Preparing for Victory & Revival: Part 4

I'm gonna have the come up and read some scripture passages, so at least those don't sound like this. So so he's gonna do that for me. This is part five of as you see on the screen there. What'd do with that? Alright.

There it is. Preparing for victory and revival. And we're in Ephesians chapter six, and we're gonna start in verse 10 again and read through until we get to the helmet of salvation this evening. So, if we're gonna be fighting the good fight that we talked about this morning, we need to be what? Prepared.

Okay? And so we need to put on the the armor of God. And so I'm gonna have David come on up and read Ephesians from Ephesians chapter six at this time. Ephesians Ephesians chapter six beginning in verse 10. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.

Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore, take unto you the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand. Stand therefore having your loins gird about with truth and having on the breastplate of righteousness and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace above all, taking the shield of faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked, and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. Let's go to the Lord in prayer.

Dear heavenly Father, thank you, Lord, for your word. We just read. Thank you for the comfort that we find therein. Thank you for the challenge that we find therein to put on your armor. Thank you for the armor that you have given us to fight this battle and the knowledge that we do not do it alone in Christ Jesus.

Bless the message this evening and strengthen my voice, I pray. In Jesus' name, amen. And your ears to withstand it. I don't know if you have been watching any of the politics, but Robert f Kennedy sounds a lot like this. And I can't stand to listen to Robert f Kennedy junior speak.

So I can't imagine what I'm putting you through. So I will try to make it as brief as possible, and it has nothing to do with the Super Bowl. Okay. I did not do this on purpose to my voice just for the Super Bowl. Okay?

But so tonight, we're going to look at the helmet of salvation. Why would one leave their head exposed? In Florida, you can ride a motorcycle down the road without a what? Without a helmet. I see people doing that all the time.

And I think if there's one part of your body you might wanna protect, it might be it might be your head. When I was a child, my dad rode a Yamaha six fifty, pretty good size, not not huge, but pretty good size bike. And I would ride it with him from time to time. And we he wouldn't go five feet out of the driveway without a helmet on my head. And though I enjoyed riding bike with my dad, I really didn't enjoy the helmet all that much.

It was restricting. You know? You couldn't see. You couldn't hear. You know?

But it was protecting something important, your head. A soldier, likewise, wouldn't go into battle without his helmet, without his headgear because your head, your mind is important. What we know, what we believe is important. It guides our actions, our thoughts, and our words. As Jesus said, it isn't what goes in that defiles you, it's what comes out.

Because what comes out reveals what's inside. Your mind is important. It's also important to the child of God in the battle with Satan and sin. It is not just our physicists, our skill which matters most in battle, but even more so our mental acuity, our understanding, strategy, attitude, determination, memory. These things guide our actions and reactions in the heat of battle.

I like to watch football. Football's on tonight, and so is my DVR. If it was like the game a couple weeks ago when Washington got killed by Philadelphia, I don't know that I'll be all that interested in watching it when I get home. But sometimes we think of football players as just being these big brutes that just, you know, you know, run into each other and tackle and smash each other. But if you know anything about football, especially if you're in a skilled position, most of them are smarter than I am because you gotta be pretty smart.

You gotta memorize a playbook, you know, like that thick. You've gotta know where you're supposed to go. And mind is very important. And so what do football players wear on the field? They wear helmets.

Right? Because their head their head and their mind are important. The Bible has a lot to say about the importance of our minds in the spiritual battle that we daily face. First Peter one thirteen, wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. That the idea is you have all this loose stuff that's hanging down.

You need to get it wrapped up, get it pulled up, get it out of your way so that you can what? So that you can run. You don't want this stuff tripping you up in battle and the ideas with our mind. We got so many things running around in there and so many voices. We need to to wrap that up with the mind of Christ and the word of God so that we can the race that is before us and in the battle that is before us.

In Isaiah twenty six three, thou shalt will keep him in perfect peace is mind who stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee. Romans twelve two, and be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is a good and acceptable and perfect will of God. If we are to be effective servants for Christ, it starts in our heart and our what? In our mind. It needs to be protected.

