From His Heart

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Today on From His Heart with Pastor Jeff Shreve, a reminder of who we are as followers of Christ.

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Hey, we're soldiers in the Lord's Army. He has enlisted us as a soldier.

And what soldier entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life? None of them do. Why? Because he wants to please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.

And there are going to be difficulties as you please the Lord as a soldier.

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Tremendous truth. There is bless. There is hope that you always dream of. He can heal every scar. Real, true, real love, real hope from his heart.

Speaker 1

Did you know that the moment a person places his or her faith and trust in Christ alone for salvation, that person is placed in the Lord's army? So, in essence, every Christian is a soldier. But the real question is, are you a good soldier?

This is From His Heart with Pastor Jeff Shreve. Thank you for being with us today as we move into a new month with another motivating series from Pastor Jeff called Soldiers of the Cross. The lesson today is entitled Good Soldiers, and it's part two of the first lesson in the series.

Today, he'll share three essential truths that we all must understand in order to fight the good fight of faith and to finish the race that the Lord has given you and me. Are you ready for some needed training to be effective in accomplishing your part of the war against the evil forces of the world?

Open your Bible to 2 Timothy, chapter 2, verse. Here's Pastor Jeff Shreve seeking to encourage us to be good soldiers.

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What does it take to be a good soldier of Christ Jesus? I want to share with you three essential truths that you have to understand, and that I have to understand, in order to be a good soldier, to fight the good fight of faith, and to finish the race and the course that the Lord has given us.

**Essential truth number one:** Understand that you don't have what it takes, but the Lord does. You don't have what it takes to be a good soldier. I don't have what it takes to be a good soldier. Timothy sure didn't have what it took to be a good soldier. Paul didn't have what it took to be a good soldier, but the Lord does. Verse 1: "You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." Strengthen yourself in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. It's not in you; it's in Him. He has what it takes. We are to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Now, mark it down: the Christian life is all about grace and faith. Grace and faith—those two things are critical in the Christian life.

How does a person come to faith in Christ? Ephesians 2:8 states, "For by grace you've been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not as a result of works, lest anyone should boast." We are saved by grace, through faith, by God's grace, through our putting our faith in God's grace. How does a person grow in the Christian life? Colossians 2:6 says, "As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him." How did I receive Him? By grace, through faith. How do I walk in Him? By grace, through faith. That is the Christian life. You're going to have to be strong in the grace to be a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

Now, how do you do that? By spending time in the Word of God and by spending time in prayer. The Bible says, "Pray without ceasing." We call upon the Lord first thing in the morning, and we just constantly talk to Him. We never hang up the line; we're just constantly connected to the Lord. "You therefore, my son," Paul says to Timothy, "be strong. Strengthen yourself in the grace that is in Christ Jesus."

**Essential truth number two:** Understand that there will be suffering and hardships. Suffering and hardships. Paul is in prison; it was a very, very difficult time. There was suffering, and there was hardship. Paul says in verse 3, "Suffer hardship with me as a good soldier of Christ Jesus." Hardship means afflictions, trouble, evil treatment. There's suffering in there. You mark it down: the world hates the message of the gospel. You say, "No, they don't." I mean, the word "gospel," or "euangelion," means good news. Why would the world hate good news? Because what precedes the good news of the gospel is the bad news that says all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and the wages of sin is death. Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. The world doesn't like that message.

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 1 that the preaching of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. The world hates the message of the gospel, and the world will persecute those who stand up for Jesus. That's just the way it is. 2 Timothy 3:12 states, "Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution." It's just part of the deal; that's the way it is. Paul knew that. Understand and know going in: if you stand up for Jesus, you will get persecuted. People will come after you, and people won't like it, and they'll try to silence you.

We have far too many preachers that are afraid of what people are going to say about them. Who cares what people say about you? The only one that matters is Him—what He says about you. So, understand, number one, that you don't have what it takes, but the Lord does; understand that there will be suffering and hardships.

**Essential truth number three:** Understand that your number one job is to please the Lord. That's your number one job. That's my number one job. That was Paul's number one job. That's Timothy's number one job—to please the Lord. He says in verse 4, "No soldier in active service"—and we are soldiers in the Lord's army in active service—"entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier."

You know, we have people that say, "I don't like this idea of persecution. I don't like this idea of suffering. So how can I be a Christian and not experience anything like that?" Don't stand up, don't speak up, don't shine, don't share. Just be quiet. Try to go under the radar. When everything is falling apart, you just stay in the shadows. You won't experience persecution, and you won't experience, "Well done, my good and faithful soldier." You won't experience the commendation from the Lord. You will displease Him.

Enoch, from Genesis chapter 5, is talked about in Hebrews chapter 11. It says of Enoch, "Enoch never died; he was not, for God took him." He walked with God for 300 years, and he was not because one day God just took him to heaven. The scripture says, "Before his being taken up, he obtained this testimony that he pleased God." And without faith, Hebrews 11:6 states, "It is impossible to please God. For he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him." Enoch pleased God.

