Men for our people

Here's another outtake from last weekend's Soldiers' Training conference held at my church in Chicago and will have more tomorrow: 

Paul writes to Timothy in II Timothy 4, [5] But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

Full proof means “get the whole thing out of it.” Guys, don’t settle for just a little piece of the ministry. Don’t settle for just a couple of hours of your life; let it BE your life and let the other stuff be the couple of hours of your life, says Richard Jordan.

If you’re going to navigate the future, you have to make some choices. You can know ALL about what Paul says on “here’s what to do,” but for you to walk in it and follow in it, you make the choices in your heart right now.

David says in II Samuel 10, [12] Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God: and the LORD do that which seemeth him good.

They’re going to go into battle and fight against the Ammonites and David says, “All right, guys, be of good courage. Let’s go play the men.”

You remember I Corinthians 14: [20] Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.

Stand up, play the men for our people and the cities of our God. Nearly every Sunday right before I preach, I quote that verse to myself. It’s a long habit of mine.

All of my life, since those early days preaching at the Mobile Rescue Mission (Mobile, Ala.), when I get up to preach . . . This morning, before I left my office to come in here, I said, “Lord, I want to be of good courage. I want to play the man and then you do that which seemeth good to you.”

For me, the preaching and the teaching is the courage that God’s Word puts in you to be who God’s made you. Not just as a saint but as a minister of the gospel of the grace of God.