Matthew 16:18 (NKJV) I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
There is a demonic hierarchy of fallen angels that purposefully works against the church by deceiving, weakening, and luring it away from God and her calling to world evangelism. Because Lucifer’s desire is to be worshipped like a god, he will try and distract the church from the Great Commission so more will stay in the kingdom of darkness.
Satan likes to create strife and division within the church. In an infighting church, we see church politics revolving around disagreements over theology, worship style or the pastor’s ability, tussle for leadership positions motivated by desire for power rather than servant leadership, and pledge of allegiance to certain church leaders. Rather than running with the church’s vision, individuals elevate themselves, pursue recognition and support for their own projects, and when they fail, they leave the church bringing along their cohorts, much like Satan and his fallen angels when he rebelled against God. Having lost her witness to the community, her first love and calling, this church is lost and ineffective.
There is also the self-serving church, which is narrow-minded, inward looking and impoverished in her thinking. Focused primarily on personal needs or the needs of the church, she is a maintenance church that does not seek out the Lord’s calling for her. There is also a consumer mentality, where every believer has a personal agenda towards the church based on how God can bless them—what the church can do for them rather how they can bless the church. This church is lukewarm and cold, sees neither revival nor growth because she has welcomed the world into the church. Her values are the world’s values, and she may even welcome gender confusion and LGBTQ agendas because she desires the world more than God’s presence.
Finally, we have the indifferent church where members have turned cold towards God. Rather than serving Him with their gifts and talents, they are more concerned about ourselves and their needs. Prolonged church closures make those who have not developed their personal walks with God and are dependent on corporate anointing most vulnerable because they feel they are doing well spiritually only in corporate worship settings and they have identified themselves with the Christian activities they participate in.
We need to periodically check on the state of the church to ensure that the devil’s scheme is not succeeding, and also the state of our personal spiritual health because it is when there is personal revival in the lives of individuals in regard to their walks with God that the entire church will be strong and healthy. Jesus said that “the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it”. We are the church, and what will truly sustain us is our personal time with God.
Sermon Series: Arise and Build
小心阴间的权柄
马太福音16:18我還告訴你，你是彼得，我要把我的教會建造在這磐石上；陰間的權柄不能勝過他。
由堕落天使组成的恶魔阶层故意与教会作对，牠们靠着欺骗、削弱和引诱使教会远离神以及对世界福音的呼召。因为路西法的愿望是像神一样被崇拜，牠试图分散教会对大使命的注意力，让更多的人留在黑暗的国度。
撒旦喜欢在教会制造冲突和分裂。在一个纷争的教会，我们看到教会政治围绕着神学、敬拜方式甚至牧师的能力上争论和冲突, 在教会领导层中承诺与某些人结盟，把领导的职份视为权力的象征，而不是展现仆人式领袖能力的机会。个人不是为着教会的异象运行，而是提升自己，为自己的项目寻求认可和支持。当他们失败时，他们带着那些与他们结盟的人一起离开教会。这不正是撒旦背叛神，带走那些堕落的天使时所做的吗？教会失去了她对社区的见证，失去了（对神）起初的爱、热情和呼召，这个教会迷失了，失去了功效。
还有自私自利的教会，心胸狭窄，封闭，自私，思想贫乏。这教会只关注个人需要或教会的需要。这是一个待机模式的教会也不寻找神对她的呼召。信徒有消费者的心态，对教会抱有自己的想法。这是基于教会能为他/她做些什么，而不是他们怎样才能成为教会的祝福。这教会不冷不热，缺乏复兴或增长因为她爱世界多于教会。她的价值观就是世界的价值观，她们甚至可能欢迎性别混淆和LGBTQ议程，因为她们更渴望世界，而不是神在教会里的同在。
最后，我们还有冷漠的教会，那里的信徒对神变得冷漠。信徒没有兴趣用主托付给他们的恩赐和才能去服侍主，他们更关心自己和自己的需求。教会持续的封闭使那些没有与神建立个人关系而一直依赖聚会时恩膏的人最为脆弱。他们认为在聚会敬拜中他们才能在灵里得益处，他们觉得自己与参加的基督教的活动有关。
我们要定期检查教会的状况，以确保魔鬼的计谋不能得逞。我们也要检查自己的属灵光景，因为只有当信徒个人的生命在与神同行中有了复兴，整个教会才会变得强大和健康。耶稣说：“阴间的权柄，不能胜过她”。我们就是教会，真正支撑我们的是与神同在的个人时间。
讲章系列：兴起和建造 (第一部分)
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