Soldiers of the Cross

Over in the book of 2 Timothy, if you have your Bibles tonight, please turn with me to chapter number 2. Chapter 2, 2 Timothy, verse number 1. Now that's just after 1 Timothy, and about midway through our New Testament. 2 Timothy, chapter 2, verse 1. 1 Timothy, verse number 1. That he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. And if you have your Bibles there, read aloud with me again, please. Verses 3 and 4. Together. Thou therefore endure heartenest as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that wareth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. Some months ago, a group of university students in Michigan went to their sociology professor and said, Sir, give us a cause. We want to demonstrate. Now there are a lot of people who did not have the high motive in mind that they did. I heard about a girl who came from school with a big sign saying, Down with conformity. Her mother said, Get rid of that thing. She said, But mama, everybody's got one. Now there are a lot of folks who are just going along with the crowd. Some folks, the way they look and dress and are, you'll look at them. You can't tell whether they're a miss or a mister or a mistake. You just get all confused. You don't know. But these young people had a cause. They wanted something to stand for. They were interested in some backbone in their life. Jesus Christ tells us through his mighty servant, the Apostle Paul, writing to young Timothy that the greatest warfare in the world is going on in the hearts of men. The greatest need, the greatest battle that has ever been fought is being fought today. It is the fight for righteousness. Now the hippies and all of the new ideologies want brotherhood. They want peace. They want equality. They want happiness. They want world prosperity. Good. I buy that. That's exactly what Jesus Christ came to do. That's exactly what the gospel is all about. To rid the world of ignorance and poverty and sin and carelessness and inequities and disease is the purpose of the gospel of Jesus Christ. But the way they're going about it is not going to get the job done. Suppose all of the great ideas of the world, the fondest dreams of every man living today, were to come to fruition. What would they be? What headlines would you most like to hear? Death, a body, poverty, eradicated, brotherhood, established. All of these things are what the gospel is. The word gospel means good news. We have the answer. But we do not seem to have that dynamic, militant ingredient about our Christianity that makes us want to get out and do anything about it. The apostle Paul tells us that living the Christian life is compared to being a soldier, a rough and tough, disciplined soldier in the greatest battle for the game of life, the battle for right and truth that goes on in the hearts of men and in society. It is to be a soldier of the cross of Jesus Christ. We have something worth fighting for. We have something worth getting excited about. Sin is worth getting mad at. People say to me, I have a temper. I can't be a Christian. Well, the truth of the matter is, I wish every one of you had a temper. I wish we could get mad at things worth getting mad at. I wish we could get mad at social injustice. I wish we could get mad at wickedness and high places. I wish we could get mad at the liquor shopping. I wish we could get mad at the goat crowd and at sin and at the devil's inroads. I I wish we could get so mad at our own ineptness and indifference and our own indolence and the deadness of the church body across the world that we would become stirred and excited and start to do something about it. That missing quality in the Christian life, I believe, is the most exciting part of being a Christian, to be a rugged soldier of the cross. It's no easy wishy -washy job. It's not easy to say no to the devil. It isn't easy to resist temptation. It isn't easy to resist the crowd. It takes some backbone to dare to be different, not to be one of the little paper dolls, not one of the little boxers all in a row. Take some intestinal fortitude. Take some spiritual stamina to pull out, to pull out, to pull apart from the crowd, to dare to be different. Now why has God placed you where you are? Why are you a psychologist or an engineer? Why are you a businessman or a doctor, a student, a young person in college or in junior high school? Because God wants you to be a soldier of the cross. Sure they may laugh at you. Sure they may make fun of you. Sure they may think you're peculiar and a little bit odd. But the Bible says, him that overcometh, I'll give a crown of life. The apostle Paul said, press on. Jesus said, continue the fight. All through the word of God there is a dimension of ruggedness, of soldierhoodness about the gospel of Jesus Christ that makes it different, that makes it exciting. That's what makes it worth living. It's no bed of roses. It's no easy job. It's no rose water lily pond kind of life. It takes some backbone. It takes some fortitude