Help Your Church, Don't Hurt It - Part 2

ACTS 20:28-32 “HELP YOUR CHURCH – DON’T HURT IT” – PART 2

A) This morning we talked about how that the church is under attack.

* The devil doesn’t want us here ... He doesn’t want us to survive ... He wants

nothing more than to stop us and destroy this place of worship.

B) Paul’s intentions in preaching these words of warning to the church at

Ephesus was to let them know that trouble can be avoided .......

* And that the church can dwell in unity and blessing if they’re willing to listen to

what he has to say to them.

* And Paul gave us some great truths that will help us as we strive to serve the Lord.

(1) PAUL SPOKE ABOUT “THE VALUE OF THE CHURCH” IN v.28

A) He Talked About “It’s Inception.”

* The church was purchased with the blood of Christ.

B) Then He Talked About “It’s Impact.”

* The church has been used of the Lord since it’s inception at Pentecost to change

individuals, families, and whole societies.

C) Then He Discussed “It’s Importance.” – Do you know what makes the

church so important?

* It is God’s arm in this world – It’s the only organism in existence that God

Himself has designed .......

* Called and blessed to be the vehicle through which He works in this world.

D) And so many people don’t think of the church as all that important.

* But if people treated their place of employment as they treated the church, they’d

be out of a job in no time flat.

* May I remind you that those few hours you spend at church are the most important

thing you’ll do for your soul all week long.

(2) I TALKED ABOUT “THE VIOLENCE AGAINST THE CHURCH” IN v.29-30

A) There are two main areas where attacks upon the church originate .......

* One: There Are Enemies Around Us – v.29 ... Paul speaks of wolves which will

come in and try to devour the flock.

* #1: Wolves are pack animals ... They rarely work alone, but feel safer, and can do

far more damage when operating in numbers.

B) #2: They Also Typically Operate In The Dark.

* They are terribly afraid of the light because it exposes their errors and reveals

what they really are.

C) That’s why the wolves in the church will kick against old-fashioned

Bible preaching .......

* They don’t like it and don’t want it because it reveals what they really are.

D) #3: They Attack The Young, The Weak, And The Sickly.

* They go after those who can’t easily defend themselves against their attacks.

* They go after those who are spiritually weak – Eph. 4:27 says for us to “give no

place to the devil.”

E) And The Fourth Thing About These Wolves Is, They Never Attack Face

To Face – They Always Attack From The Blind Side.

* When you let your guard down is when the enemies attack.

* So One: There Are Enemies Around Us – Now let’s pick up from this morning.

* The 2nd main area where attacks upon the church originate is .......

(2) THERE ARE ENEMIES AMONG US – v.30

A) Paul warned the Ephesians that there would arise people from within their

own number who would try to destroy the Lord’s church.

* Things haven’t changed – When satan finds that he cannot mount an attack from

the outside .......

* He will look for someone on the inside through which he can devastate and

destroy the church.

B) A pastor came home one day to the sound of arguing coming from

the bedroom.

* He quickly climbed the stairs and entered his little daughter’s room and found

her arguing with her friends.

C) “What’s going on in here?” he asked.

* His five-year-old daughter looked up at him and smiled as she said, “It’s OK

Daddy, we’re just playing church.”

* That scene would be truly funny if it weren’t true – Because, sadly, this is

common practice in many churches.

D) Many fail to realize that when the church allows itself to be divided over petty

issues that it loses face with the community and with the lost all around.

* But what do we do when little issues arise in the life of the church?

* How do we handle conflict when it rears it ugly head?

* Well, the Bible gives us some pretty clear answers to these concerns.

E) One: We Are To Do Everything In Love.

* 1 Cor. 13:1-3; Matt. 22:39 “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”

F) Two: We Are To Have A Forgiving Spirit.

* Matt. 18:21-35 “How oft shall I forgive?” .......

* Eph. 4:32 “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,