“When terrorists strike”
(Phil. 1:27-30)
Dr. Richard S. Koole
Chapel Pointe
July 6, 2008
I. Introduction
A. The Model Citizen
1. The first time I voted
a. Changed age to 18
b. I felt privileged
c. Helped put Richard Nixon in office
2. When immigrants gain citizenship
a. Swearing-in services
b. PRIDE!
3. It’s both a privilege and a duty
B. How should a citizen behave?
1. Conduct
a. Obey the laws
b. Pay taxes
c. Vote
d. Stay informed
e. Respect authority
2. Also—willing to fight for your country
a. Turn 18---register for the draft
1. Able to vote
2. Able to fight
b. An honor
1. My dad
2. WW II
C. Citizens of God’s kingdom
1. My joint citizenship
a. American
b. Christian
2. My heavenly citizenship
a. Great privilege
b. Great duty
3. How should we conduct ourselves as citizens of God's Kingdom?
a. “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ”…..v.27
b. To live consistent with what they believe, teach, and preach
1. To practice what you preach
4. Three characteristics of “worthy conduct”
II. Text (Phil. 1:27-30)
A. Stand as One (v. 27)
(27) “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel”
1. America's shared mind and spirit
a. The Civil War
b. One nation—under God—Indivisible
c. Unity is foundational
2. Believers must stand together
B. Strive as One (v. 27-8)
(27) contending as one man for the faith of the gospel (28) without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God.
1. When Americans are called to war
a. Every citizen is part of the war effort
b. Some on the front line
1. Others on the supply lines
2. My dad –Troop Transport
2. Christians are called to strive
a. We have a terrible enemy
1. Will meet in a minute
b. We have a worthy cause
1. For the faith of the Gospel
2. For the cause of Christ
c. We must strive together
1. Divide and conquer
d. We will be called to fight
1. Lightning rods for Christ
e. We must not be terrified
1. Opposition is expected
a. Two warring armies
2. Opposition proves citizenship
a. “Perdition”
1. Acting like hell-bound
2. Acting like Satan’s kids
b. “Salvation”
1. Proves you are a threat
2. The honor of opposition
3. Our church
f. “When believers willingly suffer without being “terrified,” it is a sign that God’s enemies will be destroyed and eternally lost.” (MacArthur)
3. Yet—good soldiers respect the power of the adversary
a. Never underestimate the opponent
1. Upset time!
b. Let’s meet our adversary
1. Repeated theme
III. Ephesians 6:10-13
A. Background
1. Preparing for battle…..v.10
a. “Be strong”
1. Want peace – prepare for war; want war – prepare for peace
2. Christians – Stay strong
b. Key—“In the Lord”
1. Weak without the Lord
2. Source of all our power
c. In the power of His might
2. “Put on the whole armor of God”…..v.11
a. God has provided all you need
b. Total coverage
c. Key is using it!
B. The Adversary
1. Against the Devil……v.11
a. Not flesh and blood
b. Against a host of wicked beings
1. Frightening!
2. Led by the Devil
a. The devil
1. 35 times
2. The Slanderer
b. Satan (52 times)
c. The anointed cherub
d. The Prince of this world
e. Prince of the power of the air
f. God of this age
g. Prince of demons
h. The old serpent
i. The great dragon
j. The roaring lion
k. The evil one
l. The tempter
m. The accuser of the brethren
n. The murderer
3. His murderous helpers…..v.12
a. The fallen angels
1. 1/3 of all angels
· Rev. 12
2. Sinned with Lucifer
b. Described—
1. “Principalities”
· “Archas”
· The leaders
2. “Powers”
· Exousia
· Elite warriors
3. “Rulers of the darkness of this age”
· “Cormokratoras”
· World rulers
o Invisible realm
o Cause of much of world’s sorrow
· They know their time is short
4. “Spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places”
· “Pneumatika”
· In the heavenlies
o Surround this world
4. Their goal?
a. Get you!
b. Destroy this church
c. Cause you to sin
d. Steal God’s glory
e. Keep people from getting saved
5. That’s what you are to strive against
a. Sounds terrifying!
