SPEAKER_00: Ministering to the heart of Western Arkansas's River Valley for over 165 years, welcome to Chapter and First, the Bible Teaching Ministry of Fort Smith's First Baptist Church.
SPEAKER_00: You'll find sermons and teachings from Pastor Greg, our ministry staff, and guest speakers.
SPEAKER_00: Thank you for listening.
SPEAKER_02: Okay, that right there will preach.
SPEAKER_02: I am aware of the time, so don't panic.
SPEAKER_02: All right.
SPEAKER_02: Turn with me real quickly in your Bibles to Ephesians chapter 6.
SPEAKER_02: We're just going to do something a little bit different.
SPEAKER_02: We've been talking about the hope that comes with Jesus and Jesus' return.
SPEAKER_02: And we don't want to leave without an opportunity to share the gospel on which that hope is founded.
SPEAKER_02: We've just sung about the faithfulness of God, and He's bigger and greater and stronger in all.
SPEAKER_02: So we want to just show you from God's word why that is.
SPEAKER_02: I want to remind you as we go through this study here of Ephesians chapter 6.
SPEAKER_02: It's interesting that today we land on the helmet of salvation.
SPEAKER_02: Read with me just quickly, it'll be on the screen there for just a moment, Ephesians chapter 6, beginning in verse 11, where the Bible says, put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the devil.
SPEAKER_02: For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.
SPEAKER_02: Let me just remind us for a moment as we go forward: a political party is not our enemy.
SPEAKER_02: A person is not our enemy, a candidate is not our enemy.
SPEAKER_02: Satan is our enemy.
SPEAKER_02: Satan is the evil force and the power and all of that.
SPEAKER_02: Even when we look at some of those issues that we're fighting over as a country, when does life begin?
SPEAKER_02: What is marriage?
SPEAKER_02: The unfettered flow of fentanyl and the expansion of marijuana and all of that sort of stuff.
SPEAKER_02: All these things that are evil, listen, the enemy is Satan.
SPEAKER_02: He is the one who is trying to destroy lives.
SPEAKER_02: And he's trying to destroy the peace and the culture in a country where the name of Jesus is proclaimed.
SPEAKER_02: And so as we go into this time, yes, we need to speak truth and we need to vote and do all those things, but listen, the devil is our enemy.
SPEAKER_02: And Jesus is our champion.
SPEAKER_02: And this is a moment for the gospel.
SPEAKER_02: It is a moment for the people of God to do what we are commanded, to put on the whole armor of God so that we may be able to resist in the evil day.
SPEAKER_02: And having prepared everything to take our stand for Jesus and for truth and for life.
SPEAKER_02: Stand therefore with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace.
SPEAKER_02: And then he continues.
SPEAKER_02: Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of spirit, which is God's word.
SPEAKER_02: The helmet of salvation.
SPEAKER_02: The helmet guards your mind.
SPEAKER_02: It's another place in Romans, the Bible says, renewing your mind.
SPEAKER_02: It is facing our minds on Jesus Christ.
SPEAKER_02: It is having that worldview that comes from salvation, that we are not afraid, but we are people of faith.
SPEAKER_02: That we have a power in Christ Jesus and a hope because of him.
SPEAKER_02: And the most important message, I think, today is that salvation brings hope.
unknown: Amen.
SPEAKER_02: Turn with me, if you will, in your Bibles to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5.
SPEAKER_02: And here I just want to show you the gospel in a very simple way.
SPEAKER_02: Here's what the Bible says in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5.
SPEAKER_02: Just get a context here in verse 1 quickly.
SPEAKER_02: He writes and he says, about the times and the seasons.
SPEAKER_02: Seems like every time we turn around, it's the times and the seasons.
SPEAKER_02: That first song, the midnight cry, we love that part where he says those signs are beginning to line up for the return of Jesus.
SPEAKER_02: Predictions and things that Scripture gives us, descriptions of what life looks like in the days before Jesus comes.
SPEAKER_02: Wars and rumors of wars, that certainly looks like the world we live in today.
SPEAKER_02: In Romans 8, the Bible talks about because of the impact of sin, the creation around us groans in pain and in bondage to the effect of sin and it's longing for the return of Jesus.
SPEAKER_02: Well, every one of those signs that you think of, man, this are the seasons and the times.
SPEAKER_02: And our response is one of hope.
SPEAKER_02: Because he goes on to talk about, brothers, you do not need anything to be written to you.
