SHOES OF READINESS - EPHESIANS 6:10-20

Order of Service and Announcements

If everybody could make their way to your seats. Good morning. I can make the, I can say the three key words to get everybody to get in their seats. Let us pray. I'm just kidding. But we will be doing that today.

But we do have a lot to cover this day. And typically we don't do announcements, but there are several very important things in the life of the church, especially today, that I want to remind everybody about.

First is Spencer's and Angela's baby shower. I just got told this, so I didn't have time to write it down. I'm too old for this. Is it 630 Friday night in this church, at the church, 630 Friday night, baby shower.

Everybody's welcome. Are men welcome? Darn. Oh, there's food. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord. Okay. Second announcement is today, and we've been telling everybody this, we'll be having a family meeting. It'll be in the place of sermon discussion, which follows the Koinonia feast.

Several things we're going to be covering. One is we're going to present several reports on the health of the church. We'll discuss and vote on a new budget that's going to carry us six months into the future.

We're going to present a policy on giving and disbursements. We're going to discuss the future direction of the church. Where are we headed in the future as a church? And then we'll be presenting other church business.

So it's very, very important business meeting that we're having. This is a family meeting. I've been calling it a business meeting, sorry, for 40 years I've been going to business meetings. This is actually a family meeting.

So unfortunately, only members of the church can attend. Okay. You must be a member to attend this meeting. The next announcement is the love offering we announced last week. Taking up a love offering today for the Hargrave family, because some situations that they're going through as a family, this isn't something that we regularly do, but we'll be taking up the normal offering that goes into the general fund of the church right before the sermon.

So then we'll be taking up the love offering after the Lord's Supper. It'll be one of the last things we do before the Koinonia feast. And so I'm telling you this because we really don't want to get the two offerings mixed up if we can keep from it.

We're trying to keep it separate for accounting reasons. So we appreciate you helping us do that. So now that the announcements are out of the way, we'll start the real service. And we want to welcome you here as we gather as a body in Jesus Christ on this Lord's Day.

We gather together to praise Him, to worship Him, to learn more about Him, to proclaim His word, to grow together in love and in unity as His bride. If you've been attending, you know that we're nearing the end of a long and profitable journey through the book of Ephesians.

We've learned many things about God, our Father, Jesus Christ, His Son, and the Holy Spirit. If you've not been with us, we're currently in the section of Ephesians, I'm sorry, in the currently in the section of Ephesians where it says to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.

Note that it does not say in the strength of our might, but in the strength of His might. In these verses that we've covered so far, we've learned that we are strong when we rest in Him. And one of my favorite verses that speaks of this is found in Isaiah 41.

It says, fear not for I am with you. Do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand for I, the Lord, your God, hold your right hand.

It is I who say to you, fear not, I am the one who helps you. So if you just keep in count, 11 times in this passage, God mentions Himself and what He does for us. Not once does He mention that we do something.

It is in Him. And this is a great promise to hold on to when we're under spiritual attack, which is what we've been talking about. This tells us that we can only be strong when we wait on the Lord, not in our own strength.

It is His righteousness that strengthens us. So as we progress through the rest of this extended metaphor about the armor of God, let us not forget that it's not the actual pieces of the armor that makes a difference, but what the armor represents to us.

And what the armor represents is what the Lord has already done for His elect. He has given us His truth, His righteousness, His peace, His faith in Him, our salvation. He's given us His word, access to His throne with prayers.

Rest in that, abide in that, and He tells us we will stand firm. So having said all that, this is a special day. I was talking to Nathan. He said it last week. They seem like every Sunday's a special day, and it is.

And you may have already recognized, when this big black book, this big Bible is sitting up here, we have member recognition for the sixth week in a row. And that is amazing. Praise the Lord for that.

So we have a new family joining the body, and it's the Carter family, if y 'all will come up here, please. Josh, Josh and Marianne Carter, Morrison, and Karis are joining the church today. And they've been through the membership classes.

