The NXR Podcast - THE CONFERENCE - Men of War - Dusty Deevers

00:00:00.000 Thank you, brother, for having me.

00:00:04.660 Let's turn in our Bibles to 2 Timothy 2.

00:00:07.440 We will look at verses 1 through 7.

00:00:10.520 As you're turning there, I will set up the text and say a couple biographical things

00:00:16.260 and try to keep that out of the sermon too much.

00:00:20.580 God writes the best stories, friends.

00:00:23.380 Amen?

00:00:24.900 I'll say it again.

00:00:26.020 God writes the best stories.

00:00:27.520 Amen?

00:00:27.720 Amen.

00:00:27.900 To God belongs all the glory, honor, and praise through King Jesus by the Holy Spirit.

00:00:35.440 Jesus Christ reigns above all powers, all authorities, and every name that is named.

00:00:40.520 All governments are on His shoulders, and of the increase of His government and of peace, there will be no end.

00:00:49.220 I want you to look at what God has put before us.

00:00:52.620 We must understand that under God's sovereign guidance, he has commanded us to, and likewise, we have now committed ourselves to a great work.

00:01:05.380 A work too great for our self-reliance.

00:01:08.600 A work too strenuous to be done alone.

00:01:11.840 A work too historic to take our hands off the plow.

00:01:15.740 so solemn humility before our sovereign god is necessary in so many ways in our nation in our

00:01:26.820 states we have forgotten our god and thus we are feeling the weight of his judgment and we should

00:01:33.160 a wise nation nation builds its house upon the rock of the word of christ the holy scriptures

00:01:41.660 A wise nation built on the rock of Christ will not be shaken.

00:01:46.560 But we are proving our idolatrous folly in building our house on the sands of self-reliance

00:01:54.020 that despises and disregards our Creator. 0.98

00:01:58.320 We have become a foolish nation built upon the same sands that that ancient serpent laid before our first parents. 0.99

00:02:07.760 envy, slander, pride, the shedding of innocent blood, sexual immorality, sodomy, and all other 1.00

00:02:19.960 manners of blasphemy. These things God hates. And that nation who builds its house upon the sands 0.72

00:02:27.240 of folly will be shaken to rubble. So let us confess our sins and come under a solemn repentance

00:02:36.700 and pray that repentance leads to revival.

00:02:40.160 Amen?

00:02:40.960 Amen.

00:02:41.940 Our text this afternoon is found in the second letter

00:02:44.800 from Paul to Timothy.

00:02:47.100 It is a weighty letter,

00:02:49.360 most likely Paul's last. 0.97

00:02:50.860 He is in a Roman prison

00:02:53.000 during Nero's horrendous persecution of the Christians

00:02:56.100 around 66 to 67 A.D. 0.50

00:02:59.240 And with all earnestness,

00:03:00.760 as a man facing imminent, foreseen martyrdom,

00:03:03.800 he takes up pen and page and charges Timothy his beloved son in the faith and with his eyes on his

00:03:13.380 savior and his hands to the church and his heart pouring out Paul passes his ministry on to Timothy

00:03:20.620 who will pass it on to the other faithful men Paul charged him to be faithful in ministry

00:03:27.940 to cling to sound doctrine,

00:03:30.280 to avoid error,

00:03:31.760 to share in suffering in the gospel

00:03:34.220 and rest his full confidence in Scripture

00:03:37.640 and preach it like a dead man to dying men.

00:03:41.940 So men, listen up.

00:03:45.540 You came to this conference to be challenged

00:03:47.860 and challenged you will be.

00:03:50.640 To be charged,

00:03:52.360 to take up your duty

00:03:53.860 in the delight of your Savior,

00:03:56.100 to build such that He gets the glory

00:03:59.040 and those under your charge

00:04:01.340 get the joy for generations to come.

00:04:05.400 And that we will do.

00:04:07.660 Let's stand together

00:04:08.720 in honor of the reading of God's Word.

00:04:11.900 The way we do it at our church

00:04:13.660 is I say hear the Word of the Lord,

00:04:17.260 I read the text,

00:04:18.460 and then at the end I say

00:04:19.540 this is the Word of the Lord,

00:04:20.740 and we say thanks be to God.

00:04:22.520 Some say praise be to God.

