A Persevering Church
The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free. (Luke 4:18)
To conclude our discussion on the characteristics of a powerful church, we must understand that in addition to a powerful church being rooted in truth and built on a firm foundation, a powerful church should be bent towards perseverance.
When a church is built by Christ and when Christ is the head, nothing can prevail against the church. There were forces then just as there are forces now that want to stop the church and those in it. Those forces are aligned not against the church building, but the church’s mission.
When the institutional church is committed to speaking truth to power, when the church endeavors to comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable, when the church seeks to fulfill its mission as laid out in Luke chapter 4 verse 18, when it seeks to bring good news to the poor, proclaim release to the captives, recover sight for the blind, and let the captives go free, opposition will come against the church.
When the church seeks to fulfill the words of the prophet Micah, to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God, the enemy will come against the church. When we endeavor to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, and provide shelter for the homeless, the world will not be happy. But the good news is that even though weapons will be formed against the church, according to the text, they shall not prosper. “Upon this rock, I will build my church,” Jesus says, “and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.”
A church of power is a protected church. A church of power is a prevailing church. A church of power is a persevering church. Challenges may come, but the Church will prevail. Leaders may change, but the Church will prevail. Obstacles and opposition may mount, but the Church will still stand. We can have confidence in that promise as long as we, as the Church, remain rooted in Christ, keeping Him in His proper place – above all else.
To conclude our discussion on the characteristics of a powerful church, we must understand that in addition to a powerful church being rooted in truth and built on a firm foundation, a powerful church should be bent towards perseverance.
When a church is built by Christ and when Christ is the head, nothing can prevail against the church. There were forces then just as there are forces now that want to stop the church and those in it. Those forces are aligned not against the church building, but the church’s mission.
When the institutional church is committed to speaking truth to power, when the church endeavors to comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable, when the church seeks to fulfill its mission as laid out in Luke chapter 4 verse 18, when it seeks to bring good news to the poor, proclaim release to the captives, recover sight for the blind, and let the captives go free, opposition will come against the church.
When the church seeks to fulfill the words of the prophet Micah, to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God, the enemy will come against the church. When we endeavor to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, and provide shelter for the homeless, the world will not be happy. But the good news is that even though weapons will be formed against the church, according to the text, they shall not prosper. “Upon this rock, I will build my church,” Jesus says, “and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.”
A church of power is a protected church. A church of power is a prevailing church. A church of power is a persevering church. Challenges may come, but the Church will prevail. Leaders may change, but the Church will prevail. Obstacles and opposition may mount, but the Church will still stand. We can have confidence in that promise as long as we, as the Church, remain rooted in Christ, keeping Him in His proper place – above all else.
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