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DANGERS
THE CHURCH FACES
1. What are some of the dangers the church faces today?
2. I spoke about the Nation of Islam – Muslims – being out
greatest PHYSICAL DANGER….
A. Our way of
life – freedom to worship – death to those around the globe
3. I want to talk about some very serious dangers today
A. From a broad
view (the church universal) with a narrow application (am I guilty?)
B. I have seen in
other places….some I have seen here …. all I have seen
at least seeds of here
4. I am not afraid that the church will go out of existence – the
Lord will not allow that to happen – We
always have it in “seed” for anyway….
A. But the church
is dying…..
B. In my short
span as a Christian there is a very noticeable change. I obeyed the gospel in 1965 – almost 40 yrs.
–
1) God notes changes in
2) The church – 1st century – spirit
filled apostles – then elders ordained in every church – HOW COULD A FULL BLOW APOSTACY
ARRIVE IN JUST 300 YEARS?
5. The same that happened then is happening now --- WILL WE LET IT?
Ignorance
Hosea 4:1-6
¶ Listen to the word of the LORD, O sons of Israel, For the LORD has a case
against the inhabitants of the land, Because there is no faithfulness or
kindness Or knowledge of God in the land. 2 [There is] swearing, deception, murder,
stealing, and adultery. They employ violence, so that bloodshed follows
bloodshed. 3 Therefore the land mourns, And everyone who lives in it languishes Along with the
beasts of the field and the birds of the sky; And also the fish of the sea
disappear. 4 Yet let no one find fault,
and let none offer reproof; For your people are like
those who contend with the priest. 5 So
you will stumble by day, And the prophet also will
stumble with you by night; And I will destroy your mother.
6 ¶ My people are destroyed for
lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will
reject you from being My priest. Since you have
forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.
John 6:44-45 (Jesus)"No
one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me
draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. 45 "It is written in the prophets, 'AND THEY SHALL
ALL BE TAUGHT OF GOD.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me.
2Timothy
Col 1:9-12
¶ For this reason also, since the day we heard [of it], we have not ceased to
pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all
spiritual wisdom and understanding,
10 so that you may walk in a manner worthy of
the Lord, to please [Him] in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and
increasing in the knowledge of God; 11
strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining
of all steadfastness and patience; joyously
12 ¶ giving thanks to the Father, who has
qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
EXAMPLES SEEN TODAY:
Christians who don’t know the
books of the Bible; Can’t easily show
the plan of salvation from
the scriptures; can’t show why premillennialism is wrong; …. instrumental music; ….. prophecies
of the kingdom & their fulfillment
“Hire” preachers to do their work for them
Go Back over highlighted scriptures…..
IGNORANCE PLACES THE CHURCH IN GRAVE DANGER
because:
1) Christians who are zealous in some of
the work think they are OK…. that they are maintaining the church…..2) but they
answer their children wrongly….3) leave bad example for children…..4) They are
quick to answer their friends & neighbor’s questions – right or wrong they
can’t show from the scriptures
Neglectfulness
Heb 2:1-4
¶ For this reason we must pay much closer
attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away [from it.] 2 For if the word
spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and
disobedience received a just recompense, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect so
great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it
was confirmed to us by those who heard, 4 God also bearing witness with them, both by
signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit
according to His own will.
EXAMPLES SEEN TODAY:
Christians who find time for
TV….but not for calling on the sick….. Time for fishing for bass…. can’t find
time to fish for men…… Those who have made a great start with their faith….but
now hardly remember why……
Read Poem “Tomorrow”
Go back over
scriptures….
THE CHURCH IS IN
DANGER BECAUSE OF NEGLECTFUL MEMBERS….1) Leave the
work of God undone…”God has no hands but our hands….no feet but our feet….no
tongue but our tongue 2) You cannot wait until a more convenient season in your
life 3)
that won’t get the work done that is needing your attention today 4)
can’t be left to the few who are working 5) your example of what a Christian is
- is far reaching
Worldliness
2 Tim
Jas 1:22-27
But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely
hearers who delude themselves. 23 For if
anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at
his natural face in a mirror; 24 for
[once] he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten
what kind of person he was. 25 But one
who looks intently at the perfect law, the [law] of liberty, and abides by it,
not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be
blessed in what he does. 26 If anyone
thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives
his [own] heart, this man's religion is worthless.
