Oakbrook Evangelical Free Church

Humor - World War II Ace?

It seems that a young man volunterred for military service during World War II. He had such a high aptitude for aviation that he was sent right to Pensecola skipping boot camp.

The very first day at Pensecola he solos and is the best flier on the base. All they could do was give him his gold wings and assign him immediately to an aircraft carrier in the Pacific.

On his first day aboard he took off and single-handedly shot down 6 Japanese Zeroes. Then climbing up to 20,000 ft. he found 9 more Japanese planes and shot them all down, too.

Noting that his fuel was getting low, he descended, circled the carrier and came in for a perfect landing on the deck. He threw back the canopy, climbed out and jogged over to the captain. Saluting smartly he said, “Well sir, how did I do on my very first day?”

The captain replied, “You make one velly impoltant mistake!”

Introduction:

This is my Bible. It is the truth. God is who He says He is.

I am what it says I am. I have what it says I have.

I can do what it says I can do.

Today I will be taught the Word of God.

My mind is alert. My heart is receptive. I will never be the same.

Review

I. All the Promises of God are “Yes” in Christ

2 Corinthians 1:17-22 “…no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, “set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” NIV

God loves to say “yes”.!

John 14:13-14 “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”

John 16:23-24 “In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. “Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” NIV

Matthew 7:8-12 “For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. ““Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? “Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” NIV

2 Peter 1:3-11 “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. “Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; “and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; “and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. “For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. “But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

“Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, “and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” NIV

TS: Need to understand the nature of the Christian life.

I. The Context - The Christian life

A. On the one hand the Christian life is a struggle! It is a battle. Two reasons…

1. The under tow of indwelling sin.

2. The current of culture – living life from man’s point of view and in

human resources. Drags you down!

Psalm 51:12 “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” NIV

David had been enticed by temptation and the deception of Satan. He had experienced a diminishing satisfaction in God.

The fight is a fight to maintain our satisfaction in Christ.

The fight is a fight to maintain our delight in our marriage.

2 Timothy 4:6-8 “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” NIV

Fought the fight.

Finished the race!

Not just for a moment in time.

Not just for a few years.

But all the way to the end. The full 26 miles, 385 yards.

All 2,290 mile road race of the Tour de France

Whatever living by faith in God’s promises means it is a struggle.

Stress and strain and struggle and pain. Pushed to the limit.

And it is hard for us to accept the fact that the Ctn life is a life time

of fighting the battle and running the race because we thought

the Christian life was filled with joy and peace. And somehow

these don’t seem to fit together.

Thus, at times we are tempted to give up. But we must be taught about what the Christian life is really like.

J.I. Packer tells the story about his early life as a Christian. He was not taught about the struggle with sin in the Ctn life. This created a crises in his life. As a student in college he was taught a perfectionist view of the Ctn life what did not warn him about the struggle every believer has with indwelling sin. But in his reading he came across the writings of John Owen that gave a balanced view of our battle with sin.

B. One the other hand

Matthew 11:28-30 ““Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”” NIV

Romans 8:33-34 “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. “Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” NIV

Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 2:13 “for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” NIV

Easy to get your hand out of the jar if you are willing to let go of the nuts you have clenched in your hand.

Yes, we must run the race. Yes we must fight the fight.

But God is at work in us to fight this right and to run the race.

Isaiah 40:30-31 “Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; “but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” NIV

Romans 15:13 “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. ” NASB95

Our fight is not a digital war game. It can not be played out in a simulator.

What is at stake is not merely the lose of a turn or lose of an imaginary man on an LCD screen. This is the drama of real life and real people get hurt. The guns are loaded and the stakes are high.

II. Our Resources – We have all we need

A. He has given us 2 resources

1. Our personal knowledge of Christ (in real time)

“Our Father who art in heaven”

”The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want” Is he yours?

John 5:24; John 1:12; Revelation 3:20

Even becoming a real believer is based on believing God’s promises.

2. He has given us His precious and magnificent promises.

Just as a normal baby is born with all the ‘equipment’ he

needs for life and only needs to grow, so the Christian has

all that is needed and needs to grow.

Promises:

1. Precious = spiritual riches

2. Magnificant – great.

Imagine

Leaving home as a young adult and traveling across country or going to a strange land. You know no one. The place is beautiful

But your father has warned you. You can still hear his voice. And he has promised to replenish your bank account when it is low and your phone card when it runs out. And from time to time he calls you. He lets you know he is praying for you and that he loves you.

Illustrate how this works!

1. All God’s promises are “yes” in Christ,

God loves to say yes to us.

2. You have to learn God’s promises!

God’s promises are not secret. Every Christian can know them.

Are you learning them? How many do you know?

Did you know?… “God will not give us more than we can handle”

Comes from 1 Cor 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. ”

3. Then you have to use them!

Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” NIV

Hebrews 4:2 “For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. ” NASB95

Hebrews 13:5-6 “Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” “so that we confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?” ” NASB95

Psalm 73:26 “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” NIV He pushes back!

I feel weak and helpless and unable to cope.

My body is shot and my heart is almost dead.

But whatever the reasons for my discouragement I will not yield.

John 12:27 ““Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.” NIV

Troubled: emotional upheaval, discouragement, lost tranquility

Shall I give up my purpose for coming? Shall I throw in the towel?

But didn’t Jesus say?

“Let not your heart be troubled?” John 14:1

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you” Jn 14:27

Do you hear him? Fight back. Don’t let yourself be dishearted. “I go to prepare a place for you…and if I go I will come again.” Do you see it? He gives them promises to use to fight back the clouds of despair.

James 4:7-8 “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ” NASB95

Matthew 26:36-39 “Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” “He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. “Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” “Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”” NIV

Strategy for defeating discouragement:

1. Took close friends with him. – We too often go it alone.

2. Opened his heart to them. – We too often carry it alone.

3. Asked them to pray for him. – We too often lift it alone.

4. Engaged in “self talk” and poured out his heart to God.

We must learn to preach to ourselves.

Quote Piper – page 304

5. Yielded his will to God. – Are we holding onto our will?

6. Fixed his focus on the future fulfillment of God’s promises.

Hebrews 12:2 “who for the joy set before him endured the cross.”

The battle against discouragement is a battle to believe the promises