WEBVTT 00:00:02.650 --> 00:00:05.190 Alright, so Ephesians chapter 6, and we'll just 00:00:05.190 --> 00:00:08.250 read these first few verses here beginning in 00:00:08.250 --> 00:00:11.589 10 Finally be strong in the Lord and in the strength 00:00:11.589 --> 00:00:14.089 of his might put on the full armor of God so 00:00:14.089 --> 00:00:17.370 that you will be able to stand firm Against the 00:00:17.370 --> 00:00:19.910 schemes of the devil for our struggle is not 00:00:19.910 --> 00:00:24.469 against flesh and blood But against the rulers 00:00:24.469 --> 00:00:27.629 against the powers against the world forces of 00:00:27.629 --> 00:00:29.910 this darkness against the spiritual forces of 00:00:29.910 --> 00:00:33.119 wickedness in the heavenly places Therefore take 00:00:33.119 --> 00:00:35.259 up the full armor of God so that you will be 00:00:35.259 --> 00:00:38.000 able to resist in the evil day and having done 00:00:38.000 --> 00:00:40.840 everything to stand firm stand firm Therefore 00:00:40.840 --> 00:00:43.359 having girded your loins with truth and having 00:00:43.359 --> 00:00:45.520 put on the breastplate of righteousness and having 00:00:45.520 --> 00:00:47.780 shied your feet with the preparation of the gospel 00:00:47.780 --> 00:00:51.259 of peace In addition to all taking up the shield 00:00:51.259 --> 00:00:55.500 of faith With which you will be able to extinguish 00:00:55.500 --> 00:00:58.719 all the flaming arrows of the evil one and take 00:00:58.719 --> 00:01:00.719 the helmet of salvation and the sword of the 00:01:00.719 --> 00:01:04.879 Spirit, which is the word of God. All right, 00:01:05.000 --> 00:01:10.299 so tonight we'll talk here about the shield of 00:01:10.299 --> 00:01:16.540 faith that Paul mentions. Now, we've already 00:01:16.540 --> 00:01:18.920 talked about faith. We've mentioned faith multiple 00:01:18.920 --> 00:01:23.500 times, and so... All of these things that Paul's 00:01:23.500 --> 00:01:25.299 talking about it's not as though they're you 00:01:25.299 --> 00:01:27.739 know It's just this one shield of faith and that's 00:01:27.739 --> 00:01:30.819 it you know, but no faith Faith is involved in 00:01:30.819 --> 00:01:32.500 all these other things just as we've mentioned 00:01:32.500 --> 00:01:42.219 before But what is What is Paul saying here, 00:01:42.219 --> 00:01:44.939 what does he want us to what does he want us 00:01:44.939 --> 00:01:49.939 to To think about to bring home to us here. He 00:01:49.939 --> 00:01:52.950 says I guess first of all here he says above 00:01:52.950 --> 00:01:57.469 all I think is the King James says above all 00:01:57.469 --> 00:02:00.989 the new American standard says in addition to 00:02:00.989 --> 00:02:04.930 the idea there is not that the shield of faith 00:02:04.930 --> 00:02:07.269 is superior than all these other things that 00:02:07.269 --> 00:02:12.409 we have listed here it's just another another 00:02:12.409 --> 00:02:19.280 one that we are to to to use here. Another way 00:02:19.280 --> 00:02:22.719 that it could be translated is furthermore. So 00:02:22.719 --> 00:02:24.740 it's not as though the shield of faith is the 00:02:24.740 --> 00:02:26.599 most important part of the armor that we're going 00:02:26.599 --> 00:02:31.759 to put on here. So let me just start with that 00:02:31.759 --> 00:02:35.560 then. But then what is this shield of faith? 00:02:36.939 --> 00:02:40.879 Well, what was the shield for back in the day? 00:02:41.120 --> 00:02:43.360 If we're thinking of our Roman soldier here, 00:02:43.360 --> 00:02:48.340 what was the shield for? Okay, it protected his 00:02:48.340 --> 00:03:01.500 body. What was it made of? Okay. So some wood, 00:03:02.000 --> 00:03:05.120 so most say it was made of wood, but that it 00:03:05.120 --> 00:03:09.240 had a cover on it. So some say leather, a leather, 00:03:09.960 --> 00:03:13.300 wrapped in leather, and some say it was wrapped 00:03:13.300 --> 00:03:18.310 in some sort of a metal, that wood. Again prevent 00:03:18.310 --> 00:03:23.490 anything from really catching fire The flaming 00:03:23.490 --> 00:03:27.330 arrows of the enemy and so on it was a big shield 00:03:27.330 --> 00:03:31.729 that is That everybody I've read it always says 00:03:31.729 --> 00:03:36.289 it was a big shield four feet four feet tall 00:03:36.289 --> 00:03:40.909 and two two and a half feet wide and so it was 00:03:40.909 --> 00:03:44.110 if you've seen some of the old movies like the 00:03:44.110 --> 00:03:48.710 gladiator and Think a good one too would be the 00:03:48.710 --> 00:03:50.590 hobbit there Maybe when they are all in battle 00:03:50.590 --> 00:03:52.810 if you if you locked all these shields together, 00:03:52.810 --> 00:03:56.629 you know Stood together as it was a wall and 00:03:56.629 --> 00:04:02.090 it was a great Defense against the enemy and 00:04:02.090 --> 00:04:04.110 so that's what we're