We Should All Be Veterans.

2 Timothy 2:1–13 KJV 1900

1 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. 3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 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. 5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. 6 The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits. 7 Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things. 8 Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: 9 Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound. 10 Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. 11 It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: 12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: 13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

2 Timothy 2:1–5 KJV 1900

1 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. 3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 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. 5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.

2 Timothy 2

In many churches, just like ours, there stands two flags. The American and the Christian flag. These two flags represent two types of freedom.

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1. The American flag - Represents the freedom that allow us to go where we want to go, say what we want to say, to live where we want to live, to dream big dreams and pursue them.

Some one once wrote:

a. It is Veteran, not the reporter, who gave us freedom of the press.

b. It is the Veteran, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.

c. It is the Veteran, not the campus organizer, who given us freedom to assemble.

d. It is the veteran, not the politician, who given us the right to vote.

e. It the Veteran, not the preacher, who given us freedom of religion.

Veterans over the centuries have sacrificed so much to obtain and preserve this precious freedom.

Which also includes the God-given right to worship our creator anytime anywhere.

This leads us to the other type of freedom, represented by the Christian flag - A greater freedom that can only be found in Jesus Christ, who died as a ransom to set us free.

a. This is a freedom from a life of futility.

b. Freedom from the tyranny of sin.

c. Regret, hate, and bitterness.

d. It’s the freedom to love God and love our neighbor.

To serve either of this flags (and the freedom they represent) faithfully and effectively, we must meet certain requirements.

Before one becomes a veteran, they must first be a good soldier.

So, my question for you today is?

What does it take to become a Veteran?

Not just a military Veteran, but a spiritual Veteran?

The Apostle Paul knew a little something about that.

Having enlisted in the Lord’s Army after he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus.

and enduring countless,

Dangers,

Toils

Snares

The result, made Paul a Veteran Christian.

Toward the end of his life, while facing execution for his faith in Christ.

Paul sat in a cold Roman prison, cut off from the world.

All Paul had was a quill (Ink Pen) and some parchment (Paper).

Paul knew he was going to be executed soon.

So, he wrote some of his final thoughts to a young pastor Timothy.

Passing to him the torch of leadership.

Paul States:

2 Timothy 2:3–4 KJV 1900

3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 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.

You must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

No one Engaged in warfare Entangles himself with affairs of this life, that he may please Him who Enlisted him as a Soldier.

There Are 4 Things You Must Do To Become A Veteran.

Enlist

Endure

Engage

Entanglement.

I. Enlist.

Paul says a soldier wants to please his commanding Officer.

We no longer have the draft.

Recruitment Officers are sent out to encourage people to volunteer to enlist.

Men and women have a choice whether or not they serve in the American Military.

People make that choice for different reasons.

Some enlist for money for college.

Some to follow in there family foot steps.

Some are just looking for a since of directions a purpose for there life.

Some because they just need a job.

No matter what the reasons are.

It’s a tough decsion

It’s life changing

And a hard way of life.

d Doesn’t Force Anyone In His Service.

God Doesn’t Force Anyone To Serve In His Service Of His Kingdom.

He does send out Pastor’s and Missionaries through the Holy Spirit as recruitment officers.

So, the Holy Spirit may convict your heart and to be an encourage to serve in His army.

Following Jesus is a life - altering commitment that requires full devotion.

When you make the decision to accept Jesus as your personal savior.

Your life must change.

2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV 1900

17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

2 Corinthians

No longer are you able to be the commanding officer, or the general of your life

No longer are you able to be the commanding officer, or the general of your life

You’ve given that over to Christ.

You’ve given that over to Christ.

He is now the leader of your life..

II. Endure.

American military personal in every branch of the military, wither it be the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine, or Coast Guard has a lot to endure.

1. Basic Training

2. Advanced Individual Training (AIT) for short.

If you’re not ready for it, you will be worked harder than you ever worked before. Not only does the soldier, sailor, or marine have to endure the physical aspects of the military, but the mental, emotional and there is the time away from their families.

In order to be successful in the military you have to endure the different.

Situations

Circumstances which may come your way.

In the same way, if you want to be a veteran follower of Jesus Christ.

You also have to endure.

