Perhaps we should step back a little and ask ourselves what
the church is. Is it a denomination, or a building or a community of people?
The church, in its broadest form,is what the Bible calls the “Bride of Christ”
and as such is the people as a whole who have committed themselves to Him. Yet
the Bible also refers to specific groups of people in particular places, so we
can talk about the church in Corinth or the
church in Athens.
Today we might talk about the church in Palm
Springs or the church in Bridgeman Downs, which is
where I worship. Again, it is not the building, but the group of people that
meet in that place.
So what makes a good church? Numbers of people? The programs
they devise? The worship songs they sing? The facilities they build?
In the final book of the Bible, the apostle John is given a
series of revelations, hence the name of the book, Revelation. In the second
and third chapters of this book, John receives a series of words from God addressed
to the major churches of that time. Perhaps what God had to say to these
churches is something that can teach us today regarding His will for His
people, the church.
What people often remember about these two chapters are a
couple of main criticisms that God outlines regarding his people. We will come
to these, but it’s interesting to note that in most cases here, God begins his
address to each church with praise. He then points out some areas for concern.
What a wonderful example for us all that is.
Have you ever received a word of encouragement and genuine
appreciation for something that you attempted? Isn’t it uplifting? And have you
ever felt the sting of criticism and harsh judgement? Isn’t it disheartening,
and sadly in the case of some people, enough to turn them away from fellowship?
God’s way is to point out the good, to warn against the wrong, and to emphasise
the promise. Let’s have a look at what He pointed out to some of His churches:
Ephesus: the church was commended for their good deeds,
hard work and perseverance. They endured hardship for the gospel and had no
tolerance for false doctrine. They did not grow tired of doing God’s will.
However, God pointed out that they had forgotten their first
love. Who should that be? The first commandment given to mankind was “You shall
have no other gods but me.” (Exodus 20:3). This was a church that was doing a
lot of good things, but maybe they needed to focus of who they were doing them
for, or why they were doing them. Do you know some busy churches today? Are you
personally too busy to spend time in God’s presence in prayer and study and
contemplation? If so, you’re heading for spiritual burnout. We all need to come
to the well of Christ and drink deeply of His grace before we can effectively
wash the feet of the world.
Smyrna:
there is the sense that God’s heart was very close to this church, which was
not chided for anything. God reminds them that He knows their suffering,
affliction, poverty, imprisonment and persecution, some even to the point of
death. He sees their faithfulness.
If you are not aware of the persecuted church in this world,
one only has to visit the websites of a Christian advocacy group such as the
Barnabas Fund to realise that in some countries today it is very costly and
dangerous to profess a Christian faith. Yet in the face of persecution the
church is growing. I’ve seen footage of the underground church in a communist
country where the congregation met from dawn till night every day to hear the
word preached, joyful that they could learn, because they had no Bible. How
different to some congregations in the western world where there is concern
that a forty-five minute sermon is too lengthy, or where a church building
without air-conditioning is unthinkable. We have so much privilege that we take
for granted. God reminds us all in this passage that we are rich beyond measure
simply because we have Him.
Pergamum:
the church here had kept the faith in the face of persecution, in a city of
much wickedness. However it seemed that some false doctrine and practices had
crept into the faith. There is reference to the Old Testament personage of
Balaam, who in the book of Numbers encourages king Balak to ensnare the
Israelites by offering them forbidden food and forbidden sexual favours from
prostitutes. The teaching of the Nicolatans is also mentioned. Their teaching
appears to have varied widely from what had been established as the gospel from
the time of Christ and recorded by the writers of the New Testament epistles.
In the same way in our own time we are confronted by a
plethora of New Age philosophies and false teachings regarding spirituality,
many of which deny the deity of Christ and attest that there are many ways to
God. It’s important that Christians know their Bible and “Always be prepared to
give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that
you have” (1 Peter 3:15).
