god gives us to be able to endure endure hardship as it says here in second timothy 2. we have to endure it can't give up and just hit too hard i'll abandon the i'll abandon the cause have to endure it what do we do let's um well i didn't read verse four let's read verse four we get a another thing here that kind of goes along with the national soldiers creed here it says no one engaged in warfare himself with the affairs of this life isn't that interesting that's mission first right now that doesn't mean that we don't go to work anymore we don't go to school anymore we don't interact with people anymore we don't interact in society but it means missions first mission first we would not look to the world for the answers to our problems we wouldn't look to the enemy to give us the answers right i mean if we're if we're a soldier in the united states armies we don't go to china and say hey what do you think about this this well how do you want us to handle this we wouldn't go to russia or any other enemy to do that so we wouldn't entangle ourselves with the satan's world which is the enemy or satan being the enemy of god to look to him what the answers would be we would look to god for what the answers would be he is the general he is the commander he has the answers he has the game plan he is the leader he has been the forerunner he will lead us to victory we have to do it his way no one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier well that's god he called you and me he enlisted you and me as a soldier he said you joined the fight i want you part of my team i want you part of the army i want you to be part of the citizens re of that kingdom i want you to be there he enlisted us would we dare abandon him will we even consider going awol from what god has called us to i would hope not i would hope not let's go back one chapter actually one chapter one book i made one to first timothy first timothy one and we will look at verse 18. again paul writing to timothy it's also written to you and me this charge i commit to you son timothy according to the prophecies previously made concerning you that by them you may wage the good warfare how do you wage the good warfare well we've seen a few of the things a few of the traits a few of the attributes that god says as good soldier has to have here's a few more in verse 19 that you may wage the good warfare warfare having faith well without faith it's impossible to please god right hebrews 11 6 tells us that without faith we fall and the faith that the bible speaks of is a derivative of the same word pastorio that i talked about believe it's a completely thorough belief in faith in god not the faith that the world has or that the world espouses but a deep faith in him the kind of faith that jesus christ displayed when he was on earth the kind of faith that paul and peter and the apostles displayed when they were on earth they had to learn that faith we have to learn that faith we have to take the opportunities that god gives us to build that faith so one of the reasons jesus christ said when he returns earth will he find faith on earth i think all of us would say we have faith i think he intends for us to develop it more and to look for the opportunities to build that faith that he will certainly certainly give us having faith and a good conscience how do we develop a good conscience we do god's we do god's will through his holy spirit in us it changes the way we think changes the way we act we have to start doing what god said i mean his holy spirit will give us the ability will give us the desire will give us the strength to do it but if we don't make the changes to do it then we're using leaving a tool the most valuable tool we could ever have just laying on the table and not doing anything with it we have to make choices we have to do we have to deny self we have to say no more of me no more of my idea if this is the way you say do it that's the way i'm going to do it forget me bury the old self like we said in baptism but let the new creation that god is building direct us and become us you know while we're there let me let's go back up to verse five here in first timothy he says um what paul says is the purpose of the commandment is love we know that god is love i mean we if we love god we keep his commandments the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart not a double-minded heart not a double-minded person but a single-minded man who is completely devoted to god the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart from a good conscience and from sincere faith from which some having strayed have turned aside to idle talk that's a verse to contemplate and think about let's go back to verse 18 or 19 so we have faith we must have a good conscience so god says you know if don't sin don't go against your conscience if you've developed a good conscience and your conscience says don't do it don't do it don't sear your conscience paul says in the same book of timothy don't sear it follow what god has led you to be to to be and to think and to realize having faith in a good conscience oh have and some have suffered shipwreck and then paul mentions a few people that he had to put out of the church just so that they would get their bearings back so they would get their bearings back and realize what they have been what they've been called to let's go back to luke 14. jesus christ talks even at the beginning of our calling about the warfare that we are being that we are being called to up to this time it has been a battle it has been a battle of the minds been a battle of the spirit we have to battle ourselves we have to battle our own wills going forward will be that and a little more intense as the time goes on in luke 14 very familiar set of scriptures when we counsel for baptism we always talk about these scriptures is about counting the cost before you say you're going to follow god understand the commitment that you're making to him don't take it lightly don't take it lightly and don't disappoint him don't disappoint him i always tell people make sure you know what you're doing take your time