Sermon Central
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Prevailing In Peace Series
Contributed by Kent Kessler on Aug 30, 2007 (message contributor)
Summary: This spiritual warfare series handles the topic in a different way: using Paul’s teaching on each piece of the armor from the previous chapters helps us to see the meaning of this war--less about attacking Satan and more about pursuing God! Peace is the t
“I WILL PREVAIL”, Spiritual Warfare Part 3
Prevailing In Peace.
The Armor of God: Finding the Strength in
Your Struggle to Stand for Jesus!
Say this out loud with me: “I will be right with God! When my life is right with God, the enemy is threatened the most. When I am right with God, God is right in me!
A prevailing person finds the strength in their struggle to stand for Jesus with the armor of God!
I will prevail when I live a life of TRUTH buckled around my waist! INGESTING the truth (HEAR it, TAUGHT it), LIVING Truth by TRUSTING it, SPEAKING it and applying it in my everyday life!
I will prevail when I live a life of RIGHTEOUSNESS having it in place over my chest as a breastplate! Living as God created and intends for me to be = in a right relationship with Him and with others! It is full obedience to the Greatest Commandment = Love God with your ALL and love your neighbor as yourself! –that’s a prevailing lifestyle!
When you put on the NEW SELF, LIVE IN THE LIGHT, and are being OBEDIENT to do the right God has for you to do you are armed and will have the strength to stand against the enemy!
We will prevail when we put on the 3rd piece of armor = the shoes for your feet of
3. THE READINESS that comes from the GOSPEL OF PEACE.
Focus on that word READY or PREPARED.
God likes His people prepared to live for Him too. Remember: God is the One Who gives us this armor—a FULL and COMPLETE armor—to wear in our everyday lives for Him.
There is a mystifying thing that occurs in the sport of hunting called “the fever”.
The more you are into hunting, the more hunting is into you!
Peace is more than just an attitude, it is a state of mind. The more you are into the Gospel, the more the more the Gospel is into you! Paul says to put on your feet this readiness…how do you put on READINESS? It is a noun, which means it is a person place or thing, but readiness is hard to grasp in your hand like a book! How do you put on such a thing as readiness? Well you don’t! Paul said readiness comes from something else—when you get this something else, the readiness will come! What is the something else?
Readiness for our feet comes from the Gospel of Peace!
Paul has already introduced this Gospel and its Peace earlier in this letter. In chapter one verse two he greets the Ephesians with “Grace and PEACE be to you from GOD”! A common salutation among God’s people as well as a prayer of blessing over them! “Grace and peace!” Who among us doesn’t need more grace and peace in their life?
Teaching in 2:14-21, 4:3-6, 3:6-12.
The Gospel of Peace is the specific reason we are out there and for this reason the enemy is battling against us!
The Foundational Truths of the GOSPEL of PEACE. Let me tell you about this PEACE! This Peace is:
1) EXCLUSIVE
2) INCLUSIVE
3) PROVIDED
4) FUTURISTIC
5) CHOSEN
6) INHABITS These peace-people are The Church = the representing body of Jesus Christ on this planet!
How did this happen? Paul goes on to teach us what Jesus Christ did in the past to bring about this peace.
The PAST Aspect of Peace: Jesus…
1) Made two groups into one; Peace is oneness.
2) Destroyed the barrier = that thing which divided us and made us hostile with each other = peace is barrier-free
3) Discarded the barrier = in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. = peace has no qualifications and no limitations
4) Created in himself one new man out of the two, Peace is simplified!
5) Reconciled both groups to God through the cross; God paid the price for this Peace; the Cross is the key that opens this peace!
6) Put to death the hostility between these two groups = this Peace cannot be threatened!
7) He came and preached PEACE to you who were far away and PEACE to those who were near = This message of peace is equal to all; it has Jesus’ own backing and will never change for anyone for any time! And it is still the same message today!
ILLUSTRATION:
• Two groups = one near and one far
• Two leaders = one for the near and one for the far
• Two different ways/patterns of doing things (one by the law/one by guessing)
• A dividing “wall” between the two = attitudes, temple veil, circumcision, legal birthrights, household walls, the train tracks!
What does this mean for us?