They've been talking, visiting for quite some time. In fact, I was talking to them, and I remember Nathan telling me, it's been at least six months or longer that they had sent a note saying that they were moving to town, and they were going to be coming to this church.

And I just went, awesome. They've already done their research. They're already a Berean before they even came here. Well, they went to the interview with Elder, and we're here today to present them before the body and to affirm them.

So all who will stand with this family, who will hold this family up, who will pray for this family, who will go through hard times and good times with this family, would you please stand up to affirm them as a member of our church?

Amen. Yes, praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. So we have this ESV study Bible. I use mine frequently, as all should. This isn't a gift. This is us giving you the word of God and covenant that we will read through the word of God, study through the word of God, speak the word of God with you and into you.

And we look forward to you doing the same with us. So this is commissioning you as the word of God, as a family of this church. So happy to have you. Thank you. Praise Him. Let me, before you go, I'm sorry, I have one more thing.

I'd like to just pray over y 'all. Father, we're just, we're amazed at your goodness, at your greatness, how you've built this body, how you brought the families, the people, the members, the gifts that we need to serve you better, Lord.

And we recognize this is a gift from you. It is not because of us. We pray that your hand would be upon this family, that you would guide them and direct them in their way. In Christ's name, amen. Amen.

Prayer for Grace Covenant Church

So next we're going to be praying for a local church. Oh, you can be seated, sorry. Grace Covenant Church, which is over by Bono, Arkansas, is who we'll be praying for. So if you'll bow your heads in praise, in prayer, please.

Lord Heavenly Father, we lift up Grace Covenant Church to you for praying that you give them wisdom in carrying out your will, that you grant them strength in the face of their trials, that you bless them with unity as their adversary tries to divide them, that you shower them in your love and keep them ever desiring you, always humble and seeking to do your will.

Show them that their strength rests in the power of your might. Pray these in Christ's name, amen. So next we have the call to worship, which is responsive reading out of Psalm 119, verses 57 through 64.

I will start out. And if y 'all reply, go ahead and stand, please. Thank you, Joe. The Lord is my portion. I entreat your favor with all my heart. When I think on my ways, I turn my feet to your testimonies.

Through the cords of the wicked ensnare me. At midnight, I rise to praise you. I am a companion of all who fear you. The earth, oh Lord, is full of your steadfast love. Join me in my prayer of adoration.

Oh Lord, we recognize you as the author of all our existence, the source of all our blessings. We adore you for making us capable of knowing your greatness, for forgiving us in our sins, for giving us reason, assurance, and confidence in your word, and for leading us in our desire for you.

We praise you for the revelation of yourself in your word, for your heart is a dwelling place of your forgiveness, for your patience, and for the vastness of your grace and mercy. We bless you, eternal God, for the comfort of your word and the hope of your promises.

In Christ's name, amen.

Let's sing this together. Sing, come thou fount. Every blessing to my heart to sing thy grace. Streams of mercy never ceasing. Call for songs of peace. Song and song and song. Fount of thy hand I hold thee to anger.

Precious blood in a debtor. I'm constrained to be concealed. For thy courts above.

Okay, everybody should know this. It's a little bit different, but. Is God from. His love. Resemble. Creatures. Here below. His father. Son. And hope. Us exalt.

Scripture Reading and Prayer of Confession

Today's scripture reading is from Isaiah 52 verses 7 and 8. How beautiful. Upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news. Who publishes peace. Who brings good news of happiness. Who publishes salvation.

Who says to Zion. Your God reigns. Amen. The voice of your watchman. They lift up their voice. Together they sing for joy. For eye to eye. They see the return. Of the Lord of Zion. Please bow your heads in prayer of confession.

Lord God heavenly father. We recognize that your love. Is a standard for all we can do. We ask. That on the basis of your love you receive our petitions. Even in the presence of your grace and mercy we recognize that our sins are far too numerous.

We think as we should not think. We act as we should not act. We have full knowledge because of the sacrifice of your son. That you listen to his ongoing petition on our behalf. So that we may hear you say that our sins are forgiven.

