It's our privilege today to have as our chapel speaker a great friend of the university, Reverend Todd Abbey. He originally graduated from Bob Jones University in 1992 with a degree in pastoral studies. He married his wife, Rebecca, who was a one-year business major, who was also originally from Maryland. They have two sons, Reagan and Carson, who are also in attendance here today. He joined Central Baptist Church in Greenville, Tennessee in 1994 as an assistant pastor and youth pastor. And then, in 2002, became senior pastor of Central Baptist Church. It's a very close-knit church, very family-oriented atmosphere. And Pastor Abbey has a passion to serve people and help them grow through the sound preaching and teaching of the Word of God. So give him your close attention as he comes and speaks to you today. Thank you very much. It's a great honor to join you today in chapel. If you would take your Bibles this morning and go to Psalm 78. Psalm 78. As you're turning there, before this morning, my longest stint here at the pulpit was in speech and vocal skills. And the amphitorium was empty, and I was reciting the Gettysburg Address. So this is quite a bit different and quite a bit more involved. But it is an honor for me to be here and to be able to speak in chapel on your behalf. I want to thank the university. They've had a significant impact in my life. And my pastor, where I grew up in the church in Fairfax, Virginia, graduated from BJ. And then my brother, my sister, and I all graduated from here. And then most importantly, I met my wife here. And the Lord's been very good to us. And we've been very blessed to serve in Greenville, Tennessee. We're about 114 miles or so from Greenville, South Carolina. And very thankful for our proximity to the school. And I've been back on a number of occasions, of course, on different college trips with our young people and involved still with the university. Psalm 78, if you take your Bibles and consider some things with me this morning, I want to begin reading in verse 1. The Bible says, Give ear, O my people, to my law. Incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable. I will utter dark sayings of old, which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, showing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord and His strength and His wonderful works that He hath done. For He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children, that the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born, who should arise and declare them to their children, that they might set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments. and might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that set not their heart aright and whose spirit was not steadfast with God. The children of Ephraim being armed and carrying bows turned back in the day of battle. They kept not the covenant of God and refused to walk in his law and forgot his works and his wonders that he had shown them. Let's ask the Lord to bless our time together this morning. Father in heaven, I'm entirely grateful for the significant impact that the school has had in my life. I praise you for the many members of the administration and faculty that invested in me. And Lord, I'm thankful for the education that I was given here and thankful for the time that I'm able to be back with them. And we pray, Father, that in these two days that you would be honored by all that I say and do. I pray, Father, that my thoughts would be directed from on high. I pray that you would cleanse me of sin and fill me with your spirit. I pray that each person would consider their own life individually and their own standing before you. And I pray that you would work in each heart and accomplish your desired purpose in each life. Thank you for this day we committed into your hands. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Charles Haddon Spurgeon said, Ephraim was well equipped and furnished with the best of weapons of the times. The leading tribe failed in faith and courage and retreated before the foe. This morning, I'd like to preach a message on turning back in the day of battle. I believe it's entirely appropriate to be able to speak to a group of college young people and to break down the lives of the young people that are gathered here this morning, whether you're a senior getting ready to finish up your four years of education and to go out into the workforce in some aspect, or you're just beginning your education and training for the battle. The truth of the matter is that the faculty, the staff, The administration here at the university desires to invest in you that you might be a faithful servant of the Lord. Back in 2003, a good friend of mine graduated from drill instructor school in the United States Marine Corps. We had the opportunity to be able to travel down to Paris Island, and I'd never been there before. And his family invited me to go and participate there in the graduation ceremony and all that was involved for him. We arrived on Thursday. We watched the graduation. We had a couple of different activities all day Friday and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. And as I was there with this sergeant there in the Marine Corps, having just graduated from the drill instructor school, he kept telling me, Todd, I've got something special for you while you're here. And so my mind immediately turned to driving a tank or something involved like that. That would be really an unbelievable experience. And unfortunately, it was not meant to be. He said, I've got something special for you, and he said, I need you to be up and ready to go at 7 a.m. on Saturday morning. We