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God’s ArmorSermon NotesAugust 17-18, 2013
I. Big Boy StuffA. In Spiritual warfare:
1. Everyone is on the front lines2. The stakes are human lives
B. The need for tenacity, passion, and discipline1. Learning to ratchet up tenacity and passion
★ I Peter 1: 13★ I Peter 5: 8
2. Passion★ Comes as a result of
receiving grace★ Pride keeps us from
receiving grace
3. Discipline★ A disciple is by definition, disciplined★ A convert is not disciplined, and therefore, NOT a
disciple★ God is not against effort, He is against earning
(Dallas Willard)★ Discipline comes from a transformed heart and
difficult times★ Rejecting opulence and entitlement
II. The Belt of TruthA. Subjective, not objective, truth
1. Faith comes from seeing God, not from scientific reason2. God desires to prove Himself to me
B. The first of all pieces of the armor1. Do I truly believe that the Bible is God’s word TO ME?2. Have I come to a place of knowing that He truly loves me
and that He never lies?
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Table TalkTeens
Read Ephesians 6:13-15
Question One:Describe why it is important for Christians to take up the whole armor of God.
Question Two:At the end of verse 13 and the beginning of verse 14, Paul uses the word “stand” twice.
Describe the meaning of “stand” in both passages.
Question Three:Identify the four pieces of spiritual armor that Paul describes in verses 14-16.Also, describe the purpose of each armor.
The Belt of Truth: Truth is considered crucial by Paul because a dishonest Christian cannot hope to withstand the evil one. The truth referred to here is integrity, a life of practical truthfulness and honesty. The Breastplate of Righteousness: The righteousness that the breastplate represents is not the righteousness of Christ, which all believers possess, but the practical righteous character and deeds of believers. The breastplate of righteousness also guards a believer’s heart against the assaults of the devil. Shod Your Feet: Paul used this image to represent the preparation of the gospel of peace. This means that the gospel is the firm foundation on which Christians are to stand on to give him peace in the midst of battle. The Shield of Faith: The purpose of the shield is to cover the whole armor and protect Christians against all the attacks from Satan. Satan cannot penetrate the shield of believers who places his or her faith in God.
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III.The Breastplate of RighteousnessA. Covers the heart
1. I must protect my heart with God’s righteousness2. Without comprehending and apprehending God’s
righteousness:★ I will work out of law, “Got To” and “Ought to.”★ Words will wound me significantly★ Lies will stick and I will believe them
B. The Secret to fearlessness (Proverbs 28: 1)
C. I am NOT wearing the breastplate:1. If I walk in fear2. If I walk in control and manipulation3. If I am timid4. If I am arrogant or full of self pity & self hatred5. If I think God accepts me because of what I do6. If I’m holding onto bitterness7. If I’m unwilling to look honestly at my sins and failures
IV.The Shoes of PreparationA. My testimony
1. I must have one in order to even desire to be a messenger2. If I do not have a testimony, then God has not saved me3. I need to take time to prepare my testimony4. The ABC’s of Testimony prep:
★ A = Audible. Speak as if the person furthest from you is the one you are personally addressing.
★ B = Brief. Keep the story short and to the point★ C = Christ Centered. Share how your life has been
transformed by Jesus.
B. The Gospel1. Do I understand the Gospel well enough to share it?
★ Our sin, Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection★ Our need to receive, not earn.
2. Holy Spirit led★ I don’t have to close the deal★ Learning to know when people are ready★ I don’t have to be a salesman
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Life Group Questions for August 17-18, 2013
Message =God’s ArmorIce Breaker: Tell about a test or project in school that you were not prepared for and how it affected you.
Read Ephesians 6: 10-‐‑15.
1. Tell what you observe about this passage.
2. When we look at the belt of truth, we must ask ourselves if we have come to a place where we truly believe that the Bible is true and that it is God’s word. Where are you in this process? Do you believe wholeheartedly that the Bible is God’s word FOR YOU?