As Paul told Timothy.

2 Timothy 2:3 KJV 1900

3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy

In our country we are so thankful that we don’t experience the kind of hardships they do in other parts of the world.

During the Apostle Paul’s missionary journeys he was:

Flogged

Stoned

Shipwrecked, and more.

I don’t need to tell you Religious Persecution is not only happening in foreign lands.

It’s starting to happen in the good old United States of America.

We will be Challenged in ways we could not imagine.

We will have Trails.

We will have Temptations

We will have Tribulations in Life.

We never thought would come our way.

It might not be Sickness and Illness

It may be persecution for being a follower of Jesus Christ.

A soldier of Christ

We have to endure to the end.

We have to keep the Faith.

We have to Trust God’s Plan.

Remember God’s plan is a better plan then we have.

Even in the midst of our Struggles.

We Enlist

We Endure

III. Engage.

I have great respect for our Military, Serving myself as a Military Policeman.

I have great respect for those who fought in our past wars:

American Revolution.

War of 1812.

The Mexican War.

The Civil War.

American Spanish War.

WW I.

WW 2.

Korea.

Vietnam

The Cold War

Persian Gulf War

The War on Terror.

I have nothing but, respect for those who fought, died, and sacrificed for our country.

Every Soldier, Sailor, Marine, Airman goes through a Basic Training.

So when the day of war comes and the Battles occur.

You will be ready.

Through training exercises,

Combat practice,

It prepares you to always be ready in Battle.

It becomes second nature to you.

You react and don’t think.

As Christians we need to do the same thing.

“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.

They have divine power to demolish strongholds.

We demolish

Arguments

Every pretension that set itself up against the knowledge of God.

We take captive every thought to make it obediet to Christ

2 Corinthians 10:4–5 KJV 1900

4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

In other words, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

We have to prepare to engage in Spiritual Warfare.

Battle Temptations

Stand opposed to False Religions

Understand how the worldviews Christians

Prepare ourselves for persecution and hostility.

We are called to Defend our Faith.

We can’t be afraid to stand up for Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 2:12–15 KJV 1900

12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: 13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. 14 Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. 15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

2 Timothy 2:12-

God is counting on us to “Take Captives” which means surrendering our own thought and beliefs to Jesus Christ.

Leading others to do the same.

In the Lord’s army, we do not kill our enemies; instead our goal is to make them our Allies.

In the Lord’s Army,

We aren’t fighting alone.

Just as soldiers in a,

Squad.

Platoon.

Company.

They depend on each other.

As followers of Jesus Christ.

We Rely,

God the Father,

His Son, Jesus Christ.

The Holy Spirit.

And Our Church Family to support us and stand beside us.

In order to be a Veteran we must Enlist, Endure, Engage, and Lastly.

IV. Don’t Get Entangled.

The Apostle Paul says, "“No one who engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this Life.”

2 Timothy 2:4 KJV 1900

4 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.

2 Timothy

Romans 12:2 KJV 1900

2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

I heard about a story about a new recruit, shortly after joining the Army. He asked his officer for a pass so he could attend his brothers wedding.

The officer gave him a pass, but informed the young man he would have to be back by 7 pm. Sunday. The recruit said, “You don’t understand, sir, “I’m in the wedding.”

The officer looked at the recruit and said, “Private, You don’t understand, Your in the Army.”

When you serve this American Flag:

You are expected to be completely committed to your country.

Obey Orders

Allow nothing to prevent you from performing your duties.

Serve Faithfully.

When you serve this Christian Flag:

You are expected to be completely committed to Jesus Christ and His Kingdom.

You are expected to serve Him Faithfully.

Not to allow anything to keep you from doing His Will.

V. Unfortunately!

Countless Christians, after coming to Faith in Jesus Christ, do get entangled in the affairs of the world.

They let other things become more important to them than Jesus.

We need to be careful about the things we let distract us from Jesus Christ.

Paul said, “Yes, Everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Jesus Christ.

Philippians 3:8 KJV 1900

8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

What Paul is saying here, “For His sake, I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that he could gain Jesus Christ.”

We need to do 4 things to be a good soldier for Jesus Christ.

Enlist

Endure

Engage

Don’t get Entangled