S1: Choosing how to handle our battles from a spiritual perspective.
S1: That's today's topic on Bold Steps with Mark Jobe.
S2: One of the greatest areas that will derail you is
S2: not guarding your heart, opening up crevices and cracks in
S2: your life that are allowed to go unchecked as they grow.
S2: It will be a fierce battle and I just want
S2: to encourage you this is a battle worth fighting.
S1: And welcome to Bold Steps with pastor Mark Jobe. Mark
S1: is president of Moody Bible Institute and senior pastor of
S1: New Life Community Church in Chicago. And I'm Wayne Shepherd. Well,
S1: life is full of different battles, and while some are
S1: worth fighting for, there are others that are better avoided. So, Mark,
S1: when it comes to knowing the difference, where do we start?
S2: Yeah, there they are battles that we have to fight
S2: whether we want to or not. And in this message
S2: written by Paul to his young apprentice, Timothy, he talks
S2: about fighting the battle for purity, peace and people. And
S2: by the way, Wayne, I actually preached this message in
S2: chapel to an auditorium full of college students. And tomorrow
S2: we are celebrating the graduation of this class.
S1: Saying goodbye to some of those.
S2: Students. Yes. And so I wish I could bring all
S2: of our listeners to be at the graduation. As you
S2: see these students that for four years have prepared for
S2: their mission. And they'll be launched out to youth pastors
S2: and pastors and missionaries and counselors and teachers, non-for-profit leaders,
S2: and all kinds of different experiences in life. And so
S2: please pray for us tomorrow as we celebrate this year's graduation.
S1: Very special day at Moody Bible Institute. Well, let's go
S1: ahead and begin today's study fighting the battles that matter.
S1: Here's Mark Jobe.
S2: I think there's a lot of battles that you're going
S2: to fight, a lot of battles that you'll be sucked into,
S2: some of them that you choose. Some of them that
S2: people expect you to fight, some of them that you
S2: find yourselves in the middle that you maybe don't want
S2: to fight. I think of Paul's words to Timothy. He's
S2: raising a young man that knows he has a call
S2: upon his life. He's a bit timid. His father was
S2: more than likely not a believer Greek. His mother had
S2: strong faith. His grandmother had strong faith. Paul really has
S2: invested a lot into young Timothy. He sees in Timothy
S2: what Timothy does not see in himself. Some scholars speculate that.
S2: Possibly Timothy's father was either absent or not super supportive
S2: of his Christianity, and it feels to me like Paul
S2: takes on a bit of this surrogate father relationship with Timothy.
S2: He treats him like a son, speaks to him like
S2: a son, and he's launching Timothy. He's recruited Timothy believes
S2: in Timothy, and he's preparing him really to face a
S2: very turbulent, chaotic world. This is not one in which
S2: Timothy will be praised often, or it will be easy.
S2: He's preparing him to fight to battle. This was a
S2: turbulent time in the first century. People were being martyred,
S2: put in prison. in heresies were rampant, a disregard for Christians.
S2: It was not easy to lead. First and second Timothy
S2: is really about. Spirit empowered. God chose what should be
S2: in Scripture and these two books, more than any other
S2: books in the Bible, I think, speak to the formation
S2: of young leaders. In first Timothy chapter six, verse 12,
S2: Paul says, fight the good fight of faith. And although
S2: in Second Timothy he doesn't refer as much to fighting,
S2: I think he's continuing the theme of what to battle.
S2: This happens to be actually the last book that the
S2: Apostle Paul would write. Uh, you know that Paul wrote
S2: about 14 books of the Bible. Many people believe that
S2: shortly after writing this book, Paul was killed. So it's
S2: his final book, the final chapter, the final phrases to
S2: this young man that is going to carry on that,
S2: that he's passing the baton onto. And in this section
S2: of Second Timothy, chapter two, he challenges Timothy to fight
S2: three important battles. And I want to summarize them for
S2: you this morning, because I think they're the battles that, yeah,
S2: we're still fighting. And these words are still important to us.
S2: The first I would define as the battle for purity.
S2: The battle for purity. Paul says to Timothy, flee the
S2: evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace,
S2: along with those who call on the name of the
S2: Lord out of a pure heart. You know there are
S2: certain battles that you fight. You stand your ground, you
S2: stay and you fight. There's others that you run from.
