Take a Stand Part 5
Notes
Transcript
Gathering
Call to Worship
1 Clap your hands, all you peoples; shout to God with a jubilant cry. 2 For the Lord, the Most High, is awe-inspiring, a great King over the whole earth. 3 He subdues peoples under us and nations under our feet. 4 He chooses for us our inheritance— the pride of Jacob, whom he loves. Selah
Corporate Prayer - Adoration-Praise
Worship through Song
Worship through Song
Scripture Reading Ps 119:1-8
Worship through Song
Sermon
Prayer for illumination
Introduction
Introduction
Today we will be finishing up the armor of God. We are going to examine the last to item to complete the full armor of God. Open your bibles to Ephesians 6. Paul has exhorted to believers to be strengthened by God. We are to be filled with his vast strength. We do this by putting on the full armor of God. Not just parts or pieces of it but all of it. We are to do this for the purpose of resisting the schemes and methods of the enemy. We are to have discernment and wisdom as we live out the life that is before us. Lets read Paul’s words.
10 Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. 13 For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. 14 Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, 15 and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. 16 In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God.
Sword of the Spirit
Sword of the Spirit
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God.
Take up the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit - Which is the word of God. We looked at the helmet and hope of salvation last week and today we get to the sword.
The sword that Paul refers to is not the long broadsword that we typically think of in battle. This is a short sword. Maybe 18 to 24 inches in length. The weapon was very common because of its versatility. It was a defensive and offensive weapon. A soldier could parry, or deflect a blow or he could attack and cause harm to his enemy.
Without this piece of armor, with out a way to attack back the solder, no matter how trained or how strong, would struggle to stay alive without their sword.
This isn’t an old rusty sword. It it he sword of the Spirit. The Spirit of God is the origin of this weapon of this sword.
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth and the Word of God sees it source as the Spirit of Truth.
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. 17 He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive him because it doesn’t see him or know him. But you do know him, because he remains with you and will be in you.
Who here loves Jesus? Jesus said if you love me you will keep my commands. You will live inside and under that words of Jesus as Lord. The Holy Spirit is sent and was sent by the father to guide the redeemed.
18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you. 19 In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Because I live, you will live too. 20 On that day you will know that I am in my Father, you are in me, and I am in you. 21 The one who has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father. I also will love him and will reveal myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it you’re going to reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 The one who doesn’t love me will not keep my words. The word that you hear is not mine but is from the Father who sent me. 25 “I have spoken these things to you while I remain with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.
Our love for Jesus is tied to the words of Jesus and the Spirit is sent and indwells in believers so that we may understand the message and words of Jesus. The spirit sent to teach us all things, the things that Jesus told them.
How important is the bible to life of a believer? Many will profess many things in this world but what we profess and what we are can be two very different things.
in 2021 American World Inventory by George Barna released a study on “What does it mean when people say they are christian?
We understand that not all who are defined as christian believe the same things. There are many way to catalog people who are quote christian but the way that this study look at it was “self professed christian”.
This study then asked questions about what these people think about issues and topics in the world and then grouped the the respondents into 5 groups. on one end you have people who profess they are a christian but do not affirm or believe in the truths of the bible.
On the other end you have the “Integrated Disciples” these people affirm a biblical worldview. They demonstrate a consistent understanding and application of biblical principles.
So in other words you start with “I am a christian, but by beliefs are not aligned with scripture and my life is not aligned. In the middle you have my beliefs are aligned but my live and actions are not. and at this end you have my beliefs align with scripture and my life aligns with scripture. Which include the fact that they are no perfect and that they are dealing and working through their sin and sanctification.
These are the people who have a biblical worldview. They process the world and their actions through the filter of the word of God first.
In this study they found that 69% of Americans self-Identify as christian. That number may seem high or low to you but these are people to claim to be Christians. They estimate it as about 175 million people.
What do you think the the number is that have a biblical worldview? out of 175 million the number is 15 million just 6%.
Let that sink in. We are averaging about 70 on a Sunday morning. This means if everyone in here is a professed Christian then just these three would have a biblical world view. I am not saying that this is the demographic specifically here but it should make us ask the question? Do I have a biblical world view. Beliefs and actions. Which we call wisdom. The practical application of biblical truth.
Review the statistics:
These statistics show that even though the majority of people claim to believe in the bible or the God of the bible it is a small minority that are seeking to understand God will for their lives and applying what they have found. This is the work of the Spirit through the Sword of the spirit.
So what is the going on. Is it a lack of access to the bible. Probably not as of 2021 between 5 and 7 billion bibles have been sold. 97% of Americans have a sell phone with 85% of american having smart phones. Just under half say they cannot live without them.
but only 6 out of 100 Christians have applied the truths of the bible to there lives. So it is not access so what is it.
Question of Origin - Divinely Inspired
Question of Origin - Divinely Inspired
One reason is that many question the source of scripture. Paul states that the word of God is from the Spirit. From God himself.
The statistics we looked state that 40% of even the people with a biblical worldview believe that the Holy Spirit is not a real, living or being but merely a symbol of God’s power, Presence, or purity. This means that out of all who claim to be a christian about 3.5% believe in the Holy Spirit as described in scripture.
We hear objections of how could sinful man write down things correctly?
The bible is written by man so how accurate could it be?
