2021-03-7_AM

Hey, man.

Open your Bibles to feed in chapter 6 of chapter 6 verses 10 through 18. I feel like I'm a little hot there. My mic is. My check there we go. Really reading in verse 10. You'll stand with me. We're going to read verse 10 chapter 6 of Ephesians. Finally be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his mind put on the full armor of God, since you'll be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil for our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against rulers against Powers against the world forces of Darkness against the spiritual forces of wickedness in Heavenly places. Therefore take up the full armor of God so that you will be able to resist in the evil day and having done everything to stand firm stand firm their forehead and gird your loins with truth and having put on the breastplate of righteousness and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace in addition to all taking up the shield of Faith which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God with all prayer and petition frayed all times and spirit and with this in view be on alert with all perseverance and petition for all the stains father God. Thank you for your work. We pray that you will bless his preaching teaching. It's reading this morning and probably help us to embrace to understand to know to speak your truth dear Lord. You are the greatest truth there ever was in Jesus name we pray and all God's people said it man. You'll be feeding. It's one of my favorite things to study in one of the areas of interest that I have is in the in the area of course of Admissions and and cultural knowledge about different societies and you'd be amazed at the different things that people believe around the world superstitions folklore in the Amazon and there's late and the tribes around this particular Lake and they think that if the women think if you they think if you want a baby that's where you go you drink from the lake and that's how people become pregnant. They sell these women get pregnant. So they try to stay away from that pond at this late if they don't want to have a baby, you know, that's what they think they heard about a tribe in Africa a Jacob of Pastor friend of mine Jacob. Chase told me they thought wouldn't he had twins that it was an evil sign so they got rid of both the Twins and we just take them out in the forest are the woods I've heard and that's sad because that's what they believe they really believe. They think that but you know, a lot of things we say different things that happened in the world society. If you live in a certain part of the country can't be a good person, you know, you live on a certain Coast you can't be a good person we believe and that right we say that we think that is general rule. I was born in Santa Barbara, California. Do you know how hard it is for me to say that with them if they were you born? I didn't want to say that, you know because of what because of what people believe we don't believe the people in California sure. There are You ever save on the new people will say something. I'll make some statement about not in a dr. Pepper Coke and SMS a truth. No put underneath their truth truth funny how the things that we believe and we make decisions based on those truths. Your parents are taught you things about other people and visuals habits different things like that. It will call the truth. That's what we want to talk about this morning. So you need to get used to this passage that we're in and if he's just cuz that's where I'm going to be for the next few weeks. We were talking about these elements of the armor in particular. We want to look at this morning verse 14 and just the first part of her is 14 stand firm their forehead and gird your loins with truth. Okay girding your loins with truth. You want to just revisit for just a moment this idea this concept about the ability to stand remember that Paul and his Geology and his preachings T. See when you look at the total weight. What is it Paul preached about preach about evangelism. There's not a vandalism a lot. Even though he is the consummate evangelist preaching in Acts and things like that and people responding but his it really he gives two principles for how a person is saved and I think in Romans we even have the Roman Road to tells you how to be saved but the ball to Pauline teaching or Pauline theology deals with our sanctification growing in the Lord growing in their truth and I think he might even say to us today. So do you say you believe his truth? But how are you living at truthout? What is you know, what is the truth? He wants us to have the truth of the Gospel. The Lord wants us to have the truth of the gospel for several different reason helped and the main reason because it helps us to stand James 4 and 7, but he gives more grace. Wherefore he says God resisteth the proud but gives grace to the humble submit yourselves therefore to God and resist the devil and he will flee from you James rights from they're telling us how we might resist Satan but this is a priority for us as Christians 1st Peter 5 and 9, you know, this 89, you know, this passage be sober be vigilant because your adversary the Devil is a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour who resist steadfast in the faith knowing that your afflictions are complish and your brethren that are in the world. There's two other passages that talk about why we need truth in our life why we need to embrace the truth understand understand the truth follow after the truth. He says in our text here he talks about he talks about how we might be able to stay and not evil Day verse 11 put on the full armor of God. So you will be able to stand firm against against the devil verse 12 tell us about what the struggle is is truly against first 13 Full armor so you can resist in the evil day. We want to become accomplish Christians accomplished theologians on a personal level so that we might be able to stand and that Evil Dead. What is that evil day brother mine is described as several different ways. You see Paul and testimonies talking about the evil day being the end days the end times and they believed they were in the evening in Taunton that Pauline day in the one that has to be birth of the New Testament Church that Paul talks about in 2nd Thessalonians and also even in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 17 in this book that were in we say we're Paul is concerned about us being able to stand not only in the end. We all want to be able to stand whatever the Lord returns amen and we're going to stand in Christ. We're covered in his blood. We know we have a relationship with him, but it's more than that. You don't want to be saved and just know that you're saved and then everything from there's that one point to the point whenever God comes to get you or that point for you you pass away. Dying your in his present you want to be able to stand in that true. So you can resist resist Satan on a day-to-day basis. Okay. And so that's our first point here this morning is that true is given to us by God that we might know that the totality of the theology is going to keep us help us to stand in that evil day. That's Point number one. And we see that in verse 14 there for and how do we do that their forehead and gird your loins with truth for going to break that down into two pieces? A belt that was gerd in about you have to know a little bit about the culture in the history of this word right here. It really is a metaphor for being prepared Christian or Ashley as we enter the second point. He are you prepared. Everything to brother Mike's preaching about and you see taking place in the world that you here that's happening everything that you know on a human level in on an intellectual level unemotional. Are you prepared to stand in God's truth whatever Satan throws at you will look at this metaphor that he's giving us surely Paul his policy many soldiers and he's seen how that Roman soldier had his he knew it whenever he he put on his armor before you put it on his armor. The first thing you do is take your robe and you would gird your loins up you and wrap yourself up so that you can prepare to work you seemed in roll their sleeves up women to you about to get to work and you roll in freezer cuz you're about to do something. This is exact same picture. They quickly, you know, it was so big that you can still work to be done erase should be run a battle to be fought. It was a state of preparedness. Stand firm in the truth of God and gird your loins with that truth girding for the state of preparedness. It's just a number 1 at soldiers preparedness. We talked about this last week. It's the state of preparedness Define. Most most Christians. I know just kind of want to you know, you're believe, you know, there's a conflict out there, but you just kind of want to scoot along the outside if I can and just kind of Ease on into whatever it is that God has prepared for you. Johnny what you sent you see your put your chin out there for Sight don't don't don't approach it from that point of you understand if there's a conflict that just as brother Jed mentioned earlier in the service that the media the radio the culture that education is coming after you to come get your children or grandchildren. They want you to think a certain way. They don't want you to not to another way and that's where this whole countries is coming down to a one group thinks they want you to think one thing and I'll stay at the basis of that is that there is no God. I tell you that's it. That's another thing number one thing Satan wants the practice in the live out is there's like there's no God, but they're indeed is a God. So how's the preparedness gird up your loins as a soldier would gird up your loins number to is if there was a battle. There's a conflict gird up. Your loins of your mind is Joe said you would do when he was getting onto those men. He said gird yourself like a man cuz I'm going to question you.

