The Life of a Warrior Pt 1 - Joe Sweet

amen now this morning I want to start a new series this will be an introductory message I really won't be able to get into the meat of it but it'll be an introductory message I'm calling it the life of a warrior the life of a warrior will be a series on us and now there are many aspects to the body of Christ God in His Word calls us many different things one of them is a warrior now we're not a lawyer to the exclusion of the other things that God calls us what do I mean well the Bible says it were a family the Bible says were the body of Christ the Bible says were a royal priesthood the Bible says were God's building the Bible says were God's temple where we are to be a bride preparing herself there's many different aspects looking at the body of Christ from different angles we are in truth all of those things but what we're looking at is the aspect of being a warrior now we're not going to isolate this because if we isolate being a warrior than we get out of balance what I mean by that we are a family that means there's fraternal love there's care a family that prays together stays together we love each other help each other one sad we're we're all sad ones up we're all up we're connected there's a father one god and father of us all there's that dimension in other words the better we become at being a family the better we become at being a warrior we are the temple of God that means we're to host his presence the better we become at being his temple the better warriors we are so I can't take one aspect we're a warrior and separated from every other aspect that we are so I want to lay a foundation today and talk about some of the things that the the body of Christ is in the Book of Ezekiel God told Ezekiel show the house to the house in other words show the house of Israel to the house of Israel and in other words they were to see what they were supposed to be like and what they were he said show the house to the house if they're ashamed and then show them what they're to be like so God wants us to take a look at what God sees us as amen our identity so before I now this is about the life of a warrior but before I get into the warrior I want to talk about some of the aspects of it here's a few scriptures about warring just to settle any doubts Ephesians chapter 6 we all are familiar with it verse 12 we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities powers against the rulers of darkness of this age against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places there are evil spirits arrayed against you they've been against you since you were born they will be against you until Christ comes back we are in a war zone that's a reality whether you believe it or not whether you like it or not it's true we're at war I was born again in 1977 41 years ago I've been in war for 41 years it's been warfare it's been blessing it's been awesome been good we've had mountains and valleys but the war never stops we are in hostile territory but greater is He that's in US than he that's in the world the angels with us are more than those who are against us but if I lose the understanding and forget where I am and what's going on I put myself in danger Exodus 15:3 says the Lord Himself is a man of war God calls himself a man of war the Lord is his name as I mentioned earlier when Jesus comes back on his head are many crowns on his thighs written king of kings and Lord of lords out of his mouth is coming a sharp sword and he's coming to make war okay second Timothy chapter two verse three and four you therefore must endure hardship as good soldiers of Jesus Christ the Bible calls us soldiers it says no one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier Paul was talking about being supported financially by the church so he could preach the gospel and he says in 1st Corinthians 9 whoever goes to war at his own expense meaning if I'm preaching I shouldn't have to finance myself God should provide that's what he said first Timothy 1:18 Paul exhorted Timothy waged war with the prophecies that were given to you see prophecies aren't automatic some of them can sovereignly be absolute but many times prophecies are invitations they're a snapshot a picture of the future God said this is what I'm inviting you to go for it and if we're passive about it we may never see it come to pass if God said I've called you to this I've called you to that then we better wage war with it take the word to heart seek the Lord be active pursue it any way war we're warriors we're in a war it's quiet in here so now before we come back to the aspects of the life of a warrior now when I say the life of a warrior what's implied is the life of a victorious warrior I don't want to just be a warrior I want to be the life of a victorious warrior ok so let's look at some of the things the Bible says the body of Christ is because as we go into this series again this is my introductory message we need to remember and understand that we don't war like the world though our weapons are different our motives are different our power is different ok number one we are a family we are that's a reality if you're born again and the Spirit of Christ lives in you you are my brother and sister more than my natural brother that came out of the same womb that I did that doesn't have the Spirit of Christ in him we are listened Saints we are forever in Christ brothers and sisters we are a family eternally chosen by God washed in his blood there are many things that I wish I had more time to do with my own family and sometimes I have to tell myself I'll have to wait until after I get to heaven to do some of the things that I've longed and desired to do because I'm at war right now we're gonna be together for a long time we're gonna have a long time to do lots of great things together we are family here's what Ephesians 3:15 says from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named that means those are already in heaven or our family the prophet jeremiah the prophet ezekiel