The opening of my book “Storming the gates of Hell”
Matthew 16:15-18;
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
The gates of hell, Satan, evil, should be in total fear of the church, Christians, because he, it, is defeated and overtaken. The gates referenced illustrate a formidable city that dominates the land because its gates are strong and hard to conquer. This is our world. The purpose of Christians, something many regularly pray for in “Thy kingdom come”—is that Satan, hell, and evil will not triumph. Yet, as statistics show, the American church is not prevailing. There are fewer and fewer Christians every year. The forces of evil are prevailing by conquering and controlling the land because the church has lost its purpose.
Purpose gives direction by taking responsibility and then giving meaning. The church is declining because Christians no longer feel responsible for fulfilling the purpose of making “Thy kingdom come on earth.” The kingdom purpose for Christians has been misinterpreted as creating a secular nation theocracy, but even that has been abandoned. Successful secular businesses understand the importance of taking responsibility by knowing the business’ purpose in every decision for business advancement. Purpose is usually stated in founding documents and often reviewed and updated annually. Usually something like “To become the largest manufacturer in the Northwest” or “To develop software to change the business environment in the United States” Purpose is the vision of the company. To paraphrase Proverbs, without vision there is no reason to have faith in God.
General Motors declared bankruptcy in 2009 after over a century of being the most successful car company. The signs of impending bankruptcy were missed or ignored by almost everyone inside the company. Management watched sales decline for decades. People didn’t want GM vehicles, but at the same time, the workforce demanded better wages and retirement benefits, with little concern for falling revenue and profits. Product quality and worker satisfaction suffered as cuts were made to stabilize the balance sheet. In the bankruptcy, management blamed the workers for taking too much, while workers blamed management for the same. Both sides evaded responsibility. The purpose was lost; it went from selling cars to merely making cars. The American church is caught in the same bankruptcy cycle. Both church leadership and individual Christians refuse to take responsibility for the decline of Christianity. Maintaining buildings has become more important than sharing Christ as the answer for life. To halt the decline, Christians—leaders and individuals alike—must take responsibility and rediscover their Christian purpose of overcoming satanic forces.
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