00:04:23.900 it just give it to god okay so i'm going to read the text hear the word of the lord

00:04:29.740 second timothy 2 1 through 7 you then my child be strengthened by the grace that is in christ

00:04:35.820 jesus and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful

00:04:40.600 men who will be able to teach others also share in suffering is a good soldier of christ jesus

00:04:47.100 no soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits since his aim is to please the one who enlisted

00:04:52.940 him an athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules it is the hard-working

00:04:58.320 farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops think over what I say for the Lord will

00:05:04.340 give you understanding in everything this is the word of the Lord amen let's pray our Lord we ask

00:05:12.040 that you will direct our minds attentions and our hearts affections father in heaven we come to you

00:05:19.820 through our Lord Jesus Christ

00:05:21.400 who is reigning from his throne on high,

00:05:23.980 who is our high priest interceding for us

00:05:26.860 and who is teaching us your word

00:05:30.880 by your Holy Spirit.

00:05:33.800 And we ask that you will convict us

00:05:35.960 to the core today

00:05:37.060 and you will correct us

00:05:39.060 and change us for your glory

00:05:41.880 and our good

00:05:44.660 and the joy of many to come.

00:05:47.740 In Jesus' name, amen.

00:05:48.840 You may be seated.

00:05:51.620 The Scriptures, church history, and our present reality prove that we must train the next generation of men

00:05:58.540 who will lead their families, lead their churches, lead their businesses, and the civil government.

00:06:05.620 So sit up straight, men.

00:06:08.920 Prepare yourselves.

00:06:11.660 Men, soldiers, warriors, we must equip you for battle.

00:06:17.940 Our Lord, who gave His life for you, demands your life in return.

00:06:25.020 Nothing less.

00:06:28.720 And by God's sovereign ordination, you have a definitive mission from the slain Lamb who is standing.

00:06:37.780 the aim of this text is to lay upon christian men the weighty duty and the delight of wartime

00:06:47.280 living and training to strengthen your resolve to call you to the brotherhood to aim your pursuits

00:06:54.720 to charge you to holiness to challenge you to look to the giver of the spoils

00:07:00.200 and to equip you by the word.

00:07:04.620 Like it or not, men, at your conversion,

00:07:08.780 our Lord and captain enlisted you

00:07:11.720 into his army to fight his battles

00:07:14.500 and you need to be equipped.

00:07:18.140 The main idea for this text is this.

00:07:21.560 Our Lord's command is not just a call to warfare,

00:07:25.460 but a call to embrace the warfare.

00:07:30.200 It's not just a call to warfare, but it's a call to embrace the warfare.

00:07:35.820 And the biblical charge of churches is to equip men to be good soldier, reproducing soldiers. 0.69

00:07:43.680 I'm going to give six reasons why churches must aim at men. 0.92

00:07:49.980 So where you are right now, I want you to ask the Lord Jesus to focus your mind.

00:07:58.580 to try you, to test you

00:08:02.980 and to cause his word to cut quick

00:08:07.620 and then heal.

00:08:10.340 Ask him to do that for you right now, men.

00:08:13.220 And mothers, ask God to do that

00:08:17.520 for the young men that are sitting next to you

00:08:19.560 or at home.

00:08:23.620 First, to be faithful in our charge,

00:08:27.580 Churches must strengthen men in grace.

00:08:30.300 This is in verse one.

00:08:32.000 Churches must strengthen men in grace.

00:08:34.720 Look at verse one.

00:08:36.780 Paul tells his beloved Timothy,

00:08:38.580 who is ministering to the saints,

00:08:41.200 you then, my child,

00:08:43.040 be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

00:08:47.000 Now, why?

00:08:48.180 Why would Paul tell Timothy,

00:08:51.300 his young mentor in the faith,

00:08:55.080 it appears that Timothy was growing weak in his labors

00:08:58.740 and Paul was charging him to act like a man

00:09:02.060 to grab the reins

00:09:03.600 and renew his fierce commitment to Christ and to the saints

00:09:06.960 Timothy

00:09:07.660 Timothy

00:09:09.220 be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus

00:09:13.020 can't you see him telling his young protege this

00:09:16.900 oh Timothy

00:09:17.600 be strengthened by the grace

00:09:20.180 that is in Christ Jesus

00:09:24.460 Why do men need to be strengthened by grace?

00:09:29.620 Ben, you know, and some of you need to know all the more,

00:09:34.400 that it is costly to follow Christ.

00:09:38.720 Men need to be strengthened by grace because of persecution.

00:09:44.200 They persecuted and killed our Savior.

00:09:46.780 Why should we think that they will do any better for us?