talking about here. We're 00:04:04.110 --> 00:04:09.830 talking about a great Tool To protect yourself 00:04:09.830 --> 00:04:13.349 to protect your whole body If you duck behind 00:04:13.349 --> 00:04:15.430 it you could you could shield your whole self 00:04:16.519 --> 00:04:18.639 So that's what Paul is mentioning here when he 00:04:18.639 --> 00:04:21.019 talks about this shield of faith this thing that 00:04:21.019 --> 00:04:24.139 will protect us Against all of the flaming arrows 00:04:24.139 --> 00:04:27.899 and all of the attacks of the enemy So what is 00:04:27.899 --> 00:04:44.100 faith? Anybody Okay, so Hebrews 11 1 there that's 00:04:44.100 --> 00:04:48.680 that's one definition of faith Okay, what's another 00:04:48.680 --> 00:05:00.459 way we could describe faith? Okay, so we could 00:05:00.459 --> 00:05:04.160 say faith is active faith is believing truths 00:05:04.160 --> 00:05:07.540 and putting those truths into practice Using 00:05:07.540 --> 00:05:11.560 using those those facts that we say that we believe 00:05:11.560 --> 00:05:20.170 all right Anything any other descriptions of 00:05:20.170 --> 00:05:37.110 faith Okay, again an active faith is active Okay, 00:05:40.670 --> 00:05:47.639 so What I what I put down here is faith is only 00:05:47.639 --> 00:05:51.439 as strong or faith is only as good as the thing 00:05:51.439 --> 00:05:55.360 that your faith is in Okay, so if your faith 00:05:55.360 --> 00:05:58.759 is in some rickety bridge that it's gonna get 00:05:58.759 --> 00:06:04.800 you across this cavern But it really isn't strong 00:06:04.800 --> 00:06:06.740 enough to get you across there What good is the 00:06:06.740 --> 00:06:08.779 faith you're gonna walk on out across that bridge 00:06:08.779 --> 00:06:11.040 thinking it's gonna get me there And then in 00:06:11.040 --> 00:06:13.160 the middle of it it collapses it falls. What 00:06:13.160 --> 00:06:15.899 good was your faith? Worthless, right? You're 00:06:15.899 --> 00:06:19.699 dead. And so our faith is only as strong, is 00:06:19.699 --> 00:06:22.500 only as sure as the thing in which we're placing 00:06:22.500 --> 00:06:29.139 our faith. So our faith must be in something 00:06:29.139 --> 00:06:33.439 solid, something sure. And of course, who or 00:06:33.439 --> 00:06:40.620 what is that? Okay, Jesus, God. Okay, our faith 00:06:40.620 --> 00:06:45.279 is in God. What is... What is the very first 00:06:45.279 --> 00:06:48.199 thing that we mentioned here when we began this 00:06:48.199 --> 00:06:51.300 discussion a number of weeks back on these verses? 00:06:53.540 --> 00:07:01.060 Be strong in the Lord. He is our strength. So 00:07:01.060 --> 00:07:04.579 we're looking to Him in faith. And I think we 00:07:04.579 --> 00:07:07.540 said that. As I said, these things overlap. They 00:07:07.540 --> 00:07:10.220 all go together. So our faith is only as good 00:07:10.220 --> 00:07:13.560 as what we're placing our faith in. And so our 00:07:13.560 --> 00:07:16.620 faith is in God. Our faith is in His word, what 00:07:16.620 --> 00:07:24.180 He has told us. Okay? So, faith, only as good 00:07:24.180 --> 00:07:39.639 as what we're putting it in. Alright. What else 00:07:39.639 --> 00:07:43.620 can we say about faith? Faith in the Christian. 00:07:49.660 --> 00:07:55.240 Faith grows through exercising our faith. Does 00:07:55.240 --> 00:08:02.800 everybody have this faith? That's a Christian, 00:08:03.519 --> 00:08:09.300 right? So yes, everybody doesn't in that everybody 00:08:09.300 --> 00:08:12.399 in the world. But only Christians have this faith. 00:08:12.939 --> 00:08:15.319 But we're speaking of Christians, so does everybody 00:08:15.319 --> 00:08:19.899 have this faith? Yes. Everybody has this faith. 00:08:24.959 --> 00:08:30.540 That's something to really consider. We look 00:08:30.540 --> 00:08:33.799 across history. We look at scripture. We look 00:08:33.799 --> 00:08:38.279 at the men of faith there in Hebrews. And we 00:08:38.279 --> 00:08:41.240 may think that, oh, that was such great faith. 00:08:42.879 --> 00:08:47.519 Did they all have such great faith? What we would 00:08:47.519 --> 00:08:52.139 think of as great faith? Who's in the Hall of 00:08:52.139 --> 00:08:55.940 Faith there? We just got done studying a number 00:08:55.940 --> 00:09:03.019 of them. Does anybody remember? Samson's in there, 00:09:03.259 --> 00:09:16.730 Gideon's in there. Well, that's enough that's 00:09:16.730 --> 00:09:21.009 good enough how good was I shouldn't say how 00:09:21.009 --> 00:09:25.929 good But how about Gideon how about his faith 00:09:25.929 --> 00:09:29.750 right the Lord comes on to him and he says I'm 00:09:29.750 --> 00:09:32.990 gonna use you to deliver my people He's got to 00:09:32.990 --> 00:09:35.509 put out a fleece and so then you have this miraculous 00:09:35.509 --> 00:09:38.750 fleece Experience here the ground was the ground 00:09:38.750 --> 00:09:42.830 wet the fleece dry or vice versa And that wasn't 00:09:42.830 --> 00:09:44.889 good enough. He's got to do it again. Now do 00:09:44.889 --> 00:09:47.169 the opposite, Lord. So maybe that was just a 00:09:47.169 --> 00:09:49.909 fluke. Maybe that was natural that that first 00:09:49.909 --> 00:09:52.649 thing happened. And now we got to do the opposite 00:09:52.649 --> 00:09:57.850 so that I know for sure. Samson. We see all sorts 00:09:57.850 --> 00:10:02.509 of problems there with Samson. So this faith 00:10:02.509 --> 00:10:05.110 that we're talking about, we all have a degree 00:10:05.110 --> 00:10:07.370 of faith if we're in Christ. If we're Christians, 00:10:07.549 --> 00:10:11.039 this faith has been given to us. So, in order 00:10:11.039 --> 00:10:14.139 for us to use this faith, it doesn't have to 00:10:14.139 --> 00:10:18.340 be this great amount of faith, so to speak. You 00:10:18.340 --> 00:10:20.480 know, we look at men like George Mueller, and 00:10:20.480 --> 00:10:24.799 we see here is, we would say, a man of faith. 00:10:24.860 --> 00:10:27.039 Maybe he had the gift of faith, we could say, 00:10:27.480 --> 00:10:30.720 and did great things there through trusting the 00:10:30.720 --> 00:10:34.620 Lord, providing for how many thousands of children 00:10:34.620 --> 00:10:40.539 just upon the Lord. Each day, looking to the 00:10:40.539 --> 00:10:44.519 Lord, well, Lord, I need 300 pounds to pay my 00:10:44.519 --> 00:10:46.840 bills and get food for everybody. And lo and 00:10:46.840 --> 00:10:52.039 behold, 300 pounds shows up. That's amazing faith, 00:10:52.059 --> 00:10:56.480 we would say. But we all have that same faith 00:10:56.480 --> 00:11:02.159 to some degree. And our faith grows, as we already 00:11:02.159 --> 00:11:05.440 said, as we exercise that faith, as we use that 00:11:05.440 --> 00:11:09.549 faith. So it's imperative for us to understand 00:11:09.549 --> 00:11:13.009 that, first of all, that we all have this faith. 00:11:13.049 --> 00:11:16.629 We've been given this faith if we are the children 00:11:16.629 --> 00:11:22.049 of God, if we are Christians. We all have this 00:11:22.049 --> 00:11:27.809 faith. And it's not a matter of how much faith 00:11:27.809 --> 00:11:32.490 we have, whether or not we are able to use this 00:11:32.490 --> 00:11:36.440 shield. Okay? So we are all able to use this 00:11:36.440 --> 00:11:41.659 shield, we're all able then to quench the fiery 00:11:41.659 --> 00:11:49.379 darts of the evil one. That right there, I mean, 00:11:49.740 --> 00:11:53.080 what is Paul saying there? With this shield of 00:11:53.080 --> 00:11:57.059 faith, there's a good chance that you could be 00:11:57.059 --> 00:12:01.139 successful. Is that what Paul says? That with 00:12:01.139 --> 00:12:04.620 this shield, It might be enough to get you through. 00:12:07.000 --> 00:12:11.460 I think that's how we often think, though. But 00:12:11.460 --> 00:12:14.000 that's not what Paul says. That's not what the 00:12:14.000 --> 00:12:18.200 Word says. That this shield of faith that we 00:12:18.200 --> 00:12:21.200 should be carrying with us day in and day out, 00:12:21.580 --> 00:12:26.500 we're able to withstand. We are able to shield 00:12:26.500 --> 00:12:29.720 ourselves from. We are able to put these darts 00:12:29.720 --> 00:12:32.590 out and to protect ourselves. from these things. 00:12:34.309 --> 00:12:36.370 So that's again, that should be a great encouragement 00:12:36.370 --> 00:12:39.129 to us. We're not talking here about pie in the 00:12:39.129 --> 00:12:44.929 sky, wishful thinking, oh I hope, in the way 00:12:44.929 --> 00:12:49.850 that the world uses hope. Paul's telling us we 00:12:49.850 --> 00:12:53.110 are able, we are able. Again, it's just like 00:12:53.110 --> 00:12:55.649 all of these other things that we've mentioned, 00:12:56.110 --> 00:13:00.690 being strong in the Lord. I don't have my passage 00:13:00.690 --> 00:13:08.529 anymore. Girding our loins with truth the breastplate 00:13:08.529 --> 00:13:11.210 of righteousness the preparation of gospel is 00:13:11.210 --> 00:13:12.929 peace the shield of faith all of these things 00:13:12.929 --> 00:13:15.889 We've got to use them. We've got to put them 00:13:15.889 --> 00:13:20.690 on We've got to put on the full armor so that's 00:13:20.690 --> 00:13:24.409 key. That's That's key to us here if we are going 00:13:24.409 --> 00:13:29.649 to Win the battle if we are going to extinguish 00:13:29.649 --> 00:13:32.070 the fiery darts of the evil one we have got to 00:13:32.070 --> 00:13:35.769 have this shield we've got to be exercising this 00:13:35.769 --> 00:13:44.549 faith okay why don't we why don't we look at 00:13:44.549 --> 00:13:46.850 a few verses here I've got a bunch of them written 00:13:46.850 --> 00:13:54.649 down so should we start over here start on this 00:13:54.649 --> 00:13:56.889 side of the