b. Yet we are told to—
1. “Stand”
2. “Fight”
3. “Resist the devil” --“and he will flee”
4. Why?
6. God’s Army
a. Seraphim
Some of those angels are named seraphim, a Hebrew word meaning “the burning ones.” The seraphim stand in the presence of God and do obeisance, covering their faces with their wings and covering their feet with their wings. With wings on their backs, they hover in the presence of God crying: “Holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is filled with his glory.” The seraphim pay homage to the exaltation of God.
b. Cherubim
They were the ones who were placed at the eastern gate of the Garden of Eden when our first parents were driven out. Their figures were woven in tapestry in the Tabernacle and in the Temple. Two of them faced the mercy seat above the Ark of the Covenant, and their overarching wings touched. They are depicted in Ezekiel 1 and 10. In the Book of the Revelation, what a disappointment to see that word zoa, translated “beasts”. It ought to be translated “living ones”. The four of them represent all of the story of the history of mankind in the earth. They are the cherubim. Wherever the cherubim are presented, they are symbols and tokens of God’s love, grace mercy, and forgiveness. They are the ones who in God’s grace and mercy represent us and the mercy and love of God that He sends down to us.
c. Archangel Michael
One angel is called the “archangel”. In 1 Thessalonians 4 the apostle says that we are to be raised from the dead by the voice of the archangel. There is only one of them in the Bible called by that name, and that is Michael. Five times we see his name in the Bible: three times in the Book of Daniel, one time in Jude, and one time in the Revelation. Michael stands as the guardian angel for the people of the Lord; he is the archangel.
d. Gabriel
Gabriel presents himself to Zechariah the priest, the father of John the Baptist, as the messenger who stands in the presence of God. Four times is Gabriel named in the Bible: twice in the Book of Daniel and twice in Luke. In all four instances he is identified with the redemptive work of Christ.
e. Miscellaneous angels
· “The 2/3’s”
Besides the seraphim, the cherubim, the archangel, and Gabriel the messenger of the Lord, there are innumerable hosts of other angels. In the Scriptures so often they are presented as being uncounted, innumerable, infinite in number. The Scriptures say that they were created by God from before the beginning of the foundation of the world. When the Lord created the universes, when He flung them out into space, into orbits and galaxies, the angels magnified the handiwork of God. They exhibited the glory of the Lord. The Scriptures say that when the Lord created the world, the angels were there to rejoice and sing together and to look with wonder and astonishment upon the handiwork of God. They are innumerable. In Hebrews 12 it says that we shall some day come to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, [whose names] are written in heaven, and to an innumerable company of angels.” In the Revelation they are described as ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands. The Greek word used there is “myriad”. In the English language “myriad” means “an uncounted number”. Myriad times myriads times myriads and then thousands times the myriad; thus, the number of angels in the ranks of God are infinite.
They are also powerful. In the story of the siege of Hezekiah and Jerusalem under the iron hand of Sennacherib the bitter Assyrian, there is an interesting revelation. The people of the Lord prayed earnestly. That night in answer to the prayers of Hezekiah and Isaiah the prophet, only one angel passed over the hosts of the Assyrians and 185,000 dead corpses were counted the next morning. Just one angel did it. When I think of that I am astonished at what the Lord said in Matthew 26:53. Turning to Simon Peter, Jesus said: “Put up the sword. For could I not ask my Father and He would send me more than twelve legions of angels?” Each legion manned at the full accompaniment would be 6,000 men. Twelve legions would be 72,000 angels. Only one angel, passing over an army, left 185,000 dead. The power of the angels of God!
In Hebrews 1:14 angels are called “ministering spirits” sent from God to shepherd, to guard, and to keep God’s saints. For those of us who place our trust in the Lord, these angels by the uncounted millions are ministering spirits to sustain, to care for, to keep, to help, and to guide. It was an angel that ministered to the Lord after the forty days of temptation. It was an angel that comforted the Lord in Gethsemane. It was an angel that opened the iron door prison for Simon Peter in the Books of Acts. It was an angel that stood by the Apostle Paul in the hour of great trial and ultimate deliverance. It was an angel that gave to John the sainted apostle on the isle of Patmos, the apocalyptic revelation. When John fell down to worship him, the angel said: “No, for I am thy fellow-servant and of those who keep the faith in the Lord.” Is not that an astonishing thing? When John sought to worship at the feet of the angel, the angel identified himself with us and called us fellow servants. They work with us. They live with us. They guide and guard and keep us, the angelic hosts of glory, the ministering spirits of heaven.
