How God Makes A Sword
(Take English sword for visual affect)
There are 7 steps to making a sword. This parallels how God transforms us.
Step #1 Choose The Design
-God choose our design before the world was created
-His design was perfect
Genesis 1:27
27So God created people in his own image; God patterned them after himself; male and female he created them.
Gods image does not mean 6 feet tall, blonde hair/blue eyes. It means Holy, Loving, Patient, Righteousness, Kind, Forgiving, etc...
What was our design?
To be ambassadors for Christ
2 Corinthians 5:20
20 We are Christ’s ambassadors, and God is using us to speak to you. We urge you, as though Christ himself were here pleading with you, “Be reconciled to God!”
To abstain from lust
1 Peter 2:11
11 Dear brothers and sisters, you are foreigners and aliens here. So I warn you to keep away from evil desires because they fight against your very souls.
Not to be afraid
Psalm 56:11
11I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?
Step #2 Select The Stock
-The piece chosen does not even resemble the finished product
-God sees something great inside everyone of us
-God has chosen some of us for a specific role or mission(Parts of The Body)
Matthew 22:14
14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”
Ephesians 1:4,5
4 Long ago, even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure.
You may think you cannot be used by God or changed for the better. You may feel that you are damaged goods beyond repair (unlovable, unwanted, not needed). God will not give up on you when great effort is needed. A good craftsman does not cast aside a piece that is too difficult to work with. He will complete what he began.
Phillipians 1:6
6 And I am sure that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again.
Step #3 Forging/Shaping & Normalizing
This process involves adding heat to the piece in different ways and hammering the steel.
1200-1500 degrees steel is red hot. 1800 degrees it glows.
The range of heat applied is very important. Too much heat it melts, not enough and it will crack when hammered. Normalizing smooths out the grain of the steel.
As Christians, our heat comes from the Refiners Fire and our tests and trials.
The pain of the Refiners Fire is the most difficult part for a new Christian to go through.
It is a necessary part of the Holy Spirits role of conviction.
James 4:7-10
7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, you hypocrites. 9 Let there be tears for the wrong things you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 When you bow down before the Lord and admit your dependence on him, he will lift you up and give you honor.
(Illustration)-Going Back to Church
God will correct things that were wrong in us. Why?-Love
Proverbs 3:11,12
11 My child, don’t ignore it when the Lord disciplines you, and don’t be discouraged when he corrects you. 12 For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.
God will never allow our temptation to be more than we can bear.
1 Corinthians 10:13
13 But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.
Step #4 Adding The Edge
-The sharpening process
-We are sharpened by Gods word
Hebrews 4:12
12 For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are.
As Christians, 1 of our greatest joys is reading the Word of God
John 8:47
47 Anyone whose Father is God listens gladly to the words of God. Since you don’t, it proves you aren’t God’s children.”
Gods Word will guide you in life
Psalm 119:105
105Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path.
Step #5 Tempering
This process is involves heating at a lower temperature. It makes the sword capable to maintain its edge but not so hard or brittle that it will chip or crack. As Christians, our tempering comes from a test of faith our an assignment given to us. Also, the example we set for others.
Hebrews Chapter 11-”The Faith Hall of Fame”
We should not lead others astray.
Ecclesiastes 9:18
18 A wise person can overcome weapons of war, but one sinner can destroy much that is good.
Step #6 Adding the Guard
-Protection
Our protection comes from the Armor of God
The Whole Armor of God
Ephesians 6:10-17
10 A final word: Be strong with the Lord’s mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. 12 For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.
13 Use every piece of God’s armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared. 16 In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Belt of Truth
The devils fights with lies, and sometimes his lies sound like the truth; but only believers have God’s truth, which can defeat the devil’s lies.
Body Armor/Breastplate of Righteousness
The devil often attacks our heart-the seat of our emotions, our self-worth, and our trust. God’s righteousness is the body armor that protects our heart and ensures his approval. He approves of us because he loves us and sent his son to die for us.
Shoes/Peace that comes from the Good News
The devil want us to think that telling others the Good News us worthless and hopeless. He wants us to think the task is too big and the negative responses are too much to handle. But the shoes God gives us are the motivation to continue to proclaim the true peace that is available in God-news that everyone needs to hear.
Shield of Faith
What we see are the devil’s attacks in the form of insults, setbacks, and temptations. But the shield of faith protects us from the devil;s fiery arrows. With god’s perspective, we can see beyond our circumstances and know that ultimate victory is ours.
Helmet of Salvation
the devil wants to make us doubt God, Jesus, and our salvation. The helmet protects our mind from doubting God’s saving work for us.
Sword/Word of God
The sword is the only weapon of offense in the list of armor. There are times when we need to take the offensive against the devil. When we are tempted, we need to trust in the truth of God’s Word. This sword is not meant to be used as a weapon against our fellow Christians but against the devil.
Step #7 Polishing
Ask a craftsman when he knows he is almost done polishing the sword. “When I can see myself in it”
When God can begin to see himself in you, he knows he is almost done. The beauty is that God is never truly done. No matter what level you are at he will continue to work on you and take you to the next level of your faith and your walk with him.