room Hannah you want to read 1st 00:13:56.889 --> 00:14:04.990 Peter 5 8 and 9 Jake Barry How about 1st John 00:14:04.990 --> 00:14:14.509 5 -4? Other Jake? James 2 -17? And then Emma? 00:14:15.370 --> 00:14:31.029 Romans 4, 18 -20? Okay, go ahead. Because your 00:14:31.029 --> 00:14:33.309 adversary, the devil, walks about like a roaring 00:14:33.309 --> 00:14:37.029 lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him 00:14:37.029 --> 00:14:39.370 steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same 00:14:39.370 --> 00:14:41.529 sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood 00:14:41.529 --> 00:14:45.950 in the world. Okay. Resist him steadfast in the 00:14:45.950 --> 00:14:50.509 faith, and then knowing that... What? You're 00:14:50.509 --> 00:14:52.429 alone in all of this. You're the only one who's 00:14:52.429 --> 00:14:57.750 ever experienced this. No. Your brother's... 00:14:58.360 --> 00:15:00.559 We have also experienced this, and also have 00:15:00.559 --> 00:15:03.500 overcome, and also have resisted. So that should 00:15:03.500 --> 00:15:18.000 be an encouragement to us. Go ahead, Jake. Again, 00:15:18.220 --> 00:15:22.120 our faith, overcoming. Through faith we are able 00:15:22.120 --> 00:15:29.509 to overcome. Go ahead, Jake. Thus also faith 00:15:29.509 --> 00:15:33.250 by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 00:15:35.830 --> 00:15:38.549 So that goes with what Becky said. Or was it 00:15:38.549 --> 00:15:41.190 Brian? What Brian said and what Becky was saying 00:15:41.190 --> 00:15:44.769 there. This faith is an act of faith. This faith 00:15:44.769 --> 00:15:47.690 is something that we should be putting into practice. 00:15:48.710 --> 00:15:51.970 This faith, if it's true faith, is doing something. 00:15:52.789 --> 00:15:55.889 It's working. All of those things that God's 00:15:55.889 --> 00:16:27.899 called us to do. and then Emma He grew strong 00:16:27.899 --> 00:16:33.080 in His faith as He gave glory to God. Now we've 00:16:33.080 --> 00:16:36.799 read this a few times, and it's a great example 00:16:36.799 --> 00:16:42.139 of faith. But in that last verse there, Paul 00:16:42.139 --> 00:16:44.799 says, He did not waver in unbelief, but grew 00:16:44.799 --> 00:16:52.840 strong in faith, giving glory to God. How is 00:16:52.840 --> 00:16:56.559 giving glory to God? Strengthening his faith. 00:16:57.220 --> 00:17:00.059 How was his faith strengthened? How did he grow 00:17:00.059 --> 00:17:03.440 in faith? By giving glory to God. Have you ever 00:17:03.440 --> 00:17:08.660 thought of that? These aren't my own thoughts. 00:17:08.900 --> 00:17:12.019 I just happened to be reading some Lloyd -Jones 00:17:12.019 --> 00:17:17.880 on our little trip. And I wrote this down. But 00:17:17.880 --> 00:17:22.660 how does that work? How is Abraham's faith growing? 00:17:23.369 --> 00:17:30.869 being strengthened as he gives glory to God thinking 00:17:30.869 --> 00:17:53.940 on what okay He's seeing God for who He is, right? 00:17:54.000 --> 00:17:56.420 If we're gonna glorify God, what are we doing? 00:17:57.599 --> 00:18:00.579 We're worshiping Him for who He is, for what 00:18:00.579 --> 00:18:05.319 He has done. So Abraham here is seeing all that 00:18:05.319 --> 00:18:09.319 God has said. He's seeing all that God is. He's 00:18:09.319 --> 00:18:12.680 seeing the faithfulness of God. And so, as he 00:18:12.680 --> 00:18:15.240 does all of these things, he's glorifying God. 00:18:15.319 --> 00:18:19.180 His faith is growing. So, what are some things 00:18:19.180 --> 00:18:26.579 here? I wrote down just a couple. God is omnipotent. 00:18:26.779 --> 00:18:31.539 In other words, God is all -powerful. God's all 00:18:31.539 --> 00:18:37.740 -knowing. He is holy. He's just. He's good. He's 00:18:37.740 --> 00:18:41.059 faithful. He's unchanging. So these are just 00:18:41.059 --> 00:18:44.599 a few of God's attributes. This is who God is. 00:18:45.859 --> 00:18:50.119 As we contemplate who God is, As we see Him for 00:18:50.119 --> 00:18:53.519 who He is, our faith should be strengthened. 00:18:54.099 --> 00:18:59.680 As we glorify God, we grow in our faith. We meditate 00:18:59.680 --> 00:19:04.200 upon these things. Our minds are renewed. We're 00:19:04.200 --> 00:19:11.079 changed. What is another big thing? We're not 00:19:11.079 --> 00:19:14.539 looking at ourselves anymore. We're looking at 00:19:14.539 --> 00:19:19.420 God. That's... So often our problem, right? We're 00:19:19.420 --> 00:19:21.799 looking at our circumstances. We're looking at 00:19:21.799 --> 00:19:24.940 the situation that we find ourselves in. We're 00:19:24.940 --> 00:19:27.759 looking at this world and all that's going on. 00:19:28.200 --> 00:19:33.619 Is there any encouragement in that? No. But there 00:19:33.619 --> 00:19:37.059 is encouragement when we see everything around 00:19:37.059 --> 00:19:40.799 us and we look at God and we say, well, God is 00:19:40.799 --> 00:19:43.480 sovereign. God has put me here for a reason. 