The Church and The Gates of Hell
THE LORD'S CHURCH VS. THE GATES OF HELL
Matthew 16:18 "...I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
This sermon was preached on July 29, 2012.
In our text verse, there are two distinct things that the Lord Jesus Christ puts forth;
#1. Is the Lord's Church, "...MY CHURCH..." speaking of His blood bought church made up of blood bought men and women, the saved. Ephesians 5:25b, "As Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it." The Lord's church is the true church, of which its greatest purpose is, to go and reach the lost.
#2 Is the "Gates of hell" which is certainly not God's people, not the church. This is those who are outwardly sold out to satan, the enemies of God, whose agenda is usurp/oppose/fight/battle God, His Church, and His people. And, they play dirty.
Our text verse indicates that a battle will commence and today more than ever in the history of this world, the battle is heated up. It is all out in the open, and gates of hell are busy, busy, and busy going up against God, the church, and God's people.
All though the Bible, from Genesis through Revelation, there has never been any peace between God's people and satan. No compromise ever lasted long and never will. God Himself declared, in Genesis just after the matter of eating the fruit of the TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL, "I will put ENMITY between thee (satan) and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed (speaking of Jesus Christ and His seed).
God's people, has always had a disdain, a Godly disdain for things that are not right, for things that contradict the Word of God, the Scriptures. In light of Scripture, it is only natural for God's folks to oppose evil, and for evil to oppose God and all things God's.
THE BATTLE RAGES LIKE NEVER BEFORE!
As mentioned, it is out in the open. The heathen rages! IF you have kept up with the news, you would have a hard time missing the "gates of hell" coming out against CHICK-FIL-A! The mayor of San Francisco, known more as Sodom by the Bay, has stood and declared that this company is not wanted within 40 miles of San Francisco. Why? Because the Chick-Fil-A CEO said that he is opposed to same sex marriage. Same-0, from the mayor of Washington, D.C., (fifty miles east of here) and same-o in Massachusetts. The mayor of Chicago, a card carrying anti-God liberal made the statement that this chain of fried chicken stores did not espouse the values of Chicago. You may ask "what are the values of the leadership of Chicago?" For sure their values are not Godly values. They espouse homosexual values and are known for "Chicago style corruption" (under the table dealing, pay offs, back room deals, greed, crime), apparently, this the values that Chicago embrace. Just because one man, a Christian, a baptist, who is not afraid to speak for God, spoke up! We have a Chick-Fil-A here in Warrenton. I understand that this Wednesday the sodomites plan to gather and protest, on site, our store. Thank God there are still those who will speak-up for God!
May we not forget TARGET, STARBUCKS, J.C. PENNEY (some call them GAY C. PENNEY), and many others who play the same game as the mayors mentioned above, who seem to get fleshly glory from getting in the face of ALMIGHTY GOD, His people and His Church! If this bunch of activists from the "gates of hell" had their way with out beloved nation, it soon would be known as the United Sates of Sodom and Gomorrah.
To make things worse, our current elected president, his crowd, and his party, outwardly endorses and stands with the anti-God crowd. May God have mercy on his soul.
One would have to be utterly blind not to see the ungodliness going on and pounded, pounded, and pounded upon our nation. Make it your business to know what is going on and VOTE accordingly! Watch the Democratic and Republican conventions coming up.
JUST WHO AND WHAT IS THE GATES OF HELL?
I heard a preacher say, one time, that every lost person is part of the gates of hell. I do not agree entirely with that presumption. Why? Because before I was saved, I was lost. (Every saved person was once lost!) In a lost condition, speaking personally, not one time have I ever spoke in defiance of God, His Church, or His people. In the book of Jude, verse 4, is one reference to such men ... "For there are CERTAIN MEN CREPT IN unawares, who were before of old ORDAINED TO THIS CONDEMNATION, UNGODLY MEN, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and DENYING THE ONLY LORD GOD, AND OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST." The Bible speaks for itself. I cannot think of a better Scripture to define such as who, with an ungodly agenda, would dare stand and challenge God. Obviously, they hate God, the church, and the individual Christian! They are not only lost, but lost with a cause! They are after the heart and soul of our nation, our people, especially our children. Never under estimate this crowd!
