Hesitation -- we see the door open and we hesitate. Hesitation in battle can be deadly. 

The "forlorn hope." Someone has to charge up to the hole to secure the opening. There is a high casuality rate. You have to volunteer and if you survived it was guaranteed promotion. 

"In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing; the next best thing is the wrong thing; and the worst thing is to do nothing." Theodore Roosevelt.

"You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." 2 Timothy 2:1

Be strong!

Without Him I am nothing. With Him, I am invincible!"

There is no such thing as an Army of one. God can overcome anything.

"I can do all this through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power." Ephesians 6:10

"And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others." 2 Timothy 2:2

We need to share the Gospel and the work. Don't hoarde it. Share it.

"Let the prophet who has a dream recount the dream, but let the one who has my word speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?” declares the Lord." Jeremiah 23:28

"It is better to train ten people than to do the work of ten people. But it is harder." D.L. Moody

The rule of multiplication: if you disciple 2 people and both of them disciple 2 people, in ten steps it becomes 1024 people!

"Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus." 2 Timothy 2:3

Stay Faithful (even when the battle is hard). 

If you are not currently experiencing spiritual warfare ask yourself if you are doing anything for God. 

Seek the resistance and overcome it.

"Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of lifethat the Lord has promised to those who love him." James 1:12

By not quitting, we win.

If you fail, get up and push again. Persevere. We can't win if we stand still. Must go forward.

"No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. 5 Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules." 2 Timothy 2:4-5

Stay out of worldly junk. Just do your job. Look forward. Don't be distracted. 

Do your eyes get taken off the battleground and go onto the playground?

If something overtakes you, it becomes sin.

"I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown." Revelation 3:11

No one ever goes into battle expecting to lose. 

"The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops." 2 Timothy 2:6

Do your share. Earn your pay. Do your part. Do the best you can with the part you've been given.

"I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. 9 For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building." 1 Corinthians 3:6-9

"Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this." 2 Timothy 2:7

Remember your training.

Remember the truth you've learned. Same foundational training for everyone. The elemental training is the same for all of us. Remember and build on the knowledge. You can read the Bible over and over and learn something new each time you read it.

"We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life."
1 John 5:20

"Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained." 2 Timothy 2:8-9

Remember what your purpose is. Remember why you are here.

Just go!

Remember where you are going.

"fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 2:2-3

We can finish our races because Jesus finished His.

"Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory." 2 Timothy 2:10

Endure for your brothers and sisters.

I shall finish my race strong so it will give others courage to finish theirs. Sometimes we need to carry each other.

"Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." 1 Peter 2:10

I do what I do to strengthen others.

If you hesitate and stand back, others may too. Cowardess begets cowardess. Courage can beget courage.

"Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him,
    we will also live with him;
12 if we endure,
    we will also reign with him.
If we disown him,
    he will also disown us;
13 if we are faithless,
    he remains faithful,
    for he cannot disown himself." 2 Timothy 2:11-13

You are reborn for a purpose in God's kingdom.

Which do you want to hear?

"Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’" Matthew 7:22-23

OR

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ Matthew 25:21

"We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. 3 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”[a] 4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.
5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had," Romans 15:1-5

A person's scars represent lots of lessons learned. Scars (if we learn by them) strengthen us. We have strength in Jesus.

"We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves." Romans 15:1

Our strength is in our hope.

"Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming." 1 Peter 1:13

Our hope is our strength.

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power." Ephesians 6:10

"Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6:1-2

Have compassion. Be humble. Pray. Give a hug. We don't help for ourselves. We help so we can build others up.

"Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up." Romans 15:2

Don't help to garner praise.

"not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:" Philippians 2:4-5

That's who I came for (Jesus says). Even if it is self-induced suffering, still help. God does. He dealt with the issue first, then spoke. Through the helping they saw the love of God. Don't worry about what others think.

"For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” Romans 15:3

Jesus picked people up. He didn't do this for himself. World asks, "What's in it for me?"

"If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love." John 15:10

This is the reward!

"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich." 2 Corinthians 8:9

Give grace always. Give a flood of grace so others can't help but get touched by that grace.

"For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope." Romans 15:4

Where does our strength come from?

"So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised." Hebrews 10:35-36

Look at the goal. That's the encouragement. 

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching,rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Train and get better. Read your Bible. Spend time with Jesus. The source of our strength!!

"I lift up my eyes to the mountains--
    where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth." Psalm 121:1-2

The spirit of unity:

"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had," Romans 15:5

How do we live in unity? in strength in unity?

Remember where we came from:

"Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly; do not be wise in your own estimation." Romans 12:16

We need to get to someone's eye level, eye-to-eye. Get down to their level.

"To sum up, let all be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit;" 1 Peter 3:8

"And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own; but all things were common property to them." Acts 4:32

SO, WHAT SHOULD WE DO?

1. Work out spiritually! Add strength through Bible study and prayer and obedience.
2. Use your strength. Help others be strong.
3. Need Help? Follow the example of Jesus and the early church.
4. Endurance. Persevere. Hope.

(Story from recording about riderless horse)
His heart was trying but he couldn't win. What if he had had someone helping him? There are people who are trying alone -- if we recognize it we can help them. Help me Lord see the ones I can encourage to walk with you.

1. We have been given everything we need through Jesus!

"His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." 2 Peter 1:3

If we choose not to know, that's on us.

2. Escape the world -- participate in heaven now.

"Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." 2 Peter 1:4

The world didn't change when Jesus came. We are the ones who are supposed to change.

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2

Renewing your mind -- use the Bible. Conform to God's will. When we fail to do this, we are failing to develop the way God intends us to develop.

"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love." 2 Peter 1:5-7

Check out the progression -- where are you?

Faith -- add Goodness.
Goodness -- add Knowledge.
Knowledge -- add Self-Control.
Self-Control -- add Perseverance.
Perseverance -- add Godliness.
Godliness -- add Mutual Affection.
Mutual Affection -- add Love.

Going toward these things. When we go back to God. it will all come back in line.

If you try and skip the knowledge, you will miss it all. 

3. We are meant to be different than the rest of the world.

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1

God did this to free us. But some of this is our responsibility.

"For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1:8

"If!"  Increasing measure means always increasing.

4. The Sacred Secret.

Secret means a mystery or religious secrets.

"Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly." Ephesians 3:2-3

Jesus changed all this.

"The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them." Matthew 13:10-11

If you know Jesus, the secrets of heaven are open to you.

5. We are part of the family.

"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him." 1 John 3:1

We are living in the time of Grace.  Galatia church had a problem. 

"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel-- 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervertthe gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse! 10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ." Galatians 1:6-10

This church started the right way. Then they starting adding to it. Why? To please people! If we lose sight of God and His ways, we are going to wander off the path. If we try to please people first before God, we are going to wander off the path He has for us.

6. We have a job to do -- be the hands and feet of Jesus.

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
    and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free," Luke 4:18


"But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind,forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins." 2 Peter 1:9

We are to be used by God. We have to take what He gives us and use it. A chainsaw is great but if we don't put our hands to it it is useless.

7. We have been chosen for a purpose.

"Therefore, my brothers and sisters,[a] make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1:10-11