If you are a member of a church, I’m going to let you in on a little secret… church members are at war. Not with each other, but with an enemy. I recommend you go back through earlier posts and even search the subjects for our enemies. We have three that dominate the other side of the battlefield from us. They are: the world; the flesh; and the devil. Make no mistake… they are all very real. We are set at opposing sides in a battle. They are opposing views, to this world, who is run by our enemy. It is a warfare, a spiritual warfare.
Jesus set the pace for warfare. He said in Matthew 16.18— “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Here we see war and standoff language: “gates”, “prevail”, and especially the word— “against”. That particular church could not be prevailed against. The spiritual children of that church, as in the churches of Asia and the subsequent churches of the 1st century, could be prevailed against. How? They have not been built upon that Rock. The simplest answer is this: some churches will survive, others will not. Their success and failure is determined by their willingness and endurance with building (making every decision), upon Jesus, and His word alone! No man’s intellect, nor preferences, no demands, and He won’t share the credit… only Jesus. Some would love to get the limelight and take the credit when it goes well, but God doesn’t go halfsies. Besides, how many times have you heard people say, ‘If this happens (or doesn’t) that church won’t survive’. Look at the language of Jesus’ statement to Peter though; He said— “shall not prevail”. It doesn’t mean that the assembly of people won’t take hits and slumps, or go through purging from the Father. What it does say is that we should expect to survive and thrive under His leadership, upon His basis (rock Jesus).
The enemy wins when we do not stick to that battle plan. Satan is a created being and on the prowl. Peter, who would have known that very well said so in 1 Peter 5.8— “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” That does not mean he is set for offense, necessarily. The Gospel centered and Gospel giving church is the offensive in this allegory. The defense is the lost, the system they are in, and their leader Satan. This comes from the imagery of the “gates” of hell Jesus spoke of. Gates are a defensive measure, not an offensive measure. It is a protective shielding, not a way of attack. Satan is defending his ground, his territory, he occupies. That territory isn’t just the world we are in, in a physical sense, but the system that runs the devilish plans of Satan. That strategy is to keep the lost, lost. That is the ground he is defending… the lost souls of man. Our Captain is Jesus and we should base all of our strategies upon His might and wisdom. Obviously we find that in scripture, and specifically in the Gospels where He set forth those plans.
This is why so many christians look ‘wasted’ on the battle field today. They are without the strategy and a place that enables them to strategize. The absence of scripture in the assemblies of saints, is detrimental to the survival of the assembly itself. This is not just a Sunday thing. Of course, there must be sermons, lessons, talks, discussions, and teachings on and from the scripture when the members assemble; but there also must be those same actions taking place during the week on an individual and small group level. We have to build on The Rock! It is Jesus’ plans and strategy we focus on, not the music, not the looks of a building, not the procedures of copy paper. These minor things have again distracted us from the most important element… souls of mankind. How can a roll sheet or a sign save souls? It cannot! God help anyone who majors on the minors…it’s costing souls.
When a church is no longer on the right focus (Gospel centered and Gospel giving) then they are no longer building on the Rock of Jesus. It is the reason He came and the reason He left us here. The church who isn’t doing this, is destined to be defeated, because they have lost their purpose. This purpose must be reinforced all the time and at every level. Only the selfish and fearful will abandon this doctrine. It is a servant’s call, which is the church member’s call. It is the commission and the purpose of every single member of the Lord’s churches.