count the cost understand what god has called us to it isn't a life of ease it isn't the life of roses and petals it's going to be a difficult life and more difficult as the time of jesus christ returns you have to be committed and you don't want to take it and then let go of it understanding what the bible says and what god is looking looking to us to do let's look at verse 26. he says if anyone i'm in luke 14 luke 14 26 if anyone comes to me and doesn't hate his father and mother hate doesn't mean hate it means love them less okay if god says do it mother and father say something else you obey god first if kid says let's do this but god says this you choose god doesn't mean you hate but you but it means you choose god first he is the priority no matter what father and mother wife and children brothers and sisters might say god first sometimes that hurts sometimes people get offended that's okay the word of their testimony is it's god first i trust him i believe him i follow him and he finishes verse six with saying yes in his own life also yes i would forfeit my life yes i'll give my life but i will do what god's will is i won't i won't save self i would sacrifice self just as paul says in romans 12 1 and 2. i'll sacrifice self because that's what i've been called to understanding the promises of god's calling if you know aren't willing to do all this in verse 26 he says you can't be my disciple i mean there's the job description we talked about that not too long ago verse 27 whoever does not bear his cross and come after me can't be my disciple there are some of the job description then in verse 28 and 29 and 30 talks about building the tower counting the cost but let's go down to verse 31 or what king he says going to make war against another king doesn't sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet who comes against him with twenty thousand from a fiscal standpoint it can look pretty daunting what we'll be up against it could be pretty daunting when swarves of people come and say we don't want you living here we don't want you working here we don't like what you believe you're a danger to us because you won't do what this person says or that person says or whatever we don't want you here that can be pretty overwhelming all of us want to be liked all of us want to be part what king going to war doesn't look at it and say i only have 10 000. what happens if twenty thousand are coming at me what will i do that takes faith that takes counting the cost that takes looking at god and looking ahead and saying father when that comes prepare me get me ready that i will look at it and say i could care well i always care right i don't care i will simply follow you i will not yield to pressure i will not yield to numbers i will not yield to the world around me i will follow your way or else verse 32 while the other is still a great way off he sends the delegation and asks conditions of peace we don't compromise with the world well okay i didn't really count on that how about if we do this how about if i justify this and i think okay that that kind of looks like it's keeping god's law if i do this isn't that okay if i do that isn't that okay some you know some even do that a little bit today we all we all practice justification we've talked about that not too long ago we have to get away from justification looking at the pure words of god are we doing what he says or not you know stripping away all the self-interest the thing awake all the self-will getting away with the justification if god says do it do it and if he says don't do it don't do it it's all about submission it's all about trust it's all about faith it's all about obedience it's all about surrender to god it's all about believing pastorio believing and pistus p-i-s-t-i-s faith that god is developing in us jesus christ overcame the world he gave us the same tools that he has we have god's holy spirit we can do it we have to exercise it we have to use it remember it says in hebrews 6 by exercise of use using the spirit if it just lays there dormant it means nothing we have to use it and build it and it gives us the word of the bible the same words that jesus christ used when he combated the devil in in the battle the battle of satan and jesus christ he used the words of the bible you and i know the words of the bible he gives that to we have to we have to study it we have to inculcate it into our minds we have to become part of our very being we have to live it breathe it and live by it first corinthians 16. throughout the old testament throughout the new testament there are words that god tells you and me as his as his servants as his children as his disciples over and over in the old testament says be brave be courageous be strong those are words because he knows that we're going to need those character traits in order to enter his kingdom don't fear don't waver don't doubt you know just at the feast you heard if you were listening closely in daytona the man who gave a sermon said here's the four enemies of faith what are they fear what motivates us when we make choices fear oh i'm afraid this will happen if i do that oh i'm afraid that'll happen what is the real motivation and we can ask god what is the real motivation what is the real reason we make the choices we make especially when we make a choice that's contradictory to what he says to do is it fear is it doubt when we ask god something do we doubt secretly that he will do it well we'll go through the practice and we'll doubt it you know we don't say we doubt but do we doubt do we show god that we doubt because we do all these other things or do we simply trust him do we simply look to him and no he can do anything anytime anywhere there is nothing that's not in his power not an easy thing to do something we have to grow in something the apostles had they had to learn it just like you and i learned it they made mistakes along the way you and i make mistakes but we repent we ask god for strength and we move forward we don't regress we don't quit we can't keep trying to overcome what do we say fear doubt worry how many times does worry sidetrack