00:09:50.440 They killed the prophets and the apostles. 0.98

00:09:53.660 Why wouldn't they kill the laborers in the king's harvest? 0.51

00:09:58.680 The closer you get to the fire, the greater the heat.

00:10:04.360 Put yourself into the war and the battle will come to you as you go out to meet it.

00:10:11.760 Go out to meet the fight, men, and be strengthened in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

00:10:17.620 Persecution is expected.

00:10:20.840 It's a feature. It's not a flaw.

00:10:23.660 Through it, your Lord is raising up both your internal feeling of the need for grace

00:10:30.260 and the humbling fact that you are dependent upon him, desperately so,

00:10:35.260 and he is rousing you for the battle.

00:10:38.780 He's waking you up.

00:10:41.040 Wake up.

00:10:43.160 It's a war.

00:10:45.380 And we have to realize that, and we must be strengthened by grace.

00:10:49.280 And you need to strengthen other men by grace too.

00:10:52.380 Second, men need to be strengthened in grace

00:10:55.460 because of our own sin.

00:11:00.580 Men, you will have to deal with your own sin.

00:11:05.020 How hard is self-government?

00:11:08.220 Can you tame your tongue?

00:11:11.060 Have you mastered your mind,

00:11:13.580 your desires, and your will?

00:11:16.820 Now add to that,

00:11:19.140 attempting to care well with all patience

00:11:21.440 and gentleness, in love for the difficulties in your home, growing your bond in marriage,

00:11:30.500 building your church or your business, you need to be strengthened in grace.

00:11:37.080 Don't be too proud to admit it. You know what kind of grace God promises those who will join

00:11:44.320 with Jesus in this battle?

00:11:47.780 Indomitable, unconquerable grace.

00:11:51.740 Do you know why the grace of Jesus

00:11:53.940 is unconquerable or indomitable?

00:11:56.960 Have you thought about that?

00:11:59.380 It's because the grace of the chief shepherd,

00:12:02.060 the Lord of lords, the King of kings,

00:12:04.180 the champion of his bride,

00:12:06.360 Jesus, our covenant head,

00:12:08.120 who promised to provide his grace

00:12:10.660 from before the foundation of the world

00:12:12.460 came in time he secured his grace from before the found he secured it by his grace he secured the

00:12:20.760 through his bloody death at the hands of men and the wrath of the father and he rose from the grave

00:12:26.420 in victory over sin death and the devil and he conquered every enemy that's and seats and he is

00:12:33.100 seated at the right hand of the father now ruling over all his grace is inconquerable his grace is

00:12:41.080 admittable. It's indomitable. And when you embrace the cost of following Christ, you will be

00:12:48.300 strengthened in our warrior king's grace, a forgiving and fortifying grace, a freeing and

00:12:55.620 motivating grace, an unconquerable and eternal grace. Brothers, you will not shift or drift

00:13:04.700 towards more self-discipline.

00:13:09.280 You will not coast into greater wisdom.

00:13:12.660 You will not meander into strength.

00:13:16.600 The saving and sustaining indomitable grace

00:13:20.020 of our Lord will conquer in your life.

00:13:24.420 So we must call men to be strengthened in grace.

00:13:28.580 You need to be strengthened in grace.

00:13:30.480 And you need to find someone who is capable of doing so.

00:13:36.160 Be that for someone.

00:13:38.760 Second, to be faithful in our charge,

00:13:44.380 we must entrust the faith to faithful entrusters.

00:13:49.060 We must entrust the faith to faithful entrusters.

00:13:52.580 Look at verse two.

00:13:54.900 And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses,

00:13:57.860 entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. To entrust here is to deposit.

00:14:07.780 This text is known as four generation discipleship or depositing. Paul gave it to Timothy

00:14:14.500 and Timothy was to entrust it to faithful men who will be able to entrust and teach it to others

00:14:20.740 also. But in reality, it's five-generation discipleship. Jesus to Paul, to faithful men,

00:14:28.640 to Timothy, to faithful men, to others. This is the pattern of discipleship that began the church

00:14:35.480 and exploded it across the world. This is Jesus' strategy for dominionizing his world,

00:14:42.140 for spreading his glorious rule from one end of the earth to the other. Many people poured into

00:14:49.340 Timothy. And he needed to bring them to the forefront of his mind. What you have heard from

00:14:56.280 me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others.

