STRENGTH To STAND-IV—Ephesians 6:10-20
Attention:
Read & recount Numbers 13:1-33--14:1-4, 5-10
Highlight the disparity among the majority of the Israelite leaders(who spied out the land of Canaan), vs. Caleb & Joshua(13:30, 31; 14:6-9, 10).
God’s people had POTENTIAL(13:31-33) to stand victorious!
God’s people were ENCOURAGED(13:30; 14:5-9) to stand victorious!
But God's people REFUSED(13:31--14:4, 10) to stand victorious!
Need:
Courage—to stand firm for & in Christ—against the lost world’s direction.
Confidence—knowing that we cannot compromise with the opponent.
Perseverance—knowing that the Lord’s armor holds & protects thru every battle.
Paul closes his revelation/direction to the Ephesian church by encouraging them to find their strength in the Lord by effectively arming themselves.
The church must acquire God’s strength to stand victorious.
Where is the church’s strength to stand victorious?
How can the church find strength to stand victorious?
12 distinctions of the Christian soldier’s strength for victory.
We have found that—
...God’s people acquire strength to stand victorious..or..acquire victory thru a distinct...
1. STRENGTH(:10)
2. ENSEMBLE(:11)Clothing/Array/Dress
3. CONTENTION(:12)
4—God’s people acquire strength to stand victorious thru a distinct...
RESISTANCE(:13)
Explanation:(:13)Withstanding
:13—“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, & having done all, to stand.”
Because all Christians contend in a known & collective spiritual wrestling, it is imperative that we follow through with the one means of attaining success or winning that match. We not only must but we can win the match, the battle, & the war!
1Cor. 9:19-27—“For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; & to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you. Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body & bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”
“Therefore” God’s people are to “take up the whole armor of God”(:11) in order that they might “withstand” throughout “the evil day” in which they currently live.
Eph. 5:15-16—“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”
“The evil day” implies any aspect of our present & future wherein we face “evil.” Any day where the principalities, powers, & rulers of darkness & wickedness have even a limited degree of freedom, is an “Evil Day.”
When Christ returns to receive those who are His, in order to meet Him in the air(1Thess. 4:16-17), then we will have ‘escaped’ that which is an “evil day.”(Rev. 3:10) “Evil days” will remain for all those on earth.
Rev. 3:7-11(:10)—“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, He who has the key of David, He who opens & no one shuts, & shuts & no one opens: I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, & no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, & have not denied My name. “Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews & are not, but lie--indeed I will make them come & worship before your feet, & to know that I have loved you. Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. “Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.”
Mat. 24:23-25—“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. For false christs & false prophets will rise & show great signs & wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand.”
Rev. 6:9-11—“When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God & for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy & true, until You judge & avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then a white robe was given to each of them; & it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants & their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.”
“To stand” requires much day-to-day “withstanding” in view of the victorious end stance.
The purpose of the “taking up the whole armor” in continual “withstanding,” is to enable the Christian to ultimately “stand” regardless of the intensity of the “evil” in their “day.”
In their ultimate “standing” the committed Christian will have “done all” that is pleasing to God. The “all” encompasses every aspect of Christian living. The “all” particularly includes individual moment-by-moment prayer, having continued to accept & now accepting, a need for personal forgiveness, which has been & even now is, given validity thru active repentance.
“Christianity is often impotent when it is acceptable.”—MNTC
Active ministry counteracts “evil.”
“Therefore”(See :14)—dia touto—=‘Through This’
“Take up”(See :16—“Taking”; :17)—analambanw—2Aorist Active Imperative 2nd Plural—1) To take up, raise; 2) To take up(a thing in order to carry or use it). Strong—To take up. Used 13X.
From—ana—a primary preposition & adverb; properly--Up; but by extension, used distributively--Severally, or locally--At(etc.).—&—lambanw—a prolonged form of a primary verb, which is use only as an alternate in certain tenses; To take(in very many applications, literally & figuratively [properly objective or active--To get hold of).