Father it is at your throne of grace where we obtain mercy in our time of need. Where we plead the name of Jesus Christ. Where we sharpen the sword of the spirit. Anoint the shield of faith. Put on the helmet of salvation.

And strengthen for each conflict. And we are thus empowered to conquer every adversary. Amen.

Blessed us with to come and gather here in your house this morning Lord. And worship you and sing these awesome songs. These words of truth. Lord every word is true. No scheme of man. No power from hell.

Nothing can ever pluck us from your hand. How awesome is that Lord. And we praise you for that this morning. Jesus Lord I just pray Lord that you would just bless this service this morning Lord. Pastor Nathan Lord as he comes and stands before us this morning.

And Lord and just boldly preaches your word. And Lord I just pray that you would just. Lord if there is someone here this morning Lord. I pray everyone is saved here this morning with us Lord. If there is someone here this morning that is not.

You know every heart in here Lord. I pray that you would save them this morning Lord. Lord we love you. Bless this offering that we are about to take up. We ask all these things in your name and Jesus name I pray.

Amen.

Be from his hand.

That also applies to what we have been discussing over the past handful of weeks. Is no scheme of the evil one can pluck me from his hand either. No scheme of the spiritual forces that are at odds with us.

And aiming their arrows at us can penetrate. They can do no real harm. They may seem to block kingdom purpose for a season. But as Joseph said they may mean it for evil. But God means it for good. And he uses it because of his great purpose.

Amen. Well go ahead and open your copy of God's word to Ephesians chapter 6. Ephesians chapter 6 as we come into week 4 of our study on spiritual armor. This spiritual armor that equips us for this spiritual war that is laid before us.

That the apostle Paul is preparing us for. As he gets ready to wrap this great letter that he wrote to the church in Ephesus. As he wraps it up. There in Ephesians chapter 6. Let's read the whole again.

Verses 10 through 20. We want to make sure to get the context of all of it as we just look specifically at 15. But let's read the whole. Where Paul says 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 the 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. With 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. And 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.

We usually stop and pray in this moment. As we have just read God's perfect holy inspired word. But I want to speak to you personally here just for one second. As we have delved into this particular area of scripture.

And we are talking directly about the battle that we as Christians are in. I've also given a warning. I've also told you. That's putting a target on your back. It's putting a target on all of our backs.

It's putting a target on the back of this church. Because when truth gets proclaimed. And when light gets shed into darkness. The enemy. He presents a full frontal attack doesn't he? He does it every single time.

I get to meet with many of you during the week. You know my family's circumstance during this time. And I know your family's circumstances during this time. At least some of you. I know the individual struggles that many of you are struggling with.

At this very moment. Over the past handful of weeks. It seems like just a bombardment. A bombardment of what seems like physical attacks that are coming our way. But then when you really dive into it.

You begin to see oh no these are all spiritual in nature. This world is under the sway of the wicked one. And he's using every means that he has. To push and to point towards us. But then also there's a spiritual element.

That many of you have shared with me. I'm struggling pastor. I'm struggling to prioritize the things that I'm supposed to prioritize. You know you're basically coming to me like the apostle Paul says.

I do the things I don't want to do. And I don't do the things I want to do. Who's going to deliver me from this wretched flesh? And it's a battle and it's ongoing. And I want to give you an encouragement.

That stay the course Christian. Church stay the course. Because this attack is not over yet. It's coming more and more. Because we are proclaiming truth. And we are seeking to truly equip the saints for the good work.

I could stand up here and give you a sermon every week. And Satan is going to send his forces elsewhere. He's not going to mess with you. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry that we as pastors are bringing you the truth.

The whole counsel of God. I'm sorry in one way but I'm not in the other. Because this is what we need. But it means it's going to be a problem for you. Because I've said it all the time. What is the only thing.

There's only one thing in this life that a Christian is promised. What is it? Suffering. Suffering and conflict. It's the only thing you're promised. If you think that Christianity is going to fix your problems.

