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There is a great difference between peace time training and war time actuality! When in war, your adrenaline races, your training becomes muscle memory, you react to every situation realizing that your next movement could mean life or death for your brother or sister in arms.
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Isn’t that Christianity? Although our warfare is not physical, but spiritual, there is a great difference between a type of peace time Christianity and a war time faith. With a war time faith, you’re ready at a moment’s notice, your senses are heightened. Your awareness of sin is sharpened, and your fellowship with Christ is greatly increased. You stand in unity with others in a defensive posture, knowing the victory of the battle has been declared, but there are skirmishes to extinguish! Why, because the livelihood of your brother or sister in arms is at stake!
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According to Philippians 1:12-30, Paul shows that “War Time Faith” is in fact normal Christianity! We’re always in a spiritual battle!
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A War Time Faith Resolves to Use Every Circumstance to Reflect God’s Glory vv.12-18
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Paul wants to reassure the church at Philippi that his current condition, bad as it may, is rigged for God’s glory! When joy in Jesus is the overarching theme of our life, Satan cannot steal, kill, or destroy our joy. Romans 11:8 “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”
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Job 1:21 “And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
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What does the moon do? It reflects the Sun’s brilliancy, it’s radiate brightness! That’s our job, to reflect the glory of Jesus Christ!
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How do we Reflect Christ with a War Time Faith? S
Surrender to Christ- Romans 10:9-10 “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”
Stand for Christ- Matthew 10:32 “So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven,”
Study to grow in Christ- 2 Timothy 2:15 “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth”
Share the goodness of Christ- 1 Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,”
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A War Time Faith Requires Risks in Response to God’s Greatness vv.19-26
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R– Results that
I– Increase the
S– Salvation of many by them
K– Knowing Jesus
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If one is reached and rescued from Hell, it’s worth it! War is risky. We can’t always be in a defensive position! We’ve got to charge the enemy! When we lovely share the biblical stance on current issues of today, we are unpopular, but loving! We are doing what we do for an audience of one, Jesus Christ!
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vv.20-21 looks like risk!
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Recall the risky war time faith of Peter and John in Acts 4:18-20 “So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, 20 for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”
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A War Time Faith Results in a Life of Readiness Awaiting Our Home Going vv. 27-30
According to Paul, we never retire from God’s work! We may retire from our earthly jobs, but not from the service of Christ!
What does readiness look like? STAND
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S– Steadfastly Working
T– Teaching All
A– Admonishing Sin
N– Nurturing the Saved
D– Declaring the Gospel
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We’ve done a great job defining the gospel, but a war time faith says we must be declaring the gospel! Gone are the days of y’all come when people run to a building, we must be missional in our approach to winning the lost, that’s a War Time Faith!