3. The breastplate of righteousness covers the heart. Why do you think we need God’s righteousness to cover our heart?
4. Have you come to a place where you see yourself in God’s righteousness or do you still struggle to earn His love?
5. The shoes of preparation speak to spending time preparing a message for those who don’t know Jesus. Have you come to a place in your life where you are excited to tell others about what God has done in your life? Please explain.
6. Have two people share their testimony in less than two minutes each.
7. Pray for one another.
Table TalkElementaryTopic - Adversity
Day 1 - What does the word adversity mean? You may not be familiar with this word. A more kid-friendly term would be "facing a difficult/challenging" situation. Are you currently experiencing any "adversity" in your life? Talk about it. What makes this situation so difficult. Why do you think God allows these types of situations into your life?
Day 2 - Read James 1:2-4. How does the Word tell us we should look at facing trials (difficulties) in our life? We are to consider it pure _ _ _! Why do you think we should consider it pure joy when we face trials? I want you to think about a difficult time that you have faced in the past. How did it turn out? Did you learn any life lessons from the situation(s)?
Day 3 - Do this object lesson with your family: Stand up with the goal of jumping as high as you can. Maybe have a goal on the wall or doorway or something to measure how high to jump. In the first situation, do not bend your knees before you jump – not even a little! So basically you can only go on your tiptoes. You just can’t propel yourself into their air without bending your knees first. Next bend your knees just a little bit and jump again and notice how much higher you can jump; finally jump as high as you possibly can by bending as much as you desire. The only way to reach and jump high is to bend low first. So when we are brought low with trials or difficulties, we must remember that it takes that bending low to propel us higher. If we are brought low with trials, then we can build sufficient faith and trust in God so He can lift us to a higher spiritual place. (*Adapted from http://objectlessons.us/blog.)
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Table TalkPreschool & Nursery
Ephesians 6:13-15, 1 Peter 3:15 Day 1: Read Ephesians 6:13-15Ask your children if they can tell you what a belt is and what it does. The Belt of Truth in the Armor of God is where we store all of our knowledge of God. We have to learn to put on the Belt of Truth every day by learning new things about God and changing our attitudes and how we think about life and other people. Spend some time talking about some of the knowledge you and your family have about God. Discuss ways you can all gain more knowledge of God. Day 2: Read Ephesians 6:14-15As a family, discuss what it means to be righteous. When we try to be righteous it means we are trying to be right with God, following Him, and not letting sin into our hearts. Ask which piece of God’s Armor protects our hearts. The Breastplate of Righteousness helps us to protect our hearts from sin. Pray, as a family, for God to help you do your best and to know what is right. Memory Verse:“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” - Ephesians 6:11 Day 3: Read Ephesians 6:14-15 and 1 Peter 3:15Share some ideas on why the Shoes of the Gospel of Peace are an important piece in the Armor of God. If we believe in Jesus and ask Him to forgive us of our sins, then we can live a peaceful life. We should prepare our feet with this so we can go out and share Jesus with others. Talk about some ways you can share your love of Jesus with others. Activity: Each family member removes their shoes and places them in a pile across the room. Everyone go to the other side and when someone says “Go” then everyone races, carefully, over to the shoes and grabs a pair of someone else’s shoes and then finds that person and puts their shoes back onto their correct feet. Take turns putting each other’s shoes onto one another. Talk about how, in life, we should help others too and not just look out for ourselves.
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Personal Devotion PagesThe following pages are designed to help you enjoy a regular time alone with God. We have divided up the curriculum to help us grow wherever we are at in our relationship with God and in our knowledge of His Kingdom.
LEVELS: Since we are a Colorado church, we use skiing imagery to communicate the different levels of intensity and time involved in relating to God.
BEGINNER: If you are new in your relationship with God, we encourage you to try the exercises under this symbol:
INTERMEDIATE: If you have walked with God for some time and would like a little more challenge and more time involvement, try the exercises under this symbol:
ADVANCED: These exercises are for people who have walked with God for some time and display maturity in their relationship with Him.
These exercises provide a practical way to encounter God and His truth on a regular basis. There are no rules here. Please don’t hurry through the process. Slow meditation and memorization seems to soak in better than cramming.
Enjoy!
