THE
CHURCH, GOD'S ARMY
Judg.
7:1-23 Gideon's
army of 300 defeated
135,000 Midianites
NOTE:
[vs.
21]
"And every man stood
in his place
all around the camp..."
Together,
by following God's instructions, they were victorious.
JESUS'
KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD - NOR ITS WARFARE
Jn.
18:33-36
If
an earthly kingdom, His servants
would physically deliver Him.
2
Cor. 10:3-6 Our weapons of warfare are not
carnal.
Eph.
6:10-18 Our warfare is against spiritual
hosts in a dark world.
Our
armor is designed so we can
stand
against
this enemy.
NOTE:
This
armor not intended for a
soldier to fight by himself.
THE
CHURCH IS GOD'S ARMY - HIS KINGDOM
Eph.
1:20-ff "...according
to His mighty power" the
church is his body
THE
KINGDOM = THE BODY = THE CHURCH
(Remember Dan.
2:44)
Col.
1:13-14, 18 "He
has delivered us from the
power of darkness and translated
us into
the kingdom
of the Son of
His love. [14]
in whom we have
redemption
through His blood, the
forgiveness of sins. [18]
And He is
the head of the body,
the church,
who is the beginning,
the firstborn
from the dead, that in all things He
may have the
preeminence."
"Church"
- A collective noun (A noun, which in the singular form, denotes a
collection of individuals.)
EXAMPLE:
Soldier Soldiers Army Christian
Christians Church
Acts
26:28 Acts 11:26 Acts
2:40-ff
WE
ARE CONNECTED TO ONE ANOTHER
Rom.
12:3-5, 9-16 The church: many members in
one body, individually
members of one another.
Eph.
4:7, 11-16 God made provision for His army
to be joined & knit
together
Every
part to do its share.
Acts
9:26-29 Why Paul tried to join himself to the
church at Jerusalem.
WE
HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO ONE ANOTHER Don't
avoid this!
Eph.
4:1-3 We are to endeavor to keep the unity
of Spirit in the bond
of peace.
Heb.
10:23-24 Let us hold
fast.
Let us consider
ONE ANOTHER
THE
LORD NEVER INTENDED HIS PEOPLE TO BE LONERS
Eccl.
4:9-12 This is seen in the wisdom of
Solomon.
HE
INTENDED THEM TO BE "A
PEOPLE"
Deut.
7:6 "For
you are a holy people to the Lord
your God; the Lord your God has chosen
you to be a
people
for Himself, a special
treasure above all the peoples
on the face
of the earth."
1
Pet. 2:9-10 "But
you are a chosen generation, a
royal priesthood, a holy nation, His
own special people,
that you may
proclaim the praises of Him who
called
you out of darkness into His
marvelous light; [10]
who once
were
not a people but are now the
people
of God, who had not obtained
mercy but now have obtained mercy."
AS
SOLDIERS, WE MUST BE WILLING TO ENDURE HARDSHIP Don't
try to avoid this!
Judg.
8:4 "When
Gideon came to the Jordan, he
and the three hundred men who were
with
him crossed over, exhausted
but still
in pursuit."
2
Tim. 2:3-4 "You
therefore must endure
hardship
as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
[4]
No one engaged in warfare entangles
himself with the affairs of
this life, that
he may please him who enlisted him
as a soldier."
WE
ARE TO WAGE A GOOD WARFARE - TOGETHER, SIDE BY SIDE
2
Sam. 11:8-11 Uriah was an honorable soldier,
refusing to enjoy the
pleasure
of
home while his men
encamped on the field of battle.
BUT
SOME DEFECT - THEY RUN
1
Tim. 1:18-ff Hymenaeus & Alexander were
deserters of the faith.
DURING
THE CIVIL WAR, DEFECTORS WERE SHOT. WHY? BECAUSE:
They
put their fellow soldiers at risk
They
put their women & children at risk
They
dishonored those who died in battle who did not
run.
Heb.
3:12-15 Warning not to be guilty of running.
INVITATION
Heb.
3:16-ff Don't be guilty of unbelief as
Israelites at the threshold.
2
Thess. 1:3-8 While some faithfully endure,
others fail to obey.
SAUL
REPENTED - FROM PERSECUTOR TO DEFENDER
Acts
22:16 "And
now why are you waiting? Arise
and be baptized, and wash away your
sins, calling on the name of the Lord."
