We are at war! We are at war against a formidable enemy. Satan has no conscience, no compassion, no remorse, no morals. He feeds on pain and anguish and filth. There is nothing in Satan which is redeemable. There is no virtue, but only a dark void. He is supremely cunning and he has been honing his methods for millennia. He is an accomplished philosopher, theologian and psychologist. He has studied for thousands of years - enough time to be astonishingly brilliant at every discipline. He is the ultimate manipulator and subverter and actor. 2 Corinthians 11 says that one of his deadly methods is masquerading as an agent of God’s. He hates Christ. He hates God’s children. He hates the Church. He hates the Mission and Vision of St Paul’s to see Jesus known, treasured and represented in such a way that more and more people are rescued from his evil clutches.
All would be despair except that this is only part of Paul’s cosmic perspective. On earth, amongst mortals, Satan has no equal, but in the heavenly realms he is far exceeded by the Triune God. There is no dualism. Satan is not the counterpart of God. Satan is finite and God is infinite. In fact, Colossians 1 & 2 says that the entire spiritual realm owes it’s existence to Christ, including thrones... powers... rulers... authorities both visible and invisible both in heaven and on earth.
But Christ is not only more powerful by virtue of being Satan’s creator, but because he defeated Satan at the cross. Satan and his crew are under Christ’s feet. He has sealed their doom, although in this present age they still exercise control over those who have not found freedom in Christ. If we are filled with the Spirit, Satan’s forces cannot subdue us. However, those of us who neglect Christ’s resources and rely upon their own strength and human wisdom, and especially those who give the enemy room in our lives, place ourselves in harm’s way.
The call last Sunday was to take on a wartime mindset. The call was to get rid of the deckchair, the cocktails and the beach umbrella. Trench warfare is what we are involved in. Take on the wartime mindset and commit your resources to the battle.
I think it is important to be reminded again that the battle rages in our world for the souls of people.
Fact:
There are approximately 2 840 000 000 persons in the world (41.1% of humanity) who are considered to either have no Christian witness or very little Christian witness.
Jesus said:
Matthew 24:14, And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
Matthew 9:37-38, The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.
Matthew 28:18-19, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
John 20:21, Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.
Therefore:
Until the Kingdom is finally established and there are no more unreached peoples, St Paulʼs Chatswood must be a mission base. Until the Kingdom comes, corporate worship at St Paulʼs must stoke the fires of love for the glory of a global God. Until the Kingdom comes, our small groups and leadership development must train the troops for tactical and strategic warfare with the weapon of truth and prayer. Until the Kingdom comes, pastoral care must be the field hospitals saving the wounded, relieving battle fatigue, transforming the traumas of spiritual war into veteran courage. Until the Kingdom comes, our fellowship and relationships must have the flavor of camaraderie under siege. Until the Kingdom comes, money must be the currency of combat, not convenience (I would strongly encourage you to pledge for 2012 if you havenʼt done it yet). Until the Kingdom comes, leisure must be re-creation for the cause of Christ, not self indulgence or escapism. Until the Kingdom comes, marriage must be a partnership in arms (double meaning intended!). Until the Kingdom comes, the family must be an enclave of Christ-centered joy equipping young insurgents to infiltrate occupied territories. Until the Kingdom comes, vocation must be an on-duty outpost, a solitary sortie, and a basic line of support for the war effort.
If we love the glory of God, and have compassion for the lost, no other mentality will leave our conscience clear.
Steve Jeffrey, Senior Minister
Comments
Post has no comments.