Battle Ready (Dressed for Battle)
Have you realized Christmas Eve getting closer but it's about presents. Christmas is a key thing, because the key thing is, it's the beginning of the time.
And so, it's up typing. I need to pick you up and then we'll pick you up at the theme of being back already, anybody, anybody feel like you've been in the fight this week, maybe with Piper work, maybe maybe with a process to be a physical fight and wrestling with things. And we want to listen to church, to equip people, to be battle ready to be ready for the fights, not just to kind of get cool towel. If we're not ready, we will get. If we not standing in the right way, if if, if I came up to you and pushed you unexpectedly, you probably fall over but if you saw me coming, you stand ready. And that's why I kind of pushed you would we Because you all taking a stands bucks or something. Take a stand when they're like this though. I don't have one foot forward because the foundation upon, which they are ready to fight. I'm not some of the by 6 that I want to explore today is that solid foundation as we look and as we journey. So my title for today is dress for battle, dressed for battle. I can look at everybody in the room and you got dressed. I can tell Okay, then maybe some people who haven't go dressed, you're still in your pajamas. It's okay. I can see everybody got dressed and they look to the weather and what it was going to be like dressed and ready. So I want to encourage each one of us to become ready for battle.
in Ephesians chapter 6, you might expect me to start here but I'm not going to unpack all the different parts of parts of
Artistic.
We're going to build on the series. They only got a guest speaker. Climb Ferris, coming at the end of the month. He's going to build on this Foundation that way lying. I'm so when I talk about the armor of God which is very fish Nest at 26 comes from, it talks about the armor of God we don't need, we will build upon the principles aside says there's finally my brethren be in the waltz in the Lord. Strong in the Lord. Thank you, Lorraine be strong in the Lord and in his power and in the power of His might and goes on to say, put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against The Wiles of the enemy. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood. But against principalities against Powers against the rulers. Of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness, in the Heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that she may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand. Now, it is a couple of things that. Repeat it two or three times in a very compressed bit of scripture that one of them was to take a stand. I think we heard three times. Not that sheet down, don't get cold out. Take, are you stand? Be ready. And if we're ready, then we will do. The other one was to put on the whole armor of God to put on the whole armor of God. I'm going to briefly look at that, but I want to encourage you to put on the armor. Terry, who is now gone to be with the Lord. He had a prayer that he prayed every morning and he physically got dressed nice but unconsciously going to put on the belt of Truth unconsciously going to put on the breastplate of righteousness. Put on bar whole armor of God. Let me just like this. If you went out without your trousers or you'll scare to them, people would look down the street and I'd love if maybe, if you were still wearing your pajama bottoms, if you are still wearing a dress can and people would laugh until I want to encourage you not just to put on the Belt, will take up the sword. But to put on the whole armor of God.
It goes on society. In Ephesians.
Stands that. And the fourth time, having girded your waist with truth, the belt of Truth, putting on the breastplate of righteousness. And having showed your feet ready with the preparation of the gospel of peace above all, taking up the shield of Faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God. So, we gone through the full arm of that. And how much did you put on this morning? How much did you put on this morning?
Do you have pics right now? I see something. I think we're all getting dropped off on a regular basis.
Put on PCS roped. And I'm not saying these things won't come, but if if we've got peace, then when those things come they don't rock us cuz we taking a stand. If we're taking a stand, it doesn't matter what for adults. The enemy throws us this week. We're ready for those little attacks. Doesn't mean. It means we're ready for him.
In Hebrews 4:12 for the word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the division of Soul, and Spirit and of the joints and Marrow at least of it, the son of thoughts and intents of the heart with big sword. Golden Hixon is a good friend of ours, he was in the Army. And when he speak on this subject, he bring out his ceremonial sword and he's bringing enough for your ring, as the metal came out in a museum or something. It doesn't look dangerous. But I tell you what, when you go to a man or a warrior, whose go to sword in her hand and swinging at you. If you've ever done fencing, I mean fencing is is a light around.
Permit. Because you are afraid of being caught inside the sorties. An offensive weapon but he's also a defensive weapon. Wow of a 2, good things to be ready but then you look right bully. So, these things are already Papa's focused. The other thing is about House of Wright breastplate of righteousness in place. Why do Hawks are important when our heart is not on track. We're off track, doesn't matter what I had things. If I had somewhere else, if I bought you two and your hops loading in your house. I never give up one of the bathrooms over there. Once you giving up, you put your sword down and put the shield down and I'm dying for a rest. I'm going for a break. I've had enough Sharper than any two-edged sword.
And here's the thing, a two edged sword means you can. You can cut this way, and you can cut this one. So I can B Direction soaked in reading and in hearing the words, it has a fact.
