In recent days I have been prayerfully examining the purpose and mission of the church. This process has been centered on several key passages of Scripture directly dealing with the church. This is the third and final blog post dealing with these matters.
In wrapping up some of the thoughts I have on the mission and purpose of the church I want to focus on Revelation 2-3 and Jesus’ words to the churches. The context of the book of Revelation is the Apostle John is on the Island of Patmos worshiping in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day. While in the Spirit Jesus spoke to John and told him to write a message down for the Church.
In chapters 2 and 3 Jesus shares His message with John for 7 of His churches. In these messages I have discovered many unifying factors. The first unifying factor is Jesus knowledge of the individual church’s health. To 5 of the 7 churches He proclaims “I know your deeds” and then goes on to describe in detail some deeds which are praise worthy and others which He condemns. In the case of the other 2 churches, Jesus tells Smyrna He knows their tribulation, poverty, and the blasphemy of others; and to Pergamum He explains He knows where they dwell and that they hold fast to His Name.
The reality is Jesus also knows our deeds. Here are some questions we need to ask and dwell upon: What would Jesus find praise worthy in our church? Does Jesus intimate knowledge of us and what we do make us feel more secure or scared? I imagine in the end we all hope to hear “Well done, good and faithful servant” roll off the tongue of our Lord. If this is your desire and what you long to hear, then think about the good you are doing and consider what good you will do. Think about the ways in which you serve the Lord and how you could be a more faithful servant.
The second unifying factor is Jesus’ instruction for the church to get back on track. To Ephesus He tells them to remember, repent, and return to what they did in the beginning. To Smyrna He explains trouble is on the horizon, but they should not fear, but rather be faithful to the end. To Pergamum and Thyatira He tells them to repent of holding to false teaching and immoral practices. To Sardis He says they need a wake-up call and to strengthen what remains. To Philadelphia He tells them to hold fast to what they have. Finally to Laodicea He boldly declares they are unknowingly wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. He calls them to be zealous and repent.
Do we need a wake-up call? Are we blind to our own sin as a church? In light of Jesus’ diagnoses of these churches how should we repent? In what ways are we guilty? We desperately need to turn to the Word of God which is “living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
The third unifying factor is the phrase “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” This message is given to all 7 of the churches. Jesus reveals that in each of the churches, regardless of its deeds, the Spirit of God is busy at work. The Spirit of God is speaking to those who will give Him their ears.
When is the last time you heard the Spirit’s voice. Most likely it was not audibly, but when was the last time you sensed the Spirit of God was directing you or calling you to step out on faith? The Spirit always speaks in alignment with the Word He inspired. He most often takes the truths found in the Scriptures and applies them to our life as we prayerfully meditate upon them.
The fourth and final unifying factor is the phrase “To him who overcomes…” In this portion of Jesus' instruction to the churches He directs their attention to the future. He shows them that there is hope for a better day. They may be wrestling with false teaching, the Devil may be attacking them, they may be caught up in immorality, but if they will heed His words there will be a glorious future for them.
Our hope for a brighter day does not rest on our ability or willingness to do more. We will never “overcome” in our strength. Romans 8:37-39 explains: “in all these things (tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril or sword) we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
We must turn to Jesus, our first love, and remember that He has overcome sin, death and the Devil on our behalf. He overcame our sin by laying down His life for us. He was bruised for our iniquities; He crushed because of our transgressions. He was bore the Father’s wrath in our place on a bloody cross. This was done as a demonstration of His love for us. He overcame death by rising from the dead three days later. Death has no power over the God who is Life. The grave had no power over the one who created the dirt and rocks that once held Him captive. He overcame the Devil as depicted in Genesis 3 by crushing his head. Jesus has come to dwell in His people with power by His Spirit. We have overcome “because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)”
So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria (and Durham) had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied (Acts 9:31).
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