OPENING
On June 6th, 1944 at 5:50 in the morning a group of 100,000 plus soldiers set sail for the French shoreline at Normandy, not knowing what laid in wait for them. All they knew was that they had a mission to accomplish and they were focused on that mission. That morning marked the beginning of the end of World War II.
Some of you might be thinking, what would a War Story have to do with this church service or where in the world is this heading? Well let me tell you. Everyday as a Child of God, we are going to be in a Spiritual Battle that will last until our Lord returns. We need to be ready and equipped for the journey that lies ahead of us. We are fortunate enough to have a Message from God in the form of a letter from Paul to Timothy on what the character of a Christian Soldier should be.
READ: 2 Timothy 2:1-2
7 Characteristics of Christian Soldiers
They are Strong (v.1)
· They receive their strength from the grace of God. (Phil 4:13)
· They do not rely on their own strength.
They are Single Minded (v.3)
· Not close minded, but rather focused on God
· Do not trouble yourselves with the affairs of everyday living
· Your calling from God into service, must by your focus and
priority in life.
**The men that attacked the beaches of Normandy that day, were
focused on the final objective and didn’t allow them to be steered
astray by all the turmoil that was taking place around them.
They are Strict (v.5)
· Follow the Word of God, with no exceptions
· We cannot compete or win by cutting corners
**The Normandy Invasion would not have been a success, if those
soldiers had cut corners on their training or failed to follow the
Orders given them.
They are Secure (v. 11)
· A soldier of Christ has no doubt about where their salvation lies
· They hold tight to the promises of God
· This will free us up, to focus on the work of God
They are Sound in their Faith (v.19)
· They do not argue, because there is no profit from it, only harm to those that might hear it. You can destroy your testimony with one word that has taken you days to build.
· They are diligent in God’s work, in order to show themselves approved (v. 15)
· They avoid worldly and empty talk (gossip), because it only leads to ungodliness (v.16-17)
They are Sanctified (v.20-21)
· Be pure in the sight of God
· Do not contaminate yourselves with earthly desires
· Always be prepared for the work of God
** We cannot wait for God to call us, and then try to straighten out our lives before going. The soldiers of Normandy, did not wait until their landing craft hit the beach to equip themselves, they were ready to go before they even boarded the boats.
They are Servants (v. 24)
· Able to teach others
· Patient when wronged
· Gently correct others
CLOSING (Bow heads and close eyes)
Are you equipped and ready to serve?
Is there something in our life that you need to get rid of and turn
over to the Lord, that you may used?
Do you have the security of Heaven?
Before you leave here today, you need to tie down your
relationship with God.
