Sermon for 10/25/2009
The Armor of God #2
Introduction:
Go over pieces of football protection- just mention a few
WBTU:
A. From John Gillmartin- Somehow, the young man found himself standing directly in the path of an oncoming car. The driver hit her brakes. Before either of them could do anything it seemed the 10 year old was shoulder deep in the windshield of the automobile. “Are you alright,” asked the driver. From inside the football helmet a squeaky voice responded, “I think so!” The boy (try to get name from internet), a participant in Pop Warner Football, was on the way home from practice, in full uniform. The driver saw the boy too late to stop. The boy saw the car too late to get out of the way. From this story we see that it is necessary to have on the proper protective equipment. The devil is out there on the highway of life trying to plow through the children of God walking on the King’s Highway.
B. Read Ephesians 6:14-17
C. Dismiss Children’s Church
D. As Paul talked about standing firm against the devil and his schemes, he looked up at the Roman soldier. What a perfect illustration of how we are to stand and what the Lord has given us to protect us from the devil.
Thesis: Let’s examine the next 3 pieces of the armor of God.
For instances:
1. The shield of faith (vs. 16)
A. In those days, there were no cannon or bombs from the sky. One of the few long range weapons was the arrow. Sometimes the archers would aim at an enemy army and let the arrows fly. The Romans protected themselves from these long range attacks with shields that each soldier carried with them. They would knell down and cover themselves with their shields and the arrows most of the time would harmlessly bounce off of them. Sometimes the enemy would dip their arrows in pitch and set them ablaze. This would wreck havoc on their supplies but the soldiers were protected by their shields. The Roman shield was made of wood covered with many layers of ox hide and because of this it did not easily burn.
B. The Roman shields were large, rectangular ones that covered the whole soldier like a door. The shield was as wide as a man’s body and up to four feet in length. When the Roman army advanced against the enemy, the shields formed a “portable wall” for the protection of the whole army, when the soldiers stood side by side.
D. The Christian soldier has a shield, his faith. What is faith? (Heb 11:1 NIV) Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
E. Good example is Abraham- (Rom 4:18-20) Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead--since he was about a hundred years old--and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.
G. (2 Ki 6:15 NIV) When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" the servant asked. (2 Ki 6:16 NIV) "Don’t be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them."(2 Ki 6:17 NIV) And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
H. (Rom 8:31 NIV) If God is for us, who can be against us?
2. The helmet of salvation (Vs. 17)
A. The helmet was made of bronze, often with two hinged cheek pieces fastened by a chin band. It protected the head, the brain. The breastplate protected the lungs and the heart, the helmet protected the brain. Without the brain the soldier is useless. On marches the helmet was not worn. Putting on the helmet marked the beginning of battle.
B. Without an assurance of salvation, the Christian soldier is useless. If a soldier is unsure of what happens if he were to die, he will not fight effectively. Throw caution to the wind and give ones all is dependent upon one’s salvation. Even if we are killed in the battle, we have a great reward, and that is eternal life in heaven.
C. How are we sure of salvation? Plan of salvation. Still unsure look at (1 Tim 3:13 NIV) Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.
D. From Betty Lukens- A Roman soldier’s letter to his parents in the 1st century AD. “But the most shocking experience I’ve had lately was over 40 men who denounced the gods to become Christians. They have really caused a stir. Nothing our priests could do, nothing they could offer them, nothing they could threaten them with, would change their minds. So they were condemned to die- to die by freezing. They were taken by centurions out to a lake near the city in which they lived. The soldiers stripped them of their clothes and marched them out to the middle of the frozen lake. Back on shore, the soldiers built a fire to warm themselves as they waited and guarded these 40 men, so that they should die and not escape. You remember, Montano, my best friend? He was one of these centurions. Soon the guards heard singing: “Forty men on the ice to die- forty men standing true!” The night was bitter cold, but the men sang on: “Forty men on the ice to die- forty men standing true.” The centurions put wood on the fire, pulled their cloaks around themselves tighter, as they listened to these men dying from the cold. Every few minutes the men sang out and each time their voices became weaker. Then, to the amazement of the centurions, the singing changed to “Thirty nine men on the ice to die- thirty nine men standing true.” Into the darkness the soldiers gazed as one man came staggering back to give up his faith. At that second, Montano tore off his clothes and ran out to the ice. Immediately the voices surged, “Forty men on the ice to die- forty men standing true.” Montano died with them. You loving son, Cassio.
E. (Heb 11:33 NIV) who through faith conquered kingdoms
3. Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (vs. 17)
A. This sword varied in length from 6 to 18 inches. It was the common sword carried by Roman foot soldiers and was the main weapon in hand to hand combat. Carried in a sheath attached to their belts, it was always at hand and ready for use. The soldier made sure that this sword was sharp.
B. (Heb 4:12 NIV) For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
C. From Betty Lukens- Nabil Kareen was a truck driver in the army of his country. But Nabil was more than a truck driver; he used his truck for smuggling, which was against army rules. Nabil carried watches and quinine pills wrapped in bundles and hid them under the springs of his truck and, even though his truck was searched carefully by army police, they were not found. Time and time again Nabil was stopped, and time and time again he was not fount out. From the army, Nabil always went home to his Muslim family where his gambling, abusive parents and uncle lived. Nabil resented the severity of his father and the unrest of family life. He hated the shouting, the cursing and the blows that landed so often on his face. By this time the money had had been paid for smuggling was gone and he must find a job. Nabil and many friends heard of a strange group of people who were doing a lot of building. They were Christians and surely, Nabil thought, this must be a government concern and there should be lots of jobs and lots of money to be had. He found a lot of people, 250 of them, building a road, putting in water pipes and building a College. But, instead of being a government project, he found out this group was religious. He was impressed by them and attended their church to see just what was going on in there. The sermon on the Word of God impressed him so much that he went into the town and bought a Bible, and then he found shade under a pine tree and began to read. Nabil secured a job helping them with the construction and noticed that these peculiar people never cursed each other. Their language was pure. They loved and respected one another. All of this fit in with his reading of the Bible. God began to speak to him. Deep down in his heart, he knew he was a sinner. His first act of dedication was to throw away his pack of cigarettes. He told his family about Jesus but they cursed him. He heard of some local Christian meetings and in spite of the warnings of his father that he would be cast out of his home if he was ever baptized, he came up out of the water happier than he had ever been in his life.
D. Where did it all begin? Through two things: The witness of the church and the witness of the Word. This is what I have dedicated my life to do. (2 Tim 4:2 NIV) Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction.
E. However, that is not the whole thing. Must have the witness of a godly church.
F. (Isa 55:11 NIV) so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