Ephesians: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary The Sword of the Spirit
From an unknown source comes this tribute to Scripture:
There are words written by kings, by emperors, by princes, by poets, by sages, by philosophers, by fishermen, by statesmen, by men learned in the wisdom of Egypt, educated in the schools of Babylon, and trained at the feet of rabbis in Jerusalem. It was written by men in exile, in the desert, in shepherd’s tents, in green pastures, and beside still waters. Among its authors we find a tax-gatherer, a herdsman, a gatherer of sycamore fruit. We find poor men, rich men, statesmen, preachers, captains, legislators, judges, and exiles. The Bible is a library full of history, genealogy, ethnology, law, ethics, prophecy, poetry, eloquence, medicine, sanitary science, political economy, and the perfect rules for personal and social life. And behind every word is the divine author, God Himself.
If a person does not believe that the Bible is the Word of God. Then they are like any other text book or document. full of maybe good things but I only need to apply them if they will validate or grow my own worldview.
20 Above all, you know this: No prophecy of Scripture comes from the prophet’s own interpretation, 21 because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Are these the Word of the Lord?
12 They made their hearts like a rock so as not to obey the law or the words that the Lord of Armies had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. Therefore intense anger came from the Lord of Armies.
Are these the Word’s of the Lord?
If the bible isn’t inspired by God then what is the point of reading and knowing it. Why do I care what Moses did or said, Why do I need to see what Isaiah wrote about Jesus hundreds of years before. The enemy will attack the authenticity of the most effective weapon against him. That is the bible. He will come up with anyway possible to get people to discount, neglect, turn away from, or never turn to the bible.
Why do we find so little scripture in sermons today. Because the “preacher” is speaking not God. Because the Word of God isn’t good enough. But not only did God give us his word but he also preserves it throughout the generations.
22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
God’s word is a true today as it was when it was written. We still have an obligation to come to the understanding of what God says in his Holy Book. As we look at translations that attempt to translate the bible into new languages and dialects. As we listen to commentators and theologians, and critics. We still must be guided by the Holy spirit to discern the truth through the use of the Divinely inspired words of God. If person rejects the origin of the bible, It opens the door to any interpretation that any person wants to make. And unfortunately people will follow these new ideas because they always promise what we want naturally. And that is not a good thing.
Ephesians: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary The Sword of the Spirit
Scripture John Wesley said, “The Bible must have been written by God or good men or bad men or good angels or bad angels. But bad men and bad angels would not write it because it condemns bad men and bad angels. And good men and good angels would not deceive by lying about its authority and claiming that God wrote it. And so the Bible must have been written as it claims to have been written—by God who by His Holy Spirit inspired men to record His words using the human instrument to communicate His truth.”
If the source of the bible is in question then the content of the bible is in question.
Question of Content - Inerrant Content
Question of Content - Inerrant Content
We already read that the Spirit is the Spirit of Truth. If we believe that the word is inspired by God as Paul directly declared to Timothy:
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
And if we believe that bible is God’s words then we see that in God’s character that he cannot lie.
2 in the hope of eternal life that God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.
Then the bible must be true. That sounds simple but the enemy constantly brings schemes forward to have the person question the truth of the bible. If the bible has error or is old and does not apply to us today then once again the gates are open for man to fill in the gaps. to get out the biblical whiteout and to rewrite sections of the word. We may not like what is says. Actually we should recognizes that we will be confronted and challenged and we will rise against it but that through the work of the Spirit we can submit to it and see the life giving blessings that come from a life that has humbly submitted to the words and authority of God.
If we reject God as author, then we come to the belief that the word has error, then the next progression is that is isn;t sufficient for our lives.
Question of Scope - Sufficiency
Question of Scope - Sufficiency
Without the previous two a person the must lean on their own understanding.
7 The instruction of the Lord is perfect, renewing one’s life; the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, making the heart glad; the command of the Lord is radiant, making the eyes light up. 9 The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are reliable and altogether righteous. 10 They are more desirable than gold— than an abundance of pure gold; and sweeter than honey dripping from a honeycomb. 11 In addition, your servant is warned by them, and in keeping them there is an abundant reward.
It is through the word that:
Christ is revealed
We are sanctified John 17:17
We resist temptation Ps 119:11
Overcome the world (2 cor 10:3-5)
We become equipped for the work of the ministry
We are judged
And so much more.
A Sharp Edge
A Sharp Edge
If we go back to Ephesians the Sword of the spirit - Which is the word of God.
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God.
Paul is using a Greek word that means a specific statement. A specific spoken statement. Paul is not talking about general knowledge of the word. He says the sword that we use is application of specific statements of God. This is part of the armor that resists the devil and Jesus gave us a great example in the wilderness when he was taken away and tempted by satan. Jesus used specific statements of God in his perfect sinless resistance to Satan.
Delight in His Word
Delight in His Word
Ps 119
I wanted so much to read all of ps 119 this morning. As you read this acrostic, you find that the Psalmist’s life is saturated in the words of God. One commentator noted that out of 176 verses all but 5 refer to God’s words. I would read this today and sit under it and reflect on your interaction in the word. This man definitly beleives in the word of God as inspirect, truthful and sufficient for his life. We should as well.
Conclusion
Conclusion
1 I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and because of his appearing and his kingdom: 2 Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage with great patience and teaching. 3 For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear what they want to hear. 4 They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths.
This is that age. We are in it. and this is what we see each and every day as we look out.
Deceptive Sword.
All of the other pieces of armor are dependent on this one.
Prayer
Song
Sending
Call to Service or Discipleship
As you prepare to leave this place, hear now God’s invitation to a life of Christian discipleship.
7 The instruction of the Lord is perfect, renewing one’s life; the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, making the heart glad; the command of the Lord is radiant, making the eyes light up. 9 The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are reliable and altogether righteous. 10 They are more desirable than gold— than an abundance of pure gold; and sweeter than honey dripping from a honeycomb. 11 In addition, your servant is warned by them, and in keeping them there is an abundant reward.
Blessing/Benediction
13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.