And everything is going to be happy go lucky. Then you're not actually living the Christian life. The Apostle Paul is writing this very letter chain to a Roman guard. We will suffer. And here's the thing.

I also want to say thank you for how y 'all have come alongside me and my family. And I want to come alongside you. And I know you want to come alongside each other during this time. Because we grieve with those that grieve.

We celebrate and rejoice with those that rejoice. We're a family. And just like with the Carters y 'all coming in today. Y 'all are official now. You're family. You're stuck. It's like Hotel California.

You can't go nowhere. No you're in. You're just a family here. Right? But what we want you to understand is we're here for you. And if we don't do this together. The enemy is going to. He's going to render us useless for kingdom purpose.

You try and do this alone. You are useless to kingdom purpose. I promise you. And I just want that to be an encouragement. We're together in this. Thank you for being together in this. I love you. And I want to see us all flourish and move forward.

I don't know what God has in store for this particular body. But all I can say is, is when you are undergoing so many different attacks in so many different areas. God's doing something. God is doing something.

Be encouraged. Saint. On that. I would like for us to just bow our heads for a moment. I want you to intentionally pray. Pray for the brother or sister that's next to you. You may not know what they're dealing with, but I want you to pray for them right now.

I want you to pray specifically that. That God would give them the boldness, the clarity, the strength. The faith to walk in whatever, whatever the enemy is throwing at them at the moment. Father, we bow before you now.

And we thank you. For you are victorious. God, you've already. You've already won. You've already defeated the evil one. And he is. Seeking to wreak as much havoc as he can before you. You cast him out.

Completely. And even our own flesh. Our own flesh in this broken, sinful world. It wars against you. As we sang this morning. Prone to wonder, Lord, I feel it prone to leave the God I love. We so desperately fight the flesh.

And we need your grace. We need your mercy. We need you to. To work. In and through us. And we hold on to your promises that. That you are going to see this work through. For if it is, if it is up to us, if it is up to twelve, five.

And the people of this congregation, we will fail. We do not have any strength in and of ourselves. We do not have any power in and of ourselves. We do not have any faith in and of ourselves. All of it is from you.

And since it is from you, it is perfect. Help us to rest in it. Help us to walk in it. Help us to be bold. Help us, Lord, as we put on that belt of truth. That we look to your objective truth. And when we walk in that truth subjectively in our lives.

Lord, as we put on that breastplate of righteousness. The righteousness that has been imputed to us from Christ. And his righteousness that is perfect. That cannot be penetrated by the arrows of the evil one.

And the sword of the evil one, Lord. That protects us. Help us to put it on though and walk in righteousness. So that we may not be fruitless. And today as we discuss this idea of shoes. And of readiness.

Of the gospel of peace. Father, give us wisdom. Help us to have clarity, Lord. Guard my words. May we see your truth. We thank you in Christ's name. Amen. Amen. Guys, I found myself going down a rabbit hole this week.

You ever do that? Where you get distracted by a topic or an idea. And you just start chasing that. And maybe that's just me, ADHD, right? And then I have this hyper focus. And then I go down this rabbit trail.

And I found myself this week reading about how proper functional footwear. Will either make or break a military force. I didn't realize this, right? I did not realize what a big deal footwear is for a military force.

Crazy, right? It will either make or break it. Apparently, you can have all the armor in the world. You can have all the weaponry possible. You can have all the manpower imaginable. Yet without proper footwear protecting the men's feet.

It will be all for naught. I didn't know this. Apparently in Vietnam, this was a major issue with feet problems. Right? We had all the weaponry we needed. We had issues with feet. So it's no wonder that the Apostle Paul added this to the list of necessary armor.

And his imagery for the Christian to put on. As we see there in verse 15. And you know, there's no coincidence here. He has purpose behind it. As to the order in which Paul has placed this one. And all of them specifically.

Because remember two weeks ago, Pastor Jeremiah. There at the beginning of verse 14 talked about the belt of truth. And that's where he started. That's where Paul starts in this imagery. Is the belt of truth.

