You’ve got all you need!
Winston Churchill
"This is a war of the unknown warriors," Churchill told the world in the summer of 1940, "The whole of the warring nations are engaged, not only soldiers, but the entire population, men, women and children. The fronts are everywhere. The trenches are dug in the towns and streets. Every village is fortified. Every road is barred. The front lines run through the factories. The workmen are soldiers with different weapons but the same courage."
In world war two in England there was a deep sense in which the entire population was engaged in a battle for it’s very existence.
The Christian church today as in every age is embarked on a grand enterprise - indeed the grandest enterprise of world history.
Simply put it is the rescue of men and woman from the result of the fall by enabling them to avial themselves of all that Jesus has done for them on the cross.
it is an incredible enterprise.
Although not new it is fresh and needs to be viewed in the context of the strange 21st century world we are surrounded by.
Jesus once said My Kingdom is not of this world :
-JN 18:36 Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."
The Kingdom that we fight for is in fact the Kingdom of God -
What is at stake here?
Jesus at Calvary won a tremendous battle on a scale unheard of in human or heavenly history -
Far greater than the recent rout of Kabul he effected the battle that would ensure the devil and his followers would be routed and on the run until the end of time.
however, the devil, in a similar way like the Taleban in southern Afghanistan has dug in and is defending his Kingdom even though he knows he is defeated.
Billy Graham says of the devil:
At this moment of history, two mighty trinities stand face to face; the Trinity of God (the Father, son and Holy Ghost) and the false trinity that Satan would have us worship in it’s place. The trinity of evil (the devil, anti-christ, and false prophet) is described in the Book of Revelation: "And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet" (Revelation 16:13.)
Graham goes on to say.
Never for a second of your waking or sleeping life are you without the influence of these two powerful forces, never is there a moment when you cannot deliberately choose to go with one or the other. Always the devil is standing at your side tempting, coaxing , threatening, cajoling. And always on your other side stands Jesus, the all loving, the all forgiving, waiting for you to turn to Him and ask his aid, waiting to give you supernatural power to resist the evil one You belong to one or the other. There isn’t a no mans land between where you can hide.
In moments of your greatest fear and anxiety, in moments when you feel yourself helpless in the grip of events you cannot control, when despair and disappointment overwhelm you - in these moments many times it is the devil who is trying to catch you at your weakest point and push you further along the path that Adam took.
In these perilous moments remember that Christ has not deserted you. He has not left you defensless. As he triumphed over Satan in his hour of temptation and trial, so He has promised that you, too, can have daily victory over the tempter. remember. "You are of God.... and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4.)
Some people do not want to hear this but the truth is if God did not want us to know about this -
then why did he put it in the Bible?
The answer is at least twofold
so we can be alerted to our situation!!!!!!!!
and secondly so we can know that we have the long haul victory -
Understanding your position.
1CO 1:4 I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way--in all your speaking and in all your knowledge-- 6 because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
This scripture has great encouragement that our position with God is very good.
Not only is our position with God great but our lives can matter for God here on earth.
There are in fact three things we can do to ensure God’s continuing blessing on our lives.
Three things that means we can maximise the affect of our lives on the world around us.
In the movie Pearl Harbor, there is a scene in which Rafe
says to an English officer: "I’m not anxious to die sir, just
anxious to matter." His attitude shows a depth of understanding related
to living to make a difference in the world.
The first thing we read in this passage is:-
I always thank God for you.
Paul here is saying that he thanks God for the christian community at Corinth -
This church sat in the middle of an enormous population and it is to this Church that Paul is writing.
One of the great ways of living in christian victory is taking your place in your local christian community or church.
The motivation for Pauls letter was that there had been problems in the church at Corinth.
Problems of disunity.
There is a place of blessing with God in unity.
Recently in our Parish prayer meeting it was felt quite strongly that God was calling us together in unity.
in Psalm 133 you read -
Psalm 133
A song of ascents. Of David.
PS 133:1 How good and pleasant it is
when brothers live together in unity!
PS 133:2 It is like precious oil poured on the head,
running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron’s beard,
down upon the collar of his robes.
PS 133:3 It is as if the dew of Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the LORD bestows his blessing,
even life forevermore.
Psalm 134
The story is told of a time when a little child in an African tribe
wandered off into the tall jungle grass and could not be found, although
the tribe searched all day.
