Sermon Notes           Preparation for Battle                     Aug 31, 2008

 

Circumcision (Joshua 5:1-9)

·         Gen 34:24-25; Gen 17:8-14

·         What circumcision symbolized for the O.T. believers (entry into a covenant relationship with God and His people), Christ’s death on the cross actually does for N.T. believers. Eph 2:11-22

Celebration (5:10)

·         Exodus 13:5

·         Is there anything in your life that needs to be “cut off”; sin that needs to be confessed? Please take care of it before we celebrate communion.

Commencement (5:11-12)

·         The Passover commemorates the Exodus from captivity and sin. It also celebrates the commencement of a new and victorious life.

·         Communion commemorates Christ being the sacrifice of God who takes away the sin of the world John 1:29. It also celebrates the commencement of our new identity in Him Galatians 2:20.

Confrontation (5:13-15)

·         Know the God you serve; reverence the God you serve; worship the God you serve. Winning the battles of life requires total submission to the commander of the army of the Lord.

Choosing

·         I John 4:1; II Corinthians 11:14-15

·         There are only two sides in life: God’s side and the other side. We are on one side or the other. Any person or thought that is not on God’s side must be rejected. If it looks like it contradicts God’s word, it’s wrong, reject it.

·         Seeing is not believing”. Our senses and experiences can cause us to live in fear, anger and depression. Our opinion is just that, our opinion! Satan is a liar and deceiver. He says there is only subjective truth. So nothing is stable or true. Without absolute truth nothing is stable. Life is no more than soap bubbles.

·         Jesus Christ and His word claim to be absolute truth. Jesus is the only prophet, priest and king that claimed to be God. He is the one who said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father except through me”.

·         This is either absolute truth or absolute lie. There are only two sides in life. Which one have you chosen?