Walking With God - Pastor Kenneth Woolf

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NEW LIFE COTR
Sunday June 1, 2008
“Dressed For Battle”
WALKING WITH GOD

Ephesians 6:10-18 (NIV)- Turn and Read
INTRODUCTION: We’ve been in this series titled “Dressed For Battle.”
1. Recognize you’re in the Battle.
2. Recognize who is in the Battle with you.
3. Put on the Armor of God.
But in the Spirit I could see weary, tired Christians trying to put on this heavy armor.
FIRST! God’s armor is not heavy.
Matthew 11:28-30- “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
There’s part of Ephesians 6 we miss if not careful.
Ephesians 6:10- “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.”
Then it says, “put on the full armor of God.”
FIRST BE STRONG, AND THEN PUT ON THE ARMOR.
Ephesians 6:10- (AMP) - “In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides.”
Union- The act of uniting or the state of being united.
United- To bring together so as to form a whole. To combine in interest attitude or action. To become joined, formed, or combined in a unit. To join and act together in a common purpose or endeavor. To be bound together by adhesion.
When you and I are united with God we can win the battle every time!
BE EMPOWERED THROUGH YOUR UNION WITH HIM
2Corinthians 2:14 (AMP) “But thanks be to God, Who in Christ always leads us in triumph [as trophies of Christ’s victory] and through us spreads and makes evident the fragrance of the knowledge of God everywhere.”
TRANSITION: When you think of two people being united what do you think of. A man and woman coming together in marriage.

“With this union of hearts and hands, and by the authority vested in me as a minister of the gospel, and by the laws of the state of Texas, and in the name of the Almighty God, our Father, I pronounce you man and wife.”
“May this holy union ever be a perfect type of God’s great love. May it be blessed and used that many souls shall find their places in the spotless Bride of Christ.”
Then after the groom kisses the bride and they are announced husband and wife they walk the isle together and it’s God’s plan that they walk together the rest of their lives.
So it is when we become Believers in Jesus Christ. When we believe the Good News of Jesus death and resurrection. When we recognize that we need Him and ask Him to come into our heart and be our Lord and Savior.
At this moment we begin a wonderful journey of WALKING WITH GOD! And it’s as we walk with God that we are empowered with His strength to defeat Satan in every area of our life.
TRANSITION: Steps to walking with God.

I. RECOGNIZE YOU MUST WALK WITH GOD
Amos 3:3- “Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?”
For us to walk with God we must agree with Him!
2Corinthians 6:14-18
You can’t be a partner with God and the world at the same time!
When we walk with God we spread and make evident the fragrance and the knowledge of God!
1John 1:5-7- “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son, purifies us from all sin.”
WHAT BETTER PERSON TO WALK WITH THAN GOD? THERE IS NO DEFECT OR IMPERFECTION! HE IS THE LIGHT!
Colossians 3:5-8- “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature; sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.”
You used to walk in these ways but now your walk has changed.
Here’s my prayer for you:
Isaiah 30:21- “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, This is the way; walk in it.”
TRANSITION: If you’re going to win the battle (1) You must walk with God. Or be empowered through our union with Him.
God says, “You must walk with Me.” Then He says, “So I’m going to make a way for you to walk with Me.”
John 14:6- “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
The second step to walking with God:

II. RECOGNIZE GOD HAS MADE THE WAY FOR YOU TO WALK WITH HIM
1Timothy 2:5,6- “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all men….”
Because of sin God and man could not walk together.
Genesis 3:8,9- “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, Where are you?”
I wonder how many days Adam and Eve WALKED WITH GOD in the garden instead of hiding from God!
But because of their sin God has to make a Way for man to walk with Him again.
1John 2:1,2,6- “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense-Jesus Christ the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.”
God has made the Way for you to walk with Him!
CONCLUSION: Steps to walking with God or in union with God.
1. Recognize we must walk with God.
2. Recognize God has made the way for us to walk with Him.

III. ACCEPT THE INVITATION TO WALK WITH GOD
Who better to walk with!
Revelation 3:20- “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
God invites you to walk with Him!
Maybe you’re hear today and you’ve walked away from God. You’re no longer walking with Him.
I was there once in my life.
1John 1:9- “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Walk with God and be empowered through your union with Him. He will give you strength to stand in the battle.