Let The Church Be The Church
Pastor Erickson preaches from Daniel 3, where three Hebrew young men refuse to bow to Nebuchadnezzar's golden image, and from the promise that the gates of hell will not prevail against the church. He calls the church to wake up, remember who it is, live separate from the world, speak plainly about sin, teach its children, and reach the lost with love and compassion.
The message in 6 points
Sounding the alarm
He reads Daniel 3, where three Hebrew young men refuse to bow to Nebuchadnezzar's golden image, and Jesus' promise that the gates of hell will not prevail against His church. He says his assignment is to sound the alarm: as the world gets darker, the church must get brighter.
1:10:21The church will never die
He says God's church will never die or become extinct, no matter how the culture changes. Through flood, fire, lions and wars it has lived on, and he reads the words of the song The Church Triumphant.
1:17:10Hell has changed its strategy
Pastor Erickson says the enemy now tries to change the church rather than destroy it, rocking it to sleep. From Proverbs 24 he warns that a little sleep lets the wall fall and thorns take the field, and from 2 Timothy 4 that people will turn from sound doctrine.
1:20:38Remember who you are
Babylon took the brightest young Hebrews and gave them new names to make them forget their God, but Daniel kept calling his friends by their Hebrew names. Moses warned in Deuteronomy 8 not to forget the Lord when life gets good. He says holiness and separation are not bondage but freedom.
1:23:39Prosperity and silence
He asks whether the church will let prosperity shape its view of the world, recalling the church's small early buildings. He warns against going quiet about sin to avoid offending anyone, because if one generation is silent the next will not be able to define sin.
1:35:30Three who would not bow
Given a second chance, the three still refuse to bow, and he says every time a person bows to sin the next time is easier. The king sees a fourth man in the fire. He calls the church to wake up, stand firm with courage, teach its children, and show love and compassion to the lost.
1:48:20
In his words
“It is my assignment from God from this pulpit tonight to sound the alarm, because as the world gets darker and more evil, the church must get brighter and must get more righteous.”
“Every time you bow you're going to come back next time, it's going to be a whole lot easier to bow the next time, because that's what sin does to you.”
“I'm going to show love and I'm going to show compassion and I'm going to show them that there is a church that they can be a part of where their life can be changed.”
Taken word for word from the video, with punctuation added.
Scripture
He reads
Daniel 3:1
1Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
King James Version.
Daniel 3:4-6
4Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, 5That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up: 6And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
King James Version.
Daniel 3:17-18
17If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 18But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
King James Version.
Matthew 16:18
18And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
King James Version.
Proverbs 24:30-33
30I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; 31And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. 32Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. 33Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
King James Version.
2 Timothy 4:2-4
2Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
King James Version.
Deuteronomy 8:11-14
11Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day: 12Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; 13And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; 14Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;
King James Version.
Deuteronomy 8:17-18
17And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. 18But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.
King James Version.
Daniel 3:14-15
14Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? 15Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
King James Version.
Daniel 3:24-25
24Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. 25He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
King James Version.
1 Corinthians 16:13
13Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
King James Version.
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