When there's work to be done. It's a gospel is true. We're going to talk about this just a lil bit more and just a moment, but it's a gospel is true. Not only but also means there's some work to do somebody say now and we can eat that last week. We preached about that. If you want to just going to raise your children and just having a little boys and little girls that can be done and we'll be good. If you want to raise a Christian Child you best get ready for a fight and you best get ready for some work a man is going to take some work. The gospel means not only is there a conflict to fight but there's also work to be done as we just quoted out of Jomon 38 Paul might say there's a race to be one because if you were going to race somewhere you would gird up your loins so that you can make time so you can could run unencumbered. Is there something is holding you back is a Christian. There's something about this true and you know, you've erased went to run what's holding you back. Are there some things in your life that are holding me back holding things in my life that are holding me back some some relationships or some things are involved in I used to love to hear him talk about it. Isn't that it's a bad thing because there's lots of good things for us to be involved in a race a man. There's lots of good things but is it the best thing? If you have a Race 2 when you don't have time to do everything. You got a time that you got time to do a few things.

We think about that belts and and being prepared in our loins girded. It just means a state of preparedness the active a soldier the idea of conflict or a battle. If there's work to be done a race to be run we think about girding up our loins when their service to be rendered. What's the famous picture imagery that we see in the New Testament about somebody who serves that he guarded his alliance with who is the who are you thinking of our savior? And that last supper? I never followed him. They're trying to follow the lord. They were trying to do what he want and never failing weren't they they were failing and he even had a demon there. He had he had a betrayer there juice was here. You know what Jesus did eagerton is going to prepare himself, and he served the good ones, and he also served you to Steve me. We think about we think about the conflict within the ability to stand. We also want to think about preparing herself in this truth. And that truth is of the Gospel that you were going to be prepared to serve all those just mentioned. It's a conflict into battle. It's a fine. It's a race, but it's also you got to prepare yourself for service. years ago Early in my Ministry of I kind of wanted to let you know, subtly encourage people to get in to church then if they got to church. I just find out how good it was. They would find out. I was just trying to ease I got over that.

I don't know where that. I forgot to tell you what I meet you pretty quick. I've got to tell you some. Hey, wait a minute. This is done when you have to really don't you know, why because it's true. So I just let people know up front if you don't get involved in church and get involved in the gospels and get involved the service servicing. God roll up your sleeve.