00:15:02.980 Many people had poured into him. It was time for him to think on them so that he could realign

00:15:10.380 himself and get to the good warfare. Men, right now where you sit, think on those saints who have

00:15:21.180 trained you in the faith. Bring them to the forefront of your mind right now. Can you see

00:15:27.000 them? Your dad? Your mom? A grandpa? A grandma? A pastor? A friend? A fellow saint? Let their

00:15:40.680 faithfulness be a charge to you and a call to you for your faithfulness. Now think about

00:15:51.200 those to whom you are depositing the faith.

00:15:56.240 Are they in the front of your mind right now?

00:15:58.920 Who are you depositing this faith that is once and for all

00:16:03.100 delivered to the saints?

00:16:04.860 To whom are you depositing it in?

00:16:08.260 And if there's not anybody there, repent

00:16:11.220 and start depositing the faith.

00:16:16.160 our lord employs his faithful men who embrace the cost to teach others now what is timothy to

00:16:27.060 entrust or deposit in verse two he says what you have heard from me he says heard from me

00:16:35.520 in the faith and love that are in christ jesus and so this is what he says in second timothy

00:16:42.180 1 13 through 14 follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me

00:16:48.620 in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus verse 14 by the Holy Spirit who in who dwells

00:16:56.080 within us and then he says guard the good deposit entrusted to you and that's the gift of preaching

00:17:02.180 and teaching but also the faith that has been delivered so it's not just any deposit that you

00:17:08.820 are to make and that has been made into Timothy. No, it is the most important, most valuable deposit

00:17:16.540 known to man. It is a sacred deposit, a faith that is delivered to all the saints. It's worth more

00:17:23.920 than gold. It's worth more than silver. It's worth more than pursuing. It's worth pursuing more than

00:17:31.120 generational wealth this is the greatest generational wealth to pursue men make the

00:17:39.060 sacred deposit in your children to whom is timothy entrusted or to entrust or deposit the faith

00:17:50.160 paul says faithful men faithful men this text is discriminatory it discriminates

00:17:59.580 And this is a hard reality to hear.

00:18:02.540 In the parable of the talents, Jesus said,

00:18:04.720 the servant who buried his stewardship was rebuked, removed, and cast out.

00:18:11.460 But the faithful servant who made use of his talents,

00:18:14.760 and by exercise, they improved.

00:18:19.500 He grew, and his talents grew in abundance.

00:18:23.740 So stir up the gift, and it will inflame.

00:18:27.920 Neglect the gift, and it will rust, decay, and be taken away.

00:18:35.100 To be faithful in our charge, we must entrust the faith to faithful entrusters.

00:18:39.120 Third, to be faithful in our charge, we must prepare men to suffer like good soldiers,

00:18:49.060 pleasing their enlisting officer.

00:18:53.380 I'll say it again.

00:18:54.220 we must prepare men to suffer like good soldiers pleasing their enlisting officer

00:19:00.980 look at verse three share in suffering as a good soldier of christ jesus there are some children

00:19:08.640 in here children look at me let me see your eyes children have your have your parents ever taken you

00:19:16.240 taken your face and put it right between their hands and brought you up close and looked in your

00:19:22.460 eyes and said something like this listen to me son listen to me daughter this is very important

00:19:32.380 and then they give you some instruction hopefully it's wise but they give you some kind of

00:19:40.380 instruction that hopefully meant something and you remember it this is the kind of earnestness

00:19:46.340 than I think Paul has with Timothy right now.

00:19:49.780 I think that's the nature of this text.

00:19:52.220 Timothy, listen.

00:19:54.780 You share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

00:20:00.680 Don't shirk it.

00:20:03.160 That suffering is coming.

00:20:05.240 It's built in.

00:20:07.220 Share with me and the other men that you are going to teach.

00:20:11.960 It's not enough to fight once or twice, men.

00:20:14.420 it's not enough to fight here or there and it's not a lone ranger fight you must embrace the

00:20:22.860 battle in locked arms with other men it is in the embrace of the battle that you are embracing

00:20:30.420 the strengthening grace and the person of christ and embracing the strengthening grace that comes

00:20:38.340 through the brotherhood look at verse 3 again share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ

00:20:46.420 Jesus Paul could have said ambassador he could have said minister he could have said steward

00:20:52.420 and he has other places but here he says soldier Timothy you're a soldier

00:20:58.960 think about it timothy you're in a battle you are a soldier and not just any soldier will do

00:21:09.980 timothy you must be a good soldier of christ jesus no soldier he says in verse four gets

00:21:18.540 entangled in civilians civilian pursuits since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him

00:21:24.780 Timothy, as a good soldier, you aim your weapons towards Christ's commission and not your own.

