Fighters — Jim Cymbala

David’s Struggle to Become King

Before I put a verse up, let's do a little background. When David became the first king of Israel, it wasn't without a lot of struggle. There was a king before him who was trying to kill him who was named King Saul.

When David became king, he didn't become king in Jerusalem. He became king in a city called Hebron. And not all the tribes of Israel were behind him. In fact, some were opposing him. And then there were other armies that saw David as weak and other nations that would attack him.

So there was a whole lot of fighting going on. But people were drawn to David and saw him as the one that got it anointed to be the king of Israel. So they had such loyalty and identity with David that they began to fight for him and fight with him.

These people are mentioned in the book of First Chronicles in great detail. These people who would fight for David before he became king, when he was partially king, and then when he became king in Jerusalem.

All his soldiers and his generals and the military leaders are mentioned in great detail. In fact, of those men who fought for David, there's even a list of people called the mighty men. You know, there are soldiers, there are officers, and then there are mighty men.

The Mighty Men Who Fought for David

Mighty men. These were men who did exploits for David. They did unusual things. They were strong, they were powerful, they were skilled in using weapons, the Bible tells us. They were very courageous.

They had no fear in them, it seemed. And they were ready to give up their lives for David, their king. David couldn't have become king, even though God prophesied that he would become king without the fighting of these men.

This is a misconception in most people's minds. They think that because God says something that it's gonna happen while we sit and watch. That's not the way it works. Jesus wants the gospel to spread around the world and for people to come to the knowledge of the salvation that we enjoy.

But how's it gonna happen? Someone's gotta go. Someone's gotta fight. Someone's gotta extend themselves. Such it was with David. Jesus was the son of David. David was the king in a physical, national sense.

Jesus is the king of kings in a spiritual sense. Has a kingdom, but it's a spiritual kingdom. So these mighty men and these soldiers fought for David. Imagine what that meant. That meant you had to get up and leave your house to go and fight a battle.

What would the natural tendency be in all of us if we had a choice of sitting at home or going out and risking our lives? Stay at home. Ah, but if you're really devoted to the king and you wanna see him on the throne, then what happens is you get your body up and you go out and you train and you fight the battles.

Why? Not for yourself. You're fighting it for the king. So that's why these men are so important in 1 Chronicles. They went and fought for David. Mighty men, strong men. Now when David became king, he organized his kingdom with a great attention to detail.

David’s Organized Kingdom and Its Servants

He had an army and military force and he had leaders over that. He recruited from each of the 12 tribes different numbers of men and the Bible lists all the men who would go out and fight. Imagine that God would put that in the Bible.

All the men who would go out and fight for David. Must have been important to put it in the Bible. So we know the names, if you ever wanna read through the Bible, we know the names of all kinds of obscure people, obscure to us, but important at that moment because what did they do?

They led the charge. They were generals. They were commanders in the army. But there was not only an army. Chronicles tells us that then David organized the priesthood because he got a hold of the ark that had been stolen by the Philistines, the ark of the covenant, and he brought it into Jerusalem and then he started to plan for the day.

He didn't do it, his son did it, when a temple would be built. So he knew that for the sacrifices to be offered every day and for the morning lamb to be killed and the evening lamb and all the sacrifices, the sin offerings, the peace offerings, the grain offerings and all of that, there had to be an organized priesthood.

So he organized the whole priesthood and all the priests, the Levites, they were ready to do service for God according to the assignment that was given to them by David and the leaders that he put over the Levites.

It was organized down to the last detail. Who would do what and who would burn the incense and who would go in to the holy place and who would be working outside where the animals were killed, organized.

Not only that, but he organized musicians. The Bible says, he got a hold of people who were skilled, they must have had tryouts like they have for the choir because he only used people who were skilled.

And he got people who played instruments and they made a joyful noise. He organized that, he didn't just say, well anybody do anything, just do whatever you feel like. No, not at all. He organized instruments, he got a hold of the best players he could find and then they were organized.

He not only organized the musicians under certain leaders, he organized the choir and he had choir directors. And in fact, the choir, large groups of people, 300, 500, 200, the choir actually got to live in the temple free of charge, don't get any ideas, all right.

No, that was important because you need instruments but you need singers. Because the singers would inspire all the people to sing. But the singers who lead have to be skilled. So everything was done by gifting.