Day One1. Take some time to praise the Lord for who He is and enjoy
thanking Him for what He has done in your life lately.
2. Meditate on Ephesians 6: 10-‐‑15.
3. Take a moment to think about the seriousness of the war for human souls. Do you think you have taken the war seriously? Have you become sold out to the purposes of God?
Memorize II Corinthians 10: 3-‐‑4.
Memorize II Corinthians 10: 3-‐‑5.
Memorize II Corinthians 10: 3-‐‑5, Psalm 9:6
...and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE...
~Ephesians 6:15, NAS
Biblical writers attach the bringing of good news to the feet quite often. Earlier, Isaiah wrote this:
How lovely on the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news,
Who announces peace And brings good news of happiness,
Who announces salvation, And says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
(Isaiah 52:7)
A messenger was known in the ancient world as one with swift and beautiful feet. Isaiah tells us that the messenger who brings the good news of the victorious, redeeming God has beautiful and gracious character.
As a redeemed, righteous child of the living God, I am also a messenger. My message must be clear and concise, helping the poor in spirit to comprehend the beautiful message of salvation. Do I have a clear understanding of what it means to be saved? More importantly, has God done such amazing things in my life that I want others to get what I got?
I will never be a good messenger until I’ve experienced the message for myself. Until then, I’m just a hireling, passing on a message that has no relevance for myself. I’m a salesman who doesn’t believe in my product.
Each of us must take time to prepare a testimony of what God did in us. We must take preparation time to be able to give a clear message of the saving power of God.
Day Five
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Day Five1. Take some time to praise the Lord for who He is and enjoy
thanking Him for what He has done in your life lately.
2. Read Psalm 27 in light of spiritual warfare.
3. Ask God to begin showing you how to love people who are difficult for you to love. Write their names here and begin to pray for them.
4. Finish your Bible memorization today.
Day OneTherefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH...
~Ephesians 6:13, 14, NASPaul implores believers to take up the whole armor of God because everyone in the church is in the front lines. Paul’s encouragement is for every believer, not just for the passionate zealots. Think about it. We can never think we are on leave from the battle, or deduce that we are not involved in Christianity enough to be in the fray. Every believer must understand that there is a war going on and the steaks are extremely high. This war has grown up significance to it. If we play around with it, we’ll get hurt, or even maimed. If we go out without preparation and without wearing our armor, we will be routed. I grew up in 9th grade. It was during my 9th grade football season that I learned that adulthood required focus, tenacity, drivenness, and a level of hard work I had never experienced or understood. My coaches set the bar high and if I was ever going to play in a game, I was going to have to ratchet up the tenacity and work ethic. I gradually understood that pain was my friend and tenacity brought about great reward. If I ever wish to experience the victorious life, I must push into things that are not fun or easy. The word disciple is based on the noun discipline. Without a disciplined life, I will not be a disciple of Jesus. I can be a convert or a seeker without any skin in the game, but if I wish to be a disciple, I must live a profoundly disciplined life. An undisciplined army is a defeated army. The rewards of discipline are numerous and bring more delight than any endorphin rush we’ve ever experienced. Paul will later tell Timothy that God has not given a spirit of fear, but of power, love and self discipline (I Timothy 1: 7, emphasis mine)! The very nature of the Holy Ghost is self discipline!Father, I submit to Your discipline today. I desperately desire to be a disciplined disciple!
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Day Two1. Take some time to praise the Lord for who He is and enjoy
thanking Him for what He has done in your life lately.
2. Meditate on Proverbs 28: 1
3. Take a few minutes to pray for people that have hurt you in the past. Ask God to bless them and give them peace, reconciliation with Himself and with others.
4. Take time to thank God for giving you His righteousness. Thank Him that He does not look at you through your own righteousness, but through the right standing of Jesus.
5. Continue memorizing and meditating on the scriptures for this week.
Day Four...and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,
~Ephesians 6:14, NAS
Satan attacks my heart continually. People who are hurting and who are immature will say things that the enemy will use to pierce my heart. If I don’t remember the breastplate of righteousness, I will find myself doubting myself and forgetting that ALL of my righteousness is in Christ.
