Calvary Christian Center Media: Photos and Video Messages

OUTLINE FOR SUNDAY MESSAGE, 10-11-26

“I’M IN THE FIGHT OF MY LIFE, PT. V,”

ROM. 14:17 (KJV)

Romans 14:17 (KJV)

¹⁷ For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

The Word reveals that the kingdom of God is not outward things, but the inward graces of the heart that are the consequences of the indwelling Spirit of God in the Believer. As we have already shared in the series titled, “I’m in the Fight of my Life,” the primary ministry of the Holy Spirit in the Believer is in the inner man whereas the divine nature works the character of God in us. The character of God is the death nail to the flesh, and the flesh is the vessel by which the enemy takes advantage of men. Galatians 5:16–26 (KJV):

¹⁶ This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. ¹⁸ But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. ¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, ²⁰ Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, ²¹ Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, ²³ Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. ²⁴ And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. ²⁵ If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Love is the greatest power. The power of love can be seen in God’s love to men, John 3:14–16 (KJV):

¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: ¹⁵ That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. ¹⁶ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Agape, in men would stop wars, weapons of mass destruction, rapes, murders, fraud, hunger & starvation, racism, hatred, genocide, sex trafficking, and all other evils that plague mankind as we know it. Love is kind, seeks not her own, is not proud, brags not on itself, is patient, endures, does not give up, is not irritated, does not keep account of offenses, seeks best in others, because agape is that creative, redemptive, goodwill, toward all men. What distinguishes mature Christian from carnal Christians, and babes in Christ, regardless of their Christian affiliation, whether they’re Baptist, Holiness, Charismatic, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, Catholic, Episcopalian, or otherwise, is their maturity in love, agape love, that love that comes from a personal relationship with God, in which should manifest in our lives according to Scripture.  

John 13:34–35 (KJV)

³⁴ A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. ³⁵ By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

John 15:12–17 (KJV)

¹² This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. ¹⁴ Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. ¹⁵ Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. ¹⁶ Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. ¹⁷ These things I command you, that ye love one another.

Romans 5:5 (KJV)

⁵ And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Galatians 5:13 (KJV)

¹³ For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

We serve God by serving one another. As a young man growing up, my family attended a little Baptist Church out in the country, and agape wasn’t the most obvious virtue in that Church. There was a lot of flesh on display, and even as a young man I knew there was some things that wasn’t right. Pastor and the deacons smoking cigarettes on the Church grounds, when the Bible teaches that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost. There was a deacon of whom we knew just where he kept his pint of Beefeater Gin. There were frequent disagreements, outbursts, openly arguing, etc., which, to this day, I never saw as being a part of the character of a Believer, because I had faith in what the Bible said, even the little bit of revelation I did have at that young age. It turned me off! Then I joined the Holiness Church when I got out of the army because it was where my mom and step-father went, and man, I just knew this was where it was at. People were shouting and dancing and getting filled with the Holy Ghost, but it didn’t take long before I realized that some people had more Holy Ghost in their hands and in their feet than they had in their hearts and in their souls. In the charismatic movement the focus was on the gifts of the Spirit, and the gifts of the Spirit have their place, as taught by scripture. The greatest of these though, is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13 (KJV):

¹³ And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

1 Corinthians 13:1–7 (KJV)

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. ² And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. ³ And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. ⁴ Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, ⁵ Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; ⁶ Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; ⁷ Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

The Christians that stood out to me were those who were mature in their love walk. All of the other things have their place, but the greatest of these is love. It’s the godly character in us that gives us the ability to weather the storms, rains, floods, and winds in our lives. That buoys us through our Euroclydons, and our mistakes, gives us victory over every weapon that the enemy may throw at us. The character of God keeps us together through times of confusion, trainwrecks, attacks against our character, the scandalizing of our names, and flat-out lies against us. Jesus preached the most powerful sermon in the Bible, the sermon on the mount, Matthew 5:10–16 (KJV):

¹⁰   Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹¹   Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of

¹²   Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

¹³ Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. ¹⁴ Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. ¹⁵ Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. ¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Salt not only seasons, it purifies, keeps food from spoiling. Believers are the salt of the earth in that our presence brings the forces of Heaven to bear down on the situation at hand as revealed in 2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV):

¹⁴ If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

The Christian’s presence makes a difference. The only reason a hurricane has not wiped out Waverly Ga. is because somebody’s been praying. The only reason the enemy has not taken out your family and mine is because somebody’s been praying, and the only reason catastrophe have not wrecked our lives is because somebody’s calling on the name of the Lord. We’re the light of the world, and Jesus says that you don’t put a candle under a bushel, but on a candlestick so that it’s light shines bright for all to see. God wants His people to let His glory be revealed so that others can be drawn to the only wise and true God. There’s truly three major things that God commands us to do above all else. First, go into all the world and preach the gospel, secondly, be a witness. Tell of His goodness. Give your whole testimony on what the Lord has done for you, and finally, let your light shine. Let the light of God shine through us in the fruit of the Spirit, which is the fruit of love, producing good works, and glorifying our God.