00:21:33.600 Do not get sidetracked, Timothy.

00:21:36.180 It is Jesus' warfare.

00:21:38.360 It is Jesus' cause. 0.62

00:21:41.580 We have seen many men get sidetracked over the years.

00:21:45.780 And they take their eyes off their captain.

00:21:47.860 And they put down their weapons of faith.

00:21:50.180 And they take off their spiritual armor.

00:21:52.780 and they go after worthless pursuits.

00:21:55.360 Do not be that, men.

00:21:58.700 If you are looking at me right now,

00:22:01.400 be a good soldier, men.

00:22:02.880 Do not take off your armor.

00:22:04.800 Do not lay down the Word of God.

00:22:09.420 And if you're trying to go this alone,

00:22:12.000 repent, turn from your rebellion

00:22:13.960 and lock arms with Christ and the saints.

00:22:18.840 Be a good soldier.

00:22:22.780 brothers God forbid it would happen to you

00:22:27.440 that you would take off your armor

00:22:29.240 pay careful attention men

00:22:32.720 keep a close watch on yourself

00:22:36.160 your life

00:22:37.200 your time

00:22:38.300 your attention

00:22:39.000 your affections

00:22:40.100 oh watch yourselves brothers

00:22:42.740 brothers you must keep your weapons honed

00:22:46.680 you must keep your mind sharp

00:22:50.620 you must keep your affections on what pleases christ and your will to do his will and one of

00:22:59.240 the reasons the local church elders exist is to help you distinguish between christ's warfare

00:23:05.660 those eternally important battles and tactics and direct you away from frivolous pursuits

00:23:13.300 so what in your life right now what in your life right now is even distracting you from keeping

00:23:21.700 christ's mission first you have been commissioned by the authority of christ to make disciples in

00:23:30.220 your home your work and where you go you have been commanded to love your wife you have been

00:23:37.240 commanded to wash her in the word commanded to love your children and teach them to fear and

00:23:42.160 treasure our captain and commanded to do your work heartily as unto the Lord and commanded to do all

00:23:49.320 these things in the strengthening grace that he provides and he will not fail you men

00:23:54.320 he will not fail you

00:23:59.240 so I want us to pause right now and where you are pray psalm 139 verse 23 pray this as I read it

00:24:13.140 Search me, O God, and know my heart.

00:24:18.120 Try me and know my thoughts.

00:24:21.840 You ask God to reveal what in your life,

00:24:25.360 even now, is a distraction

00:24:26.760 from keeping Christ's mission first.

00:24:35.100 And men, you leave them.

00:24:38.680 Leave them.

00:24:39.520 do not get entangled in them for another second

00:24:45.400 john 4 4 says friendship with the world is enmity with god you leave them now

00:24:55.860 for his glory and your joy and the joy of generations to come and you be strengthened

00:25:03.680 in the grace that God provides.

00:25:06.540 When does this warfare end?

00:25:09.940 Well, if you're going to be a good soldier,

00:25:12.000 you do not stop fighting

00:25:13.600 until our Lord takes you home.

00:25:18.400 Are you a good soldier?

00:25:21.300 You let him determine

00:25:22.560 when you will stop fighting.

00:25:25.400 Do not give up your warfare

00:25:27.340 until 2 Timothy 4.8,

00:25:29.740 until you receive the crown of righteousness,

00:25:32.100 which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to you

00:25:35.560 and to all who have loved his appearing

00:25:38.720 on the day of Christ's return.

00:25:40.820 Be a good soldier.

00:25:43.040 Number four.

00:25:45.820 We must prepare men to compete according to the rules

00:25:53.960 so you'll be crowned. 0.91

00:25:58.100 We must charge men to compete according to the rules

00:26:00.980 so that you will be crowned.

00:26:02.900 Look at verse 5.

00:26:05.320 An athlete is not crowned

00:26:06.440 unless he competes according to the rules.

00:26:08.640 Athleto is the word.

00:26:11.080 It talks about the drive and the competition

00:26:13.080 it takes to compete in an athletic event.

00:26:17.360 Brothers, labor with all the spiritual

00:26:20.660 and physical and emotional

00:26:22.420 and mental energy you have

00:26:24.940 and compete.

00:26:27.680 He will strengthen you in His grace

00:26:30.140 and do not neglect the day of small beginnings.

