The Good Fight of Faith: Generational Sacrifice and Legacy

Sacrifice.

Amen.

Without shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins.

So, so thankful what the Lord did for us.

And I'm thankful that Brother Knickerbocker is back with us tonight.

Come on and preach for us.

He's now from Central Texas.

He was from North Texas.

He abandoned us.

Yes.

Yeah.

Well, my wife and I were traveling constantly in 24.

We were in see 58 churches in 52 weeks.

And we looked at each other and said, why are we doing this?

And it wasn't for lack of opportunity, I can tell you.

But then it was funny because my pastor, Adam Garver, said, why

don't you come and be my assistant?

And I looked over the resume, and I said, what are you going to

do?

He thought that was really funny.

I said, no, I don't want to do that.

And then a couple years later, he said, I'm really burdened about

a Baptist ministry training center, and I would like to see us

train us.

I'd like to see us train the next generation on how to do the

ministry, whether it be starting a church, taking a church,

whether it be working as a youth director, secretary, you name

it.

And so we started this, well, six weeks ago, and we have six students.

And our first course was assisting the pastor.

That was the one I got to teach.

And then Nick Leppard.

How many know Nick Leppard?

He said, don't believe anything that they say about me up

there.

But he said.

He said to say hello to all of you.

He took on office management, which I have no clue what that's

all about.

Amen.

And then one.

One more teacher.

I took on Christ honoring music, and that was the first module.

We have 10 modules each are nine weeks long.

Takes two years to go through it.

And we even have a student coming from a college that's got

a bachelor's degree, will be starting with us here in a few months,

and we're excited about that.

He goes, I want to be mentored.

So we're going to put them to work, Pastor, that's for sure.

And we're excited.

So pray for that, would you?

Baptist Ministry Training center.

And keep us in your prayers.

We want that.

Well, it's been a delight, Pastor.

Thank you for inviting me and my wife to come.

We've loved it.

We enjoyed the Young Couples for Sunday school.

That was fun.

Wow.

I really was amazed at the sausage and biscuits.

Pretty amazing.

Okay, let's get serious now.

Colossians, chapter two.

Would you turn there?

Are you enlisted in the fight?

We sang it A little while ago, being enlisted in the fight.

Now I want to say to you, all of you, every one of you, without

exception, you're enlisted in a fight for sure.

Okay?

The Bible calls it a good fight.

In fact, Timothy was told by the apostle Paul, fight the good

fight of faith.

Lay hold on eternal life whereunto thou art also called and

hath professed a good profession before many witnesses.

I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all

things.

And before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a

good confession that thou keep this commandment without spot unrebukeable

until the appearing wow of our Lord Jesus Christ.

You're either fighting the good fight of faith or you are fighting

against it.

He that is not for me is what?

It's true.

All of us have fought against the convicting power of the Holy

Spirit of God upon us.

Many times we've said no when God wanted us to say yes.

So we have to take that into consideration.

I want to speak this evening.

On which generation do you represent today?

There are three generations here this evening, and you're in

one of three categories.

Let's go to Colossians, chapter two.

We're looking there in chapter two, beginning there in verse six.

As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, are you saved?

All right.

That's you.

Walk ye in him.

So walk ye in him.

Are you walking in the Lord.

Walking with the Lord, rooted and built up in him.

Established in the faith.

Now, that means that you know enough about God to be a stable,

faithful Christian.

Stable in the faith.

As ye have been taught, so you have needed to be taught.

And you've been taught.

And now you've been become established, you know what you believe.

Many Christians don't know much about what they believe.

And that's why we have discipleship.

That's why we get into the Word of God.

That's why your preacher preaches week after week after week,

month after month after month, year after year after year.

Why?

So that you can learn the Word of God.

So you know how to live.

And it brings maturity to your life.

Watch this now.

Abounding therein.

With what?

Complaining and getting critical.

What's it say?

We're thankful.

We live with a thankful spirit.

We love it.

Notice.

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy.

Philosophy is what man believes.

