INTRO.- ILL.- A Mr. Duffy said, “MY SON David enlisted in the Marine Corps and was sent to San Diego. At the base, he was greeted by a poster of a ferocious-looking drill sergeant, placed on a wall where no recruit could possibly miss it.
“As the DI glared out of the picture, the caption read: ‘We never promised you a rose garden.’ Halfway through boot camp, David again passed the poster and noticed that under the caption was added: ‘Yes, but you never told us about the fertilizer!’”
We were never promised a rose garden here on earth regardless of our choice of work, labor, vocation, etc.
Life will always have its ups and downs, its positives and negatives, its cleanliness and its filth.
Job 14:1 “Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble.”
Eccl. 2:23 “All his (man’s) days his work is pain and grief, even at night his mind does not rest.”
Doesn’t sound very good, does it? Even at best, life is tough, rough, hard, hard to swallow, etc.
ILL.- WASILLA, Alaska - A 54-year-old hunter says he can laugh about it now - but he sure wasn’t laughing then. Bill Murphy survived an attack by a grizzly bear this month while he was hunting on a remote trail in Alaska.
Murphy says he used duct tape to bind his bite wounds, then rode an all-terrain vehicle to his pick-up truck and drove himself to a hospital. The hunter says the attack happened when he surprised a grizzly cub and its mother.
He says the mother bear quickly pinned him facedown, clamping her jaws around his shoulder and shaking him like a rag. He says he felt teeth pressing on his skin - then a “pop” as they sliced through.
The bear then let go, standing over Murphy and panting and drooling on his head. It then moved away. Murphy says he has no idea how long the attack lasted - but says it felt like “two lifetimes.”
I’m sure that none of us would have wanted to trade places with Bill Murphy. However, do you realize that everyday we are engaged in a ferocious battle for our lives?
I Peter 5:8 “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
We’re engaged in a ferocious battle with our enemy who roars like a hungry lion or perhaps comes at us like an angry mother bear.
We’re also engaged in a battle against the world.
I John 2:15-16 “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world – the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does – comes not from the Father but from the world.”
The world, with its desires and ideas, is trying to seduce us and draw us away from God and Christ. WE’RE ENGAGED IN A BATTLE WHETHER WE REALIZE IT OR NOT! But we must realize it or wake up about it.
ILL.- Ulysses S. Grant once said, “The art of war is simple enough. Find out where your enemy is. Get at him as soon you can. Strike at him as hard as you can and as often as you can, and keep moving on.”
Instead of doing nothing, we must strike back. We must take a stand for God and Christ. We must do something!
PROP.- In our text, Paul gives three essentials for victory in this war against the enemy.
1- Consistency (27a)
2- Cooperation (27b)
3- Confidence (28-30)
I. CONSISTENCY IN LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
V. 27a “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a many worthy of the gospel.”
ILL.- PENSACOLA, Fla. - Some convicted drunken drivers in the Florida Panhandle have been ordered to put bumper stickers on their cars asking, "How’s my driving? ... The judge wants to know!!!"
The judge said, "We want to influence people to correct their behavior rather than just use this as sort of a monitoring system."
The application for us is: HOW’S MY LIVING? And the world is watching. Our conduct should be worthy of the gospel.
ILL.- Just before the election for the governor of California many people were debating over Arnold Schwarzenegger’s past with women, etc. I personally felt that Arnold answered his critics quite well. He was big enough to apologize for his past errors. But Arnold’s conduct is not nearly as important as ours is! We represent the Lord Jesus Christ! Arnold represents Arnold!
How’s your conduct record? We all have our days, our good days and our bad days. We’re not perfect every day, as much as we would like to be.
ILL.- One of my many embarrassing moments was when I worked at Safeway in the 1960’s. Another Safeway employee and I got into a big argument in the backroom one day. He was a Mormon and I was a new Christian. I certainly didn’t handle myself well or conduct myself properly. We nearly started throwing fists at one another just because we didn’t agree on some matter of opinion. HOW TERRIBLE!
