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Sermon Guide

Making Sense of Church
Week 8 | The Army

Teaching Text

Ephesians 6:10-20

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

Sermon Recap

This Sunday, Pastor Suzy Silk continued our sermon series, Making Sense of the Church, with a teaching on the Church as an Army. Various images or events in history may come to mind when we consider this metaphor, but in the book of Ephesians, Paul describes a spiritual battle believers are engaged in and how God has prepared us to fight together for the expansion of His Kingdom.

First, we must understand that we do not live in a neutral world, but in an ongoing battle. Ever since Adam and Eve chose to listen to the voice of the serpent instead of the voice of God, humanity has been subjected to live in the kingdom of darkness. Even though we are made in the image of God, we have all been born into the slavery of sin as enemies of God. However, God, being rich in mercy, set out to rescue His people and bring them into His Kingdom of light. In Ephesians, Paul instructs us that we do not fight against flesh and blood, but the unseen demonic realm of Satan and his army of demons. The enemy uses various tactics to attack us, including lies and deceit to distort our understanding of God or His character, and accusations to cause us to question our right standing before God. The enemy also tries to attack us through temptations to disobey God’s commands, through distractions designed to choke out God’s Word, and even through physical oppression and suffering. The enemy’s chief goal is to cause us to disobey God and yield our lives over to Satan’s control.

However, God has not left us defenseless in this battle. Pastor Suzy reminded us that God has provided His Church with armor and weapons to fight with. He has equipped us with armor, such as the belt of truth, which protects against the lies the enemy seeks to sow, and the breastplate of righteousness, which clothes us in Jesus’ righteousness so that every accusation from the enemy falls short. He has fitted our feet with the readiness that comes from the Gospel of peace so that we can proclaim the good news of the Gospel to those held captive by Satan’s lies, and the helmet of salvation to guard our thoughts and remind us of the truth that we have already been saved by Jesus’ sacrifice.

God has also equipped us with divinely empowered weapons so that we can stand strong in His mighty power through the Holy Spirit. God has given us the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, through which we can gently proclaim the good news of the Gospel and the truth of who God is. He has also given us the shield of faith to recall and remember the promises and prophecies God has made to us and to His Church. Finally, He has given us the weapons of prayer and worship that proclaim who God is and call on the name of Jesus, so that we might stand in obedience to Him even in suffering.

Pastor Suzy reminded us that though we still experience battles, we follow Jesus, the Warrior-King, who has already won the war. On the cross, Jesus defeated Satan, sin, death, and hell and has sent out His disciples in His authority to declare that victory. In light of this, we are able to stand firm, knowing that Jesus has achieved ultimate victory: He has rescued us, brought us into His kingdom, and we await the day He will return in His full glory.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  • As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

  • Ask someone to read Ephesians 6:10-20 aloud to the group.

    1. What words, images, or phrases stand out to you? If this is a familiar passage for you, through this sermon or re-reading the text, is there anything that resonates with you in a new way?

    2. What do these passages reveal about how God sees the Church/our role in the Kingdom?

    3. What do these passages tell us about Jesus?

LEAN IN | THE NINE DISTINCTIVES

Blessing Beyond Barriers

    • When you hear the phrase “the last, the least, and the lost,” who or what groups of people come to mind in our city? Are there specific populations you feel compassion towards or feel God might be nudging you to engage?

    • What “barriers” (social, personal, emotional) tend to keep you from engaging in mission to those outside your comfort zone? For example: fear of people different from you, busyness, not knowing where to start, feeling inadequate, etc. Discuss these honestly. How might we rely on the Holy Spirit to overcome these barriers?

    • Share an experience when you reached out to help someone or serve in an uncomfortable context. What did you learn about God or yourself through it? Conversely, share a time when you were the one in need and someone crossed a barrier to bless you. How did that impact you?

    • Newbigin’s quote frames mission as being “with Jesus” on the frontier. How does it change our perspective to think of Jesus already out there among the hurting, waiting for us to join Him – rather than us bringing Jesus to people? In what current “frontier” have you seen or sensed Jesus working (it could be a story in the news, a ministry you know, etc.)?

  • 1. Pastor Suzy shared several tactics the enemy uses to attack us in our faith journey (lies/distortion, accusation, distortion, temptation, distraction, and obedience)? Which of these resonates most for you/do you think God might be asking you to request in your life?

    2. What does it look like in your life to "put on the armor of God"? Do you think about this often?

    3. Do you see prayer as powerful as any other weapon or defense in this passage? Where have you experienced prayer’s power in your life, or where do you long to see more of it?

    4. What does it mean to stand firm in your life right now specifically? Is there anywhere God is asking you to change your posture to maintain this?

  • Spend time praying over the specific areas of your life where you need God’s armor this week. Ask Him for wisdom to recognize where you’re vulnerable, and for strength to stand firm in His truth and power.

  • As a group, what is one actionable step we could take together to “bless beyond barriers”? Let’s decide on something (a service project, a group giving opportunity, an invitation to someone to join us for a meal, etc.) and make a plan for it. Also, consider splitting into pairs to do something this week – for example, two of us visit a sick person, or two volunteer at the food pantry, etc. Next time, we’ll share how it went.