The War is Real

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SERIES DESCRIPTION: In this series on the Book of Ephesians, Pastor Shawn and Krista highlight Gods desire to bring reconcile the world all together in Christ. . This week, they explore Eph. 6:10-20 as scripture highlights the reality that we are in a spiritual battle. If you have a situation in your life that you just can't seem to shake or get through perhaps this message is for you.

Altar Instructions: Please come up when I begin the 3rd point.

Grad Recognition

Transition to message

Series | Ephesians

Pre-Message Welcome

Grace Place family! It’s awesome to have you here with us today, whether in person or online.

I’m Shawn, and along with my wife, we serve as the Co-Pastors of this incredible church.

At The Grace Place, our mission is clear: we are Caring People, Caring for People.

We pray that you experience God’s care in our time together and in your life.

Spanish Welcome - 2nd Service ONLY!

A nuestra familia de habla hispana .... Bienvenidos… es-pera-mos que usted… y su familia.. se-sien-tan bien a-tend-idos también.

To our Spanish speaking family... welcome, we hope you and your family feels cared for as well.

We’ll we’re in our final week In our series on the book of,,,

Series | Ephesians

Sub title: All Together

If you missed any of the messages in this series you can check them out by…

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Paul teaches us… in Eph…

God’s plan is to bring everything in order under Jesus… including Humanity, churches, our families… teaching us how to treat one another.

Paul seal his letter with one final lesson.

Perhaps the most critical message. He does it by painting a picture of what Every Christian enters the day they surrender to Jesus - that is a Spiritual Battle.

Let's read it, Ephesians chapter 6, beginning at verse 10.

Eph. 6:10-20

English Standard Version Chapter 6

10 Finally, Be….

Since We just did entire mid-week Session on the Armor of God…

Im taking a different approach… today…

We've conveniently linked the YouTube playlist of our Armor Series - in the resources Section of your notes.

***Feel free to encourage people to listen to the Holy Spirit speak to them personally as the message is preached

LETS PRAY

Transition: the title of our message today is...

Sermon Title | The War is Real

Introduction

PAUSE -CLIP 2 Online Seeker - BEGINING

Have you ever found yourself fighting the same ole demons? No matter how hard you try you just keep repeating the same issues and challenges year after year. The truth is, what you're up against is bigger than you.. you can’t do it alone. How do I know? … I’ve been there, I know what it’s like, and I’ve seen many people experiance CHANGE. I want you to know this. …there can be light at the end of the tunnel for too.

PAUSE -CLIP 2 Online Seeker ENDING

There's a lot at stake.

Whats at stake?

Look at this with me. …

If we don’t heed the warning of spiritual warfare, believers(You, me, your spouse, your children - those you love) will find themselves caving under the pressure of temptation, and fulfilling destructive plans of the enemy.

This is NOT Gods plan for you

Paul highlights the keys to victory in Spiritual Battle…

The first… IN YOUR NOTES is…

The CHARGE. v.10 -11a, Zec. 4:6

We see this in v.10

Scripture says…

PAUSE -CLIP BEGINING

v.10 Finally, be strong in (WHO?) THE LORD…

Notice what Paul doesn't say.

He doesn't say… He doesn't say "be strong in yourself…”

Yet for some reason we Christians… seem to get so confident in ourselves - And mistake God's work in us … as our own doing.

We even think things like… If I could get over it… why can't they?

The truth is, you didn't get over it, God got you over it.

*** Has God got you through something!

If your struggling today… Gods word for you is… simple

This is the Charge…

Be strong in the Lord…

don’t rely on strength from nothing but Him

PAUSE -CLIP ENDING

But what am I suposed to DO? We love proving ourselves…

V. 11a says… your job is to put on the Armor of Who?

11 Put on the whole ARMOR OF GOD…

It’s His Armor… not your’s (He clothes you in it to protect you in the fight)

Why…

Becuase the battle BELONGS to the Lord - it’s a fight you can’t win.

Ex 14:14 The Lord will fight for you, you need only to be still

Did you know…

When A tightrope-walker is Trained…. they're taught not to look down at the rope beneath their feet and obsess on the one thing than can send them plummeting to the ground… a miss step on the ROPE. If they stare at the rope, they'll lose their balance and fall. Instead, they are taught look ahead, at the horizon, where they're going.

****Stop staring and obsessing at the rope… at what keeps causing you to fall and spiral…

Your Past, Your pain, your pressures etc..

and LOOK UP…

God encourage the prophet Zechariah this when he was struggling to follow Gods plan for his life. He was looking at the ROPE.. all his limited resources, the opposition…the impossibilities.

Here is what God reminded HIM…

and I believe it’s his word for many in the room today…

It’s not by your own might… but by MY SPIRIT say’s the Lord.

Let me say it like this IN YOUR NOTES

You’re strength doesn’t come from within; it comes from HIM

Here is something I want you to to do today…

Identify one thing you’re currently white-knuckling - in your own strength.

