"Men of Valor" - The Apostolic Connection
by James Chester

Kind: sermon
Scripture: 2 Samuel 18:8, Matthew 7:13, 1 John 2:14-15, 2 Timothy 3:1-3, 1 Corinthians 16:13, 2 Timothy 4:9-10, Romans 12:2, Colossians 3:2, 2 Corinthians 2:12-13, 2 Corinthians 7:6, 2 Samuel 22:33-35

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/james-chester--men-of-valor-the-apostolic-connection
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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he was born in Hein born in a royal family like so many of us his family life was challenging was challenging to say the least his father had many children many wives and many concubines this environment this atmosphere created a highly competitive way among all of his siblings the fact is there could be only one successor to the throne his name was absolum the Hebrew meaning of his name meant father of Peace but we all know today that he was no peaceful man he was a man of great Zeal and a man of much aggression he had ambition that turned dangerously deadly over time so much talent he had an ability but he continued on a route to step in places and situations that were Beyond him just like you and I tonight I believe he had the opportunity to do better he had the opportunity to change to reform but Choice by choice he went deeper and deeper into places he had not business had any business going and doing things he had no right to do absum eventually became His Own Worst Enemy finally and poetically he and his army fought against David his father in the wood of Ephraim the Bible tells us that there was a great Slaughter there that day 20,000 of his army was estimated dead perished gone but it was a different kind of battle it wasn't your typical out in the open in broad daylight kind of fight the battle would not be one with special skills or Weaponry it was in the woods of Ephraim is what the Bible tell us a challenging terrain for even the most well-trained group of Men of Valor 2 Samuel 18:8 says for the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country and the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured the terrain the environment the surroundings was more deadly than the weapons of warfare a real understanding of this battle is that it is very possible to be great with a sword but perish because of an atmosphere the Bible says more perish because of the terrain than By The Sword biblically we know that there is only one path to heaven we know there is only one Lord one faith and one baptism so there's one path to heaven but there are several routes to destruction men you need to hear me today our enemy don't care which way we perish as long as we perish Matthew 7:13 says enter ye in at the great gates for wide is the gate and Broad is the way that leadth to destruction and many be excuse me many there be which go in there at we are living presently in an hour that men are losing the battle not by sword not by Weaponry but simply overwhelmingly falling prey to an ungodly and a wicked atmosphere a battle lost because of the terrain because of an environment it's quite possible for us as men tonight that we have become masters of the sword but fall because of the terrain I have a a message for us today that God not only wants to equip us but he wants to give us the ability to discern and overcome in these dangerous times these perilous times we need Valor in the woods I said we need Valor in these Woods it's a dangerous world it's a perilous time the word of God says in 1 John 2:14 I have written unto you fathers because you have known him that is from the beginning I have written unto you young men because you are strong and the word of God abideth in you and you have overcome the Wicked World excuse me the wicked one verse 15 says love not the world neither the things that are in the world if any man love the world the love of the father is not in him for all that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes the pride of life is not of the father but is of the world please hear me tonight this world is a very dangerous place to live I don't know if mankind has ever seen such a day Bishop where there are so many pitfalls so many Cliffs so much challenging terrain like what we have today but we have been warned brother Gil we have not arrived here with no notice we have been warned through the word of God and through our predecessors as well second Timothy 3:1 says this know also that in the last last days perilous times shall come for men shall be lovers of themselves Covetous boasters proud blasphemers Disobedience to parents unthankful Unholy without natural affection truce Breakers false accusers incontinent fearce despisers of those that are good and we tonight men must be aware of this challenging terrain that we are trying to live in what I'm trying to say tonight sharp swords are great they are a great value to the church but we must have a vision that can see the pitfalls for what they are the way sides for what they are and the distractions that may come our way and just as the scripture has said we can die by the sword just as we have lived by it the sword or even some spiritual Weaponry is no guarantee for victory we must make sure that we put our hands on the right weapon but we also need to make sure that our eyes are set on the right things as well and guard our eyes from the wrong things Paul said watch ye Stand Fast in the faith quit you like men be strong the word English Bible says watch stand firm in the faith be courageous be strong I tell you what this our needs is a brave man of Valor that will stand up and beat the odds and be counted among the righteous standing is important it's important that you take a stand being strong is important but we need a well-trained eye and an understanding of the dangerous times for which we live I want to tell you tonight this culture is trying to limit our influence this day especially within our own family the world and its perverse leaders are sizing us up and as men sometimes mistakenly We are following their lead the enemy has did his best to try to reduce us to Mere providers of finance and that's right we take pride in that but he wants us to think that as long as that is accomplished then all is well in the house but Men of Valor I have a message for you tonight we are called to provide more than just finances for our families we are to bring home more than just Monies to cover our families needs it's important hear me it's important we are to be Bread Winners but we must not fail to be bread of life teachers men the world says as long as we