It needs to be used. It needs to be sure. Doesn't need to be any doubt. When you're when you're going out on that pass play, you need to know where you're going and there doesn't need to be any doubt. When you're a soldier in battle, you need to know what it is you're supposed to do, and there needs to be not any what?

Doubt. We need to put on the helmet. The helmet that is what? Salvation. The knowledge of salvation.

The assurance of salvation. I believe both the reass the assurance that we are secure in our relationship with Christ and a confident expectation of our heavenly home, which Paul calls the hope of salvation. Look, if you would, and up here on the screen at first Thessalonians five. It says, but let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet, the what? The hope of salvation.

For God hath not appointed us to what? To wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. The Thessalonians were concerned that some of their loved ones had passed away. They were concerned that some of the things going on in the world seemed to indicate to them that maybe they had missed the second coming, that they had missed the rapture, that somehow they had missed out, and that they were headed to what? Wrath and destruction.

And Paul tells them, he says, be sober, put on the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet, the hope, the assurance, the confident expectation of your salvation. For God has not appointed you to what? To wrath. He has appointed you who put your faith in Jesus Christ to salvation. Get that straight in your mind, Thessalonians.

You haven't missed it. God hasn't forgotten you. God has appointed you to glory, not to destruction. You need to have that that hope, that confident expectation, that sure anticipation. It isn't a hope like, well, I hope it rains tomorrow or, you know, I hope Kansas City wins the ballgame.

It is a certain confident expectation that you know something's gonna happen, but it just hasn't happened what? It just hasn't happened yet. And if we are going to go into battle and be effective soldiers for Christ, we need to put on the helmet of salvation. We need to be sure of our standing before God, of our salvation in Christ so that we can confidently wade out into battle knowing that we do not wade out alone, knowing that no matter what happens to us, we have a home where? In heaven.

With the Lord who loves us. A Christian who is unsure, insecure in their relationship with Christ or of their eternal home in heaven is vulnerable to the lies and the questions that the enemy will throw at them. Yea, hath God said? That's what Satan said to Eve in the garden. We need to know what we believe, and we need to know why we believe it, and we need to know that we have a home in heaven who accepted Christ as savior.

So that the doubts of Satan and the lies of Satan do not cause us to waver in our service to the Lord. In first Peter chapter one, first Peter one, if you wanna turn there, I'm gonna have David read verses three through five. Peter begins his letter emphasizing this very thing to start with. Okay? So, brother Dave.

First Peter one three through five. Blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that faded not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Thank you, brother Dave. What is Peter's point?

First yeah, we're in first Peter. What is Peter's point? He is writing to assure them that they are secure in Jesus Christ. He wants them to have that point nailed down. He has a lot else to say.

He has, what, five chapters worth of instruction and encouragement and challenge to the people that he is writing. But the first thing they need to get nailed down is their what? Is this their security in Christ. That they have a home awaiting them in heaven, and that that is already, if they put their faith in Christ, been taken care of. They may have other concerns here.

Do this. Do that. But there's one thing that has been taken care of, and that is my justification in Christ Jesus, my eternal inheritance in heaven. And there are many other verses in scripture that declare that same same cons that same doctrine. John 10, my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me.

And I give unto them, what? Eternal life, and they shall, what's the next word, never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My father which gave them me is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my father's hand. What is Jesus saying? Follow me, trust in me, and you will, what?

Never perish. Those who respond in faith to Jesus Christ, those who are his sheep and have received him as Lord and Savior, Jesus said, he gives us eternal life, which is unending. That's what eternal means. And that we will never perish. John six twenty three, all the father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me, I will in no wise, what?

Cast out. So if you come to God in faith through Jesus Christ, God says, I will in no case will I, what, cast you out. Why? Because Jesus, whatever sin you may commit, it is already under the blood of Jesus Christ. It is nailed to his cross, and he remembers it no more.

It is already pardoned and off the books of heaven. Philippians one six, being confident in this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Now, why do you think the day of Jesus Christ is? I think that's the day we stand before Christ, talked about in first John three, and we will see him as he is because we will be what? We will be like him.

New body, no sin in the likeness of my savior. That's what it means when it says the day of Jesus Christ. And Paul says he's confident of this thing, that God who has started this work in you that believe is not going to give up on you. He's not going to quit on you. He's gonna what?

