1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Thank you for listening to this message from Life House Church. 2 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:23,280 Come on, turn to somebody, give them a high five, tell them wake up, shake up, God's moving 3 00:00:23,280 --> 00:00:24,280 in the house. 4 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:25,280 Amen. 5 00:00:25,280 --> 00:00:29,240 Yeah, listen, you should have got blessed already through worship, a word that already 6 00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:30,960 came, God is good. 7 00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:33,520 Listen, we are thrilled to be back. 8 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:38,760 For those of you who don't know, the missions team went to Guatemala this week and got back 9 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:43,600 at about 12.05 this morning and some of them are in the house. 10 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:44,600 Praise God. 11 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:45,600 Yes. 12 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:47,400 And yeah, come on, give them a hand. 13 00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:48,760 And 10 people went down. 14 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:51,240 It was an incredible week that took place. 15 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:54,360 The orphanage is amazing, the work they're doing with the children there. 16 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:58,320 And the team went above and beyond in representing this church. 17 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:05,640 And each one of you who have given, not only did a roof get tore off and tore down or replaced. 18 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:09,240 And let me tell you something, there weren't just termites in this roof. 19 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:11,160 There were spiders, brother. 20 00:01:11,160 --> 00:01:14,800 And I mean a lot of spiders, you know, and it seemed just muscled through. 21 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:22,360 They tore off a roof, put a new roof on, man, rewired the same building completely, painted 22 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:25,120 another building, put a chain link fence up. 23 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:29,360 It was an amazing week and we got to play with a whole bunch of kids. 24 00:01:29,360 --> 00:01:30,360 That was incredible. 25 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:33,040 I ate with them, spent time together with them. 26 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:37,880 And Castle Shalom is doing an amazing job with these kids as God stepping them through 27 00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:41,080 coming out of difficult circumstances and they are thriving. 28 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:43,020 So it was an amazing week. 29 00:01:43,020 --> 00:01:46,160 And I know that was just a short snippet, but next week we didn't have time. 30 00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:47,160 We got home around midnight. 31 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:49,680 We're going to try to put a slideshow together too late. 32 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:50,680 Right. 33 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:52,840 So now seriously, we're just waiting till next week. 34 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:57,240 But we want to bring you just some pictures and talk about it just for a few minutes next 35 00:01:57,240 --> 00:01:58,240 week. 36 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:00,920 But maybe, just maybe we'll be going next year. 37 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:02,840 You might want to start praying about that. 38 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:05,160 Even now, I believe God works way ahead of time. 39 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:06,160 Amen. 40 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:07,160 He does. 41 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:08,160 He starts to move our hearts and lives. 42 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:09,160 So thank you for that. 43 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:13,080 Thank you for giving to the youth big time. 44 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:16,060 People have been responding and we're going to get all these kids to Winterfest. 45 00:02:16,060 --> 00:02:17,400 So God's on the move. 46 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:18,680 We're getting ready to move. 47 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:19,680 Right. 48 00:02:19,680 --> 00:02:23,080 So we've got a shift taking place that got preached about, Bishop Hughes last week preached 49 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:24,560 an amazing word about shift. 50 00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:29,960 I've heard comment after comment of people who have that word just came and just ministered 51 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:30,960 to people's hearts. 52 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:33,080 So it's good to be in God's house. 53 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:34,960 How many of you know it's good every morning? 54 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:35,960 Amen. 55 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:38,800 I want to do something real quick before I start in the message. 56 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:42,960 There have been after report after report, even though we've been away, about people 57 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:43,960 that have been sick. 58 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:47,000 And there are a lot of people out sick this morning with flus, all kinds of things in 59 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:48,000 the hospital. 60 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:50,960 And we need to just take a moment and pray because I believe God moves. 61 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:51,960 Amen. 62 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:52,960 You do that right now. 63 00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:53,960 Just extend your hand towards heaven. 64 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:57,360 Lord, we come before you grateful and thankful for your move this morning. 65 00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:00,320 But God, right now there are those that are home that are sick. 66 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:02,320 God, there is the flu, the cold. 67 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:05,600 God, just all kinds of sickness taking place. 68 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:07,640 Lord, we speak against that sickness. 