October 01, 2023

SATAN’S ATTACKS ON TRUE CHURCHES -- ACTS 8:1-3 ; II TIMOTHY 3:1-5 ; 4:1-4

43 minutes

We have already seen that Satan attacks God’s Word, the believer, and the Christian home. Today we are going to examine Satan’s attacks on the Lord’s true churches. Satan’s attacks upon the Lord’s true churches began almost immediately with the establishment of that first church. The one that Jesus started. Jesus and His disciples were constantly harassed by the religious elite of that day, the Scribes and Pharisees. Ultimately, they crucified the Shepherd and scattered the sheep. On the day of Pentecost the witnessing members of that church at Jerusalem were accused of being drunk at 9 o’clock in the morning (Acts 2:13, 15). Some said, “These men are full of new wine.” In Acts 3, 4, & 5 we see Peter and the others being persecuted, jailed, beaten, and told not to preach in the name of Jesus again. In Acts 7 we see Deacon Stephen being stoned to death for declaring Jesus. And in Acts 8:1 as we read a few minutes ago: “And Saul was consenting unto his (Stephen’s) death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles." Vs. 3 says, “As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.” Not only were the Lord’s churches attacked by persecution, they were attacked by false teachers and false teaching - perversion of the Word of God - as well. Jude wrote (Jude 3-4): “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should Earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. (4) For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul warned (II Corinthians 11:13-15): “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. (14) And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. (15) Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness . . . ” During the Dark Ages the Lord’s people were persecuted, put into prison, and killed for their faith, their faithfulness to Christ, and their conviction of the truth. Which causes me to ask, “Do you think that in 2023 we could find many church members with that kind of faith and conviction? We can’t even get them to come to church on a sunny Sunday morning (much less a rainy one), so why believe that more than just a few would take their stand for the Lord? And Satan is still attacking and will continue to attack the Lord’s churches today. He is waging an all out war against the Lord and His churches because he knows that his time is short. Revelation 12:12: “Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down Unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” Listen as God’s Word describes our day in II Timothy 4:3-4: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine . . . 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” Satan is attacking the Lord’s true churches today, and here are six of the ways he attacks.