He's gonna finish what he started. Romans eight one, there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Jesus in Christ Jesus, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the spirit. First, second Timothy one twelve. Oh, I heard it there. Who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit.

And by the way, when it says, who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit, that's not a condition of no condemnation. That is a description of those who are no longer under condemnation. If you're in Christ, then you're not in the flesh, you're in the what? Does the spirits come to live where? Inside your heart.

And there is therefore no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, who have received his what? Who have received his his spirit. Second Timothy one twelve, for the which cause I also suffer these things, the persecution, the mocking, all of that, the rejection. Nevertheless, Paul writes, I'm not ashamed. For I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed unto him against that day.

Paul says, I get up, dust myself off, you know, treat my wounds, and I go on to the next what? The next city. How can you do that, Paul? Paul says the one thing that's most important, no longer my worry. He's got me in his hands.

He's got my soul in his hands. And that which I've committed to him, my soul, my eternity, He's got that all taken care of. Hebrews thirteen five says, let your conversation be without covetousness and be content for as things for with such things as you have for he has said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. That is the promise of God.

He does declare the same thing here in the verses we read by describing the situation of those to whom he wrote as believers in Christ. They had been born again born again by God's power. They were begotten according to the abundant mercy of God. Unto a what? A living hope.

An ever living hope. A hope that wasn't going to what? Perish or die. Unto a living hope via the resurrection of who? Of Jesus Christ, who is a living savior.

Whoever lives to make what? Intercession for us. To an eternal inheritance reserved in heaven for us. And who reserved it? I didn't reserve it.

God reserved it for for me. Christ paid for it. God reserved it. It's got my my name on it. And those who've been born again in by God's power have a living hope to the resurrection of Christ, have an eternal inheritance in heaven, who are kept by the power of who?

Or kept by the power of God through faith. Kept by God's power, resulting in our continuing what? Faith. See that in Job. Did Job how did Job overcome Satan?

He overcame him by the power of God, which demonstrated itself in his what? In his continuing faith. But it wasn't Job's power. It wasn't because Job was more powerful than God. How could God be so assured that despite Satan's temptation, Job would stand strong because God was keeping him by his power.

It wasn't Job's power. It was whose power? God's power. This wasn't a battle between Job and Satan. It was a battle between God and Satan To see who was stronger.

Who's stronger? God's stronger. Yeah. Peter begins this letter with this very important point. If you're going to grow in your faith in the Lord and serve him effectively, you need to be assured of your standing before God.

If not, you're likely to be vulnerable to the enemy's lies and you innuendos, always questioning, unable to keep your head in the what? In the game. You gotta keep your head in the game. This is one thing that God's got taken care of. We need to focus on what we are to do as children of God here, as we lay up treasure where?

In heaven. In heaven, in the place that's already been reserved for us. Wouldn't it be sad to lay out that treasure up in heaven and then not get there? But I don't have to worry about that because Jesus Christ is there, and he is interceding for me. He's there in my behalf.

He has my place reserved. I am seated in the what? In the heavenlies in Christ Jesus. Now look, if you would, with me in second Peter chapter one. Second Peter chapter one, and I'm gonna have David read verses five through 11.

So second Peter one, and we're gonna read verses five through 11. Second Peter one five through 11. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance patience, and to patience godliness, and to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness charity. Where these things be in you and abound, they make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off and has forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

Wherefore, the rather brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure For if he if he do these things, he shall never fall. For so, an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ. Oh, we read the beginning of first Peter. Now we just read the beginning of what? Second Peter, his second letter.

Is he concerned about the same thing at the beginning of this letter as he is at beginning of that letter? Yes, he is. And I think he's responding to some concerns that he has heard from those that to whom he is writing. And he's going at it a little bit different, but with the same purpose to the same end. There is not only security in Christ, but there is assurance in Christ.

And security and assurance are not necessarily the same thing. I believe in eternal security of the believer in Christ. God's got me when I entrusted my soul. When I got in the that illustration I used. When I got in the wheelbarrow and I trusted Christ to get me across to the other side, once I got in there by faith, now it's all up to who?

