Sermon Tone Analysis

Putting on the full Armor of God

Ephesians 6:10:20

Part 1

Do you remember me talking about the book I am trying to read?

“Power through Prayer” by E. M. Bounds.

Remember how we talked about how I haven’t really gotten past the first couple paragraphs though, because of what the author said?

And How I interpreted it is We go to church only a small fraction of our time, compared to our forty hour work week, or our hours that we sleep, or for some of us the hours that we watch TV.

Typically a Christian’s life “speaking about Sunday worship, ministry work and bible studies really only add up to 3 or 5 hours a week typically, there are others who do more but there are others who do way less……

And when it comes to prayer, some Christians, and I am speaking in general terms, because I know it is not us here today, but some in fact most Christians spend less than an hour week praying.

And with that in mind, when I read things like what E.M. Bounds says about it, and he is talking about pastors but I see it as everyone he says “for your sermons last but an hour or two; your life preaches all the week”.

It speaks to me.

It is profound and it makes me want to step up my game.

Because I believe that my life needs to speak about my belief..

So it speaks to me that I have to live the Life of Christ Jesus in the best possible way I can.

I am not this perfect and I make mistakes and my life sometimes doesn't preach the rest of the week, but that is what I want, for my life to preach to everyone each week, all week.

I know you have been listening to us talk about our Christian Character but you have to admit that, when it really comes down to it, when the Holy Spirit is inside of us, we want to get better at being a follower of Jesus.

We want to get closer to Jesus.

This week I read “Preaching is not the performance for an hour.

It is the outflow of a life.”

So true isn’t it?

Opening Prayer

Before we get into our time of worship, Grab your bulletin there just a announcements I want to tell you about, you may want to circle them or put a star next to them.

Announcements

In front you in the pew racks are the offering envelopes Please be prepared at the end of the service to receive the tithes and offerings, and of course to drop off your connection card in the offering bucket as well.

If you are a visitor with us today we want to encourage you to complete the connection card that you have along with our church family, we use it for several things such as prayer and our next steps.

So feel free to complete yours.

Here at the ROCK we take a few minutes before we get full into our full worship, to say hi to one another as one big family, so let’s all take a moment and show some Jesus love to one another!

SERMON

PRAYER

Open your Bibles with me to Ephesians, and when you get there let me know by saying amen.

Ephesians chapter 6.

We are at war!

That is what we talked about last week.

You are a child of God and because you are a child of God we are at War.

There were four things we needed to realize as children of God.

First.

We are in a spiritual war (whether we realize it or not) 1 Peter 2:11 tells us: Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world (Peter is reminding Christians of their status here on earth), to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.

Second.

You are either following the Devil or Christ, listen we cannot sever 2 masters.

We are either following the Satan or Jesus.

We cannot come to church on Sunday and live the rest of the week like there is no God.

Third.

We cannot win the spiritual battle in our own power.

We have to understand that there is a struggle that is there between our sinful nature and our inner being, which is our spiritual nature, which longs to obey God.

And that’s what Paul was talking about in the beginning of Ephesians 6:10 “be strong on the Lord”, because we cannot do it alone.

And fourth We can have victory in Christ, Paul knew that it was the because of Christ that he would win, not on his own actions.

Romans 7: 25 He says Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind.

but because of my sinful desire I am a slave to sin.

Paul tells us that, we can have victory but it is only through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Knowing that we are in a spiritual war and realizing as a child of God there are things that we have to depend on God for, I want to speak to you today about being prepared for your battle, being ready for the daily fights in our life.

If you are there with in Ephesians chapter 6 say Amen!

Read with me starting at verse 10……………This is one of the four letters which Paul wrote while he was in prison… He is writing to the church on Ephesus.

10” Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

Remember last week the we said we are fighting a spiritual fight, and the Apostle Paul recognizes this and tells the church in Ephesis, to be strong in the Lord, Why… Because if we are weak in our faith we are easy targets, without daily preparation for those battles that happen, without Christ the devil is out strolling around looking for one to devour.

He goes on to say, 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Folks, when we wrestle with the sins in our life, when we can’t shake that feeling, we that need have to have that fix, when we have to go out and do the wrong thing Paul is telling us that this is the Spiritual forces of evil, in the heavenly places means places that we cannot see.

Have you heard of the mall shooting in Africa?

Have you seen the News, the latest shooting In DC the police said that that the man called the police because he was hearing voices form the closet.

The latest shootings in Chicago where 11 where shot two nights ago then 11 were shot yesterday?

This is because of the spiritual war that exists.

These cosmic powers and heavenly places we cannot see.

We cannot see heaven, although sometimes I feel I get a climps of it here on earth, but we don’t.

We can’t see hell, although it seems like our lives are sometimes are so messed up that we are experiencing hell right here on earth.

But it is the heavenly places which are fighting against us, the evil one the devil.

13 Therefore, so Paul says because of all that… take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

(The Armor gives us strength to withstand the day and to stand firm in our faith of Jesus Christ)14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.

16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.

To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.”

Listen to me cannot win the battle if you are not prepared for the fight.

In WWII the men fighting the war had to wear the gear that made them ready for battle, like helmets, first aid kits, they had weapons and magazines to load the weapons they had things like a small fold up shovel which is called an entrenching tool, to literally dig a fox hole, to fight out of, to fill sand bags and it us used for many other things while fighting.

Today the Army wears a uniform like this so that it is harder to see the soldiers with this pattern and when they go into battle.

And when going they go into battle in they are prepared it is called “full battle rattle”.

They carry their weapons, grenades, they wear protective gear, there helmet, flak jackets, boots, glove, they protective masks.

In today’s society:

Police officers don’t go into a hijacking situation w/o their weapons, tazers and handcuffs.

They now have swat teams that are heavily armed and have heavily armed vehicles.

What good are they if they are unarmed like us?

They have to begin the day prepared for the day’s fight to win the battle.

Or what about a fire fighter, have you ever seen a firefighter show up only in jeans and a t-shirt?

Do they come to a fire without a truck or hose, without their protective clothing?

Firefighters have to come to the fire wearing and using all their firefighting equipment to be prepared to fight the battle.

Which brings us to our Big IDEA

Our Big Idea is:

We have to win the battle we must be prepared for the fight.

And it is a daily struggle a daily fight at times, Amen?

You see there are many different tools used for many different types of battles.

Paul is chained next to a guard who is ready for the battle of that day, he has all his gear on.

You know in the Army, before you go out on a mission of any sort- you are briefed, so you are prepared for that mission.

So Paul is looking at these soldiers who are prepared for the days work ahead, they have been briefed, they have on all the right gear, they have their weapons, shields, the belt of that time, the correct shoes.

Yet most of us begin our day, and we are not prepared for fight.

That is what Paul see’s in the church at Ephesus.

You cannot win the battle if you are not prepared for the fight.

So it is no wonder why the Apostle Paul says:

“Put on the whole armor of God”

Now notice that He did not say put on part of the armor, he did not say on Tuesdays only wear the belt of truth and on Thursdays put on the helmet of Salvation.

So..

I have a note that I wrote in my NIV study Bible when I first started going too church.

It says this first thing I ever read at Cross Key’s Baptist Church.