69 00:03:07,640 --> 00:03:11,800 God, we ask you to come in, move upon them, bring them to a place of healing that they 70 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:13,320 might get back to life. 71 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:16,480 And God, they might get back to worshiping you and lifting up your name. 72 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:19,000 And we just give you praise in Jesus name. 73 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:20,000 Everybody say together. 74 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:21,000 Amen. 75 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:22,000 Amen. 76 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:24,520 The effective fervent prayer of the righteous avails much. 77 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:25,520 Amen. 78 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:26,520 We need to pray. 79 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:28,960 Well, listen, I'm going to ask you a question this morning. 80 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:32,400 And I asked myself this question this week. 81 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:38,480 If there was a scale to measure the level of threat that you were to the kingdom of 82 00:03:38,480 --> 00:03:42,800 darkness, where do you think you would land on that scale? 83 00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:50,000 If there was somehow this scale that you could measure how much threat you pose to the enemy, 84 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:52,440 where would you land on that scale? 85 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:57,480 If you were the one that was going to come up against darkness in the name of Jesus, 86 00:03:57,480 --> 00:04:00,000 how dangerous really are you? 87 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:02,760 What's the power behind your spiritual punch? 88 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:04,240 What would the number be? 89 00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:07,040 And I know I'm kind of saying something or asking you questions arbitrary. 90 00:04:07,040 --> 00:04:10,000 So I thought, you know, and trust me, you can look this up. 91 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:11,440 You're not going to find a scale. 92 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:12,440 So I made one up. 93 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:14,720 You may know when you don't have something, you just make it up yourself. 94 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:19,120 I made this up actually a long time ago and kind of revisit it. 95 00:04:19,120 --> 00:04:20,120 And here's the scale. 96 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:24,280 And I want you, I want you to just ask yourself, where would I land? 97 00:04:24,280 --> 00:04:25,760 Where would I fall in this scale? 98 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:26,760 Right? 99 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:27,760 Now, here's what it is. 100 00:04:27,760 --> 00:04:28,760 It's one through five. 101 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:29,760 Say one through five. 102 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:30,760 One through five. 103 00:04:30,760 --> 00:04:31,920 Number one is harmless. 104 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:32,920 Say harmless. 105 00:04:32,920 --> 00:04:33,920 All right. 106 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:38,880 Number two, if you were up against hell and the enemy, were you, are you a troublemaker 107 00:04:38,880 --> 00:04:41,280 for all of the kingdom of darkness? 108 00:04:41,280 --> 00:04:44,480 Number three, are you actually considered a threat? 109 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:45,480 Right? 110 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:49,520 Number four, would they call code red if you got near the enemy? 111 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:50,520 Right? 112 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:54,960 And then number five, are you armed and dangerous? 113 00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:56,120 Are you armed and dangerous? 114 00:04:56,120 --> 00:04:58,400 I want you just to take a moment. 115 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:02,680 Ask yourself, what part of the scale would you land on? 116 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:06,680 Do you consider yourself armed and dangerous to the kingdom of darkness? 117 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:08,760 Where would you be in the fight? 118 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:11,960 Would you somehow be on hell's most wanted list? 119 00:05:11,960 --> 00:05:13,520 I pictured this in my head. 120 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:16,200 Now, I don't think there's any light poles there because I don't think there's any light 121 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:20,920 in hell, but somewhere along the way, would they have your post up and say, just stay 122 00:05:20,920 --> 00:05:22,120 away from this one? 123 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:23,120 Right? 124 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:24,600 Whoever you are, your picture was there. 125 00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:25,600 Just stay away from this. 126 00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:28,560 And would you show up on a poster somewhere? 127 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:33,960 Would even begin to shutter when you got near because of the power of God and Jesus in your 128 00:05:33,960 --> 00:05:34,960 life? 129 00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:37,000 Or would you be a zero on the scale? 130 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:39,080 I know it doesn't even have a zero, right? 131 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:41,280 Would you be less than a one or a one? 132 00:05:41,280 --> 00:05:43,840 Or would you be a code red? 133 00:05:43,840 --> 00:05:45,560 Where would you land? 134 00:05:45,560 --> 00:05:49,200 And while I generally don't run around looking for a fight, right? 135 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:52,080 I think it's a legit question to ask ourself. 136 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:53,080 Where would I? 137 00:05:53,080 --> 00:05:55,080 I think it's a biblical question to ask ourself. 138 00:05:55,080 --> 00:05:58,920 Am I armed and dangerous to the kingdom of darkness? 139 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:03,240 Or am I harmless and just quietly sitting by the side? 140 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:05,480 So I want you to turn the person beside you. 141 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:09,040 Let's ask them this morning, are you armed and dangerous? 142 00:06:09,040 --> 00:06:10,040 Are you? 143 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:12,160 And I mean that in the spiritual sense, okay? 144 00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:14,200 I don't want anybody pulling anything out this morning. 145 00:06:14,200 --> 00:06:15,200 All right. 146 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:17,560 Are you armed and dangerous in the spiritual sense? 