OUR SPIRITUAL WARFARE PART 8

TEXT- JOSHUA 10:16-27

INTRODUCTION

THIS MORNING IS OUR THEME DAY AND WE ARE EMPHASIZING OUR THEME AND GOALS FOR THIS YEAR.

EACH FIRST SUNDAY OF THE MONTH I HAVE BEEN PREACHING FROM THE BOOK OF JOSHUA AND EMPHASIZING OUR THEME, "THE CHURCH WITH A MISSION".

EVERY CHRISTIAN AND CHURCH HAS A MISSION FROM GOD. A CHRISTIAN OR CHURCH THAT ISN’T EMPHASIZING THEIR MISSION ISN’T GETTING ANYWHERE. THEIR NOT MOVING FORWARD OR PROGRESSING AS GOD WANTS.

EACH MONTH WE HAVE EMPHASIZED THE DIFFERENT WAYS THAT ISRAEL'S MISSION IS CHARACTERIZED.

GOD TOLD ISRAEL TO LEAVE EGYPTIAN BONDAGE, CROSS THE RED SEA, GO OUT INTO THE WILDERNESS AND TAKE POSSESSION OF THE PROMISED LAND.

THIS MONTH WE WILL SEE HOW ISRAEL WAS ON A FIGHTING MISSION. AS BELIEVERS AS WELL AS A CHURCH WE TOO ARE IN A BATTLE.

THIS MORNING OUR TEXT IS FOUND IN JOSHUA 10:16-27 AND THE TITLE OF MY MESSAGE IS, "OUR SPIRITUAL WARFARE."

THE QUESTION IS, WHO ARE YOU FIGHTING AGAINST?

A MAN AND HIS WIFE WERE TAKING A TRIP BY CAR AND BEGAN FIGHTING WITH ONE ANOTHER. THE WOMAN SAT IN THE BACK SEAT AND CONTINUOUSLY BERATED HER HUSBAND FOR HIS FAULTS. IN HER EXCITEMENT HOWEVER, SHE POUNDED ON THE DOOR AND IT FLEW OPEN. SEVERAL BLOCKS LATER A NEIGHBOR FLAGGED THE MAN DOWN. "YOUR WIFE FELL OUT OF THE CAR BACK THERE," HE SAID. THE MAN LOOKED OVER AT THE BACK SEAT AND SAID, "THANK GOODNESS, I THOUGHT I HAD LOST MY HEARING."

WHO ARE YOU FIGHTING WITH TODAY?

FOR SURE, SOME ARE FIGHTING WITH THEIR HUSBAND OR WIFE. MAYBE EVEN THIS MORNING!

OTHERS TODAY ARE FIGHTING WITH THEIR BROTHER OR SISTER.

STILL OTHERS MAY BE FIGHTING WITH THEIR PASTOR, DEACON OR SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER.

MANY CHURCHES TODAY ARE FIGHTING AGAINST OTHER CHURCHES.

AND MANY CHRISTIANS TODAY ARE FIGHTING WITH ONE ANOTHER.

SOME TODAY WOULD SAY THAT CHILDREN OF GOD ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE FIGHTERS.

BUT I BELIEVE THAT THE BIBLE TEACHES US WE SHOULD BE FIGHTERS.

AND THE ONE WE ARE TO FIGHT AGAINST IS SATAN.

EPHESIANS 6:12 WE ARE NOT FIGHTING AGAINST HUMANS. WE ARE FIGHTING AGAINST FORCES AND AUTHORITIES AND AGAINST RULERS OF DARKNESS AND POWERS IN THE SPIRITUAL WORLD. (CEV)

LET US PRAY

FATHER IN HEAVEN WE PRAY THIS MORNING THAT YOU WOULD HELP US TO UNDERSTAND YOUR WORD AND TAKE IT TO HEART AND APPLY IT TO OUR LIVES. HELP US TO TAKE THE PRINCIPLES WE HEAR TODAY AND APPLY THEM TO OUR WALK. WE PRAY THAT WE WILL REALIZE TODAY THAT OUR BATTLE IS NOT WITH EACH OTHER BUT AGAINST THE DEVIL AND SIN IN THIS WORLD. HELP US TO SEE HOW REAL THIS BATTLE SO THAT WE MIGHT BECOME ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN IT. IN JESUS NAME WE PRAY. AMEN.

I BELIEVE THERE ARE THREE PRINCIPLES WE CAN LEARN FROM OUR TEXT TODAY ON HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL ON OUR MISSION FOR GOD AND WIN THE BATTLE WE FIGHT ON A DAILY BASIS.

WHEN WE TURN TO THE BOOK OF JOSHUA WE FIND GOD'S PEOPLE ISRAEL ALWAYS FIGHTING AGAINST THEIR ENEMIES.

WHEN WE EXAMINE THE NEW TESTAMENT WE DISCOVER THAT THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS CHARACTERIZED AS A BATTLE.

2 TIMOTHY 2:3-4 "SUFFER HARDSHIP WITH {ME,} AS A GOOD SOLDIER OF CHRIST JESUS. NO SOLDIER IN ACTIVE SERVICE ENTANGLES HIMSELF IN THE AFFAIRS OF EVERYDAY LIFE, SO THAT HE MAY PLEASE THE ONE WHO ENLISTED HIM AS A SOLDIER."

1 TIMOTHY 6:12 "FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH; TAKE HOLD OF THE ETERNAL LIFE TO WHICH YOU WERE CALLED, AND YOU MADE THE GOOD CONFESSION IN THE PRESENCE OF MANY WITNESSES."

2 CORINTHIANS 10:3-4 "FOR THOUGH WE WALK IN THE FLESH, WE DO NOT WAR ACCORDING TO THE FLESH, FOR THE WEAPONS OF OUR WARFARE ARE NOT OF THE FLESH, BUT DIVINELY POWERFUL FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF FORTRESSES."

WE DON’T HAVE ANY MISSILES OR FIGHTER PLANES THAT WE SEND OUT TO ATTACK THE ENEMY, BECAUSE OUR BATTLE IS NOT ACCORDING TO THE FLESH. THE WEAPONS WE USE ARE SPIRITUAL IN NAT