ASPECTS OF THE CHURCH - ITS TURMOIL, CONFLICT, STRUGGLE AND ENDURANCE – PART 1. PART 9 IN THE SERIES
We are going to look at some of the matters that are of concern for the Church and its problems and its conflict in the world.
[1]. FIRST CONSIDERATION - HERESIES AND FALSE TEACHERS
I think one of the most appropriate hymns ever written about the Church is this one, but I am going to choose only three stanzas from the six at this stage –
The church's one foundation
Is Jesus Christ, her Lord;
She is His new creation,
By water and the word.
From heav'n He came and sought her
To be His holy Bride;
With His own blood He bought her,
And for her life He died.
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THOUGH WITH A SCORNFUL WONDER,
MEN SEE HER SORE OPPRESSED,
BY SCHISMS RENT ASUNDER,
BY HERESIES DISTRESSED,
Yet saints their watch are keeping,
Their cry goes up, "How long?"
And soon the night of weeping
Shall be the morn of song!
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'MID TOIL AND TRIBULATION,
AND TUMULT OF HER WAR,
She waits the consummation
Of peace forevermore;
Till with the vision glorious
Her longing eyes are blest,
And the great church victorious
Shall be the church at rest.
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The parts that are capitalised above are applicable to the message today. Christ's BODY, the UNIVERSAL CHURCH, is a beautiful unity but at the same time is a shredded mess on earth. Why do we have that apparent contradiction? This is what this message is about.
The unity of the Body in the bonds of peace is the fact of the Church, but we speak here of the Body precious to Christ its Head, not of all the empty formalism and profession that goes under the name “Christianity”. {{Ephesians 4:3-4 “being diligent to preserve THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling”}}
HERESIES AND FALSE TEACHERS
Because we have all been baptised by one Spirit into one Body then the unifying work of the Holy Spirit is so necessary. I share equal membership of THE Church with those already in heaven and all those born again through the incorruptible seed still on earth. That is the true Body of Christ, precious, ransomed and guarded by the Spirit.
HOWEVER, that is not what the world sees. It sees a mess; claims of paedophilia ; greed of “word of faith” preachers; a continuing fracturing of claimants to the name CHRISTIAN; hypocrisy from some quarters and infighting. “By schisms rent asunder, by heresies distressed.” I love Church History and have many good and fairly detailed books on that subject. Once you get past the early apostolic years then you hit the wall with severe problems, heresies, and some “absolutely disgraceful behaviour” all in the name of Christ. It is shameful.
{{Matthew 13:36-40 Then He left the multitudes and went into the house and His disciples came to Him saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.” He answered and said, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, and the field is the world and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom, and the tares are the sons of the evil one, AND THE ENEMY WHO SOWED THEM IS THE DEVIL, and the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Therefore just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age.”}}
That parable is the warning to the disciples that as soon as the good seed of the gospel is sown, the enemy will come in with destructive force to overthrow the pure word of God. In the early church the good seed was sown but in came the divisions – “I am of Paul; I am of Apollos; I am of Christ”; and at the same time, along came Gnosticism and other evil heresies that magnified themselves over time - doctrinal and theological; purity became adulterated and after several centuries grew up into a fully adulterated and corrupt church on earth.
That is what the world sees and will continue to see until the end of the Church age, even to the end of THE age which is the Second Coming. Second Peter and Jude in particular are devoted to the false teachers who are like maggots in the church eating away at the flesh. There are so many false teachers around and it is not wrong of us to discern that state of affairs and we are meant to do so. We are to examine the word of God to see that all these things are correct and legitimate.
On SermonCentral I have a series on Jude that delves into false teaching in the Church. These men cause division and that is Satan’s aim to bring about discord and division; to destroy the ongoing work of the gospel.
Have you ever thought about why heresies and divisions come into the church? The answers are not all that difficult because we have some biblical clues.