oh i can't do that because what if this happens what if that happens what does this mean when that happened in my life any of us have probably spent nights worrying about this and that and we wake up in the morning nothing was the matter what does jesus christ say cast your worry and care on me i'll take care of it and of course human reasoning that's the best we think we know more oh no obviously god doesn't want me to do that because of this don't use human logic use god's word use his holy spirit that's what he gives it therefore it takes practice it takes time don't deny and don't neglect the opportunity to practice god's way of life where am i at why first corinthians 16 verse 13 here here paul in one little verse here he gives us those words those fighting words right warfare watch watch what's going on don't bury your head in the sand you know some people just don't want to hear what's going on or they just want to hear one side of the story they want to hear smooth things oh this is okay because of this understand what's going on listen to both sides of the story as as proverbs say do a little bit of research do a little bit of thinking understand what is going on around us watch stand fast in the faith stand fast in the faith we've talked about that be brave be strong let all that you be let all that you do be done with love second corinthians 10. here in this chapter paul talks about warfare you know our warfare is not about nuclear bombs and it's not about hand grenades and it's not about pistols and rifles and whatever that's not the battle that we're waging we're waging a battle of the mind we're waging a battle of the soul or waging a battle of the spirit that's how we will overcome satan that's how we will overcome the world not with the munitions and ammunitions of man but with the weapons that god gives us here in second corinthians 10 he begins to show us some of those things and verse three says though we walk in the flesh we don't war according to the flesh no nuclear bomb is going to overcome satan no hand grenade for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but they're mighty in god for pulling down strongholds i dare say all of us have a stronghold somewhere in our life part of our job is to pull down you know what stronghold is it's something that we just almost have a mental block on someone you know you can say something and sometimes i can look around and see that eyes are they're not even like you know i'm i got a strong hold on that one i'm not even letting i'm not even letting that penetrate my mind what is being said right now we probably say that at home sometimes maybe the boss says something like no i'm not even going to do that right stronghold something that we that are just a block that you can't penetrate through god has to break down those strongholds we have to let god direct our minds we have to we have to get rid of the human reasonings on our own hang-ups and our own beliefs the things that we don't want to let go that are so strong in us it is a complete submission to god it's a complete surrender to god and we probably all have them and we can ask god where are they or maybe we can just stop sometimes and think about what we're doing think about what we're reading think about what someone is telling us and when do our minds shut off like nope not going there not going there that's a stronghold have to overcome it have to let god knock down that stronghold it can be done but with god's holy spirit the weapons of our warfare are not carnal no nuclear bomb is going to change it no hand grenade is going to change it no blackhawk helicopter is going to drop anything to change that stronghold it is going to be god's holy spirit it's using a weapon a spiritual weapon that he's given us the weapons of our warfare aren't carnal they're mighty and god for pulling down strongholds they're mighty in god for casting down arguments how many arguments are in the world today argument after argument right we can watch turn on the news and always say are people arguing this side says this this says says that another side something else they all have their little ammunition there here's a study that says this here's a study that says that confusion chaos it's nothing but arguing two sides don't see each other we have two parties in america they are so diametrically approached there is no hope humanly that they can ever come back together again never a time like this in the american i don't even think it's a civil war the animosities have uh ran as high as they do now arguments everywhere we can be people that argue you might have one opinion on one thing i might have we never would let that happen you know in our sermon at the feast on oneness we have to be one with one another we might have differences of opinions but we've yielded to what god's will is he will show us what that will is he will lead us to what it is we have to follow we have to be stay and remain with one another and work with one another and always seek god's will casting down arguments in every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of god you know that can even be us oh i think i know better i think this is what god means when he said that now i get my situation and god understands so in this situation it's okay with god isn't that exalting ourself above god isn't that saying i know better than god therefore i this is my script this is my will and i've justified in my mind that this is what god wants for me the bible doesn't have it has all our names on it right but it's the same for every single person god said the same law for the native born israelite the same the same law for the stranger the same law the same way of life for everyone what we read in the bible is what we do and of course we live in a world where you know the governments of the world are going to tell us this is the way this is the way follow it we have all the answers do what i say and if you don't do what i say you know whatever the consequences are every high thing that exalts itself against god and then of course the last part there verse 5 you know bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of christ that's a tough one that takes that takes life that takes a lifetime to do that's why god calls us that's why we repent that's why he gives us a lifetime to live this way of life so that we do commit ourselves submit ourselves surrender ourselves to god that we do bring every thought into obedience of christ takes a while to do that but there comes a time in life where you look at yourself and you say you know what god i don't want anything of me anymore i don't care about me i don't care about my ideas i don't care about any of this i just want what you want just show me what's wrong with me just show me what needs to be changed and you know what it's done i'll repent and i'll give it to you because you learn to trust him and give your life completely to him knowing that everything he does is for our good everything he does is for our good now with the future in mind well i'm going to go to a place now where i'm sure you've all been waiting for me to go and that's ephesians 6. we haven't talked about ephesians 6 here for a while but here's we're talking about and it's here is we're on the first sabbath after the feast of tabernacles a time when we are looking and setting the course and setting the standard for us going forward building on what we've learned at the feast recognizing the things that we need to do among ourselves and individually as well as collectively looking to what god is doing and looking honestly and realistically at the world ahead of us let's look at these weapons this armor that god has given us and i'm not going to take a lot of time i'm not going to take a lot of time in ephesians 6 but i'm going to throw it on you i'm going to talk about it a little bit but i want you to go back and i want you to look at ephesians 6 and the armor that god has given us a good soldier maintains his equipment a good soldier makes sure that he knows how to use his equipment that it is in working order when the time for the battle to comes it is in first-rate shape no failures no malfunctions he knows what it's about and that's your job that's my job and god tells us what that armor is here we'll talk just a little bit about it but you and me we both need to take some time in this and make sure that every single one of the things that god mentions here we're working on and we're under his guidance making better and making sure that it's it's ready for the battle ephesians 6 verse 10 finally my brethren be strong in the lord and in the power of his might be strong in him don't be strong in the world don't be strong with your own ideas and your own plans be strong in the lord with him all things are possible be strong in the lord and in the power of his might not our might not our ingenuity not our logic not our reasoning abilities in the power of his might doing things his way verse 11 put on the whole armor of god you know whatever god uses an adjective like this we should probably pay attention to it he could have simply said put on the armor of god but he highlights for us put on the whole armor of god not two or three of the pieces not four or five of the pieces put on all of it we need all of it just like we talk about in deuteronomy as you read through there and i maybe you think too often remind us about the adverbs that god uses when we talk about obeying his commands that we earnestly keep it we diligently keep it we do carefully keep it we do everything he said when he uses adverbs when he uses adjectives he's getting our attention and telling it do this pay attention to all of it put on the whole armor of god why that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil we know what his wiles are his entire mission is to disrupt you and me his entire mission is to take us out of the church his entire mission is whatever tool he can use whether it's pride whether it's fear whether it's worry whether it's threats whether it's distraction whatever it is he will take us away from god that's the wiles of the devil paul said don't be ignorant of that look and look and see and don't be wise to it and put on the whole armor that you can stand against his wiles verse 12 for we don't wrestle against flesh and blood but we wrestle against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this age not yet do i think any of us have been called to account before any of the rulers of this age in the years ahead as we look down the road we may be held to account some may be held to account by employers in the very near future correct some have already been faced with what do i do how do i handle this there's a choice that has to be made that i didn't that i knew i would make one day but now the time is here to make a choice what do i choose to do that's an employer when we look at revelation 13 someone much more powerful than a an employer of course god is more powerful than all of them we don't wrestle against these things we wrestle against the rulers of the darkness of this age we wrestle against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places none of us none of us can none of us stand a chance against satan without the armor of god we all fall we thought we may as well give up now if we're not dedicated to putting on the whole armor of god as he says in these verses doing it with our heart doing with our mind committing to him yielding to him to do it then you know but i'm not encouraging anyone to give up i'm encouraging you let's all work and make sure we're focused on putting on the armor of god and being ready verse 13 he uses the word whole again therefore take up the whole armor of god that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand that you may be able to stand in the evil day would anyone look at the world around us today and say we don't we don't that this couldn't be called an evil day when we see the things going on around when we hear the words that are being said when we watch the very fabric of what we've grown up in in this nation disappearing before our eyes and people fighting or making sounds that sound very different than anything that we have ever heard before all in the name