“But who are you?”

Churches that threaten the enemy


by Chuck Lawless                                                                                           Vol. XX, No. 4, April 2007


 

Perhaps you’ve heard the frightening statistics about churches in America. On average, it takes 86 church members to reach one person for Christ in a given year. Endnote As many as four out of five churches are plateaued or declining in membership. Endnote Baptisms in churches in the Southern Baptist Convention declined by more than four percent in 2005. Endnote According to one study, only 41 percent of adult church members believe in the total accuracy of the Bible. Endnote The world simply sees little in the lives of church members that suggests that the Gospel is life-changing.

Compare the typical church today to the early church. The church in the book of Acts saw nonbelievers become Christians “day by day” (Acts 2:47). Indeed, thousands were saved in single settings (2:41; 4:4). The early church saw pagans converted, bodies healed, believers discipled, demons removed, healthy churches planted and kings confronted with the Gospel. How powerless the church today seems in comparison.

Many churches today are like the sons of Sceva who attempted to exorcise a demon, but whose threat to the enemy was non-existent (Acts 19:11-16). These exorcists sought to drive out an evil spirit, but the demon-possessed man instead drove them out! The parallels to the church are not exact, but we can only wonder if the enemy says to the church what the demon said to Sceva’s sons: “I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” (19:15).

The church that threatens the enemy by fulfilling the Great Commission must be decidedly different from the sons of Sceva — that is, we must be genuinely converted believers who wear the full armor of God (Eph 6:11) and operate in His power alone. Only then will the enemy take note of our congregations.


Churches that threaten the enemy focus on God

 

Perhaps you remember the book, This Present Darkness, written by Frank Peretti and first published in 1986. So popular was this fictional account of spiritual warfare that it remained on the bestseller list for some time and captured an interest in warfare that continues today.

Regrettably, this interest has often resulted in one of the extremes that C. S. Lewis warned against in his work, Screwtape Letters, many years ago — some have become fascinated with the demonic. Endnote Many contemporary writings about warfare give the devil much more attention than he deserves.

Consider, on the other hand, Matthew’s account of Jesus’ battle with Satan in the wilderness (Matt 4:1-11). Clearly, Jesus recognized Satan as a literal enemy who was the source of the temptations. Satan is not, however, the focus of the temptation story.

 The focus of the narrative — indeed, of the Bible — is God. It was the Son of God who fought and won the battle on the mountain. It was the Word of God that served as the primary weapon of battle. It was the angels of God who ministered to Jesus (Matt 4:11). In fact, it was the Spirit of God who led Jesus to the place of temptation in the first place (Matt 4:1).

From the first step that Jesus took toward the wilderness through the final ministry of the angels after the temptations, God was in control. He had divine purposes for leading Jesus to the place where the enemy would tempt Him — and Jesus intentionally chose to focus on God’s will rather than the devil’s offerings. The sovereignty of God in the temptation thus establishes the proper focus of spiritual warfare: God the victor rather than Satan the tempter.

To know God and to recognize His sovereignty in the battle is to understand that we gain spiritual victory only through Him. God is the warrior who led His people across the Red Sea (Exod 15:3). David fought the Philistine giant not with a sword and a javelin, but in the name of the Lord whose battle it was (1 Sam 17:45-47). Jehaziel likewise assured Jehoshaphat of God’s presence in the midst of battle with these words: “Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s” (2 Chron 20:15). Moreover, Paul challenged believers to put on God’s armor, not ours (Eph 6:11).

The church that threatens the enemy knows the reality of the battle, but it does not focus on the one who stands against it. Instead, it focuses on the God in Whom its members find victory.

 

Churches that threaten the enemy believe and teach the Word

 

Think again about Jesus’ battle with the devil. Three times, the devil tempted Him, and three times Jesus responded by quoting God’s Word (Matt 4:1-11). In fact, he quoted the book of Deuteronomy each time. The simple phrase, “It is written” was enough to cause Satan ultimately to back down from the battle, at least for a while.