stayed there on base. My wife and our son stayed there on base, and he arrived at our doorstep at 7 a.m., and he had all of my uniform and equipment ready to go. He had my shoes, my socks, my belt, my pants, my shirt. Everything was going to be Marine Corps, and he said, go ahead, put all of this stuff on. He brought me a size 32 pant. And it had been a little while since I'd been in a 32, but we just did the best we could. And I said, we'll make do. But I said to him, I said, Chris, I said, everyone's going to know I'm not in the Marine Corps because my hair is obviously longer than the Marine Corps would allow. And he said, we'll just tell everyone that you're in the Navy and we'll get by. The Navy and the Marine Corps have that back and forth time and again. He picks me up and he takes me out and he takes me to the obstacle course. And as we're there at the obstacle course, we're looking at three different platoons involved in the obstacle course. And he said, I want you to watch them in the obstacle course. And when they finish, I'm going to take you over to the obstacle course and we'll have you do it as well. I'm watching these recruits go through this. Now, when I arrived at Parris Island, I was immediately two things. I was number one inferior to everyone else that was there. And I was also highly impressed. I mean, these were young men that were extremely fit, saluting everybody, and it was extremely impressive. As I watched those guys in the obstacle course, I thought to myself, come on, why are they not able to get over that obstacle? Well, they finished up their time, and then he went over with me. Now, this guy had no body fat. He was in perfect shape, and he showed me how to do all of the 18 obstacles. And he said, okay, now you're going to run through the course. I quickly found out why 32-year-old young men don't join the Marine Corps. That obstacle course wore me out. I was bruised and bloodied and did not finish most of the obstacles. He took me back to the room. I threw the door open and my wife thought I'd been through World War II. She thought, what in the world happened to you? I said, well, it was a lot of fun. She found a hard time believing that. But as I was there at the Marine Corps, I realized this place is training people for one reason. They're training men and women to be physically fit, to be able to go out and to defend our country physically. All of you this morning are really in a place where you're being trained to go into warfare spiritually. I want to, over the brief moments that we have together, just speak on this issue of training for battle. And I've asked myself the question from two different aspects. I've asked myself the question from this passage in Ephraim, why did they turn back? That's a message in itself. But this morning in my time with you, I want to answer this question, what will keep you from turning back in the day of battle? What will protect you and what will protect me from turning back in the day of battle? The Bible says in verse 9 that the children of Ephraim were armed And the Bible says they were carrying bows, but when the time came, they turned back in the day of battle. We have been trained for battle, and we must stay in the fight. What will keep us from turning back in the day of battle? First of all, I want you to consider with me our salvation in Christ. What will keep you from turning back in the day of battle? It begins with salvation in Christ. It must never be assumed that everyone at the university, just by fact of it being a Christian institution, necessarily knows Jesus Christ as their Savior. It is entirely possible that one or two or a dozen or two or three dozen have come to the university expecting to get a quality education, expecting to invest themselves in their future, and yet, as of now, they do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. I know for a certainty that the faculty is going to invest for your salvation. I know for a certainty that the administration is going to invest for your salvation. My friend, that is the most important decision you will ever make in your life, is trusting Jesus Christ as your Savior. In John chapter 3, Jesus Christ is speaking with a man by the name of Nicodemus, a man who was entirely religious, but entirely lost. And Jesus Christ said to that man, marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again. You see, my friend, religion will never save you. Religion will never take a person to heaven. Self-righteousness will never take a person to heaven. We will die in our sins if we go into eternity trusting our religion. We will die in our sins and go to hell if we're trusting in our own righteousness. The only way to heaven is through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is something that I'm sure that you have heard time and again, but my friend, have you ever personalized that truth? Has there been a time in your life where you've personally trusted the Lord? as your Savior. In today's pop Christianity, there is a new book that's been produced by a post-modern popular pastor, and the title of the book is Love Wins. And his premise is that in the end, God's love will win out and win over everyone, even if that means a post-mortem conversion. My friend, understand, it is not that love wins, but according to this book, truth wins. Jesus Christ so loved this world that he came and died that you and I might be saved for all eternity and The Bible says in the end all of us will stand before the Lord Jesus Christ Believers at the judgment seat of Christ unbelievers at the great white throne judgment, but all will give an account Do you know Jesus Christ as your