THE LORD IS BUILDING HIS CHURCH AND THE GATES OF HELL WILL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST IT
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OUTLINE
1. THE LORD WILL BUILD HIS CHURCH AND PROTECT IT FROM ALL THE ATTACKS OF THE ENEMY
2. THE LORD IS WITH US LIKE A MIGHTY WARRIOR. HE WILL FIGHT OUR BATTLES AND DELIVER US FROM ALL OUR ENEMIES.
3. THE LORD WILL ALWAYS GRANT US VICTORY. NO WEAPON FORMED AGAINST US WILL PREVAIL.
4. THE LORD IS WITH US AT ALL TIMES AND THEREFORE WE NEED NOT FEAR ANYTHING . WE CAN FACE LIFE WITH FAITH AND CONFIDENCE.
5. THE LORD IS FAITHFUL AND THEREFORE WE CAN COMMIT ALL OUR MATTERS UNTO HIM AND TRUST IN HIM.
6. THE LORD WILL DESTROY THE OBSTACLES AND BARRIERS THAT ARE BLOCKING OUR PROGRESS AND GRANT US A BREAKTHROUGH.
7. THE LORD WILL PROTECT US FROM ALL HARM AND EVIL. HE WILL WATCH OVER US ALWAYS AND DELIVER US EVEN FROM HIDDEN SNARES.
THE MESSAGE
THE LORD IS BUILDING HIS CHURCH AND THE GATES OF HELL WILL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST IT
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1. THE LORD WILL BUILD HIS CHURCH AND PROTECT IT FROM ALL THE ATTACKS OF THE ENEMY
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SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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MATTHEW 16:18-19
And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
ZECHARIAH 2:5,8
And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,’ declares the LORD, ’and I will be its glory within.’
For this is what the LORD Almighty says: "After he has honored me and has sent me against the nations that have plundered you for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye-
ISAIAH 27:3
I, the LORD, watch over it; I water it continually. I guard it day and night so that no one may harm it.
REVELATION 3:7-13
"To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.
I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.
I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.
Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.
I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.
Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
2. THE LORD IS WITH US LIKE A MIGHTY WARRIOR. HE WILL FIGHT OUR BATTLES AND DELIVER US FROM ALL OUR ENEMIES.
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SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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JEREMIAH 20:11-13
But the LORD is with me like a mighty warrior; so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail.They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced; their dishonor will never be forgotten.
O LORD Almighty, you who examine the righteous and probe the heart and mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you I have committed my cause.
Sing to the LORD! Give praise to the LORD! He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of the wicked.
PSALM 68:1-5
May God arise, may his enemies be scattered; may his foes flee before him.
As smoke is blown away by the wind, may you blow them away; as wax melts before the fire, may the wicked perish before God.
But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful.
Sing to God, sing praise to his name,extol him who rides on the clouds— his name is the LORD— and rejoice before him.
A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.
PSALM 66:1-5
Shout with joy to God, all the earth!
Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious!
Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you.
All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, hey sing praise to your name." Selah
Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man’s behalf!
PSALM 76:6-12
At your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both horse and chariot lie still.
You alone are to be feared. Who can stand before you when you are angry?
From heaven you pronounced judgment, and the land feared and was quiet-
when you, O God, rose up to judge, to save all the afflicted of the land. Selah
Surely your wrath against men brings you praise, and the survivors of your wrath are restrained.
Make vows to the LORD your God and fulfill them; let all the neighboring lands bring gifts to the One to be feared.
He breaks the spirit of rulers; he is feared by the kings of the earth.
PSALM 18:25-50
To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.
You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.
You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.
With your help I can advance against a troop ; with my God I can scale a wall.
As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.
For who is God besides the LORD ? And who is the Rock except our God?
It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights.
He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great.
You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn.
I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
I crushed them so that they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet.
You armed me with strength for battle; you made my adversaries bow at my feet.
You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, and I destroyed my foes.
They cried for help, but there was no one to save them— to the LORD, but he did not answer.