The next day the tribal members all held hands and walked through the
grass together.
This enabled them to find the child, but due to the cold night he had not
survived.
In her anguish and through tears, the mother cried, "If only we would
have held hands sooner."
It is not enough that we all share a common goal.
We must all work together to accomplish it without hesitation.
Unity is so important in the body of Christ - Being first isn’t important but taking your place together in unity is.
Remember that Jesus said the first will be last - what is most important is that we maximise our place in the body of Christ and as the bible says
3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 RO 14:19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 2
It is little wonder that Christian unity is so important -
1CO 1:10 I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. 11 My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ."
1CO 1:13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? 14
Together we are to be one "in Christ."
The second great theme that I get is grasp the sufficiency of God for your situation..
1CO 1:4 I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way--in all your speaking and in all your knowledge-- 6 because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you.
It almost doesn’t matter what you are facing God will be sufficient for your situation.
in Christ we have been enriched in every way.
As the scripture says
God makes all things work together for Good for those in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Not everything goes well for the Christian.
Paul said:-
1CO 1:4 I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way--in all your speaking and in all your knowledge-- 6 because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you.
John Maxwell tells
Most of us have read the beautiful poem called Footprints. It’s brought comfort I think to all of us. I have it in my upper room right across from my desk. I see it continually. What’s interesting is that the lady who wrote Footprints, Margaret Fishbeck, went through amazing trials. The person that she loved left her, she caught meningitis, and was literally bedridden for many months. She came to the lowest place of her life. During that time, another man fell in love with her and wanted to marry her. But she wouldn’t marry him. She basically said, "I’m out of trust. I’m not sure I trust God. I know I don’t trust men. I’m out of trust." One night in her diary as she lay in bed, she began to write that beautiful piece Footprints. And that night she saw the answer. I’ll just take a moment to read it to you, if you’ve never heard it: "One night a man had a dream, and he dreamed that he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes of his life, and for each scene he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand, one belonging to him and the other belonging to the Lord. After the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. And he also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and at the very saddest times of his life. This really bothered him, and he questioned the Lord about it. He said, ’Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you’d walk with me all the way. But I’ve noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there’s only one set of footprints. I don’t understand, Lord. Why, when I needed you the very most, you would leave me?’ And the Lord replied, ’My precious, precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.’"
When you know the sufficiency of God you will quietly fill your roll in the body of Christ knowing that if you do that well under His grace then for God - That is enough.
Thirdly Perservere - because God will provide the means for you to do the job -
You have the correct tools for the job.
7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.
Whatever God asks you to do He will provide for the situation.Paul knew about perserverance -
He talked about that
2 Corinthians 11 - 25ff
What anyone else dares to boast about--I am speaking as a fool--I also dare to boast about. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?
This is a war of the unknown warriors," Churchill told the world in the summer of 1940,
If you perservere in what god has called you to do you will see great things happen.
One of the great problems in the church today is that people do not apply themselves to their - God call enough whatever it is.
sometimes people who do not have much achieve great things.
Greg Biddell tells a story:-from Papua New guinea -
oNE DAY A MAN CAME WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR BUILDING A FENCE AROUND THE GARDEN IN ORDER TO KEEP OUT THE PIGS FROM THE GARDENS.
a NATIVE PNG MAN CAME DOWN THE ROAD CARRYING A HEAVY LOAD OF PIT PIT - BABY BAMBOO - WHICH WAS TIED TO HIS BACK.
hE STOPPED IN GREETING AND TOLD GREG THAT HIS GARDEN WAS A KILOMETRE DOWN THE ROAD
What amazed him most about this incredibler man was that he had no legs, no physical ,means of getting about from place to place.
In the natural the odds were against him, but he didn’t let his disability hold him back from making progress in his life nor did he allow it to hinder him from fulfilling his responsibilities as a man in the village.
He had learned to improvise - he had bound cloth around his knuckles and learning to walk on his curled up fists using his arms for legs.
in his society a severe disability did not disqualify him from his duties and responsibilities.
This man was to be admired a man of great perserverance.
Today in the Church God has equipped folk with incredible gifts of the spirit.
Every believer has the Holy spirit to help them.
We should be greatly encouraged.
God has given usa everything we need.
As we take our part in our christian community in love.
As we grasp God’s grace
and as we perservere in him.
Together we will win great battles for God and will see many come to faith in him.
