Weiji 危機: Danger and Opportunity

The Chinese word translated in English as crisis is weiji 危機 (way gee).  The word is made up of two distinct characters wei (危 = danger) and ji (機 = opportunity).  So, in the minds of the ancient Chinese, all crises are made up of two components, danger and opportunity.  As we face a crisis, many times, our reaction to that crisis will determine whether we see catastrophe, which is the result of the danger, or victory, which is the result of opportunity.

Today, I want to post on crisis and our response to it.  Let’s look at our text:

1 Samuel 13:1-7 (NKJV)
^13:1 Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel, ² Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel. Two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in the mountains of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. The rest of the people he sent away, every man to his tent. ³ And Jonathan attacked the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. Then Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, "Let the Hebrews hear!" ⁴ Now all Israel heard it said that Saul had attacked a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel had also become an abomination to the Philistines. And the people were called together to Saul at Gilgal. ⁵ Then the Philistines gathered together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude. And they came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of Beth Aven. ⁶ When the men of Israel saw that they were in danger (for the people were distressed), then the people hid in caves, in thickets, in rocks, in holes, and in pits. ⁷ And some of the Hebrews crossed over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

The Crisis

  

In order to begin we need to define the word crisis in English.  The word crisis according to Funk and Wagnall’s Standard Dictionary can be defined as a crucial turning point in an affair or in a series of events:  A critical moment, favorable or unfavorable.  In simple terms this is the moment when the outcome of a particular circumstance or a set of circumstances is dependent on the action that you take at the moment.

An example of a simple crisis might be that you are driving down a road at a high rate of speed.  You’re heading toward a fork in the road, where you must make a decision to turn either right or left.  Turning one way will take you to a beautiful resort hotel, and turning the other way will take you to an unpleasant swamp.  You have no idea which place is in which direction.  You must make a decision to turn either right or left.  When you have reached that point where you MUST take action and turn the wheel one way or the other you have reached a crisis.  The way you turn the wheel will determine the outcome of events that takes place after that time of crisis.

In our text we see the unfolding of a crisis in the lives of two men, Saul and Jonathan.  Both of them have reached a moment of crisis, where action must be taken.  In this situation they had very different responses to that crisis and because of their responses they had very different outcomes.

Saul has taken three thousand men, two thousand he kept with him and one thousand he sent with Jonathan.  Jonathan attacked a garrison of the Philistines.  This was a declaration of war.  It was as if Saul was saying to the Philistines that he was willing to make war on them; that he would no longer remain under rule by them.  The Philistines, for their part responded to this declaration by coming to Michmash prepared or all out war with Israel.

Look at their responses:

Thirty thousand chariots

Six thousand horsemen

And so many foot soldiers they couldn't be numbered

This mighty army, armed to the teeth was sent to face three thousand Israeli soldiers, none of which was prepared for war, especially to face an assault of this magnitude. 

1 Samuel 13:22 (NKJV)
^13:22 So it came about, on the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan. But they were found with Saul and Jonathan his son.

The Bible tells us that as a result the men of Israel were frightened and began to melt away, hiding in caves and trembling.  We see their reaction in verses six and seven of our text.  The number of men following Saul had deteriorated from two thousand men to about six hundred. 

So here is Saul’s moment of crisis.  The Philistines have gathered to face him with an army vastly larger than the force he commands.  His people have become frightened; they’ve begun to desert and hide themselves.  He’s left with about six hundred men to face all of these enemy troops and his response will determine the future of his kingdom and his rule of Israel.

This is an all out assault on the people of God.  The Philistines are holding nothing back; it’s an overwhelming assault by the forces of Hell.  The enemies of Israel represent the forces of Hell in the Bible.  These are the enemies of God.

Today, as God’s people we face an almost daily assault by the forces f Hell.  We’re in a position that’s not unlike that of the people of Israel.  We, as the church, are also facing an assault as we all face crises in our own lives.  What made Saul’s situation so dire is that the men of Israel began to desert and hide under the pressure of the confrontation.  They were unwilling to face the forces of Hell, individually in their own lives.  This is the pressure point that led to Saul’s response to the crisis.  Our individual responses to crises will affect and determine the response of the church.

That response will either bring the realization of the danger or the realization of the opportunity.  We will all face crises throughout our Christian walk because we will all face tribulation or spiritual persecution throughout our lives.

Acts 14:21-22 (NKJV)
^14:21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, ²² strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God."

So we must be prepared to endure tribulations and in enduring them be ready to respond to crises.

The problem for the people of Israel at this time is that they were under bondage to the Philistines.  The Philistines had rule over them.

1 Samuel 13:19 (NKJV)
^13:19 Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, "Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears."

So as a result the Israelis were unprepared for war.

1 Samuel 13:22 (NKJV)
^13:22 So it came about, on the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan. But they were found with Saul and Jonathan his son.

They didn't have weapons of warfare.  They couldn't have effectively fought even a force that didn't outnumber them, little less this overwhelming army that they faced.  This lack of preparation also influenced Saul’s response to this crisis.

As you face crises are you prepared for the battle that will ensue if you stand and fight, or are you so unprepared for battle that your only recourse is to withdraw.  These men who deserted weren't cowards, they knew that they were unprepared to fight and face certain death.  So their response to the crises that they faced was to desert their positions, but what if they had been prepared for battle, would their response be different.  I believe that preparation for crisis will help us to respond in a manner that will bring victory rather than defeat.  We can prepare for spiritual battles and crises in our lives with the proper equipment.

Ephesians 6:14-18 (NKJV)
^6:14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶ above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; ¹⁸ praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints--

Our Weapons:

     Truth – Jesus Christ ther way the truth and the Life

     Righteousness – We are made righteous through Christ

     Preparation of the Gospel – That we are ready with the Gospel.  This is what got Jesus through the      assault on him by Satan in Luke 4 – “It is written;” He knew the scriptures.

    Faith – Small faith can move mountains

    Salvation – our minds are renewed in the will of God

    Prayer – What you ask in my name will be given

This is our weaponry; this is what we’re given to fight battles with.  Are you pared to fight or are you allowing yourself to be ruled over by the forces of hell?  Not having the liberty of the Gospel at hand is bondage, isn’t it?  Not having the weapons of our warfare at hand, not being prepared to repel the enemy is bondage to that enemy.

During he cold war, people called Ronald Reagan a warmonger because he refused to negotiate with the enemy on the Strategic Defense Initiative.  This was a system of satellites that would destroy incoming missiles.  He always said that peace came through might.  He called America’s nuclear weapons “the Peace Keepers.”  SDI and an aresenal of nuclear missiles meant that we had the weapons to protect ourselves from our enemies aggression.  We were prepared to meet that enemy in battle.

The real problem is that a lack of preparedness will force you into a response that will be fraught with danger because you’re not able to seize the opportunity.

