"TAKE A STAND"
Ephesians 6:13
Will you open your Bibles this morning to Eph. chapter 6 as we talk this morning about TAKING
A STAND. There are many men & women from this country who have taken a stand in their lives.
Put their lives on the line by taking that stand. Went to war & met the enemy. Some died,
some returned, some are missing & some have returned but a shell of what went out. Taking a
stand is important. Let us consider today taking a stand in rememberance of those who have
taken a stand for us.
When was the last time you took a stand on anything? A stand is a verbal commitment, based on
your personal convictions. [repeat]
A wife was out shopping in the mall for the 3rd time that week with one of her friends. And
she looked at her friend & said, "My husband said that if I went shopping again this week he
is going to divorce. Lord, I'm going to miss that man."
She had made a stand. She had made a commitment.
A husband was talking to his wife & said, "Where's breakfast?" She said, "You know how to cook
& if you want breakfast, cook it." He said, "Oh, Ok." He went to get shirts to go to work
& there were no clean shirts & he said, "Where is my clean shirts?" She said, "You know how
to wash & iron, if you want clean shirts, you wash & iron them." And he said, "Oh, ok."
That night there were no sheets on the bed & he said, "the bed's not even made up" She said,
"you know how to make up a bed. If you want clean sheets on the bed, you put them on the bed."
And he looked at her and said, "How would you like not to see me for about 3 days?" She said,
"That would be just fine." And sure enough, on the 3rd day she could see him just a little
bit out of this right eye.
Politicians are now starting to take a stand on the issues. I find that humorous. I think most
of them have a straight forward way of dodging the issue on every thing. They stand on their
records to keep the public from examining their records.
I think Christopher Columbus was a premier politician. He left not knowing where he was going,
when he got there, he didn't know where he was, when he got back he didn't know where he had
been, & he did it all on somebody else's money.
We have come to a point in our American history where preachers themselves are finding it
difficult to take a stand on Biblical issues. It is becoming more difficult each day to
find a man of God who will take a stand.
We are hearing now, of all things, that the Word of God is an allegory. I want you to know
that's wrong. The Word of God is living, it is alive, it is inspired of the Holy Spirit &
it is truth. Truth is not what I say it is, truth is not what you say it is. Truth is
what God's Word says it is.
We are hearing men say that the virgin birth is not a reality. I want you to know that if
Jesus Christ is not the virgin born Son of God---we have no salvation & we are the most
diluted congregation of fools who ever drew a breath. Jesus Christ IS the virgin born Son
of God, supernaturally born, supernaturally die, supernaturally rose & He sits there at the
right hand of the Father & He's coming again with power & great glory, sayeth the Lord to
His church.
Praise God. We are living in a time when men of God are not taking stands against abortion.
They call it women's rights. God's Word calls it murder.
The American Holocaust. We are standing against pornography & it is sweeping this nation
into a sewer. We have come to a point in time in our history, that if our society is to be
preserved & those things that we love from our Judao-Christian heritage are going to stand,
we, as God's children are going to have to speak up, because we count & our lives do make a
difference.
There comes a time in every person's life when we must take a stand. All great living
begins the day you resolve not to play the roll of the coward anymore. And to take a
strong stand upon your Godly convictions.
Some of you here are under attack in your family. You family is in disarray. The solution
is not to listen to 3 more tapes, or to read another book by Dr. Spock or by Dr. Superduck.
The solution is to take a stand on the Word of God & the truth found in this Book (hold up
Bible), with honesty & holiness & integrity before God.
Some of you are under attack in your body. You are dominated by addictive habits, that
control you, that embarrass you. You have tried a thousand times to break it but it has
embarrassed you over & over again. There is no retreat from it. You must take a stand &
with the power of Jesus Christ defeat that problem.
Some of you are financially destroyed because your life is not in kingdom order & you have
spent more than you have made & now your life is in a crisis. I want you to understand
that poor planning on your part does not constitute failure on God's part.
God will meet your needs & if you will tithe & honor God with your living & your giving, He
can bring you out of the financial nightmare you are in. But you are going to have to
make a stand on the Word of God.