27 This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of [our]
God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress, [and] to keep
oneself unstained by the world.
1 John 2:15-17 Do
not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the
love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that
is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the
boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away,
and [also] its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever.
Gal 5:19-21
Now the deeds of the flesh are evident,
which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife,
jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,
21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which
I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that
those who practice such things shall not inherit the
Too many Christians who can’t turn loose of the
world…..
Read the poem on worldliness & the
church
Go back over
scriptures…
WORLDLINESS IS
ATTACKING THE CHURCH ON ALL SIDES
because…1) It makes a mockery of why Christ died for us in the first
place 2) It causes those who try to walk on the fence to justify their actions
…. leading others astray and ….. helps
justify others in their sins …. few left to speak out
boldly against sin
Error
Gal 1:6-10
¶ I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace
of Christ, for a different gospel; 7
which is [really] not another; only there are some who are disturbing you, and
want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach
to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be
accursed. 9 As we have said
before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to
that which you received, let him be accursed. 10 ¶ For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I
striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a
bond-servant of Christ.
Gal 2:11-14 ¶ But when Cephas came to
14 But when I
saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to
Cephas in the presence of all, "If you, being a
Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how [is it that] you compel
the Gentiles to live like Jews?
Marriage, Divorce….. Instrumental Music….. Baptism Quotes….
Cozying up to denominations….. ashamed
of being different….
Churches who will support men
that teach false doctrine…..
Go back over
scriptures….CHURCHES ARE DIVIDED AND CONQUORED BY SATAN BECAUSE OF ERROR
1) Justify one
error and it justifies all others 2) liberal brethren allowed the door to open
just a crack…..look at where it has lead them….those who took those first steps
tried later to stop the gushing influx of all other like ideas 3) Why, “this”
is just like “that”
Boastfulness
Matt 6:1-4 ¶ "Beware of practicing your
righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise
you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. 2 "When therefore you give alms, do not
sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the
streets, that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their
reward in full. 3 "But when you
give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing 4 that your alms may be in secret; and your
Father who sees in secret will repay you.
Too many in the church do – for their
own glory…..
WANT TO FEEL IMPORTANT – NEED APPROVAL/ATTENTION\
Want to get up and speak – not to glorify God; but
themselves….. too many preachers “have to say something;” instead of “having something to say”
Go back over
scriptures…..PRIDEFUL MEN AND WOMEN PUT THE CHURCH IN DANGER….CARE MORE ABOUT
THEMSELVES THAN CHRIST
because, the very heart of the church is based upon humility …. Jesus
is our greatest example of humility …. not whimpy…. true humility; taking NO CREDIT for your self….. doing for the sake of others, without any recognition
Compromise
Eph 5:6-13
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because
of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with
them; 8 for you were formerly darkness,
but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light [consists] in
all goodness and righteousness and truth),
10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 And do not participate in the unfruitful
deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; 12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by
them in secret. 13 But all things become
visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible
is light.
Gal 2:11-14
¶ But when Cephas
came to
Jude 2-4
May mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you.
3 ¶ Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you
about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that
you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the
saints. 4 For certain persons
have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this
condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness
and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:27 ¶ Only conduct yourselves in a
manner worthy of the gospel of Christ; so that whether I come and see you or
remain absent, I may hear of you that you are standing
firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the
gospel;
Misapplication
of Romans 14 – Compromise –
ERROR NEEDS TO BE CONFRONTED
We
worry too much about numbers – not souls
We
betray Christ when we compromise His truth for our comfort Go back over scriptures….COMPROMISE IS A TOOL
OF SATAN
Materialism
Luke 8:14
"And the [seed] which fell among the thorns, these are the
ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked
with worries and riches and pleasures of [this] life, and bring no fruit to
maturity.
1 Tim. 6:6-10
¶ But godliness [actually] is a means of great gain, when accompanied by
contentment. 7 For
we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it
either. 8 And if we have food and
covering, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who want to get
rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires
which plunge men into ruin and destruction.
10
For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for
it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang.
Too many of us
care too much about our “things”….