147 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:21,300 If you got your Bibles this morning in your notepads, you can begin to turn to Ephesians 148 00:06:21,300 --> 00:06:22,300 chapter six. 149 00:06:22,300 --> 00:06:23,560 We're going to go to verse 10. 150 00:06:23,560 --> 00:06:25,840 Ephesians chapter six, verse 10. 151 00:06:25,840 --> 00:06:28,360 And I tell you, you know, I started telling you this. 152 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:31,160 You bring the word of God with you because it's a sword, right? 153 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:33,240 And you bring the notebook because your memory is not that good. 154 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:35,640 And God might speak something to you, right? 155 00:06:35,640 --> 00:06:39,920 So get your Bibles, get your notebooks, go to Ephesians chapter six, verse 10. 156 00:06:39,920 --> 00:06:42,280 I'm going to say a quick prayer over our ears. 157 00:06:42,280 --> 00:06:43,960 Lord, we thank you for this day. 158 00:06:43,960 --> 00:06:47,560 Lord, we pray that we have ears to hear and got hearts that are open. 159 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:51,480 And Lord, God, your words already gone forth, Lord, through music and spoken. 160 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:53,040 And Lord, we just want some more. 161 00:06:53,040 --> 00:06:56,400 So Lord, help us this morning as we look into your word and we give you praise and glory 162 00:06:56,400 --> 00:06:58,800 in Jesus name and amen and amen. 163 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:00,720 Ephesians six, 10 says this. 164 00:07:00,720 --> 00:07:04,480 Finally, my brother, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. 165 00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:08,760 Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the 166 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:09,760 devil. 167 00:07:09,760 --> 00:07:11,600 Wiles means plants, all right? 168 00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:13,960 Plots, schemes of the devil. 169 00:07:13,960 --> 00:07:18,320 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, 170 00:07:18,320 --> 00:07:22,720 against rules of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly 171 00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:24,160 places. 172 00:07:24,160 --> 00:07:28,920 First thing I want to do this morning is I want to put us on notice. 173 00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:33,440 If you're following Jesus, if you are saved, if you're full of life, if you're what we 174 00:07:33,440 --> 00:07:37,720 used to call a blood bought Christian, you don't hear that term used a lot anymore, but 175 00:07:37,720 --> 00:07:39,800 blood bought meant by the blood of Jesus Christ. 176 00:07:39,800 --> 00:07:46,000 You have been cleansed, you've been made whole, you are purchased by Jesus Christ and brought 177 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:47,000 to life. 178 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:51,840 If that's you, you need to know that you are currently in the middle of a war, a war with 179 00:07:51,840 --> 00:07:53,580 hell itself. 180 00:07:53,580 --> 00:07:56,320 And I should know this is a Jesus follower. 181 00:07:56,320 --> 00:07:59,560 I should be living in this kind of reality. 182 00:07:59,560 --> 00:08:03,280 You know, I should be on some kind of high alert as I know. 183 00:08:03,280 --> 00:08:08,840 I should be keenly aware of what's taking place, that there is actually a spiritual 184 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:14,320 fight going on, that there is a skirmish that is taking place between two kingdoms, even 185 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:17,320 though you can't see it with your physical eye, right? 186 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:20,840 That I have an enemy and his name is actually Satan, right? 187 00:08:20,840 --> 00:08:27,800 He is Lucifer and he's got an ongoing plan to take me out, to take you out, to take your 188 00:08:27,800 --> 00:08:30,200 family out, right? 189 00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:34,300 That he and those who have fallen with him, the word of God says a third of the angels 190 00:08:34,300 --> 00:08:35,360 fell with him. 191 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:42,160 They're actively working and perpetrating evil on every front in human existence. 192 00:08:42,160 --> 00:08:43,320 It's true. 193 00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:44,320 It's real. 194 00:08:44,320 --> 00:08:50,000 We very, very, we very, very much have an enemy about us. 195 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:51,000 Right? 196 00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:52,360 I know that's not super cool, right? 197 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:55,560 I know it's like, whoa, kind of thing. 198 00:08:55,560 --> 00:08:58,560 But why is it so important to be aware of this? 199 00:08:58,560 --> 00:09:00,860 Let me give you two reasons this morning. 200 00:09:00,860 --> 00:09:05,560 First one is this, because four out of 10 believers, followers of Jesus, don't believe 201 00:09:05,560 --> 00:09:07,760 that they have a physical enemy. 202 00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:09,360 They don't believe in Satan. 203 00:09:09,360 --> 00:09:10,800 This is statistically true. 204 00:09:10,800 --> 00:09:11,800 Four out of 10. 205 00:09:11,800 --> 00:09:15,840 They don't believe that Satan is a created being, right, who is in direct opposition 206 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:16,840 to God. 207 00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:17,840 They don't. 208 00:09:17,840 --> 00:09:22,400 They believe that the third of the angels of heaven followed him in a rebellion and 209 00:09:22,400 --> 00:09:28,200 were really literally cast out of heaven and joined forces together to disseminate evil 210 00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:29,200 upon the earth. 211 00:09:29,200 --> 00:09:30,820 They don't believe it. 212 00:09:30,820 --> 00:09:33,920 They simply choose not to believe. 213 00:09:33,920 --> 00:09:36,720 They don't take the Bible physically. 214 00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:40,800 They take it figuratively and they think it's just a concept, right? 215 00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:42,800 They do not believe that evil exists. 216 00:09:42,800 --> 00:09:47,520 They believe it's just simply a force, some kind of evil force floating around out there 217 00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:49,280 that's against us. 218 00:09:49,280 --> 00:09:53,380 And they don't even believe that there's a source for the evil. 219 00:09:53,380 --> 00:09:54,720 They don't believe it. 220 00:09:54,720 --> 00:10:02,900 They believe that evil is really this perpetual, immoral mindset, series of thoughts, right, 221 00:10:02,900 --> 00:10:08,200 that bring treacherous things or even dangerous or immoral things into our lives. 222 00:10:08,200 --> 00:10:10,840 Some kind of force that's out there. 223 00:10:10,840 --> 00:10:16,120 And to even muddy the water a little bit more, they believe that he, that God is the source 224 00:10:16,120 --> 00:10:19,800 for good, but there is no source for evil, right? 