We Are At War

2 Timothy 2:3-4 Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs, he wants to please his commanding officer.

There are several different aspects of God's dealings with church.

The most familiar is that of the family of God. We are all related by the blood of Jesus and held together by our love for God our Father and for each other.

Then he calls the church his building, his Temple, his husbandry which means farmland.

Then there's the relationship of the shepherd with his sheep. Jesus is the chief Shepherd and we are his sheep.

Then He called the church His workmanship created in Christ Jesus: Ephesians 2:10 which means we are the works of his hands like a Potter's vessel is the work of The Potter's hands. We are his Masterpiece and like the artist takes pleasure in what he creates we were created for his pleasure.

All of these are different aspects of our relationship with our heavenly father and in every different facet we will experience God's work in and through our lives in different ways.

So when I speak to you I can address you as God's flock, His sheep.

Or I can address you as His building His Temple His dwelling place.

Or as His handiwork, His masterpiece.

Or I might address you as His husbandry His Farmland where he sows His good seed and produces good fruit.

Or I might even call you His Vineyard, as Jesus said I am the vine and you are the branches.

And all of these are wonderful aspects and facets of our relationship with the Lord, but there's one aspect of our relationship that I have to deal with today” and that is the army of God.

The Bible calls God a man of war in Ex 15:3 The LORD is a warrior: (The King James says The Lord is a man of war). The LORD is his name.

The Bible calls Jesus the captain of our salvation. Hebrews 2:10 To make the author of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

The Bible shows Gods dealings with the children of Israel who had been in slavery for 400 years: They didn't know anything about fighting and warfare because they were slaves and farmers and they farmed Pharaohs land and they took care of his animals and built his buildings but they didn't even know how to hold a sword, yet they became the greatest army in the world.

Israel never was and never has been the biggest or strongest nation, but God is in her midst and God has fought with Israel and God has fought for Israel. Let me tell you something, whatever happens in this world let the church stand with Israel.

In the Bible Israel was God's Army; today the church is God's Army

While we enjoy and relish all the other aspects of our relationship with God, we need to know that we are in a season when The Church Must once again become the army of God.

As in Ezekiel 37 The Church must rise up as a mighty Army filled with the spirit AND the mighty power of God.

We must understand that we may be sheep but these sheep are also soldiers. Remember the captain of this Army the Lamb of God is also the lion of the tribe of Judah. There is a time where we, as sheep quietly obediently Faithfully follow the shepherd.

But when War comes the Sheep must transform into soldiers.

Is anybody hearing me today?

It is vitally important that we all get this.

My responsibility here in this church is not just to make friends, it is teach you how to be good sheep but also how to be good soldiers.

Not just a loving family but also a bold fully-equipped well-trained Army that is a threat to hell.

It's not just about tending sheep it's about training soldiers, raising up an army. David is a perfect example of a sheep soldier. He was a young Shepherd he tended sheep he smelled like sheep he thought like sheep, he was tender and caring and loving he was a worshipper. But this young Shepherd worshipper was also a warrior. One day he's holding a wounded little lamb in his arms, the next day he's holding a Giants head in his hand that he cut off with the Giants own sword.

Why is this so important? Because the world is at war, I'm not speaking on a natural level of civil unrest and hostility although it definitely exists.

I'm speaking about a spiritual war that is manifesting in the natural' the devil is stirred up, demons are stepping up their activity they're driving people to say and do things that are total insanity that 5 years ago could not have happened at all.