Articles
Will Israel Be Destroyed?
I read in many online discussions of a deep-seated fear among many church members. They fear the church is dying. They see many young people abandoning the faith. Some of the young are attracted to community churches they feel meet their needs; some are attracted to Orthodox churches with their mystical and liturgical approach to worship; others do not believe and quit. Even among older members, I sense discouragement and the temptation to leave the faith. I must admit, as I visit other churches, I see them aging out. It seems that in the next decade, the churches in this country will be much smaller, and some will fade away. Is the church dying?
In Jeremiah 31, after promising to establish a new covenant with Israel, God said, “Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar— the LORD of hosts is his name: “If this fixed order departs from before me, declares the LORD, then shall the offspring of Israel cease from being a nation before me forever.” (Jer. 31:35-36 ESV) What has this got to do with the church? I think we have forgotten that we are the people of God's new covenant and the new Israel.
The apostle Paul called the church the "Israel of God" (Gal. 6:16). This new Israel is a kingdom ruled by King Jesus, and "it shall never be destroyed." God says, "it shall stand forever." (Dan. 2:44) Jesus promised, "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matt. 16:18). God continued saying to Jeremiah, “Thus says the LORD: “If the heavens above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth below can be explored, then I will cast off all the offspring of Israel for all that they have done, declares the LORD.” (Jer. 31:37 ESV)
In the book of Revelation, Jesus sent letters to the seven churches of Asia. A couple of years ago, a group of us visited the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. In the ancient world, these were thriving cities with churches of various strengths and weaknesses. Today, no known churches of the Lord's people exist. These once vibrant cities were "Christian" up until the Ottoman Empire. Today, they are secular Muslim cities. Although the churches in these cities ceased to exist, the Lord's church still exists and is vibrant in many places.
It is easy to think that the church will eventually die out in America. Maybe in the United States, it will. However, the church in other places in the world is vibrant and growing. In the Philippines, Africa, and Asia, the church is growing. Moya and I know a young couple who lived in Kenya for a couple of years, and they observed that the church there is very evangelistic. They observed that in many places here, it is not. God gave us a way to keep the church vibrant and growing. Preach the word (2 Tim. 4:1-5). Is the church growing in these other countries because they preach the word to a lost and dying world?
Have we discouraged ourselves? Have we stopped preaching the word to neighbors and friends because we do not think people will listen? Are we avoiding persecution? It is easy to stay home and not say anything because we believe people will not listen. After instructing the disciples not to fear people, Jesus said, “So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.” (Matt. 10:32-33 ESV)
Christ's body, the new Israel, will never cease to exist. Let us be sure that we do not destroy North Hixson through neglect.
“If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.” (1 Cor. 3:17 ESV)