I remember hearing a sermon years ago by Adrian Rogers. He said this: "If I please God, it doesn't matter whom I displease. And if I displease God, it doesn't matter whom I please." Hey, we're soldiers in the Lord's army. He has enlisted us as soldiers. What soldier entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life? None of them do. Why? Because he wants to please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. There are going to be difficulties as you please the Lord as a soldier.

Esther, in the book of Esther, was told by her family member Mordecai, who was like a dad to her, "This is what's happening. Haman is trying to exterminate the Jews, and he's got the king duped. The king is on board, and you need to talk to the king." She said, "I can't just go up in front of the king. He has to call for me, and he hasn't called for me, and I can't do that. That could mean—would probably mean—my death." Mordecai said to her, "Who knows that you have not attained royalty for such a time as this? If you don't do this, then you and your house are going to be swept away. God is going to bring deliverance by someone else."

She received that message and said, "I will go. Pray for me. I will go, and if I perish, I perish. If I die, then I die. But I'm going to do what is hard to do because I want to please the one who enlisted me as a soldier. I want to please my king. I want to do what He has called me to do."

Hey, your number one job is to please the Lord. My number one job is to please the Lord. We please the Lord when He is our passion in life. When He is our passion in life. The number one commandment, when Jesus was asked what is the greatest commandment, is to love the Lord with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind. That is number one. He is the passion of your heart and of your life.

I love Jesus. The number one commandment on the two tablets of stone states, "I am the Lord your God, who delivered you out of Egypt. You shall have no other gods before me, no other gods alongside of me. It's just me, and I am the passion and the love and the focus of your life."

Erwin Lutzer wrote a book that I read years ago, and I love one of his prayers in the book. It said this: "God, give me a passion for You that far exceeds my passion for anything else. That far exceeds my passion for football, that far exceeds my passion for tennis, that far exceeds my passion for bridge, that far exceeds my passion for my kids, that far exceeds my passion for golf, that far exceeds my passion for my alma mater, that far exceeds anything else. Give me a passion for You."

I love this quote by Ignatius of Antioch. He was a disciple of the Apostle John. He said this: "My dear Jesus, my Savior, is so deeply written in my heart that I feel confident that if my heart were to be cut open and chopped in pieces, the name of Jesus would be found written on every piece." That's a man whose passion is the Lord Jesus Christ. That's a man who pleases God.

So, we please Him when He's our passion. Secondly, we please Him when His kingdom is our priority. When we're interested in the kingdom of God. Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Seek Him first and foremost.

We please the Lord when His kingdom takes priority and we care about His kingdom. We see this in chapter 2, verse 2, where Paul tells Timothy, "And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." Hey, Timothy, you heard me preach, and you heard those words, and they were entrusted to you. You've been given a treasure of the Gospel, and you need to entrust those to faithful men who can take it and entrust it to other faithful men and pass the baton of faith along to the next generation.

Hey, we please the Lord when we do that. I want to challenge you, you who have been a Christian for a long time, you who have grown in the Lord, find somebody younger in the Lord that you can pour your life into, that you can help them grow, that you can show them, "This is how we study the Bible. This is how we pray. This is how we witness. This is how we handle difficult situations."

You know, Jesus preached to the masses, but then He spent time with the disciples, and they did life together. They saw Him in all these different situations and how He did this and how He did that and how He handled this difficulty and how He handled that difficulty. When I was in college, and college is a good place for discipleship because you're doing life with guys you're living with and guys you're rubbing shoulders with on a regular basis.

I remember they were asking me about witnessing. I was like, "Yeah, I'm not so sure I know how to do that." It's like, "Well, listen, here's the four spiritual laws. Memorize this tract, and then we're going to go out, and I'm going to show you how to do it." My friend Sean said, "I'm going to show you how to do this." We went out, and he did. I watched how he did it. How does he share his faith with a total stranger? I watched him. I thought, "Man, you're really good at that." He said, "Yeah, this next one you do." I wasn't quite ready for that, you know, but that's how you learn. He was there; he was a safety net to help me.

"And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." Hey, we please the Lord when His kingdom is our priority, and we're doing everything we can to further the kingdom and win as many people as we can and train up as many people as we can for the kingdom of God.

Then we please the Lord when we walk by faith and not fear. A good soldier doesn't flee in fear. When the battle gets hot and heavy, a good soldier doesn't turn tail and run. He stands and fights. Paul told Timothy twice, "Fight the good fight of faith." Paul said he fought the good fight of faith. In chapter 4, he states, "I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I've run the race. In the future, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have loved His appearing."

We live in a world today where lots of people are afraid. They fear man more than they fear God. "Fear of man brings a snare, but he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted." Paul had to remind Timothy in chapter 1, verse 7, "God has not given us a spirit of fear, a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline."

Hey, if you're fearful in your heart, just know that's not coming from the Lord; that's coming from the enemy. We have an adversary, the devil, who prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. But the Bible says, "Resist him firm in your faith." Don't run away; stand up to him. "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you," it says in James chapter 4. We don't need to be afraid.

