Wimps - or Warriors?

[0:00] We're talking about wimps or warriors tonight.! The book of Joshua, man of God. Firstly, let's pray. Lord, we thank you for your word,! For our gathering together unto it, for that ministry of your Holy Spirit through your word tonight, that you would be glorified, Lord, in every heart.

[0:21] Do your will, do your work, Lord. May we be tender towards you. May we be sensitive and shaped in your hand. As clay, Lord, around the potter's wheel, Lord, let it be that your spirit would work in each one and minister life tonight, we pray.

[0:40] In Jesus' name, amen. Joshua chapter 1 from verse 5, it says, as Joshua was given his commission, there shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life.

[0:58] As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee. I will not fail thee nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage.

[1:10] For unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I swear unto their fathers to give them.

[1:24] Verse 7, Here is Joshua's commission.

[1:46] And my message tonight is wimps or warriors. Now, it goes without saying that our world is in a state of moral crisis.

[2:01] And bear with me. I will take over, Mark, because I realise you don't have any notes to follow. But I just can't see this very well on here.

[2:15] Yeah. Yeah, no worries. Thanks. Thanks, Adam. We're just getting used to the technology. I pretend to be technological, but I'm not. I'm pretty hopeless.

[2:27] But now, our world is in a state of moral crisis, isn't it? Who would agree with that? The moral crisis of our world. We see the emerging new world order. We see the many forces that are committed against Christianity today.

[2:43] Now, some of this is kind of somewhat along the line of what I shared this morning. But it goes to the next level, if you like. In the education system, we see it. In the governmental spheres, the general moral decay throughout society that's going on.

[2:58] And there's this evident growing hatred in the godless media against biblical Christianity. Isn't that so? You listen to the radio talk back and you hear some of the goings-on, some of the commentary, that generally biblical Christianity gets mocked and laughed at.

[3:15] We're under attack. We are under attack. It's a real, physical, spiritual attack. And the real Christianity of the Bible, it's not cool and trendy. It's not cool and trendy enough for some.

[3:29] But the real biblical Christianity, it calls for a radical stand. And it means that we're not politically correct. We'll be kind of sidelined and laughed at and scorned.

[3:43] And friends, we often hear through the Bible a call to have courage. And that's what Joshua was given here. In Joshua's commission, he was given this commission, this call to courage.

[3:54] And we have the same mandate today. If you're a Christian here tonight, you've got the same mandate that Joshua had. And we're called upon, people of God, to stand ashamed, unashamed, unashamed for our Lord.

[4:10] We're called to stand and be counted. That's biblical Christianity. It's stepping over the line. It's stepping over that line, if you like. And people of God, we're in a war today.

[4:21] The Bible talks about a war against the saints, a war against the people of God. And we see that right through from the book of Genesis, right through to the end of the book of Revelation.

[4:32] A battle rages. And what is this battle? Where is this battle being waged? It's a battle for your soul.

[4:44] It's a battle for your mind. It's a battle for your heart. It's in all those spheres. And the devil's master plan is to battle us, to fight us, to war us, to wear us down.

[4:56] Now, the Bible talks about a wearing down of the saints. And Christianity these days is being from within. It's being compromised and corrupted into this half kind of Christianity, this lukewarm, poor substitute for the real thing.

[5:15] And we're seeing this where many are just swallowing what really is a very weakened, watered down version of the real thing, biblical Christianity. And that's always been the devil's intention.

[5:27] His intention has always been to turn the truth of God into a lie. That's his modus operandi, isn't it? To turn the truth of God into a lie.

[5:40] To take it, to twist it, to pervert it, to corrupt it, such that we don't have it any longer. And people have got a fight. It's a fight. The church of God is in a fight.

[5:52] But by and large, we've lost our fight. We've lost our fight. You know, it's heart-rending to see what's going on. Some people, they almost, they fight against we that are trying to fight.

[6:09] You know, people don't understand these things. Such that, not only have they lost their fight, but they fight the people who are still in the fight. and try to say, well, oh, shouldn't we just go along to get along, get along to go along.