00:19:44.140 --> 00:19:46.940 God has given me a job and I may not like it. 00:19:46.940 --> 00:19:49.140 It may not be the greatest thing. It may be hard 00:19:49.140 --> 00:19:52.799 But he's given me this and so I'm gonna glorify 00:19:52.799 --> 00:19:55.440 him as I work hard and as I endeavor to do what 00:19:55.440 --> 00:19:59.900 I should do Now I'm not looking at my job that 00:19:59.900 --> 00:20:02.640 I don't like I'm looking at God and I'm glorifying 00:20:02.640 --> 00:20:06.160 God and my attitude and my actions and as we 00:20:06.160 --> 00:20:10.220 do those things We grow in our faith because 00:20:10.220 --> 00:20:13.420 God meets us there God encourages us, He helps 00:20:13.420 --> 00:20:18.200 us, He strengthens us, and we press on in faith. 00:20:18.819 --> 00:20:27.000 Our faith grows just as Abraham's did. So those 00:20:27.000 --> 00:20:32.720 are a couple verses on faith. So this shield 00:20:32.720 --> 00:20:39.579 of faith that we are to carry with us, what is 00:20:39.579 --> 00:20:41.339 something else that we could call it? or what 00:20:41.339 --> 00:20:43.019 is something else that we could think? If we 00:20:43.019 --> 00:20:45.099 were going to say it, what does this shield of 00:20:45.099 --> 00:20:47.460 faith do, or how do we use this shield of faith? 00:20:47.980 --> 00:20:50.559 What does it look like in our daily lives? What 00:20:50.559 --> 00:21:19.440 would that be? Okay Okay, those are all good 00:21:19.440 --> 00:21:21.980 things absolutely that's not the one that's not 00:21:21.980 --> 00:21:25.400 what I was thinking of But those are good, right? 00:21:25.440 --> 00:21:28.180 I mean that's that's that's that's essential. 00:21:28.420 --> 00:21:31.640 I mean that is essential to our Christian life 00:21:31.640 --> 00:21:35.259 and our growth and faith Knowing the word reading 00:21:35.259 --> 00:21:39.200 the word praying seeking God singing his praises 00:21:40.780 --> 00:21:48.920 Absolutely. Okay, trusting. How about the promises 00:21:48.920 --> 00:21:51.660 of God? That's what I'm thinking about. Okay, 00:21:51.740 --> 00:21:55.519 the shield of faith. What are the attacks of 00:21:55.519 --> 00:21:59.279 Satan? They're lies, right? They're the lies 00:21:59.279 --> 00:22:02.460 of Satan, they're temptations, whatever that 00:22:02.460 --> 00:22:06.440 may be. When those things come against us, how 00:22:06.440 --> 00:22:09.309 do we battle those things? Well, if we're in 00:22:09.309 --> 00:22:11.569 the Word and we're in prayer, we battle in that 00:22:11.569 --> 00:22:16.930 way, absolutely. But we remind ourselves of all 00:22:16.930 --> 00:22:20.750 those things we read in His Word, all the promises 00:22:20.750 --> 00:22:23.430 of God, the doubts that Satan brings against 00:22:23.430 --> 00:22:26.230 us. How do we combat those doubts? With truth. 00:22:27.190 --> 00:22:30.130 Well, God said this, and I'm going to trust God. 00:22:30.130 --> 00:22:35.029 I'm going to believe God rather than you or anybody 00:22:35.029 --> 00:22:39.869 else. I'm going to believe God. We're going to 00:22:39.869 --> 00:22:41.569 talk, I don't know if we'll get there tonight, 00:22:41.990 --> 00:22:45.390 the helmet of salvation, the hope of glory that 00:22:45.390 --> 00:22:50.250 we have. What does Satan say? There is no afterlife. 00:22:50.630 --> 00:22:53.970 There is nothing after this. It's done. You die 00:22:53.970 --> 00:22:57.910 and you turn into dirt and you're done. You're 00:22:57.910 --> 00:23:01.450 living this way for no reason. You're sacrificing 00:23:01.450 --> 00:23:06.029 and you're for what? You're not going to, there's 00:23:06.029 --> 00:23:08.569 nothing there or you're never going to make it. 00:23:08.910 --> 00:23:12.829 You're not good enough. You fail, you sin too 00:23:12.829 --> 00:23:16.190 much. All of those lies, what do we combat that 00:23:16.190 --> 00:23:21.009 with? The truth of the word. By faith, trusting, 00:23:21.309 --> 00:23:26.569 believing. All of those things that come against 00:23:26.569 --> 00:23:31.589 us, we extinguish those fiery darts with that 00:23:31.589 --> 00:23:34.490 shield of faith, believing, trusting what God 00:23:34.490 --> 00:23:37.869 has said. So we've got to know the promises of 00:23:37.869 --> 00:23:40.130 God. We've got to know His Word. We've got to 00:23:40.130 --> 00:23:43.210 know what's true. We've got to be girded with 00:23:43.210 --> 00:23:47.609 truth. It all goes together. And in order to 00:23:47.609 --> 00:23:49.450 be girded with truth, we've got to be in the 00:23:49.450 --> 00:23:52.369 Word. We've got to know what the Word says. We 00:23:52.369 --> 00:24:01.089 have to know what those promises are. The Pilgrim's 00:24:01.089 --> 00:24:06.799 Progress. Is it Mr. Ray DeHalt on his crutches? 