In research projects on evangelistic churches conducted by our Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Church Growth, preaching the Word has been a primary factor in the churches’ effectiveness in evangelism and assimilation. For example, pastors of effective evangelistic churches spend an average of 22 hours per week in sermon preparation, while pastors of non-growing churches average four hours per week preparing messages. Endnote Spending devoted time in the Word makes a difference when leading a church that seeks to threaten the enemy.

That finding should not surprise us, though. The Word is alive and powerful (Heb 4:12), converting the soul (Ps 19:7) and protecting us from sin (Ps 119:11). It is through the preached Word that we hear and respond to the Good News (Rom 10:8-10, 14-17). That Gospel is the power of God unto salvation (1 Cor 1:18), and Satan is no match for the Word.

Biblical counselor David Powlison reminds us of the power of the Word to change lives:

 

We must know the stunning wisdom of the Word of God. God speaks profoundly and comprehensively to the concrete condition of every person’s life. He speaks with intent and power to change us . . . . We affirm that the Bible teaches, invites, warns, commands, sings, and tells the solution for what troubles humankind. In the good news of Jesus Christ, God acts personally. In word and deed, He redeems us from sin and misery through the various operations of His past, present, and future grace. Endnote

 

When the enemy attacks your church members, do they know the Word well enough to counter the enemy’s lies? Do your church’s Bible study leaders so love, know, live and teach the Word that group members long to know the Scriptures better? Are your church members challenged to memorize the Word and apply it properly? If you seek to grow a church that overcomes the enemy, believe and teach the Word.

 

Churches that threaten the enemy pray

 

Think for a minute about praying people in the Bible. Abraham prayed for a city (Gen 18:20-33). Moses prayed for God’s people (Exod 32:11-13). Joshua prayed for guidance (Josh 7:1-26). Hannah prayed for a child (1 Sam 1:1-20). Solomon prayed for wisdom (1 Kgs 3:1-15). The prophets of God prayed, too, for various reasons (e.g., 1 Kgs 18:36-39; Jer 20:7-18).

The early church — dependent on God as they were for all things — prayed fervently (Acts 1:14; 3:1; 4:31: 6:4; 10:9; 12:5; 13:3; 14:23; 16:25; 20:36; 28:8). The apostle Paul prayed for believers (e.g., Rom 1:8; 1 Cor 1:4), and he expected them to pray for him (Eph 6:18-20; Col 4:2-4). Jesus, of course, modeled a life of prayer for all of us (e.g., Matt 26:36-46; Mark 1:35; Luke 4:42; 5:16; 6:12; 11:1; John 17). Here’s the point: prayer matters, and praying believers threaten the enemy. Over 25 years ago, I became the pastor of a small church in southwestern Ohio. I had little formal education and no pastoral experience, nor had I ever baptized a convert, officiated a wedding, or led a funeral. What I did have, though, was a church family that knew how to pray. I think of Sonney and Christie, Paul and Edna, and Red and Gloria — all who understood that God alone could grow their little church. They knew they were powerless without Him. In fact, I’m convinced they trusted me as a pastor simply because they knew that they were not dependent on me.

Does your church threaten the enemy? If so, it will do so only from its knees.

 

Churches that threaten the enemy pray and evangelize

 

The apostle Paul told the Corinthian believers that unbelievers are “blinded by the god of this age” (2 Cor 4:3-4). The “god of this age” is Satan, who is also called the “prince of this world” (John 16:11) and the “ruler of the kingdom of the air” (Eph 2:2). Nonbelievers are held under his dominion (Acts 26:18) in the “domain of darkness” (Col 1:13). No matter how we may try to ignore this reality, nonbelievers are bound in darkness.

What does this truth mean for us as we try to reach lost people? Obviously, we do not have the power in ourselves to reach people blinded by the enemy. Nothing we can do in our own strength is sufficient to open blinded minds. No program that our denominations produce can change this situation. The enemy will do everything he can do to keep nonbelievers in his darkness, and only God is powerful enough to overcome that darkness.

For this reason, evangelism and prayer must go together. Evangelism is the task, but prayer is the power behind the task. If only God can open blinded minds, does it not make sense to seek His guidance and intervention as we evangelize lost people? In fact, we will recognize the significance of prayer if we understand that evangelism is itself warfare. We are called to take the Gospel of light into the darkness, and the enemy will always fight back against the evangelist.