You had that gift, you used it as an instrument player, as a choir member. And then there were people who wrote songs and he organized them because not everybody has the gift to write a song. But they're mentioned in the Bible.

People who wrote a song that helped Israel worship are mentioned in the Bible. How important that must be to God. Who made a lot of money, who built a skyscraper, didn't have any back then, but who made a lot of money and who was famous in the theater, that isn't mentioned.

But who had something to do with God's work, all that are mentioned. Not only that, he organized gatekeepers because you have to have security. You have to have people who are watching the gates so that enemies can't come in while you're praising God.

What happens if you're praising God and everything's going on and everybody's making music and then enemies come into the gate? So there's a whole list, a whole chapter's taken up of how many people from each tribe were gatekeepers and provided security.

Then there was a royal historian and then there was the person who was his secretary. And David was a warrior, he was a songwriter, but he was also an organizer. And he organized everything to be run smoothly.

The Hidden Work Behind the Church’s Ministry

Otherwise things don't happen. There's a couple lessons in that. Just for example, today we're meeting. Do you know all the people who made it possible for us to meet here today? I'm not speaking about me.

Do you know the people who got here at what time in the morning to turn on the air conditioning so you wouldn't be going like this and fanning yourself? It's comfortable in here, isn't it? Isn't it? Somebody came in real early because when it gets real hot, you can't go wait till the last second.

There were people who cleaned the building here yesterday so that there's not just a mess. The kids are meeting across the street, but how did that get clean after all the activity during the week? There are people, volunteers who go over there, keepers of God's house, and some paid people who go over there and that's what they do.

Otherwise we couldn't have BT kids. When you walked in, people greeted you. There's ushers. There's people watching for broken chairs. The choir got up and sang, but then there's these musicians who practice and know the songs, and they practice and get a repertoire.

In other words, this just didn't happen. I mean, I'm walking up here. I just do my little thing, but do you realize all the people that are involved and the people who get the PowerPoint ready and the people who make that video possible for the announcements?

I mean, there's a whole lot of shaking going on here. A lot of things happening, and that's the way it was with David. He organized everything so people could have their tasks and accomplish them for the glory of God.

There was another group of people who were the treasurers, and they were the people who collected the monies so that the temple could be built. We have treasurers who collected the money and kept an account of all the offerings that were brought in.

Why? You gotta build the temple. You need money. You need money. People give the money, but then who's gonna count the money? Who's gonna give the money to the workers? Who's gonna supervise the workers?

There's a whole lot of stuff going on, and everybody in Israel realized whether you serve in the military or you're a treasurer or you're a gatekeeper, you're a priest, you're a singer, you're a musician, everybody's got something to do.

The Treasuries Dedicated to God’s House

Now, this obscure little verse takes us to a very, very important little subject, I think, important big subject. Let's look at it. It's one of those parts in Chronicles you wanna read over quick, but there's a good lesson to it.

Shalemith and his relatives were in charge of all the treasuries for the things dedicated by King David by the heads of families who were commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds and by other army commanders.

Let's analyze that. This guy named Shalemith and his relatives, it's a family thing, family business, ministry, were in charge of all the treasuries for the things dedicated by King David. In other words, King David would go out and win battles and then he would gain plunder, right, from where he won, and then he would dedicate it to the treasury.

Shalemith was the guy controlling that. But not only David did that, by the heads of families who were commanders of thousands, these are military people, and commanders of hundreds, you see the organization?

Some people were over thousands. Some of the people of lesser talent, maybe, were over hundreds or they showed themselves gifted so they could become over thousands. And then some other army commanders, when they won battle, they won battles, they brought the plunder back to Jerusalem, to Shalemith.

And now our verse, verse 27. Some of the plunder taken in battle they dedicated for the repair of the temple of the Lord. Some of the plunder in battles that they had some of the plunder taken in battle they dedicated for the repair of the temple of the Lord.

So what they did was, they went out and had battles, and in those battles, they gained things, plunder. And instead of keeping it for themselves, they came to Shalemith and they said, I want what I got out of the battle, I want to give it to the building up of the temple of the Lord.

Give it to King David and I donate it for the building up of the temple. So this is a simple little point for us today. We've already learned a couple things, let's review them. Even though it was prophesied by Samuel that David would be on the throne, people have to fight to get him on the throne.

Even though God said you will possess the land, they had a fight to possess the land under Joshua. A lot of people have a totally warped concept of prophecy. They think that because God said something, there's no cooperation on our part, there's no work, no sacrifice, God said it, he'll do it, turn on American Idol, I want to see who the new contestant is.

