Sermon Brief
Date Written: October 6, 2008
Date Preached: October 12, 2008
Where Preached: OPBC (AM)
Sermon Details:
Sermon Series: Preparing to do Battle
Sermon Title: Screen Doors on a Submarine
Sermon Text: Ephesians 2:4-10
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Introduction:
Over the past several weeks we have spoken about the importance of putting on the Armor of God as we serve God in this world where the enemy is constantly trying to harm and destroy us.
We have looked at the Sword of the Spirit…the Word of God and how we cannot survive outside of God’s Word.
We have looked at the Helmet of Salvation and how it identifies us, protects us and brings honor and glory to God…
We have looked at the shoes we need to wear to protect and assist those ‘beautiful feet’ who are proclaiming the Gospel…
Today I want us to look at yet another part of our Spiritual Armor…!
Now as many of you know, you cannot go into battle unprepared! You cannot go into battle without proper equipment or protection! Just like a soldier going into battle without protection… the believer going out into the world without their spiritual armor… is not smart and will get you hurt, maimed or it could even KILL your witness for good!
We must enter into the world fully prepared to meet the enemy. He is prepared for us… He has done his homework and knows our weak points… We must be prepared to both do battle and protect ourselves!
As the ancient soldier knew very well… a soldier’s shield was vital to his survival on the battlefield. In today’s army, the soldier does not carry his shield with him but wears it around him in the form of a flak jacket or bullet proof vest… he wear’s body armor!
Likewise the believer needs to wear his spiritual armor as he/she goes forth in this world. As we go forward serving God we need God’s Armor to protect us and assist us as we go on the offensive for Christ!
So as believers we have to understand that our battlefield is not a physical battlefield… Scripture tells us our battle is not against flesh or blood, but our battle is a spiritual one! And even though it is a spiritual battle, WE STILL need armor, we still must have protection.
When we go out into the world and when we begin to take on the enemy…whether it is sharing our faith in a public forum or taking on corruption [battling evil] of any form… we are going to need protection!
Protection from the attacks that come our way when we are open and share our faith in public… The accusations will come… the lies about our character will come rolling in… WE need protection! Anytime you take on injustice, you need armor. Anytime you fight FOR righteousness, you are going to need protection!
With that protection, the believer receives boldness to continue on in their mission for Christ. With that protection, the believer can move from a defensive posture to an offensive force!
I want to set the stage for our passage of Scripture this morning… Paul wanted the believer at Ephesus to know and understand that the faith they received from God brought about salvation of their souls, but it also brought to them a sense of doing Good Works for those around them and a sense of fellowship and togetherness that is needed to effectively serve God!
Living our life in such a manner is what we are called to do… we are saved by faith in Christ and we reveal the love of God thru the faith we REVEAL to the world around us… we reveal that faith thru the acts of service we do in the name of Christ!
That faith that is our salvation must also the driving force behind the acts of service we do… like James says in James 2:18, “…I’ll show you my faith BY my works!” In other words… James was saying that we need to live out our faith!
But preacher how does that have anything to do with the armor of God and the protection of the saints? Well I want to share with you this morning that it has everything to do with it… if we are not willing to be obedient to the commands of our Lord… to the direction of the Holy Spirit… no amount of protection will save us from the enemies attacks!
It is like the soldier who goes onto the battle field supposedly fully protected by his body armor but disobeys his commanding officer and places himself and possibly his entire platoon in jeopardy and danger.
Our spiritual armor is there for a specific purpose and if used counter to how it is supposed to be used, it won’t protect and encourage the believer as it should.
So let me put it to you this way… a faith that is NOT lived out… a faith that is NOT evident to the world around you… is a faith that is useless… it is about as useful as a screen door on a submarine!
Rich Mullins once wrote a song that went like this:
Well there’s a difference you know
Between having faith and playing make believe
One will make you grow
The other one just make you sleep
Faith without works is like a song you can’t sing
It’s about as useless as a screen door on a submarine
Let’s look at it like this… I want you to think about something you know that would be totally USELESS as a shield… like a screen door!
Would a screen door help you when faced with a gun? Would a screen door help you when faced with an attacker with a knife? No, a screen door can help you with the gnats and mosquitoes but NOT with the heavy attacks of the enemy.
Paul shares with us that our faith… our saving faith is something we get from God and without it we cannot know salvation! However, what James said in James 2 is saying is that faith does not end with salvation, but as believers our faith has to continue on into the living of the ‘saved’ life…giving evidence of the salvation we have been blessed with…
So this morning I want to look at faith… the shield of faith that all believers need to protect themselves and allow them to be on the offensive when it comes to serving the Lord! Let me tell you a story about…how armor… GOOD armor can fail!