Additional research done by the Graham School has shown that churches that grow evangelistically intercede for lost persons by name. They pray passionately for God to move in the lives of their co-workers, neighbors, friends, and family. Endnote Church prayer rooms are common, and many of these churches have a lay prayer leader. More specifically, these congregations are most often led by pastors who have a personal passion for prayer. They set the example, and the church follows. Endnote

These same leaders intentionally set aside time for doing personal evangelism. In fact, they on average commit five hours per week to evangelism. These pastors give less time to committee/board meetings and more time to evangelism and mentoring others (five hours per week as well). In contrast, pastors of non-growing churches allot less than one hour per week to evangelism and two hours per week to mentoring. Endnote Which of these church leaders do you think most alarms the enemy?

 

Churches that threaten the enemy pray, evangelize and disciple

 

In my book, Discipled Warriors, I tell the story of Tim, a young believer whose church did not disciple him. Endnote Church leaders told him what he needed to do (like read the Bible, pray, and witness), but they did not show him how. Nobody taught him how to walk in truth, righteousness, and faith (see Eph 6:11-17). As a result, he lived a defeated Christian life — even while his church placed him in leadership and teaching positions.

The enemy aims his arrows at young believers like Tim who have not been discipled. He strikes them with doubt and discouragement. Sometimes he hits them with loneliness, as they move away from their non-Christian friends and try to fit into a church that is also unfamiliar to them. At other times, he lures them with the same temptations they faced as nonbelievers. Whatever his strategy may be, he wants to strike at new believers before they get solidly planted in the church.

As we have studied growing churches, we have learned that there are four essential elements to effective assimilation: stated expectations, ministry involvement, healthy relationships, and convictional teaching and preaching. Endnote These same components that keep a new member active also are vital to discipleship:

 

• Stated expectations help the new believer understand up front what God and the church expect; the growing believer is then held accountable to these expectations.

• Ministry involvement — even if only in an “entry” position — gives the new believer purpose in the church; the maturing believer simply increases responsibility as he grows.

• Healthy relationships help form the “glue” that draws new members back to church; discipled members then turn around and reach out to others.

• Convictional teaching and preaching meet the needs of new believers who long for Christian growth; these same believers then mature and grow under that preaching.

 

The effective churches we have studied are striving to counter Satan’s attacks on new believers simply by having an intentional discipleship strategy in place. They are not leaving new believers alone to be shot down in the spiritual battle. Rather, they are training disciplers/mentors for new believers, and they have a strategy in place for leading them toward maturity in Christ. In many cases, the pastors are themselves mentoring new believers. This intentional strategy often means the difference between spiritual defeat and victory for believers.

 

Conclusion

 

 

I doubt I have presented anything revolutionary here — and that’s the point. If you want to grow a church that overcomes the enemy, focus on God and preach the Word. As you do so, evangelize and pray. Then disciple new believers toward maturity in Christ. In essence, be the New Testament church, and the enemy will begin to know your congregation by name.

 

(Endnotes)

1 See http://www.christianpost.com/article/20060418/6685.htm.

2 See http://www.prismleadership.org/startling_stats.php.

3 See http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=23070.

4 See http://www.baptist2baptist.net/b2barticle.asp?ID=222.

5 C. S. Lewis, Screwtape Letters (New York: Macmillan, 1961), 3.

6 Thom S. Rainer, Surprising Insights from the Unchurched (Grand Rapids: Zondervan,

2001), 184-185.

7 David Powlison, “Affirmations & Denials: A Proposed Definition of Biblical Counseling,” The Journal of Biblical Counseling, 19 no. 1 (Fall 2000): 18, 20. Italics in the original.

8 Thom S. Rainer, Effective Evangelistic Churches (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1996), 76-77.

9 Ibid., 75.

10 Rainer, 184-185.

11 Chuck Lawless, Discipled Warriors (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2002), 43.

12 See Chuck Lawless, Membership Matters (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005), 48-49;

Rainer, Surprising Insights, 53-140.

 

[Chuck Lawless is dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism, and Church Growth.]