“Whole Armor”(See :11)—panoplia—Noun Fem.—1) Full armor, complete armor—1a) includes shield, sword, lance, helmet, greaves, & breastplate[per Polybius]. Strong—Full armor.
English=‘Panoply’
From—pav—1) individually—1a) Each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything; 2) collectively—2a) Some of all types.—&—oplon—1) Any tool or implement for preparing a thing; 2) An instrument. Strong—An implement or utensil or tool(literally or figuratively, especially offensive for war).
“God”(See :11, 17)—yeov—Noun Masc.—1) A god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities; 2) The Godhead, trinity; 3) Spoken of the only & true God—3a) Refers to the things of God, 3b) His counsels, interests, things due to him; 4) Whatever can in any respect be likened unto God, or resemble him in any way—4a) God's representative or vice-regent—4a1) Of magistrates & judges. Strong—of uncertain affinity; A deity, especially(with o, h, to)--The supreme Divinity; figuratively--A magistrate; by Hebraism--Very.
“Able”(See :11, 16)—dunamai—Verb—1) To be able, have power whether by virtue of one's own ability & resources, or of a state of mind, or through favorable circumstances, or by permission of law or custom; 2) To be able to do something; 3) To be capable, strong & powerful. Strong—To be able or possible.
“Withstand”—anyisthmi—Verb—1) To set one's self against, to withstand, resist, oppose; 2) To set against. Strong—To stand against, i.e. Oppose. Used 14X.
From—anti—1) Over against, opposite to, before; 2) For, instead of, in place of(something)—2a) Instead of, 2b) For, 2c) For that, because, 2d) Wherefore, for this cause. Strong—a primary particle; Opposite, i.e. Instead or because of(rarely--In addition to).—&—isthmi—Strong—a prolonged form of a primary staw(of the same meaning, used for it in certain tenses); To stand(transitively or intransitively), used in various applications(literally or figuratively).
“Evil”(See :16—“Wicked One”)—ponhrov—Adj.—1) Full of labors, annoyances, hardships—1a) Pressed & harassed by labors, 1b) Bringing toils, annoyances, perils; of a time full of peril to Christian faith & steadfastness; causing pain & trouble; 2) Bad, of a bad nature or condition—2a) in a physical sense: Diseased or blind, 2b) in an ethical sense: Evil wicked, bad. Ponhrov is a word at once stronger & more active than kakov, it means mischief-making, delighting in injury, doing evil to others, dangerous, destructive. Kakov describes the quality according to its nature, ponhrov, according to its effects. Strong—Hurtful, i.e. Evil(properly, in effect or influence) figuratively--Calamitous; also passively--Ill, i.e. Diseased; but especially(morally)--Culpable, i.e. Derelict, vicious, facinorous; neuter (singular)--Mischief, malice, or (plural)--Guilt; masculine (singular)--The devil, or (plural)--Sinners.
“Day”—hmera—Noun Fem.—1) The day, used of the natural day, or the interval between sunrise & sunset, as distinguished from & contrasted with the night; 2) Of the civil day, or the space of twenty four hours(thus including the night)—Any part of a day is counted as a whole day, hence the expression "three days & three nights" does not mean literally three whole days, but at least one whole day plus part of two other days. Strong—feminine(with wra[hour] implied) of a derivative of hmai(to sit; akin to the base of edraiov[sedentary, immovable]) meaning--Tame, i.e. Gentle; Day,; figuratively--A period(always defined more or less clearly by the context); 3) of the last day of this present age; 4) Used of time in general, i.e. The days of his life.
(CONT...)4—God’s people acquire strength to stand victorious thru a distinct...RESISTANCE(:13)
“Having Done”—katergazomai—1) To perform, accomplish, achieve; 2) To work out i.e. To do that from which something results—2a) of things: Bring about, result in; 3) To fashion i.e. Render one fit for a thing. Strong—Do work fully, i.e. Accomplish; by implication--To finish, fashion. Used 24X.