In 1967, the enemies of Israel attacked.  Israel is a small nation surrounded by enemies on all sides.  Those enemies are larger countries with much larger population, but Israel was prepared for war.  They knew that their enemies wanted to destroy them and they responded and not only defeated their enemies but increased the land of Israel.

They seized opportunity out of crisis because they were prepared.  Our response to crisis will be made out of whether or not each of us is prepared for all out war.  If we’re prepared for war we can see the realization of the opportunity presented by the crisis.  If we are unprepared we will see the danger realized.

Two Responses

In our story Israel is faced with a real crisis, and there are two leaders during this time, Saul and Jonathan.  We see here two different responses to the same crisis.  Let’s examine each of them

Saul’s Response

1 Samuel 13:8-12 (NKJV)
^13:8 Then he waited seven days, according to the time set by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. ⁹ So Saul said, "Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me." And he offered the burnt offering. ¹⁰ Now it happened, as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, that Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him. ¹¹ And Samuel said, "What have you done?" And Saul said, "When I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash, ¹² then I said, 'The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the Lord.' Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering."

Saul’s men had scattered, he was facing an enormous army with a small force, and the men were beginning to desert and scatter.  We can see the outline of his response in his explanation to Samuel in verses 11 and 12:

“And Saul said, "When I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash, ¹² then I said, 'The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the Lord.' Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering.’”

First he tells Samuel, “I saw the people scattering from me.”  He’s thinking that it’s up to him, that he has to do something to keep it all together; that he had to do it on his own. I can see his thought process here, “I’ve got to do something to keep these people from leaving, it’s all up to me.”  This is not a response of faith this is panic.  So, what he does he do?  He takes it upon himself to offer the burnt offering, but he should have waited for Samuel.

Who does Samuel represent?  He represents God, he’s the man of God.  So Saul is not waiting on God’s plans or purposes.  Samuel told him to wait  seven days at Gilgal and I will come and make the offering.  Look at this verse:

1 Samuel 10:8 (NKJV)
^10:8 You shall go down before me to Gilgal; and surely I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and make sacrifices of peace offerings. Seven days you shall wait, till I come to you and show you what you should do."

Samuel told him, “I will make the burnt offerings,” but what else did he tell him?  “I will show you what you should do.”  In other words God has already given him a plan.  God already had a purpose for what was taking place. “I will come and show you what to do to end this crisis according to the will of God.”  So, Saul isn’t looking for God’s counsel, either.  He’s thinking, “Samuel’s late. God’s not here when I need him, so I’ve got to suck it up and do what I think has to be done.” 

1 Samuel 13:12-14 (NKJV)
^13:12 then I said, 'The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the Lord.' Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering." ¹³ And Samuel said to Saul, "You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you. For now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. ¹⁴ But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you."

The Kingdom is taken from Saul.  His response to the crisis resulted in the danger being fully realized.  He’s lost the kingdom, he’s lost it all and that was hwhat he was afraid would happen if he didn’t act on his own anyway, wasn’t it.  That’s what drove him to make the decisions he did.  “I can’t fight without the men, so I have to act to keep it all together.  It was the action that he took to keep the kingdom together that cost him the kingdom. 

Contrast this with Jonathan’s response:

Jonathan’s Response

1 Samuel 14:6-12 (NKJV)
^14:6 Then Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, "Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the Lord will work for us. For nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few." ⁷ So his armorbearer said to him, "Do all that is in your heart. Go then; here I am with you, according to your heart." ⁸ Then Jonathan said, "Very well, let us cross over to these men, and we will show ourselves to them. ⁹ If they say thus to us, 'Wait until we come to you,' then we will stand still in our place and not go up to them. ¹⁰ But if they say thus, 'Come up to us,' then we will go up. For the Lord has delivered them into our hand, and this will be a sign to us." ¹¹ So both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, "Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden." ¹² Then the men of the garrison called to Jonathan and his armorbearer, and said, "Come up to us, and we will show you something." Jonathan said to his armorbearer, "Come up after me, for the Lord has delivered them into the hand of Israel."

Jonathan is facing the same crisis.  He’s hopelessly outnumbered; his men are just as unprepared.  In fact, as we saw, only Jonathan and Saul had any weapons.  But look at his response in verses 8-11:

1 Samuel 14:8-11 (NKJV)
^14:8 Then Jonathan said, "Very well, let us cross over to these men, and we will show ourselves to them. ⁹ If they say thus to us, 'Wait until we come to you,' then we will stand still in our place and not go up to them. ¹⁰ But if they say thus, 'Come up to us,' then we will go up. For the Lord has delivered them into our hand, and this will be a sign to us." ¹¹ So both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, "Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden."

The first thing he does is look for the will of God.  “What’s God trying to do in all this?  What’s God’s purpose.”  It’s an attitude of faith that God can use to bring His plan to fruition. 

Before he did anything he looked for God’s counsel.  “Let’s show ourselves to the Philistines and how they respond will be a sign from God as to what we should do.”  They’re standing on the promise that God has answered and will deliver them according to his word.  He knows that God can deliver despite the circumstances, if he will act according to God’s will.  In his response Jonathan sees the opportunity part of the crisis fully realized as the Philistines’ great army is destroyed not by Jonathan’s action but by God’s action.

Facing Crises in our Lives

When a church is facing a crisis, like trying to increase the presence of the church in the community by doing new and different things to reach people.  There is an opportunity to move forward and to cause the church to grow.  There are also risks.  There will be more pressure placed on us as individuals.  There will be more assaults from Hell on us as individuals; financial pressures, health pressures, marriage pressures to name just a few.  The devil will assault both the church and the individuals that make up the church.  There are two possible responses to crisis.  As in the scenario of our illustration, we can 1) put on the brakes and stop all forward momentum, or 2) we can press on turning either to the right or the left.  Turning either in panic or in faith. We can either wind up in a stinking pit of despair or in the will of God.

James 4:7 (NKJV)
^4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

This is the appropriate response to crisis.  Submit yourself to the will of God, like Jonathan as he faced the garrison of the Philistines.  “God I know you have a purpose in this, and I’m looking for your purpose and will.”  That’s Jonathan’s response.  That’s the response that wills ee opportunity realized. 

What happens if we see the danger realized?  We lose dominion, we become like Israel hiding in our holes.  We miss out on the promise of God.  There’s no deliverance, there’s no fruitfulness.  Fear doesn’t win battles, so the church struggles to stay together, forget about moving forward.

What happens, though, if the opportunity is realized?  1) We continue to gain power and dominion over the spirits that rule our city and 2) Opportunity will result in more visitors, growth in the church and revival.

Much of how the church responds is dependent on the response of the individuals who make up the church’s response to individual crises.  After all, the overall assault on the church will be made up of smaller assaults on individuals in the church. 