We won’t admit
it…. we want to catch up to and overtake the “Joneses”
We are consumed
with money – we pressure our kids into Godless colleges – Career
oriented instead of family oriented –
Our homes are a
spiritual mess…. we have no time to build our families because we are building
our careers…..our children learn to be just like us….
“Cats in the Cradle”
Go back over
scriptures….THE CHURCH IS OVERCROWDED WITH PEOPLE WHO PUT THEIR FAITH IN MONEY –
WE WORRY ABOUT TAKING “IN GOD WE TRUST” OFF OF OUR MONEY…. WHEN WE OUGHT TO BE
WORRIED THAT WE DON’T REALLY TRUST IN GOD like we do the money
Lukewarmness
Rev. 3:14-18
'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.' 14 ¶ "And to the angel of the church in
17
'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of
nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor
and blind and naked, 18 I advise you to
buy from Me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich, and white garments,
that you may clothe yourself, and [that] the shame of your nakedness may not be
revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see. 19 'Those whom I
love, I reprove and discipline; be zealous therefore, and repent.
The danger is
that Lukewarmness, like zealousness, is contagious…..
The church today is filled with Christians who can barely stand to get through
our services…. want shorter sermons; fewer songs …. fewer
assemblies …. Then we want a preacher …. or some
innovation to make us feel spiritual….
Preachers and churches are catering to such….. tell
all kind of stories to invoke emotion …. dim the
lights ….
again…. we leave an example for our children to build
on…. and our new Christians follow our lead
Indifference
Matt. 12:22-30 ¶ Then there was
brought to Him a demon-possessed man [who was] blind and dumb, and He healed
him, so that the dumb man spoke and saw. 23 And all the multitudes were amazed,
and [began] to say, "This [man] cannot be the Son of David, can he?"
24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "This man casts out demons
only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons." 25 And knowing their thoughts He said to
them, "Any kingdom divided against itself is laid
waste; and any city or house divided against itself shall not stand. 26 "And if Satan casts out Satan, he is
divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand? 27 "And if I by Beelzebul
cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? Consequently they shall be
your judges. 28 "But if I cast out
demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 "Or how can anyone
enter the strong man's house and carry off his property, unless he first binds
the strong [man]? And then he will plunder his house.
30
"He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who
does not gather with Me scatters.
Indifference causes the
church to crumble apart when Christians can leave the services having learned
they are in error in Bible class or from the preaching of God’s
word….compliment the teacher/preacher … with never a thought of changing
read v. 30…. Christians who are not actively working … zealously out
teaching in every opportunity …. actively &
zealously caring for the people of God … we are not FOR Him….but AGAINST Him
Doctrine Corrupted
Turn to 2 Timothy….
A church is in deep trouble
when it members don’t know the standard of truth…. not just the preacher and
elders
Must be passed on IN THE
HOME from generation to generation
When we accept our practices
based upon tradition….(even if true) that church will
eventually die out….. It is the attitude that someone else is to be the keeper
of the doctrine….My only involvement is in voicing my opinion of whether I like
it or not
It is seen in the unscriptural
prayers are prayed – and then parroted by others…. 1) praying to the Father
“thank you for dying” 2) Lord’s supper
prayers that simply recite the same words….too many times not even knowing that
we are to thank God for the emblems
Error is taught from the
pulpit and, though recognized, not challenged
Apostacy
1 Cor. 10:1-13 ¶ For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our
fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
2 and all were baptized into Moses in the
cloud and in the sea;
3 and all ate the same spiritual food; 4 and all drank the
same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which
followed them; and the rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, with most of them God was not
well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness. 6 ¶ Now these things
happened as examples for us, that we should not crave evil things, as they also
craved. 7 And do not be idolaters, as
some of them were; as it is written, "THE PEOPLE SAT DOWN TO EAT AND
DRINK, AND STOOD UP TO PLAY." 8 Nor
let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in
one day. 9 Nor let us try the Lord, as
some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents. 10 Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were
destroyed by the destroyer. 11 Now these
things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our
instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he
fall.
13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as
is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted
beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of
escape also, that you may be able to endure it.
Read Hebrews 2:10-18 –
I
wonder how many churches the Lord really has? How many have long ago given up their
identity???
Where
are we? What shape are WE in??? Probably in just about as
good of spiritual shape as YOU are in.
conclusion
read & apply Eph. 6:10-18