But that's not the way it was with David. David was anointed by Samuel as a young man. God said you will one day sit on the throne. He almost lost his life 100 times. Men traveled with him about 600 in the desert and fought for him and protected him.

He almost lost his life several times, real close calls. And then there were major battles that had to be fought and they are the men who put David on the throne. So God lists them in the Bible and says no, these are no Johnny come lately, fly by night people.

These are the real deal. They put my anointed one on the throne. No, God put him on the throne. You're right, God put him on the throne. But those men were used by God to put him on the throne. How many get it so far?

Say amen. And then everybody else had their part to play. That's a good other lesson we have. Everybody, according to their gift, participated in the big enterprise which was the kingdom of the king, King David.

The work of the temple, the work of security, the work of military forces and so on and so forth. Now some men went out and fought battles and the plunder that they won, they didn't keep for themselves.

They had a little bigger perspective. And they said we love our king so much that we're gonna take what we captured and the plunder we got out of battles that we fought and we're gonna give it to the king for the repair and the building of the house of the Lord.

Jesus Builds a Spiritual House

Now why would God put that in the Bible? Because God's got another king and it's not David. It's the son of David and his name is King Jesus. He has a king now called King Jesus. And he wants to establish Jesus' throne, Jesus' kingship.

He wants to establish it all around the world. He loves people so much and he has named his son King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And not only that but Savior of the world, Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

And everyone who believes in him would not perish but have everlasting life. That woman with that four year old girl, if she would just believe in that king, her life would be changed. And the only one who can really direct that girl in the way that she should go, that four year old, and who has a plan for her life and the power to accomplish it is this King Jesus.

And he is building a house too. But it's not a physical house. The Bible says, know ye not, and he's using both singular and plural in First Corinthians, Paul. So what he's saying is, don't you know that you are individually, this lady is a temple, this sister is a temple of the Holy Spirit.

She is the house of the Lord, she's an individual. By the way, church is never used in the New Testament to designate a building, ever. It always speaks of people. We are the church, they had no church buildings.

When you hear people say, let's have church, that would have been unknown to Paul. The only house he knew was the house of people. God is building a temple. But it's not only true for her. In another place, Paul says, don't you know that you all are the temple of the Holy Spirit?

So when he says it about her, he says now, live a clean life and stay close to the Lord. Don't dishonor the temple, which is your body, because the Holy Spirit lives inside of you. This is why Christians feel so horrible when they sin, if they're truly born again.

Because they're defaming and polluting the temple of the Holy Spirit, and there's a reaction. But then in another way, you all are the temple. The church, the Brooklyn Tabernacle, in a sense, is the temple of the Lord.

Know you not that you're the temple of the Lord. And then God, Paul, speaking about people who gossip and have strife and fight and hurt the body, he says this solemn thing. Don't you know that whoever destroys the temple, God will destroy?

It's one of the most awesome verses in the New Testament. This temple, this body, is so special to God that anybody who harms it, God says, I'll destroy you. Judgment will come on you, because you didn't mess with the UN, you didn't mess with some corporation, you messed with my temple.

Guarding the Unity of the Church

By the way, I'm trying to help a pastor from another place with a problem that he's going through with some people in his church who are just, through gossip, it's a smaller congregation, through gossip and strife and backbiting, they're destroying the temple of the Holy Spirit.

And he calls me, just, you know, saying, pastor, give me counsel, tell me, help me, pray with me, and so on and so forth. And I just want to say something to all of you. We mention it when we have new members come in, but I want to say it to you now here.

Anybody, whoever talks to you in and around this building or any place else on a phone or a text or an email who mentions anyone else who is not present in a negative way, you have authority from us to stop them in mid-sentence and say, we don't do that here.

Do I get a witness here? We don't speak about people who are not present and criticize them. If you have a criticism or a problem, come to the person, that's what the Bible says. So if you stop that person and say, no, no, you can't talk about that usher, you can't talk about that deacon, you can't talk about that associate pastor, you can't talk about that girl in the choir.

No, you don't know what she did. Fine, we'll get her, and you come to Pastor Simba's office, say what you want to her in front of him, and she'll apologize if she's wrong. But we don't talk about people behind their back because that destroys the temple, wait, wait, wait, that destroys the temple of God.