Salvation's up to him. It's not up to me. Okay? It is all it is all up to him. He's got that.

That security. But here's assurance. Are you in the what? Are you in the wheelbarrow? Are you in Christ?

Are you are you sure? Because it's important not only that you believe in eternal security, but it's important that you're sure that that applies to who? You. Because you got in the wheelbarrow, because you trusted Christ, and that's settled. And I think some of the people he was writing to were having issues with their assurance.

Now do Christians sometimes have issues with their assurance? They do. Does it affect their ability to serve and fight for the Lord? I think it does. If they lack assurance, that is always gonna be on their mind, and they're not gonna be able to keep their head in the game.

And you need that assurance because nothing else in this life is more important than your what? Than your salvation. So we have a list of things here. He says, giving diligence add to your faith virtue and virtue knowledge, and he goes through a list of these Christian virtues that we should be growing in as children of God, that we be not, verse eight, barren nor unfruitful. And he says, but he which lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off.

Is it's not completely blind that the idea is that that everything is very obscured. It's like somebody who has severe cataracts, and everything has gotten what? Darker. And and and sometimes when your eyes start to go like that, and it happens very gradually. Over years, you forget what it was like when you could see without the cataracts.

And when they take them off, I've heard, in some cases, it's like, wow, that's white. I didn't remember that's what white looked like. And the same thing can happen to the child of God if we're not growing in these Christian virtues. His point is this. If you have been saved or at least profess to be saved and are not growing in your faith, in the fruit of the spirit, in Christian virtues, in Christ likeness, then you will likely feel insecure in your faith.

And you may lack assurance of your salvation and for good reason because God enables and intends for his children to what? To grow to be more like him. That's what God intends for his children, is that we not be stagnant, is that we not go backwards, is that we go forwards in Christ Jesus and grow stronger in our faith and more like Jesus Christ. Romans eight twenty five nine, for whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son that he might be the firstborn among many brethrens. For whom Christ did foreknow in salvation, he did predestinate to be conformed to who?

Jesus Christ. And if you're a child of God, you know that. And God expects that, and you expect that. And if that's not happening, it begins to sometimes throw up what? Doubts.

And we lack assurance, and that's what Peter that's what Peter is saying here. It doesn't say that this person is not saved. He says he lacketh, he's blind, he cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged. Doesn't say that he wasn't purged. It says that he is what?

Forgotten that he was purged of his sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling an election sure. So what is Peter's response? Die. Don't worry about it.

Don't worry about it. You know, you don't grow and you're complacent. None of this is happening in your life. You're starting to have doubts. I don't worry about it.

You you you prayed. That's that's done. Don't worry about it. Your grandmother told you when you were, you know, four years old that that you prayed a prayer. You don't remember it, but she told you that.

And so, you know, you raised your hand in the service, and don't worry about the things in your life that just don't, what, seem to add up. That's not what Peter says. Peter says if you have doubts, if you lack assurance, make sure. Make sure. Make your calling and election sure.

Don't let it linger. Don't brush it under the rug because it's always gonna what? If you do that, sometime you're gonna be moving stuff around, you're gonna move the rug, and guess what? There it is again. Shows back up because you didn't deal with it, and there it is.

And here comes the lack of assurance. So make sure make sure that you are in Christ Jesus. Now you don't do that by going to church more often. You don't do that by putting more money in the offering plate. You do that by checking your relationship with who?

With Jesus Christ. Because you're not saved by works, you're saved by what? Faith. How is your faith? Did you put your faith in Jesus Christ?

Do you remember when you did that? Do you still believe him? Do you still trust him? If so, then what's the problem? Why aren't you growing?

What is causing you a lack of assurance? There may be many things. A lot of times, what is causing you a lack of assurance is sin that you know doesn't belong and you're just kinda sweeping it under the what? The rug and you're not dealing with it. You don't need to get saved again because you only can get saved what?

Once. What you need to do is get right with God and confess that what? Confess that sin. It may simply be the sin of laziness and complacency. It might be a moral sin.