This is the truth that comes from God. Right? That objective truth about God. And that is that truthfulness that is now in us. That we now can walk and live in that truth. And that we are to put that belt on.

It all starts with that truth. Of course. We gain knowledge of him through that truth. We gain the knowledge of our personal need for him and of him through that truth. So it's no wonder that what Paul mentions next was the breastplate of righteousness.

It's that righteousness of Christ. As we talked about last week. You see, once that truth showed us the Savior. And it showed us our need of the Savior. We were given, then it was imputed to us, his righteousness through faith.

Started with truth. Pointed us to truth. Awakened us to truth. And then, in faith, gave us his righteousness. And subsequently, a righteous life. That is an outworking of his righteousness that is given to us.

One that is lived out with that breastplate of righteousness continually being put on. Or really, I should say, in the putting on, you're just kind of reminding yourself that it's on. In a sense. And what does that righteousness, the righteousness of Christ, produce?

Peace. The righteousness of Christ produces peace. First and foremost, peace with whom? Peace with God, right? The righteousness of Christ that is given to you, that is imparted to you, that is imputed to you at faith.

The finished work of Christ and his goodness and his perfection given to you grants you peace. As Paul said in Romans chapter 5, he says,. Since we have been justified by faith, made righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

We were at odds with God. We were enemies of God. And the second person of the Godhead had to come and represent us to redeem us, to purchase us by blood ransom at a cost. Because the wages of sin is death.

He had to give his life to pay for us, to purchase us from God and to God. From the wrath of God and to peace with God. Right? First and foremost. But it doesn't end there. That's the beautiful part. It's not just peace with God.

It's now peace with each other. We've been talking about that over this study, haven't we? That's one of the big purposes of this book here. This letter to the church in Ephesus. He's writing to Gentiles who feel like second-hand citizens that are not perfectly unified with the Jewish Christians who think that they are the real chosen people of God.

And then you're kind of grafted in and you're kind of a halfway Christian. And they treated him as such. But Paul is trying to crush that. Remember back in chapter 2 in verses 13 and 14, he says, Oh, but now, but now in Christ Jesus, you Gentile who were once far off have been brought near.

Brought near how? By the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace. He himself is the peace for the Gentile, you and I, and he's the peace for the Jewish person that has come to Christ in him. He is our peace.

Who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility? You and I didn't have peace with each other before. You know, I've said it before. I can't. I love this analogy.

We brought in three deacons a little over a year ago, I guess, guys. It was at the old building. And we presented three men as deacons, right? We've got Adam over there. We've got Brian. I saw you. And then Justin.

And these three men are standing up in the front. And I remember my daughter said afterwards, she goes, it struck me that the church, the body of Christ, is the only place where those three men are perfectly unified, coming from completely different backgrounds, completely different lives altogether.

And those three men stood hand in hand and continued to in perfect unity and camaraderie and brotherhood. The church is the only place that that happens, isn't it? Everywhere else, you're divided. The only unity you have is based on selfish unity.

What does the unity with that person bring me? How does it protect me? But in the body of Christ, the wall of hostility is brought down. We've been given peace. Peace with God. And as a result, peace with each other through Christ.

Amen? That's good, isn't it? It's good news. You see the pattern that Paul is following here, don't you? Starts with truth, goes to righteousness, and now he begins to speak of the peace that the gospel brings.

There's a natural progression of what he's been laying out through this letter. And it's done so with imagery. Imagery that gives it teeth, really, into that call to the walk. To the walk that we're called to in these truths.

He's giving us tangible ways that we can actually sink our teeth into to say, oh, I get it. That truth. Because these truths aren't just intellectual bits of information that you and I should know. They are glorious truths that we should live.

And often times when we read the first three chapters of Ephesians, we see doctrine, didactic teaching. Doctrine, doctrine, doctrine. And that's all great. That's all well and good. And we must have it.

It has to start there. And you have to have the doctrine. But if it only stays as an intellectual ascent to the truths, it's nothing. It had to start there. But it can't stay there. And so Paul gives us imagery that allows us in our frailty to go, oh, that's how I live that out.