abraham there are family members will see them and know them someday feegans 4 verse 6 there's one god and father of us all who is above all and through all and he is in you all 1st peter 3:8 finally all of you be of one mind have compassion for one another love each other as brothers because we are so there's an aspect now we can go deeper into that on the family of God but I just want to lay this out as a part of a foundation to understand if I don't understand family and I'm lousy at being a brother or sister I can't be a good warrior in other words every aspect of that God calls me to we become we grow up into and that makes us a better warrior the more I love my brothers and sisters the better warrior I am amen now here's another aspect we are we are the body of Christ we are members of his body Ephesians 1:23 declares that the blood-bought church is his body which is intended to be quote the fullness of him who fills all in all God intends through the work of his spirit in his word to sanctify us to cause our souls to be conformed to the image of Christ so that when it's all summed up Christ becomes all in all we are the body of Christ Ephesians 5 verse 30 says we are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones now this is a mystery friesan 5:30 my flesh in your flesh is the flesh now of the body of Christ our flesh and bones are that's what the Bible says okay we could go into farther into that and understand that we are the body of Christ we are first Peter 2:9 says we are a royal priesthood now those two words carry weight we are royalty we are not just any family we don't know of all God's creation throughout all the cosmos but I know this every person that's genuinely born again into the family of God is now royalty we are royal not because of us but because of our King Redeemer Jesus Christ who purchased us and redeemed us and brought us back to God we are now not only in the body of Christ we are royal we are in the royal family now as as royal we are a priesthood first Peter 2:9 you are chosen generation or royal Priesthood you are here's another thing a holy nation the body of Christ around the world in God's eyes is a nation now in at the end that nation will be brought together we're also a city John saw the holy city coming down from heaven the bride prepared are you still with me okay what does a priesthood do a priest offers a prayer intercession worship Thanksgiving supplications declarations royal speaks of kings John the beloved in Revelation chapter one says he has made us kings and priests so the priest and King and wanting together like Melchizedek a priest king so that means through communion with God through waiting on God through intercession through worship we we understand it's revealed to us the will in the heart of God we pray the will in the heart of God back to God and as Kings we decree his word and it's established so we're a priesthood Jesus said my house shall be called a house of prayer sadly in American churches the prayer meeting is the least attended meeting of all meetings the potluck is not it would be funny if it wasn't tragic so we're called to pray Hebrews 4:16 says let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace the better that we become at being a priesthood that knows how to pray and stand in the gap the better warriors we become you see this the better family we become the better warriors the better priests the better warriors the better understanding that I'm in in Christ's body the better warrior I am as I mentioned earlier the church is to cooperate with God through prayer and execute God's will on the earth psalm 41 verse 2 says let my prayer be set before you as infants let the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice david says in his scripture that our prayers are like incense to God we see that in Revelation chapter 8 verses 3 through 7 it says an angel having a golden censer came and stood at the altar he was given much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne now listen and the smoke of the incense with the prayers of the Saints ascended before God from the Angels hand verse 5 of Revelation 8 then the angel took the censer filled with fire from the altar and threw it to the earth and there were noises thunderings lightnings and an earthquake so the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound and seven judgments were released on the earth how did that happen from the prayers of the saints don't tell me that church is going to be gone from the earth we're here on the earth prayer is rising up where the house of prayer will contend with every other house on the earth and will prevail and it'll release judgments and the judgments will cause nations to turn to the Lord revelation 15 verses one through four all nations shall come and worship you because your judgments have been manifested now we don't have to be judged 1st Corinthians 11 verse 31 to 33 says if we would judge ourself we would not be judged but when we are judged we are chastened by the Lord that we may not be condemned together with the world so the judgments of God are remedial they're redemptive to bring people to himself so the priest lifts up prayers and God sees our prayers and they are to him as incense our prayers are not a irritation to God our prayers are pleasing to God when when there's a wicked people and ungodly people and we stand in the gap and say forgive them Lord forgive lord have mercy Oh God that's an incense to God because we're told in Micah chapter 7 verse 18 that God delights in mercy God doesn't want to have to do judgment judgment is his last resort for obstinate rebellion as you've heard me say this before in Ezekiel chapter 22 God names all the abominations taking place in the land and they're bad shedding of blood corrupt priests corrupt prophets idolatry breaking God's laws God lists all of them they're horrible and then God expresses his heart in the next phrase now listen bloodshed making widows corrupt prophets corrupt priests lying leadership