00:24:07.299 --> 00:24:13.220 Is that who he was? Right? He's on his way, but 00:24:13.220 --> 00:24:17.460 he's only getting there holding on to those promises, 00:24:17.779 --> 00:24:22.019 limping through, clinging to the promises. Not 00:24:22.019 --> 00:24:24.420 an easy way, but he's getting there. Well, that 00:24:24.420 --> 00:24:27.599 should be us. Hopefully we're not like Mr. Ray 00:24:27.599 --> 00:24:30.319 DeHalt, but hopefully we are in the sense that 00:24:30.319 --> 00:24:35.349 we're leaning on the promises of God. Holding 00:24:35.349 --> 00:24:49.829 firm to them. All right Well, I have a whole 00:24:49.829 --> 00:24:55.329 list of verses here So if you want them, I'll 00:24:55.329 --> 00:25:01.569 give them to you Sound 46 1 I guess we could 00:25:01.569 --> 00:25:03.400 just read them. I guess it doesn't It doesn't 00:25:03.400 --> 00:25:08.500 matter, right? We're not on a time crunch. Where 00:25:08.500 --> 00:25:15.720 are we? You ready to read? Sound 46 -1. Mike. 00:25:17.680 --> 00:25:28.799 Philippians 1 -6. Melissa. Matthew 6. 25 -34. 00:25:31.860 --> 00:25:40.039 Brian, 1st Corinthians 10 13. Rebecca, Hebrews 00:25:40.039 --> 00:25:53.720 13 5. Matt, 1st John 1 9. Marie, James 1 5. Chris, 00:25:54.240 --> 00:26:02.519 Colossians 1 20 through 22. Ben. Romans 8 33 00:26:02.519 --> 00:26:21.319 through 39 Josh Ezra 822 Amanda sound 512 Dad 00:26:21.319 --> 00:26:33.839 sound 23 6 Mom sound 91 3 Eli you want to read? 00:26:35.920 --> 00:26:48.759 Izzy? Julia? All right, Becky? Matthew 7 -7 I'll 00:26:48.759 --> 00:26:58.480 get the last one So Hopefully I wrote them all 00:26:58.480 --> 00:27:00.400 down right and we're not going to talk about 00:27:00.400 --> 00:27:06.190 them so These are just promises or encouragements 00:27:06.190 --> 00:27:11.789 in the Word over a broad range of things. So 00:27:11.789 --> 00:27:14.650 just go ahead and give you your verse and go 00:27:14.650 --> 00:27:31.960 ahead and read it. That he who has begun a good 00:27:31.960 --> 00:27:35.160 work in you will complete it until the day of 00:27:35.160 --> 00:27:42.559 Jesus Christ. Matthew 6, 25 -34 Therefore I say 00:27:42.559 --> 00:27:46.039 unto you, take no thought of your life, what 00:27:46.039 --> 00:27:49.079 ye shall eat or what ye shall drink, nor yet 00:27:49.079 --> 00:27:52.460 for your body what ye shall put on. Is not the 00:27:52.460 --> 00:27:55.700 life more than meat, and the body more than raiment? 00:27:56.180 --> 00:27:59.170 Behold, the fowls of the air. for they sow not, 00:27:59.509 --> 00:28:02.250 neither do they reek, nor gather in the farms, 00:28:02.509 --> 00:28:05.509 yet your heavenly Father feed them. Are you not 00:28:05.509 --> 00:28:09.630 much better than they? Which of you by taking 00:28:09.630 --> 00:28:13.210 thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And 00:28:13.210 --> 00:28:15.910 why take you thought for raiment? Consider the 00:28:15.910 --> 00:28:18.950 lilies of the field, how they grow. They toil 00:28:18.950 --> 00:28:21.990 not, neither do they spin, and yet I say unto 00:28:21.990 --> 00:28:25.670 you that even Solomon in all his glory was not 00:28:25.670 --> 00:28:29.450 arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God 00:28:29.450 --> 00:28:32.369 so closed the grass of the field, which today 00:28:32.369 --> 00:28:35.470 is and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall 00:28:35.470 --> 00:28:39.029 he not much more clothe you? O ye of little faith! 00:28:40.190 --> 00:28:43.349 Therefore, take no thought, saying, What shall 00:28:43.349 --> 00:28:47.289 we eat, or what shall we drink? Or wherewithal 00:28:47.289 --> 00:28:51.369 shall we be clothed? For after all these things 00:28:51.369 --> 00:28:54.430 do the Gentiles seek. For your Heavenly Father 00:28:54.430 --> 00:28:57.230 knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 00:28:57.470 --> 00:29:01.569 But seek ye from the kingdom of God and His righteousness, 00:29:01.890 --> 00:29:04.430 and all these things shall be added unto you. 00:29:04.750 --> 00:29:08.089 Take therefore no thought for the moral, for 00:29:08.089 --> 00:29:10.329 the moral shall take thought for the things of 00:29:10.329 --> 00:29:14.289 itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. 00:29:24.779 --> 00:29:27.099 And God is faithful, who will not allow you to 00:29:27.099 --> 00:29:29.640 be tempted beyond what you are able to, but with 00:29:29.640 --> 00:29:31.480 the temptation will provide the way of escape 00:29:31.480 --> 00:29:34.799 also, so that you will be able to endure it. 00:29:36.019 --> 00:29:42.940 Hebrews 13 .5 Let your conduct be without covetousness. 