Is this a relationship? A financial pressure? Past, An addiction, a ministry task, or any other kind of spiritual attack?

Write it down… i sure it wont take you long to think of it.

Transition: the title of our message today is...

Sermon Title | The War is real

Paul highlights the keys to victory in Spiritual Battle…

The 1st Key is…

The CHARGE -to Trust in the STRENGTH OF GOD and not yourself.

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The next thing… IN YOUR NOTES is…

The CLARITY v. 11-12 Col 1:27

Paul gives us some clarity on who we are fighting and how to fight.

We see this in v. 11

11b … stand against the schemes of WHO… the devil. Of Who? The Devil

I’m not trying to scare you today… I’m trying to give you clarity on who your enemy is… because too many of you are busy fighting

That coworker… your spouse, the sickness your facing… your addiction or sin of choice…

This is a a war against Evil… and Satan wants you distracted… fighting one another rather than surrendering and allowing God to fight for you.

in v. 12 Pauls… Continues to give clarity and says…

12 For we Do NOT (What) wrestle against FLESH and BLOOD,

In other words… what we are fighting is not what we see in the natural realm… it’s whats unseen in the spiritual realm.

It’s time for us to wake up to the reality that this is a SPIRITUAL battle.

The War is real!

***For those of you still convinced that you got what it takes outside of God to win…

Looking at v. 12b… Here is what we’re up against… as we enter this spiritual battle lead by the Devil….

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 (

PREACH FROM HERE

Rulers - Authorities - Cosmic powers - Spiritual forces of Evil

Where did the operate? In the Heavenly Places:

Jews understood the phrase “heavenly Places” as several realms including earth.

Here is what this shows us…

These are POWERFUL forces.

NUMEROUS forces.

ORGANIZED forces

PRESENT right here in our realm.

Let me say it like this IN YOUR NOTES…

Your battle isn't with PEOPLE. It's with PRINCIPALITIES.

Friends… Scripture says here that these Cosmic powers operate in….

the DARKNESS

The enemy does his work in the darkness and his goal is to keep you blinded from the LIGHT.

This is how his Darkness begins to spread…

Blind to the Truth in Gods word as you quit or never begin reading your word.

Blind to power of community as you quit or never begin attending church regular.

Blind to power of prayer as you let this fall by the waist side…

Blind to the power of grace when you fail…thinking your above the need for it.

His Goal is to strip you of hope… leaving you in a spiral…

The clouds of darkness slowly Rolls in over your life… The next thing you know it you find yourself isolated and alone in the dark… fighting the wrong things…

This is the Enemy’s plan:

To Keep you in the dark… its where his spiritual forces hang out.. and you are vulnerable… when you hang out in the dark… you eventually go BLIND.

Here's my question for you:

How might you be perpetuating the darkness in your life?

Are you actively resisting the darkness by

Gathering with the people of God in Church, in Prayer…. and in the word / leaning on his Grace

Or are you stepping outside light into the darkness thinking you don’t need the light in your life?

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Transition: the title of our message today is...

Sermon Title | The War is real

Paul highlights the keys to victory in Spiritual Battle…

He by giving us

The CHARGE… to Trust in the STRENGTH OF GOD and acknowledge that the war is bigger than you

He gives us…

The Clarity… to understanding that our fight spiritual and against our advisory the devil.

The last thing I want you to notice IN YOUR NOTES is…

The COMMITMENT. v. 18-20

***Clay you can have the point and upcoming verse on the same slide… it will come fast

Skipping down to v. 18… lets look at it

He tells us to WHAT…

Praying at all times in the Spirit

Prayer is how you engage the one who has the power to do anything in the Spiritual realm.

This also has implications of praying in Tongues as we see in the book of Acts this Church had received this spiritual gift.

So I ask you

How important is it to pray? I would say VERY!

Prayer changes things:

Prayer shifts whats taking place in your mind… move you from darkness to light…

You see different, you think different and this disarms the enemy… DARKNESS is the only MOVE he’s God.

Prayer keep you focused on fighting the Right Way.

PERSONAL: After all my years of serving God, I am more convinced that prayer is more for me than it is for God.

I’m not updating God things he has forgotten

Or… Giving Him, his to-do list is for the day…

Rather..

I’m reminding and surrendering to the one who FIGHTS for ME.

This is what it means to let go. And let God.

All I do is position myself in the LIGHT….

In the house of God, in the word, in prayer, in the wisdom of God and let him WORK.

Somewhere in that mysterious process HE MOVES.

If your new to prayer… Here is something very practical that anyone can do…

How are we encouraged to Pray?

Look v.18 Notice all of the bold words.

Praying at all TIMES

That means morning prayers. Evening prayers. Spontaneous prayers. Prayers in the car. Prayers when you're frustrated.. when your happy.