[6:25] But it's the case. We need to fight. We need to fight. Otherwise, we just will pack up our bags and take our bats and ball and go home with our tail between our legs as a dog, so to speak.

[6:39] If we've lost our fight, we've lost, we've lost our reason for being. But in God's word, we're warned of this fight and we're cautioned, we're urged to partake in this fight, just as Joshua was here.

[6:54] We're warned in God's word of many things to be watchful for. For example, to be watchful for false ministers, false gospels, false revivals, false prophets, false apostles, false signs and wonders.

[7:10] We read in 2 Corinthians 11 from verse 13 of such things. 2 Corinthians chapter 11 from verse 13.

[7:22] For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. Verse 14. And no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

[7:37] Therefore, it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness, whose ends shall be according to their works.

[7:48] You know, there's many people that follow, well-meaning people that follow the teachings of Ellen White, for example, latter-day prophetess, such that her writings are esteemed alongside the Bible and held in such esteem and regard.

[8:08] And yet, much that's contrary and controversial and certainly extra-biblical, which we should put no weight in. And then we see such men as Joseph Smith, who had a spirit come to him and give him another testament of Jesus Christ.

[8:26] Again, the Bible says very clearly if someone brings another gospel, even if they're an angel, to believe them, not to go along with that. And yet, people are swallowing this. And then, even in the more Christian side of things, we have many who stand behind pulpits today telling people, oh, the Holy Spirit told me this, this new revelation.

[8:47] They didn't get it from here, they got it from somewhere else. Or some new dream or vision or some new kind of teaching that is not founded in the Bible, it's extra-biblical.

[9:00] In other words, it's outside of the Bible. You've got to take very careful precautions against such ideas. Can God speak outside of the Bible? Of course he can.

[9:11] But if he does speak, it will be in accord with the Bible. It says, if they speak not according to thy word, there's no light in them. So, precept upon precept, it's very clear that the foundation must be the word of God.

[9:25] It must accord with the Bible. And friends, today, what we're seeing today is some kind of all mixed up, kind of a mixture, a mixture of truth mixed with error, holiness mixed with worldliness.

[9:36] What a mess it is. And we're misled by these blind leaders of the blind. They've transformed themselves as ministers of righteousness, but they're really the servants of Satan.

[9:48] And we are under attack. And it's from within sometimes, as I say. Some don't kind of like people who talk like this because they think, Christianity is all persuasions and we're all just different kind of variations of the same thing.

[10:08] But there's a reality. It's almost as if he can't beat us so he's joined us in some quarters that he's actually running some churches virtually.

[10:19] That's how I see it. And you might differ, but that's how I see that it's going that way very much, I believe. We're talking about wimps or warriors.

[10:32] We see Joshua's commission. Be strong. Be very courageous. We need to get our fight back. To get our fight back. Our fighting spirit.

[10:44] Now you see back through history, the men, women of God, the church of God through history, they had a fighting spirit. So they wouldn't cave in and go the easy route and take the easy track.

[11:00] Right back in ancient Rome when it was just a simple token effort of just burning some incense on an altar and saying, Caesar is Lord. Caesar is Master.

[11:12] Paying allegiance to Caesar who claimed himself to be a god. But the real Christian said, no, we're not going to do that because Jesus is Lord. Jesus Christ is my Lord. So even though it was this very simple token measure that they were asked to do, they refused to at the loss of their lives because they had a fighting spirit.

[11:32] They wouldn't cave in. And it's time that we stand against some things and fight back in this relentless war that is waging on all fronts.

[11:43] And our Lord is with us, people of God. Our Lord is with you. He is with you every step of the way as he was with Joshua. As it says, he said to Joshua, I will be with thee and I will not forsake thee.

[12:01] The call goes out today to the modern day Joshua's, to the Joshua's of this generation. And he says to you, I will be with thee, I will not fail thee nor forsake thee.

[12:14] Be strong and of a good courage. Be strong and of a good courage. Just take stock for a minute if you will about what's going on in our world today, in our nation, in our community, in this city.

[12:32] Activists in our day are redefining marriage and perverting it into something polluted and vile and wicked. Minds are warped to even accept the perverse idea of a fluidity of gender identity.