While we may not get into a fight with someone over some issue, we will rant and rave, cuss and discuss at times. And I’m not talking having a religious discussion or argument. We rant and rave in many places in life.
James 1:20 “For man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.”
ILL.- I am my neighbor’s Bible
He reads me when we meet;
Today he reads me in my home –
Tomorrow, in the street.
He may be a relative or friend,
Or slight acquaintance be;
He may not even know my name,
Yet he is reading me.
ILL.- The story is told that Alexander the Great once met a lazy, good-for-nothing soldier in his army and asked his name. The soldier replied, “Alexander, sir.” Alexander the Great then said, “Either change your name or change your ways.”
It’s possible that Christ could say these words to some of us today. Consistent living for Christ is needed in order to overcome the enemy.
II. COOPERATION IN THE CHURCH
V. 27b “Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel.”
Stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man. Paul is talking about cooperation in the body of Christ.
ILL.- Bill Buckner said, “WHEN I came back to the States after a tour of duty with the Marines in Vietnam, I stayed with my parents for a 30-day leave. Mom’s rules were simple: I could come and go as I pleased, but I must let her know when I returned home each night. After one long evening with friends, I crept into the house and didn’t knock on Mom’s door. Late the next morning when I came down to breakfast, she glared at me with icy silence. ‘Look, Mom,’ I said, ‘I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I got home safely last night, but what did you do all the time I was in Vietnam?’ ‘Well,’ she replied, ‘at least then I knew where you were!’”
When you’re in mama’s house, there must be some cooperation. And it matters not how old you are when you are in mama’s house!
Without cooperation in the house, nothing great will be accomplished.
I Cor. 1:10 “I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be a no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.”
If there ever was a divided church, it was Corinth. You name it and seemed like they were divided over it. Most of us would not have wanted to be members in that church.
No church is immune to division and disunity, but if we’re going to go forward, succeed, experience growth, etc. we must pull together for the cause of Christ.
ILL.- “We have tough choices ahead," Schwarzenegger said in declaring victory. "The first choice that we must make is the one that will determine our success. Shall we rebuild our state together or shall we fight amongst ourselves, create even deeper divisions and fail the people of California? Well, let me tell you something - the answer is clear. For the people to win, politics as usual must lose."
I think Arnold has the right idea. For the sake of the state of California, I hope he’s right. It is true, however, that people must work together and pull together even if they don’t agree. This holds true for any state and for the Lord’s church.
THERE MUST BE COOPERATION IN ORDER TO EXPERIENCE VICTORY OVER THE ENEMY AND TO EXPERIENCE GROWTH!
United we stand, divided we fall!
ILL.- On one Saturday in 1995 a “MARCH FOR JESUS” took place in Nashville, TN. Some 40,000 people marched through the streets of downtown Nashville. What were they saying? WE BELIEVE IN JESUS! What a great cause!
Even more impressive the fact that the march took place in 600 American cities and in 70 other countries. Organizers expected between 6 and 8 million participants worldwide.
WHO WAS IN THE CROWD AT NASHVILLE? Senior citizens, children, Catholics and charismatics, celebrities and common people. Some people raised their hands and others didn’t. Most clapped in time to the music. Everyone seemed to be smiling.
WHAT WAS ACCOMPLISHED? Poverty wasn’t eliminated. The city of Nashville wasn’t evangelized or converted to Christ. The crime problem wasn’t solved. But something very positive did happen.
Rubel Shelly, non-instrument church of Christ at Woodmont Hills church wrote, “Occasionally something happens in America that pulls Republicans and Democrats and Independents together. It may be a crisis (like 9/11) or simply a 4th of July celebration. But they come together. They rally against a common enemy. They sacrifice for the common good. They salute the same flag.”
He further said, “Something of that happens on March for Jesus days. People who have different traditions come together for a time. Sprinklers and immersers, premillennials and amillennials, King Jamesers and Cotton Patchers – ALL BEAR WITNESS TO THE TRUTH THAT JESUS CHRIST IS LORD."
