This broadcaster has 170 show archives available on-demand.
Keep up-to-date with this broadcaster on social media and their website.
June 20, 2021 6:00 am
Would like to take your Bibles and turn to Ephesians chapter 6 Ephesians chapter 6. We are in the middle of this of this miniseries within the book of Ephesians talking about the armor of God in every single week were taking a different part of the armor that a Roman soldier would've worn and work equating it to the spiritual battle that we as Christians fight today, and today were talking about the breastplate of righteousness is the part that comes down over the front and over the back of the soldier, the breastplate of righteousness before we get into that owner remind us of what talked about it, what brought us to this point. So if you take your Bibles and look at Ephesians chapter 6 of Marie versus 10 through 13 verses 10 through 13 to read along with me. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, and against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore, because we fight this battle take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm artless pray together. Father I ask that in these moments. You direct our thoughts to your word and then father I pray that you draw us closer to you, but then father I pray that we understand not just what your word says the father may we understand how we apply it to our lives. And may you grow us into stronger Christians in Lord of hers. Anyone who is here or maybe watching online right now and they're not a Christian or not your child that father I pray that today you draw them into relationship with you. Draw us closer to you. As a result of being in this time together. Father, we love you, but we only love you because you first loved us. You sent Jesus to die in our place in father, we thank you for that is in his holy and precious name I pray, amen to always find their verses 10 through 13. This is really because of this, this launching point for the armor of God and will pause communicating is that we are in a war we are in a very real war is a spiritual war is not a physical war, but it is a war.
Nonetheless, in order to win battles in this war. The Christians got to be equipped with the right equipment to make sure that they can succeed.
So Paul uses this picture of the Roman armor that the Ephesians would've clearly understood uses this picture of the Roman armor to help us understand how we are to fight spiritually. Even now, at last we talked about the belt of truth that comes around the waist and it is is what we put on to make sure that we are aligned with God. God is truth. His word is true.
So, we align ourselves with that. We also have the breastplate of righteousness, that the shoes of peace, that the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God and really these are all pictures that Paul uses to help us understand how to fight. I am several weeks ago came across a video that that really helps us understand what it looks like actually practically put this on the Cape and direct your attention to the screens you can see this this video everybody's on the path but that some people are just a little further along negative every morning and I put on the dislike the apostle Paul tells us to do. Ephesians 6 courses made everything more difficult to reevaluate things like get my car morning coffee but I come up with is not for everybody.
My wife not really into making nearly that many talk is a little bit louder and I have him make money by my back but is turn the other cheek me laughing when the Navy will come running as they shop breastplate right my helmet of salvation doesn't get any more secure in the helmet of salvation and the readiness of the gospel of peace. Develop the store. This fear, why more people haven't done okay so we follow that up with this. Okay, first of all, we are fighting a spiritual battle not a physical battle.
So if you don't put armor all just like that you're missing the whole point but I assure you that videotaped it to show you the level of intentionality in the level of passion with which we are to put on the spiritual armor of God did was he was was pretty intense you like I got make sure that I get up every morning and put the stuff on and and use it throughout the day know how you use it to play ball in the make sense right. But we have to have the same level intentionality.
When we put on the armor of God so as we approach what were talking about today as you think with that passion with that intentionality in mind, today's Father's Day and I'll tell you this is not is not just a Father's Day sermon like maybe you would typically hear Father's Day sermon, but I will tell you from the very beginning that dad listen speak speak to myself here. That's when we pick up this breastplate of righteousness. We are leaving our families will we decide that we are to live righteous lives, then we will lead our families well. It's all in a challenge very specifically here from the very beginning. Hang on to what we talk about here today because it is vitally important to the health, spiritual health and the physical health of our of our families priceless jump in here and start by talking not about the breastplate, but very specifically about the idea of righteousness to tie righteousness to the breastplate here in a few moments was righteousness. Tony Evans is a pastor over in Texas. He describes it this way.
He says righteousness is the standard that God requires for people to be acceptable to him is the standard that God requires for people to be acceptable to him.
Now as a human you are either acceptable to God or you are not acceptable to God, you are acceptable to God when you meet the standard.
You are not acceptable to God. When you fail to meet the standard Romans chapter 3 tells us there is no one who is righteous, not even one person that means when you were born you are not righteous at all. There's nothing that you can do to gain righteousness that we all fall short of the standard will Paul says this in Romans chapter 3 he's referring to the humans ability to bring about righteousness on their own is that you can't do it. There's not enough good that you can do to ever meet God standard is the whole reason for Jesus coming to earth. He came because God knew that we could not reach the standard we needed help doing so.
Though my kids love shooting basketball and and they have a little basketball goal over the door of the closet door in the room so that she does little ball over and over again, and many absolutely love that.
