Who is on the Lord's side? Page 2 of 2 (series: Sermons)

by John Lowe
(Woodruff, S.C.)

NOW, I WANT TO TALK FOR A FEW MINUTES ABOUT THE LORD’S FRIENDS AND HOW THEY ARE ENCOURAGED.

Their cause is the Lord’ cause; therefore we can say that it is the right cause. A good cause is a firm foundation and a powerful stimulus to take action. You could say this about the Lord’s friends, "They have observed thy word, and kept thy covenant" (Deut. 30:9). Christ himself is our Captain. Who can hesitate with such a Commander? Isaiah said that He was "A leader and commander for the people" (Isa. 55:4). When you trust Him, you share in His life and His victories. We want to be on His side, and there are several reasons for it.

First, when we are on His side the Angels are with us. “Horses of fire and chariots of fire are round about the Lord's servants” (2 Kings 6:17). The Syrian king, Ben-Haden was determined to capture Elisha, so he sent out a large company of soldiers to take him. When Elisha’s servant saw the soldiers, their situation looked hopeless, but there was something he couldn’t see until Elisha opened his eyes. Now, he knew the truth; “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them” (Ps 34:7). When the eyes of the servant were opened, he could see that the mountains were alive with fiery horses and chariots. It’s possible for anyone to see the invisible through the eye of faith.

Many times we are afraid of the enemy because we walk by sight and not by faith. If God and His hosts are for us, who can be against us?

But the angels aren’t the only ones with us: Thousands of the best of men and women that have ever lived have been on the Lord’s side. In the Bible they are called “a great cloud of witnesses” (Heb. 12:1). They’re great men and women who have given their testimony by the life they led. They were faithful servants and some even died rather that to leave the Lord’s side.

He rewards faithfulness in this life as well as the next, for those who live daily on God’s side can have a clear conscience, and a clean heart. Revelation 19:14 is talking about the final battle against Satan and his forces when it says, “And the armies which are in the heaven followed him upon white horses, clad in white, pure, fine linen.”.

Those who are on God’s side will celebrate victory in heaven and live in a world without end.

His kingdom is coming!
Oh, tell me the story!
God’s banner exalted shall be;
The earth shall be filled with His wonder and glory,
As waters that cover the sea.
Now we have come to the last part of the lesson: THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO ENLIST ON GOD’S SIDE.

If you want to stand on the Lord’s side you must take the thing that our Lord offers: by faith receive the promise. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. He promised that if we will confess our sins and ask Him for forgiveness that He will forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. That’s the formula for salvation and it hasn’t changed in over 2100 years.

Jesus’ friends will put on the insignia of a Christian by confessing Christ openly in baptism. Baptism is called an ordinance of the church, and an act of obedience, and it is certainly both. But it is also a public statement of faith in Jesus Christ and a visible sign of commitment to follow Him.

Friends, submit to instruction: be willing to learn, and yield to discipline.

Learn all you can about Him.

It will give you more faith and the more you learn about Him, the more you will love Him. Put on the uniform, and wear the garments of holiness, the attire of love, the whole armor of God as the apostle said. In Ephesians 6 we are told, “Use every piece of God’s armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared. In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere” (Eph. 6:13-18, NLT).

Spirit-filled Christians will exhibit Christ-likeness in the home, on the job, and on the battlefield. If we do not learn to obey at home, we are not likely to be obedient on the job or in the army of the Lord.

Likewise, if we have not learned to take orders, we will not be too successful at giving orders, either as parents or as employers. The danger in the home is parents who are strict but don’t exercise loving spiritual authority. The danger on the job is the employee who is a clock-watcher and doesn’t obey from the heart, and the “boss” who forgets that he is second in command and will one day give an account to the Lord. The danger on the battlefield is that we don’t take the enemy seriously and therefore fail to put on all of the armor. By faith, you put on the armor through prayer, which must be done at the beginning of every day.

Never underestimate the strategy and strength of the devil. If you are a friend of Jesus, gird on your sword: "The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." The classic illustration of this is our Lord’s use of this sword in His encounter with Satan. Three times He quoted the Word of God—not just random verses but the appropriate verses which the Holy Spirit gave Him for that occasion.

Enter into civil war first. Wage war within your own soul. Slay sin; conquer self, and cast down pride. The old nature is strong and it never leaves. It constantly does battle against the new nature that God placed within you. Use the weapons you have at your disposal; the word of God, prayer, and the Holy Spirit. Victory is certain for the faithful friend of Jesus.

Friends of Jesus, march to the field ripe for harvest and fight against falsehood, superstition, cruelty, oppression, drunkenness, uncleanness, and sin of every sort, anywhere and every¬where. And don’t fear, for “greater is He that is in you than He that is in the world.”

I heard a true story about Abraham Lincoln that’s a good illustration to end with. It goes like this.

"We trust the Lord is on our side, Mr. Lincoln," said the speaker of a delegation of Christian people to the president, during one of the darkest days of the American Civil War. "I don’t regard that as essential as something else," replied Mr. Lincoln. The worthy visitors looked horror-struck, until the President added: "I am more concerned to know that we are on the Lord's side."

Mr. Lincoln was right. The right side is not my side or your side. The Lord's side is the place to which every one of us should rally. His banner has right, truth, love, and holiness written on it. Be sure you stand up for God's banner, even if you must stand alone.

I heard about a man who was the head of a family of grown-up sons and daughters that passed away very suddenly.The day before he died, all the members of the household were with him, including one son who had recently been saved; now all the children were saved. The father's joy was great, as he put his hand upon one after another of his offspring, saying with an overflowing heart, "And this one is on the Lord's side! — and this one is on the Lord's side!"

Let’s continue to work for Jesus until we can also say about our family and friends--"And this one is on the Lord's side!”
Amen!!!