[12:50] In the beginning, God made them male and female. There's not some kind of in-between or swapping and... No. Male and female.

[13:01] Meanwhile, what's happening in the churches? We see a weak and insipid, anemic kind of Christianity. Preachers that seem to lack their weak and cowardly, daring not to issue a challenge or to urge the people after righteousness.

[13:23] I want to urge you that way, even if you get upset with me. Christians are often just swept along with the latest popular tide and dare not raise a voice against it.

[13:37] You know, Julie and I, we were in the Pentecostal movement. We were in it for 16 years. Was it that long? Huh. I shake my head at what's going on.

[13:56] It just beggars belief. And what is going on now? And I think it's just gone to another level and another level and another level. There's been so many different fads along the way.

[14:08] So many different fads and things that were the in thing at one time and then was demonic deliverance or dancing in the spirit or whatever it be. It's just one fad after another until the next bandwagon comes along, the next great speaker, the next great anointing, the next greater revival.

[14:25] Everyone's got to go to Toronto. Everyone's got to go to whatever it be and just chase after the late gimmick and fad. It's all unbiblical and it's just the church has lost its way and you know and then people say, oh, why are you picking on Hillsong?

[14:47] well, if you play Hillsong, you're part of it. You're part of the whole package. It's a package deal and people don't like preachers going on like this.

[14:58] They say, let's just go along with everybody but I must tell you the truth. I can't not say anything and we're being corrupted. We're being conditioned like anti-God media and the falsehoods of the world are just taking over and in some quarters the sermon is just a commentary about the latest worldly movie.

[15:23] You wonder, what is this preacher on about? Let me come to church to hear about the latest from Hollywood to try to get some kind of illustration out of the latest trashy movie or the latest trash talk of society the latest movie star and what they're up to.

[15:43] I don't care about what they're up to. And it's as if the church service just mimics a worldly rock show or a disco. What are we doing?

[15:55] What are the people of God doing? And yet, many Christians just think, oh, that's normal now. That's just how it is now. And there's very little spiritual life among the people. And in our own church, in this church, we lack spiritual life.

[16:10] We really do. It's woeful. It's woeful. People of God, we must be challenged today to get our fight back. To get our fight back.

[16:21] We know better than the church down the road with the commitment level of some of people of God. We need to get back in the fight. We must get back in the fight.

[16:33] And the devil wants to neutralise our testimony. He wants you to act fleshly and to harm your witness. He loves that.

[16:43] He loves when Christians blow it. They lose their cool, they swear, they curse, they go and do something fleshly and their testimony is soiled in shame. And it's an evil, it's an evil thing that's going on.

[16:58] People of God, we've lost our fight. You know, the devil wants you to just be like the world. Just be like the world. Just laugh at the world's filth and go along with the world's corruption.

[17:11] And to be weak and worldly just like the next person. And he wants your Facebook feed to just look like the world's. So, when people look at your Facebook feed, they can't tell if you're a Christian or not.

[17:23] Because you've got the same smutty things that the world has. You're not making a difference. You're not being salt and light. And friends, I'm talking to myself here.

[17:33] I'm not meaning to sound like I've got it all together. But our enemy wants us to be weak and to wimp out. My message tonight is warriors or wimps.

[17:46] That's the question mark. That's the question. And God wants you to be an outright Christian. An outright Christian. Not a weak and worldly wimp. It's time for courage.

[17:58] It's time for courage, people of God. Our Lord wants us to be a powerful witness. A powerful witness. How can we be a powerful witness if we're just as weak and watered down as the next one?

[18:13] So, many Christians these days lack this strength of testimony, this boldness, this courage, this aspect of courage.

[18:26] They're too afraid to witness for Christ. You know, it's easy to be like that. In some stages of my Christian life, I was a very quiet Christian. Really, a camouflaged Christian.

[18:39] You know? A chameleon Christian. Just blending in and just being like the crowd. But people of God, I urge you to courage tonight.

[18:51] To be a Joshua. To say, no, I'm going to be strong and of good courage. Even though I go against the flow. Even though my peer group are going to be surprised, maybe.

