Over twenty-four hundred years ago God placed a burden upon a man who was over a thousand miles away, to rebuild some walls around a ruined city.
The man’s name was Nehemiah and the city was Jerusalem. Nehemiah surrendered to God’s will and the Lord worked out all the major and minor details in order to place His man in an unwalled and dangerous situation.
Nehemiah led his own personal tour and he caught a vision of how much good a few sturdy walls could accomplish. In fifty-two days the dedicated people of Jerusalem, led by Nehemiah, finished the walls.
Today, churches have compromised their doctrinal and moral stands to such a degree that there are no distinguishing barriers between them and the world. Because of this vulnerability the enemy has invaded and invented a false sense of security and spirituality in churches.
Therefore, we must have churches that will not cave in to popular opinion. We must build, battle, and raise the standard, because we are in a spiritual and cultural war that threatens to silence biblical Christianity all over America?
Let’s consider six walls:
Wall of the Right Salvation
According to the word of God there are two kinds of repentance, worldly and godly (II Corinthians 7:10). Godly sorrow views the sin from God’s perspective with sincere sorrow and results in a changed mind and heart. There are several false type of faiths, but the true one produces good works (James 2:17-26).
There is another Jesus (II Corinthians 11:4) and another gospel (Galatians 1:9) leading the unwary sinner astray. We must contend for the right salvation at all costs! “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way , the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6
For one to be truly saved is to be saved from one’s sins not saved in one’s sins. If salvation does not take the believing sinner all the way to heaven, then it was not the Lord’s salvation. (Jonah 2:9) Jesus said “… Ye must be born again.” not again and again. (John 3:7)
Wall of the Right Bible
God gave us His inspired words through the Hebrew and Greek languages; and He promised to preserve the purity and potency of His word. There are three families of biblical manuscripts: The Western Msanuscripts– in Rome, Italy, the Alexandrian Manuscripts– in Northern Africa, and the Byzantine Manuscripts (or) the Majority Text– found in Syria and Palestine. Roman Catholic Bibles which add to God’s word (i.e. Apocrypha) came from the corrupt Western Manuscripts. The twentieth century bibles (NIV-ASV-NASV-RSV-Living Bible-Good News for Modern Man) typically delete portions and words from the true and have their roots in the corrupt Arian text, the Alexandrian Manuscripts.
The A.V. 1611 (KJV) and the reformation bibles (Geneva, Matthews, Tyndale, etc.) came from the pure line of manuscripts called the majority text (over 5,300 manuscripts).
The old King James Version may be harder to read but this is a reason to espouse it. God’s word is meant to challenge and edify the reader. The language and word force usage should strike at the mind and heart as a book which is unusual and unworldly. The A.V. 1611 is the pure, preserved and potent word of God for English speaking people, yet Satan has replaced the swords of most churches with an ecumenical butter knife. (Proverbs 30:5,6 and Revelation 22:18,19) “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” Matthew 24:35
Wall of the Right Baptism
The right bible teaches that there are four essential characteristics to scriptural baptism.
- The right candidate- born again believer (Acts 2:41, Acts 8:36,37)
- The right mode- immersion (Acts 8:38, Romans 6:4, Matthew 3:16,17)
- The right design- symbolic, not sacrament (Romans 6:5, I Peter 3:21)
- The right authority- A New Testament church (Matthew 21:23-27, John 1:6-9, Acts 1:22, Ephesians 4:4,5)
Baptism identifies the believer with the local body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:13) and declares tot he world whose side he/she is on — similar to a military uniform!
Wall of the Right Home Life
A wise heavenly Father wisely ordained the home. He sanctified the home by ordaining the marriage of a loving husband ans a submissive wife. There are an increasing number of homes that area less than ideal, but the presence of one committed Christian can make a huge difference.
Prayer, Bible study, Christian music, and Christian love have revolutionized many troubled homes. The vanguard and virtue of godly children are God-fearing parents or parent. Churches must endeavor to build and battle for the betterment of the family in order to have stable ministries that will rescue the perishing. “Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the Lord hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant . And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of thy youth.” Malachi 2:14,15
Wall of the Right Separation
Sad to say but most Christians today are indistinguishable from the world. Preachers are afraid to preach godly separation for fear that worldly church members will migrate to the more user friendly churches and label that preacher a legalist! We need to get back to the time tested values and convictions that will once again show the world that the new birth makes an inward and outward difference. Preachers used to preach against rock music, alcohol, dancing, immodest dress, filthy movies, and gambling– but today the trend is “win the world by being worldly”.
Subsequently, many churches have “praise bands” instead of song directors, and congregational singing has evolved into hand waving rock concert.
Worldly fence straddling and sinful living brings sorrow and bondage. The true Christian hates even the garment spotted by the flesh and the only way to win the world is walk and talk the way Jesus did. (I Corinthians 6:14-18) “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” I John 2:15
Wall of the Right Evangelism
A church that does not evangelize will fossilize. We are either missionaries or a mission field, and if we do not plant and water, we cannot expect God to give the increase. The Bible says “He that winneth souls is wise.” Proverbs 11:30, “A true witness delivereth souls…”Proverbs 14:25 and “Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” James 5:20
Soul winning is a grave responsibility and we dare not use psychological tricks or humanistic methods to coerce a sinner to repeat a canned prayer instead of repent in heart felt prayer, or to bow their head, yet never bow their heart. Oh for a soul winning burden that will weep for souls and pray for a moving of the Holy Spirit upon sinners. “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” Romans 15:14,15
Walls provide protection, distinction, and security. Those who are willing to unite with a scriptural church can come through the gate and share in the blessing and freedom of a guarded fellowship.
Satan is our enemy and he walks about our hedge seeking a gap or opening whereby he can do us harm. Churches must be busy building and battling for the Lord.
Perhaps you should consider visiting our church. Good churches always need more wall builders and our local battalion could use some fresh recruits. Are you looking for such a church that is in the thick of the battle? Are you tired of marching alone? “…Come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.” Nehemiah 2:17b