225 00:10:19,800 --> 00:10:21,400 And it's true. 226 00:10:21,400 --> 00:10:25,520 This idea pervades all through Christian circles. 227 00:10:25,520 --> 00:10:26,520 They've talked about this. 228 00:10:26,520 --> 00:10:28,280 They've surveyed this. 229 00:10:28,280 --> 00:10:32,600 They refuse to believe, which amazes me because here's what the Bible says. 230 00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:37,240 If you go into 1 John chapter three, verse seven, it says this little children, let no 231 00:10:37,240 --> 00:10:39,080 one deceive you. 232 00:10:39,080 --> 00:10:43,120 He who practices righteousness is righteous just as he is righteous. 233 00:10:43,120 --> 00:10:48,880 He who sins is of the devil for the devil has sinned from the beginning. 234 00:10:48,880 --> 00:10:51,400 It did not just say an evil force, right? 235 00:10:51,400 --> 00:10:52,840 It names him the devil. 236 00:10:52,840 --> 00:10:59,040 For this purpose, the son of man was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil. 237 00:10:59,040 --> 00:11:02,380 Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. 238 00:11:02,380 --> 00:11:06,940 He showed up as God wrapped in flesh to take the enemy out. 239 00:11:06,940 --> 00:11:08,400 He died on a cross. 240 00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:09,880 He was buried in a tomb. 241 00:11:09,880 --> 00:11:15,960 He rose three days later, not just to bring us grace, but to take the enemy of our lives 242 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:16,960 out, right? 243 00:11:16,960 --> 00:11:24,080 To come and offer salvation because Jesus came to destroy, say destroy. 244 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:25,080 That's what it says. 245 00:11:25,080 --> 00:11:26,920 The works of the devil. 246 00:11:26,920 --> 00:11:35,040 He came to destroy it, not to just destroy some concept or idea, but the source. 247 00:11:35,040 --> 00:11:37,000 If you're going to take something out, right? 248 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:38,000 You don't know. 249 00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:39,300 You don't just go after the symptom. 250 00:11:39,300 --> 00:11:40,920 You go after the source. 251 00:11:40,920 --> 00:11:44,240 You come after the source of something that's taking place. 252 00:11:44,240 --> 00:11:50,480 Ephesians 6 12 says, for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, 253 00:11:50,480 --> 00:11:57,040 against powers, against rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts, beings, 254 00:11:57,040 --> 00:11:58,040 right? 255 00:11:58,040 --> 00:12:00,160 Of wickedness in heavenly places. 256 00:12:00,160 --> 00:12:05,960 We've got an enemy and we've got an enemy and we need to get, you know, when I started 257 00:12:05,960 --> 00:12:10,320 off with that skill, we got to get to a place where we're armed and dangerous. 258 00:12:10,320 --> 00:12:13,080 We got to realize that we're in the middle of a war. 259 00:12:13,080 --> 00:12:15,160 There's a skirmish taking place. 260 00:12:15,160 --> 00:12:16,900 You know, we just got back from Guatemala. 261 00:12:16,900 --> 00:12:21,400 I can tell you the skirmish is live and well there in that society. 262 00:12:21,400 --> 00:12:27,780 You know, we sat and played with young children who were victims of the sin and the enemy's 263 00:12:27,780 --> 00:12:29,600 work in that area. 264 00:12:29,600 --> 00:12:35,000 And we watched God's restorative work in their lives, which is amazing to see, but it is 265 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:36,560 real. 266 00:12:36,560 --> 00:12:43,560 And by virtue of who you are, by virtue of just God's being part of God's creation, you 267 00:12:43,560 --> 00:12:44,560 have an enemy. 268 00:12:44,560 --> 00:12:50,120 Genesis 1 26 tells this, this, and it said, God said, let us make man in our own image. 269 00:12:50,120 --> 00:12:51,680 Say I'm made in his image. 270 00:12:51,680 --> 00:12:53,120 I'm made in his image. 271 00:12:53,120 --> 00:12:56,640 According to our likeness, let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of 272 00:12:56,640 --> 00:13:00,880 the air, over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps 273 00:13:00,880 --> 00:13:01,880 on the earth. 274 00:13:01,880 --> 00:13:07,640 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God, he created a male and female. 275 00:13:07,640 --> 00:13:12,040 He created them and God blessed them and said to them, be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth 276 00:13:12,040 --> 00:13:13,440 and subdue it. 277 00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:17,160 Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air and over every living 278 00:13:17,160 --> 00:13:20,720 thing that moves on the earth. 279 00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:24,780 You are a reflection of God. 280 00:13:24,780 --> 00:13:30,640 You are a reflection of God who God set on this earth and gave authority and dominion 281 00:13:30,640 --> 00:13:31,960 to. 282 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:37,880 So you got to understand when Satan came to Adam and Eve, he wasn't banished from heaven, 283 00:13:37,880 --> 00:13:41,200 banished from God's presence and he thought, you know, there's Adam and Eve, I think I'll 284 00:13:41,200 --> 00:13:43,040 just go mess with them today, right? 285 00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:44,360 Got nothing else going on. 286 00:13:44,360 --> 00:13:47,840 I think I'll just slide over and you know, maybe tempt Eve for a little bit and see what 287 00:13:47,840 --> 00:13:50,120 she does and then tempt Adam. 288 00:13:50,120 --> 00:13:51,120 He was there. 289 00:13:51,120 --> 00:13:53,720 He wasn't just bored as he was running around. 290 00:13:53,720 --> 00:13:55,220 He's an enemy of God. 291 00:13:55,220 --> 00:13:56,520 He came to take them out. 292 00:13:56,520 --> 00:13:59,520 He came to grab a hold of the authority that God gave them. 293 00:13:59,520 --> 00:14:03,280 God set them in the garden and said, Adam and Eve, this is yours. 294 00:14:03,280 --> 00:14:04,400 This earth is yours. 295 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:05,900 Have dominion over this. 296 00:14:05,900 --> 00:14:07,580 He wanted the authority. 297 00:14:07,580 --> 00:14:12,840 He wanted to grab it and he wanted to take out the sons and the daughter of God, right? 298 00:14:12,840 --> 00:14:14,120 That's what he wanted. 299 00:14:14,120 --> 00:14:15,760 There is a fight. 300 00:14:15,760 --> 00:14:16,880 There's a fight. 301 00:14:16,880 --> 00:14:22,140 There's a war going on for souls because for no other reason, because you are a reflection 302 00:14:22,140 --> 00:14:23,840 of God and who he is. 303 00:14:23,840 --> 00:14:31,440 You and your family, your children, your relatives, your neighbors, your friends, they're a reflection 304 00:14:31,440 --> 00:14:33,240 of the God. 305 00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:38,160 And for that reason alone and many others, you're in a fight. 306 00:14:38,160 --> 00:14:39,760 It's just one of the reasons. 