I remember when we started Mountain Life Church I had more than one person attack my integrity. I don’t think I have ever suffered as much as I did through those times. People attacked me because they misunderstood some very simple things and then proceeded to assume that my heart was evil.
Well, to be frank, my heart is a mess apart from Christ. However, He has promised me that He’ll never leave me or forsake me, so therefore, He lives in me and makes me righteous before Him - all the time! Even when I mess up, or when I operate with wrong motives, I stand righteous before God!!! When someone attacks me, I must own my own sin, repent of it, and then thank God that He has given me His righteousness. My righteousness before God is not dependent on my performance, it’s based on Jesus’ performance, which was spotless.
So, when people say things that hurt me and possibly even assassinate my character, I must remember that I must see if there is ANY TRUTH in what they say. Then I must thank Jesus that His righteousness is my righteousness. I thank Him that, though I fail, He never will.
Jesus, thank You for welcoming me into Your presence, warts and all. thank You for showing me my sin and thank You even more that You’ve already forgiven me through the cross!
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Day TwoTherefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH...
~ Ephesians 6:13, 14, NAS
The first item in the armor of God is the belt of truth. Commentator Charles Hodge tells us this about the belt: By truth, here is not to be understood divine truth as objectively revealed, i. e. the word of God; for that is mentioned in the following verse as the sword. Nor does it mean sincerity of mind, for that is a natural virtue, and does not belong to the armor of God; which according to the context consists of supernatural gifts and graces. But it means truth subjectively considered; that is, the knowledge and belief of the truth. This is the first and indispensable qualification for a Christian soldier.
Hodge tells us that before we can run to the battle and nimbly perry and spin, we must first gird up our loins with a belief of the truth. In ancient times, men wore long flowing robes with a belt cinched about the waist. When they needed to work, run, or go to battle, they pulled up the long robe and doubled it over, cinching it with the belt. This kept the legs free to operate unencumbered.
My first concern is to come to a place where I truly believe in the truth of God. This is not an objective, empirically proved belief. As Hodge says it, it’s a practical, subjective belief that what God says, I can trust implicitly.
God, I need you to prove to me that I can trust Your word. Will you begin to do a work in me where I am absolutely confident that Your word is reliable and true?
Day Four1. Take some time to praise the Lord for who He is and enjoy
thanking Him for what He has done in your life lately.
2. Meditate on Psalm 91. Think of spiritual warfare as you read.
3. Pray family members who are under the rule of Satan.
4. Continue meditating on and memorizing the scripture for this week.
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Day Three Day Three1. Take some time to praise the Lord for who He is and enjoy
thanking Him for what He has done in your life lately.
2. Read Psalm 18. Think about spiritual warfare as you read.
3. Bring at least three friends or loved ones to the Lord and ask Him to bring them to repentance and faith. Ask Him to show you how you can boldly love them and speak the words of Jesus into their lives.
4. Continue meditating on and memorizing the scripture for this
week.
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Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,
~Ephesians 6:14, NAS
Notice the tense of the verbs in this sentence. Stand firm commands us from the present tense. It implies that standing firm is a continual action. Having girded and having put on are the next two verbs, and they are in the perfect tense, implying that the action was done in the past, but the results remain. All of this together means that in order for me to stand firm today, I must have already put on the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness over the last several days!
The armor is not something suddenly put on. It’s something I do in preparation for battle. Could you imagine a Roman soldier running to the battle and at the same time trying to put on his armor? The armor must be put on in preparation for battle, which means I discipline myself to put this armor on in the secret place between God and me.
The breastplate of righteousness covers the heart. All sorts of demonic attacks come against the heart. If I do not comprehend the New Testament teaching about the right standing God GAVE to us through Jesus’ death and resurrection, then I will certainly get my heart wounded.
I cannot earn my righteousness in any way. I cannot do anything more to get God to love me than what He does already. He will never be more pleased with me than He is right now, because I am IN CHRIST! He sees Jesus’ righteousness, not mine!
Thank so much, Jesus for giving me Your righteousness in exchange for my sin on the cross!
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