That's how that truth applies to me. And don't just get saved and then go on in our lives with our heavenly insurance card as many Christians today do. You see it all the time, right? You walk the aisle, you say the prayer, you get dunked in the waters, you become a member of the whatever church, and then your life isn't changed.

Nothing changes. Maybe you say a few less cuss words, and maybe you stop smoking or whatever that may be, but your life isn't really changed. There's no power involved. You just have a heavenly insurance card, and now I'm good.

And those truths, they mean nothing to you, but that's what Paul is combating. We're left here in the midst of a spiritual war, Christian. This is a war. That we wake up every single day and we're right dead smack in the center of the battle.

A war that we are equipped to fight. You didn't realize that, did you? You didn't know you, if you are in Christ, you're already equipped to fight it. That's what we've been trying to tell you the past three weeks, haven't we?

This armor is already yours. It already belongs to you. It's already given to you because it's not of you. You didn't create it. You didn't make it. If you did, you got the wrong armor on. It is. That armor is given to us through the work of Christ, yet here's the kicker.

You and I must actively participate in this war. So many times we don't want that. You and I are in this war whether you like it or not. I don't like it sometimes. I don't want to be in this battle. I want things to go smooth.

I want to be comfortable. I just want to go to work and love my family and just be. I don't want to fight. And so often my flesh gets to this point to where I say, you know what? He who began a good work in me will see it to completion the day of Christ Jesus.

What are you going to do, God? I'm excited to watch you work. Is that not the Christian life some of the time? Don't you do it? Siri's under conviction, talking back to me. That's spiritual battle going on right there.

We so desperately just want to relax, but that's what Paul is telling us. He's like, all that truth that I just gave you, if you just sit in that truth and just say, well, God chose me and God's going to do what he wants to do, he's already prepared the works beforehand, and I'm just going to sit back and watch him work.

Then you're not even in the war. You're not even participating. You're sitting on a battlefield pretending like there's not spears being thrown by your face. But we're here. That's the whole point of this.

I want that to resonate with us. This is the life that we are living. This is the life that we're called to. So gird yourselves with truth, Saint. Look to his truth. Rest in his truth. Chase after his truth.

Get it in your brain so that, as Paul said, the renewal of your minds, because your mind is at battle with you. The fleshly mind is warring against you and being used by the evil one to distort you and to drive you away from truth.

Renew it with his truth. Look to his truth. Be courageous. Clothed in his righteousness. That righteous breastplate is on you. He can't get to your heart. He can't. Continually walk in it. Don't let him deceive you and make you think that you're not covered.

And as we're going to see today, stand firm. Stand firm, as he says there in verse 15, with shoes for your feet. Having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. Now again, Paul is obviously using symbolism with this armor.

Of course, we don't have holy Nikes to get up and lace in the mornings. That's not what Paul is calling us to. This is not a physical reality. It's a spiritual. These shoes, like the breastplate of righteousness and the belt of truth, symbolize a spiritual reality.

And so I would like for us to see three things that these shoes symbolize. And I'm going to be honest this morning. I don't often do this. But in my study, I read a sermon by Alistair Begg on this very text.

And his three bullet points were just so good, I thought I'd be robbing you if I didn't use them. I tried to come up with better points and I couldn't. So, we're going to use his points today. But we're taking them a different direction, thankfully.

I didn't totally agree with him, but I like his points. All right. Let's see here. I hope this is edifying for you. Number one, these shoes symbolize stability. Well, that seems obvious, doesn't it? It seems obvious that shoes symbolize stability.

We have shoes for athletics. We have tennis shoes. We have basketball shoes. We have running shoes. Right? How important are running shoes for running? It's a big deal, isn't it? You want to run in my boots?

That doesn't work. We need stability for everything that we do, just as we said with military. And here's the thing. There is much discussion about the meaning of this particular verse, believe it or not.

There's differing opinions as to what is Paul saying about these shoes and the readiness into the gospel. Is this, this is one position, is this readiness to share the gospel? A lot of people take that position.