The local New Testament church is the instrument by which God is fulfilling his mission in the world today. It is a place of teaching, training, fellowship, and spiritual deployment. God has used the church for 2,000 years – in times of victory and persecution, in harvest and famine, to be his gospel ambassadors in the world.
Is it any wonder that the primary subject of Satan’s disdain is the bride of Christ? As we look at the state of the church, we discover quickly that she has not fared well in light of the enemy’s plot against her. For every two churches planted in the U.S., three churches close (Lifeway Research). Churches are dying but perhaps more concerning, they are dividing. They are dividing over culture and politics and over personal preferences. Today we have invited Pastor Troy Stogsdill, Pastor of First Baptist Church of New Philadelphia, OH to discuss how the church guards against disunity.