Theology is what God believes.

Watch this now.

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit.

After the traditions of men, after the rudiments of the world,

and not after Christ.

You know that we have three enemies in our the world, the flesh

and the devil.

And you are being attacked by one of them every day of your life.

And what he's saying here is that we have come to the place in

our lives where we know who our enemies are and we do our best

to avoid them.

We know what's right because we're rooted and grounded.

And we must live the Christian life and live it by faith and be

thankful for it.

Look at verse nine.

For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.

And ye are what?

Complete.

You're complete in Christ.

There's nothing else that I need other than Christ.

He fully satisfies.

He really does.

The only time that you don't think he satisfies is when you're

trying to get other things to satisfy.

And we know what that is, don't we?

It's selfishness, bitterness, attitudes, and that all comes.

It can come just like that to you.

As bad as that could be.

Holiness can come to you just as quickly.

The Bible says that where Paul said it, I die daily, moment by moment.

We have to die, don't we?

A terrible thought comes into your mind.

Where did that come from?

It doesn't matter where it came from.

It's what you do with it determines whether you're victorious

or you're defeated.

Let's quit using excuses for our sin.

Well, you know, the Devil made me do it.

I think the Devil's not as guilty as we give him credit.

Sometimes that's a good excuse for you to continue in sin.

Well, I have some, you know, I have some problems, but, you know,

everybody does.

That's an excuse to continue in your problems.

Now, what I'm saying is the first generation ought to be the

generation.

Write this down.

The generation that fights the good fight of faith.

You are stable, you are mature.

You are constantly abiding in the Lord.

You are wanting to do what's right.

And you're going to fight.

You're going to fight for the right that God has given to you.

He's given you an opportunity to take a stand.

My dad was a real fighter of the gospel and of the work of God.

He loved the ministry, and he started five churches and raised

five boys and started five Christian schools.

He was into it.

He loved it.

My mom and dad never gave me a reason to not want to serve the Lord.

I came up with my own reasons.

But my parents, they were amazing.

They showed us how to live the Christian life.

And yet sometimes the first generation creates the second generation

that is not quite as interested in the things of God as

they are in every generation that takes the good fight of faith

seriously.

Take David, for instance.

Is there not a cause when he had to deal with Goliath?

Remember Joshua?

As for me and my house, we will what we will serve the Lord.

How about Esther?

She went before the king and she said, if I perish, I perish.

I'm willing to die for my people, the Jews.

And she was victorious.

Elijah, how long hold ye between two opinions?

If God be God, serve him.

If BAAL be God, serve baal.

But make a decision to take a stand for God.

That's what we need.

We don't need wimpy Christians always trying to get away with stuff,

always trying to cut corners, always trying to, you know, live

on the edge.

People that live on the edge fall.

Many fall better than I have fallen, better than you have fallen.

And I'll tell you, it's scary when I see somebody mess up their

life.

It's heartbreaking because that could have been me.

Don't try to please the world because you try to please the world

or try to please yourself.

You have forgotten God and you won't do well forgetting God.

I think of Naboth.

Remember Ahab wanted his gardens, his vineyards.

You know what Naboth said to that king?

The Lord forbidden me that I should give the inheritance of my

father unto thee.

And so his wife Jezebel had him killed.

How's that got to go to heaven early.

But he was a man of conviction.

Would you be willing to die for your faith?

Many missionaries have.

In Nigeria right now, churches are being burned, pastors are being

murdered, and church people are being murdered.

It's unbelievable the persecution going on in this country.

Even in this country.

Nehemiah wept sore and mourned and fasted and prayed when he heard

of the condition of Jerusalem.

And what did he do?

He went and made a difference.

And there were people that gathered around him and much was

accomplished.

And the city was rebuilt, the walls and the gates and the temple

was used again.

And.

And God was glorified in it all.

But it cost him something.

That's what the good fight of faith is all about.

Gideon as well.

The sword of the Lord and of Gideon and boy, with 300, God wiped

out the enemy.