THE CHURCH
The Lord's Church is God's main weapon in this battle, the church is endowed with the power of God, and the gates of hell will not prevail, although it looks like satan's crowd is making great headway. Read the last few chapters in the Bible. There you will find who the winner is and who the loser is. Satan is the world's biggest loser and all who chose to follow after him. Here in our text is the first time the word CHURCH is mentioned. Now-a-days there are many kinds of churches. Liberal churches. Conservative churches. Bible Believing churches. Same regarding denominations. The devil also has his churches and his pastors that deceive and destroy. Read II Corinthians 11:13-15. Our text states "MY CHURCH." Not just any so-called church in name only, but is the Lord God's precious blood bought church.
The Lord expects something from His church. It will engage the gates of hell and it will win. It is not a matter of numbers, not a matter of the majority. The Lord's church regardless of number will never let the
gates of hell prevail. If you are Saved, Born-again, a Believer (all the same) in the Lord's church, then it behooves you, me, and all us, to STAND, SPEAK, AND ACT FOR GOD and THE CAUSE OF CHRIST. You may say, "I don't believe in fighting, etc. and etc." The Apostle Paul said this and he ought to know, "I HAVE FOUGHT A GOOD FIGHT, I HAVE FINISHED MY COURSE, I HAVE KEPT THE FAITH." Jude 3 says, "...THAT YOU SHOULD EARNESTLY CONTEND FOR THE FAITH WHICH WAS ONCE DELIVERED UNTO THE SAINTS." The Church has a job to accomplish and we will be judged accordingly. May we all take our job seriously and not cower around the gates of hell crowd.
GOD CANNOT USE A SILENT CHRISTIAN
Yet, so many are fearful, silent, afraid. Friends, this is a blight on the Lord's church. Based on God's Holy Word, GOD CANNOT USE A SILENT CHRISTIAN!
We took a few days off and last Sunday we were in my youngest Son's church, 1st Baptist Church, Woodstock, Ga. (a 7,000 member church) which is a church that is doing something extra-ordinarily for God. I mentioned the number of members to say this: in the Summer Vacation Bible School, aside from the usual learning material, the kids undertook a project to raise money for the anti-abortion clinic where my Daughter in law is employed. They went to merchants for donations. Most merchants would not donate a penny, they said, "because I might get a bad name, a bad reputation." That was sad to hear. AFRAID OF THE GATES OF HELL CROWD! Nevertheless a dollar here and there, kids bringing pennies and change, the children raised $13,000.00, and the check was presented before the preaching and the story told before thousands present. I have the feeling that these children will grow up and be something for God Almighty!
In closing, don't cave in, don't give in, and don't throw in the towel. If ever there was a time to get busy for the cause of our Lord Jesus Christ, it is now. I don't know the name of the founder of CHICK-FIL-A, but my hat is off to him and the CEO for standing for God in times like this. There is a great need for men and women like him.
Think about it, where do you stand? With the "gates of hell" or With Christ? Wishy-Washy? Rolling with the punches? If ever there was a time to stand-up and let your voice be heard, IT IS NOW. It may be that some of you need to confront your own church... where does it stand? What does it do? Is it just a collection agency for some hierarchy, with a compromised pastor who shakes in his boots at the devils crowd? One of my prayers is that God's people will get FIRED UP! No doubt some of you will say "Preacher! you ought to be ashamed of saying that!" Remember this... GOD CANNOT USE A SILENT CHRISTIAN.
May we all do a work that upholds and uplifts our God, and never side or give in to the gates of hell!
May God bless each of you!
