Your Paycheck Is Not Your Source: How to Be a Good Soldier
Dr RJ Sing, 1 hr 13 min
Originally preached as “Being a Good Soldier”
Sermon outline
A good soldier of the Lord knows that heaven is his source, that heaven's headquarters is on the inside of him, and that he lives and fights by faith and not by sight.
Main text
- Matthew 14:1-21
- Ephesians 6:10-16
Opening
He tells the church he wants to speak briefly about being a good soldier and reads the account of John the Baptist's death and the feeding of the five thousand. He points out that Jesus operated as a man of faith, looking up to heaven, giving thanks and multiplying what was in His hands, and that He has passed that authority to believers.
Number one: a good soldier sees his source as heaven
Jesus looked up to heaven when He blessed the loaves because heaven was His source. Your boss, paycheck, business, bank balance or inheritance are blessings to steward well, but none of them is your source. Believers are ambassadors of heaven operating in the economy of God, so a falling economy or an empty wallet does not have to move them.
Illustration: A soldier whose ammunition and food run out does not sit down and cry; he contacts headquarters and supplies arrive.
“Your boss is not your source. Your paycheck is not your source.”
- Matthew 14:19-21
- Matthew 28:18
- Matthew 24:35
- 2 Corinthians 5:20
Number two: the locality of heaven is on the inside of you
God has already blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, and spiritual blessings include natural ones. The spiritual realm controls the natural, so everything you need already exists in the spirit before you see it. Christ lives in you by the Holy Spirit, so heavenly places, God's headquarters and warehouse, are on the inside of you.
Illustration: The book God told him to write already existed in the realm of the spirit; all they had to do was take a pen and start to write.
“God's headquarters is on the inside of you.”
- Ephesians 1:3-6
- 1 Peter 2:24
- Psalm 68:19
- Romans 8:34
- 1 John 2:27
- Hebrews 13:5
- 1 Corinthians 3:9
- John 2:1-11
Understand where you come from
There will be an evil day, and what keeps a good soldier standing is knowing where he comes from, where he is going and how he operates. You are born from above by the incorruptible seed of the word, so the word that gave you life will sustain you and finish the work. Like Jesus before Pilate, no one has power over you except what is given from above, and what men mean for destruction God uses to promote you, as He did with Joseph.
Illustration: Joseph was thrown into a pit and a prison, yet when he was raised up the decree went out to bow the knee before him.
“So if the word of God gave birth to me, it will sustain me.”
- Ephesians 6:10-13
- John 8:23
- 1 Peter 1:23
- Philippians 1:6
- John 19:10-11
- Jude 1:1
- Romans 8:28
- Genesis 41:43
Number three: a good soldier is a man or woman of faith
Take up the shield of faith: we do not walk by sight, and faith, like fear, is a spirit. Be righteousness conscious, free of condemnation and inferiority, calling things that are not as though they were and speaking to sickness, lack and depression. God has invested His anointing in you and expects a return, like the master in the parable of the talents, so be functional and make disciples.
Illustration: When you are tired, lay hands on yourself and speak quickening to your body; when you are down, put your hand on your head and command the heaviness to leave.
“A good soldier is functional.”
- Ephesians 6:14-16
- 2 Corinthians 5:7
- 2 Corinthians 4:13
- 2 Timothy 1:7
- 2 Corinthians 5:21
- Romans 8:1
- Colossians 1:13
- Romans 4:17
- 1 John 4:4
- Matthew 4:4
- Hebrews 4:12
- Matthew 25:14-30
- Romans 8:37
- Luke 4:18
- Ephesians 1:13
- 1 Corinthians 2:16
The weapons of our warfare
We walk in the flesh but do not war after the flesh, and we do not look at the outward appearance or the negative report. Our weapons are prayer rather than worry, inner strength, faith and repentance: when you miss the mark, ask forgiveness, dust yourself off and move on. Victory comes from the inside out, not from company policy or a doctor's report.
Illustration: If a doctor says you have six weeks to live, go home, meditate on the scriptures, pray in tongues, then ask for another test.