The multitudes were wiped out.

I could go on and on.

Number two, let's talk for a few moments about the second generation.

The second generation, they don't fight the good fight of faith.

They enjoy the spoil of what the first generation gave them.

Now, you children, I saw some kids running around tonight before

service, and, man, they were having a good old time.

Everywhere you were walking and climbing stairs and walking downstairs

or maybe running downstairs, somebody built those for you and

you didn't have to pay a penny for it.

They're the ones that paved the way.

The older folks in the church sacrificed and gave their money and

gave their time and gave their energy so that you could enjoy it.

In fact, with Abraham and Isaac, Abraham dug the wells and

Isaac enjoyed what dad had put together for him.

I'm just saying, anybody that's coming along, somebody before

you has paved the way and you're walking on it, and you don't

even realize what has been sacrificed for you.

And then just a few years, just a few years from now, 10 years,

15 years, some of you will be leaders in this church.

It's pretty amazing.

Pastor was talking to me about that today and how some of you that

are now in leadership here were just little kids.

It's just amazing, isn't it, how quickly the years go by.

And all of a sudden those kids began to mature and started realizing

what they had in the Lord.

And instead of just enjoying the spoil, they said, you know what?

I want to keep going.

What my parents and what my grandparents started, I want to make

an investment.

I want to see this ministry do greater things.

And I believe that anyone that believes God is able to do exceeding

abundantly, above all that we could ask or think, get ready, because

God's going to do it.

God's looking for people that are willing to sacrifice and give

of themselves.

Not just skate through life with no care, but working and laboring

and encouraging and helping the next generation.

I've gotten so old now that there are kids that I preached to

in camp 30 years ago, 40 years ago, and I told them, call me in

10 years and tell me you're living for Jesus.

And I'd have them sign a piece of paper, and sure enough, they started

calling me.

One girl called me just a couple years ago and she said, brother

Knickerbocker, I know you don't remember me, but I was at Galilean

Baptist Camp and you told me to call you in 10 years, and I'm

calling you right now to tell you that I'm graduating from New

England Baptist College and I am going to be a missionary.

What a blessing to see things like that.

I could go on and on and tell you stories of some that didn't make

it.

I called one girl, I called her Because I told all the kids,

I'm going to hunt you down in 10 years.

And that was in 1990 and 2000.

2000, January 1st.

I got on the phone, I hunted these kids down.

I turned into a police officer for a little while, and I hunted

them down.

And I thought, you know, that Amy, she was such a blessing.

I said, I'm gonna call her first.

And I called, and she answered.

She goes, hello, Pastor Knickerbocker.

I've been waiting your call.

I said, tell me.

She goes, you want me to tell you what I wrote on that paper?

I said, yes, tell me.

She said that I would be a missionary.

I said, are you?

She said, no.

I met this guy.

I got all infatuated with him, and we ended up.

I got pregnant out of wedlock.

We have three children now.

I'm not even going to church.

My husband won't get married, and we're miserable.

See what happens when you make a wrong decision?

Don't ever let that happen to you.

Never give the devil any room to work, because it can happen just

like that.

I had a principal one time.

He was a single guy, and this lady with her kids came to the church,

and she was great, gorgeous boy.

He flipped head over heels over her, and she wanted to move

down, down out of New York, down to Tennessee.

And so he.

He quit his job.

I mean, right?

Just.

Just a few months before graduation.

And he was taking her there.

And I said, you have been duped by this woman, boy.

He didn't like that.

Well, as soon as he did all the moving and got her where she

was comfortable, she dumped him.

But thank God, he married another lady that was on fire for

God.

And they're doing great today.

I'm just simply saying that you've got to be careful about just

leaning back and enjoying the spoil, because it's dangerous when

you start compromising.

I'll never forget, I was pastoring just a few years, and my

dad and I were talking about compromising preachers.

And he was telling me, pastor, so and so he's not doing right.

I said, yeah, dad, but look at all the people that he has and how

big the ministry is, and it can't be all that bad.