How are you going to react?  Like Saul, in panic, or like Jonathan in faith?  Are you prepared for battle or dominated by the enemy? 

We need to react like Jonathan.  Look for God’s will.  Look for what God is trying to do.  Desire to be a part of what God’s doing.  Be the fuse that ignites deliverance.  God can deliver by many or by few.  Either way it is by individuals responding to individual crises in faith that ignites the movement of God.  Jonathan’s action brought about God’s deliverance.  Our actions will bring about God’s promise.

Flattening the Walls of Opposition

A missionary in 1815 traveled to Cape Town, South Africa, but the government was hostile to missionaries.  This man was in the will of God, wasn't he?  Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creatures.  That’s what Christians are called to do, right?  But he was resisted and had to leave that place and find another place to preach.

So he got some oxen and a cart took his wife and left to find another place.  Think about how he felt, for a moment.  He was sure he was in the will of God.  He had gone to a lot of expense and effort to get to Cape Town and now he’s turned away.

But 27 days after they left Cape Town he met a group of Khoikhoi tribes-people who had camped near them.  He began to speak with them and discovered that the tribe was on the way to Cape Town to find a missionary who would preach the Gospel to them.

This is an amazing story.  This missionary faced obstacle after obstacle that seemed insurmountable and God broke through all of those obstacles to see His will done:  For the missionary to preach the Gospel and for the tribe to hear the Word of God and be converted.

God can overcome obstacles

There will always be opposition to the will of God for our lives and today I want to post on flattening the walls of that opposition.

Joshua 6:1-5 (NKJV)
^6:1 Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. ² And the Lord said to Joshua: "See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor. ³ You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days. ⁴ And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. ⁵ It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him."

Obstacles to the Will of God

We sometimes forget the fact that the devil’s not afraid of us.  But I want you to know, right now, the devil’s not afraid of you.  I've seen the t-shirts that say things like, “When I wake up in the morning the devil says, “Oh no…he’s awake!”  But that’s really kind of presumptuous, because the devil isn’t afraid of you.  I saw a twitter post recently, though, that put it all in perspective that post said, “Satan’s not afraid of me, he’s afraid of who’s in me.”  That’s the truth, right there.  The devil doesn't fear you he fears Jesus.  That’s why we need God’s power:  To overcome the devil’s obstacles.

Look at the position in which Joshua and his men find themselves.  They’re looking at the city of Jericho.  Jericho is the first step to God’s promise.  It’s the first obstacle that has to be overcome to see the promise of God for Israel come to pass.  The problem is that the walls of Jericho were huge obstacles:

Excavations at Jericho indicate that the city covered perhaps eight acres and was protected by two high parallel walls, which stood about fifteen feet apart and surrounded the city. It was the sight of cities like Jericho that convinced ten of the Jewish spies that Israel could never conquer the land—Bible Exposition Commentary - Old Testament

Five meters separated these massive walls, so after one was breached the second one was still there and had to be overcome as well.  The walls were obstacles to God’s will.  In order for Israel to see the promise of God fulfilled, they would have to overcome these obstacles. 

Do you face any obstacles in finding the will of God for your life?  We’re all trying to press through to God’s will, aren't we?  That’s what Christians should be doing…the will of God.  If you've ever tried to do that, then you know it’s not always easy.  There are always obstacles to God’s will.  

A friend of mine is trying to get his visa to stay in Taiwan.  He came here as a missionary.  He came in answer to a call to preach in Taiwan.  He tried to get a work visa but he was turned down.  So now he’s trying to get a visa as a volunteer worker, just to stay in the country, but there are difficulties, and obstacles; roadblocks.  The devil doesn't want this to happen.  He wants to frustrate the will of God. 

The problem for us is the same as the problem facing Israel.  We don’t always have the capacity to overcome in our own strength.  Look at Samson for a moment, he was so strong, so powerful…when he was in the Spirit.   

Do you remember the story?  Samson was a Nazarite.  There was a prophecy about him prior to his birth saying that he would begin the deliverance from the Philistines.  When he faced an obstacle the Spirit of God would come upon him and he became incredibly strong. 

He tore a lion apart with his bare hands.

He killed a thousand Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey.

At the end of his life he tore down the temple and killed many, many Philistines.

So when God was there to help him he was incredibly strong.  He was able to overcome anything through his sheer strength.  But what happened when the Spirit of God departed from him. 

Judges 16:20-21 (NKJV)
^16:20 And she said, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" So he awoke from his sleep, and said, "I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!" But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him. ²¹ Then the Philistines took him and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza. They bound him with bronze fetters, and he became a grinder in the prison.

When God’s spirit departed from him and he had to depend on his own strength, he was unable to free himself and was blinded and made a slave. 

In the Book of Numbers when the twelve spies went into the Promised Land they saw cities like Jericho and were so dismayed that they came back and gave a bad report. 

Numbers 13:28-29 (NKJV)
^13:28 Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. ²⁹ The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan."

One of those fortified cities was Jericho and they felt like they couldn't overcome the obstacles of those huge walls.  They lost faith in God’s power to deliver them. 

Numbers 13:33 (NKJV)
^13:33 There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight."

They thought themselves small, they thought themselves weak:  They had forgotten that God had the power to overcome.  They had forgotten that God had promised them this land and that he would overcome all of the obstacles to give it to them.  He kept that promise.  God used His supernatural power to destroy Jericho’s walls.  He has the power to destroy the obstacles to His will and He will do that for us, just like He did for in Jericho for Israel.

Joshua Prepared for God’s Power

God used His power to destroy the walls of Jericho.  God brought about the victory, but Joshua didn’t just sit on his hands.  He played a role in this deliverance.  He had a responsibility to this deliverance.  In fact, he did three things that made it possible for God’s power to deliver them. 

First, he listened:  God gave him a plan, He sent an angel to deliver the plan to Joshua.  That’s what our text is; it’s God’s plan for the destruction of Jericho’s walls.  What is amazing is that Joshua heard that plan and didn't balk.  Listen to the plan.  Walk around the city one time a day for six days.  On the seventh day walk around the city seven times, blow some trumpets and yell really loud.  Then I’ll knock down the walls and you can take the city.

What would you do if I came to you one Sunday with that plan?

“Okay, I prayed and here’s the plan.  We’re going to walk around the city once a day for six days.  Next Sunday, we’ll walk around the city seven times and blow some horns and yell really loud and then we’ll be able to have revival.  Okay…Who’s with me?” 

A couple of people might follow me, but most people would say, “He’s lost it!  Don’t make any sudden moves around him, who knows what he’ll do.”  Do you know how I know that?  I know that because only a few think outreaches are effective.  Everyone else is like the ten spies; they have lost faith that God can bring about a victory.  Here’s Joshua, he hears this plan and responds by getting people ready to do exactly what the angel told him to do.