But up until recently, my kids were not able to hit a 10 foot goal. Okay, they could with the ball in some of you play basketball mean you're like a list of the different user get from you, but they couldn't do it because because they just didn't have the physical ability to now my oldest is almost 8 and he can get in there. Sometimes it is thrilled when he does, but sometimes when they couldn't get it in and they desperately wanted to get it and they would come to me and I would lift them up with the basketball and they would throw the basketball into the goal and they would they would get to go with the ideas. The same thing here with Christianity. We could not get a basket we couldn't do it. The standard was 10 foot we can try to lower the standard, but then that cheapens the whole process. God never lowers standard as to what happens as Jesus comes along and he lifts us and he helps us meet God standard picture that you can understand right so Jesus comes along and he provides a way for us to meet the standard is really what Paul is talking about here, and it is this idea of of righteousness and even Tony others in the on the description that you see there on the screen standard that God requires for people to be acceptable to him. That's righteousness. Jesus paid the price that was necessary for our sin. And when we come to him with open arms and when I when I say that I think about my kids coming to me with open arms and a basketball same lift me up. Daddy let me up so when we come to Jesus with open arms and lift me up to God. That's exactly what he does.
He lifts us up to the standard he got a set force, but here's how this works. I'm not good enough to be righteous. So when I enter into a relationship with Jesus. He gives me his righteousness, so I'm viewed by God as having met the standard of being acceptable to him. November there is not enough good that I could ever do to gain righteousness on my own but I can't say that enough.
I can't try hard enough I can't do enough good things I can't do it. I have to have Jesus as my advocate in order to obtain. Now here's where is where this idea righteousness can get just a little bit confusing and I was challenged hold on to hold on with me here. This righteousness that has been added to my account by Jesus's final same time is not final its final but is not final. Right about now you think women's guy heretic knows not not a promise process will show you want to talk about here. This righteousness is final. Only in the sense that as a Christian I am positionally firm in my relationship with God. I am his child would my physical body dies I will spend eternity with God because I have met his standard of what is acceptable through Jesus. Okay so I am positionally righteous before God, but the same time.
Righteousness is not final. It's not complete because I still live in a sin cursed body and I still sin positionally holy before God as a human Christian with a human body, my salvation, my my journey of sanctification is progressively changing now. I wish that I could say that as soon as I become a Christian. I'm perfect and something I think I'm perfect but I'm not and you're not either.
It is not likely accept Jesus and just like that we are perfect human beings that's not the way it is at all. In fact, if you have questions about that.
He's asked either your parents or your spouse tell you that you are not a perfect human being. When Paul tells the Christian to put own righteousness is really telling the Christians to live in accordance with the status that they already have as being righteous before God, your status, your identity as a Christian is that you are righteous before God. When God looks at you. He doesn't see your sin. He sees the righteousness of Jesus. This been added to your account. That's what God sees, so will pulsate is live up to that live up to that. Do what is right be what is right. Live up to the standard of righteousness. So as we read in and was we talked about back in Ephesians chapter 1, Paul incurs a believer there to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called. You receive this high calling as a Christian. So live it as if you have received a high calling as a Christian God use you as righteous, so live a righteous life that was the time in between righteousness and spiritual warfare was a tie between righteousness and spiritual warfare is remember this whole passage is talking about spiritual warfare and how to fight spiritual battles that we find ourselves in, so what is the tie here.
How do they go together when you get saved your life is full of sin, you have habitual practices that are not godly even after you get saved you have habitual practices that are not godly. That had to be dealt with you if you of sin, the opposite of righteous is unrighteous right the opposite of righteous is unrighteous.
I want you to imagine with me that you have trash in your house and I'm not just talk about trash in the trashcan were trash balls and talking trash all around in your house. In fact, when your friends and family come over. They get a little bit scared because you're almost quarter status okay. That's the image that I want you to put in your in your mind on things are nasty in your home. There is food everywhere there's there's there's crumbs on the floor. There's all kinds of stuff going on in your home. The problem is that trash in your home.
After a while, is not the only thing in your home.
After a while, your trash is going to attract something else attract ants and then and then after ants can attract roaches again after roaches to attract mice after my skin attract snakes and actors Mexican attract dinosaurs. Scott how this whole process works and I really think that I come to your house and your household trash when there is trash in your house you are telling pests that they have a right to come into your home. In fact, when there is trash in your house, you're not only telling them that they have a right you are, welcoming them into your home, come to my home come in to where I live is what you're saying when there's trash all throughout your house what you equate trash with unrighteousness trash with unrighteousness and and and pests with demonic forces possess how this whole thing works unrighteousness with trash in the past with demonic forces. The sin that you allowed to accumulate in your life is trash and just like your trash Fieldhouse invites pests. CN invites the demonic enemy into your life. They think they got a foothold. They think that they have a right to be in your house, and in fact you're giving them a right to be in your house when there's Santa trash in your life. They think they're welcome. All because you haven't done anything about the trash in the house of your life is when this whole idea righteousness is so important, why were told to pursue righteousness all throughout God's word is a theme over and over and over to do what is right pursue righteousness if we don't get rid of the unrighteousness, then we will find ourselves being overcome by guests that are not to be welcomed in our life. No I'm not talking about demon possession.