SPEAKER_02: He's about to remind us that Jesus is coming back, but he says, listen, you shouldn't have to need a reminder.
SPEAKER_02: You trusted him as your Savior.
SPEAKER_02: You know that he conquered death and sin.
SPEAKER_02: You know that he said in John 14, I am going to prepare a place for you and I will come again.
SPEAKER_02: But he encourages anyway.
SPEAKER_02: For you yourselves already know very well that the day of the Lord, his return, will come just like a thief in the night.
SPEAKER_02: When they say peace and security, then sudden destruction comes on them like labor pains.
SPEAKER_02: Come on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape, but you brothers are not in the dark.
SPEAKER_02: For this day to overtake you like a thief.
SPEAKER_02: For you are sons and daughters of light, and sons and daughters of the day.
SPEAKER_02: We know the light of Jesus.
SPEAKER_02: We know the light of Scripture that prepares us and guides us.
SPEAKER_02: We know the light of the gospel that brings hope to the world.
SPEAKER_02: So here's where we'll just share the gospel as we close.
SPEAKER_02: Verse 8, since we belong to the day, since we are adopted as children of God through the work of Jesus Christ and salvation, since we belong to the day, we must be serious and put the armor of faith and love on our chests.
SPEAKER_02: Another illustration of that armor.
SPEAKER_02: And listen to what he says: put on a helmet of the hope of salvation.
SPEAKER_02: And that's why we have hope.
SPEAKER_02: Because Jesus saves.
SPEAKER_02: That's why we have hope, because Jesus stepped out of heaven and went to the cross and there took the full wrath and punishment of God on the cross.
SPEAKER_02: And he paid the price for sin and he rose again, conquering death and sin to offer us salvation.
SPEAKER_02: And when you know him as your Savior, you understand your mind is clear from the biblical worldview of Scripture and salvation.
SPEAKER_02: When you put on salvation, when your mind rests in who you are in Christ, the most prevailing truth for us is hope.
SPEAKER_01: Because Jesus is coming again.
SPEAKER_01: Because Jesus promised to save and he promised to come.
SPEAKER_02: And he gives us real quickly what this hope is based on.
SPEAKER_02: For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.
SPEAKER_02: Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up as you're already doing.
SPEAKER_02: I just want to tell you there is hope in Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: Amen.
SPEAKER_02: Whatever situation you're going through, something in your health and your finances, in your family, and your career, just something personal in your life that you feel like it's just not working.
SPEAKER_02: I want you to know that Jesus has hope for you.
SPEAKER_02: There is nothing, whether it's what happened yesterday or may happen in our culture or whether it's what's happening individually in your life right now.
SPEAKER_02: When we place our faith in Jesus Christ, he is bigger than all of that and brings hope to it all.
SPEAKER_02: The source of our hope is clear.
SPEAKER_02: For God did not appoint us to wrath.
SPEAKER_02: When you place your faith in Jesus Christ, let's just sort of not do the screens here for a while.
SPEAKER_02: Leave it right there.
SPEAKER_02: When you place your faith in Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven.
SPEAKER_02: When you come and trust Him, what you are trusting is that Jesus stepped out of heaven, he lived a sinless life, and there he went on the cross, and he took the price for your sins, and he paid the full price for your sins.
SPEAKER_02: He took your punishment on the cross.
SPEAKER_02: When he rose again, he reaches out the hand of love and forgiveness to you.
SPEAKER_02: And when you come and you take your life and you give it to Jesus, your sins are forgiven.
SPEAKER_02: The Bible says that your sins are buried in the bottom of the ocean, in the sea of God's forgetfulness.
SPEAKER_02: He says that when you place your faith in Christ, you are so forgiven and not under judgment anymore that he takes your sins and he separates them from you as far as the east is from the west.
SPEAKER_02: When Jesus forgives you, you are no longer under judgment.
SPEAKER_02: You are God's child who is forgiven because of what Jesus did for us.
SPEAKER_02: He says, He did not point us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
SPEAKER_02: Pastor, how do you know I can be forgiven?
SPEAKER_02: Because you're not dependent on me or anything I say.
SPEAKER_02: As awesome as the music is, we're singing about Jesus.
SPEAKER_02: It is Jesus who saves.
SPEAKER_02: When you place your faith in Christ, you are placing your faith in what He did on the cross for you.
SPEAKER_02: In fact, the Bible says, for by say are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves?
SPEAKER_02: It is the gift of God.
