The Warrior Ethos II
Sean Lester
January 18, 2007
Primary Text: 1 John 5:3-5
[3] This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, [4] for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. [5] Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
Supplementary Texts: 2 Samuel 5:6-8, Matthew 16:21-28, Romans 10:13-15
I Will Never Accept Defeat
Introduction:
A. This is the second message in this spiritual warfare series. In the first message we discovered that in the warrior ethos the mission always comes first. This is important to remember because followers of Christ are often led astray by the idea that their mission is to become perfect. The result of that effort will always be failure because people are human and therefore are frail. The mission of the believer is to follow Christ in making disciples. Making disciples requires commitment but it does not require perfection. Making disciples is the mission and everything that a believer does serves that purpose.
B. Putting the mission first is a matter of setting priorities. It is an act of the mind. A follower of Jesus Christ needs to have the mind made up that the Lord’s mission is to be life’s priority. However, it is not enough to know to do right. The heart must also be invested in the mission. The heart of a person drives the emotions to do that thing that the sprit longs to have. Without heart, a person will have only good intentions and beliefs without actually fulfilling God’s purpose for life.
C. The heart of a warrior never accepts defeat. In war, defeat means that the enemy wins. Your way of life ends and the values and beliefs of another people are imposed upon you. In a battle, defeat means the enemy is closer to imposing his will on you and your people. Defeat is unacceptable.
D. The battle in the spirit is greater than the battle in the realm of the natural. The battle for your soul has greater consequence than who wins the war in Iraq. The battle for the soul of your family members, friends, and countrymen is more important than which empire rules the world.
Proposition: The spiritual warrior never accepts defeat in accomplishing God’s will for his or her life.
Interrogative: Why does the spiritual warrior’s heart so strongly demand success in the mission of his life?
Transition: The spiritual warrior understands the consequences of defeat.
I. Defeat Means the Enemy Retains Control
a. Biblical illustration: 2nd Samuel 5:6-8
i. As David and his army subdued the territory that God had given to the Israelites, they came upon the seemingly impregnable fortress of Jebus. The city sat upon a hill and was surrounded by high walls. The people felt so secure that they declared that the lame and the children could defend the city. David would not accept defeat. He noted that the only way into the city was through the water shafts that led from the interior of the city to the bottom of the hill. In a complimentary passage we discover that David declared that the first soldier that went through the shafts would become the commander-in-chief of his army. Joab led his army though the shafts, into the city, and defeated the fortified enemy.
ii. Why was defeat unacceptable to David? Because as long as Jebus remained the enemy had some control in the midst of the people of God. The town would be ready to aid the enemy forces that attacked from outside the borders. They would slow Israel’s prosperity as a nation.
b. Defeat has the same implications for a believer. A believer who has not defeated the enemy strongholds in life remains unable to fulfill their purpose in God’s will. A believer who remains under the control of addictions and bad habits remains unable to serve the Lord. That is why it says in Hebrews, “Let us throw off every weight that causes us to stumble.”
Transition: The presence of the enemy in a believer’s life has even greater danger than simply retarding effectiveness in serving the Lord.
II. Defeat Means Spiritual Death
a. Biblical Illustration: Matthew 16:21-28
i. When Jesus began to prepare his disciples for his coming crucifixion, Peter declared that no such thing would ever happen. Then, Jesus rebuked Peter for not putting the things of God ahead of the things that are important to people. It was not Jesus’ mission to survive in this world, it was his mission to die for the people living in this world. Resisting the cross meant defeat. Defeat was unacceptable to our Lord.
ii. Then Jesus declared the importance of his example for anyone who would follow him. Following him means taking up the cross. He said, “What good is it to gain the whole world and yet lose your own soul?”
b. Those who follow Jesus will follow him straight to heaven. Along the way the enemy of our souls will lay traps baited by temptation. He will assault with persecutions. He will ambush with false peace and security. The enemy attempts to make a believer in Jesus act in the interest of self-preservation and in so doing to abandon the mission of making disciples of Jesus.
c. The cost of abandoning the mission is spiritual death. A believer’s soul cannot thrive apart from the will of God. That explains why so many people identify themselves as Christians, go to church, and attempt to live good lives yet fail to know the joy of following Jesus. Their souls are lost because they have failed to obey the Lord’s commands to go into the world and make disciples. They ran into problems and temptations. They decided to put their own interests ahead of the Lord’s interests.
Transition: For the spiritual warrior, defeat has greater consequences than the loss of his own soul.
III. Defeat Means People Go to Hell
a. Biblical Illustration: Romans 10:13-15
i. Paul declared that his heart’s desire was that all Israel would be saved. Yet, people simply cannot be saved unless they hear the message that saves. No one can hear the message unless someone preaches it to them. No one can preach unless they are sent.
ii. The mission is to save people from sin and death. That only happens when the message of the Gospel is preached. Therefore the abandonment of the mission directly leads to people going to hell without knowing that salvation through faith in Jesus Christ is possible.
b. I believe every pastor becomes frustrated at some point in his career with the lack of ability of the people in his congregation to draw people to faith in Christ, and in so doing attract people to the church. After all, success in ministry means people coming to faith in Christ and then becoming part of the body of Christ. In his quiet moments, a pastor will think about the consequences that spiritually dead congregants have on the community. He experiences a torture in the soul as he wonders if those whose names he read in the obituary column went to an eternity in hell unchallenged by the members of the church. He wonders if he is doing enough to make it possible for his people to become spiritually alive once again. Too many times people will come to church because they like the pastor, or the music, or the activities. People coming to church because some member of the congregation brought them to faith in Jesus Christ does not happen nearly enough.
c. Spiritual defeat means that people go to hell. Failure to send missionaries causes people to go to hell. Failure to actively live out faith in Christ leads to people going to hell. A believer simply cannot accept defeat.
Transition: The spiritual warrior’s passion to succeed in the mission of making disciples throughout the world is fueled by the knowledge of these consequences for failure.
Conclusion:
A. Christians carry a burden to tell people about salvation through faith in Jesus Christ and to teach them to obey his commands. Without that burden, a Christian experiences death in the soul. Without that burden no one hears the gospel and thus experiences the torments of hell for eternity. Without that burden the enemy influences the warrior’s life.
b. Christians live with spiritual defeat. However, it is not too late to re-engage the enemy and renew the commitment to following Jesus Christ.
i. Renew your commitment to Jesus Christ as your Lord. In so doing, accept the fact that you will face temptations to quit. You may be required to sacrifice comfort, belongings, or even your own life.
ii. Meditate on the Scriptures. The Word of God will convict you and cause you to feel the urgency of the mission once again.
iii. Pray for those people who occupy a place in your life. Think about their eternity. Love them in practical and appropriate ways.
iv. Act to bring them hope in Christ. Act to teach people to obey Jesus’ teachings.
v. Never quit. (next message)