Okay, that's a completely different conversation. What I am talking about is absolutely from God's word right here even in Ephesians chapter 6 verse 12 were not wrestling against flesh and blood were wrestling against the authority because the rulers get the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. I told you before this battle is real. Our enemy is real. You may not be able to see the enemy but he is absolutely real and they are doing everything that they can't get into your life and when you have that trash in your life you're inviting them into the picture.
Trash in your mind and heart and lifestyle is got to go to make room for righteousness don't get rid of the trash that is good. Continue to accumulate that. Here's often times the response that people have to trash in her home okay it oftentimes a a response.
Let me enter into a trash management system okay I'm not doing anything about getting rid of the trash. I just want to manage my trash. For example, take a trash compactor. Maybe I can compacted enough to where I get it out of my house. But I'm this is not as noticeable or or let me stuff this into the closet so nobody can see that. Is there or maybe I can get all this trash and put it in one room in my house and locked the door and because when people come over and they see me in life are not suspected up at this room full of trash can I tell you that listen, there is nowhere that you can hide your trash that Jesus gets the there is nowhere that you can hide your trash that Jesus can't see it in those deep dark corners of your life and of your heart and of your mind there full of unrighteousness. Jesus knows he knows that it's there you the cool thing though.
The cool thing is that Jesus knows is there a God's love for you is not diminished in any way and that makes me want to pursue righteousness to get rid of the trash. I know God loves me anyway. Even in spite of my trash. We don't get rid of our trash, our refusal to do something about it is inviting Satan into our lives. You know what is a thing about this trash is idea trash. What would it look like in my life or my look like in your life. I think about the pride think about the loss. I think about the line so that maybe somebody else will think something of me that I want them to think or or maybe a lie because I because I really desperately wants something that somebody else has all that's trash in our lives thing about Facebook. I think the thing about Instagram and if they think they have more value in my life that God has in my life this trash in my life.
Oftentimes, this trash can take on the form of like a great big spaz stack of pizza boxes okay. Other times it's it's under the couch.
We gotta go looking for to realize there's trash in our lives.
Trash is anything that is unrighteous don't you remember that righteousness is the standard that God requires for people to be acceptable to him. So unrighteousness is anything to fall short of God's standards of what is there in your life that fall short of God's standard. Here's a quote that I came across this week that really can help us think about this idea of pursuing righteousness that comes from a family name of Dean and Sarah. He's a pastor written down in Tallahassee, Florida. He says this he says people have no trouble choosing heaven over hail, but they have a hard time choosing heaven over thing about it.
Your decision to make between heaven and hell would you choose to choose heaven right than oftentimes we have a choice every single day which you have a choice or we can pursue the heavenly things were to pursue the earthly things and oftentimes we pursue the earthly things because they make us feel good in the moment that trash is building up in our lives when we were choosing not to choose the heavenly things heavenly things are righteous things earthly things are falling short of the standard back to the armor here for this couple moments because were talking about the armor of God is. How does the breastplate. How does it really work, and in this idea of righteousness.
What is the breastplate do what is simply the breastplate protects and preserves your heart.
It protects and preserves your heart when you became a Christian, you were given a new part now mailing of the new literal heart means new spiritual heart. Okay, you were given a new spiritual heart and out of the heart flows all of life's we think about the very physical harvester moment guide your heart is pumping blood to the whole rest of your body and your life. Your body functions because your heart is functioning get that middle picture is the same idea with our spiritual heart out of the heart flows all of life. Your heart is the organ that pushes life. The rest of our body are spiritual life functions when our spiritual heart functions to buy God's design was to become a Christian, you are to be transformed to get rid of the old and to bring in the new you're completely different from who you were before the Satan and his forces of darkness are doing everything they can to destroy your heart because they know they know that if they can affect your heart and they can affect every other aspect of your life.
So something is not to be put in place to protect the heart and that's where the breastplate of righteousness comes in. So we where righteousness around us to protect our spiritual heart. I gave you this quote last week from John Eldridge and it applies to this as well. He says this is the story of your life is the story of a long and brutal assault on your heart by the one who knows what you could be and fears it.