idolatry and here's the heart of God so I saw it for a man to stand in the gap that I would not destroy it that's why we're to be a house of prayer but God said I could find none so I poured out my indignation so we're to be on the earth lifting up holy hands crying out continually god save our families save our children save our city have mercy God glorify your name we're to be the House of Prayer we are to be a royal priesthood not a bless me club many churches so what's popular today has come once a week and here a fix me message bless me message and here and here a a Disneyland here about a Disneyland Jesus and get a cotton candy message to fix you how many fix me messages do we need come back next week and get fixed again you come back for three years you're still broken you need to deny yourself take up your cross start following Jesus and find real life [Applause] because when you lose your life you'll find it and when you get in the zone it's exhilarating yes it's war but it's exhilarating Jesus said to do the Father's will is my meat and my drink all right so where to be a house of prayer that's another aspect I told you this is introductory because as we go forward in this series and look at the life of the low warrior we want to remember that we are all these other things we're not just cold-hearted steely Warriors we're a loving warm family we're carrying intercessors we're oil children of God priests we wore differently than the world we don't fight evil with evil we co overcome evil with good anyway the other thing is so we're a priesthood we're also a holy nation holy we're holy people 1st Peter chapter 1 verse 15 18 as he who called you is holy you also be holy in all your conduct because it's written be holy for I am holy you can't have I can't have none of us can have the buoyancy in our spirit the joy the spring in your step the sparkle in your eye unless you pursue a holy life the joy of the Lord comes from being in God's will doesn't mean we're faultless we may stumble the righteous fall seven times but he repents and gets up come on somebody holy God says I will dwell in you I will walk among you I'll be your God you'll be my people therefore come out from among them be separate touch not what's unclean and I'll receive you see we're to be the habitation we're to be holy and we also are to be God's dwelling place is this okay this is who you are this is your DNA this is your destiny to be the habitation of God we are God's building first Corinthians 3:9 for we are God's fellow workers you are God's field you are God's building now the word building also means temple where his city we see the city coming down we are God's building his building or his temple is to be the habitation of his fullness in Ephesians chapter 2 verse 19 to 22 Paul says that we are in the process of being built together into a holy temple in the Lord how many are here today okay you're here we are in the process of being built together into a holy temple of the Lord and then in chapter 3 that's Ephesians chapter 2 Paul praised the prayer for that fullness he said that God would cause you to be rooted and grounded in love able to comprehend together with all the saints of length and breadth and depth and height of the love of Christ that passes knowledge so that you collectively would be filled with all the fullness of God now that's a big statement listen all that means everything there's nothing left out fullness of God on the earth God's gonna have that before Jesus comes back there will be embassies around the world of communities of believers have gone all the way with Jesus God will build them together by the grace of God by the washing of the water of the word they will become a habitation of all the fullness of God corporately none of us individually will ever have all the fullness of God but as members of his body his fullness will dwell among us there's only one body and that's the body that we call Jesus of Nazareth in whom all the fullness dwelt but in his body collectively his fullness will be among us in us that's what we're called to be that's why we can't settle for a once a week or twice a week Church meeting our destiny is so much greater than that is this too much okay Ephesians 2 says you are members of the household of God so we are his building were to be his dwelling place John saw that building he said I John revelation 21 I saw the holy city the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven prepared as a bride adorned for a husband I heard a loud voice from heaven saying behold the tabernacle of God is with men he will dwell with them they will be his people God Himself will be with him be their God God will wipe away every tear from their eyes there should be no more death nor sorrow nor crying there shall be no more pain for the former things have passed away come Lord Jesus watch this and he said to me it's done I am the Alpha and the Omega the beginning in the end I will give up the fountain of the water of life freely Tim who thirst he or she who overcomes shall inherit all things I will be as God he shall be my son not all believers inherit all things believers who overcome inherit all things so we are his temple we are his field we're told in first Corinthians 3:9 we're his field what does that mean that means we are the soil remember the parable of the sower shows the words Jesus interpreted for the disciples and he said those who have a good and noble heart bring forth fruit so our heart is the soil the word is planted enough we are his field so here's what God expects from all of our lives he doesn't expect me to come into this life this way and leave this life this way he expects his incorruptible eternal seed of the word of God to be planted in me we are as filled we are responsible to nurture water and care for the seeds so that they bring forth fruit some 30 some 60 some 100 we are his field God expects increase well that's what the word says Isaiah 60:1 3 says that they may be called the trees of righteousness the planting of the