[19:05] I'm going to be a Christian and I'm going to talk like it and act like it and be like it. Not to be holier than thou or to be acting like I've got more than another person has, but to be the light that this dark world needs.

[19:22] Desperately needs. It's time for courage. And God wants you and me to be those powerful witnesses. To not be ashamed. To not be afraid. To be a witness for Christ. A full-on witness.

[19:32] A radical Christian. To not be too fearful to share the reason for our eternal hope that is in us. Now more than ever before is the time to stand up and to be counted.

[19:44] To be that Christian. Christian. So many have wimped out. You know, churches are wimping out to worldliness. We're meant to live godly, to live for Christ.

[19:56] No matter what the cost or the sacrifice. And rather than succumb to a worldly, lukewarm passivity, we're called to build character.

[20:08] To live lives that count. That make a difference. And so that when others see us, they will be pointed to Christ by the testimony of our lives.

[20:19] Not just by what we say. So we see there's much call for courage tonight. And in 2 Timothy 3 it says, Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

[20:35] If you're not getting persecuted, maybe you're not living godly enough. Persecution is the norm. It's the norm. So that in your workplace, people are going to be saying some little barbs.

[20:50] They're going to say something. And think, Oh, I better not say that because he's around. Or she's around. They're going to watch their lips. And they're going to, or they might just blatantly just say things and do things to attack you as a Christian.

[21:05] And to put you down. Make you look, make you stand out from the crowd. But let nothing deter you from this. We dare not weaken. We dare not lose our fighting spirit.

[21:17] All that shall live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. So I urge you tonight, people of God, get ready for persecution. It's the norm.

[21:29] In 1 Peter 4.16, Peter writes, Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God on this behalf. So when you face those little barbs and those people that have a sneer and a scoff because you're a Christian, the Bible says rejoice and to be glad.

[21:50] Don't be ashamed, but glorify God. Now whatever life's challenges are for you, press on. Press on in that gospel race. We've come to a place where it seems at times Christianity is just another spectator sport.

[22:06] You know, there's lots of people that love the Olympics, isn't there, this time of year and they, you know, they get involved in all the hoo-ha and, you know, they almost strain with the strain that is expressed on the athletes' faces and such things, but really they're just faithful armchair athletes, armchair athletes and that's what Christianity at times has become like another spectator sport, but rather let us stand and be counted because there's a battle race.

[22:39] This battle is in all fronts. It's on the home front. It's in your home. It's in my home. We need men and women of God to stand up. There's a crisis of manhood, of Christian fathers, Christian husbands, godly men.

[22:56] Now more than ever we need such men to be the husbands, to be the fathers that our children need and all of this is really a very real spiritual dimension.

[23:10] It's a spiritual conflict, what we're talking about tonight. In 2 Corinthians 10 we read, although we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh.

[23:22] For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into submission, into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

[23:44] Bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. I know someone prayed there in the prayer time. It's not a fleshly battle, it's a spiritual battle.

[23:58] We're not fighting flesh and blood although it seems like it sometimes, some of the people in our lives, but really it's what's driving them. It's demonic spiritual forces and the Bible tells us cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing into captivity every thought to be obedient to Christ.

[24:20] There's a sense here where there's a mind control that's a good thing. A mind control where we put our mind under God's control, under God's constraints.

[24:33] And friends, we're in a battle for holiness and for truth such that our mind is under attack. Sometimes we're under attack to get depressed and down, discouraged.

[24:46] We're told that such things will happen. But as we bring every thought into captivity to Christ, there's a victory there. There's a victory in Christ.

[25:00] Think of this war that's been staged. We're being bombarded all the time. Bombarded in our minds. You know, the king is the master propaganda expert, isn't he?

[25:13] You know, in World War II they had Joseph Goebbels and he was a kind of master behind the scenes and manipulating the media to paint Adolf Hitler in a good light and they engaged some fine English-speaking people to broadcast messages that went over to England to say how good Nazi Germany was and to spread these lies of propaganda behind the enemy lines.

[25:44] The enemy's doing that just the same today. The enemy of our soul is bombarding us and you switch on the media of all forms and there's constantly anti-God messages, isn't there?

