INTRO: Herschel Walker trade, MN traded 8 starters & draft picks for this one player because he was such explosive offensive weapon (good trade). - See this in sports community, looking for greatest weapon (Michael Jordon in basketball, Nolan Ryan pitching baseball, .Emmitt Smith in football, talk about boxers greatest weapon right hook, left uppercut, jab.
- Discovery shows "weapons" talks about weapons systems build looking for the ultimate Weapon where enemy will have no defense. Countries are spending billions, trillions of dollars trying to find the answer. The truth of the matter is we have the greatest weapon ever made – "The Bible".
TITLE: "Sword of the Spirit - Dressed to Kill"
Series: Dress for Success
REVIEW: Paul chain Roman soldier, house arrest in Rome and he’s writing this letter to the church at Ephesus, describing spiritual truths of giving the analogy of his Roman capture armor.
TEXT: Ephesians 6:10- 11, 17 (read)
I. History of Sword
A. Gladius - long heavy 3 ft long, took 2 hands, sharp on one side, other side dull (esthetically beautiful)
1. Not good for combat - fought hand to hand. Sword very heavy & bulky
a Carthagions - defeated Romans Hannibal elephants crossed the Alps into Rome. Italy from Carthage North Africa. Romans used this Gladius were beaten badly.
b. Carthagion Sword – Micra short 19 inches long, sharp on both sides, sharp point meant to kill, very deadly, stab individual when pulling twist pulling it, out would come the inner body.
Like Modern day 44 Magnum of today
1. Romans after defeat went to this sword micra
- This is the word in the GK, Paul writes about the micra of the spirit, an offensive weapon used to kill enemy
II. Word of God – 2 GK word that describe the Word of God
A. Logos - concept of the whole Bible from Gen - Rev. Word of God given to all mankind, Bible in your hand described as the Word of God (revealed word for all mankind)Sermon Mount, fruits & gift of Spirit, 10 commandments
1. God revelation to man for everyone, logos of God or word of God.
2. Logos is not word used here, the word used is Rhema.
B. Rhema - This is the GK word used here by Paul.
1.Vines "expository dictionary of NT" defines a Rhema as an individual scripture the Holy Spirit brings to our remembrance in times of need. A specific word, promise, verse.
- Like a sword in our hand to counter the enemy
2.So Logos (1st word) - reference to the whole Bible
- Apostle John picks up the meaning in John 1:1 "In the beginning was the word (logos), and the word (logos) was with God, and the word (logos) was God."
- Jesus for all people, just as God’s word is for all people.
3.Rhema - specific individual scripture or scriptures dealing with specific things in our lives when need direction or strength, encouragement.
C.When does Rhema come
1. Happens all the time if we pay attention
- During Sunday school, teacher teaching relate to something we have been struggling with.
- During preaching God takes a concept or principle and relates it to your life and maybe something you should deal with.
- Reading Bible, same passage hundreds of times, may have it even memorized. Struggling with direction or something else and God’s spirit illuminates a principle from that passage, it’s alive and you get a sense God is ministering.
ex...struggling times life, word God brought strength and peace like swimmer drowning (air), practices running (sitting resting), lonely (companion).
Rhema comes, pray for someone, verse jumps in your mind, verse given by God and you pray back God’s word, not showy but it’s powerful because God gives you the right sword "weapon" against enemy for that time.
ex...Gloria Lundstrom tells of a time when God gave her a rhema from Heaven (robbers after them), prayed for a hedge of protection pulling from Job 1:10 God put a hedge around Job so enemy can’t get at him.
D.How do rhemas come?
v14 "Stand firm then, with the Belt of Truth buckled around your waist," one of the most important piecesof armor, (even though think what God is a belt).
1. Belt of Truth - logos, word of God, what we base our lives on, supports the other pieces of equipment (Breastplate, Sword of Spirit)
-As the belt holds the sword, so does the bible hold the rhema.
a. Meaning the Belt of Truth (Bible) Primary source for our rhemas we get. Yes, God can speak to us in different ways but primary source of rhemas comes to people who live in this book.
ex...Young people getting tans, I’ve got to get a tan! Complaining, embarrassed about color (too white), get into the sun.
-If we aren’t getting many rhemas from God, we aren’t spending enough time in God’s word.
ex...Strong cup of coffee, pour a lot coffee strong, like word of God, more we pour in, stronger we become.
III.Sword and Word
A.Makria - double edged - Heb. 4:12 tells us God’s word is sharper than any double edged sword. Double edged - Distomos, "stoma. GK word for month, "Di" word for double.
-Literally means doubled mouthed sword.
a. First edge - II Timothy 3:16 "All Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking correcting and training, in righteousness.”
-God breathed, rhema comes out of this: it speaks to our very situation.
Martin Luther
- The Word of God is alive, it speaks to me. It has feet it was after me It has hands, it lays hold of me.
b. Second edge - we speak the word of God as He gives it to us
B.Spiritual warfare - we can mentally pray and mentally know things but it’s very important to verbalize the word of God or rhema of God.
1. Jesus tempted in desert -- Matt. 4:1 -11 (read)
a. Gold nugget I believe we need to learn is verbalizing the word of God. Jesus used it 3 different times against the devil (dealing with swords)
2. James 4:7 "Submit yourselves, then to God. Resist the devil and He will flee from you."
a. Submit yourselves to God. Draw near to God by praying, communicating, with Him.
b. Resist the devil - I way Jesus showed us is verbalizing rhemas (scriptures).
3. Romans 10:9 "That if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God Him from the dead, you will be saved."
a. Believe in our hearts - deals with relationship with God.
b. Confess with our mouth - deals with relationship with the enemy.
C. Without Sword we have every piece to protect us from the enemy (Belt of Truth, Breastplate of Righteousness, Shoes of Peace, Shield of Faith, Helmet of Salvation).
1. We don’t need a sword to defend ourselves it’s an offensive weapon Lord gives it to us to attack, not to be a Savior but a conqueror. Let us not hide in our Holy huddles or behind our Spiritual sandbags. Gives us the Sword to go on the offensive.
- We need to reclaim what we’ve lost in America.
IN CONLUSION: 1976 Israeli commandos stormed airport in Entemby, Uganda and rescued 103 hostages that terrorists were holding. When stormed airport, screamed in Hebrew Get down and crawl! Immediately Jewish hostages dropped to the ground (understood the language) Terrorist kidnappers were still standing so they were killed.
LESSON: Power in a word, brought life to hostages, death to kidnappers. Same Bible power in the Word.
Logos - Whole word of God
Rhema - individual scripture God brings to our mind for that particular moment in time. (micra of the Spirit) to do battle with the enemy
When & How rhemas come
Sunday School, Preaching, Praying