So my mom and dad went back to Florida, and Dad called me.

He said, your mother and I had a long talk going home, and we've

decided if you don't get straightened out about what you're

saying and justifying compromising preachers, I don't think

we can fellowship with you.

What I said, are you kidding?

He goes, no, I'm dead serious.

I said, I'll look into it and I'll get back to you.

Well, man, I did an investigation on that preacher, and

I found out there was a lot more than my dad ever knew.

I called him up and said, dad, I am sorry that I justified that

compromising preacher.

I didn't know he was as bad as he was, and I will never.

I said, never will I justify another compromising preacher.

He said, amen, son.

I can't wait to see you.

Isn't that something you say?

Well, probably my kids just wouldn't want to see me anymore.

Hold it.

When somebody gives you an ultimatum, that has to do with godliness

and holiness and not compromise.

I'd be a fool not to look into that and get that straightened out.

Amen.

Okay, let's go forward to where my dad is now a twilight preacher,

retired, and he's struggling with his health.

We went to see him, and he was.

He told me, you know, Dan, those preachers that I. I got to

take my churches, you know, I wonder if one of them's even saved.

I said, well, you.

You recommended all of them to take your church.

I know, but I don't know.

I think he's compromising and like this.

And every time I saw him, he kept on talking about it, and I,

I, I. I said, boy, Dad.

I said, dad, you're bitter.

He said, I'm not bitter.

I'm righteously indignant.

I said, no, dad, you're bitter.

And not only that, but you're not even getting your prayers heard,

let alone getting them answered.

Well, whoo.

He was not happy with that.

He called my brother over in France.

He said, did you hear what Dan said to me?

He said, no.

What did he say?

He said that I was bitter that God was not answering my prayers

because I criticized these preachers that I put into my churches.

He said, I wanted to tell you that, but I didn't dare.

And you know what happened?

My dad got alone with the Lord and he confessed that, and he got

it taken care of.

Next time I saw him, he never mentioned anything about that.

You see, what happens is we have to be careful, because one bad

moment can set us off in the wrong direction.

Don't let it happen to you.

Don't let it happen.

Don't let anybody influence you to do wrong.

Your peers, your friends, your buddies, people you may have grown

up with that are not where they should be.

They're not where they used to be with God.

Some of them are not even going to church anymore.

And you're going to listen to them and you're going to take advice

from them?

I don't think so.

No.

We're to be the leaders of fighting the good fight of faith,

not just enjoying the spoil.

Are we lovers of pleasure more than we're lovers of God?

Are we ever.

Do we have a form of godliness and deny the power thereof?

Are we ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of

the truth?

That happens to us.

Good people can go bad because they give the devil a little bit

of room to work.

And I'll tell you, he can make havoc of your marriage, he can make

havoc of your family, he can destroy churches.

Pastor, we know there's so many churches without pastors now.

What's happening is the next generation not responding to, say,

God wants me to be a preacher.

I'm praying God give us laborers for his harvest.

There's a great harvest right now.

Think of all the areas around us that need a Bible believing church.

Who's going to do it?

You can do it.

You can do it.

And oh, I pray that God will call some of you.

Maybe you know God's calling you, but you're putting, you're putting

the brakes on.

If you don't think you can do it, praise the Lord, because you

can't.

But oh, when you surrender and say, lord, if you want me to, I will

mark it down.

God will give you everything you need to accomplish any, anything

you need.

When it comes to God's work, you never, you can never outgive

God.

I'm amazed how God has taken care of us over the years and the

thrill of serving him, it increases.

I don't even want to quit.

I was talking to one preacher, said, as soon as I turn, turn 63,

I'm, I'm retiring.

I'm going to be done with the ministry.

I held my tongue.

It's not just a job.

It's a ministry that God chooses from his local New Testament

church to say, I'll go.

I had one of the men say, I know your nephew Stephen and Julia.

They're in a very difficult place.

There's been a lot of deaths there.