bring this home you're a man but my message to you is this if we bring this home and fail to bring this home All Is Lost we need some Valor in the woods we need some the world says you're just bread givers excuse me you're just bread winners but God sees us as bread givers as bread Breakers and bread teachers as a father it's a shame to me if I provide food but I fail to provide eternal life we are not just bread winners we must be bread Breakers and we must be bread teachers I refuse to be swallowed up in the woods of my generation I refuse for my children to have full stomachs but empty Spirits I will not allow the world to decide my place in society I am a man of Valor I am called by him I am to lead my family to heaven shout it I'm a man of Valor you need to learn to say that you need to learn to tell yourself that I am a man of Valor that's how God sees me and I've got to trust him my goal primarily is to make sure and leave my family into the ways that God would be pleased with with pitfalls on my right Jagged Cliffs on my left we need Men of Valor in these Woods watch and pray that you enter not into temptation the spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak men there are some places God didn't call us to go it's hard enough resisting temptation that finds you and seeks you but we must stop tonight in entering into temptation willfully on our OD come on somebody oh yes you can be seated if you can for a moment the real hard fact today is that absam should never been in those woods he had no business fighting against his authority and fighting against his father if you're fighting against your man of God you don't know what kind of dangerous terrain you're treading in my friend this would prove to be a fatal mistake in his life he put himself in danger by not recognizing the atmosphere he was entering and engaging I want to tell you now about two men everybody say two men two men two men in Paul's life they're both mentioned in 2 Timothy 4 4 9-10 says do thy diligence to come shortly unto me for Deus has forsaken me hath loved this present world and has departed unto thessalonica citians to G galatia Titus unto DTI Paul mentioned a man by the name of deus though he is only mentioned three times we get a terrible picture of an often too common reality he had forsaken me he had lost he had no longer stayed with us but he departed his love for the world was greater than his commitment to God Deus my friends did not die by the sword he fell prey to an atmosphere he perished in the woods of society his foot slipped and he became prey to an atmosphere Romans tells us be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God Colossians says set your affection on things above not on things in this earth I got to hurry so let me take you to somebody else 2 Corinthians 2:12 furthermore when I came to troos to preach the Christ gospel and a door was opened unto me of the Lord I had no rest in my spirit because I I found nothing Titus my brother but taking my leave of them I went from then into M into Macedonia and then second Corinthians 7:6 says nevertheless God that comforted those are that are cast down comforted Us by the coming of Titus so Paul was forsaken by Deus but he was encouraged by the sight of Titus how many times did the man of God look for Deus but he never showed up how many times was he in the prayer room one wondering is he going to show up tonight is he going to make it or has he got lost in the corporate world has he somehow turned his back on the things of God Men of Valor he this pastor tonight don't ever let your pastor's mind wonder where you are at I got to I I got to clarify something gentlemen I know we have to miss sometimes I Pastor a great church back in Charleston West Virginia we have great loyal men who have to work sometimes but understand we need Valor in these Woods Hallelujah it takes a real man to get up on Sunday morning even though you're tired even though you might could justify sleeping in but something on the inside tells you you need to get that family to church you got to get those children to Sunday school that's having Valor in the woods that's what being brave is all about I think sometimes as men we think Brave voice only cast out Spirits voices of Valor stand up for evil but I come to this realization sometimes the bravest word spoken is when a tired man says family it's time to go to church at the Battle of Ephraim there would be a winner and there'd be a loser what it all came down to was winning the battle over the terrain David and his men knew the terrain well enough the others did not poetically absum and his men fell victim to an environment he could not overcome I'm sure their swords were sharp I'm sure their horses were strong but it didn't matter that day because victory was awaiting those who could Master their environment let me read to you out of second Samuel the Bible says God is my strength and power and he maketh my way perfect he maketh my feet like H's feet and Seth me upon high places he teacheth My Hands to War so that the bow of Steel is broken by my hands the hind is a female red deer whose home is in the mountains the rear feet of the hind step is precisely the same spot where the front feet has just been every motion of the hind is followed through with a single focused consistency making it the most sore footed of all animals in the mountains in other words if you follow him your feet will find a sure place and the safest place for a man is in an Apostolic Church in an Apostolic atmosphere with some Apostolic preaching and an Apostolic passion I'm closing just remain standing when God found Gideon he was not in a favorable position courage and bravery could not be found but the angel of the Lord appeared unto him and said unto him the Lord is with thee thou Mighty Man of Valor he was hiding but the angel spoke and called him a man of Valor watch this it was a prophetic it was a prophetic voice up to that point he had done nothing of note that would have been considered Brave not one thing could have been described as Valor but the voice wasn't concerning his past the voice wasn't even concerning the present but the voice was prophetic and it was talking about what was ahead it was a directive voice that would send him forward to do Brave things let me tell you voices of the world will criticize you will minimize your woe let Mom take them to church let mom teach them let other family members take care of it let the Sunday school teacher but I hear a prophetic word coming upon us men right now that says I am with thee thou Mighty Man of Val