307 00:14:39,760 --> 00:14:41,000 Two is this. 308 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:44,480 You need to be aware that you're in a fight because how many know that if you wander into 309 00:14:44,480 --> 00:14:49,420 a battle zone unaware that there's a war taking place, how long do you think you're going 310 00:14:49,420 --> 00:14:50,520 to survive? 311 00:14:50,520 --> 00:14:54,720 I want you to get a picture in your mind, right? 312 00:14:54,720 --> 00:14:59,280 If you're unaware of the battle that's taking place and the fight that's going on and it's 313 00:14:59,280 --> 00:15:03,520 about to occur and all hell breaks loose, you got a problem. 314 00:15:03,520 --> 00:15:04,520 Amen? 315 00:15:04,520 --> 00:15:05,520 It's true. 316 00:15:05,520 --> 00:15:06,520 So I want you to kind of do something this morning. 317 00:15:06,520 --> 00:15:07,520 I want you to picture something. 318 00:15:07,520 --> 00:15:11,160 I want you to pretend that there's a mountain over on this side and there's a mountain over 319 00:15:11,160 --> 00:15:14,920 in this side and there's a big old beautiful field right down in the middle of the two 320 00:15:14,920 --> 00:15:16,920 mountains right down in the valley. 321 00:15:16,920 --> 00:15:19,440 And I want you to pretend that you're standing on the edge of that. 322 00:15:19,440 --> 00:15:20,800 And here's what you don't know. 323 00:15:20,800 --> 00:15:24,720 You don't know that the kingdom of God and the kingdom of light is up in the trees and 324 00:15:24,720 --> 00:15:28,720 and hidden up in this mountain and the kingdom of darkness and Satan and the enemy are over 325 00:15:28,720 --> 00:15:32,600 here and there's this big old valley down there and you're looking at the valley and 326 00:15:32,600 --> 00:15:36,400 you're not completely aware of what's going on and you think to yourself, you know, looks 327 00:15:36,400 --> 00:15:38,600 like a great place to have a picnic. 328 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:39,600 That looks awesome. 329 00:15:39,600 --> 00:15:40,600 Right? 330 00:15:40,600 --> 00:15:44,960 So you go pick you go pack a picnic basket and you get your favorite P&J, right? 331 00:15:44,960 --> 00:15:45,960 PB&J sandwich. 332 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:47,720 I don't know what your favorite jelly is. 333 00:15:47,720 --> 00:15:48,720 How many know strawberry? 334 00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:49,720 Right? 335 00:15:49,720 --> 00:15:50,720 All right. 336 00:15:50,720 --> 00:15:51,720 Come on. 337 00:15:51,720 --> 00:15:52,720 Yeah. 338 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:53,720 Amen. 339 00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:54,720 All right. 340 00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:55,720 You know, you get you make your jelly's peanut butter and jelly sandwiches up. 341 00:15:55,720 --> 00:15:56,720 You get yourself some tea. 342 00:15:56,720 --> 00:15:57,720 You get a little blankie, right? 343 00:15:57,720 --> 00:16:01,080 Your favorite blankie that you lay on the ground and you just wander out there and there's 344 00:16:01,080 --> 00:16:05,600 a little baby shade tree out in the middle and you think that's perfect right there. 345 00:16:05,600 --> 00:16:08,440 And you plop yourself down and you sit down. 346 00:16:08,440 --> 00:16:14,520 You begin to munch on a sandwich and all of the sudden, all of the sudden, rockets begin 347 00:16:14,520 --> 00:16:16,840 to sail over the top of your head. 348 00:16:16,840 --> 00:16:20,000 All of the sudden, there's bullets flying around you. 349 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:25,480 All of the sudden, you begin to hear war cries and there you sit with your picnic basket. 350 00:16:25,480 --> 00:16:28,760 No weapon, no armor, no battle plan. 351 00:16:28,760 --> 00:16:29,760 All right. 352 00:16:29,760 --> 00:16:32,780 You wandered into the middle of a battlefield. 353 00:16:32,780 --> 00:16:35,240 How many know that's a problem? 354 00:16:35,240 --> 00:16:36,840 That's a difficult place to be in. 355 00:16:36,840 --> 00:16:37,840 Right? 356 00:16:37,840 --> 00:16:40,600 How many know picnic basket isn't going to get it done? 357 00:16:40,600 --> 00:16:44,200 You're probably not going to stop the war with your peanut butter and jelly sandwich. 358 00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:45,200 Right? 359 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:47,400 It sounds ridiculous. 360 00:16:47,400 --> 00:16:51,800 It sounds crazy, but so many Christians live like that. 361 00:16:51,800 --> 00:16:55,320 They block out that there's any enemy that's out around them. 362 00:16:55,320 --> 00:17:01,080 There's any war that's taking place and they just grab the picnic basket and go sit down 363 00:17:01,080 --> 00:17:04,720 in the middle of the field, in the middle of the battle zone. 364 00:17:04,720 --> 00:17:08,680 And they don't know that they're in the middle of a fight. 365 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:12,000 They're in the middle of a war. 366 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:15,040 But my son, my son turned 16 years old. 367 00:17:15,040 --> 00:17:18,760 I got him a gift and it was something that I had planned for a while. 368 00:17:18,760 --> 00:17:20,760 And I bought him a sword. 369 00:17:20,760 --> 00:17:21,760 All right. 370 00:17:21,760 --> 00:17:22,760 It was awesome. 371 00:17:22,760 --> 00:17:23,760 All right. 372 00:17:23,760 --> 00:17:24,760 I bought him this sword and it was a real sword. 373 00:17:24,760 --> 00:17:27,300 Now I didn't sharpen it, but it was very pointy. 374 00:17:27,300 --> 00:17:31,680 But I got this sword and I didn't want to buy him a sword just to buy him a sword. 375 00:17:31,680 --> 00:17:34,440 But I had some words inscribed on it. 376 00:17:34,440 --> 00:17:37,880 Some Greek words and it was Ammonia and I always mess that up. 377 00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:38,880 Right? 378 00:17:38,880 --> 00:17:43,640 Ammonia, diathetop and rama. 379 00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:47,360 Three words and I butchered the pronouncement terribly with that because they're up there 380 00:17:47,360 --> 00:17:48,360 right now. 381 00:17:48,360 --> 00:17:49,360 But here's what they mean. 382 00:17:49,360 --> 00:17:51,160 And the meaning is more important. 383 00:17:51,160 --> 00:17:53,720 Forget my vocabulary, Greek vocabulary. 384 00:17:53,720 --> 00:17:58,680 I defend, I destroy, and now word from God. 385 00:17:58,680 --> 00:18:05,720 Why would I get my 16 year old son a sword and I put on it, I defend, I destroy, and 386 00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:08,440 now word from God. 387 00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:11,760 Here's what I wanted him to remember as he began to slide into manhood. 388 00:18:11,760 --> 00:18:16,560 I wanted him to understand that he was the one day that he would be the keeper of his 389 00:18:16,560 --> 00:18:17,560 home. 390 00:18:17,560 --> 00:18:19,240 He would lead and head up his household. 391 00:18:19,240 --> 00:18:23,520 One day he would have to even at 16 years old, he would have to realize that he's in 392 00:18:23,520 --> 00:18:28,000 the middle of a battle and in the middle of the battle, it would be his responsibility 393 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:29,340 right to defend. 