SPEAKER_02: It is the work of Jesus.
SPEAKER_02: It is realizing that I didn't deserve to be saved.
SPEAKER_02: I can't save myself.
SPEAKER_02: I can't fix any of this.
SPEAKER_02: But Jesus stepped out of heaven in love and mercy and grace, and he did that for me, and he is the one who conquered that sin.
SPEAKER_02: He is the one who paid the price for it.
SPEAKER_02: He is the one who stepped out of the grave, and he is the one who offers salvation.
SPEAKER_02: And if you come to Jesus, your faith decision is this Lord, I know I'm a sinner, and my sin has to be punished, and Lord, I can't do anything to affect this, and I can't forgive myself, and these situations are bigger than me, and whatever it is in your life, and you come and you take everything you've been, everything you are, and everything you ever will be, and you give it all to Jesus Christ, and He does the work of salvation.
SPEAKER_02: We are saved because of what Jesus does.
SPEAKER_02: Sometimes people say, Pastor, I just don't know if I can get my life together enough to come to Jesus.
SPEAKER_02: Friends, you don't clean yourself up to come to Jesus.
SPEAKER_02: You come to Jesus and He cleans you up.
SPEAKER_02: You come to Jesus and you give it all to him, and he is the one who does the work for you.
SPEAKER_02: Pastor, I just don't know if I have that much faith.
SPEAKER_02: Listen, it's not about your faith, it's about Jesus, our Savior.
SPEAKER_02: He is the one who saves.
SPEAKER_02: And you come and you give your life to him, and he will do more with your life than you can ever imagine.
SPEAKER_02: We are forgiven, not appointed to wrath.
SPEAKER_02: It is because of the work of Jesus Christ who died for us, and then the promise that we will live together with him.
SPEAKER_02: When you give your life to Christ, who loves you so much that he died for you and rose again for you and offers you that salvation, you enter into an eternal relationship with Jesus.
SPEAKER_02: When you are saved, you come into his life, and he comes into yours and he walks with you, and you're never alone again in this life.
SPEAKER_02: And whether you, your body dies before he returns, or he returns before your body dies, it doesn't matter how you get there, you will spend an eternity with Jesus in heaven because of him.
SPEAKER_02: If you've never trusted Christ as your Savior, this is the moment.
SPEAKER_02: I want you to bow your heads as we close.
SPEAKER_02: In just a moment, we're going to sing one last time.
SPEAKER_02: Our pastors will be at the head of the aisles.
SPEAKER_02: If you need Jesus, I want to invite you to come.
SPEAKER_02: If you're watching online and you've seen this and this has affected you, and you see the church of Jesus Christ, and you see him celebrated and lifted up and pointed out, and you want to place your faith in Christ right there where you are, where you're watching or listening.
SPEAKER_02: Just give your life to him.
SPEAKER_02: There's no magic words.
SPEAKER_02: You come in your heart and you open your heart to Jesus and you tell him what you're feeling and you tell him what you know that you're a sinner.
SPEAKER_02: You ask him to forgive your sins and you give your life to him and he will save you because he promised.
SPEAKER_02: Church, I want to encourage you to be of good faith and hope as we move forward.
SPEAKER_02: Speak life to those around you.
SPEAKER_02: Build up each other.
SPEAKER_02: And let's take a stand for the hope of Jesus in this moment.
SPEAKER_02: Lord, we come and we give ourselves to you.
SPEAKER_02: And in this moment, I ask if there's someone who needs to be saved, Lord, I pray that you'll take the testimony of these young people who are baptized today and speak to lives and hearts.
SPEAKER_02: I pray you'll take the messages of hope and the sure return of Jesus and salvation in his name that we've sung about today and speak to hope into hearts and lives.
SPEAKER_02: And I pray you'll take this scripture and show them that when they put on that helmet of salvation, it is a helmet of hope when they give their lives to you.
SPEAKER_02: And if there's people who need to be saved, we pray today they will give their life to you.
SPEAKER_02: We pray this in the saving name of Jesus and all God's people said, Let's stand and sing, and if you need Jesus, I want to invite you to come.
SPEAKER_00: We pray this message has been a blessing to you and helped to strengthen your walk with Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: Please know we want to minister to you and pray for you.
SPEAKER_00: Send an email to contact us at fsfbc.org and let us pray for you and help you in any way we can.
SPEAKER_00: Thank you for listening to chapter and first, the Bible teaching ministry of Fort Smith First Baptist Church.