Brother Gary Wednesday Evening 1/28/15

Brother Gary Wednesday Evening 1/28/15

Eph 6:10  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

All of us are challenged concerning spiritual strength and a lot of us are challenged concerning literal strength.

We want to always remember that it is not individuals and people that we are fighting but…

Eph 6:11  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Eph 6:12  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.

It is vital that we take the whole armor of God on before we get into the battle.  This is the day of great battle and the enemy being loosed out of his prison.  Take the whole armor of God.

Eph 6:13  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Eph 6:14  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

Eph 6:15  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

Eph 6:16  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

Eph 6:17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Eph 6:18  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

It is a wonderful thing that there is still prayer in school.  I am very happy for each one that is still praying.  I wish there were more liberties but thank God that there is that liberty that no one can take from you, “Praying always…” 

This scripture teaches us the importance of praying for one another.  It is very possible to get so consumed with our own needs and our own battle that we find ourselves focusing on a very small circle. 

It really helps me to pray for the saints of God.  It helps me in my circle and it is obedience to the Word of God.  We never know what the day will hold. 

Eph 6:19  And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

Paul wanted to be able to openly make known the mystery of the gospel.  For someone that isn’t saved, the gospel is really a mystery.  They think it is impossible to be born again.  Even the children know that it is not a literal but a spiritual being born again. 

I heard recently of someone saying they didn’t know how you could be born again.  This was not a child questioning or ridiculing being born again.  It remains a mystery to those that are not born again until faith takes hold and they begin to experience being born again.  Everyone that is saved has experienced being born again and being a babe beginning to hunger and thirst after righteousness.

Eph 6:20  For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Ambassador: Paul said “I am a representative of another country.”  There are a lot of things going on in our world.  Paul said, “I am a representative of another country.”  This world is not our home.  It is not where we are going to be forever. 

You may be a citizen of USA, but it is most important that we have our citizenship in a heavenly country in a world past here.

“I am commissioned by Jesus Christ, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the savior of the world, and the almighty God.  My commission is to help the world be reconciled to God.” 

Every one of us in this audience has our personalities.  Some of you could talk to anyone about anything.  There are others that would be less capable to break into a whole other subject than their comfort zone.  Paul’s thought was, “I have a desire, commission and a responsibility to help men and women get right with God.” 

We cannot save anyone.  As much as the teachers in this audience love their students, we cannot save them.  As much as we love our children and our parents, we cannot save them.  As much as we love our brother and sister, we cannot make them get saved.

Even when people seem to be at peace with dying, “If I die I die.”  That doesn’t make them right with God.  We talk to those that are addicted to alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, and other things and yet will say, “One thing I know, if I die I am right with God.”  No they are not.  If they were they wouldn’t be addicted to these things.

Eph 6:20  For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Sometimes we are packing personal cares or burdens, Paul had a chain, yet He wanted to be an ambassador. 

Eph 6:21  But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things:

Eph 6:22  Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts.

There are a million people looking forward to the Super Bowl.  It is so sad to be so empty to be looking forward to something that will not fill the soul with rest, peace, and joy.  We are ambassadors to the world. 

You as an ambassador since you are saved can say, “I knew bondage, now I know freedom.  I knew sin, I knew the power of sin, now I know forgiveness.”  As an ambassador, someone that is commissioned, we are an ambassador of God’s forgiveness.

“I knew strife, but now I know peace.”  Peace means to be at one again.  Isn’t it wonderful that we knew strife, we knew a divided heart, but He gave us peace?  I think of the world that you and I are ambassadors to, they think they want this, they think they want that, and they think, “This will really satisfy.”  Jesus alone gives peace.

“I lived in darkness.”  When Jesus began his ministry the bible says, “They that sat in darkness saw a great light.”  Isn’t it wonderful that Jesus brought light?

I knew temporary pleasures in sin.  In my memory of the teenage years and the pleasures of sin: I never came home a single night from the pleasures of sin and went to sleep thinking, “It was so great, I am headed back as soon as I can.”  I remember thinking, “I am so disappointed; I thought it was going to be more fun.”  That is the pleasures of sin.  Now I have everlasting joy.

One year Sister Klemstein’s niece came with a guitar and had a song.  Her song was, “I have found everlasting joy.”  She sang it again every service by request.  There is something to having found everlasting joy.  It doesn’t take away from the joy we get from our children or having the cleanest of pleasure; it is just temporary. 

The temporary pleasures, that is what they are, but there is everlasting joy.  We are an ambassador of joy.  We are an ambassador to help people find joy.  We live in a sad America. 

I cannot read much of the newspaper.  When I see where a trucker hits an individual… they say that a nineteen year old killed Sunday or Monday on the interstate committed suicide.  Jesus wasn’t far off but the teenager was far away from Jesus.  That poor man, those poor parents, those poor classmates.  Sin doesn’t pay.

People live in discontentment.  Ask the real estate people.  People come in and say, “I want to live here.”  Then they come back and say, “I don’t want to live here.”  People are discontent.  You and I have the wonderful privilege of having godliness with contentment.  We are an ambassador. 

I appreciated the thought of oppression and depression on Sunday.  I have known oppression and discouragement.  I live today in expectancy.  I am an ambassador of expectancy.  There are good things.  You as teachers may be limited, but the students have a wonderful privilege of telling your classmates, “God has good things in store for every one of his servants.”

I knew oppressing darkness now I know light.

I am an ambassador of peace and am come to help men find peace with God.  You don’t find people with peace in the world.  Not only to find peace with God but peace with one another.

It was while he had the chain that He wrote “I know to put on the whole armor of God.”  Isn’t it wonderful what you and I are given in the darkest seasons of our life?  Right in Joseph’s affliction difficulty, and hard place, God was very good to him.

Paul said, “I know to wear the helmet, I keep on the breast plate of righteousness.  May God comfort your heart and help you to see me only as an ambassador commissioned from God.”

You are an ambassador commissioned from God.  You that are mothers, fathers, gifted with writing, those that are gifted with music, use it as a commission to help people get to God.  We are not entertainers around here.  You can by CD’s to entertain you.  If you want an ambassador, find a saint of God.

You say, “It looks like they are pulling a chain.”  It is not what you see that makes them an ambassador, it is who commissioned them.

Eph 6:23  Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Eph 6:24  Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.

Love with faith, it is from God and Jesus.  That is what we represent.

A lot of people say “I love Jesus.”  Some say, “I appreciate Jesus going to the cross.”  Paul added the thought, “In sincerity.”

Psalms 120, the first psalm of degree, David was really in distress.  Psalms 121 he changed from his distress to say, “I will lift up my eyes to the hills.”  Ps 122 he said, “I was glad when they said unto me, “Let us go into the house of the Lord.”

Challenge and pray for me that I will come into the house of God on Sunday so happy to be with God and with God’s people. 

They were singing these and they had long psalm services.  Psalms 123 “Our feet shall stand within your walls.  Peace be within your walls.”