The Lord's Army
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 160 viewsNotes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
The Lord's Army
The Lord's Army
I graduated from high school in 1969, at a time when the war in Viet Nam was not only unpopular here at home, but it was also frightening to young men of draft age. Having enlisted prior to graduation, I volunteered to serve in Viet Nam, but by the time my training was completed, the war was basically over.
I had watched the 'peace' demonstrations on the evening news and had grown up hearing about Conscientious Objectors. Most of them objected to the war on the basis of their religious beliefs. I didn't really understand it all, but at that time there was a lot I didn't understand. It wasn't until after I became a Christian that I understood the connection between war and the believer. [2]
"Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
I. Why an Army?
A. Because we are at war
1. The battle lines were drawn long ago.
2. There is a battle being waged for the souls of men and women…boys and girls.
3. Just as our men and women are fighting to secure freedom for the Iraqi people and to maintain safety for us against terrorists.
4. We have been chosen to bring the message of freedom to people who are bound by sin.
5. That message is the only way for people to be set free.
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
6. What is the truth?
a. All have sinned…we are all under the sentence of death.
b. But God loves us…He made a way for us to be set free from the bonds of sin.
c. Jesus Christ is the Truth…He and He alone can bring true freedom.
d. When we place our faith in His finished work on Calvary…we can be saved!
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
B. Our enemy is real
1. He has many names.
And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
2. He is a liar and a deceiver from the beginning.
3. He wants to destroy mankind, and has done a pretty good job of it…look at the mess this world is in right now.
4. But, his days are numbered…Jesus is coming back!
5. And when He returns. He will ultimately cast the enemy into the lake of fire for all eternity!
And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
II. Chosen by God
A. Drafted or Volunteers?
"…that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier"
1. Many were drafted into the service during times of war.
2. Others willingly enlisted and chose to go to battle for their country.
3. Once they became a part of the service…it didn't matter whether they had been drafted or whether they had volunteered.
4. It didn't matter what they were in civilian life…now they were soldiers! (Ex. Saving Private Ryan - Capt. John Miller had been a school teacher in a small town in PA.)
B. God has chosen to save all who come to Him by faith.
1. When we place our faith in Jesus Christ…
2. We are made a part of God's army…
3. Whether we like to look at it that way or not…it is true.
4. The Scriptures do not talk of two separate groups…Christians and Soldiers in God's army.
5. Rather those terms are synonymous! As believers, we are to put on the whole armor of God and stand against the attack of the enemy!
6. So the real challenge is are we good soldiers?
III. Good Soldiers
A. A good soldier endures hardness
1. The apostle Paul serves as an example of a good soldier.
2. He was stoned, shipwrecked, beaten, and placed in dungeons.
3. All of this he called his 'light affliction'
() "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;"
4. Nearing the end of his life he makes reference to the 'good fight'.
() "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:"
5. Too many in the Lord's army faint at first the hint of adversity.
B. A Good Soldier Enlists Others
1. He is proud of his outfit. Ex. Company 350
2. The recruiters are not men who hate the service…they are the 'lifers'.
3. Andrew went to recruit Peter…and Philip brought Nathaniel.
4. What are we doing for the cause of Christ?
5. Are we recruiting others? Soul-winning… inviting folks…bringing others.
C. A good soldier will not collaborate with the enemy.
1. The world hates the Christian.
() "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you."
() "Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you."
2. A good soldier cannot fight the enemy during the day, and then go to a party with them by the night.
3. No soldier is more despised and disgraced than the one who collaborates with the enemy. (ex. POW special on TV)
D. A good soldier believes in the cause.
1. No soldier gives their best if they are not convinced the cause is right.
2. Politicians can debate whether or not the present war we are in is right or wrong…
3. But the men and women who are there believe in what they are doing!
4. They are convinced in the cause!
5. The same is true for those in the Lord's army…to be a good soldier we must believe in the cause of Christ!
6. If we are to make an impact on this world for the cause of Christ we must be convinced that He is the Hope of this world!
This morning, do you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior? If not may I invite you to come allow us to share the Word of Truth with you that you might be born again?
Christians, are we serving as faithful and good soldiers in the army of the Lord? Or are we AWOL? Jesus promised, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." We are challenged to go forward for the cause of Christ and be good soldiers for Him.
The Army of the Lord 2
Prayer Point.
1. Father lord of host : arise and defend my family. no sickness , death , trajeady , no accident .
2. arise and defend your church .
3. father lord of host arise and defend me
Introduction :
1 Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the Lord; Thus saith the Lord, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria. 2 Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.
3 And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die? 4 If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die. 5 And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there. 6 For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us. 7 Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the camp as it was, and fled for their life. 8 And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it. 9 Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king’s household. 10 So they came and called unto the porter of the city: and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they were. 11 And he called the porters; and they told it to the king’s house within.
Comment : when ever God is speaking and you don’t believe what He is saying Keep you doubt to your self .
All you enemies will hear a noice . the will hear the noice of the army of the lord and they will flee.
The God whom we serve is the all sufficent God ,Almighty. God the elzahdia . an inexhustible GOD
1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
You cannot never exhuste his blessing and his favour
Our God can do all things , all powerful God
27 Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?
Jer
when ever some say that something is impossible God get exited , to do something so extra -ordinary so next time you talk about him you don’t use the word impossible . God is so powerful that he can raise men / children from stone .
9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
God is able to make impossible possible . as God leaves you challenge will soon be a testimony.
God has all thing , created all things , commander of all things , and he can use absolutely anything to achieve his purpose .
-end . He use frogs, insect , lies , flies ,
20 And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king’s chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king’s country. 21 And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. 22 And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. 23 And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.
use worm .