Imagine the judgment coming on people who look down at folks who shoot drugs and are involved with perverse sex. They look down on them, and they're guilty of a worse sin because when you mess up your body, you only mess up your body.

When you mess with the church, you're messing with God's body. Can you imagine on the day of judgment what's gonna happen to people, maybe in this building, certainly in that other person's building, just running their mouths, talking behind, won't come out of the dark, they won't come out.

So I said, get them, and with the people, no, they won't meet. And then if someone says, no, no, I won't meet with that person, I, you know, I just don't want to meet. Then you say, I rebuke you in the name of Christ.

You tell me about a person, but you won't confront that person and come in the light? You are up to no good. Come on, all in favor, let's put our hands together. Somebody slipped in their conversation with me a few weeks ago, and they were talking, and they said to me, oh, pastor, you don't know what they're saying about a certain person.

And I went, what? Who's saying what about that person? Get them to me. Oh, no, they're shy, they're humble. I said, no, they're full of the devil. They're not humble or shy. You get them right now, and you bring them, and suddenly, I don't want to let that talk go on around me.

Somebody hurt you, you go. If I hurt you, I'll bow on my knees, and I'll apologize, which I've done several times to people, but we don't talk. Because that destroys the big temple. That's God, and God says, whoever destroys my temple, I will destroy.

Ooh, that's scary, right? How many want to build up the temple? Come on, wave your hand. I want to build up the temple, encourage the temple. I don't want to hurt the temple. And the temple is made up of bricks.

Bricks, see, these are all bricks. Paul says, God is putting us together. All bricks. See, all these people, we're all knitted together. And what's the cement that keeps us close so that we're a good temple?

Love. Love. Love, love cements us together. He's building this King Jesus. He's building a temple. He's building a house. God wants his kingdom established. That's why the last thing Jesus said was, go into all the world and preach the gospel.

The Kingdom Advances Through Active Witness

He didn't say circle the wagons and study the Bible. He didn't say have praise and worship services ad nauseum. Does praise and worship have a place? Yep. Studying the Bible important. We had a great Bible study this last Thursday, like 1 ,000 students.

But the last thing he said was, go out and establish my kingdom. Now the question is, that involves fighting. There's where the shortage is. Jesus said it another way in the gospels. The fields are ripe unto harvest, but what's few?

The laborers. Because laborers have to get up off their back end and go and labor. How do you labor? They, to establish David's kingdom, they actually threw lances at people, javelins. They had swords and they had the small shield and they would parry and thrust and they did that kind of fighting.

We don't do that fighting. We don't have that spirit. This is a new covenant, different kind of kingdom. His kingdom is built by talking, loving, sharing, reaching, showing mercy, praying on a Tuesday night, giving, going on a missions trip.

How else would his kingdom be established? Oh no, but God is on the throne. We just sang, God, he reigns. Yeah, he reigns and unless we work for him, there'll be no kingdom. That's fantasy. A lot of people live in a spiritual fantasy.

Rejecting False Spiritual Triumphalism

Total fantasy. This is being streamed so I can say this. I was in a conference recently. It needs to be said and all the pastors in this one group I was invited to, they all have churches about 50, 75, 80 people year after year, no converts, no converts, but they're very much into Pentecostal culture.

And you know, praise God and lots of noise and talking arrogantly and you know, this modern form of stuff you see on Christian television and all that. And they're prophesying over nations and they're resisting devils pulling down strongholds and they all, they've been in the ministry 20 years.

They haven't baptized 20 people. But they praise God. I speak, God has put me over nations and over counties and over lands and I was in this meeting and just listening to him going this is the most insane thing I ever saw.

And I was the speaker. Just going totally crazy. And it sounds very triumphant. It sounds very like macho, spiritually macho. It's just total nonsense. It's nowhere found in the New Testament. Christians don't take land.

There's no land taken. We win souls. Nowhere in the New Testament. Come on, do we win souls? We win souls. The land, the land in the Old Testament is a symbol, is a symbol of God's promise for us because they were allotted the land.

So how we use it symbolically is, we use it take what God has promised you. But we don't take land. We don't take, I'm taking New Jersey for God. No you're not. Leave New Jersey alone. Just try to talk to the people who live in New Jersey.

Am I right or wrong here? So, but this was all that kind of swagger. I'm taking territory. It's a misconnection. People who don't understand the difference between the Old Covenant and New Covenant. Paul and Peter, James and John, Jesus never talked about taking land.

