The Whole Armor
One of the most precious possessions I have, other than my wife and children, is a little Bible that was given to my father when he fought in the Philippine Islands during World War II. It is called, “The Heart Shield Bible”, a pocket size New Testament covered by a steel plate with the words, “For God and our Country” etched in its face. I have been told that the New Testament fits in the uniform pocket that conveniently covers the soldier’s heart to provide, in a small way, partial physical protection from a ballistic projectile (a shot that was not direct or point blank) and at the same time, spiritual protection for those who understand that they might be in the presence of God at any moment. I am moved with the knowledge that my father held on to this book for comfort as he defended this nation during this conflict with tyranny.
In Ephesians the 6th chapter, we are told to put on the whole armor of God so that we can stand against the enemy of our souls and his devices. Verse 12 tells us why; because we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers and the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. We have an enemy who will do whatever it takes to subvert us from the path our Lord has placed us on. We are not ignorant of the devils devices. He wants to steal, kill and destroy us (John 10:10). We need to make sure we our adorning ourselves with the armor that has been provided to us. Our Lord won the war on the cross, yet we are still subject to spiritual battles. Let us be comforted in the fact that we need not fear for Jesus is our Captain; more on this later.
Be blessed,
Pastor Chris
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The Trouble With Apathy
The definition of “apathy” from Merriam-Webster’s is illustrated as a condition of lacking interest or concern. The word comes from the Greek word “apatheia” which means lacking feeling or emotion. All of the flavors that describe this word can be found in the Church when we begin to allow ourselves to become disengaged from the mission bestowed upon us from the Word of God. While there are several things we as believers are called to engage in, the mission given to the Body of Christ is articulated quite clearly in Mark 16:15-16a, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe, will be condemned.”
When this simple mandate to bring the Gospel to the world goes unheeded, the Church begins down a slide that ends up with an apathetic and lackluster faith that will struggle to draw those who are truly looking for answers in their quest for meaning and truth. We also fail to truly love others when we hold back the way of salvation because we fear the consequences of confronting a world that excels in promoting the notion of “whatever you believe is ok, just as long as you’re sincere.”
Now, grasping and fulfilling this mandate will not be easy. The world, in general, is resistant to the Gospel because it requires belief in what God says in His Word, and as we see in the scripture above, describes a penalty for those who do not. It is easy to be a Christian if you can believe whatever you want. But when the Gospel challenges a previously held position that is contrary to the truth of the Word, the sinful nature will resist it. If we maintain our faith and integrity in the mist of bringing the Gospel to the world, we will be persecuted. And if we fail to take the Good News to the lost, that Christ has risen to pay for the sins of all who dare believe [who adheres to and trusts in and relies on the Gospel and Him Whom it sets forth…AMPLIFIED], we risk becoming mired in an apathetic form of religion, and miss out on the power the Spirit provides those who truly engage in Christ’s mission.
Be blessed,
Pastor Chris Hayden
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I’d Rather See A Sermon
It’s Monday morning, 7:30am, and we have just sat down for breakfast at the IU Health Center in Noblesville. Moments before we prayed for Maggie as she was being taken into surgery for what we hope will be her last hip replacement. Every person at the hospital, from the receptionist, to administrative workers, to nurses, to the anesthesiologist, to the surgeon himself were beyond kind; warmth and compassion for the patient, family and friends permeated every aspect of the operation. Everyone felt very cared for.
Talking with Doc as we observed the kindness of the staff, he was reminded of the saying, “I’d rather see a sermon than hear one.” I’m not sure if he was complaining about my last sermon or not, J but his point is well taken! It is extremely important that we tell people about the love of Christ, but unless we show the love of Christ and act like a child of God, our words will fall on deaf ears.
In the book of James the second chapter, the James, the half brother of Jesus tells us that faith without the corresponding works to back it up is dead. The 18th verse says this, “But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” James is telling us that we need to let others know that we are a disciple of Christ by how we treat one another rather than trying to be self righteousness with our words but uncaring by our actions.
In 1 John 3:7, the scripture says, “Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.” Let us do what is right in the sight of God, thereby showing the world that we truly have faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Be blessed.
Pastor Chris Hayden
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