ANSWER 1. Consider this verse – {{Matthew 13:25 “but while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares also among the wheat and went away”}} Tares always represent false teaching and in the parable the tares were sown “while men were sleeping”. I think one Gospel said it happened at night. Satan operates in darkness because his horrible evil functions in sin’s night. Look at the slaughter of all those Jews on 7 October 2023 by the devil’s agents Hamas that happened at night in some cases. Christians can’t afford to sleep spiritually as they will be overcome. We must be alert but in the early churches Satan found “sleep ways” where he could enter with false doctrine and division. Keep alert always with the bible in your hand.
ANSWER 2. The apostle James puts his finger on the next problem why the church experiences heresies and divisions – {{James 3:13-16 “Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behaviour his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom, but if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. WHERE JEALOUSY AND SELFISH AMBITION EXIST, THERE IS DISORDER AND EVERY EVIL THING”}}
It is the flesh that rises up and the flesh is divisive. Divisions and chaos ensure, and this is what the world sees: Christians always fighting. Church leadership must guard the flock of God entrusted to them in care, prayer and sound teaching so that the sheep are holy and loyally follow the Good Shepherd.
ANSWER 3. This next one is self evident and is the core reason why heresies flourish and divisions prosper. It is the LACK (NEGLECT) OF PROPER TEACHING IN CHURCHES because the bible is not believed. Many dismiss the parts of the bible they do not like or speak the devil’s lie such as “The bible only contains the word of God. Overall it is not the word of God.” Once the bible is undermined through poor preaching, careless preaching, or outright untrue preaching, heresies and divisions will spring up.
[2]. SECOND CONSIDERATION - YOU WILL HAVE TRIBULATION IN THE WORLD (TURMOIL AND DISTRESS)
There is a verse that seems a bit of a shock when you first come upon it – {{2Timothy 3:12-13 “INDEED, ALL WHO DESIRE TO LIVE GODLY IN CHRIST JESUS WILL BE PERSECUTED. Evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.”}}
Christians may expect that once they get saved, all might be peaceful and well with them, but then the reality comes. This world system hates God and therefore hates Christians who follow God. Actually, there is a growing hatred worldwide against Christians and the Jews. Those who are rather slack about the Christian faith are not bothered by the opposition because it won’t come their way, but Christians who want to live for Christ, living godly lives, WILL BE PERSECUTED. The verse clearly says that.
Jesus prepared His disciples for what was to come – {{John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage. I have overcome the world.”}} There is a great image there. In Christ there is peace. Let’s call that “the inward peace,” but in the world we will have tribulation (the word means distress, turmoil). That is “the outward conflict”. The world become a point of division. Those who want to count for Christ will face the world’s opposition, but the non-committed “christian” will be accepted by the world.
Those of us who live in the western world, and want to count for God, will know persecution BUT that is a mere candle when compared with the tribulation that comes upon Christians in some African nations and most definitely in Moslem nations. I admire those called upon to suffer great hardship, and even seal their testimony with their lives. Our small fellowship supports a mission called “Voice of the Martyrs” that ministers in that area.
Have you ever wondered why the world hates genuine Christians? This is one reason - John 7:7 “The world cannot hate you but it hates Me because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil.”}} At the time Jesus spoke this, the disciples were sheltered by the Lord but when He ascended then they also knew the truth of this verse. Christians are like a mirror. They reflect to the unsaved what the unsaved are like, and the world hates it. Put it this way, “The righteousness of Christians exposes the unrighteousness of the unsaved and they hate it.”
Evil will always persecute what is good. That us why sinful people and youth gangs destroy what is decent. The unsaved man is bent on destruction. Right at the very beginning lived Cain and Abel. The apostle John said again – {{1John 3:12-13 “not as Cain who was of the evil one and slew his brother, and for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous. Do not marvel, brethren, if the world hates you.”}} There you have it. The evil people in the world hate the righteous ones because they “show up” the wickedness in the heart of man.
Dear Christian friend and my brothers, don’t be surprised that the world system hates you because it hated your Lord and Saviour and it will hate you also. Rather rejoice that the Lord counts you worthy to suffer such things for His name’s sake. MY HEART GOES OUT TO THE CHRISTIANS IN AFRICA WHO READ MY MESSAGES. Many of you have very tough times in the midst of strong persecution from militant groups and the hardships you face. You are precious brothers and sisters in the Lord. Trust always in Him.
