Veteran’s Day

It has always been the Soldier

Text: II Tim 2:1-4

Intro: When God does a work he always empowers an individual to take the lead.

III. God didn't use

- The eleven brothers

- Potiphar, man of means

- The jailer, man of authority

- Even Pharoah, man of Power

- He chose Joseph to save the known world from starvation.

God didn't use

- Kora

- Aaron

- Miriam

- The Millions of followers

- He chose Moses to lead his children to the promise land.

God didn't use

- Sadducees

- Pharisees

- Sinners

- Publicans

- He chose twelve poor men to change the entire world with the Gospel.

God has always used a soldier an individual that stood for what was right and willing to give all they had for that cause. This passage is an extremely important passage to me in that in this body of verses lies my life verse.

I believe this signifies the spirit of the soldier. He gives us the attributes of the Soldier - the one that will live for right in this day and age. Trans: The Strong Soldier is presented in Three lights

I. The Strong Soldier Exemplifies.

Explanation:

A. In vs. 2 we see Paul telling Timothy what it will take to be a soldier. He shows the importance of teaching.

B. Understand he is writing directly to a pastor here but I believe we look at the work of Paul in Ephesians we find that we all have certain responsibilities in the church.

C. The need of the hour is a teaching soldier.

Argument: A. One knows what is right and is willing to show other what that looks like. Someone that is willing to show what is right in every area of his life.

The church is the incubator for disciples. and in the kingdom of Heaven disciples are trained by men and women that have been faithful and tested in the fight.

Illustration: General Eisenhower would demonstrate the art of leadership with a piece of string. He'd put it on a table and say: "PULL it and it will follow wherever you wish. PUSH it and it will go nowhere at all. It's just that way when it comes to leading people. They need to follow a person who is leading by example."

Application: A. A soldier is one that is willing to exemplify.

- Our Homes need Soldiers - Faithful, Godly, Loving.

- Our Church needs Soldiers - Prayerful, Uplifting, Serving

- Our City needs Soldiers - Soulwinning, Caring.

II. The Strong Soldier Endures

Explanation:

A. vs. 3 Every area of our life needs a leader that will stand while everyone else flounders.

Endurance takes faith - faith that following God will turn out alright.

Endurance takes Grace - grace that you can stand alone and still love others. Because standing can make you callused.

Endurance builds patience.

James 1:2–3 KJV 1900

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

Argument: A.

• Your endurance makes a difference.

I read about an old man, walking the beach at dawn, who noticed a young man ahead of him picking up starfish and flinging them into the sea. Catching up with the youth, he asked what he was doing. The answer was that the stranded starfish would die if left until the morning sun.

"But the beach goes on for miles, and there are millions of starfish," countered the old man. "How can your effort make any difference?"

The young man looked at the starfish in his hand and then threw it to safety in the waves. "It makes a difference to this one," he said.

Application: A. There will be those that want to throw in their lovely commentary and tell you all of the reasons that we should let the standard down and be less than faithful.

III. The Strong Soldier Excuses

Explanation:

A. vs.4 tells us that the success of a soldier is dependant on being entanglement free.

B. Entagleth himself - this is referring to allow themselves in the care, concerns, garbage and sin of this world.

Argument:

A. So many homes need a soldier that is willing to get rid of some junk. I'm not talking about the junk in your garage I am talking about music, clothing, television habits.

B. This church needs a soldier that is willing to excuse some junk from his life. Like a gossiping tongue, a negative attitude, a judgmental critical spirit.

C. This City needs a soldier that is willing to cut some junk from his life. Like a rotten testimony, a lazy lifestyle, a silent witness.

D. Your home, church, and city don't need another commentator, another director, they need a soldier.

Illustration: Towering over Edinburgh, Scotland, is the Edinburgh Castle. And in the midst of very old buildings is the comparatively new World War I memorial. It carries a quotation from Thucydides:

"The whole earth is the tomb of heroic men, and their story is

not graven only on stones over their clay, but abides everywhere,

without visible symbol, woven into the stuff of others' lives."

Application: A.

Conclusion: An anonymous author has written:

Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village. He worked in a carpenter shop until he was thirty, and then for three years he was an itinerant preacher. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never owned a home. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put his feet inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where he was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but himself.

While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied him. He was turned over to his enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed upon a cross between two thieves. His executioners gambled for the only piece of property he had on earth while he was dying, and that was his coat. When he was dead he was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.

Nineteen wide centuries have come and gone, and today he is the centerpiece of the human race and the leader of the column of progress.

I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that were ever built, and all the parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned, put together have not affected the life of man upon this earth as has that one solitary life.

Understand that when I preach that you are called to

Exemplify a Christian life

Endure hardship and heartbreak faithfully

Excuse sin from your life

I'm not asking to do it alone. But like the author of Hebrews I call you to.

Hebrews 12:1–6 KJV 1900

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.