00:26:33.780 So many of you have come to a conference

00:26:36.080 and you think about, oh, what they are doing.

00:26:39.360 Look what God has done with those men.

00:26:42.700 Look what he's doing in their lives.

00:26:46.200 And envy can set in.

00:26:51.920 And I ask you, are you content in the small beginnings

00:26:55.820 that God has worked in you?

00:26:58.480 For some of you, those small beginnings are years in the past.

00:27:02.840 For some of you, they're right in front of you.

00:27:08.240 Do not despise the day of small things, Zechariah 4.10 says.

00:27:14.060 Why?

00:27:14.880 Because in that way, in those offerings of obedience that are put before you by your king,

00:27:23.900 he is developing. He's honing you as a good soldier. He is testing you to see if you can manage

00:27:33.260 the grace that he supplies for your daily needs and for your daily growth. When you say,

00:27:43.020 give us this day our daily bread, there is a principle that's being set there.

00:27:49.540 give us what we need for today and he says here here's a small thing do that and trust me when

00:27:58.480 you do it don't do it in your own strength do it as an act of love to christ do it as an act of

00:28:06.060 worship and start there in those small things and see what he might do and see then

00:28:14.120 that you will be trained to understand

00:28:18.180 that it's not by might nor by power,

00:28:21.060 but by the Spirit of Christ.

00:28:26.580 That's what Zechariah 4.6 says.

00:28:30.160 So love your family big.

00:28:32.320 Spend yourself for the ultimate good of another

00:28:35.400 and know that your life is not your own.

00:28:39.500 It was bought with a price.

00:28:41.360 So glorify God in your body.

00:28:44.120 and compete according to the rules.

00:28:48.600 Fifth, to be faithful in our charge,

00:28:52.420 we must challenge men to work hard

00:28:54.460 so they'll enjoy the spoils.

00:28:58.020 To be faithful in our charge,

00:28:59.620 we must challenge men to work hard

00:29:01.540 so they will enjoy the spoils. 0.84

00:29:04.940 Look at verse six.

00:29:07.520 Paul tells Timothy,

00:29:08.880 it is the hardworking farmer

00:29:10.180 who ought to have the first share of the crops.

00:29:12.580 So men, you lay your hand to the plow and do not look back.

00:29:17.660 This is no place for fickle following.

00:29:21.080 If you are going to be a man who pursues Christ,

00:29:25.640 you must work hard.

00:29:28.680 Get up every day and take on the day

00:29:32.440 ready to experience the full onslaught of the grace of Christ.

00:29:39.100 do you recognize that what is coming at you

00:29:43.420 is not first the cares and the circumstances

00:29:45.940 and the trials of this world

00:29:47.400 it is the overwhelming indomitable grace of Christ

00:29:52.320 that is confronting you in the day

00:29:53.780 why would we think about the negative

00:29:57.220 when the positive is overwhelmingly good

00:30:00.300 who meets you whenever you wake up in the morning

00:30:04.040 Christ before me

00:30:06.520 Christ beside me

00:30:09.440 Christ behind me.

00:30:11.300 Christ wherever I go.

00:30:17.840 And if you look to Christ and you work hard,

00:30:20.540 you will share in the spoils.

00:30:23.820 Now you might not always see the fruit,

00:30:27.380 but the results are God's.

00:30:30.980 Obedience is yours.

00:30:34.180 Duty is ours.

00:30:35.920 Results belong to God.

00:30:38.760 Sixth, to be faithful in our charge,

00:30:42.480 we must call men to think hard over the Scriptures.

00:30:46.000 We must call men to think hard over the Scriptures

00:30:48.780 so you'll align yourselves providentially.

00:30:53.720 Think hard over the Scriptures

00:30:55.260 so you'll align yourselves according to God's providence.

00:30:59.960 Look at verse 7.

00:31:02.040 Paul tells Timothy,

00:31:02.980 Think over what I say,

00:31:04.780 for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

00:31:07.820 He's saying, Timothy, you get clear perception, you come to full understanding, you give careful attention and count the cost and then do exactly what our Lord says.

00:31:21.740 Align yourself, Timothy, with God's providence and then you embrace the cost.

00:31:28.580 In 2 Samuel 10, we're told of the Ammonite and Syrian armies coming up against King David.

00:31:36.520 And Job, who's the commander of David's army,

00:31:39.300 gives advice to the soldiers that you must heed.

00:31:43.800 You must heed this, men.

00:31:46.840 2 Samuel 10, 12.