Savior in the end truth wins? And the truth of this book says that when you breathe your last breath on this earth, you will either go to heaven or hell, one of two places. What will keep you from turning back in the day of battle? The first issue is that of salvation, our salvation in Christ. Secondly, this morning, what will keep us from turning back in our day of battle? It's not only our salvation in Christ, but secondly, our service for Christ. When I look at this number of people, my mind turns to the need across this country and around this globe. And I remember sitting in many, many chapel messages where Dr. Bob III would encourage us to invest ourselves in a local church and to give of ourselves and being involved in what God is doing in reaching the lost for the Lord Jesus Christ. And as I turn my attention all across this auditorium, you know there's an opportunity for you to be greatly used in local churches all across this country. When you depart the university, find yourself syncing up with a fundamental church where you can give your life for the cause of the Lord Jesus Christ. Whatever your profession may be, however God may direct your life, use it primarily to reach the loss for the Lord Jesus Christ. God has afforded us the opportunity in Greenville, Tennessee to be able to travel to different parts of the globe and to visit missionaries and to Invest ourselves in missions work And I've stood in many of the largest cities in the world. In fact this past week. We had brother Marvin fray with us He's a longtime missionary in Sao Paulo Brazil and they say in the extended area of Sao Paulo Brazil. There are 37 million people Have been given opportunity to see that vast city all that there would be believers who would give themselves Whatever their profession to see some of those people come to know the Lord Jesus Christ We desperately need people, both here in the States and around the world. Don't think that because God has called you to this profession that there's a pass on reaching the lost for the Lord. Because you can invest yourself in a fundamental local church. You can give yourself in some aspect of that church, whether it be training those that are new to the Lord or reaching those that have never heard. Oh, how the Lord can use you. It is my desire as a pastor to see people that graduate from school go into certain professions, to see them actively involved in our church. And I'm sure your pastors from all across the country would say the same thing as I would this morning. Please, when you get out, don't stop your service. Don't turn back in the day of battle. The first issue is that of salvation in Christ. What will keep us from turning back in the day of battle? Our salvation in Christ. What will keep us from turning back in the day of battle? Our service for Christ. And then number three, what will keep us from turning back in the day of battle? Our satisfaction with Christ. Let me ask you this morning, all across the amphitorium today, if I were to ask you this question, are you satisfied with whatever Christ may bring into your life? Are you satisfied to be in the place that He would call you to? Are you satisfied to be in His place of service? Are you satisfied with what He will bring into your life? Are you satisfied with His way? The Bible says in Psalm 37 and verse 23, the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delighteth in His way. No one else in this amphitoreum has your exact talents. No one else in this amphitoreum will have your exact opportunities. But oh how God could use you if you will be satisfied with whatever he will bring into your life. As the disciples were interacting with the Lord Jesus Christ after the resurrection, Peter looks over to the Lord Jesus Christ and has an interaction and questions that the Lord asked of Peter, lovest thou me? And then Peter turns his direction to John and asks the question of the Lord Jesus Christ, what about him? What's going to happen to him? You know, the tendency in my life, even in the ministry, is to take my eyes off the Lord Jesus Christ and take off what He has provided, and to look around and to consider what others are being given, and to consider opportunities that others have and talents that others have, and to think to myself, why couldn't I have those talents? Why couldn't I have that opportunity? When God has given me the exact opportunities and the exact talents that He desired for me to have, and I need to be perfectly satisfied with His will for my life. Are you satisfied with what God has brought into your life? We ought to be satisfied with His path. We ought to be satisfied with His provision. No doubt there are some in here that will excel and God may bring wonderful riches into your path and afford you the opportunity to be greatly used by way of wealth. And there may be others here who will live in poverty in some third world country. Those paths are entirely different, but both of you have the opportunity and the responsibility to be used by Almighty God in that path and with that provision. The Bible says in 2 Timothy chapter 4 and verse 10 that Demas hath forsaken me having loved this present world. You see there's a man that's listed there in 2 Timothy that's recorded by the Apostle Paul that was not satisfied with the provisions of Almighty God and he turned back in the day of battle. Satan will lure many with power. Satan will lure many with prestige. Satan will lure many with possessions and profits. Satan will lure many away from the truth, from the opportunities that God has given. Are you satisfied? Are you satisfied? Let me give you a fourth thing this morning. What will keep us