Sermon (video): Armed and Dangerous (Ephesians 6:10-18)

So what is the Christian life like? I think you will realize by the end of this sermon that being a follower of Christ is very similar to warfare ... and God has equipped you to be a victorious warrior in the fight!

(I began this sermon with a picture, not visible on the internet version, of some of our warriors in the Middle East who were suited up for battle. It is precisely the kind of image Paul was thinking about when writing of the Christian life.)

Sermon: Armed and Dangerous

It's What You Do - Not When You Do It

In his book, Living Above the Level of Mediocrity, author Chuck Swindoll speaks about the incredible man named Caleb. After quoting Joshua 14:7-12, he writes:

"I love it! Caleb, though eighty-five years old, did not say, 'Give me this rocking chair.' No, not Caleb. He said, 'Give me that mountain - up there where those giants live!' He is still unafraid of the giants. The last thing we see of Caleb is his trudging up that mountain at eighty-five years old, rolling up his sleeves to take on the giants."

Then, the author quotes from a dated Wall Street Journal full-page message:

"It's What You Do - Not When You Do It"

Ted Williams, at age 42, slammed a home run in his last official at bat.

Mickey Mantle, age 20, hit 23 home runs his first full year in the major leagues.

Golda Meir was 71 when she became Prime Minister of Israel.

William Pitt II was 24 when he became Prime Minister of Great Britian.

George Bernard Shaw was 94 when one of his plays was first produced.

Mozart was just seven when his first composition was published.

Now, how about this? Benjamin Franklin was a newspaper columnist at 16 and a framer of the United States Constitution when he was 81.

You're never too young or too old if you've got talent. Let's recognize that age has little to do with ability.

On squirrels and holiness

This morning proved to be interesting … and if you have a weak stomach, do not read this post.

Zach and I went through our usual morning routine after Kim took Sean and Joseph to school. We headed out the door, hopped into the car, drove to the bus stop a few blocks down the street and waited.

In a moment of transparency between father and son, I acknowledged that Satan would love for nothing more than to derail us on our road toward Christlikeness. I warned him that the desires and opportunities to satisfy those sinful desires would grow but by God's grace and strength, he must master them. 

I told him that God has called us to be holy. I told him that we are set apart for Christ and that we should not even let our big toe step off the road of holiness.

While I acknowledged that I’ve failed many times and cried out for God’s forgiveness, holiness is a serious matter.

I reached a point in the conversation where quiet settled in. I wondered if I was getting through to him. I wondered if I had been too “preachy.”

Just moments later, as we both watched, a car passed us and made its way down the street. Two squirrels darted out from a yard and ran in front of the car. One didn’t make it. The tire ran over its head.

As the car continued down the road, the squirrel tried to run but its head was dragging on the ground like dead weight (more like a heavy pancake). In a few moments, it dropped to the ground. Its legs continued flaying about but only for a few seconds.

Almost as quickly as it happened, the squirrel stopped moving and was reclassified. It moved from “squirrel” to “roadkill.”

I saw my opportunity to drive home my previous point. I pointed my finger at the dead squirrel and said, “Zach, that’s what Satan wants to do to you. You pursue holiness and it will never happen.”

As he got out of the car to board the bus, he looked at me and said, “Great illustration!” I hope it sunk in.

Sermon (video): God's Design for Children and Parents (Ephesians 6:1-4)

As relationships between parents and children continue to deteriorate in our culture, God's Word instructs us regarding how we can glorify Him in this relationship. 

Personal note: I tended to be more instructional and less personal the first half of this sermon as I spoke of the child's responsibility to obey and honor their parents (Ephesians 6:1-3). As I spoke on Ephesians 6:4 where God proclaims the parent's responsibility, I sensed that God was nailing the truth home to my heart and those in attendance. There were many that responded at the end of this sermon with a desire to renew their passion for working to help their children along on the road of holiness. 

To view the sermon, click here.

Powerful praying in troubling times

Have you ever been overwhelmed with "life"? I mean, life got so tough that you didn't know which way was up! It's in times like those that we realize just how vulnerable we are. While some believe themselves to be "the master of their fate" and "the captain of their souls," it is in those times of trouble that we are reminded just how powerless we really are. 

Yet, there are many words of comfort and instruction to be found in Scripture for those traveling through difficulty. One of my favorites is found in Isaiah 37:14-20.

Let me explain what the problem was and then give you a four-step prayer that God was pleased to answer.

Sennacherib was the Assyrian leader who wanted to defeat Jerusalem. Long story short, he had the ability to do it and the track record to prove it. Jerusalem was just one city in a long line of cities that would be demolished by this warrior. And just to make sure that Hezekiah, King of Judah, was clear of Sennacherib's intent, the Assyrian leader sent a letter to him to explain his intentions.

What King Hezekiah does with the letter is incredible and is easily applicable in 21st century American life. Hezekiah took the letter to the temple of the Lord and prayed.