All times are right for prayer…

Scriptures say…. pray…

With what? all Kinds of PRAYERS

Planned prayers. Spontaneous prayers. Short prayers. Long prayers. Prayers you've memorized. Prayers from the heart. Prayers in Tongues…

Scriptures say…. pray… with

All PERSEVERANCE

This speaks to our Committed to it… Don't get tired of praying. Prayer isn't a to-do list that you check off once and you're done. It's our way of being STRONG in the Lord and STANDING… our Ground in Christ.

Scriptures say…. pray… with

All the SAINTS

Prayer isn't just about you getting what you need from God. It's about praying for and with the family of God.

Why.. we are in this battle together..

We are stronger together…

If your struggling with prayer.. Let me say it like this… IN YOUR NOTES

You don't need a COMPLICATED battle strategy. You just need a simple COMMITMENT to pray.

If you want to continue growing your prayer life -just get started.

TO help you out… We've linked our Mid-Week series we just completed on prayer. By Pastor Stephen D. one of Missionaries.

Here's the question I believe scripture is inviting us to ask ourselves today…

How would things change if you prayed and worried less?

What would change if you brought every offense, every fear, every conflict, every decision to God in prayer instead of trying to solve it on your own?

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So today… if you do NOT know Jesus as your Lord and Savior today is your day… it doesn’t matter how much you pray… you will remain in the Darkness…

Salvation Altar Call

I believe Jesus is here today, and He wants to save you. Salvation simply means to deliver or to free. It’s not just about delivering you…

It’s about believing

Believing in Jesus means trusting what He say’s—about sin, and eternal punishment, thats the bad news.

The good news is this… that His death on the cross paid the penalty for our sins, making us right with God.

Ephesians 2:8 reminds us: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Salvation requires two things:

1. God’s Grace—His undeserved gift of forgiveness and life because of His love for you.

2. Faith—placing your trust in Him for salvation.

If you’ve never asked Jesus to save you, today is your day. If you’d like ask him… , raise your hand.

I want to invite you to Repeat a prayer after me

· There is nothing magical in this prayer.. it simply is a way of declaring to Jesus what has taken place in your heart.

Here is how I would like to end the service for everyone else….

Call to Action Altar Call

We’re going to end the service with A question as we do nearly every week.

We’re going to pray a very simpler prayer of surrender and simply stand in Victory today…

Before we do…

LETS CEAL TODAY WITH WORSHIP - DECLARING the POWER found in the name of Jesus…

Lets go to war together…

ALL ACROSS THE ROOM – HAS THE HOLY SPIRIT spoken to you in anyway today?

Close

Identify one thing you are currently white-knuckling?

Is this a relationship? A financial pressure? An addiction, a ministry task, or any other kid of spiritual attack?

Here is the Clarity - This FIGHT is against Evil Forces

Your Commitment - PRAY

Surrender - The battle belongs to the Lord. That's why we put on his armor.

I don't know if you've noticed a shift over the last month or so with the worship team. Has begun to stop their practice at 8:15 every morning and turn this auditorium into a prayer room.

I wanna invite you to join us.

Prayer: But what if instead we got on our knees? What if we said: "God, I don't know how to navigate this. I don't know how to love this person. I don't know how to break this cycle. I don't know how to overcome this fear. But You do. And I'm asking You to help me. To guide me. To fight for me."

Resources

Book:The IVP Bible Background Commentary New Testament (Second Addition) by Keener, Craig S.

Armor of God Cultivation Session: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPXZM2EWG6-1lIdhWDHJO2JL9Bc9cbzST&si=RBSB8GJM-ce18pGY

Prayer:https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPXZM2EWG6-2ODwTOYqmgM_hi1wgQTQ7g&si=hirGcMROuKj4Sqsw

Going Deeper

What stuck out to you the in this passage? v. 10-20

Identify one thing you are currently white-knuckling?

How might you be perpetuating the darkness in your life?

How would things change if you prayed and worried less?

What might the Holy Spirit be saying to you in light of this teaching?

How might the Holy Spirit want to transform you in light of this teaching?

What actions might the Holy Spirit want to take in light of this teaching?

Tongues & Interpretation

1. To STRENGTHEN the Church (1 Cor14:5)

For prophecy is greater than SPEAKING in TONGUES, unless someone interprets what you are saying so that the whole church will be STRENGTHENED.

Believers, God has operated through this gift today to strengthen you today. Let your faith be strengthened and know that God is in control and using supernatural measures to speak to us.

2. Is a SIGN for unbelievers. (1Cor. 14: 21a, 22)

1 Corinthians 14:21–22 (ESV)

In the Law it is written, “By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.” Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers.

22 -  So you see that speaking in tongues is a SIGN, not for believers, but for UNBELIEVERS.

The Bible explains to us God has chosen to use this gift to be a sign for you. A sign for what? It is a sign of his realness for those of you who have been doubting or questioning the existence of God. He wants you to know he is REAL and he wants to bring you spiritual life and health. If you're in here today and you don't know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior... he wants you to know he has gone to great lengths to show you his love today. (Great opportunity for a salvation altar call if it fits).