Choose Your Weapons Wisely
“By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away! 2 I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. 3 For though we live in the world,
we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.”
2 Corinthians 10: 1-4
Intro: One day a man was walking down the street, saw a hole, and fell in it.
The next day the man walked down the street and saw the hole and fell in again.
The third day the man partially changed his course but still fell in the hole.
The fourth day he altered his route a little more but then turned around to look back and fell in the hole.
Finally when the man became tired of his failure,
He took a wheel barrel, some rocks and dirt, and a shovel and filled the hole in the street.
Many of us are just like this man, thinking that we can change just a little and avoid the pitfalls of life.
The truth is we are in a spiritual battle every day.
The devil knows your weakness.
He knows the exact type of bait to use.
Satan is a word twister.
He is a communication blocker.
The bible calls him a deceiver…, destroyer…, a thief…, and a liar.
The Good News is you are not meant to go up against Satan alone and empty handed.
People of God have a track record of defeating Satan.
God also has a box of tools and weapons for the believer to use in the fight against temptation and sin.
The title of today’s sermon is “Choose Your Weapons Wisely.”
The original Greek word used for “weapon”
Original Word: ?p???, ??, t? Transliteration: hoplon Phonetic Spelling: (hop'-lon)
Means: an instrument…, tools…, armour or offensive weapon
The power of God is choosing the right tools or weapons to use for the situation you are in.
One thing I have learned is that many times we choose the wrong weapons to fight the battle we are faced with.
When you are faced with a problem.
Maybe it is something that someone has said about you.
A coworker who is trying to undermine your job at work.
A spouse who has said something that has upset you.
You have to ask yourself if I engage in this battle
If I spend my time and energy trying to straight this out
Defending myself
Arguing with a family member
Trying to prove that I am right
Even if I win this battle what is the prize going to be?
The reason many people miss out on God’s best
is they have used their energy fighting battles that don’t really matter.
Or they have used the wrong tool or weapon and a have made no progress
We are supposed to be in God’s army.
You are supposed to be a warrior.
But a warrior doesn’t just fight any battle and with just any weapon.
I Corinthians 9:26 says, “I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.”
This means that we with God obedience comes with a goal, a purpose, a direction.
Two UK basketball enthusiast had front row tickets at Rupp Arena.
It was one of those Wildcat / Gator matches.
Right before the game started one guy said to other,
The last time Florida beat Kentucky the score was 88-79
The other guy said, no it was 88-66
The two men argued back and forth and both men missed the tip off.
Near the end of the first quarter the referee made what one of the men thought was a questionable call.
He and his buddy exchanged comments back and forth
and missed seeing three point shot that tied the game.
Honestly the second of half of the game was all Kentucky to win 76 -66.
But the two men with front row tickets spent more time arguing
and looking at each other than they did watching the game.
My point is this in the big picture it did not matter.
When we get caught up in the petty battles and miss out on the real important things around us.
When we get caught up in the non-essential fights we may miss the tip-offs,
the tie making three pointers
and the really enjoyable things in life.
In life we are tempted to do the same things.
When we should save our energy,
save our fight for the things that are really important.
The fight against broken homes…, broken marriages…, broken teenagers…, broken communities.
Christian life is a warfare. Ephesians 6:16
Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Satan is constantly battling against all who on the Lord’s side.
We need supernatural tool and weapons to defeat an evil and spiritual foe.
There is were two young brothers who decided to go to church one Sunday just to make Christians mad.
Let’s just go have some fun they said!
We’ll see how much we can push their buttons.
Arnold told his brother Adam. “I hear their motto is ‘Come as you are’,”
Let’s go and just be ourselves.
They had both been out all Saturday night.
They walked in hung over, unkempt from their night on the town.
During social minutes they both got in line ahead of others, grabbing donuts and juice
They stood laughing and talking and Arnold even let a foul word or two slip across his lips.
Loud enough for others to hear.
How did the church respond?
How could a group of people who are sinners saved by grace respond?
Instead of the disgusted looks of contempt
They were met with eyes of understanding and compassion.
One of the men of the church went over and began to talk to the two boys.
He knew their father.
He had watched to boys play sports in high school.
He invited the young men to sit next to him during the worship service.
That day church was not what these two young men expected.
You can do so much good, with your kindness, compassion, your hospitality, your positive attitude.
You give, you support, you encourage,
But know matter how good we are…, we can find areas in our life that are not working.
Places that need fixing.
Wounds that need healing.
Brokenness that needs mending.
Sin that needs repenting.
There was a change that took place in those boys lives that day.
There was a change because people in the church knew how to love on new people.
There was a change in the two young men because even though they did not come looking for change
Deep down inside they wanted to change.
They were desperate for change.
They needed help.
You have to want to help and change before real help and change will take place in your life.
On day a loving father looked down upon his children
His children were hopeless and in despair.
There was no way out for them.
So this father sent his Son Jesus.
To pay the penalty for their sin.
Jesus took their place.
Jesus died on the cross to pay for your mistakes.
For every wrong choice.
For every bad decision.
Jesus blood became the sacrifice.
His loss became our gain.
His death became our life.
God is always looking for people who are willing to die to self
And take up the cross and follow him.
Lent is a special time of year that reminds us that is exactly what needs to happen.
It is 40 days from Ash Wednesday before Easter.
Ashes remind us that we are mortal.
Our life is but a short time.
Adam was created by the Lord God out of the dust of the earth
And to dust we shall return.
Ashes to Ashes, dust to dust.
You see what I really like about God is since he was there when we were put together.