The waste that she belted the ones that are prepared. Firstservice, what are we prepared to do again in verse 14 stand firm. We have something to stand and that's what that's the result. And how do we do that having your loins you're prepared for service and you gerd those ones with truth? That's the truth and he's going to describe the breastplate of righteousness in a moment. We'll talk about that next week, but the lines are prepared with truth. We think about the truth. We think about in Pauline theology. This is a very famous phrase to very he loves to talk about truth. In fact, he uses the noun for truth over 47 times in his Epistles. I think it's an interesting if I didn't mention truth once or twice. I put that in the margin of my Bob Dylan Pollock when you look at all the Pauline letters, he mentions truth 47 different times in different ways. And when he uses troops here, even though there's not an English translation for he said we should be truthing which means we should be letting out the truth. Break yourself into three different ways three different things when we think about preparing ourselves. We have something to stand in where does conflict we want to prepare ourselves regarding our loins and where and what we're burning our loins in our the truth of God. That's what we're going to embrace. We're going to grab. I want you to three different aspects and this is the whole message first two points are introduction what I'm fixing to tell you number one. Where did where did gird our loins in the truth of God that is that there is a God. Number to we want to go to lunch and we want to prepare ourselves because there's a conflict of the truth of the Gospel of God. So number one. It's the truth that there is a God of God number two is the truth of the Gospel of God. And number three is Christian Living in that truth everybody say man. You should take the first one real quick where to prepare ourselves in the truth of God. Just stay with me for just a second. the truth of God and let that sink in for just a minute.

raw sitting here little church in East, Texas van Don't you stop with me. Think about this? There is a God.

There is a God a creator of being that when there was nothing. Smokin existence everything the cosmos the Stars this planet human being and out of the ground grab some clay and made a man took his ribs and created a soulmate for his wife. The greatest truth you ever tripped over. And were convicted of is the truth of the Living God and that he exists you. Remember what I said you remember what I said many months ago. I know you don't.

Not the greatest thing about God is that he's self-revelatory because he can build all these wonderful things. But the nice thing about our God is he's revealed himself to us. The truth of a living God Prince of a Chase something that will change your life. If you really believe that.

a man Brother SE water says there's a hundred lines out here in the parking lot. I mean not go to lunch this afternoon. Tell me if I really believe that.

Which a something if there is a great Lion of Judah and he ditched me call this into existence. I might live my life a little bit differently a man. Let's stop and think about that contemplating the truth of God in the implications for our lives. And for a Ministry just is existence send Corinthians 6 2nd Corinthians 6 and giving no cost for any offense in anything so that the ministry will not be discredited but in everything committing ourselves as Servants of God and much endurance and afflictions hardship and distress and beans and prisoners into mulch and laborers and sleeplessness and hunger impurity and knowledge and patience and kindness in the Holy Spirit in genuine love in the word of Truth. in the power of God buy the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left by glory and dishonor by Eva report and good report regarded as receivers and yet true is unknown yet well-known is dying, but we live as punishment not put to death as sorrowful yet always rejoicing as poor yet making Mary and yet making many rich is having nothing yet possessing all things. You think the gospel truth that there is a God affected Paul's life. Hey, man, everything that I just described to you and that verse right there in a fusion 6 and following talk to an infusion some rather 2nd Corinthians in 6 and following describes a man whose whole life Dynamic was changed his ministry was changed and it was eating up in the truth of the Living God.

Relationship Point number one under the truth of the Gospel that there is a God that truth right there. That'll get you through the day. You know that some days. That's the only truth.

In the worst times in my life when I couldn't figure everything out. I would I couldn't overcome my enemies or when I didn't know hen how to handle the stress of the terror that I might be leaving through just the fact that I knew that there was a God was enough to get me through the day. Can somebody say Amen? Just a true that there's a God second kind of Truth. I think this is equally important but it's the truth of the Gospel to never won the truth that you got to prepare yourself with and gird your loins so that you can race you can run you can fight is number one that the truth of the Living God that number to is the truth of the gospel and that of course is a good news that he's provided for Us Palm scratches of the word of Truth another place because of the Gospel truth. He calls that the word of Truth The Gospel of our salvation. It is an ultimate troops. He likes to describe as Gods as Express God's love expressed through his son coming to die for us. It is Ultimate regret or a heartbreak in 1st Timothy 2 and 4 when he when Paul speaks that God's will is for all people to be safe and come to a knowledge of that truth. Come to the knowledge of truth. The truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is also a truth that will change your life leave the first I believe the first one I do I believe there is a God I'm changed it when I got saved in 1987 I would have if you would have asked me before then. I was just leaving. But you know when I got saved, I mean it made it here on the back of my neck stand up to think. Wow. There really is a God. And I just felt I felt he just save me I know he just came into my heart. Spider-Man change my life the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ

lot of people would agree that first was that second one. That's the one they struggle with their some of you might be struggling with that this morning. The actual fact that not only is our living God but that he sent his son to die for you. This is the personal truth. Somehow we're able to rationalize that there is a God that he just somewhere out there and that's fine. As long as he lets me do what I want to do and I can live my own life, but water that gospel that gospel that Jesus did God rather see his son to die for you to his son Jesus to Die free. That's a personal truth. That's something you're going to have to deal with. Can you doubt what that second truth? That's the other one is good enough a man when we prepared to do it. That's that's the other way that we prepare herself for for War II server to do because we believe that Jesus died for us and so we are to serve others. We got to follow him. That's the second gospel truth. And then there's a third gospel truth that I find in this text. I find Paul and his letters trying to emphasize next actual living out of that truth. You remember what the three word the truth of God the truth and the gospel and the truth of Christian Living the third one. How do we live this truth out. This is where this is where I think we've lost it in America. This is where I think we have struggled in America wheel evangelize we've had we had great meetings for people coming to be saved and and they come to know the Lord but where we have really struggled. I'm not talking about it, but I've heard about people in the face. History Christians and that is getting people encouraging people and then people embracing the truth to the extent. They live it out in their lives the actualization of these first two truth. There is a God. God did send his son to die for me and I'll live my life in such a manner as someone who's been safe actually living that Faith out. Let me give you some descriptions of That truth being lived out. Ephesians 4 and 15 hours to talk to you about living in truth. But we also see if they Corinthians 7 14th about speaking in truth. We also seeing another place in 1st Corinthians 5 and 8 where talks about fellowshipping in true 1st Corinthians 13:6 touch about only those who truly love talks about rejoicing in truth post pictures of 2nd Corinthians 4:2 about how truth protection so you could almost say if I could reward to hear we're being protected in true Soul ending in true speaking and Truth Fellowship in truth protected by the truth of the Gospel. It's more than an intellectual agreement is something to protect us from Satan himself the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Are you living the gospel truth?

It's more than a quaint little story on American idea the Living God the creator of the universe had you in mind when he spent all this out of nothing but your friend when he spent all of this out of nothing he had you in his mind that he was going to send the gospel to you. You were going to hear that you were going to be saving your life would forever be changed the truth of the Gospel Stitch the tone for a life. It's just the course it challenges us launches us into life. It is our conference. It's our hearts to try everything with Isaiah saying that we're not Old Testament prophecies. Send me Lord send me pictures of the Gospel truth Jose. It was told to go and marry a harlot so he can prove out notes illustration. He went and married that Harley speakers with the truth of the Gospel Matthew Mark Luke and John leave those snack come follow me. I'll make you Fishers of Men. How did they do that? Because of the truth of the Gospel?

I have you as a Believer prepared yourself for that truth. Do you live daily with those ones you turn it up in that truth? Brothers and sisters prepare yourself for that truth. So we two can work is going to call this to work run has not called us to run service guys called to surf in that because we're in a fight. But you are very live for the lives of our children. There are marriages in our church our communities because of the truth. of the Gospel If you Embrace that truth, are you living at true that macay how you did it? Everything I just told you all of you know, every I think even the lost people in the room. There is a living God. We're getting more personal is this point number two, and that is that he sent his son to die for you to you cannot expect you cannot Escape. Dutch personal invitation to you through his son Jesus Christ And if you are Christian and you know him you dare, not you dare not. I say again you dare not ignore. The truth of the Living God in your life. You need to live your life for him live. It fully and richly that you might know how to run work serve. Make the king happy make our Master our Lord and our Savior Jesus Christ happy. It's the only life there is to live.

I believe that you will be happy will always be easy No, in fact, it's almost guarantee you it'll be a challenge. What is the greatest truth that you've ever stumbled across? I don't rush for me and my life and it will be for you. as well Do you know the Lord are you living in his truth? That's the invitation this morning a man father God in heaven. Thank you for your word. About thank you such a short passage of scripture dear Lord. There is so much of your heart. And your invitation there dear God. I thank you for revealing to me dear lord your love for me and your son Jesus. I thank you for recruiting and you sending him by my home with that message.

Does a sea turtle truth? I prayed your Lord that you will help Pruitt Baptist Church will help our church our fellowship be the kind of church dear Lord without only we say we believe it but we live like we believe it every day of Our Lives. Just don't send anymore. But every day of Our Lives, we're living out your marvelous truth. We love you lord. It's in Jesus name we pray and all God's people said amen. Would you stand this morning?