FORCING THE GATES OF HELL

 

"And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Matthew 16:18-19

I want us to view this city as a great fortress constructed by Satan. Satan has built a wall around this cities. Using stones of materialism, education, politics, ignorance, religion and many other things, he has constructed what appears to be an impregnable defense against the Gospel. Within these walls, hundreds of people die every day without Christ. Consider the walls that Satan has erected around this city and you will see the Gates of Hell shut and barred against the advancement of the Gospel.

This is what Jesus had in mind when He said to Peter, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” He did not say, “I will build my church, and though all the strength of hell be hurled against it, my church shall stand.” Yet, that is the way this verse is often portrayed by many preachers and believers when in fact Jesus was stating just the opposite.  

Gates are not offensive weapons! A city never carried its gates into battle. Gates are instruments of defense. They are erected to withstand the assaults of attacking armies.

Two things should be clear from Jesus’ use of this metaphor.

A. Satan is on the defense!

     He is like the citizens of Jericho, hiding behind their city walls, fearing the attack of God’s people.

B. The church is to be on the attack!

 

     We should confidently take the battle to every place where we see the gates of hell erected with the confidents that they will not prevail against us, it cannot stand against the church that exercises the authority given her by Jesus.

THE AUTHORITATIVE NATURE OF THE CHURCH (v-18)

A. The meaning of the word church (ekklesia) is “an assembly of called out ones.” Acts 15:14 gives us perhaps the clearest definition of a church: “Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name."

B. Jesus chose to use this word because of the similarities between the church and the Ekklesias of that day.

C. The Ekklesia was an authoritative body that governed the affairs of the people. And Jesus did not alter its meaning.

D. In these verses Jesus speaks of “keys” and “binding and loosing.” These are terms of authority. Jesus was declaring His intentions of calling out a body of people who would meet in His Name. That would be invested with His authority and that would implement His will upon the earth.

E. The Church, not Satan, holds the balance of power in world evangelism.

F. Matthew introduces the Great Commission with the words; “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth."

G. That declaration invests the church with the potential to be the mightiest force on Earth!

THE AGGRESSIVE NATURE OF THE CHURCH:

A. The church is to be on the march (v-18)

B. The image Christ uses is of an army in the field advancing on a fortified city.

1. The term “gates of hell” tells us that Satan’s army is dug in, prepared to defend its territory.

2. There are places in this city where he holds people bondage.

3. We can’t deliver a single soul from bondage without challenging Satan’s authority.

4. The church is to be on the attack, battling to break through the devil’s defenses and deliver the lost from his power.

C. When the gates of hell are attacked, they will fall!

1. Jesus promised that the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church.

2. We know from experience that taking the light into dark places is met with fierce resistance.

3. Only when the gates of hell are broken down can we make the Gospel available to the people.

4. This doesn’t mean that they will fall easily. But, through persistent prayer, fasting and struggle, the gates of hell can be forced open.

This city and the surrounding cities are strongly fortified and firmly held by Satan. Only prayer and fasting can prevail against the Gates of Hell he has set up, and only through prayer and fasting can we crumble the walls of resistance that surrounds the people he holds captive. For this reason, prayer and fasting must be our first line of advance.

There is no substitute for the fervent, persistent prayers and fasting of the church. The work of evangelizing this city will not be accomplished without it. We must organize and mobilize the church in prayer and fasting to assault the Gates of Hell that prohibit the advance of the Gospel in this city and others.

It is time that some of you quit being just a supply line for our brothers who are evangelizing and join them on the front lines of Evangelism through prayer and action.