I could have been a contender

 

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WellBuiltBody.com 

 

Wake the faith up

 

Why not another follow up to the marriage series… I will tell you why - it has been the number 1 downloaded series in our history. Lots of comments and questions coming is- so i thought I would wait a week or two and come back to it so i can tackle the whole kit and kaboodle  all at once. But for today… Im going to teach you how to hate your mother, brother, father and anybody else you know. 

 

v1… 2 I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally.

 

I want you to know how hard I am contending for you

 

 

GK = Ag-own A spectacle in THEE arena. THE ROMAN ARENA… YOU KNEW ONLY ONE WOULD WALK OUT ALIVE… IT MIGHT BE A GLADIATOR, A LION, ANOTHER PERSON… 

This word carries 5 motifs behind it:

 - 1 It is a fight that demands the expenditure of all of our energies

 

 - 2 GK = Ag-own The struggle means denial

Not asceticism… no food, drink, pleasure, no money, no position.

It means denial of your will and accepting Gods will. 

So it might mean not taking that job with the huge raise… not because God is against money or the job, but because he has a different plan for you. 

 

In the natural you get a job offer, better company, better money, better state to live in, better perks, better retirement… and it is a no brainer… accept to contend means you will deny what seems good or even great for what is right. See, behind the scenes God might know that your witness is crucial to having your CEO come to Christ or even the woman in the cafeteria… God knows that when that person comes to Christ their influence alone will win thousands to Christ… and it all hinges on you staying at your job to finalize the testimony to this person.

 

The average person calls you nuts! But God calls you faithful and he will reward you beyond any job the world offers you. 

 

It might be good, morally right and selfless… but not be what God wants.

In the arena it is understood that you made this decision before you ever took on the battle. YOU COUNTED THE COST. You didn’t just hop the fence and say “give me a shot… I like swords and lions”. NO NO NO, you contend because you counted the cost. 

 

Jesus said in Luke 14:25-34 be willing to hate your mother, brother, father, brothers, sisters, your own children… and yes even your own life - or you can’t be his disciple.

LET ME CLARIFY - I believe you can be a Christian in todays world, but not be a disciple/Christ follower A CONTENDER. 

 

 Jesus goes on in these verses: Count the cost: Would you build a building… would you go to war - without counting the cost? These are not just two random examples…

We are Gods temple! A building… count the cost

Eph. 6 we are in a spiritual war… would you go to war without counting the cost. 

I count the cost, I will contend for those in the faith. I will contend for those who do not yet know God. SAY IT WITH ME… I AM A CONTENDER!