From—kata—1) Down from, through out; 2) According to, toward, along.—&—ergazomai—1) To work, labor, do work; 2) To trade, to make gains by trading, "do business”; 3) To do, work out; 4) To work for, earn by working, to acquire. Strong—middle voice from ergon; To toil(as a task, occupation, etc.), by implication--Effect, be engaged in or with, etc..
“All”—apav—Adj.—1) Quite, all, the whole, all together, all. Strong—absolutely all or singular--Every one.
More comprehensive or integral than pav.
From A(as a particle of union)—&—pav—1) individually—1a) Each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything; 2) collectively—2a) Some of all types. Strong—apparently a primary word; All, any, every, the whole.
“Stand”(See :11, 14)—isthmi—Verb—1) To cause or make to stand, to place, put, set—1a) To bid to stand by, [set up]—1a1) in the presence of others, in the midst, before judges, before members of the Sanhedrin;, 1a2) To place, 1b) To make firm, fix establish—1b1) To cause a person or a thing to keep his or its place, 1b2) To stand, be kept intact(of family, a kingdom), to escape in safety, 1b3) To establish a thing, cause it to stand 1b31) To uphold or sustain the authority or force of anything, 1c) To set or place in a balance—1c1) To weigh: money to one(because in very early times before the introduction of coinage, the metals used to be weighed); 2) To stand—2a) To stand by or near—2a1) To stop, stand still, to stand immovable, stand firm—2a1a) of the foundation of a building, 2b) To stand—2b1) Continue safe & sound, stand unharmed, to stand ready or prepared, 2b2) To be of a steadfast mind, 2b3) of quality--One who does not hesitate, does not waiver. Strong—a prolonged form of a primary staw(of the same meaning, used for it in certain tenses); To stand(transitively or intransitively), used in various applications(literally or figuratively).
Argumentation:
*At 80 years of age Moses resisted Pharaoh(Ex. 7:7). Over & over God resisted Pharaoh thru the 10 plagues(Ex. chapts. 7-12), wherein YaHWeH God openly exercised His power over & defied the gods of Egypt.
Heb. 1:1-4—“God, who at various times & in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory & the express image of His person, & upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.”
*Heb. 2:1-4—“Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, & every transgression & disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, & was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs & wonders, with various miracles, & gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?”
Heb. 3:1-6—“Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle & High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house. For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house. For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God. And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward, but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence & the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.”
*Heb. 4:1-3, 10-13, 14-16—“Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: “So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest,’” although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.”.....“For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living & powerful, & sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul & spirit, & of joints & marrow, & is a discerner of the thoughts & intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked & open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy & find grace to help in time of need.”
*Heb. 5:12-14—“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; & you have come to need milk & not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good & evil.”
*Heb. 6:1-3, 9-12—“Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works & of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, & of eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits.”.....“But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner. For God is not unjust to forget your work & labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, & do minister. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith & patience inherit the promises.”
Heb. 8:1-2, 7-13—“Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary & of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, & not man.”.....“For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. Because finding fault with them, He says: “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel & with the house of Judah--“not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, & I disregarded them, says the LORD. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind & write them on their hearts; & I will be their God, & they shall be My people. None of them shall teach his neighbor, & none his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, & their sins & their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete & growing old is ready to vanish away.”
Heb. 10:19-27, 39—Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new & living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, & having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience & our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love & good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, & so much the more as you see the Day approaching. For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, & fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.”.....“But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.”
*Heb. 11:13-16, 30-40—[Having listed the faithful: Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham & Sarah]—“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them & confessed that they were strangers & pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.”.....[The author continues with Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, & Moses]—“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace. And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon & Barak & Samson & Jephthah, also of David & Samuel & the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again. And others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings & scourgings, yes, & of chains & imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins & goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented-- of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts & mountains, in dens & caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.”