He understands how to fix us when our life if falling apart.
God knows what you are made of. He knows what makes you tick.
Where the piece go and what needs fixing to get our life working again.
Before anyone can ever celebrate Easter there has to be the sacrificing of Lent.
The rededication
The reaffirmation
What do you need to recommit to in your life?
Do you need to recovenant your marriage?
Have you been unfaithful to your spouse.
Maybe not even in a physical way as with sex with someone else
But in the lack of emotional support.
Not being there for each other.
Not being the husband or the wife you made a vow to be.
Not being the dad or mom you made a promise to be for your children.
See we can get so caught up in making sure our kids are at the ball game
That we are not there for them after they get home.
Maybe today you need to retool your marriage
Maybe you need to stop fighting those losing battles
And stand strong against the real enemy of the family and that is Satan himself.
John 10:10 says “the enemy comes to kill, still and destroy.”
The devil has a plan of attack against your life.
Do you have a plan to defend your life, and your family and your loved ones against the thief’s attack?
This first step is to know what tools or what weapons to use.
To “Choose Your Weapons Wisely”
As a church there is a time to build up the church.
That is one work.
There are certain tools we use to build.
And certain weapons we have to defend.
But there is also a time to “Demolition the strong holds” of the enemy.
There are defensive weapons and offensive weapons in the box of the believers.
Motivation will work in the church.
But motivation only last as long as the cheer leaders are standing up and cheering.
Building someone up, encouraging them last for a couple of Sundays.
But when we can tear down and demolish the strongholds…
The things that Satan uses to have his grip and hold on them…, then they have really been set free!!! AMEN???
Nail
Screw driver---not good to drive a nail
Hammer---not good to work on my glasses
Wrenches---for the car
Utensils, Spatulas---for the grill and cooking.
Godly weapons
Prayer---is the first tool or weapon.
Prayer is as weak or as strong as the faith and desire and heart of the person praying.
1 Corinthians 14:15 “I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding;”
In other words it takes having both your mind and your heart in the right place when you pray.
True prayer as a weapon of God is both intellect and emotion.
You can mean every word you say.
But if you don’t believe what you are praying it will never reach beyond the ceiling of the room you are in.
You can yell and jump this high off the ground.
But if you aren’t shouting for the right reason.
We must clapping in the right spirit,
“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love,
I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.” 1 Corinthians 13:1
There may be some who need to move a little toward the common sense side.
And some who may need to move a little toward the emotional side.
My guess and this is purely a guess.
Is most of us know the words to say when we pray
But we might need to say them with a little more feeling.
I have always believed that if I preach a sermon simple enough a child can understand it
the adults will figure it out soon or later.
There is power in passionate prayer.
“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” James 5:16
Christ has made it possible for us to go directly to God for forgiveness.
Prayer makes it possible for us to go straight to the source of mercy.
Straight to the fountain of Grace.
I can offer a proper prayer because of the passion of Christ.
I thought my intellects would say amen here… ( you would if you had a little more emotion) Amen.
You should never be afraid to hard work for the Lord.
God has gifted you with the right tools to do something great
So the challenge to you is to take the innovative to do something good.
Use your potential to get the work done.
Take the tools or the weapons that God has given you and use them for good.
“By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you
—I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away!
2 I beg you that when I come
I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people
who think that we live by the standards of this world.
3 For though we live in the world,
we do not wage war as the world does.
4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.
On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.”
You have the ability
You have the tools
You have the weapons
Just use them.
Your “Testimony” is your weapon so choose your words wisely.
Telling what God has done in your life is a powerful weapon against the world.
People need to hear what you have overcome.
What if you get up and say, God’ you have been so good to me why don’t you put me to work?
You gave me my hands to reach out
To show your love and your perfect plan
You gave me my ears, so I can hear your voice
I can also hear the cries of needy, the lost, and the sinners
You gave me my voice to speak your word,
To sing all your praises
But I need to be more available.
I've seen the hearts that have been broken,
So many people need to be set free.
Lord, help me be more available to you
I'll do what you say do,
Use me Lord to show someone the way
And enable time to say,
I'm giving back to you
All the tools you have given to me
My hands, my ears, my voice, my eyes,
Use me Lord to show someone the way
What more can I do today to serve you Lord?
I have spent so much time asking you to make my life better
What can I do today to improve the world for you Lord?
Who can I bless today by the work of my hands?
Who can I reach today with my testimony?
Who can I encourage today with my prayers?
Put me to work God
I am on the job.
Touch somebody and say get to work.
The bible the Word of God is a tool or weapon.
“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12
Maybe you have been on the defensive to long…
It is time we go in the offensive.
The bow and arrow is an ancient weapon.
Going all the way back to the earliest beginning of tool making.
Imagine having a bow and arrow before there was armor or gun powder.
Sin is an archer term
It means missing the mark.
Maybe you have been missing the mark for so long
You have been on the defensive.
Always dealing with your past.
What can you do if you have made wrong choices in the past?
Get out of past and start making right choices now.
Take responsibility for your life and stop living in the deception of excuses.
Deuteronomy 7:1-2
Stop making excuses for your enemies and utterly destroy them.
Numbers 21:5 The Israelites always blamed God and Moses for their problems.
Stop blaming others for your quality of life.
Are you using the right tools? The right weapons?
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:21
There is Power in the Choice of the Weapon you choose.
Joshua 24:15 . . . choose you this day whom ye will serve . . .
but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD
.
I shudder to think how different my life would have been
had I not made the right choice.
I made a decision
– I asked God to change ME!
Lord change me.