Second he obeyed:  He took the word seriously and went out and immediately began to put the plan into place. 

Joshua 6:6-7 (NKJV)
^6:6 Then Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, "Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord." ⁷ And he said to the people, "Proceed, and march around the city, and let him who is armed advance before the ark of the Lord."

He heard from God and just obeyed.  This is important – God’s promise requires our obedience.  Often God’s promises are conditional.  IF you will; THEN I will…

IF you will pray THEN I will heal your land.

IF you believe THEN you will have everlasting life.

IF you will give, THEN I will give, pressed down shaken together and running over.

Each promise has a condition and more often than not that condition is obedience.  If Joshua had never obeyed and never marched; never blew trumpets and never yelled then the walls would never have fallen and the promise would have been lost.

Third, he had faith:  Joshua was a man of faith.  Remember, in Numbers 14, he and Caleb were the only spies who believed that they could take the Promised Land.

Numbers 14:6-8 (NKJV)
^14:6 But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; ⁷ and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: "The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. ⁸ If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, 'a land which flows with milk and honey.'

This is the same Joshua.  He took God at His word when they spied out the land in Numbers 14 and he’s taking God at His word here.  Because of his faith that God would do what God had promised, he was willing to follow God’s instructions to defeat the city.  In other words, he took the action of his faith. 

The Bible tells us that faith without works is dead.  We can have all the faith in the world, but if we sit on our hands and don’t take the action of our faith…nothing happens.    When we got saved we took the actions of faith and repented.  The faith part was that we believed the works part was repentance. 

When Joshua listened and believed; then acted on that belief he opened a door for God to act out on His promise.  GOD KNOCKED DOWN THE WALLS!

God will Knock Down the Walls in Your Life

Finally, I want to encourage you.  I know that some of you are facing obstacles to God’s promises and I want to clarify a couple of things that I believe will help you to see God’s deliverance.

Is it God’s will or your will?  Is it God’s promise or what you want God to do?  Sometimes, God’s will and your will are not the same things.  God promised the land to Israel; so defeating Jericho was God’s will.  God flattened the walls to see His will done.

How can you tell the difference between God’s will and your will?  If it’s God’s will it will have something to do with what God’s doing in the world; God’s purposes for the earth.  It probably won’t be something that would benefit just you and not further the Gospel in some way.  If you want to receive the desires of your heart then make the desires of your heart the desires of God’s heart. 

I've had people come to me and tell me that they can’t get a breakthrough in something they want to do.  “I want to do this thing or that thing and I’m praying but I can’t overcome some obstacle.”  The real problem is that it’s counter to what God is doing.   You’re struggling against God.  God has a plan for your life.  Are you trying to make God’s plan happen or are you trying to make God follow your plan?   

READ THE BIBLE – You can know God’s desires and character by praying and reading your Bible.  Many people only read their Bibles during Sunday’s service…and then it’s only the scriptures used in the sermon.  Read it every day.  Make Time.  It’s important to know God and understand His will for your life. 

PRAY – We all really need to pray.  It worries me sometimes when I ask for prayer requests at church and nobody has any.  If you’re praying for something let us pray with you.  If you’re not praying there won’t be any prayer requests.  How can you hear from God if you don’t pray?  We need God to move in our lives.  We need to hear from God.  We need to be able to lay our petitions before God so He can move in them.

We read in our text that God spoke to Joshua.  Do you think Joshua was kicking back and playing video games, when God spoke to him?  God spoke to him while he prayed.  God spoke to him through the scriptures.  

Pictures of God's Love

Back in the Garden of Eden, Adam sinned and disobeyed God.  I know you remember the story.  God created a beautiful garden paradise.  He created Adam and put him in the Garden to tend it and keep it.  The He gave him Eve, because it is not good for a man to be alone.  In the Garden he placed a tree called the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and He commanded them not to eat of the fruit of that tree. 

He gave them the choice to obey.  Why?  He did that because their choice was a measure of their love for Him.  He wanted to know that we love Him.

It’s the same with us today.  Our obedience to His will and His calling are a measure of our love for Him.  We have a choice whether to obey or not.

The Garden of Eden was a place where God demonstrated His love for us.  He met every single human need in the Garden.  He loved us and wanted to know that we chose to love Him.

Then there as a problem in the Garden because Adam and Eve chose to disobey God.  They were removed from the Garden, but God’s love and care for us didn't end there.  God still loved them.

Today I want to post a sermon about God’s love for us.

Romans 5:7-11 (NKJV)
^5:7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. ¹⁰ For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. ¹¹ And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

God’s Love

Here in our text we see how God demonstrates His love for us, because while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.  While we were still in rebellion:  While we were rejecting Him He died for us.  That’s what sin is, it’s rejection of God.  It’s just like Adam and Eve in the Garden rejected God through disobeying His one command.  God had to judge their rebellion but He didn't stop loving them. 

There’s an interesting moment when God gives the command not to eat the fruit:

Genesis 2:16-17 (NKJV)
^2:16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; ¹⁷ but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."

God tells him you can eat of the fruit of any tree in the Garden except the fruit of that one tree, or what?  “You will surely die.”  You can look at this and say that God is saying, “If you eat the fruit of that one tree, I’m going to kill you!”  I don’t think that that’s what God is saying here.  I think God is warning them.  You can eat of any fruit in the Garden except that one fruit, and the consequence of eating that fruit is that you will die.  Death will come into the world.  It’s not a threat it’s a warning.

It is the same as we as parents do.  We tell our kids, “Don’t run out in the street without looking because you will surely die.”  I’m not telling them, “If you run out there I’m going to kill you.”  I’m just warning them that running out into the street without looking can get you killed.  Do it often enough and you will surely die.

God’s just laying out the consequences for them,  “If you eat of the fruit of that tree over there, nothing bad will happen; or that tree over there the fruit is good to eat.  But if you eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, if you eat that fruit, death will come.”

After the sin we see God searching for Adam in the Garden.

Genesis 3:8-11 (NKJV)
. ⁸ And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. ⁹ Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?" ¹⁰ So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself." ¹¹ And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?"

God comes into the Garden and Adam and Eve are hiding from Him.  So God calls out to him looking for him, “Adam, where are you?”  Adam had never hidden from God before.  Adam and God had met in the Garden together before.

Somebody once said, “You can never be a preacher if you read this as though God were a policeman.  Read it as though God was a broken hearted father looking for a lost child.”

Do you think God was crashing through the Garden yelling, “Adam, I know you’re in there!  You better come out now….Oh boy are you going to get it.  Where are you!”?  I think God called for him with concern in His voice.

Have you ever been somewhere and turned around and your child was missing?  Did you run around, yelling, “When I find you, you’re going to pay for this!”  No you didn't,  you looked for that child desperately until you found him/her.  I know this is true because it happened to me.  Adam was gone; he had never disappeared before.  God is a father, isn't He?  He’s not an action movie villain.  He’s a Father.