Brothers and sisters, we must be united together and stand together against the opposition. WE MAY NOT AGREE ON EVERYTHING, BUT WE CERTAINLY AGREE ON JESUS!
III. CONFIDENCE IN OUR FAITH
V. 28 “Without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved – and that by God.”
Without being frightened. WE MUST NOT BE AFRAID OF THE ENEMY.
ILL.- John Wesley had always thought he was a true Christian until one day his ship was caught in a terrible storm in the Atlantic and fear gripped his heart. The people on board, however, who did not seem to be afraid, were a little group of Moravian missionaries. And when the storm subsided, Wesley asked one of them, “Were you not afraid?” “Afraid?” said the Moravian missionary, “Why should I be afraid? I know Christ!”
And then looking at Wesley, he frankly asked, “DO YOU KNOW CHRIST?”
In Wesley’s case, the enemy was not only that storm, but also his lack of faith in Christ. What about us?
Fear is a common factor that affects us all in one way or another. We all fear something. What is your greatest fear? Fear of death? Fear of not having enough money to live? Fear of losing your health or your mind? Fear of what will happen to your children? Fear of being left alone?
All of us have fears that we have to face. Some are real and some we make more real than they really are.
ILL.- I remember while attending Bible College in the 1960’s that many preachers were preaching that the Communists were going to take over America. It was a sure thing and we’d better prepare. Many people were afraid of what was going to happen.
That was a fear that never came to pass, like so many of our fears. But fear itself is a very real thing that we all must battle.
We must have a confident faith in Christ if we are going to succeed in life and overcome the enemy or any obstacle.
ILL.- Wendell Phillips was an American orator and reformer of the 1800’s. After giving a lecture in Chicago he went to his good preacher friend, Henry Ward Beecher, who had attended his lecture.
Beecher found Wendell Phillips very uncomfortable, depressed and dissatisfied with the lecture he had given. Phillips said, “I know what the matter was. It was only a speech. I was not fighting for any needy cause. I was not defending any great truth. It was just words, words, words.”
Interesting story. Words, words, words. I feel that way about many political speeches that I have heard and sad to say, even some sermons I have heard.
Brothers and sisters, there are many causes in our world that people speak about, preach about, push, sweat for, argue for, and even die for. Most of those causes are worthless.
I believe that we have the greatest of all causes and it is the truth above all truths! Consequently, we should be passionate about it and fearless in our witness of it!
ILL.- Dr. James Boice of the Bible Study Hour broadcast said, “We do not have a strong church today nor do we have many strong Christians… We have forgotten what God is like and what He promises to do for those who trust Him. Ask the average Christian to talk about God.
“After getting past the expected answers you will find that his god is a little god of vacillating sentiments. He is a god who would like to save the world but who cannot. He would like to restrain evil, but somehow he finds it beyond his power.
“Such a god is not the God of the Bible. The God of the Bible is not weak. He is strong. He is all-mighty. Nothing happens without His permission or apart from His purposes – even evil. Nothing disturbs Him or puzzles Him. His purposes are always accomplished. Therefore those who know Him rightly act with boldness, assured that God is with them to accomplish His own desirable purposes in their lives.” Amen!
We need more confidence in life and living the Christian life. And it will only come when we believe in the God of heaven and believe that He is at work in our world today and will do what He says He will do!
CONCLUSION--------------------------------------
ILL.- A small boy riding a bus home from Sunday school was very proud of the card he had received, which had a picture and a caption that read: “Have Faith in God.”
Then to his dismay the card slipped from his hand and fluttered out the window. “Stop the bus!” he cried. “I’ve lost my ‘faith in God!’” The driver pulled the bus to a stop, and as the lad climbed out and went to retrieve his card, one of the adult riders smiled and made a comment about the innocence of youth.
A more perceptive adult observed, “All of us would be better off if we were that concerned about our faith."
