Satan is like the ‘big bad wolf’ trying to ‘blow down’ churches, warns Luter

The charismatic style is uniquely his own. With it, Fred Luter Jr., pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans, delighted and challenged listeners Tuesday evening as he delivered the keynote address around the convention theme of Opening New Doors.
   
The audience immediately warmed to Luter as he took the platform and led them in a chorus of “His Eye Is on the Sparrow.” Their attention never faded.
   
Luter posed the question: “What is it going to take for the churches of this convention to go through those open doors? ”
He answered his own question. “It’s going to take churches with vision. It’s going to take churches with passion. It’s going to take churches with a heart for ministry to accept and fulfill the Great Commission.”
   
However, the church is under attack. Luter uses the story of the three little pigs and the big bad wolf to illustrate how Satan is seeking to “blow down” churches. Luter said that in the midst of the struggle “God is saying, ‘Church stand.’” 
   
In the message text Matthew 16:13–19, Jesus tells Peter, “On this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.”
   
From this text, Luter provided practical application for the convention’s theme by offering three characteristics of a church that God can use to go through open doors. Walking the distance of the platform, Luter captivated the audience with his commanding voice and powerful sequences.
   
First, Jesus must be the foundation of the church. Luter warns against wrong foundations. “It’s not about the pastor. It’s about the Master. It’s not about the leader. It’s about the Lamb of God. It’s not about the minister. It’s about the Messiah. If Jesus is not the foundation, watch out brothers and sisters,” Luter said.
   
Second, the church must be victorious in spiritual warfare. “Sometimes the deacons are devils. Sometimes the choir gets cranky. Sometimes the teenagers get treacherous. Sometimes the members get messy. Sometimes preachers get pushy. But Jesus says that shall not prevail,” Luter said. In order to be victorious, the Christian must daily put on the full armor of God in order to stand against the wiles of the devil.
   
Third, the church has to have the right keys for locked doors. In a unique illustration, Luter uses keys on a ring to explain how to unlock doors that the enemy has locked. “The purpose of keys is to open locked doors. God is saying to you and me that no matter what door the enemy closes in your face, don’t throw in the towel and don’t do something foolish. Find the right key and open that door and kick it down in Jesus’ name,” Luter said. If you are afraid, use the key of Isaiah 26:3. If you are lacking in confidence, use the key of Philippians 4:13. If you are having financial concerns, use the key of Philippians 4:19.
   
Jesus said whatever is bound on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever is loosed on earth will be loosed in heaven.
   
In his conclusion, Luter admonished that some churches will never walk through the open doors because they need to bind some things in their churches.
   
“There are some things that we need to bind if we are to be the church that God has called us to be. Let’s bind apathy, bitterness, adultery, hatred, fornication, teenage pregnancy, abortion, racism, divorce, homosexuality, violence in school and all sin because it is already bound in heaven. But in church let’s loose some things. Let’s loose love, joy, peace, longsuffering and evangelism because they are already loosed in heaven. … Let’s build His church. Let’s be the church that Jesus died for. Let’s be the church that Jesus is one day coming back for. Walk through the doors, church (members).”