394 00:18:29,340 --> 00:18:34,320 It would be his responsibility to go against the enemy and he would need a now word from 395 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:35,320 God. 396 00:18:35,320 --> 00:18:37,320 He would need a rama word from God. 397 00:18:37,320 --> 00:18:39,860 He would need to hear from God all along the way. 398 00:18:39,860 --> 00:18:44,520 He would need the instructions from the general on what was next. 399 00:18:44,520 --> 00:18:48,600 And I wanted him to understand, I wanted him to get that deep in his spirit. 400 00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:52,440 Something that he could put up, even if he, and I don't know where he has it now, probably 401 00:18:52,440 --> 00:18:56,520 tucked away somewhere, but even if he looks at it once in a while, he understands it. 402 00:18:56,520 --> 00:18:58,200 It's his role, it's his job. 403 00:18:58,200 --> 00:19:01,040 He's in the middle of a war and the enemy wants him. 404 00:19:01,040 --> 00:19:02,480 He wants his family. 405 00:19:02,480 --> 00:19:04,160 He wants his wife. 406 00:19:04,160 --> 00:19:05,920 We're hoping for children right now. 407 00:19:05,920 --> 00:19:06,920 We're praying that in. 408 00:19:06,920 --> 00:19:10,560 I keep speaking twins over them right now. 409 00:19:10,560 --> 00:19:11,560 Come on, pray with me. 410 00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:12,560 All right. 411 00:19:12,560 --> 00:19:15,560 But I wanted him to know. 412 00:19:15,560 --> 00:19:17,840 I wanted him to know. 413 00:19:17,840 --> 00:19:22,540 I wanted him to remember we're a war church for a war. 414 00:19:22,540 --> 00:19:23,840 There's a war taking place. 415 00:19:23,840 --> 00:19:26,240 There's a war taking place in Carlisle. 416 00:19:26,240 --> 00:19:30,520 There are people getting taken out every day all around us. 417 00:19:30,520 --> 00:19:34,040 We're getting ready to move when we slide down into this new spot and even where we're 418 00:19:34,040 --> 00:19:35,160 at right now, right? 419 00:19:35,160 --> 00:19:37,040 We're not, we're keeping this one too. 420 00:19:37,040 --> 00:19:39,000 Then we're going to have two locations. 421 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:41,320 There are people dying around us. 422 00:19:41,320 --> 00:19:44,160 The enemy is taking them out. 423 00:19:44,160 --> 00:19:47,360 We need to be armed and dangerous. 424 00:19:47,360 --> 00:19:49,200 One's not going to cut it, right? 425 00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:51,480 Two on a scale is not going to cut it. 426 00:19:51,480 --> 00:19:54,040 We got to be armed and dangerous and we got to armor up. 427 00:19:54,040 --> 00:19:57,760 Ephesians 6 13 says this, therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able 428 00:19:57,760 --> 00:20:01,980 to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand, stand therefore having girded 429 00:20:01,980 --> 00:20:07,400 your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness and having feet shod with 430 00:20:07,400 --> 00:20:09,680 the preparation of the gospel of peace. 431 00:20:09,680 --> 00:20:14,740 Above all, taking the shield of faith which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts 432 00:20:14,740 --> 00:20:15,980 of the wicked one. 433 00:20:15,980 --> 00:20:19,920 Take the helmet of salvation, the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God praying 434 00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:24,120 always all prayer and supplication in the spirit. 435 00:20:24,120 --> 00:20:25,760 That's a whole other subject, right? 436 00:20:25,760 --> 00:20:29,760 Being watchful to this end and with all perseverance and supplication for the saints. 437 00:20:29,760 --> 00:20:31,040 You got to armor up. 438 00:20:31,040 --> 00:20:32,840 You got to get ready for the battle. 439 00:20:32,840 --> 00:20:35,000 You can't go out there with a picnic basket. 440 00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:37,020 You got to get truth in your life, right? 441 00:20:37,020 --> 00:20:38,480 That's what you gird your waist with. 442 00:20:38,480 --> 00:20:42,880 You got to get a breastplate of righteousness to cover your heart. 443 00:20:42,880 --> 00:20:44,040 That's what a breastplate does. 444 00:20:44,040 --> 00:20:46,200 It covers your vital organs, right? 445 00:20:46,200 --> 00:20:49,000 You got to be prepared with the feet shot with the gospel. 446 00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:51,120 Everywhere you go, you're carrying the gospel. 447 00:20:51,120 --> 00:20:53,440 Shield of faith, man, you got to have faith. 448 00:20:53,440 --> 00:20:58,240 That's the only thing that you got to defend yourself from the darts of the enemy, right? 449 00:20:58,240 --> 00:21:01,540 You got to get how many know your faith is mobile like a shield. 450 00:21:01,540 --> 00:21:05,080 You can throw that puppy up anywhere and block whatever's coming at you. 451 00:21:05,080 --> 00:21:06,800 You got to make sure your head's covered. 452 00:21:06,800 --> 00:21:12,040 You got to make sure you have the sword of the spirit praying in the spirit, praying 453 00:21:12,040 --> 00:21:13,660 to God, right? 454 00:21:13,660 --> 00:21:15,340 And be vigilant to the end. 455 00:21:15,340 --> 00:21:20,180 We need to be armed up and dangerous in the kingdom of God, right? 456 00:21:20,180 --> 00:21:22,320 And against the kingdom of darkness. 457 00:21:22,320 --> 00:21:25,600 Hell should shudder when you walk down the street. 458 00:21:25,600 --> 00:21:28,100 Hell should get nervous, right? 459 00:21:28,100 --> 00:21:34,320 Men should flee when we walk down the street, not because of us, but because who's in us, 460 00:21:34,320 --> 00:21:36,800 who walks with us, right? 461 00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:38,420 You should be a Christian. 462 00:21:38,420 --> 00:21:40,080 You should be a Christian ninja. 463 00:21:40,080 --> 00:21:41,520 All right? 464 00:21:41,520 --> 00:21:42,520 Come on. 465 00:21:42,520 --> 00:21:46,000 A godly Navy SEAL, a spiritual green beret. 466 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:50,460 Man, listen, I've seen some little old ladies I would not mess with spiritually. 467 00:21:50,460 --> 00:21:55,040 They will pray you in and out of anywhere they want to. 468 00:21:55,040 --> 00:21:56,040 They had power. 469 00:21:56,040 --> 00:21:57,520 My grandmother was like that. 470 00:21:57,520 --> 00:21:59,040 She was frail. 471 00:21:59,040 --> 00:22:00,040 She was sickly. 472 00:22:00,040 --> 00:22:03,640 And man, spiritually, you did not want to mess with her. 473 00:22:03,640 --> 00:22:07,540 You know, she did not show up to a gunfight with a knife. 474 00:22:07,540 --> 00:22:10,280 She came with a spiritual bazooka, right? 475 00:22:10,280 --> 00:22:11,280 To take me. 476 00:22:11,280 --> 00:22:12,280 I'm serious. 477 00:22:12,280 --> 00:22:13,280 She knew, right? 478 00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:14,280 Be vigilant. 479 00:22:14,280 --> 00:22:15,280 Be awake. 480 00:22:15,280 --> 00:22:18,040 Be armed and dangerous. 481 00:22:18,040 --> 00:22:19,760 We have an enemy. 482 00:22:19,760 --> 00:22:22,720 And I can spend the rest of my time focusing on each weapon. 483 00:22:22,720 --> 00:22:24,460 And we don't got enough time for that this morning. 484 00:22:24,460 --> 00:22:26,480 Each piece and what it represents. 