The Attack From Within:
Defending the Church
It’s one thing to be equipped with the living Word of God,
applying it to your life and living and fending off the attacks of
this world, but what if the attack comes from within?
What if the attack comes from your own denomination, your
local church or your very own Pastor?
Will your Church be able to spot the wolves before they enter
the gates, even if they look like Sheep?
Will YOU be discerning enough to spot the wolves? Or even know that you are under
attack?
If the church is going to defend itself against such attacks, it will need to be willing and
able to have acute discernment.
It will need believers at the gate who are able to “understand the times”.
Believers who have knowledge of God’s Word and know how to test everything
against it.
Believers who are not swept away by the latest and greatest, the new and improved,
or the current popular psychological spin that attempts to elevate man’s purpose
above God’s.
Believers who understand that there is a war raging right now, and it is upon them, at
the gates.
Believers who, with a sober and resolute attitude and an uncompromising approach,
keep the church free of the predators who seek to destroy its very foundation.
Believers who are humble and understand their limitations and are continually seeking
the Holy Spirit’s wisdom through prayer and the reading of God’s Word are able to
discern.
Paul tells us In 1 Cor. 2:12-15 that only through the Holy Spirit which God has given us
are we capable of this discernment –
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that
we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we
speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost
teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not
the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know
them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth.
I must ask; what value are we putting on the church? Do we understand the
importance to safeguard it from such attack?
How does Jesus value the church?
Paul conveys the value that Jesus places on the church in Eph 5:25-27 when he is
instructing how Husbands should love their wives:
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for
it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he
might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such
thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
In God’s Word we find that Jesus values the church so much that he sacrificed himself
for it and that it should be a glorious church. It should be a church that is Holy and
without stain. It is very important to remember that is the standard the Lord wants for
His church.
So, I must ask, how is the Church doing? How is the church today measuring up to
that standard? How are we doing in our duty to safeguard it from the wolves?
Let’s take a look at many churches today.
The Church today has been hi-jacked by those who do not share the Theology or the
Doctrine of the Historic Christian Faith and clearly do not place the value that Jesus
does on His church.
Pastors today have become Driven by their own Purpose of liberal theology and march
to the mantra “If we are going to reach the world, then we need to become like the
world”.
In fact the word “reach” has been redefined. It now means to get people inside the
doors of the church no matter what their beliefs are or what their lifestyle choices are.
As long as you got them inside the doors, you have “reached” them; “Mission
Complete”.
Sadly to say, under this arrangement, there will be a lot of “reached” people in Hell.
I am sure that every pastor would like to see the pews full, and his church grow, and
there is nothing wrong with that, as long as the ones coming are being convicted of
their sins and are seeking true repentance.
And if they are, church members then can enter in the process of growth and being
equipped, so they can go out and share the True Gospel of Salvation to others.
That is the type of “reaching” that God instructs us in Matt. 28 to execute in the great
commission.
Matthew 28:18-20 tells us –
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven
and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all
things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the
end of the world. Amen.
You see churches today, do not tell people the 3 things they need to know for
salvation:
1) That they are horrible retched sinners
2) That they are on their way to Hell
3) True Belief in Jesus is the only way to save you from 1 and 2.
Churches today do not want to offend anyone. But there is a huge problem with that
approach; the Gospel is offensive to the unsaved. Jesus is offensive to the world.
So what kind of fruit has this produced?
The rate of divorce for believers is the same as unbelievers.
Many Christians are indifferent on issues of Homosexuality, Abortion and Fornication.
True Biblical grounding is not apparent. Christian’s are confused on core doctrines of
the faith such as; Salvation, The resurrection, and the Bible being the inerrant Word of
God.
It is time for us to repent. It is time for us to clean up the church. Jesus’ church is to be
Holy and without stain.
Oh dear Lord Jesus, please forgive us for what we have done to your church. I pray
that all true Christians will have the discernment to know when the church is being
attacked and be strong at the gate and not allow such apostasy to enter.
Defending the Church
It’s one thing to be equipped with the living Word of God,
applying it to your life and living and fending off the attacks of
this world, but what if the attack comes from within?
What if the attack comes from your own denomination, your
local church or your very own Pastor?
Will your Church be able to spot the wolves before they enter
the gates, even if they look like Sheep?
Will YOU be discerning enough to spot the wolves? Or even know that you are under
attack?
If the church is going to defend itself against such attacks, it will need to be willing and
able to have acute discernment.
