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Location: Hattiesburg, Mississippi, United States

Saturday, September 16, 2006

Pentecost 15 9/17/06 Text: Ephesians 6:10-20 Title: Dressed for Success

Pentecost 15
9/20/2006
Text: Ephesians 6:10-20
Title: Dressed for Success

Let us Pray. O God, light of our lives and life of our souls, we humbly come before you this morning asking that you calm our minds, so that we can more fully understand your words of comfort and peace. We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen
As I prepared for this sermon on the armor of God, I thought of a book I once read called, Dressed for Success. It was, as the title suggests, about how a person is to dress if they want to be successful in the business world. I wondered how many books and articles there must be on the topic of dressing for success, so I googled the words, “dressed for success” and found out that there are 5,466 web pages that in one way or the other had “dressed for success’ as their topic.
Now that is pretty impressive, but it really did not surprise me, for most people know that to be successful you have to have the proper attire, for what ever it is you are doing. .
Schools have found that when that when their students wear uniforms, that they too are, “dressed for success”.
In those schools where uniforms are mandated, discipline problems drop, attendance goes up, and learning drastically improves. Many of the social tensions that exist between those whose parents have money and those whose parents do not, disappear. Learning and success in school became the prime motivator, instead of seeing who is wearing the coolest and most expensive clothing.
On the face of it, today's epistle is a directive to get all dressed up with the garb of a Roman soldier. That might not sound like it would apply to us today, but it does. It might be distasteful to some, because it deals with warfare, but we are in a war, a war against Satan. It might even sound like that army slogan I have never understood, “An army of one.” In this battle we are not alone.
Surely, there is more than putting on the whole armor of God when one is a Christian. Of course, there is more than that, but it is certainly not less than that. God is telling us through the writer of the Ephesians, that we are not to do battle with the satanic powers if we are not wearing God’s armor.
Now, I admit that the putting on of the whole armor of God is a rather abstract thought, but putting on the whole armor of God is not any different than putting on the proper clothing when you play a sport. You certainly would not think of playing football without a helmet, or soccer without the right shoes, or baseball without the right glove. So why then do we think we can go into battle against the powers of evil, without the armor of God?
I think the reason we do not take God’s command very seriously is that we think we can withstand the onslaught of Satan alone. We think that, and so we fail miserably. Time and time again we fall under the attack of Satan.
We do not have to fall under his attack, for God tells us that we are, “Therefore to put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may, be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything to stand.” In Greek, the word “may” does not mean “maybe”, as our English suggests, but that it will take place,
Notice God’s armor is not meant to be used offensively. It is designed to protect, to allow one to survive the day after day battles, as Satan throws his fiery arrows of lies, and false accusations. Yes, Satan can only lie and falsely accuse. He did that in the Garden of Eden and his tactic has not changed. That is who he is, one big lie and false accusation.
If you think that Satan will only attack you directly, boy are you sadly mistaken. Satan knows that to attack a Christian head on seldom if ever works. No, he knows that he has to be sneaky as he lies and falsely accuses.
That is why we need the armor of God, the armor he has given to us through his inspired and Holy Word. God knows that armed with our own ability, we will soon fall. Just look at how many times, just like I have, that you have failed to withstand the arrows of Satan’s temptations as he lied to you about how good you were going to feel, after you do what you want to do. Or that you should go ahead and do what feels good, for no one will be hurt. Or, here is a good one. It is quite successful. What you are wanting to do is not a sin. God surely did not mean it, or that only applied to then. Or the biggest lie of all, that God surely could not forgive you for what you have done.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we are in a spiritual battle just as our inspired text tells us in verse 12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
