A "Churchy" World and a "Worldly" Church

"IN the world, BUT not OF the world" - that is how the church of Jesus Christ is often described. But, that is not necessarily how things always are.

Yesterday @ New Hope Bible Church, in our ongoing study of the "seven letters to the seven churches" in Revelation 2-3, we learned that the church located in the first century city of Pergamos [Revelation 2:12-17] had fallen prey to Satan's strategy of "covert infiltration." As a result, many Bible commentators today refer to her as "the compromising church." She struggled not so much because she was "in the world," but because the world was in her! And just how did that happen?

Yesterday we learned that Satan has a two-fold plan. We called it his "Trojan Horse Strategy." Basically, his goal is to encourage a "churchy" world, and at the same time to tempt churches to compromise their beliefs and their mission so that they become "worldly" churches.

So, what is the church of Jesus Christ to do? I told our folks that we need to remember that if New Hope Bible Church is going to "make it" in the WORLD, then we also better be in the WORD! Especially in these "last days" in our culture, when our enemy has been waging not so much a "frontal assault" but a "sneak attack." [To be sure, there are signs his strategy may be changing with respect to the American church].

The bottom line? We need to beware and we need to be ready today more than ever! In the words of the Apostle Paul, we need to arm ourselves with the "sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" [Ephesians 6:17]. We need to be ever so vigilant, and we must pray that we will not succumb to Satan's seductive and deceptive "siren song" to become like the world. Twenty-five years ago my Pastor, Ted Harmon, who was the Senior Pastor at the church where I served as the Youth Pastor [and where Win and I were married], taught us a chorus that I have never forgotten:

In the name of Jesus, In the name of Jesus,

 We have the victory!

In the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, 

Satan will have to flee.

In the name of Jesus, Jesus, 

Who on earth can stand before?

In the name of Jesus, Jesus, we have the victory!

You may listen to the message "Satan's Trojan Horse Strategy" online at http://sermon.net/PastorJoeLombardi

Praising God for victory in Jesus,

PJ