to be a soldier of the cross of Jesus Christ. Now the qualifications have been listed. The endure hardness. Don't entangle yourself with the affairs of this life. It takes something to be a Christian. Now you say, preacher, what's there to get so excited about? After all, don't we have a lot of time? Isn't there always tomorrow? I want you to turn with me one chapter over chapter 3 in 2 Timothy. Listen to what the inspired servant of God has to say about the day in which we live. This know also that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves. It reads like a newspaper today. Covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, petty, high -minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness, but denying by their very lives the power thereof. From such, turn away. These are the signs of the time. Cheer up, brother. It's going to get worse. We will not establish a materialistic utopia. Now what is the church to do? Are we to throw up our hands in the light of the overwhelming flood of decay and sin and unrighteousness about it? No. This is the time to attack. The best defense is a good offense any day. When you're 60 to nothing ahead, it doesn't matter too much what the other team does. This is the time to attack. This is not the time to throw up our hands in frustration. This is not the time to pull in our wings and quit spending. This is the time to start spending. This is not the time to cut off our programs. This is the time to initiate new programs. There is an aggressive, dynamic, militant nature about the church that is missing in most congregations today. Jesus said, all of the gates of hell, that word gate means authority. Now what is the authority of hell? It's Satan himself. Even Satan personified will not prevail against the church. Now we have a picture in our minds of the poor old struggling church just hanging on for dear life while the world rushes over it. But that's not the picture. The Bible gives us this picture. The idea is that the church is aggressive. It isn't that the gates are there in the city. A church would not pick up its gates and go into battle and one under each arm. It doesn't mean that they're going to battle down the gates. It means that we're on the move. We're not waiting, hoping desperately that Satan won't run over us, that he won't plow the poor old church under. He's just saying to us that we will not be overcome. We will not be thwarted in our attempt to win the world of Christ if we'll get excited, get, become militant and get up and march and do something about it. Jesus Christ said, go into all the world. How do you spell go? Some people spell it G -I -V -E. It's wonderful to give a lot of money, but it's no substitute for going. Some people spell it P -R -A -Y. But this week, an 80 -year -old man in our church who does give and who does pray did more. He came in a great difficulty, went visiting on Tuesday night. And he had the privilege of seeing a man follow Christ in baptism tonight that he had helped bring to the Lord and into the church. There must be an aggressiveness in this day, this overwhelming day in the church. Not to just hang on for dear life and hope the devil doesn't beat our brains out, but to get on the attack, to march, to move. Onward, Christian soldiers. Like a mighty terrapin moves the church of God. Not like a mighty army moves the church of God. Hell's foundations quiver at the sound of praise. Brethren, we ought to be marching where the saints have trod. This is the most exciting and needy opportune hour in the world's history to be alive. I'd rather be a Christian. I'd rather be a part of a vibrant, militant, aggressive, soul -winning church in this city, in this age, in this day, than any day in all of history. What a chance to go out into the school, into the shops and the highways, and dare to be different. Stand for Christ. Say no to the world. Let your light shine before men. You can make an impact as a soldier of the cross of Jesus Christ. Now you say, preacher, who's my enemy? Beware. Be sober. Be vigilant. Because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, stalketh about seeking whom he may devour. Don't laugh at the devil. Don't think he's not alive and real. The Bible tells us he's called Beelzebub, Satan, Lucifer, the devil, that old serpent, a liar, a prowler, a sower of terrors, a wolf. He's called deceitful. He's called a murderer, a liar, the father of lies. The very word Lucifer means light bearer, or one who shines. But he is a false light. He is a deceptive light. He is a deceiving light. And he's very active. And the Bible tells us that his cunning is so powerful. His deceit is so malignant that it permeates every area of life. He says, start off the day with God. Be on your toes. Be wary. You're going out there to fight against one that is the enemy of God and of your church and of your soul and of the kingdom of God. And he challenges you to stand up and defeat him that hath the power of sin and death, that is, the devil, by being a soldier of Jesus Christ. Now, how are you going to do it? You join the Army of the United States and you'll find all of the latest in weapons. We have big bombers there in Tinker Air Base in Oklahoma City, the tails of which are eight and nine stories tall. They tell us there are over 2 ,000 miles of wire in a B -52. And one of those things can carry two bombs, either of which are more powerful than all of the bombs that were dropped by both sides in the first, second, and Korean wars combined. But the Bible says our weapons, our gospel is powerful, mighty to the pulling down of demonic strongholds. Listen to what the apostle says in Ephesians. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore, take unto you the whole armor of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day. And having done all, to stand. Stand, therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness, and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Faith, prayer, the power of the blood, the word of God, there is no stronghold you cannot batter down. There is no knot you cannot untie. There is no problem you may not solve. There is no difficulty you may not overcome by the power of the gospel working effectively in your life every day through Jesus Christ that lives in you. We're not going out as defeated soldiers. We may lose a battle or two along the way, but we're not going to lose the war. You can turn over to Revelation and see who's going to win the ball game. I mean, we're just in the halftime now, and we're on the winning side. But far too many of you have been standing on the sidelines of the greatest game of life. You have your brass buttons all brightly polished. The battle's going on out there in the ranks. You're watching people live and fight and work for the gospel. But all you've done is come on Sunday morning and observe. It's time that you begin to give. It's time you begin to witness in your school. It's time you begin to be called a radical, a fool, an idiot, whatever they might call you, for taking a stand for Christ. Young people, I challenge you. Any old dead fish can float down the stream. Anybody can be one of the crowd. Anybody can be like everybody else. Stand up for Christ. Dare to be different. It takes something to be a soldier in the army of the Lord Jesus Christ. The qualifications, you can only, the entrance examination, you can only get in one way. Down there in Mexico, I've seen places where the doorknobs are always on the inside of the door. None. None on the streets. You must knock to be admitted. You cannot force your way in from the outside. The same is true of the gospel. He may constrain and compel you. He may use everything in the arsenal of God's power to bring you to the place where you will come to Christ. But ultimately, you must open the door. The knob is on the outside of this part. And in your life, you must willingly come in. Only you can be a volunteer. There will be no conscription for the soldiers of the cross of Jesus Christ. Now, you may be a football player. That girl may think you're pretty hot stuff. You may be an outstanding businessman. The world may respect you. But I say to you that you may be the greatest intellect, the finest salesman, the most popular student in all of the school. But you are missing out in what real rugged individualism is all about until that dimension of living for Christ, that rugged stamina comes into your heart that begins to witness to say no to the wrong things, right to the yes things, a yes to the right things, whatever the cost is, and be a soldier of Jesus Christ. I urge you with all of my heart to begin to be that kind of a person. May we bow our heads together as we pray. Our Father, we thank thee in the name of Jesus Christ, our wonderful Lord, that of all of the instincts that you've placed within us, the desire to stand for the right, though the least often honored, can always be the most satisfying when we are soldiers of the cross. Dear God, grant that we might not be carried to heaven on plush ivory beds of ease and languish luxury. But, O God, grant that we may be battle -scarred warriors, witnessing for Christ, living for him day after day, out there where the battle of the world for the souls of men has been going on for centuries. Bless every one of us. Give our young people stamina. Give them courage and backbone. Give the teenagers the desire, the incentive, the fortitude to stand for Jesus Christ. Lord, they may laugh at them, they may call them narrow and fanatic, but we rather doubt that they'll nail any of us to a cross. We look at our Savior, our Captain, who was spat upon, whose beard was plucked, into whose side a spear was thrust. We look at the rugged Captain of our faith, and we ask ourselves, O God, what have we done alongside of that? And we pray tonight that many of us shall rededicate our lives to being genuine soldiers in the army of Jesus Christ, for we pray in his name. Our heads are bowed and our eyes are bowed.

2 Timothy 2:1