Our name | Mission | Vision | Leaders
Ministries | Schedule | Directions | Contact
Home

 
Gateway Church gathers
for worship Sundays
at 10:30 a.m.

Location: 6425 Jefferson Rd.
(Hwy. 129) in Athens, Georgia.

For directions, click here.



Ministry of the Word:
Recent sermons


Our quarterly e-magazine
Gateway Today


For the Gateway family
Pastor Jerry's Weekly E-Mail


A GATEWAY SERMON SUMMARY


AUDIO


War stories:
At the front
(Eighth in the series, 'A Christian worldview')

Jerry Varnado, pastor
Gateway Church, Athens GA

October 10, 2004

  • Consider the preamble to our Declaration of Independence:

    "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

  • The very foundation of this nation is rooted in the belief that life is a sacred gift from God. The stated purpose of the government was to protect that gift of life.

  • Since 1973, more than 44 million abortions have been performed in the USA. Now there is serious advocacy for euthanasia and physician assisted suicide.

  • The increase in violence in our society is directly related to the fact that we have abandoned the idea that life is sacred.

  • If life is sacred, God sets the limits. If life isn't sacred, then we can set the limits -- and that is what we've been doing for the last 30-40 years.

  • Next, the traditional family.
  • From the beginning God used marriage to establish the family as the foundational unit of human society.

  • Family has always consisted of a man and a woman and any children produced by their union or adopted into the family.

  • Heterosexual marriage and family are key to God's plan and purpose for creation. Romans 1:18-32 makes it abundantly clear that deviating from God's plan invites disaster.

  • Think of the casualties from the disintegration of the family: 56 percent of children in America live with both biological parents; 27 percent live in single-parent homes; 85 percent of incarcerated youth come from fatherless homes.

  • Yes, we are at war -- and there are heavy casualties. That's the bad news. But here's the good news: The outcome of this war has already been determined, and we win!

  • There are still important battles to be fought and their will be casualties, but God has given us the weapons we need to wage these battles:
  • He has given us the name, Jesus -- the name that is above every name, the name in which rests all the authority and power in heaven and on earth.

  • He has given us the shed blood Of Jesus that cleanses from all sin.

  • He has given us His Word, which is truth.

  • He has given us the Holy Spirit to equip, motivate and empower us.

  • He has given us prayer by which we maintain our union with God and launch the other weapons into the enemy's camp.

  • By these and God's other gifts we can participate in His divine nature and overcome all the power of the enemy.

  • Share your faith; communicate with your government representatives and leaders; vote with an informed conscience; and pray, pray, pray.

  • We shall overcome! We will win this war!


Supporting texts: John 10:10 | 1 Peter 5:8 | Ephesians 6:12 | Genesis 2:18 | Romans 1:18-32


A mp3 audio file of this sermon is here (36:30).
(Download to a PC by right clicking on the link and choosing "Save Target As." Mac users: click, hold, and choose "Download Link to Disk." Depending on your connection speed, the file may take several minutes to download.)

An audio tape of this sermon is available
free of charge (U.S requests only).
Request a tape by calling or writing the Gateway Church office.
Please specify tape number 041010a: War Stories: At the Front.

© 2004 Gerald R. Varnado

To the Gateway Church home page

How to contact us