00:29:43.359 --> 00:29:46.480 Be content with such things as you have. For 00:29:46.480 --> 00:29:49.380 he himself has said, I will never leave you nor 00:29:49.380 --> 00:29:53.299 forsake you. So we may boldly say, The Lord is 00:29:53.299 --> 00:29:56.200 my helper. I will not fear what can man do to 00:29:56.200 --> 00:30:14.200 me? James James 1 5 if any of you lacks wisdom 00:30:14.200 --> 00:30:21.299 let him ask God who gives generously to all Generously 00:30:21.299 --> 00:30:25.460 to all without reproach reproach and it will 00:30:25.460 --> 00:30:33.480 be given to him Caution one and through him to 00:30:33.480 --> 00:30:37.779 reconcile to himself all things Whether on earth 00:30:37.779 --> 00:30:40.000 or in heaven making peace by the blood of his 00:30:40.000 --> 00:30:45.220 cross And you who once were alienated and hostile 00:30:45.220 --> 00:30:49.109 in mind Doing evil deeds he has now reconciled 00:30:49.109 --> 00:30:52.650 in his body of flesh by his death in order to 00:30:52.650 --> 00:30:55.910 present you holy and blameless and above reproach 00:30:55.910 --> 00:31:16.460 before For I was ashamed to request from the 00:31:16.460 --> 00:31:19.779 king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help 00:31:19.779 --> 00:31:22.500 us against the enemy on the road, because he 00:31:22.500 --> 00:31:24.980 had spoken to the king, saying, The hand of our 00:31:24.980 --> 00:31:28.039 God is upon all those for good who seek him, 00:31:28.299 --> 00:31:30.980 but his power and his wrath are against all those 00:31:30.980 --> 00:31:36.900 who forsake him. So just real quick, that one 00:31:36.900 --> 00:31:43.950 Ezra, Ezra's walking by faith because He trusted 00:31:43.950 --> 00:31:48.430 God to get him from Babylon to Jerusalem even 00:31:48.430 --> 00:31:51.250 though it was a treacherous road But he said 00:31:51.250 --> 00:31:53.950 I'm not going to ask the king for a for a bodyguard 00:31:53.950 --> 00:31:56.849 basically I'm going to trust the Lord because 00:31:56.849 --> 00:32:00.349 I said I already said to the king my God is able 00:32:00.349 --> 00:32:03.730 and So I'm trusting God and I'm not going to 00:32:03.730 --> 00:32:12.950 ask the king this thing And we know that all 00:32:12.950 --> 00:32:15.230 things work together for good to them that love 00:32:15.230 --> 00:32:18.829 God, to them who are the called, according to 00:32:18.829 --> 00:32:21.990 his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also 00:32:21.990 --> 00:32:24.910 did predestinate to be conformed to the image 00:32:24.910 --> 00:32:27.769 of his son, that he might be the firstborn among 00:32:27.769 --> 00:32:31.170 many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, 00:32:31.329 --> 00:32:34.150 then he also called. And whom he called, then 00:32:34.150 --> 00:32:37.349 he also justified. And whom he justified, then 00:32:37.349 --> 00:32:41.119 he also glorified. What shall we... then say 00:32:41.119 --> 00:32:45.059 to these things if God be for us who can be against 00:32:45.059 --> 00:32:49.319 us he that spared not his own son but delivered 00:32:49.319 --> 00:32:53.140 him up for us all how shall he not with him also 00:32:53.140 --> 00:32:56.700 freely give us all things who shall lay anything 00:32:56.700 --> 00:32:59.559 to the charge of God's elect it is God that justify 00:32:59.559 --> 00:33:02.960 it who is he that condemned it is Christ that 00:33:02.960 --> 00:33:06.619 died yea rather that is risen again who is even 00:33:06.619 --> 00:33:10.250 at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession 00:33:10.250 --> 00:33:13.509 for us. Who shall separate us from the love of 00:33:13.509 --> 00:33:17.710 Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, 00:33:17.950 --> 00:33:20.569 or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 00:33:21.049 --> 00:33:23.529 As it is written, for thy sake we are killed 00:33:23.529 --> 00:33:26.549 all the day long. We are accounted as sheep for 00:33:26.549 --> 00:33:29.809 the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are 00:33:29.809 --> 00:33:32.730 more than conquerors through him that loved us. 00:33:33.049 --> 00:33:36.130 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life 00:33:36.319 --> 00:33:39.819 nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor 00:33:39.819 --> 00:33:42.940 things present nor things to come nor height 00:33:42.940 --> 00:33:46.400 nor depth nor any other creature shall be able 00:33:46.400 --> 00:33:49.839 to separate us from the love of god which is 00:33:49.839 --> 00:34:07.940 in christ jesus our lord all the days of my life 00:34:07.940 --> 00:34:11.179 and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. 