S2: You just run. You fight when you know I can
S2: win this battle. You run. When you realize I can't
S2: win this battle, I better get out of here. I
S2: was mentoring a young man a few years back, and
S2: he was really struggling with this whole area of lust
S2: and dating and women, and he had a propensity before
S2: he came to Christ to end up at parties in
S2: someone's bed. And so he was just saying, he was
S2: just saying, hey, pastor, I don't know. This is a
S2: tough battle, you know? So when I'm there at the
S2: party and you know, there's a dance and I'm dancing,
S2: and this, I just don't feel like I know how
S2: to fight this battle and resist because I cave in
S2: every time, and then I beat myself up. I just
S2: want to know, how can I fight? I said, well,
S2: first of all, you're at a party. Dancing with the
S2: girl that's not a believer. And when you feel that temptation,
S2: I just want to say, here's the strategy I'm going
S2: to give you. Run. Just run. Let me tell you,
S2: there are certain things that you need to assume I'm weak.
S2: And listen. Listen to me very well. If you have
S2: struggled in the area of sexual temptation, which I don't
S2: know anybody in their early 20s. That doesn't. But if
S2: you struggle in the area of sexual temptation, struggle in
S2: the area of giving, in struggle, in the area of pornography,
S2: of crossing lines and dating, of not being able to
S2: maintain standards of purity, if you struggle in those areas,
S2: you need to assume I am weak, I am desperately weak,
S2: and so I don't tempt myself with weakness. I don't
S2: assume that I'm strong. I don't put on a mentality.
S2: I'm just going to resist. I'm going to avoid places.
S2: I'm going to run out of, places I'm going to. Yes,
S2: do the cowardly thing in some people's minds, and I'm
S2: just going to run out because really, it's the brave thing.
S2: And the Apostle Paul is telling Timothy, flee, run! Evil
S2: desires of youth. He doesn't define it, but it's defined
S2: in other places. Purity. Sexual purity is not the only
S2: special pressure. And by the way, Timothy wasn't that young.
S2: He was in his 30s, probably at this time, late 30s.
S2: But he's telling them to run and pursue righteousness. And
S2: he emphasizes that of a pure heart. First Corinthians chapter six,
S2: verse 18 says, flee sexual immorality. Every sin a person
S2: commits outside of his body, but the immoral person commits
S2: sins against his own body. Let me tell you, I
S2: just want I want to emphasize this because I care
S2: about your calling. I care about your future. I care
S2: about your ministry. One of the greatest areas that will
S2: derail you is not guarding your heart, opening up crevices
S2: and cracks in your life that are allowed to go
S2: unchecked as they grow and eventually sabotage your marriage, your ministry,
S2: your purity, your life. You're going to have to battle
S2: intentionally in this area for purity. It will be a
S2: fierce battle. And I just want to encourage you, this
S2: is a battle worth fighting. I've been a pastor for
S2: a long time. And I've had to, unfortunately, walk through.
S2: Too many times, the brokenness of infidelity in people that
S2: I would never expect it to. Many times. And I
S2: thought to myself, so many of these stories, if they
S2: would have addressed these issues ten years ago, 15 years ago,
S2: if they would have battled, addressed them, gone to the
S2: hard places, many of these sad stories could have been avoided.
S1: You're listening to Bold Steps with Marc Job. We'll continue
S1: today's message in a moment. Marc, there's something I've been
S1: noticing lately that I think many of our listeners are
S1: thinking about, with so many voices competing for our attention.
S1: There's social media news cycles, workplace demands. It's easy to
S1: lose sight of what matters eternally. And I find myself
S1: wondering how many Christians today are investing their best resources
S1: in things that won't ultimately last.
S2: You know, Wayne, I remember when my youngest son was
S2: playing football in high school. It was a big game
S2: and I went there. I was cheering him on, and
S2: I got a phone call and I thought, well, let
S2: me pick up this phone call just for a moment.
S2: So I went down and I got on the phone call,
S2: and it was right at that time that my son,
S2: he intercepted a pass. And afterwards he said, dad, did
S2: you see that? And I had to say I missed
S2: the moment I was distracted by something, and in the end,
S2: it wasn't an urgent phone call. Listen, right now, there's
S2: a lot of distraction. The political environment in our country,
S2: there's a drama every day. There's a lot that's happening internationally.
S2: There's wars, there's natural disasters. It feels like we are
S2: just sucked into it. But I want to say, don't
S2: miss the moment. I believe that we are seeing more
S2: people come to Christ at this season of time, especially
S2: under the age of 35, than I have ever seen
S2: in our lifetime. It's happening in Africa and Europe. It's
S2: happening in the United States of America. We have bold steps,
S2: are committed to not get distracted, but to make sure
S2: that we are proclaiming the gospel of Jesus at a
S2: time of uncertainty so that people can come to know
S2: him in this window of opportunity that we have. So
S2: we want to encourage you. Pray. Don't miss the moment.