from turning back in the day of battle. You see, the tribe of Ephraim was given all that was necessary for battle, and yet they turned back. It's my heart's desire that all of you know Christ as your Savior. We begin with the issue of salvation in Christ. We then go to the issue of service for Christ, and then satisfaction with Christ, and then number four, our sights on Christ. Hebrews chapter 12, verses 1 through 3, Seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us. And let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds." Our sights on Christ. I've already referenced the story of Peter and John there in the Gospel of John and Peter keeping his sights on Christ and not turning and looking at what others may do and what God may accomplish through others. But the fact of the matter is, folks, we're in a battle. We are living in some of the most uncertain times as far as the world goes. I remember sitting here in chapel back in the late 80s and then early 90s and I remember at that time they were dealing with the first Gulf War. And there was a lot of uncertainty as to the Gulf War and I can remember working, a friend of mine and I used to work and we cleaned a car dealership and we kind of watched some of the news highlights there get caught up on what was going on in the war, in the Gulf War. And many were talking about the uncertainty of the day back almost 20 years ago. But I tell you what, this is an uncertain time in which we live. Much is taking place in the world today. Many times after services, people will come to me and say, Pastor, what do you think about this event or that event? Subjects will come up in Sunday school class and they'll ask, What do you think about what's going on here? What do you think about what's going on there? We're in a world today with 24-7 news, and so the news has passed very quickly. If it was uncertain back almost 20 years ago, it's even more uncertain today. But in this uncertain time, there is one thing that does not change, and that's the Lord Jesus Christ. He knows exactly what's going on. He knows exactly what's happening in your life, and He's the one that we must focus upon. Where are your sights this morning? Have you set your sights on your own goals? Have you set your sights on the things that you want to accomplish, or have you fixed your sights on Christ? This is the time, my friend, for you to fix that, for you to make that right, for you to give yourself in following after the example of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the principle of Philippians chapter 2. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. That is our focus. That is our end. That is the one that we desire to please. Our sights on Christ. We are in a battle for the Lord Jesus Christ. For His honor, for His glory, and for His praise. And again, rehearsing these things with you this morning, I'm... my desire, is to encourage you to stay in the battle. That begins with salvation in Christ. If there's any that do not know the Lord Jesus Christ, today's the day of salvation for you. Maybe you've got a roommate that doesn't know the Lord. Today's the day of salvation for them. Maybe it's an individual on your hall. Today's the day of salvation. Secondly, what will keep us from turning back in the day of battle, our service for Christ. Invest yourself in what God is doing through the local church Invest yourself in the lives of lost people whatever your profession What will keep us from turning back in the day of battle our satisfaction with Christ Can you say this morning? I'm completely satisfied with whatever God Will bring my way It is my desire to do what he would have me to do to go where he would have me to go and to Say what he would have me to say I will be completely satisfied with what He will bring into my life. And then in the end, however long God may give you on this earth, keep your eyes focused in on the Lord Jesus Christ. There'll be a lot of things that will seek to divert your attention, but fix your sights on Him, looking unto Jesus, that author and finisher of the faith. Students, I believe that you're being armed and trained I believe that you're being given the best of training and the best of being armed. I believe that you could be greatly used by Almighty God and that the graduating class all the way down through the freshman could be mightily used of the Lord in the harvest field. But as sure as I believe those things, I also know that there will be people sitting in this auditorium who do not take what I have to say and what the Bible says, and they'll turn back in the day of battle. Oh, that the vast majority of the people in this amphitoreum today would stay the fight, would invest themselves in the battle. Why did they turn back? What will keep us from turning back in the day of battle? Let's pray. Father in heaven, as I close in prayer this morning, My mind is directed to the seniors and the juniors, the sophomores, the freshmen. And even as I speak, I'm reminded of the wonderful memories that we have here of this place and how quickly it went by. But my mind also turns to the many that were in the graduating classes alongside of me. And they're no longer in the battle. They were trained. They were armed. But they chose to turn back. Faces come to my mind. Names come to my mind. My heart breaks for them because they could have been mightily used. As we depart from the message this morning, may it not depart from our thoughts. The investments being made every day right here. People are being trained and armed for battle. Help us, Lord Jesus, to fight the good fight of the faith. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.