Took a break from my current blog series to share my latest sermon with you. Enjoy!
Here are my notes from the sermon if you don’t have time to watch the full sermon.
Recently a quarterback for a certain NFL team made the news…and not just because he lost NFC Championship but because of comments he made about his faith. Aaron Rodgers was recently on Danica Patrick’s podcast and said “I don’t know how you can believe in a God who wants to condemn most of the planet to a fiery Hell. …”
Now this is an age-old skepticism that goes back to the beginning of mankind. To Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden The serpent approaches Eve and says “Did God really say…” The enemy’s tactic is to sow seeds of doubt.
I would go as far to say that all of our sins come down to this. We doubt God’s faithfulness. We doubt God is who He says He is. We doubt God will do exactly what He says he will do. We doubt God’s ability to lead so we begin to think we know best.
I struggle to understand or be patient with people like this because: -It’s not about you about or your feelings. It’s based on God’s truth. Your feelings change everyday. -I have seen God’s work in my own life. My life makes no sense with him.
Yes, it’s still a constant battle to fight the doubt so everyday I have to remind myself of God’s truth. That’s the key to defeating doubt.
Read Ephesians 6:10-17
You may have noticed the phrase at the beginning of verse 16 “In addition to,” The first three pieces of the armor (belt, breastplate, shoes) you would have on you at all times/put on yourself
The other three (shield, helmet, sword) you would have to pick up each time you prepared for battle
For example, think a football player and half time. For a football game a player puts on all their equipment which includes shoulder pads and helmet. At halftime, they would most likely remove their helmet and shoulder pads so they could relax a bit. Once halftime is over they put their equipment back on and go to work. If they went back on the field without their should pads and helmet, they could get seriously injured. It’s the same idea with the shield of faith.
2 Questions today: What is the shield of faith? How do we use it?
Definition of faith – complete trust or absolute confidence in something
I believe there are 2 main components of Faith = Trust + Object
Faith is always rooted in an object so for us it’s God That’s the key for us as believers. We don’t get power from faith itself but the object of our faith. It is not about you and your ability to have faith.
“Faith is merely the instrument that connects us to the utterly trustworthy and all-powerful God…” (66).
Iain Duguid
Faith points to the shield – The shield of faith points to God
Psalsm 119:114
You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.
For faith to be your shield you have to believe God is who he says he is. The shield reminds us of who God is.
Shield points us to 2 things: The power of God and promises of God
POWER
- The Omni’s of God – Omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent
- He is Sovereign
- Job 38 then finish with Job 42
- Nerd out for a second
- Known universe is 93 billion light years across
- Light year is the distance light travels in a year = 6 trillion miles
- To count 1 trillion would take you 31,709 years!
- Light year is the distance light travels in a year = 6 trillion miles
- God is Sovereign over the big and small
- There are on average 37 trillion cells in the human body
- Known universe is 93 billion light years across
As great as these are that pale in comparison to his greatest power.
Resurrection power. No one has been resurrected from the dead, let alone raised themself from the dead but God did! Jesus is the only one who has been resurrected and we have access to that power.
Ty mentioned this in our first sermon in this series but it’s worth repeating: Look at Ephesians 6:10 >1:19-20
The same word for power used in 6:10 is the same as in 1:19-20.
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” (Ephesians 6:10)
“…and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,” (Ephesians 1:19-20)
Shield – you hide behind it, allows you to think, form a plan
Shield doesn’t magically get rid of “arrows” you will still be shot at but theShield will take the blows so you will not be harmed, it takes the blunt of impact
The shield is Jesus – He took the blows, curses, hate, insultsHe stands between us and the enemy
The shield is the only thing protecting us from the evil one. Without the shield we are dead. So many times we run around screaming, we are being shot at, freaking out, crying for help when all we need to do is STOP! Pick up your shield! Be reminded of God’s Promises
PROMISES
Romans 8:31 – If God is for us, who can be against us? Promises of God – go back to Ephesians 1:11-14 What else is there to say?
“Your belief in God won’t shield you if you don’t’ believe God is for you” (70).
Iain Duguid
It all comes back to the idea that you have to daily pick up your shield. You can’t know about these unless you are intentional about growing in your faith. If you daily spend time with God.
APPLICATION
Read Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Read Romans 12 1-2 (MSG)
So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
Here are some takeaways:
-Daily place your life before God by putting faith in God. By doing this you are saying with your actions that what God has to offer is better than the world.
That’s why you can’t go halfway. Either you believe or you don’t
49ers or Chiefs – no in-between
If you grab your shield and stand behind half of it this doesn’t work. Even if it is just a hand sticking out, it still doesn’t work.
For you to daily pick up your shield, reminds you that you can’t fight this battle on your own. To go to battle without a shield meant certain death. By picking up the shield we are reminded of who is fighting with us.
-Trust God’s plan for your life
-Allow Him to transform you so you know His plan for you so we can stand firm!
The first habit we will start this week so you all can join us…is
Daily Habit of prayer (morning, midday, evening) Prayer. It’s where we should start our day but we usually don’t. We allow ourselves to get overwhelmed, stressed, and until eventually we cry out in desperation, “God, I can’t do this! I need your strength!”
When instead we should have started the day with a confession, “God, I can’t do this! I need your strength!”
Prayer points us back to the our shield, our refuge
For kids and Parents: Write the pieces of the Armor of God on index cards for kids to review. Go over them at night or meal time to talk about what each one represents and how to live it out that day. For example The Belt of Truth reminds us that we can be sure everything that Jesus says is true and good for you.
Daily remind yourself that God is for you so you can defeat the enemy’s arrows.
Duguid, Iain M. The Whole Armor of God: How Christs Victory Strengthens Us for Spiritual Warfare. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2019.