S1: Such an important word, Mark. Thank you. And if you
S1: would like to become part of this eternal work today
S1: by visiting us, you can do that at Bold steps.org
S1: and make a gift or call us at 800 Moody.
S1: That's (800) 356-6639. And when you do, we'll send you a
S1: special gift as a way of saying thanks for partnering
S1: with us and sharing God's truth that will last eternally.
S1: More on that later. But let's get back to today's
S1: message now. Fighting the battles that matter.
S2: The other battle worth fighting that Timothy talks about is
S2: fight the battle for peace. Notice what he says in
S2: verse 23, don't have anything to do with foolish and
S2: stupid arguments, because you know that they produce quarrels, and
S2: the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome, but must be
S2: kind to everyone able to teach and not resentful. The
S2: greatest challenge that you're going to face if you go
S2: to the mission field. The greatest challenge you're going to
S2: face if you work at a church setting. The greatest
S2: challenge that you're going to face if you go to
S2: a not for profit. And the greatest challenge that you'll
S2: face if you work at Moody Bible Institute is the
S2: relational component of ministry. It's not the world. It's not
S2: the outsiders. It's not the antagonist. It's your teammates. It's
S2: the people around you. It's a team that's supposed to
S2: be fighting with you that you're supposed to be going
S2: to battle with. It's the jealousy, the resentment, the arguments,
S2: the pride, the undealt with, uh, hurt. The avoidance of
S2: talking through hard, tough issues. It's those issues that derail
S2: so many people. I was talking to someone that was
S2: in charge of a missions organization, and I said, tell
S2: me about why people go off the field, he said,
S2: we have a major problem. People go for four years
S2: and then they bail out and come back to America.
S2: We've put all this training, all this energy, all this fundraising,
S2: all this work, and then they come back. I said, why?
S2: Because the mission feels too hard. He said, no, because
S2: they can't get along with their team members. It's the reality.
S2: Just because we're Christians doesn't mean we know how to
S2: navigate healthy relationships. Just because we love Jesus doesn't mean
S2: we know how to deal with resentment. Talk through hard issues,
S2: show kindness, not argue about stupid things. How many of
S2: you think back seniors four years of. Moody. And you think, man,
S2: I had some stupid arguments that I was really intense
S2: on winning, but it had nothing to do with truth.
S2: It had more to do with pride and winning an argument.
S2: There are certain arguments you don't even need to be
S2: involved in. There are certain things you just need to
S2: walk away from. And the Apostle Paul is telling Timothy,
S2: don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments.
S2: There's all kinds. You could spend a lot of time
S2: arguing with, a lot of people, debating a lot of
S2: things that ultimately really do very little to advance the
S2: kingdom or help anybody else out, because you know that
S2: they simply produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not
S2: be quarrelsome. But he's saying these arguments cause you to
S2: treat people in a different way. And he says, I
S2: want you to be kind to everyone. I want you
S2: to be able to teach. And I don't want you
S2: to have resentments because it's easy as you go about
S2: ministry and working with people and people that you're supposed
S2: to be with, to allow baggage to accumulate in your
S2: soul and the very team that you're supposed to be
S2: a part of gets sabotaged by the toxicity of the
S2: relationships that are there. So guard it. Battle it, learn
S2: to have conversations. Avoid arguments that you don't even need
S2: to be engaged in, and guard the unity of the
S2: relationships that you have. Proverbs 20 verse three says, it's
S2: it is to one's honor to avoid strife. But every
S2: fool is quick to quarrel. He's not talking about avoidance.
S2: I think that so many times that's the problem. But
S2: conversations with humility, important conversations that really matter, with humility,
S2: with kindness, with a teachable spirit, not with resentment. This
S2: word kind is also translated gentle unto all men. It's
S2: the idea of patience patient in bearing with someone's wrongs.
S2: It's that whole idea of, hey, I want you to.
S2: I want you to listen, understand? People show patience, give grace,
S2: work with people. It's a battle that's worth fighting. And
S2: then the apostle Paul says in verse 25, the third
S2: battle he lists is fight the battle for people. He
S2: says in verse 25, opponents must be gently instructed in
S2: the hope that God will grant them repentance, leading to
S2: a knowledge of the of the truth, and that they
S2: will come to their senses and escape from the trap
S2: of the devil, who has taken them captive to do
S2: his will. He's saying, hey, there's people out there that
S2: don't know God. There's people out there that are confused
S2: and they're they're far. They're opponents. We look at them
S2: as opponents of the gospel. Fight for them. These opponents
S2: that have been captured or trapped by the devil to
S2: do his will. People are worth fighting for. People are
S2: worth pursuing. People matter to God. Pursue them with love
S2: and gentleness. And he uses words like gently. You know,
S2: one of the problems I face as I try to
S2: engage with my unchurched, disconnected, non-religious neighbors is that they
S2: view oftentimes the church or evangelicals or people that are Christian.