[25:56] There's a fleshly programming such that we're slowly getting accepting, more and more accepting of more and more sinful things and those strongholds have been torn down.

[26:09] You know, there's a sense where we should have strongholds that are godly strongholds but the enemy wants to build up ungodly strongholds that hold people captive in our minds.

[26:24] So this war, it's being waged in every sphere of our life in the home front in our minds. We're constantly getting these attacks and so people of God, the Bible calls us to be men and women who will stand for God.

[26:39] Joshua was called out. Be strong and of a good courage. Where will the men be who are strong, who will honour God with their lives, who will make godly decisions, who will have a godly marriage commitment, a godly devotion, who will put God first, who will stand for God in their families.

[27:06] There's a war being waged in our minds, a battle for the thought life. How can we live courageously is the question. When we think of our thinking, we think of our thoughts, we think of decisions that we make.

[27:20] Are they godly decisions? When we make a decision, is it going to honour God? The word tells us to have the courage enough, the courage of our convictions to bring every thought into captivity, to the obedience of Christ.

[27:37] What does the devil love to do with our minds? The Bible talks about the devil sowing seeds, sowing seeds, seeds of doubt, seeds of discontent, seeds of discouragement.

[27:51] But rather, the word tells us that our minds can be renewed, they can be refreshed, day by day, daily by the constant application of the word. So the more time we spend with the washing of the water by the word, there's a cleansing that comes and there's a strengthening that can come against the enemy's attacks.

[28:13] Just as we read before about the word of God, it's like a sword of the spirit. We see our hearts are under attack. Our hearts are under attack. The devil wants to capture your affections, your loves, those things that you have a love for, those things that you think of all the time.

[28:32] It shows that affection that you have. And rather, let us keep our hearts sweet, keep our hearts in tune with our Lord, keep our minds pure. Another attack of the enemy is bitterness.

[28:45] Sometimes in our minds and our hearts, we can have a root of bitterness springing up. People wrong us, people hurt us. It's only natural that we feel aggrieved, we feel hurt.

[28:58] And the Bible speaks of this in Hebrews 12, verse 15. I might have not got that on, sorry, my apologies. Hebrews 12, 15, it talks about any root of bitterness springing up that trouble you and thereby many be defiled.

[29:17] So there's that sense of the root of bitterness. You know, I've got a problem of late where I've got a tree root that has got into a septic tank.

[29:30] And it's not a pretty sight. It's going to be a big job getting that sorted out. But, you know, that little root started off as just a little, maybe just a little runner.

[29:42] You know, you see those little runners from trees? Just a little tiny, tiny, tiny little runner. And that little runner has found its way through the concrete, down through the crack, down into the septic tank, and now it's virtually taken over the whole septic tank.

[29:57] And what a mess. What a lot of work that's going to be for somebody. What a lot of cost it's going to be for me. So any root of bitterness springing up, we think of that.

[30:10] That's what bitterness can do to you and me, isn't it? Someone wrongs you, someone hurts you, and it infests you, and it grows, and you feed it with your anger and your frustration, and that hatred, that bitterness, it builds up and takes over your life.

[30:31] So if you've got a root of bitterness, you've got to do what I did to these roots and get the axe out, chop, chop, chop, around the edge of that septic tank, until the guy comes to pull it all out.

[30:42] A root of bitterness can trouble you, and many be defiled. Think of these things that you're under attack. You're under attack in all these dimensions, in terms of godly principles, in terms of the values that you take in, that you follow, that you adopt.

[31:02] Rather, let's adopt Christian values. Have the courage of your convictions to do what's right. Man of God, to be a gentleman, to be noble.

[31:14] Women of God, that you live lives that glorify God, that you be a shining light for Christ's glory. glory. Some shy away from such messages as this, and think, well, Christianity should be peaceful.

[31:29] But our Lord says in Matthew 10, 34, that he's come to bring a sword. He's come to bring a sword. Our Lord calls us to this rugged, authentic, masculine, manly, faithful, this strong, gutsy kind of faith.