That's a song that we sing sometimes in Heavenly Armour. We'll enter the lands. The Battle Belongs to the Lord. The Battle Belongs to the Lord.
Because we're in the Bible, with all of his kingdom, with his disciples, with his Witnesses, the enemy, if he wants to come, you and me. I'm sorry in heavily armored. Let's put on the armor of God will enter the lands and the land of promise. The Land of Hope. If we go back in the Old Testament, we hear the story of the promised land. We go into the promised land. And what do I see? I see grapes, the size of grapefruit. Just imagine how heavy a bunch of grapes is if one bright is the size of a grapefruit and have to be carried on a pole by two people. And in this promised land, that were grapes, the size of grapefruit and it's full of harvest. That's what some reports came back. All the reports came back but they is Giants. At least I'm not going there. I didn't really have the wrong wrong. They wasn't ready. I'm just think about what we looked at last month. Last month, we looked at fruitfulness and if you want to lay hold of fruitfulness, you need to fight for it. And so, when they were going into the Promised Land, They wanted the fruit but I also needed to defeat the Giants or at least defeat the Giants in their own minds, sometimes, I believe we are not fruitful because all mine stuff. We don't see the fruit. If you take a few, go into a forest with a forager trees, And I just want to encourage this. We need to see what God wants us to see. So in heavily armored will answer the land. That's the choice as a choice for you and me will enter the land. The Battle Belongs to the Lord and then it goes off.
Courage, my friends, your Redemption is near The Battle Belongs to the Lord. We need courage, 20 cards to get up every morning. Some people are encouraged to go out of the door. If you have, if you have allowed its overwhelming, you're probably in the prison right now, for whatever reason. I am if you are not before we can do that. Like, big spices you'll see. You don't want to go out through that front door. I'm at in heavily, armored will end of the line. The battle to take courage. My friends take a step. I know if people I've talked to this week, you cannot go out if you want me to come with you. I'll come and I'll walk over the front door with you. And we'll go for a walk together. Just to show you that. It's possible. He called me dumb. I know from talking to sport, psychology, stay safe. If you are going to win the rice, you got to imagine yourself when you got to put yourself in the place, so that when you stretched across the Finish Line just in time, you don't think it always to finish line up at lean forward, a bit, you stretching some times that difference is the difference between
Search mugshots of the battle. Goes on in here, much of the battle goes on in here. So actually, we need, we need the back. So we need the armor and our minds to do. We have peace in our minds In heavily armored will enter the land, The Battle Belongs to the guy that time. If you want to explore courage today and going to catch up, typing play Wells on the search bar on the Church website. You'll find in there and you can listen to them. In Romans 13:14 he says this instead rainbow talking about getting dressed and ready. Instead put on the Lord Jesus Christ as your clothing. Don't think about how to satisfy, you'll see what your sinful nature wants. Just got dressed as Christ. You know, if you have a pain in the room and you getting undressed in the Rembrandt, talk about getting dressed and somebody walks in.
Because you feel uncovered. The uncovering goes right back to the Garden of Gethsemane Garden of Eden recording for capital T.
what was it Adam and Eve, the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil and then they realized they were naked and so they think about themselves and we often try and cover ourselves. Try and cover ourselves because we don't want to be seen as we really are, and I'm not just talking about physical post. Now, how many people live inside themselves because of some sense of shine, some sense of lack of self-worth and your precious, as your precious, he loves you, and he says he loves you. He wants you to know he is loved. So do not be ashamed of Who You Are. Doesn't matter where you bring what you've done is David, did some Terrible Things, King, David did some terrible things and he wrote some great songs about some of those Terrible Things. Return to Psalm 139. He asks, in that song. He says, where can I go from your spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? Even if I go to be even there, your hand will guide me.
He's arm is long enough to bring us back. Doesn't matter what we've done, if you want to just turn from that and send it to him like Daddy, father, I'm sorry, forgive me. Is that with right Loving Arms? Sing some daughter. Let me give you a hot. Let me show you how much I love you. And let me remind you how much I love you. Jesus went to the cross and he died, even though he was the son of God, he died. And as he died, he rose again. And conquered that and the Pharisee. If are the impacts of I'm about to what we remember is Christian's that what we will remember today as we take communion together. So instead put on do not be ashamed of Who You Are. Put on Christ. Be like him.
And then that the final price that I got a quote from Ephesians chapter 6 days. This. So we've got the armor on now. So your helmet of salvation breastplate of righteousness. Sword of the spirit, Shield of belt of Truth feet shod with the Readiness of the gospel of peace. And it goes on to cite and praying, always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, being watchful to the end, with old perseverance, and supplication for all. It's a lot of rules in Ephesians chapter 6 is now and think about the last time you made a promise.
