May 24, 2009
Morning Worship
Text: Galatians 5:1
Subject: Spiritual Warfare
Title: Standing Strong in the Battle
As we celebrate this Memorial Day, a United Statesfederal holiday, observed on the last Monday of May (May 25 in 2009). Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. men and women who died while in the military service. First enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War(it is celebrated near the day of reunification after the civil war), it was expanded after World War I to include American casualties of any war or military action.
A special thanks to those who have given their lives! Let’s take the time to give them applause. Were it not for them we may not be here in this church today. It seems that America has always been a target in the world because until recent years we have been the world’s standard of what is right in humanity.
We fight a battle against an unseen enemy. This enemy has moved the world to hate the US. He has now brought the battle to our own shores in the form of terrorists. He has now infiltrated the government with his people and we are being destroyed from within. The problem is that it has been accomplished so subtly that we haven’t even noticed. It has taken place over such a long period of time that America has become something other than what was intended. The battle cry of the enemy is “COMPROMISE” or “COMMON GROUND” as our president so easily portrays it. And we wonder how long we can survive as a nation under these conditions.
Now, I want to take this a step further. This same enemy has invaded the church as well. Oddly enough this attack began before America was even discovered. He predates recorded history. It was the enemy in the Garden of Eden. It is the enemy who was waiting for Israel when she came up out of Egypt – to prevent her from receiving the Promised Land. It was the same enemy who moved the “religious” leaders to put Jesus to death. And it was the same enemy who lost all that he had gained in the world when Jesus was raised from the dead in power. His name is satan and he is still active today. But he is no longer just at work in the world. He has infiltrated the church as well. He has spoken lies so subtly for such a long time that the church has submitted to his authority instead of rising up in the authority that has been given to it.
But we want to take you to a place today where you, the temple of the Holy Spirit, will be willing to stand up and fight and take back what this enemy has so discreetly stolen from you.
Galatians 5:1, 1It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
I want to break this verse down to help you see what you the church can expect for your lives.
Lord, open my eyes to see and my ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.
I. THE PURPOSE. Four words - 1It is for freedom… The context of what Paul wrote to the churches in Galatia is this, “Don’t turn back to the Law as your way of salvation, because the Law cannot save you. You have been set free from the law. Your enemy is an enemy of extremes. When God gave the Law to Moses satan turned the law into a “god”. It didn’t happen immediately. It took a long - term commitment from the enemy to make the people believe that somehow they could follow the Law precisely enough to save themselves. Romans 8:1-3, 1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. Do you here that? You are set free from trying to please God with your own efforts. Jesus has set you free. John 8:36, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Luke 4:18 says, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners’… Satan has been telling the church for nearly 2000 years that Jesus doesn’t do that anymore. That was only for the apostolic age. You are going to be sick so you might as well live with it. You are going to have financial struggles so don’t try to get out of it. Jesus isn’t interested in your family, your finances or your health. And the church believes it!!!!! But when Jesus read from Isaiah, “He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners’ (he said later, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”) He understood it to mean that the church is to operate in that kind of authority. Why did Jesus come? 1It is for freedom… Why did He die on a cross? 1It is for freedom… Why was He raised from the dead? 1It is for freedom… And why did He go to the Father 1It is for freedom… Why did He send the Holy Spirit? 1It is for freedom… Why does He expect the church to be the same today? 1It is for freedom…
II. THE POWER 1It is for freedom the next two words, “that Christ”… I could tell you story after story, testimony after testimony, of people who were set free from destructive lifestyles through the power of Jesus Christ. If people could set themselves free don’t you think they would? I mean, nobody wants to be under the oppression of alcoholism or drugs or pornography. They just don’t know what to do to escape those things. But now I’m talking about the church. If you could set yourself free from financial burdens or sickness or dysfunctional families or the oppressive spirits of the enemy wouldn’t you have done it already? Wouldn’t you be a better Christian without those things in your life? You can’t do it but Jesus already has. He has given you all the power you need to be an overcomer. Luke 10:19, I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. John 14:13-14, 13And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. John 15:7-8, 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. 2 Corinthians 10:4, The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. Do you doubt the power that has been given over to your hands? James said, (1:7) if that’s the case then, That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. Then if the work is already accomplished in Jesus and He has given you power over the enemy, what is holding you back?