[31:46] That will be courageous. That's what our world needs. courageous Christians will stand up for what is right in doctrine and life. And so, we must let go of fear. Let go of fear, as Paul told Timothy, for God has not given you the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

[32:06] You know, people of God, warrior or whim? Which one? Commit your heart to be a warrior. Commit your heart to do what is right, to do what is honest, to do what is true, to do what is faithful, to walk with integrity and truth, to be a truthful man, a truthful, faithful woman.

[32:32] And our Lord has equipped us for this task. We're not left alone. He's empowered us with his spirit. Not the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

[32:43] He's empowered us for this fight. Be bold. Be strong. Be very courageous. Be filled with his spirit, the spirit of his love. He makes us tender hearted.

[32:58] He gives us that true affection for God. We don't have the affection for things on this world, but we set our affection to a higher plane. We set our affection on things above.

[33:09] Now, there's many voices trying to communicate messages to our generation. You know, I was reading this and touched on it somewhat this morning, of this international crisis.

[33:22] You know, politicians of our day use words and phrases like this. They say we have a moral obligation. Climate change is the single greatest threat facing our planet.

[33:34] That's what people say. That's the greatest threat. It's going to get hotter. Whether it will or not, I mean, that is not the greatest threat to humanity today, whether it's true or not.

[33:49] Not some supposed climate change made by man. That's not our biggest problem. Our biggest problem is erosion. Erosion. The erosion of biblical truth.

[34:00] It's being eroded in our society. And the devil wants to destroy the church. We're in his target sites. One of us. Every one of us.

[34:12] We've lost our saltiness and we need to get it back. We've lost our fight and we need to regain it. We're called to be not wimps but warriors. And that means front-line soldiers.

[34:25] Meantime, the enemy is sending out lying spirits. And his work is constant. That's always been his objective. It's always been his method to send out lying spirits.

[34:37] To erode all that is good and godly. Yet we stand on the infallible word of God. Not on man's passing opinions or interpretations.

[34:48] We are to magnify the word. The Bible says the Lord has magnified his word above his very name. So we should take it seriously, shouldn't we? Take it seriously.

[34:59] Don't neglect it. So it's time to man up and to realise the fight is on and our enemy is relentless. Now we see our Lord urges us to soberness.

[35:13] In 1 Peter 5 verse 8, Be sober, be vigilant because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour.

[35:25] Whom resist steadfast in the faith knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. The commission here, it says be sober, be vigilant.

[35:38] Be sober, be vigilant. Now more than ever, it calls for soberness. Soberness. We need a sound mind. Yet we hear of many Christians just going and glug, glug, glug.

[35:54] How can you be sober? Be sober. Be sober. It's time for soberness, not slackness or drunkenness. It's time for soberness. A preacher, Ryle, said true Christianity is a struggle, a fight and a warfare.

[36:11] It's a conflict. We call to this. It takes guts. It takes resolve. It takes commitment to live courageously. I urge you to this mission tonight, to be a Joshua, to realize the fight is on and there's no time for slackness no longer.

[36:37] There's time for that. Time is too short. It's time now to commit. Not to be a wimp, but to be a warrior.

[36:50] Stop wimping out and start regaining your fight. We're called to this. We're called to courage. To stand up and fight. What was Joshua told? He says, in the word it says, that we are to be strong and very courageous.

[37:08] Be strong and very courageous. It's going to take courage for you Monday morning in your workplace to make a stand.

[37:19] You don't have to do anything crazy. You can just be a Christian, can't you? Shine the light. Shine the light where you are. You don't have to join in the worldly corrupt jokes.

[37:34] You don't have to talk like the trashy talk of the world. You can be a Christian. You can be soft. Be soft. Be light. Have the courage of your convictions.

[37:46] Do what the word says. And we call to this people of God. I urge you to that. We've been talking about the heart. The Bible talks about having a heart like David.

[37:58] A man after God's own heart in Acts 13, 22. To have that courage to stand for truth, to make the right decisions. We know it's hard out there. It's a jungle out there, isn't it?

[38:10] Talking to young people here tonight. We know what it's like. I've been there. I've done that. I've been in a regular school. I've seen what goes on. See the drugs.

[38:21] You see, well, probably less so in my time, but more so in your time. We see the erosion of biblical, of just common decency, let alone biblical truth or standards.