It's difficult sometimes. We make those vows when we get married. I'll be there for you always.
But I would say with God's help because you know what I'm human, I get things wrong. My wife would tell you that, I do get things wrong from time to time. I forget things. So, I have to say, sorry.
I'm so wise and we need to do that.
In the armor of God. What are we done Reed's now? Pry.
Seems a bit strange putting on Armour and then side try. Find take a stand. Take a steins. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit and one of the things she said, she said, eat the words, eat the woods. Like you eat your breakfast. Let it go. Let it fill you in. If you run out of words, that's okay. Just pray. As you feel like just allow for Heavenly language, the flow 4, When we run out, we running to go then we running to go out a prize me running to a different style to a different location in Romans chapter 8 verses 26 and 27. It says this in the same way the spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans and he who said, she's all heart knows, the mind of the spirit because the spirit intercedes with God's people in accordance with the will of God,
Just think about that effectively with raising a battle cry when we pry, but not having a fight with girls, but haven't got dressed and ready. Then say, Sprite surprise a powerful thing cuz we're connecting with God. And it's with connecting with God leads us to a place of fruitfulness, and fruitfulness leads us. To a place of thankfulness is bad. Weekly. We struggle to be thankful. Do you know what? We only need one thing in the cupboard and we can thank God for the one thing. Play. I think we don't say thank you enough. Not just the one another, but to God, as well. I don't want to say thank you for the people who help on the door. Every every Sunday who have a smiling face and agree to know. It's a, it's a, it's a help. Thank you for those who help us because it's important, I'm sure that would be some people if I met a grumpy person on the door.
I'm sorry. My dad says it matches. Just put on the full armor of God.
Why I think this scripture from Romans 8:37 sums it up pretty well. When it says this, yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through him. Who loved us, we are more than conquerors
Conqueror means like I'm being more than conquerors way more than winners. I think about I just I don't know whether anybody in the room or anybody in line is ever won an Olympic medal. It could be possible so I can see who's won an Olympic medal before when you run out of the Finish Line, you get presented with a a bunch of flowers and then lights run. You get presented with a gold medal. Some marvelous thing, it's a nice, the speed you run faster than anybody else. Do you know what, when we put on the armor of God, we take house and they're all metals for us to win any medals at, go in the chest, I mean, memories that we can say, yes, we want. And actually that's what builds fight because that's what brings text Amelie and what brings testimony speaks into your life and mine. And as he speaks into your life and mine off fight these riced And I'll fight these lifted. The best thing you can do if you're struggling with your fight, these come alongside someone who's not. And then Oscar and pray together because we stopped to be reminded the fight these real. We stopped to be reminded that God also spread, we stopped to be reminded that not a lost and then we start to pick up all Shield. Instead of all Shield, we might pick up all Shield but we're so weary we can't hold it up so the fiery darts come chill with holding it when not using them as defensive weapons and so when we saw you get dressed it's not just about putting the stuff on the guy only, imagine your mum's says to you, I'll take you back to a place. You don't want to go see if you got dressed. Have you wash behind your ears? Are you ready to go? I have to go to the toilet and you will be under arrest for a few days, let alone just now It's not playing this. The enemy loves Christians, who will play at fighting play, fighting play fighting, but you stop playing with someone who's being serious, you will get her until I wouldn't come to you. Pick up the sword of the spirit, pick up the shield, and if you're struggling with the whole calling for us to Pride, It doesn't say put on the armor of God and then that's it. It says put on the armor of God tight, you'll stand and now Pride. So do you want if I asked if, if if I see some people actually know what time do the story, but some of you know that I I told him for a couple of years, I need to have a principal called pay you back. If you hurt my family will come along and things in a place called, wow spell wiu and it was a mining town and saw there was a lot of money around there was alcohol around and one of the local Lads had broken into the local tribe store and stole them from some things from the store. I'm a security guard.