David said, "When I am afraid"—Psalm 56:3—"When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise. In God, I have put my trust. I shall not be afraid. What can man, mere man, do to me?" God is with me. As Jeremiah said, "The Lord is with me like a dread champion." Everywhere you go, the dread champion is there with you. Nothing can happen to you, and no one can hurt you unless He allows it.

Even Paul, as he's getting ready to die, says in chapter 4, "The Lord will deliver me from every evil deed and bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory." He's not afraid. My seminary professor, a history professor, said the martyrs had a dealer's choice: they either got a hot steak or a cold chop. You got burned at the stake, or you got your head chopped off. He said the apostle Paul got a cold chop. He's getting ready to get his head cut off, and he's not afraid. He knows whom he has believed, and he is persuaded that He is able to keep that which I've committed unto Him against that day. He was not afraid.

Listen, folks, we desperately need Christians to stand up. Stand up for Jesus, you soldiers of the cross. We need people to speak the truth in love. If people don't like it, so be it. They're not going to like it. The one we follow was nailed to a tree. He is love incarnate. People tell you, "Well, you're not loving. You need to be more loving. You need to be more like Jesus." Yeah? What did they do to Jesus? They nailed Him to a tree. They said He had a demon. They said He was insane. They said, "He is Beelzebul, the prince of the demons." That's what they said of love incarnate.

Don't be surprised when you follow after Jesus if you face opposition. You will. We will. D. James Kennedy was a great preacher; he's in heaven now. He told the story of Alexander the Great. As the story goes, he was holding court in Nebuchadnezzar's palace. Alexander hated—if there was anything he couldn't stand—it was a coward.

There was brought before Alexander a young man, handsome in appearance. Alexander said to the sergeant at arms, "What is his crime?" The sergeant replied, "Sire, he was found fleeing in the face of battle." Alexander's eyes narrowed, and he stared at that man. He said, "Son, what is your name?" The boy said, "Alexander." Alexander the Great said, "What is your name?" The boy replied, "Alexander, my king." Alexander the Great said it louder, "What is your name?" The boy stammered, "Alexander, my lord."

Alexander the Great exploded off the throne, grabbed that man by the tunic, and threw him to the ground. He said, "Soldier, change your conduct or change your name." God looks at you and me and says, "What is your name?" You say, "Christian." He asks again, "What is your name?" You respond, "Christian, my Lord." He asks once more, "What is your name?" You say, "Christian, my God."

Well then, Christian, change your conduct or change your name because you're called to be a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

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Are you a soldier for the Lord? Are you striving to be more like Christ? If that is not you, then perhaps you ought to put everything else aside right now and ask God to come into your heart and to change you for his kingdom work. That is why you were created, to know that there is a God, to know that he loves you.

Say, "God, here is my life. Help me to have a brave and courageous witness and be the soldier of the cross that you want me to be. I repent of my sin and I turn my life over to you and you alone for salvation. Thank you, Lord, for saving me and help me to live for you starting right now. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen."

Now we want to encourage you to also go to fromhisheart.org and click the "Why Jesus" link there. It'll provide you with some materials and help to allow you to grow in your walk with Christ and what's next for you as you mature in your faith. Again, that's the "Why Jesus" link at fromhisheart.org.

As Pastor Jeff Shreve has said today in the conclusion of this message called "Good Soldiers," Christians are called to be soldiers in the Lord's army. In his seven-message series that we're in this month called "Soldiers of the Cross," he shares a lot about being an influencer for the Lord, and that's really what being a good soldier is all about— influencing the hearts of others to turn their eyes toward Him.

This timely series, "Soldiers of the Cross," is our gift of thanks to you for your support this month of any amount. You can receive seven messages on CDs, DVDs, on a USB flash drive, or as an immediate digital download—your choice. With that gift, we'll also send you the companion booklet, "The Lord's Army," both for your gift today.

Help From His Heart continue to create and encourage new soldiers for the battles that are to come as we fight for the Kingdom of God. Get prepared and get "Soldiers of the Cross" and "The Lord's Army" booklet today. Call 866-40-BIBLE (866-40-24253) or go online to fromhisheart.org.

Thank you for joining us today on From His Heart. Join Pastor Jeff Shreve as he continues this series, encouraging us to stand up for the truth, nourish ourselves with the Word of God, and faithfully serve the Lord with the message called "The Discipline of a Good Soldier." That's on Wednesday when we'll again open up God's Word and share real truth, real love, and real hope. From His Heart.

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There is treasure, there is blessing, there is hope that you always dream of. We can heal every scars. Real truth, real love.

Speaker 1

Real from his heart is the listener supported Broadcast Ministry of Dr. Jeff Shreve speaking the truth in love to a lost and a hurting world.

Remember, no matter what, God loves you and he has a wonderful plan for your life.

Find out more at from his heart dot org.