Time for Action!

Big Idea of the Message: God strengthens us to participate in His plan in the face of resistance.

Struggles

Who had a struggle of some type this week - illness, death, financial, mental, and list list could keep on;

Who had a struggle to getting here this morning;

Life is full of struggles, challenges, disappointments and yes battles;

Our struggles come from the outside (the world) and from the inside (ourselves), regardless of the origin, the struggle is real and it can make us feel defeated, unwanted or unworthy;

But where do these struggles originate;

But regardless of origination they can be debilitating;

Would like to walk through your struggles with confidence and the knowledge of the victory to come - then it is “Time for Action!”

Preparation

If you were going on a trip what would you do - how would you prepare;

If you wanted a specific type of career what would you do - how would you prepare;

Most everything in life requires preparation, a getting ready;

How well are you prepared for the battles that Paul is telling us about;

When the military goes into battle - war - there is a preparation - a battle plan - an attempt to stay ahead of the enemy;

Each and everyone of us are in a battle - a spiritual war - with a very cunning enemy;

However there is a victory ahead but that future victory does not remove the need of preparation;

Ephesians: Verse by Verse Paul Gives an Opening Admonition to Be Strong in the Lord (6:10)

The key to victory in the cosmic battle is spiritual strength, and the reason for the many problems in the church is the tendency of the finite, fallible beings who make up the church to engage the enemy in their own inadequate strength.

There was a movie that was released in 2000 staring Denzel Washington call Remember the Titans in this movie there is a scene when the team captain, Gerry Bertier, asks a question of his team mates specially Julius Campbell - “Do you want a victory?”;

Their victory would not come easy, it required preparation but mostly required putting aside of self for a common cause, something bigger then themselves - a victory;

Ephesians: Verse by Verse (Paul Gives an Opening Admonition to Be Strong in the Lord (6:10))

If we are to be victorious in our walk, we dare not stop relying on Him and receiving His mighty power. Satan never rests, and so we dare not waver in our dependence on God’s empowering presence in our lives.

Are you willing to put yourself aside, your doubts, your fears, your self-righteousness and prepare for battle?

Time for Action

Paul is telling the Church of Ephesus there is a “time for action” a time for battle and time for victory;

Action is movement, it requires a force to start it and consistency to maintain it;

What would happen if I acted you to drive to the store to get me something, but you are not allowed to start your car and you have to sit in the rear passenger side seat - and for my sarcastic group no one else can drive you;

Yet is not this the way many us prepare for the spiritual battle all around us - we get in a place that cannot produce action and expect movement to occur;

Let’s look at v. 11 again where Paul tells us to “put on” - no urgency required;

Let’s look at v. 13 again where Paul tells us to “take up” - urgency implied and required;

Ephesians: Verse by Verse The Whole Armor: Standing Firm in the Battle (6:13)

Paul changes his imperative from “put on” (clothing imagery) to “take up” (weapon imagery). This is a stronger verb, often used in a military setting, that speaks of an emergency situation in a battle that is already in process. The soldiers are arming themselves one piece at a time, but they are in a hurry lest the encroaching hostile forces catch them unprepared.

Folks we are in a time of urgency, there is a spiritual battle raging and the enemy is getting bolder and bolder;

And here is the facts - if you do not have an urgency for action you will be over run;

There is a “Red Bull” commercial with two gazelles standing in the open and a lion coming out of the brush - one gazelle takes a drink of a “Red Bull” the other one says “Red Bull” won’t help you out run a lion and in response the first says “I don’t have to be faster than the lion, I just have to be faster than you”;

Satan is not looking to over run the church, Christ followers or the world in general - all he has to do is separate and divide;

Ephesians: Verse by Verse The Danger: The Devil’s Strategies (6:11)

He plans to lead the weaker members into a trap, strike them from every side, and so defeat them. His weapons are well known, and he specializes in tempting people through worldly enticements, fleshly pleasures, and material luxuries to forget God and live for self (Eph 2:2; 4:27).

Now if you are more focused on the world and your struggles you will be devoured.

The Cross

Here is the greatest news you will ever hear - Jesus is ready to lead you into and through this spiritual battle;

He knows about your struggles, your doubts, your fears, your failures, the deepest darkest areas of your life;

But even with that He says in Matthew 11:28 - 28 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

The New King James Version. (1982). (Mt 11:28). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

But Pastor you don’t know me or my past - I don’t have too because Jesus does;

Isaiah 59:1-3 describes man’s sinful ways;

And even with all of this Jesus came to take our punishment and our death;

Oh but there was victory in the morning, there was a defeat that you could never accomplish and that victory is the resurrection - made alive again - of Jesus Christ;

And the same God that brought Jesus out of the grave is the same God calling to you right know;

Are you ready to take action today, are you ready to follow Christ into battle?