7. But the key is the Holy Spirit!
a. Resides in EACH soldier
b. Infinite power
· No reason for terror
8. But—be careful!
a. Caution of Michael the archangel
b. Jude 9)—“Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil,
when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against
him a reviling accusation—”
c. Said—“The Lord rebuke you!”
9. Yet—the soldiers will suffer
C. Suffer as One……v.29-30
(29) “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him but also to suffer for him, (30) since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.”
1. Satan hates Christ
a. Incredible passion
b. Can’t touch Him
c. Goes after His Children
1. You and me!
2. The conflict
a. Fought in our lives
b. Same as Paul
3. “Stand against the wiles of the devil”…..Eph.6:11
a. Wiles—methodeia
1. A systematic plan
2. To ruin your life
4. How his plan works
1. Divide the body
a. Hates unity
b. Divide and conquer
2. Distort the truth
a. False teachers
b. Lead away from the truth
c. The demise of “certainty”
3. Distract priorities
a. The garden hose
1. A thousand small holes
2. Only a dribble left
b. Distracted priorities
1. Sports
2. Education
3. Job
4. Girlfriend
c. Satan uses good things
1. Wiles
2. Smart
3. He’s been around for awhile
d. Even social consciousness
1. Good—but secondary
2. Reach the lost
· Only a dribble left
4. Drift into worldliness
a. Can’t tell the teams apart
b. (Rom 12:2)—“And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed”
5. Doubt
a. When suffering hits
· Where is God?”
· Does He care
· Doubt His love
b. Paul reminds you that suffering is in God’s plan for your life
c. If you are a true citizen of His kingdom?
· You’ll be called to war
· You’ll suffer
d. Not because of who you are—
· Because of Christ
IV. Summary
A. The conflict of the Ages
1. Angelic conflagration
a. Unseen powers clash
2. Raging long before you ever joined His army
3. W.A. Crisswell (p. 284)
There is conflict and war at the very heart of the universe. We cannot escape it, we cannot flee from it. If we go to the moon we will find that conflict among us there. If we finally get to Mars we will find that same conflict among us there. If we explore the heavens and build space stations in the sky they will be used for war and for purposes of destruction. The history of the world is written in blood, every page of it. In the days of the Hittites, the Elamites and the Sumerians; in the days of Tiglath-pileser, Shalmaneser, Sennacherib, Ashurbanipal; in the days of Nabopolassar and Nebuchadnezzar; in the days of Cyrus and Xerxes; in the days of Phillip of Macedon and Alexander the Great; in the days of Cassander, Antiochus, Lysimachus, Ptolemy, and Seleucus; in the days of Pompey, Caesar, and Hannibal; in the days of Attila and Genghis Khan and Kubla Khan; in the days of Charlemagne, Napoleon, and Wellington; in the days of Bismarck, Kaiser Wilhelm II, Hitler, and Tojo; there is nothing but the usual story of conflict and war. “In the days of peace, prepare for war.” There is conflict at the very heart of this universe. All history is surely written in blood.
4. When you got saved—
a. Put on the uniform
b. Will suffer
B. Conduct yourself worthy of citizenship
1. Stand as one
2. Strive as one
3. Suffer as one
C. Join the battle
Am I a soldier of the cross, a follower of the Lamb,
And shall I fear to own His cause, or blush to speak His name?
Must I be carried to the skies on flowery beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize and sailed through bloody seas?
Are there no foes for me to face? Must I not stem the flood?
Is this vile world a friend to grace, to help me on to God?
Sure I must fight if I would reign, increase my courage, Lord;
I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain, supported by Thy Word.
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