485 00:22:26,480 --> 00:22:31,320 But I think I want to focus just on one little portion of that scripture as you look at it. 486 00:22:31,320 --> 00:22:37,480 In that scripture, it says this, having done all to stand, stand. 487 00:22:37,480 --> 00:22:39,600 So what's that part mean? 488 00:22:39,600 --> 00:22:45,960 You know, what is that little phrase amongst all that weaponry for offense and defense, 489 00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:46,960 right? 490 00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:48,320 What does that mean? 491 00:22:48,320 --> 00:22:51,960 It means that you got to do your part in standing against the enemy. 492 00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:54,240 It means that you should have the right training. 493 00:22:54,240 --> 00:22:55,520 You should have the right disciplines. 494 00:22:55,520 --> 00:22:57,520 You should have the right practices. 495 00:22:57,520 --> 00:23:02,160 Sometimes we get knocked on our spiritual backsides because we're unskilled, we're 496 00:23:02,160 --> 00:23:03,240 unpracticed, right? 497 00:23:03,240 --> 00:23:05,720 And we're untrained in what God's given us. 498 00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:06,720 We have it all. 499 00:23:06,720 --> 00:23:07,720 He's given it to us all. 500 00:23:07,720 --> 00:23:11,080 But we're unskilled, we're unpracticed, and we're untrained in it. 501 00:23:11,080 --> 00:23:13,360 And we got to be practiced. 502 00:23:13,360 --> 00:23:14,480 We've got to be trained. 503 00:23:14,480 --> 00:23:18,600 I remember years ago watching this special on TV. 504 00:23:18,600 --> 00:23:21,320 And it was about this kid that was about nine years old. 505 00:23:21,320 --> 00:23:23,640 And he was kind of a karate expert. 506 00:23:23,640 --> 00:23:25,220 And this kid was amazing. 507 00:23:25,220 --> 00:23:26,220 He was incredible. 508 00:23:26,220 --> 00:23:27,520 He was trained. 509 00:23:27,520 --> 00:23:29,600 He was skilled, man. 510 00:23:29,600 --> 00:23:31,160 And he was practiced. 511 00:23:31,160 --> 00:23:33,080 And he's like nine years old. 512 00:23:33,080 --> 00:23:35,880 And he's whooping people that are twice his age. 513 00:23:35,880 --> 00:23:40,040 He's got a room full of trophies from tournaments that he got into. 514 00:23:40,040 --> 00:23:45,360 And nobody could go up against this kid because he was skilled, because he was practiced, 515 00:23:45,360 --> 00:23:46,360 because he was trained. 516 00:23:46,360 --> 00:23:49,440 It was not because of his size, because he was not large. 517 00:23:49,440 --> 00:23:50,600 He just knew. 518 00:23:50,600 --> 00:23:52,680 He was just practiced. 519 00:23:52,680 --> 00:23:55,880 And as I thought about this, I began to think of a biblical example of this. 520 00:23:55,880 --> 00:23:57,580 And I began to think of King David. 521 00:23:57,580 --> 00:24:01,680 And Bishop Hughes preached a masterful sermon last week. 522 00:24:01,680 --> 00:24:04,360 But he started to talk about David a little bit. 523 00:24:04,360 --> 00:24:07,000 And you got to understand David was a shepherd boy. 524 00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:08,640 He was one of eight sons. 525 00:24:08,640 --> 00:24:09,640 He was a shepherd boy. 526 00:24:09,640 --> 00:24:10,640 He was the youngest. 527 00:24:10,640 --> 00:24:14,240 And his day was filled with going and watching the sheep. 528 00:24:14,240 --> 00:24:18,500 And as I thought about him watching the sheep, you know, two scenarios could have taken place 529 00:24:18,500 --> 00:24:19,500 right there. 530 00:24:19,500 --> 00:24:22,240 As David went out to the sheep, now the sheep just go out and eat grass. 531 00:24:22,240 --> 00:24:23,520 Now I'm not a sheep herder. 532 00:24:23,520 --> 00:24:25,360 I know there's a whole bunch of other things you got to do with it. 533 00:24:25,360 --> 00:24:26,520 I've read a book on that. 534 00:24:26,520 --> 00:24:29,420 I got a book given to me about that. 535 00:24:29,420 --> 00:24:31,840 But just in short, they got to go eat, right? 536 00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:32,840 They got to go eat grass. 537 00:24:32,840 --> 00:24:34,560 And their job is to get fat and make wool. 538 00:24:34,560 --> 00:24:35,560 All right. 539 00:24:35,560 --> 00:24:36,560 That's what they do. 540 00:24:36,560 --> 00:24:40,440 And the shepherd moves them from place to place and protects them and keeps them there. 541 00:24:40,440 --> 00:24:42,520 But David could have done one of two things, right? 542 00:24:42,520 --> 00:24:44,220 He could have took a picnic basket. 543 00:24:44,220 --> 00:24:46,520 He could have took his peanut butter and jelly sandwich. 544 00:24:46,520 --> 00:24:50,160 He could have taken his tea and he could have sat out on the hillside and watched the sheep, 545 00:24:50,160 --> 00:24:51,160 right? 546 00:24:51,160 --> 00:24:52,720 And he could have thrown wool. 547 00:24:52,720 --> 00:24:55,060 But that's not what David did. 548 00:24:55,060 --> 00:24:57,500 David had a sling and a stone. 549 00:24:57,500 --> 00:25:01,780 And I can see him as a kid going out and watching the sheep, right? 550 00:25:01,780 --> 00:25:04,340 And picking up a stone with his sling. 551 00:25:04,340 --> 00:25:08,400 And how am I know he just start swinging that thing around and nail the first tree he could 552 00:25:08,400 --> 00:25:09,400 find, right? 553 00:25:09,400 --> 00:25:12,520 He probably even popped the sheep once in a while, right? 554 00:25:12,520 --> 00:25:17,720 You know, just swinging that thing around and he throw one and then he do two and then 555 00:25:17,720 --> 00:25:19,080 he do three. 556 00:25:19,080 --> 00:25:21,280 And the longer he went, the better he got. 557 00:25:21,280 --> 00:25:24,800 He missed the tree the first 50 times he slung a stone at it. 558 00:25:24,800 --> 00:25:30,280 But number 51, he nails the tree and he keeps doing it and he keeps doing it and he keeps 559 00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:35,040 doing it and he keeps getting skilled and he keeps getting practiced and he keeps training 560 00:25:35,040 --> 00:25:39,860 and he keeps going and he keeps going and he nails the tree and then he aims at a big 561 00:25:39,860 --> 00:25:41,600 old rock and he hits it, right? 562 00:25:41,600 --> 00:25:43,360 It's half the size of the tree. 563 00:25:43,360 --> 00:25:45,120 Pretty soon he takes out a rabbit. 564 00:25:45,120 --> 00:25:47,320 Maybe one of his brothers are going by, right? 565 00:25:47,320 --> 00:25:48,320 Bam! 566 00:25:48,320 --> 00:25:54,360 He's on the backside, you know, going by and he just keeps practicing and he keeps training. 567 00:25:54,360 --> 00:25:57,560 And pretty soon, the Word of God says when he was young, right? 568 00:25:57,560 --> 00:25:59,160 A lion and a bear come in. 569 00:25:59,160 --> 00:26:03,300 It doesn't give full details, but David takes care of a lion. 570 00:26:03,300 --> 00:26:04,480 He takes care of a bear. 571 00:26:04,480 --> 00:26:07,800 I've got to think he's probably killing some rabbits and eating them for supper. 572 00:26:07,800 --> 00:26:10,120 He is skilled. 573 00:26:10,120 --> 00:26:15,120 Somehow this little boy with a sling becomes armed and dangerous. 