When Jesus came to earth He taught us about His Father.  He taught us to love our enemies, remember that?

Matthew 5:44-45 (NKJV)
^5:44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

Love your enemies bless those who curse you.  Do good to haters, pray for those who persecute you.  Why?  The next scripture gives us the reason, “That you may be sons of your Father in heaven.”  Do that so you can be like your Father.  God is a Father.

Then our text tells us that God put this command into action Himself, when He sent Jesus.  Jesus died on the cross for His enemies.  When we are involved in sin we are enemies of God. 

Romans 8:7 (NKJV)
^8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.

Sin is carnality; it’s putting the needs of our flesh before the will of God.  Being in sin is being God’s enemy.  Jesus died for us while we were enemies of God. 

Think about this for just a moment.  When Jesus was dying on the cross, what did He cry out to God?    “Father forgive them they don’t know what they’re doing.”  He was asking for forgiveness for our sin.  He was even asking for forgiveness for those who put Him on the cross.  That’s really, “loving your enemies,” isn't it? People may be willing to die for their friends, for their loved ones, for those who care about them but how many would be willing to die for those who hate you. I would venture to say not many of us would.  That’s how much God loves us:  Enough to suffer an agonizing death on the cross for us.

Examples of God’s Love

Remember the story of David’s sin with Bathsheba?  This was God’s chosen man.  This was a man after God’s own heart.  Do you remember what happened?  In the time when the kings went to war David stayed back.  He was up on the roof of the palace and he saw Bathsheba bathing.  Bathsheba was the wife of one of David’s mighty men, Uriah the Hittite. 

So he sends some people to have Bathsheba brought to the palace, where he sleeps with her and gets her pregnant.  Then to cover that sin David sends for Uriah the Hittite and sends him home to sleep with her, but Uriah refuses.  So David sends him back to the front with instructions for Joab to send him to fiercest part of the battle then pull back and allow him to be killed. 

This is great sin.  What a huge disappointment to God that His man would act like this.  The sin had to be judged and God did that, and the child died.  David repented of the sin with Bathsheba and look what happened:

2 Samuel 12:24-25 (NKJV)
^12:24 Then David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in to her and lay with her. So she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. Now the Lord loved him, ²⁵ and He sent word by the hand of Nathan the prophet: So he called his name Jedidiah, because of the Lord.

Jedidah means beloved.  David felt the love of God through the birth of Solomon.  Solomon became king after David, even though he wasn’t the first-born son.  God restored David back into the relationship with Him.  We would even say that God reconciled with David.  Even though we have lived in sin, we have also been reconciled with God.  Look at our text again in verse 10.

Romans 5:10 (NKJV)
^5:10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

While we were involved in our sin we were enemies of God, but because Jesus’ life, death and resurrection we are now reconciled with God.

Do you know what it means to be reconciled?  Two that were separated are brought back together.  A married couple that separates and then come back together are said to be reconciled.  We were separated from God by our sin, but when Jesus died he opened an opportunity for us to be reconciled with God.  When we repent like David did, we are reconciled and brought back into a right relationship with God once more.

Isn’t that a demonstration of God’s love for us?  Why did the couple that separated come back together?  Because they realized that they loved each other.  Why are you able to argue with your wife and kids and still remain a family?  Because you love each other and forgive each other.  Forgiveness is a demonstration of love. 

God showed His love for David after his horrible sin, by forgiving him and restoring him back into relationship.  Jesus showed His love for those who were murdering Him by crying out for their forgiveness.  God shows His love for us, by sending His Son to die for us and pay the price for our sin.

John 3:16 (NKJV)
^3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

We know that Jesus loves us because He laid down His life to restore our relationship with God.

John 15:13 (NKJV)
^15:13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.

How much more love does it take to lay down your life for your enemies?  How much love does it take to sacrifice your only son for those who hate you?  That’s how much God loves us.

How Can We Exemplify that Love to Others?

So God has called us to exemplify that love to others.  We’re to be a reflection of God’s love for mankind, through our love for other people.  We are called to exemplify that ultimate love:  Love for our enemies.

Matthew 5:44-46 (NKJV)
^5:44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. ⁴⁶ For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

How easy is it to do that?

Those that are looking to ruin me?  God says, “Love them.”

Those that curse me, gossip about me, and slander me?  God says, “Love them.”

Those that use me, take what they can from me and throw me aside?  God says, “Pray for them.”

Why is God looking for us to do that?  Why is He asking us to do something do difficult?  So that we can be like our Father in heaven.  So that we can demonstrate His love:  That He might be glorified that others will see Him through us.

There is a man in Iran, a pastor, who was arrested and is being beaten for his Christianity look at this from a letter he wrote to his wife:

...Naghmeh described in detail how he's been mistreated at Iran's notorious Evin Prison. He described how he saw his face for the first time in the mirror of an elevator.

"I said hi to the person staring back at me because I did not recognize myself," Abedini wrote. "My hair was shaven, under my eyes were swollen three times what they should have been, my face was swollen, and my beard had grown." 

The pastor explained how, despite his situation, he is trying to focus on "forgiveness." He said he forgave the "interrogator who beat me" as well as the doctor who "did not give me the medication that I needed."

Abedini wrote that a nurse would not provide him with treatment because she said "in our religion we are not suppose to touch you, you are unclean." He wrote that he could not fall to sleep one night because of the pain, as he listened to the sound of "dirty sewer rats with their loud noises and screeches." *

This is a picture of the love of God in our times.  This is what God calls us to do.  This story is receiving worldwide attention.  This man is reaching people through his forgiveness of his persecutors.  People are seeing God’s love through him and his actions.  This is what we are all called to do.  This is part of being Christ-like.  It’s easy to love those who love you, but it’s much more difficult to love those who are your enemies. 

These days,  forgiveness is difficult.  Recently, we met a young woman who is battling severe depression.  Ken told her that depression comes from unforgiveness.  She knew that, she agreed that it does.  When Ken told her, “Then forgive that person and be healed.”  She said, “No. I hate them!” 

This is not an uncommon story in our day and hour, but what would God require of us?  Nothing more than what He has already done.  Forgiving those who killed His Son, forgiving and loving His enemies.  Can you forgive and love yours.

* http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/03/22/american-pastor-jailed-in-iran-says-was-beaten-refused-treatment-because-his/#ixzz2OL4waTFW

Defeating Spiritual Power

Editor’s Note:  I am currently serving a congregation in Taoyuan City, Taiwan.  This sermon is written from that perspective, dealing mostly with the local traditional Taiwanese Religion and the spiritual battles that result from that.  I believe, however, that there is room for a wider application of the truths in this sermon in any culture and religious environment.