Story of our lives as Christians. Satan is doing everything he can to destroy our heart, he wants nothing more than to destroy our heart. Something's going protect your heart with that something righteousness. Righteousness, that is what protects our heart so you make that decision to put on that breastplate of righteousness you are making an intentional decision to protect yourself by living a righteous life to how you do that how you live a righteous life to be three quick things you write these down or maybe take a picture of the screen as it comes up. But here's number 11. Remember, your transformation.
Remember, your transformation take your Bibles and instead go back one page to Ephesians chapter 4 document have to go back and maybe on the same page is chapter 6 there in your Bible, but we learned there about what Christian is not supposed to be. Unrighteousness is talked about their not supposed be characterized or characterized by unrighteousness that we get to verse 20, and here's what we read, but that is not the way you learned Christ. Paul says you can learn Christ you learn these unrighteous things a be a part of the Christian's life.
Verse 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him as the truth is in Christ the Lord is assuming that you learn the truth in Christ, put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires to be renewed in the spirit of your minds to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness will pulsate. Think about the basics go back to the sufficiency of Jesus dying in your place so you can put to death who you once were.
You don't have to live that life anymore who you were is corrupt because you're now a Christian you are to live with the new mind the new spirit the new life is been given you the ability to live this righteous life is given to us as a gift.
It's a great grace of God.
He gives it to us to go live in it. Remember, the transformations must be taken place. Remember how the great Creator, the giver of life has given you life to the full and get rid of the trash of who you want to work and live with her renewed mind, a renewed spirit and renewed life 1 remember your transformation. There were to submit to the Lord. Submit to the Lord. This comes directly from James 47 we read this, submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you honey. Resist the devil thing about this very real battle. How do we resist the devil submit to God, we submit to God whatever God's word says that's what we do is, sometimes we lose the battle for righteousness because were trying to fight Satan without submitting to God, we think that that we have enough strength. We think we have enough wisdom.
We think we have enough power to defeat Satan without submitting to God, and it just doesn't work that way. We submit to God.
That is when victory comes we submit to God. That is when victory comes number three continually evaluate based on the Bible continually evaluate based on the Bible.
Psalm 119, 105 says your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Your word, the Bible is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path know it is absolutely vital for the Christian to read the Bible and to use what we find there to evaluate ourselves how my doing. In light of what where I reading God's word to always be comparing ourselves. Here's a standard standard to God is set. Here's where I met how do I bring myself up to the standard it is not through any power that I have. Remember, this is resurrection power that we talked about earlier in Ephesians that is at work within us, that's where the power comes from.
We evaluate ourselves.
We ask questions like in my really living a righteous life is there trash this piling up trying to stuff in the closet to hide from other people in the-Jesus then on the other side of that, not just what should be gone from our lives will we ask one of the signs that show that I am living a righteous life but what fruit is there from my life that proves I'm walking with the Lord. All of these are and many many more questions we should be asking all the time. Evaluate continually close with this earlier. I use the on the picture of the trash in our houses to describe this idea unrighteousness is another illustration may be said to bring alongside.
That's a good thing about unrighteousness is the trash and then and then this as righteousness. And a lot of times we are willing to put in the work to pursue righteousness because it's just that it's work. What would happen if I were to tell you that while we were in this room I had someone go to your backyard and bury hundred thousand dollars. I can pretty much guarantee that you're not waiting for the words you are sent to take off. Adhere to go $500,000, you're going to go do everything you can to dig out the hundred thousand dollars, and as you're digging in your yard and you're working up a sweat in your even the right out there you're digging up trying to find it all all a longer thinking about how mother spin this hundred thousand dollars money to pay off my house or another debt that I got my to buy something I really want to buy and invest in the future. So I have more money in the future. Your thinking about how you're going to use that hundred thousand dollars. What if, what if we pursued righteousness with the same level of passion and intensity as we pursue hundred thousand dollars. What if we see the value in righteousness which we see the investment potential of righteousness in our lives when we think about all the Christians that will one day be Christians because we are pursuing righteousness right now.
One would think about how our families are changed and brought into closer. His relationship with God and more into the image of Jesus as result of our righteousness that we invest in right now. How precious is your righteousness to you oftentimes were so flippant with no light in matters in this moment than matter and that moment or I won't these earthly things so much that I would forget all about heavenly things. Here's what happens. Here's the design of of all of this and it is that we are protected from saying that we are honoring God when we protect ourselves with righteousness.
So are you protecting yourself with righteousness what's in your heart and what's in your life today is what is in your heart right now is it trash or is it treasure what investing spray together. Father, may we be people who are characterized by our pursuit of righteousness doing what is right, of being what is right by our minds be transformed truly based on the identity that we now have as Christians. Father would we get rid of the trash in our lives the things that are only holding us back the things that are also inviting Satan to be a part of our lives for the enemy is real. May we fight as if the enemy is real and that we pursue righteousness with everything inside of us. Father, we love you. Thank you for your word.
In Jesus name, amen