00:31:48.720 Be of good courage and let us be courageous for our people

00:31:52.500 and for the cities of our God.

00:31:55.260 And may Yahweh do what seems good to him.

00:32:00.660 If you are going to align yourselves providentially,

00:32:04.260 You must first be of good courage, men.

00:32:07.420 You must be of good courage.

00:32:09.280 Why?

00:32:10.800 Because you entrust yourself to the sovereign ruler of all

00:32:15.160 who establishes the dominion of Christ by his own zealous pleasure.

00:32:20.440 What's going to arouse your courage?

00:32:24.320 An undefeatable king.

00:32:27.400 Who do you serve? 1.00

00:32:30.100 You don't serve a limp-wristed gay king. 1.00

00:32:45.240 He has never been defeated. 1.00

00:32:47.460 He will never be defeated.

00:32:49.040 And if you give yourself to him,

00:32:50.720 you will walk in his triumphal procession.

00:32:56.760 To align yourself providentially,

00:32:58.260 providentially you must be of good courage men second to align yourself providentially you must

00:33:04.040 be courageous for our people first chronicles 18 13 says use your use your strength for our people

00:33:12.820 and the cities of our god men use your strength that god that god has graciously given you to

00:33:20.340 protect the innocent to lead to serve to provide to rescue those who are being led to death

00:33:27.800 Let me just say something about the campaign that I went through, and now that I'm a senator, just to give you some perspective of how God works in his providence.

00:33:40.260 God wanted certain topics from our campaign to be in the public discussion, because for whatever reason, they've been lacking in the public discussion.

00:33:49.280 you can probably think of some reasons why some of the topics that we talked about that god brought

00:33:56.680 up in my campaign were lacking in the public discussion go back to point one to to be aligned

00:34:03.840 providentially you must be of good courage if we lack courage certain topics aren't going to go in

00:34:09.300 the public discussion god did these things he brought those topics to discussion and i had a

00:34:16.760 duty before God to trust him to set the platform. Providence ensured that the plight of the pre-born

00:34:24.440 and those being frozen and discarded would be front and center in my campaign. My opponents 1.00

00:34:30.980 thought it was wise to attack my Christian stance on these issues, and you cannot imagine the fruit

00:34:36.640 that God has brought through conversations during the campaign. What they intended for evil, 0.94

00:34:43.060 our sovereign God intended for good.

00:34:47.400 So some of you are going to decide

00:34:49.300 I need to step up and run for a civil seat

00:34:54.760 to be a civil servant.

00:34:56.700 Some of you in this room are going to.

00:34:58.780 And can I just charge you to be of good courage?

00:35:04.880 To be of good courage for your people

00:35:07.160 and to trust God to establish the points

00:35:12.580 and the talking points of your campaign,

00:35:15.280 you pray, you set them.

00:35:17.180 And then if the media decides

00:35:19.020 they're going to come after you

00:35:20.140 and they think they're going to take you down,

00:35:21.820 you go at them even harder.

00:35:23.480 Oh, that's the topic?

00:35:24.540 Now I want to go harder.

00:35:26.880 Lean into it.

00:35:28.320 You trust God. 1.00

00:35:29.380 Don't be a fool, 0.99

00:35:30.580 but trust God and lean into it. 0.99

00:35:33.460 To align yourself providentially,

00:35:35.180 third, you must let God do what seems good to him.

00:35:39.340 let god do what seems good to him do you trust the lord like this men

00:35:45.340 do you trust god to tear down evil in his world according to his timing and his means and his

00:35:52.580 purposes or do you look and say well the culture will only allow this much so we're going to set

00:35:57.800 the terms on the basis of the culture fine on that hell if we let the culture set the terms

00:36:06.480 then the culture is God and not our Lord.

00:36:09.440 You are bowing to a different king 0.80

00:36:11.740 and that king always leads to destruction

00:36:14.500 and chaos and disorder.

00:36:16.960 There is only Christ or chaos.

00:36:26.720 Psalm 110 verse 3 says,

00:36:30.140 Your people are complete willingness

00:36:31.840 on the day of your power,

00:36:33.400 in the day of your muster,

00:36:34.880 in the splendor of your holiness.

00:36:36.960 Christian men, are you offering yourselves

00:36:39.400 with complete willingness to the King of kings

00:36:42.200 and Lord of lords

00:36:43.040 such that he will use you for his glory

00:36:46.100 in the civil sphere?

00:36:48.880 Christ's people see themselves

00:36:51.260 as free will offerings.