Let me share just a few thoughts from God's Word about how to pray in tough times.

1. Acknowledge God's sovereignty ...
That just means that you take your mind off the problem and begin your prayer thinking about how awesome God is. Realize that He is powerful enough to handle anything that you are dealing with ... ANYTHING!

 

Hezekiah did this in verses 14-16 - "Hezekiah took the letter from the messengers, read it, then went up to the Lord’s house and spread it out before the Lord. Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: 'Lord of Hosts, God of Israel, who is enthroned above the cherubim, You are God – You alone – of all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth.'"

2. Plead for God's full attention ...
You may feel uncomfortable with this point but Hezekiah wanted to make sure that God was giving him His full attention.
 
Listen as Hezekiah prays in verse 17 - "Listen closely, Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, Lord, and see; hear all the words that Sennacherib has sent to mock the living God."

3. Elaborate on the problem ...
Let's admit it. God already knows everything we're facing before we tell Him about it. But, for some reason, God enjoys it when we come and tell Him.
 
Listen as Hezekiah informs God in verse 18 and 19 - "Lord, it is true that the kings of Assyria have devastated all these countries and their lands and have thrown their gods into the fire; for they were not gods but made by human hands – wood and stone. So they have destroyed them."

4. Ask for God's intervention ...
Hezekiah ended the prayer by telling God what he thought should happen.
 
Verse 20 "Now, Lord our God, save us from his hand so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord – You alone."
 
But, here's an important point. Notice that Hezekiah asked God to move based upon God's benefit. God is about the business of glorifying Himself among the inhabitants of the earth. He desires to draw all peoples to Himself. So, Hezekiah based his request upon the fact that God's desire to glorify Himself and draw people to Him depended upon Jerusalem's salvation.

So, what happened? Read Isaiah 37:21-38 to find out. Hint: Within 24 hours, Hezekiah was jumping for joy because of what his great God had done.

Why does God let life get so tough?

Sometimes the roller coaster of life can really leave your head spinning. A doctor looks you in the eye and says you have cancer. A phone call in the middle of the night informs you that a loved one has departed. The boss hands you a pink slip. The car breaks down. A child begins to make some horrible choices and won't listen to your counsel. The list could go on and on.

Why do those things happen? In fact, with our belief that God is sovereign and reigns supreme over the events around us (Ephesians 1:11), how are we to think about these tough times? I was recently reflecting on that question. Let me share my thoughts.

Exactly 21 days ago, I set out on a mission. I had told a young "Timothy" who I am mentoring that he should pick out some task that he didn't want to do but that would benefit him in the long run and just do it. I realized that I needed to take my own medicine and so I "googled" a plan for beginning runners.

I HATE running. Not much about it is appealing to me ... but I LOVE the results: more energy, better attitude, less stress, higher metabolism, providing the Lord with a healthier "temple", running with my boys, and on and on.

So, I followed the online instructions and ran the first day. It called me to run 1 minute/walk 1 minute and do it ten times. I almost killed myself doing it. I was gasping for air and felt horrible after the run.

The next day, I got Day 2's instructions in an e-mail. I had to do the same thing as Day 1. My legs were still killing me and my lungs were protesting. But I ran anyway. I pushed myself to do exactly what the running plan called me to do.

Well, long story short, I just finished today's run. It's Day 21 and I ran for 5 minutes/walked for 1 minute and did it 5 times. I was tired but not nearly as bad as that first day!

If you were to ask me if I enjoyed the training, I would quickly (and I mean quickly) say "No!" It was hard work for a guy that was out of shape and overweight.

But if you were to ask me if I'm glad I did it, I would quickly (and I mean quickly) say "Yes!" Why? Because I'm enjoying the results. You see, I fought through the tough times because I knew they were preparing me for the good times.

How does that flesh out in our spiritual walk? Simply, that God brings difficulties into our lives for various reasons but often, it's because He's developing us. He's toughening us up. He's getting rid of the spiritual flabbiness and laziness and making us usable to Him. Being used by Him is what we were made for!

We only get one shot at life. The rest of eternity will give us time to reflect on what we did with these few, short years on earth. Often, God sends us to the "gym" to work out so that we can much more clearly reflect His glory in our attitudes, thoughts, words, and actions. He is equipping us for service to Him.

Don't resist God's work. Is it fun when you are in the "gym" and difficulties come? No! But does God promise to work it out for your good (Romans 8:28)? You betcha!

Don't get upset when trials come into your life. Realize that God is using them to make you more usuable to Him. Who knows what may be around the corner. God is training you for something!

Sermon (video): God's Design for Husbands - Part 2 (Ephesians 5:28-33)

God's Word is clear when it instructs husbands to love their wives with the kind of love illustrated in Christ's love for the Church. What characterizes Christ's love? How would that kind of love look in a marriage? Is this kind of love even possible?

This sermon is a continuation of the one preached on September 25, 2011. To watch it, simply click here.