In West Africa, where he is in Burkina Faso, a couple times he had

to come home.

The government said all the missionaries got to come home.

But as soon as he was able to go back, he went back.

He's starting churches, leading people to Christ, baptizing

them.

He started his second church.

I think he's getting ready to do his third.

If I'm not mistaken.

What I'm saying is he's living by faith and trusting God.

Where is the desire to launch out into an adventure where God leads

you?

There's nothing like it.

Pray and ask God, Lord, if you want me to serve you, I'm willing.

That's all you have to do is be willing.

Talk to your preacher.

Go get with him, man.

He'd love to sit down with you and talk to you about that and encourage

you and help you.

That's what his ministry is, training the next generation.

Oh, I love it, don't you?

So many enjoy the spoil.

But then number three, what happens with those that just enjoy

the spoil?

They end up getting to the place where they.

Number three, they're the generation that sells out to the

enemy.

Well, I'm not going to church anymore.

I mean, I know all the Bible stories and all the church wants

is money anyway.

And, you know, a lot of my friends don't go and I look like

an idiot, you know, going to church Sunday morning, going to go

to church.

Sunday school, too.

Sunday night, Wednesday night.

What are you, a religious fanatic or something?

We can't even take a stand for Christ anymore.

Hardly.

I mean, you know, we go to church when it's convenient instead

of going out of conviction.

What would happen?

What happens to a church that dies?

It's a church that loses its vision.

It says, I don't want to do that anymore.

Have you ever experienced God using you?

What have you done that God's done through you?

What fruit?

What fruit do we have as Christians?

Have you ever had an answered prayer?

Have you ever had the privilege of leading someone to Jesus

Christ?

Have you seen them follow the Lord in baptismal waters?

Have you seen families come and join and start serving?

There's nothing that thrills a couple when God used them to bring

somebody to the Lord.

And oh, I would beg you to ask God to make it happen for you.

Don't sell out to the enemy.

Don't do it.

You know, the Bible says, the thief cometh not, but to steal, to

kill, and to destroy.

But I want you to hear the last part.

Jesus Christ said, but I am come, that ye might have life.

I believe that's eternal life and that you might have an abundant

life, a life of overflowing blessings.

That's what we need.

Every family needs that.

If they say that the church is only as strong as its families are,

what does that tell you?

What does it tell you?

Could we be stronger?

Could we be more faithful?

Could we give more could we labor more?

Could we give more of our time and our energy?

Could we.

Could we get involved to the point where our kids are getting

to enjoy the ministry, too?

Oh, when kids get on fire for God, boy, they.

It's.

It's thrilling.

It's thrilling because parents are just in tears of joy knowing

that God is using my kids.

That's such an honor.

My dad was never one to pass out compliments to his sons.

He was pretty tough.

My mother was so sweet.

And just a few years before my mother was killed in an automobile

accident, she said to me, dan, she said, and dad wasn't there.

Of course.

He was out to the car, getting car packed.

She goes, dan, I wanted to tell you this.

And I wanted to tell you this without dad knowing, but he brags

on you a lot, and he is thrilled over what you're accomplishing

for the Lord.

And he tells people about it a lot.

And he said, but he would never to your face say something

like that to you, but he really appreciates what you're doing.

I said, mom, you just said what I'd been longing to hear, that

my dad is thrilled about what I'm doing.

I had a man come up to me one Sunday in a church I was in.

He said, brother Knickerbocker.

He said, I don't really think I want my kids to go into the ministry.

I said, why?

There's no money in it.

I was like, oh, Lord, what do I say to him?

I thought for a brief moment as he's standing there.

I said, well, would you rather your child work for God or work for

an ungodly employer?

And he just walked away.

How do you answer that?

If God before you, who can be against you, my God shall supply

all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus,

God is not a cheapskate like some of us are.

He meets every need.

I could tell you stories about it, but I don't have time.

I just want you to remember, fight the good fight of faith.

Let's pray together, may we?

While heads are bowed and eyes are closed as the pianist comes and

softly plays.