00:36:54.980 They don't just bring doves or other items.

00:36:58.000 They give themselves to Christ.

00:37:00.060 They give him everything they have.

00:37:04.500 And King Jesus looks out from his throne

00:37:07.200 and he scans over all of his creation

00:37:09.860 and he can identify his people

00:37:12.520 with this single characteristic.

00:37:16.280 Willing.

00:37:19.720 Willing.

00:37:23.540 So you be a willing people.

00:37:27.700 And whatever you say, Lord,

00:37:29.960 whatever you want

00:37:32.240 I am yours

00:37:33.580 when, where, why, how

00:37:36.140 whatever I am willing

00:37:38.440 to be faithful in our charge

00:37:42.100 we must call men to think hard

00:37:44.240 over the scriptures so they'll

00:37:46.340 align themselves providentially

00:37:48.100 so let me conclude with this

00:37:49.980 soldiers

00:37:58.340 Men, brothers, like it or not, you are in a conflict and the enemy of your souls and the souls of your family and the souls of the saints is prowling around seeking his prey.

00:38:15.840 And by God's grace, you have been born again to be a good soldier for the good of God's people.

00:38:22.680 So act like men.

00:38:23.800 be watchful 0.87

00:38:27.000 stand firm in the faith

00:38:28.920 act like men and be strong

00:38:31.440 and let all that you do

00:38:33.220 be done in love

00:38:34.640 even if it's a hard love

00:38:35.940 God did not make you a female 1.00

00:38:39.660 that should be obvious 1.00

00:38:43.360 but here we are saying it 1.00

00:38:46.660 you are not a female

00:38:49.360 he made you a male 0.95

00:38:51.660 to fulfill a specific role

00:38:53.540 in his created order.

00:38:56.080 And since God made you a male,

00:38:58.240 he gave you a mission and duties

00:39:00.200 that will demonstrate his divine qualities

00:39:02.600 and attributes in ways that are specific

00:39:05.380 to your masculinity.

00:39:08.040 Jesus, your warrior king,

00:39:10.260 has summoned you.

00:39:11.500 He has commanded your formation for battle.

00:39:15.160 Line up, men.

00:39:16.520 Your charge is to fight the king's battle

00:39:19.680 with the king's weapons,

00:39:21.020 to fight on his battlefront

00:39:23.540 to make offensive war on the gates of hell

00:39:26.160 and to prevail

00:39:27.280 to push the lines ever forward

00:39:30.640 to extend the dynasty and the dominion of our king

00:39:33.640 who rules from on high

00:39:35.220 and every enemy will bow

00:39:37.980 he will footstool every enemy

00:39:41.680 and this world will be dominionized

00:39:44.520 and it will glory reflect

00:39:46.420 like the waters cover the sea

00:39:48.120 the world will be conquered

00:39:49.760 and the conquerors will sit with King Jesus on his throne.

00:39:53.660 Amen.

00:39:55.240 Now look around you, men.

00:39:58.140 Look at your brothers.

00:40:01.260 Your divine general has strategically gathered fellow troops,

00:40:05.560 warriors,

00:40:07.740 men in your churches,

00:40:11.240 men in your home,

00:40:15.360 fighting men,

00:40:17.100 young and old,

00:40:17.880 husbands fathers grandfathers leaders all gifted all strategic all commissioned to wage the good

00:40:25.040 warfare as good soldiers of our king man it is no time for shrinking back know this you will suffer

00:40:33.420 you will be called to share in the sufferings of our king but they cannot be compared to the

00:40:39.300 eternal weight of glory that is to be revealed to you in your groaning you will grow in your

00:40:45.920 mourning you will hope in your struggle you will triumph so keep your eyes on our loving crucified

00:40:54.160 but resurrected warrior king jesus and in his providence that is kind he has placed you here

00:41:03.660 at this time for war side along for war alongside your brothers in arms and you need to pay attention

00:41:10.520 to what God is doing in your life now

00:41:13.240 and in the lives of your brothers and sisters

00:41:15.540 and families in your church.

00:41:17.580 Our Lord's call is not just a call to warfare,

00:41:20.780 but it's to embrace the battle.

00:41:24.020 And the reward of your king awaits

00:41:26.060 should you labor in his strength,

00:41:29.180 by his direction,

00:41:30.960 and for his glory.

00:41:32.020 Amen?

The NXR Podcast - March 12, 2024

THE CONFERENCE - Men of War - Dusty Deevers

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