Some of you in this Church need a fresh relationship with Jesus Christ. He has called you
to serve but you lived according to your own priorities. You have no peace, you have no
fulfillment, you do not have joy that's unspeakable & full of glory. You do not have peace
that passeth understanding. I want you to understand, that there is no such thing as
comfort without challenge.
And there is no crown without a cross. And there is no blessing without a burden. And you
are going to have to stand upon the Word of God & get your life in order with the Word of
God & have a fresh beginning with Jesus Christ. Because He can heal you, heart, mind, soul
& body.
It is time for the New Testament Church to live like a New Testament Church. The fact
is that if you lived according to the New Testament Church, you would have to
backslide to be in fellowship with most people in most churches.
It is time to take a stand with the Word of God, against the forces of evil & against
the forces that are prevailing in America & let us under God experience a Revival, of
truth, of morality, of integrity, & character, in these United States & let us win the
day for the United States & Jesus Christ.
Now let me read the text, so I can preach. (Eph.6:13) Say the last word, stand. Say it
again, stand. That's what God ask you to do, take a stand. That's a military term &
don't give an inch.
Father, in Jesus name, thank You for Your Word. Bless it, & may it change our lives.
And all of God's children said, praise the Lord.
I want to ask you as a soldier in the army of the Lord Jesus Christ, have you been
captured by the comfort syndrome. Everything in America is designed for comfort. Our
cars must have posturpedic seats & steam heated door knobs.
And engines that run by computers. Some cars will now even talk to you.
Our homes by world standards are absolutely the life of luxury. Our food is abundant.
A fellow said the other day that if you are a skinny Christian, than you just have
poor fellowship. Think about it. Every time we get together we eat like kings.
Our clothes must be in fashion. While the rest of the world is looking for something
to go around in back & meet in front, we must have it match, all the colors in
absolute proper order. It is an amazing thing to me. Mind boggling. A woman can
walk into a closet. Dresses on the right and dresses on the left. Clothes everywhere
& say, "I don't have anything to wear." Now, you look right at me & not at your wife.
The comfort syndrome. We have developed a mind set in our generation that demands
absolute comfort. Mention the word sacrifice to the ordinary church & there is a
stampede for the back door. Because sacrifice is not something we want to hear. We
want to hear something bright, brotherly & breezy. Not something about sacrifice &
commitment to Christ.
A pastor was talking to his congregation & he was trying to raise a building offering
to remodel the church & the wealthiest member of the church stood. He was a tight wad
not noted for his sacrifice & he said, "I'll give $500." And then he sat down.
He was a portly man. Portly is a kind & graceful way to say fat. When he sat down
some loose plaster on the ceiling fell & hit him on his bald head & he stood up &
said, "Change that $500 to $5,000." And the pastor said, "Lord, hit him again."
You must stand for something. You cannot be all things to all people. Jesus did not
put us on this earth to go along to get along. The Bible plainly says, "For this
cause came Christ into this world, to destroy the works of the devil." Say that with
me, "to destroy the works of the devil." Gen. 3, "The seed of the women will CRUSH
the head of the serpent." Say those 2 words, "destroy & crush".
We are not here to go along with evil. We are not here to compromise the Gospel. We
are here to stand upon the Word of God & to have victory in our time through power &
the anointing of the Scripture.
We have come to a point in our society where America wants 2 million abortions a year.
That is not acceptable by the Word of God.
We are saying in our society that if homosexuals want to be preachers, let's not
frustrate them, let's ordain them into the Gospel.
We have come to a point in time where if the Government approves it, we go along with
it. I want you to hear something. God did not say that governments establishes what
righteousness is. God did not say the National Council of Churches discovers what
righteousness is. Or the World Council of Churches says what righteousness is.
God said TRUTH is what My Word says it is & live according to the dictates of this
(Bible), because when I stand before God I'm not going to be judged by any of those
other things, I'm going to be judged by Jesus Christ, who will judge me out of the
dictates of this Word.
I'm living by This & not by them. When some writes a book that says you can do it, I
don't judge this Book (Bible) by that book, I judge that book by this Book & when that
book contradicts this Book, those books go in the trash. Because this is the
truth!!!! hallelujah.
