Fight The Good Fight - Opponent #1 People And Their Problems

VIDEO: KING AND COUNTRY “FIGHT ON FIGHTER”

VIDEO: BOXING INTRO

SCRIPTURE SLIDE:

1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

MAIN SLIDE: FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT

Friends - We all have four opponents, and over these 4 weeks we will find out how to deal with each one as God wants.

So we must learn to fight, but not as the world fights,

we fight with faith and with God's guidance and power.

In this way there will be a glorious outcome!

Are you ready to learn to FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT?

We need to learn to fight not so we will win.

What a small and petty reason to fight.

We need a new definition of what it means to win:

________NOT A ME WIN, BUT A GOD WIN____________

WHAT DOES THAT WIN LOOK LIKE

We need to learn to fight with faith

With God’s power, his purposes, and in his way

so Gods will can be advanced and accomplished.

so God’s is glorified in the outcome

so God’s kingdom comes

We need to learn to fight with faith

The price you pay

To have a God win may surprise you

There must be preparation

Fighting the good fight may cost you everything

Your standing, your reputation, your pride

To fight in faith may mean taking some hits

It may mean learning when to walk away

and when to lean in

When you face your 4 opponents with God’s armor

With faith, with hope, with love, with fire, with the power of the Holy Spirit, walls come down, chains are broken, darkness flees, the oppressed are set free. And the impossible becomes possible.

As with all fights there are two disciplines, and both are vital and cannot be ignored. One is not more important and neither alone can win the fight.

Fighting the good fight of faith requires that we learn both OFFENSE AND DEFENSE

You cannot overcome your opponent without a good defense – learning to block, coverup, how to move to avoid getting hit, how to avoid traps and how to use the clock to your advantage. You can’t win without a good defense.

You also cannot overcome your opponent without a good offense – learning to punch, jab, cross, uppercut, counterpunch, how to pace yourself, knowing the weaknesses of your opponent, having a plan. You can’t win without a good offence.

DURING THESE 4 WEEKS we will deal with one opponent a week – and each week the opponent gets harder – today we face the easiest round – dealing with people, next week it get’s harder and the same for the third. The last week we face an opponent we cannot win against – but we can still get a God win anyway.

BEFORE WE ENTER THE RING AGAINST OUR FIRST, AND EASIEST OPPONENT – LET’S HEAR ABOUT FIGHTING WITH FAITH BY A REAL PRO.

Everybody knows boxing legend George Forman – Olympic gold medalist, two-time world heavy weight champion, entrepreneur worth 300 million dollars.

Here are 5 facts about George people may not know.

1.He had a near death experience during a boxing match that led him to Christ.

2. Even though he could regain the world title again, he retired at 28 to serve the Lord and become a preacher.

3. Even though he was a famous world champion he started out preaching on the street and on street corners.

4. He preaches 4 times a week at Church of the Lord Jesus Christ in Houston Texas.

5. Before he found God he was an angry person and wanted to hire people to kill his enemies. When he found Jesus he found forgiveness and peace.

VIDEO: George Foreman Testimony

MAIN SLIDE: FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT

LEARN FROM GEORGE: When your opponent is other people, and you fight with anger, hatred and revenge in your heart – no one wins. Everyone gets hurt. No good thing is advanced.

But you don’t need to fight as the world fight, you can FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT you have God given tools to get a God win in any human bout.

There are some pretty serious tactics to put dissention, confusion, miscommunication, gossip on the ground.

You can KO not the opponent but the opponent really isn’t the person, it’s the problem, the controversy, the conflict.

You can get a GOD WIN by following a few quick moves in the ring.

Let’s use the word PUNCH as an acrostic.

P – BE AT PEACE IF POSSIBLE – try to end a fight before it starts. Walk away, give in (preference).

- AS MUCHAS IT IS POSSIBLE Romans 12:18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.