“We never look for our victory from the outside in. We look to our victory from the inside out.”
- 2 Corinthians 10:3-7
- Philippians 4:6
- Galatians 5:22-23
- 1 John 1:7
Let the word fight its own fight
When people come against you, keep walking in love and let the word fight for you. Do not withdraw into your shell like a tortoise; be bold like a lion, and do not wait for people to endorse you, because God already has. Chart your own course by the word of God, because the word in you is a seed that keeps growing.
Illustration: Isaac kept digging new wells when his wells were taken, and he prospered. He also speaks of people the church invested in who went AWOL, trusting that the word inside them will bring them home.
“Don't be a tortoise. Be a lion.”
- Genesis 26:18-22
- Luke 8:11
Smile, keep a tender heart and laugh at the devil
Good soldiers get wounded, but they patch up and move on. Keep a soft heart before God, because tears in His presence are not weakness, then come out smiling. Laugh at the devil instead of talking about everything he is doing, and casting him out becomes easy.
Illustration: Smith Wigglesworth woke to find the devil had moved his bed, and simply told him to put it back and leave the room.
“Sometimes we get wounded in the battle. It's okay, patch up, move on.”
- 1 Corinthians 15:57
Putting it into practice
- Shift your focus from your money and possessions to God as your source.
- Look inside for the anointing, power and authority God has already given you.
- Pray in tongues and speak the word over your situation instead of worrying.
- When you miss it, repent quickly and move on without condemnation.
- Be functional: use your anointing to share the word and make disciples.
Closing
He has the church stand and boldly confess the word, telling them he is not entertaining them but empowering them. He leads them in praying in tongues and thanksgiving, encourages them to smile and keep a tender heart, and ends by having them laugh at the devil and learn to cast him out with confidence.
Declarations he led
- God and heaven is my source.
- Revelation knowledge is coming to me.
- I'm a blessed man. I'm a blessed woman.
- My home is blessed. My business is blessed. My children are blessed. My grandchildren are blessed. My finances are blessed.
- I'm from above. I'm not from beneath.
- My way is forward.
- I'm anointed. I'm empowered. My destiny is sure. No one can rob me. No one can steal from me. I'm protected. My destiny is sure. My future is bright.
- My hands are anointed. Everything I touch will prosper.
- I might have a few challenges, but they are meat for me. I will overcome them. I'm a giant slayer. I'll slay every challenge in front of me.
- Thanks be to God who gives me the victory.
In his words
- “It's a grave mistake to look at your checkbook or to look at your paycheck as your source.”
- “God's headquarters is on the inside of you.”
- “When they bury truth, it will arise.”
- “Don't wait for other people to endorse you. They won't endorse you. God has already endorsed you.”
- “I'm not entertaining you. I'm empowering you.”
Every scripture in this message
- Matthew 14:1-21
- Matthew 28:18
- Matthew 24:35
- 2 Corinthians 5:20
- Ephesians 1:3-6
- 1 Peter 2:24
- Psalm 68:19
- Romans 8:34
- 1 John 2:27
- Hebrews 13:5
- 1 Corinthians 3:9
- John 2:1-11
- Ephesians 6:10-16
- John 8:23
- 1 Peter 1:23
- Philippians 1:6
- John 19:10-11
- Jude 1:1
- Romans 8:28
- Genesis 41:43
- 2 Corinthians 5:7
- 2 Corinthians 4:13
- 2 Timothy 1:7
- 2 Corinthians 5:21
- Romans 8:1
- Colossians 1:13
- Romans 4:17
- 1 John 4:4
- Matthew 4:4
- Hebrews 4:12
- Matthew 25:14-30
- Romans 8:37
- Luke 4:18
- Ephesians 1:13
- 1 Corinthians 2:16
- 2 Corinthians 10:3-7
- Philippians 4:6
- Galatians 5:22-23
- 1 John 1:7
- Genesis 26:18-22
- Luke 8:11
- 1 Corinthians 15:57