It's winning souls one by one. Wait, who Christ died for and he loves, like that woman and the four-year-old baby. So that kingdom has to be established. But to get it established, we can't sit and quote verses.

That's the new false triumphalism of the modern day, especially charismatic movement in the last 25, 30 years. Just speak over this city and all this other nonsense. Paul never spoke over any city. He went out and won souls.

Preached the gospel. So now, the question is, facing all of us, who has loyalty to our king, like they had loyalty to their king, to go out and fight? Why did they fight and risk their lives? Because David was the man.

Serving King Jesus Rather Than Self

I'll do anything for David. I'll do anything for David. And David was just the king. We have a king who died on the cross for us. Now, brothers and sisters, you've heard me preach 1 ,000 times from this pulpit.

It seems, what the king will do for you, what he's done for you, and what he wants to do from you. So don't turn me off now that on this Sunday, ask what you will do for your king. It's not all about you.

It's all about him. It's not about me. I'm not the center of the universe. Jesus is the center of the universe. So look, I'm all for telling people, this is what God has done for you. This is what God will do for you.

And the Lord loves you, and he'll show mercy and help you get a job. And all of that is true. But look at me, I'm asking you now, now what are you gonna do in return for your king? Are we gonna sit down in our houses and just watch the world go by?

And then when we're in trouble, say, king, help me again? You mean there's no reciprocal relationship? Nothing for the king? No giving, no praying, no working, no talking, no sharing? Just help me, Jesus, help me, Jesus?

That religion is really sick, isn't it? It's American Christianity tilted toward me. It's all about me. I need Jesus. I talked to someone about eight months ago who said to me, you know what, my life's not working out, and I'm really ticked off with God.

I went under the desk in case a lightning bolt came and wiped out my office. I didn't wanna get hit. That person's ticked off with God because her life is not working out right. That's what it comes down to, right?

No, this is unsettling some of you because that's the Christianity you've learned. All you've learned is gimme, gimme, gimme Jesus. He died on the cross, and he sent his spirit, and lo, I am with you, and he will supply, and I know the plans that I have for you, and plans, rah, rah, rah, rah.

That's all great, and I preach it 1 ,000 times, and I believe in it, and I'll always believe in it, and it's true, but I mean, is there no other side of the coin? How will he get on the throne? How will the gospel spread in Manhattan?

How is that woman gonna be reached before she destroys that four-year-old? Doesn't somebody have to do something? No, God's on the throne. He'll take care of it. Where would you find that in the Bible?

Where would you find that kind of thinking? No, the need today is fighters. I don't care if you don't say amen. I'm gonna preach this anyway. I have the microphone on, and I'm up on the platform. Come on, can we say amen to that?

Prayer, Giving, and Evangelism as Spiritual Warfare

How, there's a very low percentage of people in Montevideo in Uruguay who go to church. How's that gonna change? I'm asking you, how will that change? What, we gonna just gather in a prayer meeting? Well, we need to pray, see?

That's part of it. There's prayer, there's giving, there's talking, there's sharing, there's going the extra mile, there's risking your life, there's getting out of your comfort zone, and all these people are listed because they got out of their comfort zone and fought for King David, and we're not gonna do anything for King Jesus?

No, I'm asking you. At the end of your life, you think God's gonna ask you what kind of clothes you wore? What kind of phone you used? Do you think any of that's gonna be important? How much money you earn?

What IRAs you have and all of that? You think any of that's important to God? In a millisecond, it's all gonna be gone, and the only thing we'll be able to show, the only thing Pastor Burgos and Milly and Stephen are gonna be able to show him are people they influenced for the kingdom to build up the temple.

That's the only thing Pastor Johnson has worth for, only thing Pastor Oma and I have worth for. There's no other value. What are you gonna get? What is Jason gonna, what is Jason or the musicians gonna show him, a chord?

No, it's how did I use my talent to help build up the temple? How did I fill, wait, my calling? When the Lord comes, that's what it's about. Years ago, I won the award for best book of the year. I didn't go to the ceremony, but I won best book of the year for Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire.

They sent me a certificate. When Jesus comes, what am I gonna do? Say, here's my certificate. He wrote the Bible. He's gonna look at that and say, get out of here with that. I wrote the Bible. I didn't write Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire.