I live in a nation that is very religious.  The traditional religion is the backbone of Taiwanese society.  Every holiday, with the exception of New Year (solar), Double Ten Day, (Taiwanese National Day) and 2/28 (commemoration of the massacre by R.O.C troops on civilians 2/28/1947.) are religious holidays.  There are many gods in the traditional Taiwanese religion.

A young woman in one of our churches testifies that her mother is the leader of an Yi Guang Tao temple.  She was training this young woman to take over as her replacement and her testimony is that if she hadn't become a Christian and she’d taken over the temple from her mother she would have become a local god when she died.

So we are immersed in a pagan society.  Let me qualify this for a moment, though.  There is no involvement in human or animal sacrifice.  We don’t have our children walk through the fire.  There are no temple prostitutes, at least as far as I know.  But there is the worship of gods other than the God of the Bible.

There IS the burning of incense to the gods, the worship of ancestors, the eating of food offered to idols, and praying to idols.  All of these things are in opposition to God.  Look at what God himself says:

Exodus 20:2-6 (NKJV)
^20:2 "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. ³ You shall have no other gods before Me. ⁴ "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; ⁵ you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, ⁶ but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

So God is saying that we should only worship Him.  Why does he say that?  Why is God concerned about that?  He’s concerned, because these other gods have power.  They have a spiritual power, as well.

Matthew 17:14-21 (NKJV)
^17:14 And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, ¹⁵ "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. ¹⁶ So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him." ¹⁷ Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me." ¹⁸ And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. ¹⁹ Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" ²⁰ So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. ²¹ However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."

There’s a Spiritual Battle Taking Place

Our text doesn't seem like a spiritual battle taking place, but, in fact, this is a spiritual battle.  We’re seeing spiritual warfare being fought.  In verse 15, the father refers to his son as an epileptic but when Jesus calls to him, He commands a demon to come out.  So this tells me that sometimes, demonic assaults can come in the form of disease.  In the companion passage in Mark 9 the father tells Jesus that his son has a mute spirit, and that the spirit:

Mark 9:22 (NKJV)
^9:22 And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."

The father, in this passage refers to the spirit as he, giving it personality. 

So this is a spiritual battle that’s taking place here.  There is a spiritual realm that has power, and that will attempt to destroy the will of God and will interfere in people’s lives in order to do that.  

We can easily see that in the Book of Exodus.  God has called Moses and Aaron to deliver His people from oppression.  It is the will of God that Pharaoh release the people of God from their bondage, but it isn't as easy as that.  Moses says to Pharaoh, “Let my people go!”  and Pharaoh refuses.  Then the battle becomes spiritual. 

God uses Moses to perform His miracles, but then something else happens, look at this:

Exodus 7:10-13 (NKJV)
^7:10 So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, just as the Lord commanded. And Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent. ¹¹ But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers; so the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. ¹² For every man threw down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods. ¹³ And Pharaoh's heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the Lord had said.

This is a significant moment here.  In ancient Egypt, serpents were the symbol of power.  They were also the chief god.  So in this moment as Aaron throws down his rod, he's saying, in a sense, “Here this is our God.”  Then the magicians cast down their rods, “Oh yeah, well these are our gods.” This is a spiritual battle as well.  The magicians are able to do the same miracle that Aaron was able to do.  Aaron was able to do that miracle through the power of God, the magician’s were able to do the same thing, but whose power did they draw upon?  What was the source of real power that was arrayed against the Will of God?  This is a spiritual battle a demonic force is attempting to stop the will of God. 

Egypt, at the time of the exodus and Taiwan have something in common.  Both nations have societies that are built around the worship of other gods.  The spiritual power that was drawn upon to oppose God is also available to those who would oppose God in this nation.  As in our text, those spiritual forces don't need us to manifest their power.  The child was made sick by the spirit not some magician’s spell or curse.  The demonic force was sufficient to cause that sickness on its own.  Therefore, we must be aware of these things and be able to confront and defeat them. 

There’s one other thing I want to mention about demonic power.  In the New Testament, Jesus is in the Gadarenes, a region in Israel and he encounters a demon-possessed man.  Look at this interaction:

Mark 5:7-10 (NKJV)
^5:7 And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me." ⁸ For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!" ⁹ Then He asked him, "What is your name?" And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion; for we are many." ¹⁰ Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.

These demons were begging Jesus not to send them out of the country.  This tells me that demons have a region or area for which they are responsible.  Look also at this:

Daniel 10:13 (NKJV)
^10:13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.

This is an angel, speaking to Daniel.  This “Prince of Persia” is not a man but a spiritual entity.  What’s interesting here is that this spirit the “Prince of Persia,” is over that place called Persia.  There are others the angel refers to as the “Kings of Persia.”  So demons have a particular area for which they’re responsible.  There are powerful demons over Taiwan.  The traditional Taiwanese religion is made up of elements that are over four thousand years old.  These demons have grown very powerful. 

That means that there are spiritual forces that are arrayed against what God is trying to do through our church and in our individual lives.  The devil doesn't want us to successfully win others to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  The devil doesn't want you to be able to endure until the end.  The powers that we face aren’t weak.  The Prince of Persia withstood the angel for twenty-one days until a more powerful angel showed up.  So what does spiritual warfare look like in your life? 

There was a film made a number of years ago called “The Exorcist.”  The demon-possessed girl was saying nasty things, her head was spinning around and she was puking up pea soup.  That’s exactly what it’s like.  I’m kidding.  I've met a number of demon-possessed people and wouldn't have known they were demon-possessed until they spoke.

One time at the altar some kid started cussing me out and cussing God.  One time a guy threatened to kill me and ran across a busy street to get me.  (I’m still alive, so it didn't work).  I've had people say things to me in a voice that wasn't theirs.

These are some of the symptoms of demonic possession, but that isn't what I’m talking about.  I’m talking about the day-to-day battles that we face with spiritual forces. 

Recently, I was sharing a topic of our Christian Living Bible Study with someone in the church that had missed it.  And that person made an interesting comment.  They said, “Every time I’m really tired and miss Bible Study or don’t want to go to church it’s something I needed to hear.” 

That’s the real essence of spiritual warfare.  That’s the kind of thing most of us face.  There’s a resistance to being part of the will of God.  Things come up that require hard choices, in order to do what’s right.  We’re worn down.  We’re made deaf to certain things.  We don’t have understanding of certain principles.  These are all elements of spiritual warfare. 

Then there is the resistance of friends and family to hearing about Jesus.  There are walls which must be overcome in order to present the Gospel:  Religious groups pray against us, obstacles are put in our way, people reject us and say hateful things against us.  Sometimes there are difficulties in finances that make us doubt God’s promises.  All of this is spiritual.  There are many types of opposition.