God is not talking about earthly governments and he is not telling us that Satan and his evil ones have free reign in heaven. He is telling us that there are forces of evil, and that they are everywhere.
God has given us all the armor we need. All we have to do is put it on, and the victory is ours, for with God’s armor we cannot be killed. Jesus in his death and resurrection has guaranteed us that. We are his and he has promised us in Romans 8:38-39, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Now that is good news, for where God’s love is Satan cannot be.
Look at what he has given us. Truth, not just any old truth that might change, but the truth of God’s Word as it is found in the Bible. This truth has stood the test of time. There is no other book on this earth that has been attacked as much as God’s Holy Word has, and no one has ever found a flaw in its doctrines.
I will be the first to admit that there are things in the Bible that I do not understand. That there are things that are confusing. But just because we we don’t understand something in the Bible, or find a particular section of the Bible confusing, or disagree with something in God’s Holy Word does not make it untrue. It just means that our sinful minds are not capable of completely understanding the Word of God. God’s inspired Word is one book that you can bet your life on. You better be able to, for your very life depends on it.
God has given us his breastplate of righteousness. Thank goodness we do not have to rely on our righteousness, for in ourselves, as much as we might like to think that there is something that God must credit us with, there is nothing. Our righteousness is like wearing a piece of armor made out of cardboard painted to look like steel. One blow from Satan, and our righteousness is shown for what it is, a sham. Thank goodness that it God has given us the righteousness of Jesus to protect our souls.
He gives us his Gospel to shod our feet so we will not stumble when we are under attack. Thank goodness the Gospel message gives us a firm base to stand on as Satan attacks us.
He gives us the helmet of salvation so that can confidently go into battle against Satan and his warriors, knowing that since we are saved by the grace of God that our salvation will withstand the blows showered on us by our enemies.
That leaves the shield of faith, and the sword of the Spirit. Now at first thought you would think of the shield as just protecting the person holding it. But that is not true, for the Roman soldiers would interlock their shields so that they formed one large shield, that protected everyone. You see, they had learned that they had to work together to protect each other in battle.
As a follower of Christ, you can learn much from their tactic, for when you have taken up the shield of faith that God has given you, you are not to use it alone. You are to use it with your fellow Christians to from a powerful shield that will not only protect you, but protect your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ from the lies and accusations of Satan.
That is the reason God has given us ,what we call, our congregation. For it is only in the church, the local congregation, that we can effectively shield ourselves from Satan.
It is too bad that so many people who consider themselves to be Christians, see no advantage in interlocking their shield of faith with the shields of other Christians in the congregation. They wrongly think that they can do battle with Satan alone, and because of that false thinking they will at some time fall in battle, mortally wounded.
We need each other, so that when any of us get tired and lets our shield of faith drop, others are there to help them pick it up, interlock it, and carry it into battle.
You might have noticed that I have not talked about the last piece of the armor that God gives us to use, the sword. The sword, even though I have left it to last, is no less important in the fight with Satan and his cohorts than any other piece of God’s armor.
The sword that God gives us is the Word of God. This sword of God is not just any ordinary sword, but a double edged sword. It cuts and destroys sin and evil on one side, while the other side rightly divides the Law and Gospel. Without the sword, without the other pieces of God’s armor that he has given you, you cannot stand up to Satan’s onslaught.
So, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, “dress for success” as you put on the full armor of God. Lock your shields of faith together. Lace up your shoes, that have been soled with impregnable Gospel, as together we fight against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Stand together, for when we stand together, wearing the armor of truth, and righteousness, the Gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the Holy Spirit of God’s Word that God has given us, we will not be overcome. Together we will repel the attacks of Satan until we have all reach the Promised Land. Amen