No, but it's people, it's people. If I influence you, I'll hold you up. If I want any of you to the Lord, I'll hold you up. And you can hold someone else up that you prayed and had a part. How about this?

Using Personal Trials to Build Up the Temple

Here's what the Lord's made real to me. How many have already learned some good things? Say amen. This is a challenge because the challenge is in the Bible. Yeah, there's promises in the Bible, and then there's challenges in the Bible.

Sometimes God says, I will be with you and I will help you. And other times God says, get going, move. Don't I mean anything to you? I mean, after all he did on the cross, I'm gonna sit and just let my life go by and make sure Carol and I have a comfy existence.

Is that what this is all about? Let me tell you about me. I am very limited, and I'm an example to you in this way. I'm very limited. I'm not a great speaker. I don't have a great voice. I don't have a great speaking voice.

I have limited intelligence. I am not gifted like my wife. She's much more gifted than me. Many more people gifted than me behind me. But one thing that God put in me, I will fight. No, no, that I will do.

I will fight in prayer. I will fight when I'm at my best, when God's helping me, not me. Remember what Paul says to encourage us. He says, I'm the least of all the apostles, but by the way, I worked harder than all of them.

Why would you boast that you worked harder than all of them if working doesn't mean anything and if God has to do it? But then he says, but it wasn't me working. It was God working in me. See, that's the way it works.

It's like anything you do do, God rewards you, but it's really God working in you, and you're cooperating with him. So now, the plunder they got from the battle, Sylvia, they gave for the repair and the building of the house of God.

Here's what the Lord, I believe, spoke to me. Hasn't he let you be in some battles? Haven't you gained plunder from some of the things that you've gone through? He wants you to use that for the building up of his temple.

It's not about you. He didn't bring you through that dark spot. He didn't get you through that job. He didn't save you from that wreck of a marriage that you might have had. He didn't do that just for you.

He did it so that the plunder you got from that battle you would use to help somebody else get into the temple and be built up. Some of you never fought with depression. Some of you never been lonely.

Donna, you never been lonely in your life? Donna's emotional because I met her. She was about to jump off a ledge of a building and kill herself, and God used me to help get her off that ledge, and now she's here in church every Sunday.

She's part of the temple. Come on, be part of the temple. So, but here's the thing. Forget that part. That's not the important part. The part is that Donna has fought battles with depression and loneliness.

Now she's taken plunder from that. She knows that God is faithful. She knows that God can lift you up. Now is that just for her, or is she supposed to use it for the building up of God's temple? Come on, choir members.

You've never failed God? Look at me. You never failed God? You never messed up since you've been a Christian? You've never experienced his mercy and his compassion? Look at me, folks. You never fell down?

You never went in the dirt? And didn't God pick you up? Didn't you learn lessons from that? It wasn't for you. It was for the other people. Come on, let's say amen. Haven't you ever been in a spot where you didn't know what you were gonna do?

You run out of money, run out of patience, run out of nerves, and you're ready to crumble? And didn't God see you through? It wasn't just for you. The plunder you got from that battle, you're supposed to dedicate it to the house of the Lord, to share with other people and tell them, I was there.

I was there, and he helped me. And if he helped me, he can help you one more time. Let's just thank God. So certain commanders and people took plunder from the battles they fought and gave it to the house of the Lord for the building of it.

Saying Yes to the Call and the Battle

Here's what I felt in prayer. Isn't it true that a lot of us need to say to God in a fresh way to God, I'm yours today, God? I say yes. I say yes to the battle. I say yes to helping people. I say yes to the prayer meeting on Tuesday.

What other better thing could I do to help build up your kingdom than come and pray? Did you know that just like the church in Rome's faith, Paul said, I say this for the glory of God, forgive the personal reference of the church, just like people's faith has become known in other parts of the world, Paul said, your faith in God is spoken about to the church in Thessalonica, the church in Rome.

Did you know that your faith in prayer and your ability to pray for requests that come from around the world, do you know that's known around the world? Did you know that I was in Bangladesh and somebody said to me, oh, you're from that church where they pray for requests on Tuesday night?

In Bangladesh? How would they know that in Bangladesh? We gotta fight this Tuesday. The requests are gonna come in. Just come with me and fight for a while. Fight in prayer. Fight in talking to someone.

Fight by inviting someone to church. The devil will fight against you. So, God'll help you. What else means anything in life except to fight for our king? Because then when life is over, there'll be no more fighting.