[3]. THIRD CONSIDERATION - WE WRESTLE AGAINST EVIL PRINCES AND DEMONS
Not much is understood about this area because we are under the protection of the Lord, and maybe I am not the one who should speak about this subject. Again I think of my African Christians who know this matter better than I do. We have a great spiritual battle going on all the time, and we hardly know anything about it. Let us look at some verses.
Satan has control in the air which means he seems to have his demonic horde in the earth’s atmosphere where a spiritual battle is always happening. {{Ephesians 2:1-2 “You were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to THE PRINCE OF THE POWER OF THE AIR, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. “}}
Later on Paul told the Ephesians – {{Ephesians 6:12 “for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but AGAINST THE RULERS, AGAINST THE POWERS, against the world forces of this darkness, AGAINST THE SPIRITUAL FORCES OF WICKEDNESS IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES.”}} There we have it, and it is serious. We are engaged in a spiritual war against Satan’s darkness but we are not alone. The Lord is by our side and His angels strengthen us.
We are living in the last days of the Church age and demon activity is increasing rapidly as men’s lives are becoming more and more wicked. How can thousands of Moslems in Australia take to the streets in support of Hamas, chanting the terrorist slogans, and go to the famous Opera House shouting and chanting “Gas the Jews. Gas the Jews,” and other horrible obscenities about the Jews I can’t repeat. And “We will kill all Jews.” Then they started searching Jews out. This is of Satan in what is supposed to be a free nation. What is even worse is that the police did nothing about it and just looked. The New South Wales Government did nothing, not a thing. They shut their eyes to it all because Australian governments don’t care about Israel and some even hate the nation. The police were there and did nothing either, except arrest a man holding a Jewish flag.
We are under attack but we do not despair. Do not be afraid for the Lord has overcome the world. Why can Hamas murder ruthlessly? Why is there violence in our streets? Why do we have such wicked, lying Governments? All of this is because dark hearts are growing darker and evil demonic influence is spreading. We must not deny that but note its growth. It all means that the coming of the Lord must be so close. Evil is spiraling downward. People are acting more demonically now.
A Christian can NOT be possessed by demons. Those who expose themselves to satanic rock music with such evil lyrics from hell, and subject themselves to drugs; and those who engage in role playing in gaming, demonic games, all these people open their minds to demonic influence and possession. Two generations have now been affected.
A Christian can be affected by demonic activity in that he can feel a heaviness and an oppression. It is like a weight on the soul. The darkness is increasing. We can sense it; even feel it. Look at this interesting verse – {{Exodus 10:21 “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even a darkness which may be felt,”}} We can be vexed by the behaviour of those around. Because a believer has the Holy Spirit in his/her life, then we can “sense” this battle going on. Evil repels us but it is always so enticing as well. That is the nature of satanic deception. We must be on our guard. We do battle against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness. BUT the Lord is our help and He has overcome the world!
I should not let this section go before mentioning what follows Ephesians 6:12. It is a well known passage sometimes call the Christian’s Armour. The very next verse begins with THEREFORE and that means, “Because of what I (Paul) just wrote, THEN this follows . . .” {{Ephesians 6:13-18 “THEREFORE, take up THE FULL ARMOUR of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with TRUTH and having put on the breastplate of RIGHTEOUSNESS, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of PEACE, in addition to all, taking up the shield of FAITH with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. Take the helmet of SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is THE WORD OF GOD. With all PRAYER and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all PERSEVERANCE AND PETITION for all the saints,”}}
When you look at those words underlined you get, “FULL ARMOUR, truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, the word of God (bible) prayer and perseverance”. They are all deep biblical words we need to be strong in. If we are not strong, we have chinks in our armour and the fiery darts/arrows of the devil will pierce us. Each Christian needs to work on those areas, not neglecting any of them. Every one of those words must be known and claimed so you can stand against the increasing wickedness. We are in the last days of the church age where difficult times will come. Let the true Body of Christ, the CHURCH, arise.
ronaldf@aapt.net.au
Part 10 follows on
