Threats To The Church
The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever. (Isaiah 40:8)
The Word is true, “the grass withers and the flower fades but the word of our God will stand forever.” Jesus tells Peter in Matthew chapter 16 that He’s going to build His church on a secure foundation, and there’s no force, no weapon, and no threat that will be able to stop it. A powerful church is given a guaranteed victory, a promise of triumph, and assurance of success; “the gates of hell shall not prevail against.”
However, we must remember that this statement doesn’t suggest that the gates of hell won’t attack or won’t threaten. We can pretty much guarantee that the enemy is going to pull out all the stops to try to keep the Church from making progress for God’s kingdom. He’s going to do everything he possibly can to set us back, pit us against each other, and make us ineffective. But just because he will try doesn’t mean he will succeed. In fact, we can be sure that when it comes down to it, he won’t be successful. He will fail.
Isn’t it good to know that there is no dart, no dagger, no plot, no strategy, no plan, and no attack from the enemy that can prevail against the Church? Isn’t it good to know that famine can’t stop it, disease can’t threaten it, bankruptcy can’t close it, and scandal can’t end it? Isn’t it good to know that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to prevail against the church? That’s good news. I don’t know about you, but that one line gives me great consolation in a world of uncertainty. The gates of hell shall NOT prevail against the Church. Let us take comfort in that promise and find rest and peace in that truth today.
The Word is true, “the grass withers and the flower fades but the word of our God will stand forever.” Jesus tells Peter in Matthew chapter 16 that He’s going to build His church on a secure foundation, and there’s no force, no weapon, and no threat that will be able to stop it. A powerful church is given a guaranteed victory, a promise of triumph, and assurance of success; “the gates of hell shall not prevail against.”
However, we must remember that this statement doesn’t suggest that the gates of hell won’t attack or won’t threaten. We can pretty much guarantee that the enemy is going to pull out all the stops to try to keep the Church from making progress for God’s kingdom. He’s going to do everything he possibly can to set us back, pit us against each other, and make us ineffective. But just because he will try doesn’t mean he will succeed. In fact, we can be sure that when it comes down to it, he won’t be successful. He will fail.
Isn’t it good to know that there is no dart, no dagger, no plot, no strategy, no plan, and no attack from the enemy that can prevail against the Church? Isn’t it good to know that famine can’t stop it, disease can’t threaten it, bankruptcy can’t close it, and scandal can’t end it? Isn’t it good to know that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to prevail against the church? That’s good news. I don’t know about you, but that one line gives me great consolation in a world of uncertainty. The gates of hell shall NOT prevail against the Church. Let us take comfort in that promise and find rest and peace in that truth today.
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