What Can Kill A Church
Rev. 3:8-11.
A. Where are the congregations today that we read of in the New
Testament?
Churches can die and they do.
a. There are actually two ways a church may die.
(A) It may cease to exist altogether.
(1) It may die inwardly even while it still lives outwardly.
(a) Satan has long used these basic weapons against Gods
people.
Rev. 2-3.
Persecution. Erroneous teaching. Worldliness.
There is also a fourth church-killer that Satan has used, which
we will discuss at the end of the lesson.
What are some things that threaten our own congregation.
You need to go home and make a list and sit down and think about
them.
Persecution. Has this congregation ever been persecuted?
Have you ever received threats of physical or other kinds of harm?
That has always been one of the devils pressure tactics.
Even since the earliest days of the Church.
He did that in Jerusalem. Acts 8:1.
The Church in Smyrna. Rev. 2:9-10.
Pergamos. Rev. 2:13. People generally react in one of two ways
to persecution. We have examples of both ways in the New Testament.
Jno. 12:42-43, Among the rulers many believed in Him, but
because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should
be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men
more than the praise of God. Pride and love of prestiege
kept them from honoring God.
Acts 5. The apostles were thrown in prison, beaten and told to
never preach Jesus again. Notice the contrast to what we just
saw in Jno. 12.
Vs. 41-42, says, They departed from the presence of the
council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame
for His name. And every day, in the temple, and in every house,
they did not cease to teach and preach Jesus as the Christ.
Ever have people make fun of you because you believe the Bible
to absolutely be the Word of God. And call you narrow for refusing
to compromise Gods Word the way they do? Thats called
persecution. Youve experienced it.
You should not be surprised that persecution should come our way.
Jesus said, get ready for because it will happen. 1 Pet. 4:12-13,
Do not think it strange that you are being persecuted. But
rejoice that you partake of Christ's sufferings, for when His
glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
It is a great honor to stand with Jesus against Satan.
You understand what its like to suffer persecution and slander
by those who refuse to believe and obey Gods Word. You know
that they are not of God by the things they say and do.
God calls on us to patiently endure whatever evil is brought against
us, Heb. 10:32?39.
We do not know what mockings, slanders and evil accuations await
this congregation in the future. But, one thing we do know: the
cowardly and those who give up, will be lost. Rev. 21:8.
Error, untruth, false doctrine may assail a congregation from
without or from within.
(1) Satan has used this tactic to threaten many churches. You
understand dont you?
(1) You experienced one preacher who taught false doctrine and
with the help of those who agreed with him and encouraged him,
split this congregation not long ago.
(1) Always be like the Church at Ephesus who stood against doctrinal
error. Jesus spoke to this congregation, in Rev. 2:2-6.
(2) To another congregation He warns, Rev. 2:14-15.
(2) In 2 Jno. 9, The Lords warning is clear: Whoever
transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does
not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both
the Father and the Son.
(3) Satan has other weapons beside false doctrine. One of his
most deadly is worldliness. It goes by many namesImmorality,
Carnality, Covetousness.
(4) Its not new and the Church experienced it in Rev. 2:20?22.
(5) We have watered down our concern about the matter
of worldliness.
God speaks clearly to this in Rom. 6:11?14.
(1) 2 Pet. 2:20?22, For if, after they have escaped the
pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome,
the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would
have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness,
than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered
to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb:
They are like a dog who vomits and then goes back to like it up
and, they are like a sow, who is washed, and then goes back to
wallowing in filth." Beauty on a woman of indiscretion is
like a diamond ring on a pigs nose. It will soon become
tarnished and undesirable.
Thats how Gods bride, the Church, can become if we
fail.
Simply stated, We must maintain Our holiness, Our righteousness,
Our purity, Our distinctiveness from the world, even while living
in the world.
(3) What kind of future does this congregation have?
(1) Will God be glorified in us or will He be shamed?
(2) Acts 20:32.
Spur - 11/04/2001 pm
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