574 00:26:15,120 --> 00:26:20,640 And not long later on in his childhood, he goes and delivers lunch, the peanut butter 575 00:26:20,640 --> 00:26:23,760 and jelly sandwich, which is due his brothers who are at the war. 576 00:26:23,760 --> 00:26:31,920 They're at the front and a giant walks into a field and begins to mock God, his God. 577 00:26:31,920 --> 00:26:33,200 And he doesn't back down. 578 00:26:33,200 --> 00:26:34,560 He's already taken out a lion. 579 00:26:34,560 --> 00:26:36,600 He's already taken out a bear. 580 00:26:36,600 --> 00:26:42,320 He's walked that path of an enemy that's so much larger than he is, so much more powerful 581 00:26:42,320 --> 00:26:43,320 than he is. 582 00:26:43,320 --> 00:26:48,720 And he said, who is this uncircumcised Philistine? 583 00:26:48,720 --> 00:26:55,440 And he goes out on that field and he puts a rock in that sling and he buries it in that 584 00:26:55,440 --> 00:26:57,720 giant's head and he falls. 585 00:26:57,720 --> 00:26:58,720 He dies. 586 00:26:58,720 --> 00:27:02,080 You've got to be skilled. 587 00:27:02,080 --> 00:27:03,760 You've got to be trained. 588 00:27:03,760 --> 00:27:06,000 You've got to take what God's given you. 589 00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:07,660 He's given you the armor. 590 00:27:07,660 --> 00:27:09,200 He's given you the sword. 591 00:27:09,200 --> 00:27:10,800 He's given you what you need. 592 00:27:10,800 --> 00:27:13,360 But you've got to train with it. 593 00:27:13,360 --> 00:27:16,000 You've got to get armed with it. 594 00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:20,840 You've got to get to a place where you're skilled with what God has placed in your hands. 595 00:27:20,840 --> 00:27:24,400 Because I know this about armor or even a sword. 596 00:27:24,400 --> 00:27:29,240 If you're untrained with a sword, it looks cool, but you're going to probably die in 597 00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:30,680 a fight. 598 00:27:30,680 --> 00:27:31,680 You've got to be trained. 599 00:27:31,680 --> 00:27:32,680 Amen. 600 00:27:32,680 --> 00:27:33,680 It's true. 601 00:27:33,680 --> 00:27:34,680 Worship team if you'd come. 602 00:27:34,680 --> 00:27:44,960 You've got to understand this is sometimes, listen, I've come across some believers that 603 00:27:44,960 --> 00:27:47,360 they couldn't beat their way out of a wet paper bag. 604 00:27:47,360 --> 00:27:48,840 You know what I'm talking about? 605 00:27:48,840 --> 00:27:49,840 Spiritually. 606 00:27:49,840 --> 00:27:52,280 I mean, how many of you have ever been there? 607 00:27:52,280 --> 00:27:55,160 Couldn't beat your way out of a wet paper bag spiritually? 608 00:27:55,160 --> 00:27:56,160 It's true. 609 00:27:56,160 --> 00:28:01,640 And sometimes it's because we're so unskilled in what God has given us. 610 00:28:01,640 --> 00:28:06,760 We're so unskilled in placing the armor upon us and working with it. 611 00:28:06,760 --> 00:28:10,840 One of the things that warriors do when they train is they train with the equipment that 612 00:28:10,840 --> 00:28:15,240 they're going to use, whether that's a defensive type of equipment or an offensive type of 613 00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:16,520 equipment. 614 00:28:16,520 --> 00:28:17,720 They train with it. 615 00:28:17,720 --> 00:28:23,840 If it's a gun, if it's anything that they're wearing, it almost becomes second nature to 616 00:28:23,840 --> 00:28:28,680 them where you could blind them and they're able to get to whatever they need and do whatever 617 00:28:28,680 --> 00:28:33,320 they have to do almost with their eyes closed because they train with it. 618 00:28:33,320 --> 00:28:36,120 They're skilled. 619 00:28:36,120 --> 00:28:39,200 That's what God meant when he says do everything. 620 00:28:39,200 --> 00:28:44,320 When you're going to weapon up, when you're going to armor up, you've got to stand. 621 00:28:44,320 --> 00:28:45,320 You've got to train. 622 00:28:45,320 --> 00:28:51,120 I'm going to ask if you'd stand this morning. 623 00:28:51,120 --> 00:28:52,120 Here's the deal. 624 00:28:52,120 --> 00:28:57,800 I know this isn't one of those shouting services, but this is a serious thing you need to hear. 625 00:28:57,800 --> 00:29:05,440 If you go out into the middle of that field with a picnic basket, you're saved. 626 00:29:05,440 --> 00:29:10,060 You know Jesus is Lord and Savior of your life, but you are oblivious to the war that's 627 00:29:10,060 --> 00:29:11,320 taking place. 628 00:29:11,320 --> 00:29:15,020 You walk out there and you sit with a picnic basket and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich 629 00:29:15,020 --> 00:29:20,520 and you're sucking on your tea and you don't understand that there's a war taking place. 630 00:29:20,520 --> 00:29:23,000 The enemy is going to trounce all over you. 631 00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:28,900 He is going to beat you silly or worse. 632 00:29:28,900 --> 00:29:32,080 We've got to be a people of God who will stand. 633 00:29:32,080 --> 00:29:35,600 Who will put on the armor. 634 00:29:35,600 --> 00:29:38,840 We will pick up the sword and we train. 635 00:29:38,840 --> 00:29:39,840 We train. 636 00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:40,840 We train. 637 00:29:40,840 --> 00:29:41,840 We keep training. 638 00:29:41,840 --> 00:29:51,960 Some of you, you know, in that LH3, 3 minutes with God, 3 people, you're training. 639 00:29:51,960 --> 00:29:57,320 When you get with God, when you take and you spend some time with God, you're training. 640 00:29:57,320 --> 00:29:58,320 He's pouring into you. 641 00:29:58,320 --> 00:30:00,600 The Holy Spirit begins to instruct you. 642 00:30:00,600 --> 00:30:04,880 He begins to teach you how to swing the sword. 643 00:30:04,880 --> 00:30:05,920 It's the Word of God. 644 00:30:05,920 --> 00:30:07,640 We don't wrestle against flesh and blood. 645 00:30:07,640 --> 00:30:12,460 It's principalities, it's powers, it's rulers of darkness that we're coming up against. 646 00:30:12,460 --> 00:30:15,480 It's real evil. 647 00:30:15,480 --> 00:30:21,800 And when you get in your prayer closet, right, you begin to exercise. 648 00:30:21,800 --> 00:30:22,800 You'll faith. 649 00:30:22,800 --> 00:30:25,720 You're out in the world and something takes place. 650 00:30:25,720 --> 00:30:26,720 Here's the thing with it. 651 00:30:26,720 --> 00:30:30,080 You know, just like David with that sling, you've got to start out small, man. 652 00:30:30,080 --> 00:30:32,600 You've got to see if you can hit a tree. 653 00:30:32,600 --> 00:30:35,740 It might not be the big thing and it might not seem all that important, but you've got 654 00:30:35,740 --> 00:30:37,320 to see if you can hit a tree. 655 00:30:37,320 --> 00:30:41,900 And you'll faith that once you hit that tree, how many of your faith begins to build, right? 656 00:30:41,900 --> 00:30:43,920 You hit it again and then you hit it again. 657 00:30:43,920 --> 00:30:48,140 And then you go on to something smaller and the target gets smaller, but you get more 658 00:30:48,140 --> 00:30:50,200 accurate at what you're doing. 659 00:30:50,200 --> 00:30:54,880 And you, you can take out the enemy. 660 00:30:54,880 --> 00:31:00,240 So many times we go after the giant and we haven't even hit the tree yet. 661 00:31:00,240 --> 00:31:01,240 You got to train. 662 00:31:01,240 --> 00:31:02,240 You got to train. 663 00:31:02,240 --> 00:31:22,080 Thank you for tuning in to this message from Lifehouse Church. 664 00:31:22,080 --> 00:31:32,020 And we'll see you next time.