PREACHING ANOTHER JESUS

THE ALAMO

 

I.       History

 

          A.      1836….Texas decided to sever relations with Mexico

 

          B.      Santa Anna, Mexican general, approaching San Antonio, Tex

                   with 5,000 men!!

 

          C.      Colonel William Travis….Jim Bowie, Davie Crockett….

                   150 men in all

 

          D.      Travis sent plea for help “I shall never surrender or retreat.”

 

          E.      Colonel J. W. Fannin, with volunteers from his company….

                   came to help - increase to 400 men…..

 

                   Others coming with more men & equipment

 

          F.      Final siege lasted from February 23 ‘til March 5

 

                   Things now bleak - Jim Bowie is sick – many survivors wounded – Hope of victory is all but gone

                   Now only 180 men…low ammo….

 

                   Col. Travis drew line….. only one didn’t cross over

 

          G.      Could no longer return fire…out of ammo…

                  

          H.      Fought with fists & musket butts….no survivors

 

          I.       “Remember the Alamo !” – Importance of Battle Cry –

                   Gave strength – Courage – Reason to Continue

         

II.      We are in a battle

 

          A.      All faithful Christians with Jesus…..

                                                          vsThe Devil and his followers

 

                   1.       We, too, are outnumbered – never a problem for God

 

                   2.       Our ammo, however is quite different

 

                             a.       All that we will ever need - won’t run out

 

                             b.       It is totally in our control

 

                   3.       Fear different from those at the Alamo

 

                             a.       They feared death – loss of territory

 

                             b.       We are told:

Mat 10:28-34  " Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.  (29)  "Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.  (30)  "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.   (31)  "So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.  (32)  "Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven.  (33)  "But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.  (34)  "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.

 

                   4.       Greater cause….not freedom of state; but of souls

 

                   5.       Our battle cry not “Remember the Alamo” but:

 

                             “REMEMBER THE CROSS!”

 

III.     Paul knew we were in a fight – Not a metaphor

                   

          A.      WE ARE IN A FIGHT!

 

1 Tim. 1:18-20  This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight,  (19)  keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith.  (20)  Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.

 

1 Tim. 6:12  Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

 

2 Tim. 2:1-3  You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.  (2)  The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.  (3)  Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.  (REMIND: COL. TRAVIS DRAWS LINE) (4)  No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.

 

B.      Just as Col. Travis drew a line …. we must choose

          God has always demanded we choose – choose Him

         

          1.       Choose to “faithfully” serve – abundant life; now & in eternity

 

          2.       Or choose “half-hearted” service; still dabbling in sinful worldly pleasures; and going to church – frustrated life here; eternal punishment and separation from God

 

James 4:4  You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

 

          Gen. 3 – Eve had to choose; … Adam had to choose

 

          Exodus 32:19; 25-26a – Israelites had to choose

                   “Who is on the Lord’s side?”

 

          3.       Or choose not to even enter into His service; not becoming a Christian – follow Satan to the torment that God has awaiting him – eternal damnation….

 

          Acts 9….Saul of Tarsus had to choose

 

Deut. 30:19-20  "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants,  (20)   by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them."

 

WHAT HAVE YOU CHOSEN?

 

WE NEED TO CONSIDER THE ENEMY…..

 

A.      1 Pet. 5:8   Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

 

B.      Acts 13:10   (Paul to Bar-Jesus – a.k.a.  Elymas the sorcerer) and said, "You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord?

 

C.      John 8:44   "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

 

          “Go ahead, take that drink, it won’t hurt you”

          “Don’t go to services tonight, you’ll have more fun watching TV”

          “It’s better to stay home than to try to worship God in the wrong spirit.”

          “Don’t tell your neighbor about the gospel…already committed…       (OR) too worldly….won’t listen, etc.

          “Don’t study now…you can do it later”

 

IF WE DECIDE TO FIGHT WE ARE WELL ARMED:

THE AMUNITION:

 

A.      Travis ran out …. ours is unlimited if we continue in faith

 

Rom 1:16-17  For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.  (17)  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH."

 

Our ammo is more powerful – TRUTH

 

John 8:31-32  So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;  (32)  and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."

 

OUR BATTLE ARMER IS STRONG:

 

Eph 6:10-17  Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.  (11)  Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.  (12)  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.  (13)  Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.  (14)  Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,  (15)  and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE;  (16)  in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  (17)  And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

 

IF WE ARE ON THE LORD’S SIDE WE HAVE

MARCHING ORDERS:

 

A.      Mark 16:15-16   And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.  (16)  "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.

 

B.      Matthew 28:18-20   And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  (19)  "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,  (20)  teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

 

          1.       Everyone taught is a VICTORY for the Lord

 

          2.       Every soul saved is a DEFEAT for Satan

 

NO TRUCE HAS BEEN DECLARED!!

 

Col. Travis - 180 men – line drawn – what side would you be on?

 

Mat 12:22-30  Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw.  (23)  All the crowds were amazed, and were saying, "This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?"  (24)  But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, "This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons."  (25)  And knowing their thoughts Jesus said to them, "Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself will not stand.   (26)  "If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand?   (27)  "If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? For this reason they will be your judges.  (28)  "But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.  (29)  "Or how can anyone enter the strong man's house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.  (30)  "He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters.

 

“Who is on the Lord’s side?” – Ask yourself, “What am I doing to fight for Him who died for me? – OUR BATTLE CRY “Remember the cross!”

THE BATTLEGROUND

 

A.      Turn to Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43 “Parable of the Tares”

 

          Just tell the parable….

 

Mat 13:37-40  And He said, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man,   (38)  and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one;  (39)  and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels.  (40)  "So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age.

 

B.      Battleground in the Heart

 

Rom 7:14-25  For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.  (15)  For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.  (16)  But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good.  (17)  So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.  (18)  For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.  (19)  For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.  (20)  But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.  (21)  I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.  (22)  For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man,  (23)  but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.  (24)  Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?  (25)  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.

 

BE LIKE PAUL….

 

2 Tim. 4:7  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;

 

 

CLOSE:

Joshua 24:13-15  'I gave you a land on which you had not labored, and cities which you had not built, and you have lived in them; you are eating of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.'  (14)  "Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt , and serve the LORD.  (15)  "If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."

 

TODAY:

God has blessed you; your home; family, etc.

Put away those sins that stand between you and Christ ----

DON’T FOLLOW THE WAY OF WORLDLINESS!

If it seems wrong to you to serve Christ ---- CHOOSE TODAY WHO YOU WILL SERVE!! – BUT FOR ME AND MY HOUSE__ _(ANSWER?)____?

 

NOTE:  THE BATTLE IS RAGING OUTSIDE – there are members of the church (the Lord’s Army) who stay inside the safety of their homes – homes the Lord has provided for them and their families –

 

There are Christians who have chosen to not be a part of the war – they run in the face of battle --- YOU MUST CHOOSE….

 

WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON?

 

Mat 6:24-25  " No one can serve two masters ; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.   (25)  "For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

 

James 4:4  You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. ---- NOW YOU MUST CHOOSE---

If you want to join – or rejoin…. come forward right now!!