When we rented our house on Nan Feng Street the first thing the landlady said to us was, “You can only use the house for living in.  You can’t have a church downstairs because the neighbors might be offended.”  I had never mentioned the church, but she knew about it.

That lady is a nice lady; I’m not trying to say anything bad about her, but there was a spiritual force being exerted against God.

Sometimes when we pray, we feel like God is distant.  We can’t have the kind of breakthrough where we feel like we met with God and heard from Him, or that God has heard from us.  These things cause us to doubt God.  They cause us not to ask God for guidance or direction.  They are a type of oppression.  They are a powerful form of warfare that is wielded against us and we must resist and fight it. 

Jesus shows us a way to defeat it in our text, when He says, “This kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting.”  Prayer and fasting are weapons of warfare.

The Weapons of our Warfare

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (NKJV)
^10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. ⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, ⁵ casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, ⁶ and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

Though we walk in flesh our battles are not according to the flesh.  We’re not here to fight with people.  People aren't the enemy they’re the prize.  We’re to win them to Jesus.  They’re the fruit that’s accounted to us.  They’re not the enemy.  Our battle isn't according to the flesh, so our weapons can’t be physical weapons, either.  Our weapons should be appropriate to the battle.

There is an old saying in America; I don’t know where it came from.  I looked it up on the internet and some people say it comes from the movie, “The Untouchables” but I think it’s from before that…Anyway the saying is, “You never bring a knife to a gun fight.”

You need to use the weapon that’s most appropriate for the fight you’re in.  If you bring a knife you have a weapon that is inappropriate to fight with a person who has a gun.  If you’re in a spiritual battle you need a spiritual weapon. Wouldn't it be nice if you could just punch out the devil?  It would make Christian life a lot easier, I can tell you that.  Our fight with the devil is a spiritual fight, though, so we are at a disadvantage if we try to fight with a worldly weapon. 

Jesus shows us how to fight a spiritual battle.  “These kind only come out with prayer and fasting.”  Prayer and fasting are spiritual weapons, “mighty in God for the tearing down strongholds, casting down arguments, and every thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.”  These are the things I've been talking about.  People reacting against you witnessing to them; our resistance to doing the things of God, outreaching, witnessing, coming to church.  These are the things we need to do well in our Christian walk and these are the places in our lives where the heaviest assault is taking place.  In our text Jesus says, “These kind only come out with prayer and fasting.”

Let’s look once more at Daniel chapter ten.  Daniel had a vision of the end times, but he wanted a clear understanding of what God was speaking to him.  He prayed that God would reveal it to him, but nothing happened for three weeks. So look at this: 

Daniel 10:1-3 (NKJV)
^10:1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar. The message was true, but the appointed time was long; and he understood the message, and had understanding of the vision. ² In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. ³ I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.

Then the angel comes to him and look at what the angel says:

Daniel 10:12-13 (NKJV)
^10:12 Then he said to me, "Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. ¹³ But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.

Twenty-one days; three weeks to receive an answer from God, but look at verse 12, from the very first day that he set his heart to understand, God heard his prayer and sent the angel.  God did it immediately and there was a spiritual resistance to the will of God.  After twenty-one days a more powerful angel shows up and releases the other one to do what God had sent him to do.  What did Daniel do in those twenty-one days?  Daniel prayed and fasted.  We pray and fast to overcome spiritual resistance to the will of God, what I have defined as spiritual battles. Sometimes we fast for God to do certain things.  God I want a new car.  God I want more finances.  God give me a husband or a wife.

Sometimes, we fast for things like that, but let me make a point here about something:  If you’re not tithing it isn't a spiritual resistance when you’re short of funds.  The spiritual resistance is to tithing.  So you ought to be praying and fasting to overcome your fear of tithing.  You ought to praying and fasting to overcome your lack of faith and your resistance to obeying God.   Prayer and Fasting is a weapon designed to bring your every though into captivity to the obedience of Christ.  If you’re not tithing and having a shortage of finances, it’s not really a financial problem it’s an obedience problem and that’s where the spiritual warfare is taking place.  If you’re not faithful to tithe you’re probably also not faithful to attend, or pray, or read your Bible.  The battle your fighting is to be obedient. 

Many people struggle in their Christian walk and never understand this one simple principle from our text:  When the child is brought to Jesus and he says, “This kind only comes out with prayer and fasting,” He never stops to pray or fast.  He just commands the devil to come out and it does.  Jesus doesn't have to stop and pray or fast because it is a regular part of His lifestyle.  If we will make those things a regular part of our lifestyles we would begin to make progress against the demons over our city and nation.  We’d begin to see a breakthrough in our own attendance and we would see others coming in to the church.  We can only defeat spiritual foes with spiritual weapons among them are prayer and fasting.

The Pathway to World Evangelism

Our fellowship holds a conference twice a year in Prescott, Arizona.  At those conferences, young men and their wives are launched into a city or nation to pioneer a church.  At the conference in January, seven international and twenty-one domestic works were announced.  Those announced churches bring the number of churches in the fellowship to 1, 950 churches in one hundred fifteen nations. There is a commitment to evangelism and foreign missions in our fellowship. 

The fellowship began with one pastor, Pastor Wayman Mitchell, in Prescott, Arizona in 1970.  He took over a church with a handful of people and forty-three years later we have 1,950 churches.  What is the reason for this type of revival?

We often think of revival as something that’s explosive.  Suddenly, things begin to happen; people get saved, lives begin to change, more and more people come into the church, but not all revival is explosive.  Sometimes revival is a sustained move of God over a period of time. 

What is the catalyst for this move of God in our fellowship?    What is the thing that gave impetus to this type of revival?  I believe that there are two key elements to revival:  evangelism and discipleship.   Today I want to look at one of those things, discipleship. 

Matthew 28:17-20 (NKJV)
^28:17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

Make Disciples of All Nations

The first International Conference on World Evangelism took place in 1974 in Lausanne, Philippines.  One of the things that were accomplished in that conference was the development of a working definition of missionary work.  Missionary work was defined in this conference as:  To form a viable indigenous church-planting movement.

That word indigenous is a scientific term that means those naturally occurring in a place or a region.  For our purposes a good synonym would be native.  If you were born a particular country, then you’re native or indigenous to that place.  So then, the definition of missionary work would be to raise up local men, plant churches, and carry on the missionary’s work in their native land.  Missionary work is to disciple men and to build the church. 

This is what Paul did.  He made disciples.  He built local churches through men he discipled and trained. 

1 Corinthians 4:14-16 (NKJV)
^4:14 I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn you. ¹⁵ For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. ¹⁶ Therefore I urge you, imitate me.

This is a picture of discipleship; being fathers in Christ.  He’s speaking of a father who teaches his son. 

You know, it’s interesting how much I've become like my dad.  The older I get the more I’m like him.  This is natural, though, that we would be like our parents because children learn to be adults through imitating their parents. 