Your God is a great God .. He use things you never deems possible to solve problems and created solution .
Clay .Jesus to open eyes
Illustration .. Bird in Rccg camp.
I don’t know how God will send help to you but your help will come this month.
He can use any one and anything to do his will… But he prefers to work with man. maybe man his is his highest creation .
19 And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. 20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
after he has made everything he present it to man to name . He Loves to work with man
21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23 And the Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
24 Now it came to pass, in the morning watch, that the Lord looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the army of the Egyptians. 25 And He took off their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty; and the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.”
26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen.” 27 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and when the morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28 Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained.
Moses hand divide the sea . when u mention Moses you
1 Now it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his multitude:
‘Whom are you like in your greatness?
3 Indeed Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon,
With fine branches that shaded the forest,
And of high stature;
And its top was among the thick boughs.
4 The waters made it grow;
Underground waters gave it height,
With their rivers running around the place where it was planted,
And sent out rivulets to all the trees of the field.
5 ‘Therefore its height was exalted above all the trees of the field;
Its boughs were multiplied,
And its branches became long because of the abundance of water,
As it sent them out.
6 All the birds of the heavens made their nests in its boughs;
Under its branches all the beasts of the field brought forth their young;
And in its shadow all great nations made their home.
7 ‘Thus it was beautiful in greatness and in the length of its branches,
Because its roots reached to abundant waters.
8 The cedars in the garden of God could not hide it;
The fir trees were not like its boughs,
And the chestnut trees were not like its branches;
No tree in the garden of God was like it in beauty.
9 I made it beautiful with a multitude of branches,
So that all the trees of Eden envied it,
That were in the garden of God.’
10 “Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Because you have increased in height, and it set its top among the thick boughs, and its heart was lifted up in its height,
Dry bone and Ezekiel .. Ezekiel propehecy and God heal work .. we did together
As you be beging to cooperate with God the kind of miracle you never experience you being to experience in Jesus Name.
Illustration of Healing .
When you allow God to use you , He will always do more than you think.
As you open your month to say a prayer the answer will come .
God always have an army and his Army always wins.
They are always greatly rewarded, the people in his army are not always eminent people
26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.
his army are not necessary the strong , rich , wise , BUT willing People to be use .
many a times his army could be made up of 4 Lepars , seek people, rejected people , people that no one can expect to be anything , they are people who He ask are you ready to match for me , keep matching ..
2 And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ 3 Now therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him turn and depart at once from Mount Gilead.’ ” And twenty-two thousand of the people returned, and ten thousand remained.
4 But the Lord said to Gideon, “The people are still too many; bring them down to the water, and I will test them for you there. Then it will be, that of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ the same shall go with you; and of whomever I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ the same shall not go.” 5 So he brought the people down to the water. And the Lord said to Gideon, “Everyone who laps from the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set apart by himself; likewise everyone who gets down on his knees to drink.” 6 And the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people got down on their knees to drink water. 7 Then the Lord said to Gideon, “By the three hundred men who lapped I will save you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand. Let all the other people go, every man to his place.”
when he get to many volunters He has a way of reducing them to few 100. 1 will chase a thousand . He does not save by multitude .
All HE want is WILLING People . don’t worry we will be number one .
When it comes to the army of the Lord he has a way of making victory easy. all the time he want to fight and decided to use you . He will make the victory to be easy .
50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David. 51 Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it.
And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.
1 sam
what God will use to give you victory He has already provided.
4 lepars where matching , and God amplified the steps, till it sounded like many nations combine together , like might chariot . The heard a sound of the mighty arm and the flee.. The will Hear a sound .
When ever he gives victory to his army , He rewards them .
2 chron 20
20 And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. 21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth for ever. 22 And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten. 23 For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another. 24 And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped. 25 And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much.
the kings and his army spend 3 days gathering spoilt
8 And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it.
God always rewards his army .They eat , fixed deposit, they enjoy plenty .
when he rewards member of his army he goes beyond this world to the world beyond .
They eat , fixed deposit .
1 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.
Great solider of the cross. as glorious as ever .
He expect every member of his army to show certain charateritics .
Let me show you.
48 So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
1 sam 17:
He RAN to the battle , you must be agreesive , speedy , do in an hurry . the king business demand haste . we miss an oppturnity to be bless because we delay . we are going to become rich soon , because you are going to become rich .if God or his house his in NEED how do you react . His a great honour for God to decide to use , it can do whatever he want to without anyone of us. all He want is Just one willing person.
21 And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word. 22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.
1king
He want his army to say if no body cannot .. I alone remain . if no body will do , i will do it . I ALONE remain.
Some one is going to be come out standing in Jesus name
3.In the army of the Lord you don’t wait for others , you don’t mark your journey based on the map of other Just you and God .Other might says they are thinking about it , wait a mint. but i have a map to work with a destine Journey . I have focus . i have a MAP . my motivation to serve GOD is so personal that am not distracted .
4. Once they decided they beging to excute their decision . let us move and they begin to move . many makes pledges and not pay bec. they delay
4 If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die. 5 And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there.
You must put him first , even when you delay to do what he ask you you delay your own blessing .
Never forget that God always have a subtitute, army always a resver .
Do you want to do it , if you are slow he call a subtittue . a day is coming when nation will flow into this house like never before .
61 And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.”
62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
do you want to join his army or you want to stay aback and watch some on us as we match on .
His word over this house will come to pass and do that he uses to bring it to pass irrespective of the capacity will be the first person to be bless.
Is not by accident that you are here . God order your step to this great house .
Decide what is it you want to do for the lord , make a pledge and vows , set you face on be an army that match on this city .. .
WHAT DO U NEED ME DO .