of a virus that has been thrust upon all in the name of a virus that has been thrust upon the world and certainly this nation in a way unseen in our lifetimes before would this be an evil day you know paul talks about an evil day here if you look one page back in your bible one chapter in ephesians 5. he talks about an evil day there too in verse 14 of ephesians 5 he says therefore god says awake now watch talked about what jesus christ's words are awake you who sleep awake you who sleep arise from the dead and christ will give you light see then that you walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise not as people don't know the truth because we do know the truth the people the people outside have not yet had god give them the knowledge of the truth that you and i have but we're supposed to have the wisdom of god we have his holy spirit we are living by his way of life a good understanding how they who live that life and live by that time see that you walk circumspectly not like the rest of the world does but as wise people people of god redeem the time make use of the time don't let it just slip by these days this time is valuable redeeming the time because the days are evil they are they are satan's way satan's world satan's mission is evil it isn't for any of our good everything that god does for us is for our good back to chapter 6. verse 14. he starts this next sentence the way he ended the sentence before having done all to stand stand therefore be upright be ready be strong be there when god is don't be shrinking away hiding in the recesses of whatever you're hiding into stand with him stand therefore having girded your waist with truth i don't need to turn to ii thessalonians 2 you know the verses we've heard them not too long ago hearing services here what happens to those who perish why do people perish in the last days they didn't receive the love of the truth and because they didn't receive the love of the truth they believe the lie they believe what satan's world would have them believe we must have a love of the truth that's the very first thing god says that's that weapon have and ask god to help us if we don't have a love of the truth love his word love what he has called us to believe him and love him stand therefore having girded your waist with truth having put on the breastplate of righteousness what does a breastplate do for if we're a person that's putting on armor it's going to cover our heart so whatever darts whatever arrows whatever bullets come our way we protect our heart because it's the essence of life if our heart goes our life goes he says breastplate of righteousness what is righteousness let's go back and look at deuteronomy 6 verses 24 and 25. deuteronomy 6 24 the lord commanded us to observe all these statutes to fear the eternal our god remember why god says we must keep the fear of god keeping the fear of god before our eyes will keep us from sin to fear the lord our god underline for our good always for our good always that he might preserve us alive as it is this day then it will be righteousness for us if we are careful careful to observe all these commandments before the eternal our god as he has commanded us righteousness is doing what god said it's not just doing that just us doing it doing it certainly is an important part but it has to become part of our heart it has to be what's here it has to be what's here it has to be something we do because we love god jesus christ said if you love me keep my commandments easy words sometimes more difficult to do than that let's go to romans 1 romans 1 verse 17 romans 1 17. you know let me let me read verse 16 too paul writing he says i'm not ashamed of the gospel of christ how many times did paul get beaten for what he believed and and and go through so much i am not ashamed of the gospel of christ for it's the power of god to salvation for everyone who believes there's that word pastorio again for everyone who believes for the jew first and also for the greek for in it in it the righteousness of god is revealed from faith to faith as it is written the just shall live by faith live by the bible love god with all your heart mind and soul let him permeate your mind your actions your ways let him cast out the fear what does it say in first john 4 18 it says perfect love of god casts out fear when you look at the words of the bible when you see some of the things that says will befall us they could be fearful and if we're looking to ourselves they are fearful but when we have the love of god and we know and have committed to him that perfect love will cast out fear okay back to ephesians six ephesians six we're in verse 14 verse 15 having shot your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace you're standing you are ready to go you have your shoes on and when god says go you go you are ready to preach the gospel you are ready to stand in front of anyone who god would have you stand in front of you are ready to go and be a witness to him if that's what he asks wherever he says because you've been prepared by the gospel of peace you have done that through your work in studying and making the word of god part of your mind part of your heart part of your being by living every single word of it you've done that by committing to it you've done that by denying self and committing to do god's will making yourself do god's will if needs to be asking god for the strength to do that and every time you find yourself wanting to do your will rather than god's will stopping and asking god at that point help me i don't want to do my will anymore i want to do what you want and i guarantee you he will take that thought away from you if you approach him and you ask him to do that he will lead you to where you need to do he will give you the strength and take that away but you have to remember to do it god gives us the tools we have to use them having shied your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace above all verse 16 taking the shield of faith how many times faith you can't please god without faith taking the shield of faith believing in him above all taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to clench all the fiery darts of the wicked one when those darts come when those accusations come when those threats come when those awful letters come when those summonses come when those edicts come whenever is thrown out our way you will be able to stand if you are putting on the whole armor of god if you have faith in him if you believe in him and if that is part of your very soul whatever satan throws at you whatever society throws at you whatever the government throws at you whatever your employer throws at you you will be able to stand whatever fiery dart comes your way verse 17 and take the helmet of salvation protect your head remember that god salvation comes only through god salvation comes through no other name except jesus christ we have to believe in him we have to commit it to him we have to do it his way one hundred percent his way not ten per not ninety percent his way and ten percent our way his way needs to become our way take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit which is the word of god well let's let's do take the time to turn back to hebrews 4. uh yeah hebrews 4 turn forward to hebrews 4. hebrews 4 and verse 12. speaking of the word of god the sword of the spirit here's what the author of hebrews had to say says the word of god it's living it's powerful it's sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the division of soul and spirit you want to know what your motives are you want to know what the intents of your heart are you want to know if your motives are in line with god you can look into the word of god you can read those words get rid of some of those blinders you have on and honestly look at yourself and ask god am i doing it your way am i really doing what you're saying or have i clouded the issue and confused my will with your will it will it will pierce even to the division of soul and spirit and of joints and marrow it's a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart god will show you if you're interested god will show you if you ask god will show you if you show him that yes i am interested in being a good soldier of christ yes i understand i'm engaged in warfare without you and without your guidance and leadership i cannot possibly win this battle that i'm in that we're all in go back to ephesians 6. verse 17 take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit which is the word of god and pray always with all prayer and supplication of the spirit you know without prayer there's no relationship with god you can mark down in your nose there first peter 3 12. there's a few other verses i should have given you but you can look some of those up as you study this as well you know that god hears the prayer of the righteous he wants to give us what we ask for what we ask for has to be in accordance with his will and it will be in accordance with his will when we are yielding and being led by his spirit you know one thing we can pray for is unity unity and i didn't mention we were talking a little bit before but you know it is important it is important for us to be one it is important to be part of the assembly that god has called us and part of the body that he has put us in here in orlando not when we're sick not when we're contagious not when we have things that's why we have zoom and why we have things we can be together now but there will be a time when we can be back together again and we should never forsake that there's a reason that god commanded holy convocations there's a time in the future when you and i will see how important we are to each other we're seeing it even as we pray for each other in this time of when people are sick and sometimes they can't pray for themselves we can do it for them and god hears he hears the love he hears the bonds between us and we will need each other in the days ahead so don't forsake that don't forsake that and don't think it's okay to take a day off and do this or whatever the reason we might have if there's a reason it better be a good reason because god is watching god is watching what we do he's looking at the decisions that we make the choices that we make he wants us to make the choices that draw us closer to him and that show that we really want what he has to offer okay praying verse 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication of the spirit being watchful to this end with all pure perseverance and supplication for all the saints that's what i just talked about persevering to the end enduring to the end and supplication for all the saints that we pray for each other that we're bound together before god as the people that he has called his soldiers our commander our commander-in-chief who provides the weapons and who will give us everything we need all the training we need we just have to look for it we just have to take the time to do it and when we do we will fulfill a verse that we read during the feast let me turn over to ezekiel 22. ezekiel 22. dr ward read this uh scripture i always associate this scripture with dr ward back 25 years ago i heard him say it the first time and it was an inspiration then and an inspiration now to read this verse 29 of ezekiel 22 says the people of the land have used oppressions they've committed robbery they've mistreated the poor in needy they wrongfully oppressed the stranger so god says i looked for a man among them who would make a wall who would stand in the gap before me on behalf of the lamb that i should not destroy it but i found no one he found no one let us commit that god will find you and me ready to stand in the gap as time goes on as the return of jesus christ goes forward let's commit that we will take care that we will maintain that we will sharpen the weapons that god has given us that we will stand in the gap and we will stand for him and going forward when jesus christ returns and we live the fulfillment of the feast of tabernacles in the last great day we will be there

Channel: United Church of God Orlando

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Length: 63min 12sec (3792 seconds)

Published: Sat Oct 02 2021