Our Purpose Part 2

Our Purpose Part II Be Equipped

1 Samuel 17:32-40 Ephesians 4:11-13 and 6:10-18 GNLCC 8/6/08

If you saw someone go into a sports store, and she was buying a white shirt, white shorts, some Nike’s, a tennis racket and some tennis balls, what would you assume they were being equipped to play. If you saw someone go into a store and he picked up some notebooks, a backpack, some pens, pencils, a calculator, and a dictionary, what would you assume he was be equipped to do.

What would you think if someone went and got the best football helmet available. Shoulder pads that made you look awesome. Football pants with pads that protected you all around. A pair of football cleats that could grip any turf so that you could turn on a dime. And they put it on in order to go and play guard on a basketball team? We know there is a direct connection between what you’re being equipped to do and what you plan on doing.

In our Old Testament reading, David was willing to fight the enemy, Goliath. Goliath could have made Shaquille O’Neal look like a small guy. When the King heard that David was willing to fight this massive warrior, he tried to equip David with the best armor in the land.

Naturally that would have been his armor. Now King Saul was a head taller than anybody else so that means he probably stood about 6 feet 6. David probably stood around 5’11. King Saul had good intentions in trying to equip David. But the helmet was too big. The coat of armor was too heavy. The parts to cover his legs were too long, and the shoes did not fit. The sword was too heavy and it just did not work.

David had been equipped, but he certainly was not equipped to go and fight any kind of battle. David was smart enough to say, I can’t wear this stuff into battle. He took it off, and got dressed according to the talents and skills God had given to Him to go into battle.

The Bible makes it clear that there is a battle going on in the spiritual realm everyday. We may think some things just happen to us, but no my friends some of things that happen to us are roadside bombs that the enemy has carefully laid for us to come by in order to have parts of us blown to pieces. Other things that happened have been caused by incoming missiles. That is why our New Testament reading encouraged us to put on the full armor of God.

Last week we looked at our purpose statement. Let’s say it together, Our purpose is to enter into a right relationship with God and be equipped for the ministry of Jesus Christ to make a difference in the lives of others. We saw that our purpose statement requires three things of us and challenges us in three areas. The First is to get to know God. The second is to be equipped for ministry. The third is to make a difference for others .

Last week we looked at what it meant to enter into a right relationship with God. We saw it began with leaving one place to come into another, accepting what God says about us as being true, and seeking an intimate relationship with God through confession, repentance, and a willingness to change. Today we will look at the second and third part of the purpose which is to be equipped for the ministry of Jesus Christ to make a difference in the lives of others.

When a person becomes a soldier in the army a lot of things happen. First of all there is somebody else calling the shots. You get up when they say get up. There is no such thing as “I do not feel like getting out of bed this morning.” When it’s time for a hike you, you go on the hike. Nobody is interested in hearing about you’re still tired from yesterday. You wear the uniform that they give to you. There’s no such thing as requesting a special color outfit to go with your hair or eyes or nails. You are given a weapon to learn to use. There’s no such thing as saying , “well I do not think I’ll ever use this, so I’m not coming to that class.” You go where you are sent. It does not matter if you think it’s fair or not.”

We are told in 2 Timothy 2:3, Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” As a soldier God expects us to be equipped for His army. We exist as a church to equip people for the ministry of Jesus Christ. Who is suppose to do the equipping. Let’s look at Ephesians 4:11-13. It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.