00:34:12.780 --> 00:34:17.219 Psalm 91 verse 3. Surely he shall deliver thee 00:34:17.219 --> 00:34:20.539 from the snare of the fowler and from the noisome 00:34:20.539 --> 00:34:27.260 pestilence. Matthew 7 7 ask and it will be given 00:34:27.260 --> 00:34:30.800 to you seek and you will find knock and it will 00:34:30.800 --> 00:34:35.469 be open to you. And then Philippians 4. four 00:34:35.469 --> 00:34:38.010 through seven rejoice in the Lord always again 00:34:38.010 --> 00:34:41.230 I will say rejoice let your gentle spirit be 00:34:41.230 --> 00:34:44.309 known to all men the Lord is near be anxious 00:34:44.309 --> 00:34:47.389 for nothing button everything by prayer and supplication 00:34:47.389 --> 00:34:50.250 with thanksgiving let your requests be made known 00:34:50.250 --> 00:34:53.789 to God and the peace of God which surpasses all 00:34:53.789 --> 00:34:55.949 comprehension will guard your hearts and your 00:34:55.949 --> 00:35:03.050 minds in Christ Jesus I mean that was an array 00:35:05.099 --> 00:35:11.380 You name it, right? We read it. Wisdom, forgiveness, 00:35:12.199 --> 00:35:18.679 reconciliation, peace, eternal security, physical 00:35:18.679 --> 00:35:24.260 provisions, spiritual provisions, resisting temptations, 00:35:24.920 --> 00:35:29.440 overcoming sin. We read all of it there. I mean, 00:35:29.440 --> 00:35:31.739 that should fuel us for the rest of the day. 00:35:32.969 --> 00:35:36.409 And then tomorrow when you get up, you can read 00:35:36.409 --> 00:35:40.130 them again. And if you just read those verses 00:35:40.130 --> 00:35:43.250 that we read tonight, tomorrow morning and every 00:35:43.250 --> 00:35:47.690 morning, you'll be encouraged to walk in faith. 00:35:48.630 --> 00:35:53.170 You'll be encouraged to deny all those false 00:35:53.170 --> 00:35:56.289 things that Satan will bring to us. All the sin 00:35:56.289 --> 00:36:04.090 that would tempt us. The Word of God. It strengthens 00:36:04.090 --> 00:36:07.610 us. It encourages us. It helps us. It speaks 00:36:07.610 --> 00:36:13.190 truth to us daily as we're in it. I'm just going 00:36:13.190 --> 00:36:17.570 to make another plug then for reading. Read the 00:36:17.570 --> 00:36:23.489 Word. You can also read biographies. I can't 00:36:23.489 --> 00:36:27.150 say that enough. It is such... I read another 00:36:27.150 --> 00:36:33.269 biography basically over our vacation. Dad recommended 00:36:33.269 --> 00:36:38.389 these letters to my grandson. It's just about 00:36:38.389 --> 00:36:40.469 the life of Martin Lloyd -Jones. It's real small. 00:36:40.610 --> 00:36:43.949 It's real short. But you just see in that the 00:36:43.949 --> 00:36:47.150 faithfulness of God. You see a man who was faithful 00:36:47.150 --> 00:36:51.309 to God and a God who was faithful to man. And 00:36:51.309 --> 00:36:54.110 it's just encouraging. It's encouraging to think 00:36:54.110 --> 00:36:57.690 about. It's convicting. I mean, you come away 00:36:57.690 --> 00:37:02.079 thinking, I'm a failure. But at the same time 00:37:02.079 --> 00:37:05.340 you come away encouraged to press on do better 00:37:05.340 --> 00:37:11.420 So read biographies of the saints those who have 00:37:11.420 --> 00:37:16.280 been faithful And if it's a good biography you'll 00:37:16.280 --> 00:37:20.119 see in there that they weren't perfect You know 00:37:20.119 --> 00:37:23.599 this guy points out some of Lloyd Jones's failures 00:37:28.489 --> 00:37:31.630 So you see in their failures of men and yet the 00:37:31.630 --> 00:37:36.289 faithfulness of God. So it's it's good. It's 00:37:36.289 --> 00:37:38.949 helpful. Alright, any questions or comments? 00:37:41.349 --> 00:37:47.469 So. Would you say like the opposite of? Thank 00:37:47.469 --> 00:37:55.590 this here. Uh. Yeah, I don't know if I'd say 00:37:55.590 --> 00:38:01.059 opposite. I mean, definitely. contrary faith 00:38:01.059 --> 00:38:08.679 is definitely having confidence in what God has 00:38:08.679 --> 00:38:13.219 said believing it and putting it into action 00:38:20.920 --> 00:38:23.800 Getting ready to go to the cross. He told us 00:38:23.800 --> 00:38:27.139 disciples like I will go before you to Galilee 00:38:27.139 --> 00:38:29.980 like there was not Even though he was getting 00:38:29.980 --> 00:38:32.519 ready to go through this very trying and hard 00:38:32.519 --> 00:38:40.619 time. He did not waiver or have any doubt You 00:38:40.619 --> 00:38:56.699 know like things that we struggle with So it 00:38:56.699 --> 00:39:05.519 reminded me of when we were talking about faith. 00:39:09.360 --> 00:39:11.900 When we were talking about when you had the bridge 00:39:11.900 --> 00:39:19.059 thing and just the matters about the trustworthiness 00:39:19.059 --> 00:39:36.400 of the object that a person's faith is in. to 00:39:36.400 --> 00:39:39.420 the Wednesday that I missed and you were talking 00:39:39.420 --> 00:39:43.739 about some house you were trying to build without 00:39:43.739 --> 00:39:47.019 some piers or something. Without a sure foundation? 00:39:48.500 --> 00:39:50.340 I guess I was wondering how that would be like. 00:39:54.460 --> 00:39:58.119 Well I tempt it up and then I'm done. Somebody 00:39:58.119 --> 00:39:59.840 else can take it out and let it fall.