I beat them as fine as dust borne on the wind; I poured them out like mud in the streets.
You have delivered me from the attacks of the people; you have made me the head of nations; people I did not know are subject to me.
As soon as they hear me, they obey me; foreigners cringe before me.
They all lose heart; they come trembling from their strongholds.
The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior!
He is the God who avenges me, who subdues nations under me,
who saves me from my enemies.You exalted me above my foes; from violent men you rescued me.
Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O LORD; I will sing praises to your name.
He gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed, to David and his descendants forever.
3. THE LORD WILL ALWAYS GRANT US VICTORY. NO WEAPON FORMED AGAINST US WILL PREVAIL.
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SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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ISAIAH 54:17
no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me," declares the LORD.
DEUTRONOMY 28:7
The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.
JOSHUA 1:5
No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
4. THE LORD IS WITH US AT ALL TIMES AND THEREFORE WE NEED NOT FEAR ANYTHING . WE CAN FACE LIFE WITH FAITH AND CONFIDENCE.
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SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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ISAIAH 41:10-13
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
"All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish.
Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all.
For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.
ISAIAH 43:1-2
But now, this is what the LORD says— he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
HEBREWS 13:5-6
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
So we say with confidence,"The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"
5. THE LORD IS FAITHFUL AND THEREFORE WE CAN COMMIT ALL OUR MATTERS UNTO HIM AND TRUST IN HIM.
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SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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JOB 5:8-16
"But if it were I, I would appeal to God; I would lay my cause before him.
He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.
He bestows rain on the earth; he sends water upon the countryside.
The lowly he sets on high, and those who mourn are lifted to safety.
He thwarts the plans of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success.
He catches the wise in their craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are swept away.
Darkness comes upon them in the daytime; at noon they grope as in the night.
He saves the needy from the sword in their mouth; he saves them from the clutches of the powerful.
So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts its mouth.
ISAIAH 25:1-5
O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago.
You have made the city a heap of rubble, the fortified town a ruin, the foreigners’ stronghold a city no more; it will never be rebuilt.
Therefore strong peoples will honor you; cities of ruthless nations will revere you.
You have been a refuge for the poor,a refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall
and like the heat of the desert. You silence the uproar of foreigners; as heat is reduced by the shadow of a cloud, so the song of the ruthless is stilled.
PSALM 62:1-8
My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.
How long will you assault a man? Would all of you throw him down— this leaning wall, this tottering fence?
They fully intend to topple him from his lofty place; they take delight in lies. With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they curse. Selah
Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation;he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
My salvation and my honor depend on God ; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
Trust in him at all times, O people;pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Selah
PSALM 22:4-5
In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them.
They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed.
PSALM 22:24-26
For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.
From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you will I fulfill my vows.
The poor will eat and be satisfied; they who seek the LORD will praise him— may your hearts live forever!
2 CHRONICLES 32:7-8
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him.
With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles." And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said.
2 CHRONICLES 20:14-17
Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.
He said: "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: ’Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.
Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel.
You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.’ "
6. THE LORD WILL DESTROY THE OBSTACLES AND BARRIERS THAT ARE BLOCKING OUR PROGRESS AND GRANT US A BREAKTHROUGH.
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SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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ISAIAH 45:1-3
"This is what the LORD says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:
I will go before you and will level the mountains ; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron.
I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.
MICAH 2:13
One who breaks open the way will go up before them; they will break through the gate and go out.Their king will pass through before them, the LORD at their head."
ZECHARIAH 4:6-7
So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ’Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.
"What are you, O mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of ’God bless it! God bless it!’ "
7. THE LORD WILL PROTECT US FROM ALL HARM AND EVIL. HE WILL WATCH OVER US ALWAYS AND DELIVER US EVEN FROM HIDDEN SNARES.
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SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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PSALM 121:1-8
I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD watches over you— the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
PSALM 91:1-16
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."
Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
If you make the Most High your dwelling— even the LORD, who is my refuge-
then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.
For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
"Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation."
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