It will need believers at the gate who are able to “understand the times”.
Believers who have knowledge of God’s Word and know how to test everything
against it.
Believers who are not swept away by the latest and greatest, the new and improved,
or the current popular psychological spin that attempts to elevate man’s purpose
above God’s.
Believers who understand that there is a war raging right now, and it is upon them, at
the gates.
Believers who, with a sober and resolute attitude and an uncompromising approach,
keep the church free of the predators who seek to destroy its very foundation.
Believers who are humble and understand their limitations and are continually seeking
the Holy Spirit’s wisdom through prayer and the reading of God’s Word are able to
discern.
Paul tells us In 1 Cor. 2:12-15 that only through the Holy Spirit which God has given us
are we capable of this discernment –
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that
we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we
speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost
teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not
the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know
them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth.
I must ask; what value are we putting on the church? Do we understand the
importance to safeguard it from such attack?
How does Jesus value the church?
Paul conveys the value that Jesus places on the church in Eph 5:25-27 when he is
instructing how Husbands should love their wives:
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for
it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he
might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such
thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
In God’s Word we find that Jesus values the church so much that he sacrificed himself
for it and that it should be a glorious church. It should be a church that is Holy and
without stain. It is very important to remember that is the standard the Lord wants for
His church.
So, I must ask, how is the Church doing? How is the church today measuring up to
that standard? How are we doing in our duty to safeguard it from the wolves?
Let’s take a look at many churches today.
- The goal of the church today is attendance and worldly acceptance, and not a
transformed life.
- Churches today survey unbelievers to find out what will it take to get them to
attend.
- Teaching God’s Word and boldly confronting Sin are seen as archaic and
ineffective means to reach people.
- The idea of making people feel more comfortable and making Jesus’ message
less offensive is thought to somehow make people more inclined to accept him.
- Entertainment and worldly persuasions are the norm.
- Pastors are now businessmen, marketing strategist and entertainment
coordinators. - The great commission has been replaced with a marketing strategy for church
growth.
- The church today has become a place of self-gratification and your own self-
esteem is valued over anything else.
- Your happiness and experience are paramount.
- God is a method that you use to obtain monetary prosperity and all the desires of
your heart
- Members can attend in comfort without having to acknowledge their sin, and
repenting from their old way of life, resulting in a superficial understanding of God
and a false sense of salvation.
- Church goers are of the world and so is the church.
The Church today has been hi-jacked by those who do not share the Theology or the
Doctrine of the Historic Christian Faith and clearly do not place the value that Jesus
does on His church.
Pastors today have become Driven by their own Purpose of liberal theology and march
to the mantra “If we are going to reach the world, then we need to become like the
world”.
In fact the word “reach” has been redefined. It now means to get people inside the
doors of the church no matter what their beliefs are or what their lifestyle choices are.
As long as you got them inside the doors, you have “reached” them; “Mission
Complete”.
Sadly to say, under this arrangement, there will be a lot of “reached” people in Hell.
I am sure that every pastor would like to see the pews full, and his church grow, and
there is nothing wrong with that, as long as the ones coming are being convicted of
their sins and are seeking true repentance.
And if they are, church members then can enter in the process of growth and being
equipped, so they can go out and share the True Gospel of Salvation to others.
That is the type of “reaching” that God instructs us in Matt. 28 to execute in the great
commission.
Matthew 28:18-20 tells us –
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven
and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all
things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the
end of the world. Amen.
You see churches today, do not tell people the 3 things they need to know for
salvation:
1) That they are horrible retched sinners
2) That they are on their way to Hell
3) True Belief in Jesus is the only way to save you from 1 and 2.
Churches today do not want to offend anyone. But there is a huge problem with that
approach; the Gospel is offensive to the unsaved. Jesus is offensive to the world.
So what kind of fruit has this produced?
The rate of divorce for believers is the same as unbelievers.
Many Christians are indifferent on issues of Homosexuality, Abortion and Fornication.
True Biblical grounding is not apparent. Christian’s are confused on core doctrines of
the faith such as; Salvation, The resurrection, and the Bible being the inerrant Word of
God.
It is time for us to repent. It is time for us to clean up the church. Jesus’ church is to be
Holy and without stain.
Oh dear Lord Jesus, please forgive us for what we have done to your church. I pray
that all true Christians will have the discernment to know when the church is being
attacked and be strong at the gate and not allow such apostasy to enter.
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