Look at Christ the Friendly Knight!
To triumph with Jesus Christ, we must suffer and die with him, trusting in his power and protection.
Ausbund preaches about the fierce battle believers face against the world, the flesh, sin, the devil, and death, urging them to stand by their captain, Jesus Christ, who will help them overcome all distress and enemies. Despite facing mistreatment and persecution for their faith, believers are encouraged to stay faithful to Christ, even in the face of violence and adversity, knowing that He will avenge them and stand with His followers. The sermon emphasizes the need for believers to be strong, manly, and unwavering in their faith, trusting in God's ultimate victory.
Text
Look at Christ the friendly knight! Look at the captain! The battle, when you come to this place, is fierce. The enemies -- the world, the flesh, sin, the devil, and death -- close in around you. But leap to your captain's side! He will kill the enemies! He will help you out of all distress. Stay with your flag! Do not let them drive you back from your captain, Jesus Christ! If you want the crown and the glory, and if you want to triumph with him, you must suffer and die with him too. They caught Christ our captain and beat him. In like manner they mistreat us, his followers. The hour of distress has come upon all the earth. They hunt us out. In almost every country they try to catch us because we stand for Christ. They try to keep Christ from coming to help us, barricading all the roads until they have us. Then the strangling and the stabbing, the gruesome violence begins. But wait, our captain, he will avenge it! He will break the power of the enemy, and he will stand with his little flock!
All you beloved knights of God, be strong! Be manly in the fight! This dreadful storm will not be long. Stand fast! Stand true to death! Do not allow them to drive you back. Men and women, trust in God!
-- Ausbund 78
Sermon Outline
- The Battle Ahead
- 'The enemies we face: world, flesh, sin, devil, and death'
- The importance of staying with our captain, Jesus Christ
Key Quotes
“He will kill the enemies! He will help you out of all distress.” — Ausbund
“If you want the crown and the glory, and if you want to triumph with him, you must suffer and die with him too.” — Ausbund
“He will break the power of the enemy, and he will stand with his little flock!” — Ausbund
Application Points
- We must stay strong and true to death, trusting in God's power and protection.
- We must be willing to suffer and die with Christ in order to be transformed and strengthened for the battle ahead.
- We must trust in God's power to break the power of the enemy and to stand with his little flock.