SATAN'S SEARCH AND DESTROY MISSION

In Matthew 2:13 we read, "And when they were departed, behold the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him."

While Mary held the precious Son of God in her arms, as Joseph looked on in amazement, while Shepherds glorified the Christ child, and Wise Men from the East presented Him gifts, Jesus was not revered, reverenced, nor received by most--especially the civic, religious, and self-righteous leaders of His day.

Herod, who had himself appointed "The King of the Jews" by the Roman Senate, was on a search and destroy mission before our Lord had reached his second birthday.

HEROD WILL SEEK TO DESTROY HIM the angel warned Joseph. And so the holy family moved south into Egypt until it was safe for them to return to Nazareth in Galilee.

CERTAINLY THE ENEMIES OF CHRIST WERE NUMEROUS DURING HIS 33 YEAR SOJOURN ON EARTH.

There were religious enemies. The Pharisees--that strict band of legalists--who used the law to break the law of God--were His ardent antagonists. Their system was threatened by His sincerity.

There were political enemies. Herod, and then Pilate were out to execute Jesus. Their system was threatened by His authority.

There were carnal, self-righteous men, who would take up stones to kill Jesus when He identified himself as "I AM." (John 8:59). Their comfortable world view was threatened by the power of His Truth.

AFTER THE LORD JESUS ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN, CHRIST'S BODY ON EARTH--THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST--WAS STILL IN THE CROSS HAIRS OF A SEARCH AND DESTROY MISSION.

Dr. Thompson, on his Apologetics Web Site, put it this way, "Christ and His Gospel message turned the world of the first century upside down (Acts 17:6). Even His worst enemies recognized the impact He was having. When the Pharisees and cheif priests sent their officers to seize Christ on one occasion, the officers returned empty handed. When asked why they had failed in their quest, the only answer they could offer was, 'Never a man spake like this man.'" (john 7:46).

"As Christianity spread, its enemies no longer were content merely to object to its central tenets or those who espoused them. Eventually, vocal disagreement gave way to physical violence. The efforts of the Roman emperor Nero to obliterate Christ's message by charging His followers with all manner of falsehoods, and killing them by the thousands, are well documented."

"Try as they might, however Christ's enemies could not accomplish their ill fated goal. While its foes consigned it to die a thousand deaths, the 'corpse of Christianity,' never remained in the grave. With each persecution it grew stronger and spread farther. ...So the enemies of Christ took to discrediting the sources of Christian revelation, to undermining the principles of Christ, and to destroying or diminishing the disciplines of Christ."

There really is nothing new under the sun. Satan's attack has been from the beginning, injecting doubt "hath God said?" and then deceiving, "Ye shall not surely die!"

Enemies like Porphyry in the Ancient world, Voltaire in the Renaissance, David Hume, Renen, and Darwin, in the 18th and 19th centuries, and John Dewey in the 20th century, raised significant challenges to the Christian Church.

THE CHURCH OF OUR DAY SEEMS ILL-PREPARED TO MEET THE CHALLENGE OF THIS HOUR.

The Barna Group surveyed 5,000 people to assess the key trends facing the Church in 2011. Their six findings are in sync with our own observations:

1. The Christian Church is becoming less theologically literate.
2. Christians are becoming more ingrown and less outreach oriented.
3. Growing numbers of people are less interested in spiritual principles and more desirous of learning practical solutions for life.
4. Among Chrisitans, interest in participating in community action is escalating.
5. THE POST-MODERN INSISTENCE ON TOLERANCE IS WINNING OVER THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
6. The INFLUENCE OF CHRISTIANITY ON CULTURE AND INDIVIDUAL LIVES IS LARGELY INVISIBLE. (I might add a corollary truth: THE INFLUENCE OF CULTURE ON CHRISTIANITY IS PROFOUNDLY VISIBLE!)

Today the SEARCH AND DESTROY mission is led not only by avowed atheists and famed skeptics, but it is spearheaded by those who would strip the church of her doctrine, her distinctives, and her disciplines.

By DOCTRINE we mean the fundamental truths revealed in Scripture regarding the nature of God, the nature of man, sin, salvation, sanctification, glorification, heaven and hell.

By DISTINCTIVES we mean the Scriptural principles that govern God's Church. We are to be holy! We are to be righteous! We are to be loving. We are to be humble. We are to be submissive.

By DISCIPLINES we mean the particular application of doctrine and distinctives.

For example, one of our distinctives is gender specificity. We reject unisex. Each gender should think, act, and present themselves as distinct from the other. Men should dress in such a way that no one would doubt their masculinity--not in skirts, or blouses, sissy looking attire, or with jewelry. God's ladies should dress in such a way that no one would doubt their effeminacy--not in trousers and macho-looking clothing. There is a reason that God inspired Moses to write, "The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall the man put on a woman's garment, for all that do so are an abomination unto the Lord thy God." Deut. 22:5. Orthodox Jewish woman and men dress distinctively. Their women wear modest skirts and dresses, never trousers. Their men never wear effeminate looking clothing.

It is our conviction that because the Church of Jesus Christ refused to insist on this distinction that our culture has become confused about gender and thus we see the specter of men marrying men, and women marrying women. God had a reason for making this rule. He knew that fallen men could not fulfill their God-given roles unless they thought, acted, and looked the part.

Another Example: As Christians another of our distinctives is modesty. The Bible teaches that women are to dress in modest apparel. Our discipline then requires us to make specific standards. For men, keep your shirts on and your pants pulled up and long. For women, keep a sleeve in your blouses, keep them buttoned so as not to be revealing, and keep your skirts below the knee.

Another of our distinctives is "to avoid the appearance of evil," and to "keep ourselves pure." So our discipline urges us to avoid entertainments on the screen, the stage, on the airwaves, or over the internet, that are not of good report.

We also oppose pride and embrace humility. So simplicity in dress as the Apostle Paul would put it, "not with gold, and pearls, and costly array," is not optional. This is an expression of hearts whose sole purpose is to glorify God and not self.

TRAGICALLY THE SEARCH AND DESTROY MISSION HAS NEARLY SILENCED THE PULPITS AND PEOPLE OF THE LIVING GOD. "Legalism" they cry. "Legal" we reply.

IF THERE WAS EVER A DAY WHEN THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST NEEDED A REVIVAL OF PURE, AUTHENTIC, ORIGINAL RECIPE, FIRST CENTURY CHRISTIANITY it is ours. It is our only hope to thwart and defend against Satan's search and destroy mission.

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU HEARD OF AN ARMY THAT WON BY SURRENDERING? Why do we think that the Church of Jesus Christ will win in our day, by surrendering to the culture--the carnal spirit of this age.

COMPROMISING IN THE NAME OF "SEEKER SENSITIVE," OR "RELEVANCY" has only weakened the church. Our numbers are lower than ever. Our influence in our nation has never been weaker.

JOSEPH SAVED THE LORD JESUS FROM HEROD'S WRATH BY OBEYING THE WORD OF GOD. Only obedience will save Christ's body--the Church, and our own souls today.