Lord we are stewards first Corinthians 4:1 let a man so consider us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful so the more faithful we become as a steward of what God's given us the better warrior we are the more we become the habitation of his presence the better warriors we are remember when David would go to war when the Israelites had the Ark of God's presence they were they won every war because of the presence of God the angels of God would go before him wipe out their enemies they could be outnumbered but when they were in the will of God and had his presence they won every battle when they started compromising sin they lost his presence and today instead of the presence of God we have every other thing we've got celebrity preachers we've got smoke machines we got celebrity singers we've got all kinds of stuff we got great buildings we have everything but the glory of God we need to recover the glory I don't want a smoke machine I want the glory of God and with the glory of God come on we got to turn all the lights down low and then have special laser lights and then put smoke it's a substitute why do we substitute that the soulish I feel good now listen you get in the glory we don't need to feel good we need the holy presence of a majestic God in our in the church now if somebody wants to do that I'm not against it it's just I don't feel like that's the thing we ought to do god bless if somebody wants to go that way but anyway these are different aspects of who we are see if I can remember mol who are we we're a family or members of the body of Christ we're a priesthood were royal were his habitation were his building were his field were preparing to be his bride some people are many or not there's many that have no revelation whatsoever of a bridal company not all of the body of Christ is a Bride of Christ only to him that overcomes read through the book of Revelation read chapters 2 in Chapter three the Lord speaks to seven churches he admonishes all of them and gives each church counsel on how to overcome one church has to overcome lukewarmness and he councils them how to do it another church has to overcome Jezebel in their midst Jezebel in us Jezebel around us any of us could be subject to Jezebel and some have to overcome Balaam and loving of money and compromise that's happening we compromise the message we give people compromise message so they'll keep coming and tithing to our church that's the spirit of Balaam you're a if you preach like that you sold out your prostitute of your gift where is the fear of God to preach the truth give everybody a self-help message every Sunday I just saw another advertised conference keys to get your blessing how many years have we had those kind of teachings we all run to the next one the secrets of the find out these secrets what about just serving God with all of your heart I'm sorry I don't mean to be I don't mean to have a sour edge but some of that stuff makes me feel sour let me get back into the sweetness right here we're a family were the body of Christ we're a royal priesthood a holy nation were God's building were God's temple were to carry his presence we're God's field he wants to plant his seeds in us and see increase we are warriors we are warriors before Jesus was crucified they said are you a king he said yes I am but my kingdom is not of this world he said if it were my subjects would be fighting for me now that tells us something his subjects fight for him but we're not fighting to stop him from going to that we're not fighting natural to keep him from going to the cross we're fighting for the expansion of his kingdom in the earth and it starts right here the greatest war is right here who has who whose will wins in my heart mine or Jesus whose will wins the flesh or the Holy Spirit see when this war is won the external war can be won so our warriors so this is my introduction to the life of a warrior warriors are fighting to overcome things so a warrior when we go to battle we know what our objective is well get into this I'm just laying these out as the introduction when you go to war you have to know what your objective is for example in a certain battle we say okay we're gonna hold our border that's our objective or another objective could be we're gonna go into that country and get our prisoners of war out and bring them back or we're going to stop this nation from bullying that nation unjustly like we did in the Gulf War okay so one you need to know your objective in war most in the body Christ have no idea what our objective is most don't even know we're in war it if you're not in war you're not engaged that's okay it's all going to change we need to know our objective then we need to know who the enemy is then we need to know what our weapons are how to use them then we need to know how to fight as a family not against each other but for each other then we need to know how to carry the arc of the presence into the battle not human wisdom not human strategies not human power but by the spirit so the warrior has a lifestyle the warrior knows his objective he knows what his weapons are he knows how to use them and he fights and in the last days the Bride of Christ will be a warring bride the family of God will be a warring family and we're not gonna war like the world not with hatred not with division and not with strife we're gonna war with love and unity and prayer and holiness and obedience see it's a complete when we say war we think like the world I'm angry I'm gonna kill someone no were motivated by the burning love of Jesus to expand his kingdom in the world to set captives free to open prison doors to heal the brokenhearted amen so that's my introduction so come back next Sunday prayed up with your notes and we'll go into the next session amen let's give the Lord praise [Applause]

Channel: ShekinahWorshipTV

Views: 11,407

Rating: 4.9097743 out of 5

Keywords: Joe Sweet, Shekinah Worship Center

Id: UM-vGYkVZ0s

Length: 33min 22sec (2002 seconds)

Published: Sun Dec 30 2018