*Heb. 12:1-4—“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, & the sin which so easily ensnares us, & let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author & finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, & has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary & discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.”
*Heb. 12:12-15—“Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, & the feeble knees, & make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. Pursue peace with all people, & holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, & by this many become defiled;”
Jude 1:24-25—“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory & majesty, Dominion & power, Both now & forever. Amen.”
*Rev. 2:10, 11—“Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, & you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, & I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”’
*Rev. 2:25-29—“But hold fast what you have till I come. And he who overcomes, & keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations--‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’--as I also have received from My Father; & I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’
Rev. 3:11-13—“Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, & he shall go out no more. And I will write on him the name of My God & the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’
*Acts 6:9-10—“Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, & those from Cilicia & Asia), disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to resist the wisdom & the Spirit by which he spoke.”
*Js. 4:6-8—“But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil & he will flee from you. Draw near to God & He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; & purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
*Mat. 5:38-48—“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye & a tooth for a tooth.’ “But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you & take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, & from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor & hate your enemy.’ “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, & pray for those who spitefully use you & persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil & on the good, & sends rain on the just & on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
*We must resist evil...without making it personal...We must hate the sin & love the sinner! We must maintain our witness to the God of glory....
*Dan. 3:1-2, 4-6, 8, 12-13, 15-18, 19-27—“Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits(~90ft.) & its width six cubits(~9ft). He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. And King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to gather together the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, & all the officials of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.”.....“Then a herald cried aloud: “To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, & languages, “that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, & psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down & worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up; & whoever does not fall down & worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.”.....“Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward & accused the Jews.”.....“There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, & Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up.” Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage & fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, & Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king.”.....“Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, & psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, & you fall down & worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?” Shadrach, Meshach, & Abed-Nego answered & said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, & He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, & the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, & Abed-Nego. He spoke & commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. And he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, & Abed-Nego, & cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, & their other garments, & were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore, because the king’s command was urgent, & the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, & Abed-Nego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, & Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; & he rose in haste & spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered & said to the king, “True, O king.” “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; & they are not hurt, & the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace & spoke, saying, “Shadrach, Meshach, & Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, & come here.” Then Shadrach, Meshach, & Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire. And the satraps, administrators, governors, & the king’s counselors gathered together, & they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, & the smell of fire was not on them.”
Illustration:
Rain-X windshield protectant/Properly apply it to your windshield & you really don’t even need your windshield wipers!/It produces a thin surface which causes water droplets to bead up & not adhere to the glass!/RESISTANCE
Anti-fouling paint for ships/Continually seeking to reduce the surface drag & weight when fouling ocean animals attach to the hull/RESISTANCE
Our white car attracts love-bugs/Any car going 55 mph. catches bugs/Bug guts cover the front & sideview mirrors/You actively wash the car so that there is a resistance to the bug’s carcass remaining/RESISTANCE
When we are shopping in Tallahassee on any bright sunny day, I look for shade wherever I park/If we park in the sun, the interior of the car will overheat, causing the breakdown of the materials/Prolonged exposure to the sun itself will eventually cause the breakdown of paint & plastics/RESISTANCE
‘Christian’ nay-sayers regarding your ministry/It shoulda’ been done this way--It shoulda’ been done that way’--If I would’ve been in charge I would’ve done it this way.’, etc, etc.--meaning...You & your ministry attempts are not real ministry/RESISTANCE
Application:
?Your RESISTANCE give you & others, strength to stand victorious?
?You acquired Strength to Stand victorious over wickedness?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Disparity among the majority of the Israelite leaders(who spied out the land of Canaan), vs. Caleb & Joshua.
Action:
God’s people acquire strength to stand victorious thru a distinct...
4. RESISTANCE(:13)
1. STRENGTH(:10)
2. ENSEMBLE(:11)Clothing/Array/Dress
3. CONTENTION(:12)
Pt. 4 only! Presented 06/18/2017pm(Father’s Day) to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SW(SE Ave. A)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