III. THE PEOPLE … 1It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. I am going to go out on a limb here and say that probably every one of you here today find it easier to believer for a miracle for someone else than for yourself. Am I right? Why do we do that? For some reason we think that if we pray for others or believe for others before ourselves we are a little holier, but Jesus prayed for Himself in John 17 and HE prayed for Himself first. The Greek word that is translated “freedom” comes from the root word that means, “unrestrained” that is, “not a slave”. One who is exempt from liability. It is for freedom that Christ has set whom free? It is you. You are set free not only from the bondage of sin and the law but from every negative aspect of Adam’s sin. You are set free from sickness. You are set free from the spirit of depression. You are set free from the oppression of negative thoughts. It is strange, don’t you think, that the very people that Christ came to set free are the ones who will accept part of the work He did for us but won’t accept the completed work. Matthew 21:21-22, 21Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 22If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Why is it that Christians go around saying, “Well, I wonder what is going to happen next.” instead of, “”I wonder what victory God is going to give me today.” Proverbs 18:21, The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. It is time for the people of God, those He has set free, to rise up in faith to receive His promises. You’ll never do that by verbalizing all the negative thoughts that are running through your mind. 2 Corinthians 10:5, We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. Obedience to Christ is more than a spiritual checklist that we go down and say, Yep, I’ve done that and that and that but I need to work on that. Obedience to Christ is accepting everything that He has already done for you.
IV. THE PROMISE Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. You are no longer bound by the lies of the enemy. That is of course, unless you choose to be bound. Three things to notice here; 1) Stand firm, then… Do you want to be an overcomer? Stand firm then… Do you want victory over sickness in your life? Stand firm then… How about financial victory? Stand firm then on the word of God and His promises. Ephesians 6:10-14, 10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12For 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. 13Therefore 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. 14Stand firm then… 2) do not let yourselves be burdened… When I read that I see this – you have an option. You can either look at all the problems, sickness, opposition, bills, messed up relationships etc. and say, “I wonder what is going to happen next?” or, you can look at God’s power that is at work in you and tell the enemy, “Bring it on!!!” It’s your choice. You can concentrate on what the enemy is doing and confess negative things in your life or you can confess God and His power and the victory that is yours. “Yeah, but Pastor Mike, you don’t know what I am going through. You’ve never gone through these difficult times like I’m going through.” Yeah, and I’ve never had a baby either, but I know first hand from being with Charlotte as she delivered all three of our daughters that it hurt. But when it was over there was great joy. And what do you think we remember from the ordeal? The joy! Pastoring a church is kind of like that at times. 1 Corinthians 10:13, 13No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. 3) a yoke of slavery. If you succumb to what the enemy is doing to you, you become his slave. The word translated “yoke” means to be under obligation to …” . Are under obligation to satan? To sickness? To bad relationships? To substances? If you are you don’t have to be. John Emmons writes, The African impala can jump to a height of over 10 feet and cover a distance of greater than 30 feet. Yet these magnificent creatures can be kept in an enclosure in any zoo with a 3-foot wall. The animals will not jump if they cannot see where their feet will fall. Faith is the ability to trust what we cannot see, and with faith we are freed from the flimsy enclosures of life that only fear allows to entrap us.
Look at all four points again.
1. The Purpose – it is for freedom
2. The Power – Christ
3. The People – Us
4. The Promise – we are not slaves
In a couple of weeks we will begin “The Way of the Master” evangelism series. Let me ask you a question. Who do you think will be more effective in evangelism – the one who has a defeatist attitude or one who is walking in victory? Who is going to see God move in power in their lives – one who is defeated or one who is victorious? Who is about to receive God’s promises – one who gives satan credit for their struggles or give God glory for the miracle – even when you don’t see it yet?
Revelation 19:11-21
11I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. 12His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.”£ He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
17And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, 18so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great.”
19Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. 20But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 21The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.
Jesus is defeating the enemy with His word right now. Would you come and sand in faith and receive the miracle He has for you today?