S2: They view them as combative and angry. And as I
S2: try to talk to my neighbors, they have a oftentimes
S2: a stereotype of of Christians that they're combative, angry, judgmental, unapproachable,
S2: and can't talk. Always like this. And it may be
S2: a stereotype, doesn't represent all of Christianity, but unfortunately represents
S2: too much of Christianity. And the Apostle Paul is telling Timothy, Hey, Timothy, I.
S2: There's a gentleness that needs to be there. There's a
S2: hope that God will grant repentance. There's a compassion that
S2: you have as you engage in people that even our
S2: opponents to you, people that are trapped by the devil,
S2: people that are blind and they barely know what they're
S2: doing because they're so broken. And I want you to
S2: approach them with a gentleness as you reach out to
S2: them and love them, and help them come to their senses.
S2: The battle is fierce. Some of you are graduating and
S2: going straight to places of ministry. It'll be harder than
S2: what you expect. You will be disappointed by people that
S2: you work with. You will question your call at times.
S2: But I want you to know that the grace of
S2: our Lord Jesus Christ, his incredible favor and mercy, and
S2: calling upon your life. The love of God, the patience
S2: of God, the conviction of God, the power of the
S2: Holy Spirit is there to sustain.
S1: Such a good message, Mark. Thank you. Would you pray
S1: for those listening to this lesson today? All of us
S1: who are listening, who want to step up and fight
S1: the way God has called us to.
S2: Absolutely. So there may be some of you right now
S2: that are in a fierce battle for purity or maybe
S2: for peace. Or maybe you're in the midst of conflict
S2: with other people. And I believe that God wants you
S2: to fight this battle because it affects your destiny and
S2: your testimony. Father, I pray right now for that. Yeah,
S2: I pray for that person right now that is struggling
S2: because they are living with their girlfriend or boyfriend and God.
S2: They are realizing that their bodies are the temple of
S2: the Holy Spirit. And you're calling them. You're calling them
S2: to acknowledge that their bodies are the temple and you're
S2: calling to live a different way. So I pray that
S2: you would give the conviction to either move out or
S2: to get married. Lord. I pray, Lord Jesus, for those
S2: that are in a battle of contention, that they would
S2: not see people as their enemy, but they would understand
S2: that people are broken and hurting. Father, and I pray
S2: that you would bring peace into places that are battle
S2: fronts right now. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for those that
S2: are saying I will fight the battles that are worth fighting.
S2: Give them strength and integrity in Jesus name. Amen.
S1: Amen. We have a resource. Mark is called more than
S1: a label discovering who you are in Christ. It's, I think,
S1: is a great follow up to the message we just heard.
S2: It really is, and it's fairly new. It just came out.
S2: It's a 15 day devotional based on some of the
S2: messages that I've preached, but with questions afterwards, just all
S2: focused on ripping those labels off that have been placed
S2: on you and discovering who you really are in Christ.
S1: And you can request a copy for yourself or a
S1: friend who may need this reminder. It's available at bird-stamps.org
S1: under the resource tab. That's Mark Jobe on Bold Steps
S1: with a message titled Fighting the Battles that Matter. And
S1: if you want to revisit any part of today's lesson,
S1: be sure to listen online at Bold steps.org. And while
S1: you're on our page, be sure to check out our
S1: bold Step gift, because in today's world, our daughters are
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S1: why Dana Gres's book Lies Girls Believe is such a
S1: timely resource. Addressing 20 common lies at girls ages 7
S1: to 12. Believe this colorful, engaging book equips young girls
S1: to identify the lies that come against them and replace
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S1: won't want to miss on Saturday or Sunday. Bold steps
S1: goes weekend. Tune in to the weekend edition of Bold
S1: Steps for more powerful insights, inspiration, and life changing truths
S1: that carry you throughout the weekend. It's the perfect way
S1: to keep your focus on God as you head into
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S1: at Bold Steps under the programs tab. And trust me,
S1: you won't want to miss a single moment of this. Well,
S1: I'm Wayne Shepherd inviting you to join us again Monday
S1: when Mark begins a message titled, what do you smell like? No,
S1: we're not talking about deodorant or perfume. Instead, it's a
S1: unique study in what Scripture says about our spiritual aroma.
S1: Don't miss the start of our next series called Bold Living,
S1: coming up Monday on Bold Steps with Mark John. Bold
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S1: Moody Bible Institute.