[38:37] And even in the workplace, constantly getting messages that are contrary to God's truth. We're under attack, people of God.

[38:50] And it should prompt us to be preparing, to be ready for the return of our Lord. There's no time to play games with God.

[39:03] There's no time for that. It's time to get real. It's time to get right. It's time to get your fight back, to be strong, to be very courageous.

[39:17] He saved us for this. I'm drawing to a close. I know I almost feel like I'm overextending this, but my heart is for you.

[39:29] My heart is for you. Ephesians 10. For we are his workmanship, it says, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained, that we should walk in them.

[39:44] It's why he's made you. If you profess to be a Christian, God has designed you for this. He's designed you. He's created you.

[39:55] You are his workmanship. It's got the sense of his craftsmanship. You are his masterpiece. He has created you. Man of God.

[40:06] Woman of God. He has created you. He has designed you for this purpose. Why? To be his workmanship. He's created you unto good works.

[40:19] You know, many Christians seem to shy away from the word work. It's as if it's a dirty word. Many will scarcely lift a finger. Find some excuse not to work.

[40:32] We cannot wimp out. We are his workmanship. Many things that we're called to do, to be. The church needs workers. We are created for this.

[40:44] We're created unto good works. In other words, it's his design, it's his intention that you be a Christian engaged, engaged in his work to bear fruit that in all of our decisions that this takes the highest place that we should occupy ourselves until he comes such that we place fellowship as a priority that it's important to receive the word of God.

[41:22] Now, some people don't like to fit church in between everything else. We should lock fellowship into our diaries. And if there's a birthday party or some occasion or other, we can fit around.

[41:37] We'll come when we can get there. After we've been to worship God, after I've been to fellowship, I'll come to this or that. Because fellowship is important.

[41:49] We need training. We need to have that refreshing of our fight and to be at parade, if you like.

[42:02] To not miss parade. To not miss training. It's important. Don't win pound but be a warrior to this. To the kingdom of God.

[42:14] Above worldly pursuits and other distractions. It's too important not to miss. So tonight, I leave you with this challenge.

[42:25] The challenge that Joshua had. And to know that in all these things, we're more than conquerors through him that loved us.

[42:37] Friends, tonight, this battle that I've been talking about, we know it's against all the odds. We know we're in the minority. We are in the minority. We are the ultimate minority group.

[42:49] How many are really Christians? How many in Noah's day? Eight people got saved. How many are Christians here tonight? We know we're in the minority against opposition all around us.

[43:08] And many who profess Christ are just pretenders. It's a pretense. That Christianity is skin deep. You start to scratch beneath the surface and all the worldliness and all the godlessness shows up.

[43:25] You can't play games with God. You can't pretend with God. You can pretend with people, but you can't pretend with God. People of God tonight, it's too serious, it's too important that we respect our soul.

[43:40] We need to fear God and to know his victory by his grace, that we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. So the decision is yours tonight, it's ours tonight, whether we will be wimps or warriors.

[43:56] Wimps or warriors. Now you might say, preacher, I know I've been a bit of a wimp. I know I've been slack. Look, I've been slack too. I'm ashamed of my slant.

[44:12] We can regain our fire. We can regain our fire. Don't be deterred. We've been created for this, created in Christ Jesus unto good works.

[44:23] He's ordained that we walk in there. He wants you to bear fruit. He wants you to be in the fire and be such that you'll stand for God's glory. You're attack in your mind, in your heart, in the home place, in the workplace, in the world.

[44:41] You're a minority group. Everything's against us. Everyone's against us. As a real Christian, you stand up and be counted. You might get your head shot off when you stand up in the trenches.

[44:55] All who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. Don't be deterred. Let nothing put you off. Get your fight back tonight. Joshua was told, I am with you.

[45:09] I will never leave you nor forsake you. And Joshua was told, be strong and very courageous. And he was told, take heed of the word of God as his strength, as his source, as his sword.

[45:24] And we have the same fight today, people of God. Let's not be deterred. It's all the more reason. Face ongoing attack to get our fight back.

[45:38] We need to get our fight back. Let us pray. Let us pray.