Thyatira: The church in Thyatira was praised for its good
work, love, faith and perseverance on an ever increasing scale. Once again
though, the church community had been infiltrated by a false spirit, in this
case Jezebel. Either through a person by that name or, as some writers claim, a
“Jezebel”spirit, some were being led into immorality and the eating of
sacrificial food, similar to the charges laid against the church at Pergamum above. Here too
there is reference to the Old Testament story of the wicked Jezebel who, as the
wife of king Ahab, incited the worship of false gods, persecuted the prophets
and committed murder.
Whether or not the root cause of problems is a particular
evil spirit or not, Christian communities today still face the dilemma of false
doctrine and false prophets opposing the work of Christ. The warning to the
church at Thyatira is also a wider call to holiness.
Sardis: the church at Sardis receives sharp
warnings. There’s very little in the way of commendation here. God says “I know
your deeds, you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.”
(Revelation 3:1). God goes on to say that their deeds are incomplete. Further
references to some who had not spoiled their clothes and a call to repentance
suggest that this seemingly vibrant church was all outward appearance and no
substance. “The Lord
does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward
appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
(1 Samuel 16:7).
Churches and individuals may
impress others, but God knows how each of us is on the inside. Again we are
called to holiness and dependency on Him.
Philadelphia: this church is praised for its work and endurance. Under
pressure they upheld the name of Jesus. God warns them of trials that are
coming but promises them His presence. In the same way we know today that the
world is changing rapidly. Those of us Christians who at present enjoy freedom
of worship are not guaranteed that this will always be so. Trials of many kinds
beset us in this life, but as this chapter demonstrates, patient endurance
until the end will result in a wonderful eternity with Christ.
Laodicea: Again, God says that “I know your deeds.” Most of these
churches were busily doing something. But the church at Laodicea was described as lukewarm and
self-sufficient. They appear to have been a wealthy church, but had forgotten
the true riches we are freely offered- God’s presence and anointing.
Living in a relatively affluent
and stable country such as Australia,
it’s often hard to engage others in interest in Christianity. There are many
people who would say that they believe in God, but do not attend church or read
the Bible or pray. God is a fairly nebulous presence, often until a crisis
happens.
God wants people who are on fire
for Him. He wants to be first in our lives. We can become bogged down in
pursuing other things- success, money, other relationships and our spiritual
life can be neglected. When we put God first, all other areas of our lives fall
into their right perspective.
As we look at God’s word to these seven churches, we see
that God is closely watching us. Like any loving Father, He’s interested in
relationship with us and cares about what we do. Over and again, He says “I
know your deeds.” May they be work that is for His glory. Far more than our
works, he knows our hearts and minds and purpose behind all that we do. He
knows the “whys” and may the “whys’ be because of our love and gratitude for
all He has first done for us.
It’s obvious throughout these letters that Satan is well and
truly at work within churches, to attack and infiltrate and divide from within.
We all have a responsibility to promote godly congregations through prayer,
bible study, giving and behaving in a manner consistent with scripture.
Question doctrine and practice in your church with the pastoral team if you are
concerned about anything, but don’t gossip or criticise.
God ends every letter to these churches on a note of
optimism. The same phrase “to him who overcomes” is used in each case, followed
by a promise. A good church, according to God, is filled with overcomers. They
have struggled, some have gone astray and been warned to repent but in the end
have persevered and held on to God and overcome the lies of Satan and his
temptations to sin in this life.
“To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the
tree of life.”
“He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second
death.”
“To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna.
I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it.”
“To him who overcomes and does my will to the end I will
give authority over the nations. I will also give him the morning star.”
“He who overcomes will be dressed in white. I will never
blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before
my Father.”
“He who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my
God.”
“To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me
on my throne.”
(the promises to the churches in Revelation chapters 2-3,
abridged.)
What wonderful promises.
What makes a good church? We do, if we love God and serve
Him, know and believe His word, and persevere and overcome.