The church motto might well be, "If at first you don't succeed. lower your standards."
I want you to understand that VALUES are more important than comfort. And VALUES are
more important than self preservation. It is not how long you live that counts, it's
what you live for that makes all of the difference in the world.
Jesus died for VALUES. He died to establish the church. And 2,000 years after His
death, millions of people every 7 days walk into a house of God & they lift their
hands to glorify His name & worship Him. He died & He rose again & all of the world
adores Him. Why? Because He dared to make a stand for those things that God approved
of.
God's Word says, "A day of trouble is coming." I'm a realist & I'm an optimist. I
know that it is coming. I know there is going to be an economic collapse in the
future, because the Word of God says so. I know according to Matthew there are going
to be earthquakes, famine & pestilence, wars & rumors of wars. I know that the world
has become an insane asylum & the inmates are in charge.
But as an optimist I know there is a great & glorious day coming. And I know that I am
going to do very well. Why? Because I have taken my stand with the Word of God & the
Lord Jesus Christ. This Book says that He is my sword & my shield & my buckler & my
high tower. He is my fortress & my rock & my deliverer & my Savior. The Bible says
that young lions will lack, but that I will lack for nothing.
David said, "because he has set his love upon me, therefore I will deliver him." "He
shall call upon me, & I shall answer him." "I will be with him in the day of
trouble." "I shall deliver him & I will honor him." "With long lives will I satisfy
him & will I show him my salvation."
I want you to hear this, the day you make a stand with Jesus Christ, everything is
going to be right. You may not live outside of the storm but in the storm you'll have
peace the surpasses understanding. And Joy that is unspeakable & full of glory. You
can have more peace in the fight with Jesus beside you, than in the world with Christ
not with you. It is not weather your boat is in the sea, it's weather the sea is in
your boat. That makes all of the difference in the world.
Have you taken a stand? And if you have taken a stand, have you made it with Jesus
Christ?
Some people can't take a stand. You heard about the man in the civil war he couldn't
make up his mind what army he wanted to fight with. He wore a blue coat & grey pants
& they found him shot front & back.
God can use people who will take a stand. Quit compromising & take a stand. Quit
backing up in constant retreat. Look the opposition in the eye & go right over the
top of them. Let God put you on a diet of something that will change your inner most
being & bring you out were you'll have the disposition Jesus, who twisted the rope &
He went into the house of God & He drove the money changers into the street because
the purposes of God were being prostituted in the house of God.
I want you to hear this, "Cowardliness is ungodly." It is unbecoming a child of God.
Jesus came to this earth to take a stand, to destroy the works of the devil. He came
to crush the head of the enemy. He attacked sin & satan, & I want you to know
something---HE WON!!!
He didn't go to the cross to sign a compromise. He didn't go to the cross & say "I'm
going to try to win victory over minor headaches & lower back pain. NO, He said, "I'm
going to the cross & when I come down I'll have victory over death, hell & the grave.
And when He bowed His head & said "It is finished", disease was conquered, demons
trembled at the mention of His name, death no longer had power over me. And because I
am His & He is mine, the royal blood of heaven flows in my veins. I am a child of the
living God. I am more than a conqueror thru Christ & the victory is mine, thank God.
Are you standing for Him. Stand up for Jesus. Stand up for Jesus. Jesus Christ is
Lord. Say that with me "Jesus Christ is Lord." We can stand against the drug lords
that are destroying America. We can make a difference. Why, because you take a stand
for the Lord.
Are you? Are you taking a stand for the Lord Jesus. We are to overcome the world of
flesh & the devil. As the Body of Christ, we need to stand together. If a brother in
Christ falls, if a brother in Christ fails---don't shot him. How many of you know
sooner or later you are going to fail. And the Bible says, "Those of you who are
strong, pick him up." Put your loving arms around him. Nurse him back to health.
When you find a brother or sister that has fallen, don't eat them alive with your barb
wire mouth.
When we stand together, hell's forces can't match us. But if we are wounded in the
house of our friends, we'll never have victory. Are you standing for Jesus? Are you
standing on the Word of God? Are you standing for the things God in His Word says?
You can have the blessings of God when you stand for the Lord.
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