On August 12, 2000 the distressing news of a Russian submarine sinking in the Barents Sea was reported! It was not reported by any Russian vessel, but several vessels from other nations called it in! American ships and Norwegian stations on shore issued reports that a Russian submarine was trapped under water.
Not much was known at the time about why the submarine had sunk, but many believed this submarine was crippled from an explosion or a collision.
But to many people’s surprise, the Russian Government would not say anything until Sunday August 13, a full day later! You may be sitting there and wondering, “Why? Why would they place their men in such jeopardy?”
Well the official statement from the Russian Gov’t was not very comforting or convincing. It said, “Our navy had to clarify for themselves what was happening.”
Translation…“Unless we see it and hear it ourselves, it didn’t happen.”
You remember the poster that pictured three monkeys sitting on a log – hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil? It seems as if the Russian Gov’t heard nothing, said nothing, did nothing, until they could get around to seeing for themselves.
Very soon after that report the situation with the Kursk became all too clear! There were over 100 crewmen were inside; and the submarine could not sail, OR raise itself. There was great debate in the press about what could be done? How could they be rescued?
As the world waited, the United States and Britain both offered to send in equipment and help, but the Russians said NO that they could handle the situation! But on Wednesday, four full days after the explosion, they finally invited the British to help.
It was about that time when things around the Kursk got very interesting. Some Norwegian divers just showed up uninvited on the scene. As they prepared to go down more than 100 meters to the sea floor, the Russians stopped them and said they’d already sent divers down.
But they went anyway in spite of the Russian refusal, and they discovered that no one had been there at all. When they approached the submarine’s escape hatch that the Russians had told them was damaged beyond repair they found they were able to free it with nothing more than their bare hands.
Finally, at that point, although the chances for life seemed very slim, there was at least one possibility. They wanted the Russians to begin to pump oxygen into the Kursk to give the crewmen something to breathe. The Russians claimed they had already done that. But they had not.
You are probably sitting there thinking “Why not? Why wouldn’t they do what they could to save these men?” A Russian commentator wrote this about the situation, “Our admirals know … that disclosing secrets to [others] may land them in [trouble], while risking sailors’ lives most likely will not.”
So in other words, the Kursk, a modern equipped and heavily armored battle submarine was useless against its enemy at the time… a damaged engine and no oxygen! In spite of its great physical strength and armor it was helpless against this situation!
Whatever the strength of the submarine’s hull, the moral and spiritual strength to protect it from their leaders was about as flimsy and as porous as a little screen door against the tides and depths of the ocean!
When you and I go out to do battle, we have a tendency to arm ourselves with nothing more than spiritual screen doors. We go into battle unprepared and unequipped because we leave our armor behind! But God offers us the shield of faith for our protection and for the furtherance of the Gospel!
What is the ‘shield of faith’? It is what God uses to protect us and give us courage to do battle for Him in this world! Do we know how to get the protection God supplies? Will we recognize it when it is offered?
Just what is the shield of faith and what are some uses for it? This morning I want to share 3 specific uses for the shield of faith, we will explore the purpose of this shield, and 2 particular uses of that shield!
First thing this morning I would like for us to look at
1. The purpose of the Shield of Fatih – Eph 2:5, 8-9
5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), … 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Today I want us to all think like a soldier! Many of us cannot do that because we have NEVER been part of the military, we have never had to fall under command of someone or something. But I want us to all try thinking like a soldier this morning.
I want you to think about what a soldier goes thru as he or she prepares for battle… As a soldier we cannot run off to battle and NO army worth their salt is going to send their soldiers out into battle before they equip them with the proper and necessary equipment and training!
Well let’s take that viewpoint and translate it to the spiritual world. We are called by God to be a part of His spiritual army, and when God calls us we are equipped by the Holy Spirit to begin to serve!
You see before we come to know Christ as Savior, we are without God, we have NO faith, and we have NO protection against the enemy or guidance for our lives. We must first come to God when He draws us and then gives to us the saving faith as Scripture says in Eph 2:8,
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, …”
The gift spoken of here in this verse is the gift of saving faith… we receive this gift directly from God and with this gift of faith comes salvation…
It is with this gift of saving faith that we are outfitted for battle with a shield of faith! God provides the faith and grace needed for us to come to salvation and that issues the equipment needed for us to do battle with the enemy.
After God has provided us with this saving faith, Scripture comforts us with the promise that we cannot fall from this saving grace that comes from God, but that we are secure that He will not let us go.
