2 Timothy 2: 3 & 4: “You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ”
It is a very interesting Bible verse. The early Christian church knew, and was very serious about, the war that they were in. He doesn’t say you might endure hardship; he said you MUST endure hardship. You see, once you got saved, like it or not, a big “X” was put on your back, and the devil had a new target. He uses deception, “busyness,” lies, other people, your fears and your thoughts, and anything he can to get you off track and if possible, even to kill and destroy you…this is serious business.
“Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5:8. He doesn’t want you to miss church one Sunday; he wants to take you down.
Paul talked about putting on the armor of God in Ephesians 6 and, at the end of his days, said he had “Fought the good fight” (2 Timothy 4:7). These guys knew that we were at war against the devil, against our flesh patterns, against ourselves. And they knew that Jesus is our advocate and with Him we have the victory. But we must obey our leader and do what He says. He has already won the battle, but if you are not vigilant, you can be taken down. Many victorious battles still end up with soldiers being lost. It is a fact. Just because Jesus won the battle doesn’t mean you won’t be lost in the battle. A 24-year-old friend of my son took his life last weekend. He was saved; Jesus won the battle, but he still ended up lost. Heartbreaking. If you are in a rough time right now, if bad things have recently happened to you, if there is deep pain or hurt in your heart that you are carrying around, then you know what it is like to feel defeated in this battle. Jesus has a plan; He tells us what to do; He is the chief warrior. We spend so much time talking about His loving side, the Lamb, that we forget He is the Lion of Judah-the conquering king.
This week my sermon will be on “winning the battle within”. We will focus on what the Bible says we should do to win the day-to-day battles and struggles that face us, so that we may have victory. It is time to start winning the battle within. It will be a very powerful sermon. I hope to see you there… 900 Cripple Creek Dr., Lawrenceville- 10:30 AM. Going to be a beautiful time… Have a blessed week!
Pastor Brian
P.S. If you feel like life is hard right now and it is always a fight, then you need to come to our church this Sunday. My message will give you a game plan, and the love you will feel from everyone will encourage you. If you don’t have a church home and you are within an hour of Lawrenceville, I encourage you to check out our little church. You will feel the love the minute you walk in the door. There truly is no other church quite like it. Check us out: 10:30 on Sunday morning at 900 Cripple Creek Dr., Lawrenceville. It will encourage and grow you, and you will feel loved! So come this Sunday! If you can’t make it, go to our YouTube channel, @TheGreatAwarenessChurch, as we livestream it every Sunday as well. Hope to see you this Sunday at 10:30. Be blessed!
P.P.S. My book, “The Last Instructions of Jesus (Before He Comes Again)," is a deep dive into Revelation 2 and 3, Jesus' last words, and it is a game-changing book. You can click on this link to order or go online to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc. Click the link below and get yours today!
https://www.westbowpress.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/867418-the-last-instructions-of-jesus
"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all."
2 Corinthians 13:14 (NKJV)