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Pentecost 14 9/10/06 Text: 2 Timothy 3:14-17 Title: Walking the Talk

Pentecost 14
9/10/2006
Text: 2 Timothy 3: 14-17
Title: Walking the Talk

Grace, mercy, and peace from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen
Today is Rally Sunday, the one Sunday a year that we set aside to focus on Christian Education.
I bet you did not know that we have 40 children from age 3 to 18 in our congregation. That is right, 40, and how many do you think are attending on a somewhat regular basis, our Sunday School? Eighteen, twenty, thirty, how about, 13, that is right, only 13 out of 40 children attend Sunday School on a regular basis.
We shake our heads in disbelief. But wait that is not the really bad news, for out of the 335 adults that claim membership in Saint John, the 140 that attend worship on Sunday morning we have at most 40 attending the adult Bible classes on Sunday morning. There is the problem, as Pogo the comic strip character once said, “We have met the enemy and it is us.”
Do we really want the children, our young people, the future of this congregation, our guests to think that God is really not important enough to learn about? I am sure that each one of you sitting there this morning, even those who do not presently attending any of the Bible classes offered on Sunday or during the week would say, “Of course we don’t want that. We want them to know how important God is in our lives”. Well, they know, don’t they?
Let us see what God has to say about the importance of studying his Word. In Ephesians 4:11-15, we are told, “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” It sounds like God thinks it is important for us to study his words to us.
In 2 Timothy 3:14-17, we hear Paul telling a young pastor named Timothy, “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” That passage leaves no doubt as to the importance of God’s Word. It is necessary for salvation, teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that we are equipped to do God’s work.
Having a good understanding of God’s Word is crucial to our lives, not just because it pertains to our eternal lives, as important as that is, but to the lives we are living right now. We need God to cure us of our sin-ridden bodies so that we can live better lives right here and now. You know that, don’t you, but how many take it seriously? How many realize that it is a matter of life and death?
Let me put it this way. If you had, or one of those you love, particularly a child, had some terrible disease, would you not study everything you could to learn more about the disease, to see if there is a cure for it. Of course, you would. And, if you found the cure, would you not read everything you could about the medicine or medical procedure so that you are your loved one was able to be cured? Of course you would, you know you would, for you would do what ever it takes to save a life.
If that is what we would do to cure a physical disease, then why is it that we do not take our spiritual sickness seriously? Why is it that even though we know where we can find the cure for our sickness we do not carefully study the book that offers the cure?
Let me stop right here and make one thing perfectly clear. You do not have to be a biblical scholar to be saved. You only have to grab hold of the cross where Jesus died, acknowledging him as your Savior to be saved. That is all you have to do to be saved, but according to the two passages I read just a few minutes ago that is not all that God wants you to do, for you see, he wants you to have a mature faith.
Jesus knows how tough life is. He knows about loved ones dying. He knows about accidents and terrible diseases, he knows about temptations and suffering. He knows all those things and he wants you to be equipped to weather life.
God wants us to have a mature faith so that we, “then will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.”
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, God wants you to know about him and his will for you. He has given you a great book, his Holy inspired Word, so that you can know about him and his will for you. He wants you to study his words because it makes you wise unto salvation. He is not talking about worldly wisdom, for too many of those who consider themselves to be wise, think that God’s book is foolishness, that it is just a collection of stories as to how people that lived long ago saw God. He is talking about heavenly wisdom the wisdom you receive from the Holy Spirit as you study God’s words to you.
God’s inerrant Word makes known to you Jesus Christ, and in doing so gives you eternal life in His name. That is what John himself says in John 20:31, “But these are written (John is speaking of the signs Jesus did) that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. Is there anything more important than or more valuable than eternal life? Is it not worth at least one hour a week?
The Bible discloses God’s own nature to those who properly study his Word. And in doing so it transforms their lives, both inward and outward. I speak from experience here, for as I was growing up I had a severe case of devilitis. As hard as I tried I could not get rid of it, that is until I started studying God’s Word, and when I mean studying, I mean letting myself be open to God’s words as they are written in the Bible. When I let that happen my life changed dramatically, for God became more than just some abstract thought, he became real and active in my life, and I have never been the same since. Try it for yourself.
You see when the Bible is studied with an open mind to God’s will, your life will be different and people will notice. Even before I became a pastor I had people come up to me and say, “It must be nice to have the time to study the Word of God every day. I cannot do it because I am so busy, I work hard, I am way over booked, I barely have time to read the newspaper and watch the news on the television. I have no time to read God’s Word.” I would look them in the eye and say, “You have time to read the newspaper, and watch television, but do not have time to read God’s book to you?” You see like every thing else in life it is a matter of priorities, of choice, the world or God.
God’s words in the Bible will make your heart pure and keep your life free of outright sin. That is the power of God’s book, a power that no other book possesses. It is the only book that is completely truthful. It is the only book that can bring you true peace to your troubled heart, no matter how storms may rage without and within you. Listen to David as he sang in the midst of the wildest conflicts, Psalm 27:1-3 “The LORD is my light and my salvation-- whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life-- of whom shall I be afraid? When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.”
The peace that David is talking about is not just some wishful thought, it is a practical peace for a troubled heart that is being tossed back and forth. Listen and believe in God’s words and you will find that even in the great storms of life there will be a calmness that cannot be taken away from you.
Finally, yet just as important, the Bible, when properly studied, brings joy into your life. Listen to the words of Jeremiah as he discovered joy in the midst of the disintegration and shame and agony of the nation he passionately loved. Jeremiah 15:16, “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy words were unto me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart.”
There is no other book that you can study that will bring as much joy into your life than the Bible. When you get into digging out the nuggets found in the scripture you will truly be blessed as we are told in Psalm 1, verses 1 and 2, “Blessed is the person who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.”
I could go on and on, giving you reason upon reason why you should be studying the Word of God, for there is no end to them. However, I am not. I am going to stop right here and let the Holy Spirit do his job, as he tries to mold and shape you into the person God wants you to be. Amen.