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 God’s 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 devil’s “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 God’s Word the way they do? That’s called persecution. You’ve 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 it’s like to suffer persecution and slander by those who refuse to believe and obey God’s 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 don’t 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 Lord’s 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 names—Immorality, Carnality, Covetousness.
(4) It’s 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 pig’s nose. It will soon become tarnished and undesirable.
That’s how God’s 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