Dressed in Full Armor from Fellowship Bible Church on Vimeo.
Sunday, April 24, 2016
Dressed in Full Armor
Ephesians 6:10-18
Pastor Sam Schwenk
Haven’t you wished that God would directly intervene in a jaw-dropping way?
Sure, we all have.
When we’ve been under a relentless trial that goes from bad to worse, we cry out to the Lord for mercy. We want him to show up—not in the shadows—but in a dramatic, sweeping explosion of power.
Isaiah prayed this way: “Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence…that the nations might tremble at your presence!” (Isaiah 64:1)
Now that’s an entrance!
You sense the emotion of his heart: “O that…”
“If only you would rescue us,” the prophet prays.
Perhaps today you find yourself sharing in Isaiah’s prayer. Could God actually break into your world with such a rescue? Sure. If you read further in Isaiah 64, you’ll discover he had done so in Israel’s past.
–But is that how God normally operates? Probably not.
More often, he comes alongside us in the sound of a low whisper, as Elijah discovered, (1 Kings 19:12). He is nearby, but not always in the awe-inspiring tornado, or the quaking mountain, or the fire-storm. Rather, God awakens us to his presence—that he has not forsaken us.
We want God to tear open the heavens, but perhaps he is whispering to your heart.
What’s he telling you? He is assuring you that he’s been nearby all the time, he’s watching, and he wants you to never lose sight of walking by faith–today. Patiently wait on the Lord. Rest in his promise that he truly cares about you, (1 Peter 5:7).
Custom Made Armor from Fellowship Bible Church on Vimeo.
Sunday, April 17, 2016
Custom Made Armor
Ephesians 6:10-18
Pastor Sam Schwenk
Our Malevolent Enemy from Fellowship Bible Church on Vimeo.
Sunday, April 10, 2016
Our Malevolent Enemy
Ephesians 6:10-13
Pastor Sam Schwenk
I came across this recently: “Keep your ministry on a miracle basis. If you can explain what’s going on, God didn’t do it.” [Bob Cook]
In the eyes of God, all of life is “sacred.” It’s all “ministry.”
“Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17).
How does a busy mom keep her home-making on a miracle basis? Or, a high school student attending classes, or your work-out time at the gym, or your fifty hours of labor each week?
Henry Blackaby reminds us, God is always working around us and he wants to open our spiritual eyes so that we might see what he is doing. As he does this, he also invites us to join him in his “miracle work.”
So, how do you keep your ministry on a miracle basis this week?
- Abide in Christ. “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.” –John 15:5
- Deny yourself and take up your cross daily. “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” –Luke 9:23, 24
- “Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God.” –Wm Carey
“Without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”
–Hebrews 11:6
The Take-Away: God is working around you. Miracles are happening. Roll up your sleeves and join him.
Building a Heritage from Fellowship Bible Church on Vimeo.
Sunday, April 3, 2016
Building a Heritage
Ephesians 6:1-9
Pastor Sam Schwenk
There is no lack of zeal these days. People are fired-up about politics or college championships or a favorite hobby, even a favorite newscast. Do you want to know what stokes someone’s zeal?—just watch their posts on Facebook. It’s bound to leach out.
I want to lobby here for well-placed zeal.
The Bible urges us to set our focus on one main thing: the kingdom of God. That is, the things that God thinks are most important.
You can probably quote from Matthew 6… “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.” That’s not just a memory verse, it’s a way of life: reading about and thinking about and busy about the expanding kingdom of God on planet earth.
I’ve got to ask myself, “Sam, is this what fires you up?”
I was recently struck by Jesus’ admonition to one church: “be zealous and repent!” (Revelation 3:19). He said this to certain professing Christians who had grown indifferent about the things Jesus thought were important.
They had a misplaced zeal about the wrong things instead of a well-placed zeal about the important things. The Laodicean Christians were zealous about managing their stuff and being fashionable and seeking a fulfilling career.
Jesus had a very strong correction: “you don’t know that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.”
“Be zealous and repent!” he commanded them. That is to say, “Turn away from the things the world gets excited about and seek first Jesus.”
I imagine that hits close to home for many of those reading this blog:
“Be zealous and repent!”
A Puritan named Samuel Ward helps us understand this kind of zeal: “It is a spiritual heat wrought in the heart of man by the Holy Ghost, improving the good affections of love, joy, etc., for the furtherance of God’s glory, His word, His house, His saints, and the salvation of souls; directing the contrary of hatred, anger, grief, etc., towards God’s enemies, the devil, his angels, sin, the world, with the lusts thereof.”
So, what gets you fired-up these days?