That promise of security from God emboldens and encourages the believer to go forth into the world and be obedient to the call of God in their lives! God has called all believers to spread His message of love, forgiveness and salvation!
This saving faith spoken of here is God issuing to you the shield of faith that you are going to need to win the battles you will face here in this world.
And just as the soldier must be given everything he needs at basic training BEFORE he or she goes into battle… so the believer we must be issued their shield of faith prior to going into battle and actually USING that shield of faith!
When we are issued the shield of faith in our salvation experience we have protection from the evil one’s fiery arrows, but it also gives us a confidence to continue and be productive in our walk with Christ!
Now that we have looked at the purpose of the shield of faith I want to explore a couple of particular uses for the shield of faith in the life of the believer! We can find evidence of the 1st use in v.10 of our passage this morning…
2. Shield Use (Good Works) – Eph 2:10
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
This passage stands for the work that God produces, in stark contrast to the work of human hands, the hands of God can produce salvation! In contrast human hands will always fall and fail and can NEVER achieve in bringing salvation to ourselves, but thru God we are created as new… we are a new creature in Christ!
We are God’s new creation, His masterpiece, a newly created being… thru the death of self to the acceptance of Christ as Savior. When we are saved, we are created anew and afresh for a new purpose!
As new creatures in Christ, we are created for good works! More specifically the good works that God has planned for us to do! These good works are things He has planned since before the world began!
These good works are not for our glory or credit but they are to bring honor, glory and credit to God! These good works are not the source or cause of our salvation but they are a direct result OF our salvation.
God has called us out of the sin of this world to be soldiers for Him in His army… called to march forward for His kingdom… called to do the work of the Kingdom…to do the good works that come as a result of our salvation!
As believers we are called to USE this shield of faith to do the work of God! And for us that means that we are obedient to God… obedient to His calling… obedient to His plans and purposes…
What are these Good Works you speak about Bro Bobby, what am I called to do as a believer?
For the believer the first USE of our shield of faith is found in what we call the Great Commission found in Matt 28:19-20a
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you…
After your shield is issued to you through salvation… you are called by God to begin to use it to produce good works…
Works that lead to professions of faith in Christ…
Works that lead to others growing in their walk with Christ…
Works that lead to other believers as well as yourself living out their faith in this world!
We have not been called to sit idly by on the sideline! We have not been called to sit quietly on the pew! We have been called to serve Christ by taking our faith to the streets… by living our faith out loud… but being willing to get our hands dirty in service to our King!
Are you using your shield today? Have you shared your faith recently? Have you encouraged your brother or sister in Christ lately? Have you supported your pastor? Your Education minister? Your music minister?
Are you seeking out those who do NOT know Christ so that you can let them know what He has done for you? Or are you content in sitting still and ignoring the world around you?
But using your shield is not only about the spiritual good works we can do! You see, Jesus, although focusing on the kingdom of Heaven, used physical good deeds to bring attention to God!
What is another use of your shield? It is a directive straight from Jesus and we can find that listed in Mark 12:29-31:
29 Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. 30 And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. 31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Your are called to sell out to God… love Him with all your heart soul mind and strength and that leads you to do what the Great commission calls you to do… but we cannot stop there Jesus said… we must go further!
We are also called to reach out in love to those around us who are in need. V.31 tells believers to love your neighbor as yourself… which is reflected in the story of the Good Samaritan.
A man who was willing to be inconvenienced, willing to spend HIS money, willing to go out of his way, willing to go the extra mile for someone he knows nothing about!
He may have had some prejudices… but they did not show! He may have had some doubts, but they were not evident. This man showed a godly love for another man by meeting his needs!
We are called to meet the needs of those around us when we can… we are called to meet the needs of our fellowship… A church should never be in a financial crunch or need…WHY? Because we are called to meet the needs of those in need! Our fellowship is called to reach out to the lost world and when we are struggling financially we cannot reach out as we need to…
Let me ask you another question. “Are you using your shield of faith in helping others with their spiritual needs and their need to come to know Christ?” “Are you using your shield of faith in helping others to meet their physical needs? Or are you sitting on the sidelines?”
First we must be issued our shield of faith through God’s infinite mercy and forgiveness we can know saving faith because God’s desire is for us to know it!
Second we must USE this shield of faith we have to do the works of the Father, to glorify Him through our obedience. That obedience requires us being willing to reach out to those who are in need… to be willing to reach out to our own fellowship when it is in need.
But not only are we called to reach out and do good works in the physical realm but we are also called to meet spiritual need as well as meet the physical needs of those who are IN need!