And the arrow went through his leg. So he he went home and now he's family. He's messed up the security guard. And so this was escalating a Reconciliation between the tribes, but I was walking down a path. Not knowing that this was going on. I was walking down a path in the bush. That was a steep hill up here and sleep hell down here. That was very little where I could go in. As I was walking down the path towards me. We're running about 20 25 young men who would war paint on some issues, some Whispers And Ivo hollering back. I'll be honest with you. I didn't know what to do. Should I run? Should I run up the hill? Should I run down the hill? I like to spell top sites stand until I stood up and I looked at me and I looked at them and then
I just realized I was not there after me. I went off to me, so it wasn't my fine. I didn't need to worry about it, so I just want to encourage you pick up your sword and let's fight and let's try and let's see what Google do in our lives and through us. And if you know, someone to play with them, So in summary, what do I want to site today? Firstly, get dressed. Get ready? I'm just pulled out of bed. I'm just a spoiled into something, get dressed and ready for action.
once you're dressed and ready with the Shelby, the Readiness of the gospel of peace, the belt of Truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the spirit, and the shield of Faith, once you go to work in mines, Now, take your stand. I'm taking a stand. Can mean a whole bunch of things sometimes like in his nineties I will not move. I will not budge on this. Play me some I guess the number paper in the room. That's a different pointing like a property being off by someone to lie. Sammy said, what would you say this? Not that long ago. A few weeks ago. Semi-synthetic. What do you say this in his presentation said, no, you said what?
He said the prospect needs to hear outside when you can say it, but I'm not saying it. I will not move from this belt of Truth. This is important to me my credibility.
Cuz they build upon your previous have it. So you can like one. Now you go to, you go to biggest and if I could you go to Save-A-Lot but now I'm
So taking a stand could be as simple as being truthful. Taking a stand could be as simple to say. No, that's not what I'm going to do and that's a principle. Maybe it might even be a Biblical principle you say.
And then, once you take of that stands to move forward because we are we are more than conquerors type grounds. We can celebrate every step we take the steps into his kingdom, takes us further into his prophecies means we've taken every time a new person comes into the kingdom comes to Christ the first time celebrating in heaven. Big celebration on Earth.
You would probably say to me celebrate, Dave celebrates thumbs up.
I just had some Africans in the room agreeing with me. So are we dressed for battle? Are we ready for the fight? If we all that's pressing to that. So let me play, Let Me pro.
Father, we thank you for your words, if Lady tells us to get ready to get dressed. So father help us not to miss the clues. Help us not to help us to discern what it is. We need to do so that we know how to get dressed to be ready for the latest.
Father, as we get ready for the help us to help others, to take them with us, the law, we would see life changed. We would see body is healed because Lord, there's a fight going on, in online at Sun, Life is a fight going on for good health. And good relationships is a fight going on. Healthy living. I'm so I probably got as we stand as we talked about taking us then, father, I pray the Lord. We Do It For Your Glory. And as we do it for your glory Lord, we celebrate victories because we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus. As a father, I pray for everyone who's listening right now. In the room, boasting later, I was listening online. Father, I pray that you would pour out your spirit Upon Us Alive. So the fight in the Bible, we would be haha because low we just realized how crucial it is. The we are your Witnesses and we will take a stand and it's me. Take us, find people will talk of Victories one and people will declare we are more than conquerors. father, I pray for those who don't yet know you, If I see you who's listening online, please let us know if you if you want to take us that besides that. I'm a child of the living go. I want to know and understand, but he loves me so much that he sent his son Jesus to pay the ultimate price for me. I don't want to turn, I want to transfer my my bad habits, I want to turn from the things that are not good and I want to step into the wholeness in the fullness of being a Christ follower.
I might confess the things that I have done wrong, what we would call sing the things that do not glorify God. I got time for that in turn to Woods Garden. Siloed, leave me show me why thank you for sending your son Jesus, to pay the price that I might know a loving father. Because he ain't
Disposing, cuz I think it's good. Sometimes we fill our world with noise sometimes silence is good.
Go to speak to say something. Now let's just pause and listen. You might want to drop your throat into your heart and your mind. I want to Trump the scripture to you.
I just, I'm just this on praying. I see you a remote control, the kind of thing. You control your TV with and you're pointing at the TV and pressing the buttons and nothing's happening. And nothing's happening and nothing's happening. So you made it, you think I've got it must be something wrong. First thought is the batteries. Must have died. So, you open up the back, on the back of the remote control. Do you realize we just want a lines? Until you take the batteries out, put them in right and it works perfectly first time. And I just sense the father to sing to one or two as with praying. Right now, just a line yourself with me. Align yourself with me, is that the holy spirit is the Habit. Just not quite a line. The line yourself with me. And as you align yourself with me, see the instantaneous mess of what then You been pressing the button for days a week since. Thank God. Where are you? Why you not hearing my prayer? Just saying a line yourself along yourself. Align yourself.
So, father, I pray that Lord, you'd help us do a line. Also, help us do a line up with your plans in your Pepsi is not just a big picture of disciples and followers of Christ, but in our own individual little, when you not just to talk to someone help us today, when you not just to give something know why you would help us to be generous and save the bigger purpose. Probably, when you asked us to draw closer to you. I'm take time. Help us to do it. We pray in Jesus name.