When I was a kid, I’d play house with the other neighborhood kids.  I’d be the dad, one of the neighbor girls would be the mom, and some others were the children.  We would imitate our parents.  My “job” was always to drive a Wonder Bread delivery truck, just like my father did.  

That’s how we learn to be adults.  We imitate our parents.  I also have a spiritual father and I try to imitate him as well.  I try to be like my pastor, in how I operate and live as a Christian.  This is the mark of discipleship, we try to be like our spiritual father.  Paul says, “Imitate me.”

This is the difference between a disciple and a student.  A student will work to gain information and a disciple will work to be like the teacher.  I know a number of English teachers, and they work hard to give information about the use of the English language, but in discipleship there is a transaction that takes place.  It’s a spiritual transaction that’s called impartation.  The teacher imparts something of himself into his disciples.  Much of this impartation takes place during preaching.

1 Corinthians 1:21 (NKJV)
^1:21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

God chose the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.  There is something that takes place in us when we hear the spoken Word of God.

Romans 10:17 (NKJV)
^10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Preaching causes us to believe and have faith, but there is much more than that.

Romans 1:17 (NKJV)
^1:17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."

Who God is, is transferred between us:  From my faith to yours.  That transfer takes place through preaching.  There is even more than that, though.  If we are endeavoring to do the will of God then we must be involved in discipleship.  This is the primary thrust of the church of Jesus Christ.  Many times we think, “Well, I got them saved,” but salvation isn't the ending place, it’s the beginning.  It ends with the making of disciples.

That’s what causes the church of Jesus Christ to continue on.  The reason the church has lasted for more than 2,000 years is because of the emphasis on discipleship:  Men that follow the fathers of their faith, and raise other men to follow them, and so on down the line.  A church without discipleship is doomed, because it either won’t propagate itself, or it will morph into something other than what was intended and sway with every wind of doctrine.

Ephesians 4:11-14 (NKJV)
^4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, ¹² for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, ¹³ till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; ¹⁴ that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,

This speaks of discipleship, coming to the unity of the faith; believing the same things, being of one accord, and to be like Christ.  It is in this spirit that Paul cries out. “Imitate me.” 

1 Corinthians 11:1-2 (NKJV)
^11:1 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. ² Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you.

This is the work of the missionary.  To instill this doctrine, and this gospel into non-Christians and cause it to be passed down to the next generation of Christians, and the next, and the next…   Imitation is the method of discipleship. 

Discipleship is a Partnership

Paul calls on these men to follow him, but I want you to know something, we can call until we’re blue in the face, for discipleship to work, for the church to continue on, for the gospel to be spread, it is vital for that discipleship be a partnership.  We can call but for discipleship to work there must be men who are willing to answer that call to imitation.  It can’t work if it’s only one way.  If men were unwilling to follow Paul’s example and leadership, then it would have all fallen apart.

Look at it like this:  How do we react when trouble comes?  Usually, we react in the way that we've been taught.  If your father was prone to panic, then more than likely you will be too.  If your father was stable and full of faith then the chances are that you will react that way as well.  What is it that kept the early church through persecution?  It was likely the examples of the leaders that the others were willing to follow.

Jesus was strong and went to his death bravely and silently.  Peter when Jesus was crucified failed to be like him.  We all know about his failure and denial of Christ, but do you know when Peter was faced with his own crucifixion, he went to his cross with the same courage and dignity that Jesus did.

Is there a willingness to be like your own “Father in Christ?”  Because there will be those who will arise that will try to turn you from your faith, or confuse you with exotic doctrine.  We see all these fads in the church, laughing revivals, planting flags, prosperity doctrines, all of these things.  There are those who believe and support them, and they tell you. “This is the newest thing God’s doing in the earth.”  God isn’t doing anything new, God is still doing what he has always done.  Look at Paul’s warning to Timothy:

1 Timothy 6:20-21 (NKJV)
^6:20 O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge-- ²¹ by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen.

Paul is talking about the things that he’s taught Timothy.  Avoid profane and idle babblings and contradictions.  Stand with what you’ve been taught.  Imitate your teacher.  This is what will keep you in the faith.  This is what will take the church forward.  This is Paul’s admonishment to Timothy, but it was up to Timothy to take it and run with it.  He had to be willing.  He had to accept that he would be a disciple, and this is the crux of the problem in our day and hour.  Men are less and less willing to be disciples.  They’re less involved in living out their faith.  They’re more difficult to motivate to live for Jesus.  That’s why we see churches more often drifting away from Christ’s design for His church. 

There’s something interesting that I want to look at for a moment:

Matthew 24:24 (NKJV)
^24:24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

The only way we can be deceived is if we don’t understand the doctrines of the church of Jesus Christ.  If we listen to everyone who professes to know something or can speak persuasively then we can be led to false teachings.  If we embrace the teachings of our spiritual fathers and live and move under their guidance and principles we will be much more difficult to move from the truth. 

We have to decide at some point if we will allow ourselves to be discipled.  Will you allow someone to speak into your life?  Will you give someone authority over your life?  Will you pattern your Christian walk after the one who teaches you?  Will you be a disciple?

If you left the church in Taoyuan City and were somehow teleported to my pastor’s church in Colton, you would see that they are essentially the same. If you closed your eyes it would be a simple thing to imagine that you are hearing me preach, because I’m a disciple.  I have worked to imitate my pastor; my father in the faith.  I have allowed him to be the authority in my life.  I’ve made myself accountable to him.  One of the greatest compliments you can pay me is to say, “You’re like your pastor.”  I want to be like him…I’m a disciple.  I’m called to imitation

The Permanence of Discipleship

All of these churches have been planted across the globe and they have been planted with an eye to permanence.  That is that churches will be built in those nations, men will be discipled and planted, and cause the work to grow.  There will be more and more churches in those nations until the missionary can turn the work over to indigenous men, with the same vision:  Men that have the same desire to spread the gospel, disciple others and plant more churches into other cities.    Our fellowship has planted churches into Australia, the Philippines, West Africa and other places, that started with one man, one missionary, and they have now become indigenous works, as the missionaries pulled back, leaving the work to local men. 

This is Jesus’ plan for the church, to disciple men so that they are equipped to take on the work in those places, and continue to press the Gospel forward.  This is what Paul did.  He turned over the church and went on to the next place, only returning to see that they remained in the doctrines and the teachings he left them.

1 Timothy 1:3 (NKJV)
^1:3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia--remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine,

Titus 1:5 (NKJV)
^1:5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you--

This is the pattern for us.  If we want to continue the work of the Gospel then we must continue within the pattern. 

2 Timothy 1:13-14 (NKJV)
^1:13 Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴ That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.

This is the way in which we’ll see the Gospel spread to the far corners of the earth.  This is the pathway to World Evangelism.