3. Shield Use (Fellowship/Koininia) – Eph 2:5-6
5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
In 480 BC King Leonidas of the city state of Sparta in Greece and 300 warriors bravely fought the Persians at a mountain pass by Thermopylae on the Eastern Greek coastline. The Spartans were known far and wide as fierce warriors… but in truth their fierceness and success in battle had a lot to do with their skill and smarts while on the battlefield!
The Spartans not only survived for many days fighting the massive Persian army at Thermopylae but actually inflicted great damage both physically and psychologically to the Persian army…so much so that they were ultimately defeated and turned back by a coalition of Greek armies.
How did they do it? They did it by using the resources they had around them and by sticking TOGETHER! The Spartan army used a battle tactic known as the phalanx.
The phalanx is a rectangular mass military formation, usually composed entirely of heavy infantry armed with spears, pikes, or similar weapons. The entire group would face outward, shields raised forming an impenetrable force.
They would then move on the enemy in close quarters and effectively take the enemy down! The key to their strength was the fact that they fought together!
As believers we are given a shield of faith and its uses are many, however, if used individually we can fail, but when we focus as a corporate body and use our many resources together we can advance on the enemy and take him down.
As Baptists we have seen the positive results of this fellowship in battle mentality… As we know each Southern Baptist church is totally and fully autonomous and able to do what they desire as a church.
However, some 300 years ago a strategy was put in place that carries that same battle plan… TOGETHERNESS! Over 300 years ago Baptists began to come together under what we now know as Associations and still today we band together with other churches under the Baptist Association of Greater New Orleans (BAGNO)
In 1845 an organization was formed in Augusta, Georgia that became known as the Southern Baptist Convention, which has become an association of thousands of churches to reach the world for Christ!
Out of that Convention came what we know now as the Cooperative Program where SBC churches give to a common cause, sending some 8,000 missionaries out into the world both here in America and throughout the world!
The shield of faith is a shield that works with a much greater effectiveness if it is used in conjunction with other shields! As believers here in Algiers/New Orleans… as members of Oak Park Baptist church and the Baptist Assoc of Greater New Orleans, we need to employ that togetherness strategy as we battle with the enemy of God!
Together we can overcome…together we can reach our community… together we can share the love of God more effectively… together we can be a stable and loving force for God in our city!
Look at v.5-6 with me one more time:
5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
This salvation that comes from God is a salvation that saves us but it also brings us together in a bond… for a purpose. We are all made alive by this salvation, we are all raised up by this salvation and we are all have a place in the heavenly places because of this salvation!
Together is the key word here, Paul wanted to stress to the believers that together was the focus…not separate… not lone ranger believers… not every man for himself… but TOGETHER!
People I cannot grow this church! People I cannot win this community to Christ! People I can only do so much… but understand that when this becomes a ‘we’ thing… when we are TOGETHER on this focus and on this mission… God is going to move in mighty way!
We are not an island unto ourselves…you were called by God to serve here at Oak Park Baptist Church and if that is not the case you are coming to our church for the wrong reasons!
Our fellowship is here for ONE main reason and that is to reach the lost for Jesus Christ. To do this we come together and worship, equip, support and encourage one another to go out and share the love of Christ with the world!
Are you ready to go shield to shield with your fellow Oak Park member? Are you ready to stand shoulder to shoulder on the battlefield for God? You have been given the shield of faith so that you can… are you ready?
Conclusion:
Our shield of faith is for many uses… today we have seen 3 particular uses, first it is to bring salvation to those who do not know Christ, 2nd we have seen how it is for us to bring Good Works to this world to glorify Christ, and finally we can see that enables believers to fight together…shoulder to shoulder… in fellowship and battle for God’s Kingdom!
Today, you may be a believer who has not used your shield of faith for the purpose it was given to you… But today you have heard God’s word and what you are to use it for… are you willing to come and make things right with God… in a minute I am going to open up this altar for you to come and do that very thing…
Today you may be here and not really know what I mean by the shield of faith…or the salvation that it represents! Today you may stand here with a faith that is about as effective as a screen door on a submarine because you do not know Christ as your personal Lord and Savior!
Well, I want you to know that today God is calling you… compelling you to give your heart to Him. I call on you to surrender your heart today… allow God to move in… allow God to forgive you…allow Christ to come in and bring the shield of faith that will unite you will fellow believers and allow you to serve God in this world!
As bro Parker comes and leads us in our hymn of invitation… I call on you to come… let’s stand!
[my thanks to Rev John Smith of this online fellowship and his illustration about the Kursk and his inspiration for teaching on the spiritual armor of God] it inspired me to do the same! God bless!