It might be a drug addicting sin or alcohol or something like that. It may be a bitter bitterness that you're harboring in your life and not willing to forgive someone. Deal with that sin. Confess it. Let him cleanse you from what?

All unrighteousness. And restore unto you the joy and assurance that you are a child of God. In both cases, Peter's challenge is the same. In first Peter one, understand you put your faith in Christ. He's gotcha.

He's got you. And he's not gonna what? He's not gonna let you go. And in second Peter, if you're wondering if you have doubts, you are in Christ, not if you lost it because you can't lose it, But if you ever really had it, if if you're concerned, don't sweep it under the rug. Deal with it.

Did you trust Christ? Okay. If you did, then why aren't you growing? What's the hindrance that's there? Deal with that.

And then get that full assurance that God gives by his spirit. Put on the helmet of what? Salvation. So you can get your head in the game. Because now I don't have to worry about my head because I've got on the what?

Got on the helmet. I can use the brain inside my head to help me choose what to do next in battle. I don't have to worry if my head is not going to be there. Okay? Because you put on the helmet of salvation in Christ Jesus.

Don't run into battle without your helmet. How is it that David could confidently walk up to a giant many times his size and look him in the eye up there and pronounce God's judgment on him with certainty because he knew that God would not leave him or forsake him. Because he knew he was in God's what? God hands and his care. And God would take care of him.

How is it that three Hebrew children, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, could look Nebuchadnezzar in the eye and say, you know, you make your rules, king, but we follow his. And we will not bow. Whether he rescues us from your judgment or not, doesn't matter. We're not bowing to your idol. How could they do that?

They were secure in their relationship with God. They had on the helmet of what? Salvation. How is it that Paul could face death and mocking and scourging time after time after time, get up and go to the next? Because he knew in whom he believed and was persuaded that he was able able to keep him till the judgment day.

How is it that five young men and many others whose stories are similar could fly down to is it Central America? I think it's Central America. I'm talking about Jim Elliot and Nate Saint, and I think they had two or three other guys that were with them. How could they so confidently go down there knowing that these people could receive the gospel message they have to give or they can take their life? How could they do that?

He is no fool if he should choose to give what he cannot keep to gain what he can never lose. That's the words of who? Jim Elliot. He knew whose hands he was in. He could not lose.

Couldn't lose because God had him one way or another. And so and you say, well, what a shame. They lost. No, they didn't. No, they laid up treasure in heaven.

They were examples that inspired others, including his own wife, Elizabeth Elliot, to go down there and minister along with others. Some who led some of those tribespeople to the Lord who were involved in the murder of Jim Elliot and Nancy. He didn't lose. He won. He had on the helmet of salvation.

They had no reason to fear for they knew that God was with them. He would never leave them nor forsake them. They had a certain hope and a confident expectation that they were secure in the Lord and he would take care of them in life or in death. Joshua one nine, God said, have not I commanded thee, be strong and of good courage, be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed for the Lord thy God is, what? With thee, whithersoever thou goest.

And what God said to Joshua, God says to Rick Polar and every one of you and every child of God. Be strong and of a good courage. Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed, for the Lord thy God is with you wherever you go. And if you know that, if you are short of that, that you have a home in heaven that he's prepared for you, that your name is written down, Put on the helmet of salvation. Go forth in battle.

Gain the victory. God is with you. Because they trusted in the promises of God and his strength and grace to make it so, they did not fear. Because they had a living, growing relationship with the Lord, a relationship which gave them strength and direction and insurance of their standing before him day by day. They did not have doubts nor do we need to.

If you do, then do what? Have a little talk with who? Have a little talk with Jesus. Make sure. And then put on the helmet of salvation.

Trust in the Lord. He's got you. He's prepared a place for you. He'll never cast you out. You'll never perish.

There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. Let's pray. Dearly father, thank you, Lord, for your word. Thank you for the helmet of salvation that we have in Christ Jesus. Lord, I pray if there's one here tonight that is unsure, that as we sing a verse or two of just as I am, that they might come so that we can pray and talk together tonight.

We might be able to help to make them to take away those doubts and that you might help them to be assured. For you want us to be sure, and we can be. In Jesus' name, we do pray. Amen. If you'd stay