Whose Church Is It Anyway?

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.            -Matthew 16:18

It seems almost superfluous to ask questions regarding ownership of the church. Shouldn’t the answer be obvious? From its very beginning, Jesus claimed ownership of the church. He did not tell Peter that men like him could build their own churches – it belongs to Him. There are few within Christendom who would argue against this fact.

Yet, in spite of the fact that ownership of the church seems to be a settled issue, we must ask ourselves, “Whose church is it?” If we believe that what we are part of is the church established by Christ, then how should we function as such a church? What responsibilities fall upon us, and what work should be left to God? Are there times when we are taking authority that was never entrusted to us?

Our understanding of the church must begin with the fact that it is not our church. We speak of it in those terms when we refer to “our church”, and the use of that language may betray what some actually believe at times. Though the Bible says that the church was purchased by Christ with His own blood (Acts 20:28), modern Christianity has subjected it to the ever-changing whims of contemporary society. There is a distinct possibility that we have allowed the work and direction of the church to be determined by the culture in which we live. Rather than allowing the church to be counter-cultural, it has been molded and conformed to the image of the society it was intended to change. However, the relevance of the church is always a direct result of its distinction from worldly cultures. If the church cannot be holy, or set apart, from the world, neither can it be relevant to the needs of humanity. So, even though it seems unnecessary, let us consider the implications of Jesus’ ownership of the church.

The Foundation of the Church

Jesus’ statement about the church was in response to Peter’s confession of Jesus as the Son of God (Matt. 16:16). Jesus told Peter that it was not man who had revealed this truth to him, but God Himself. He then asserted that this is the rock upon which the church would be built. What rock is Jesus describing? Peter’s name signifies a stone, or a fragment of rock. Jesus was not referring to a stone, but to a rock that would provide a solid foundation for the church. Peter confessed his faith in Jesus as God’s Son, and it is on this firm foundation that the church was built.

On what foundation is the church built today? Jesus said that those who hear His words and respond to them (Matt. 7:24) are building on a foundation that will support them. The church must be built on Jesus Christ and what He teaches. There is no greater foundation than the Incarnate Word who brings the light of God into this fallen world. All that we do must be built on the work, and character of Jesus Christ. We are not given the authority to choose our foundation, but it is laid for us in all that has been done by Christ.

The Builder of the Church

The Bible is clear that humanity is a necessary part of the church. The Bible says that we are the blocks that make up the temple of God. You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:5). It is important for us to understand our place in the church Christ builds. We are a part of His church. It is always built through the saints, but it is never designed by them. It is not our purpose to structure the church according to our desires, or for our own ease. It is always Christ who puts the members in place where He sees fit. And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ (Eph. 4:11, 12). There is no doubt, the body must be built, but it is the work of Christ to erect the structure through the call He places on His people.

 We are stones, but it is not our purpose to be architects. All that is built grows out of the work of Jesus. Every ministry, ever committee, every organization must grow out of the work and purpose of Jesus Christ. He is the master builder, and the church always surrenders to His design.

The Purpose of the Church

We talk a great deal about purpose and vision within the church today. Conferences are offered, and books written, to help us identify our vision and establish goals that will help us pursue them. At times, it seems that we believe it to be our purpose to determine the direction of the church, but what we miss is that He has already provided direction. The gates of hell shall not prevail… The work of the church is to march into battle to conquer that which hell possesses. The imagery used in Matthew 16:18 is not one that requires the church to sit back and hope to endure. In ancient times cities were surrounded by walls. There were gates in those walls to protect the citizens, but no nation every marched into battle with gates. They are always a defensive structure. So the implication of Jesus’ statement is that the church is to be an offensive force against the powers of hell. We must be willing to fight the spiritual battles before us in the name and power of Christ.

The church of our day has become a collection of spiritual pacifists in many cases; unwilling to stand for the truth of God’s Word. Some have abandoned doctrinal principles that have been held orthodox for centuries to gain acceptance with society. How can this be when it is the stated purpose of Christ for the church to stand against the sinful things of the world? Jesus established the church for a purpose: to bring light to the darkness of the world. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). It this is true, then our purpose must be to boldly proclaim that which makes the church different from the fallen world in which we live. The purpose of the church, according to Jesus, is to march against the gates of hell.

Based on the words of Jesus, what do we believe about the church today? If we believe the words of Jesus, do we see the church that He established when we look at our congregations, or the church at large? If we are to be the church today, we must first establish where ownership lies, and that is always with Christ.

The Problems With Premillennialism

One of the greatest divisions in modern Christianity is the understanding of the return of Christ and the things that surround that event. We need go no further than our local Christian bookstore to find countless books and CDs teaching a number of different views and prognostications regarding this topic. It seems that everywhere we turn we hear fanciful tales of people disappearing in a secret rapture and the rise of the Antichrist and his evil regime. The ideas about the return are prevalent, and each one more outlandish than the last. But are all these predictions really true? Can we actually find them in Scripture?

There are many who will claim that the answers to these questions do not really matter. “This is a non-essential doctrine,” we are consistently told by those who promote the pluralism of our day. But Scripture diminishes the idea of non-essential doctrine when the Apostle Paul wrote, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16, 17). If God inspired all of the Scripture we find in the Bible, are we really in a position to stand as judges over which portions of Scripture are essential and which ones are not? If we were wise enough to do such a thing we would also be wise enough to know that the responsibility is too great for us. All Scripture is given for the edification of God’s church.

In spite of the Scriptural claims of the importance of doctrine, we still find much debate over the idea of the importance end-times theology. There are many in Christendom who will not recognize its importance. We do not ask pastors what their view of this issue is when they are interviewed by search committees. Sometimes they are even ordained without ever having to articulate a Biblical understanding of the second coming of Jesus. How can this be? Is it really that unimportant? I would suggest that it is not. In fact, it is very important to our theology.

When we study the various teachings of Scripture we find that they fit together as one whole. We cannot separate them into different compartments and assume that one will never affect the others. The beliefs that we claim as truth all affect other beliefs in some way. That is why it is important for us to study systematic theology, so we have the opportunity to think through the consequences and effects of our beliefs. If we study Bible doctrine in a systematic way we will find that today’s popular teaching about Jesus’ return is not consistent with our general understanding of Scripture.

The most commonly expressed view of the second coming is premillennialsism (specifically, dispensational premillennialism). This view promotes that the 20^th chapter of Revelation teaches that Jesus will someday come back to earth and establish a kingdom in Jerusalem. During that time He will reestablish the Old Testament temple worship and sacrifices. It tells us that this kingdom will last for 1,000 years before a battle called Armageddon is fought between Satan, who had been bound by Jesus but is released for one final battle.  Those who endorse this view believe that Revelation sheds light on an elaborate timeline of events that will lead up to the return of Jesus. Chief among them is the rapture, or disappearance of the church. We find stories based on this belief in literature such as The Left Behind Series. The problem with this view is that it is not based on Scripture. It is based on a teaching that was not accepted by the church until the middle 1800’s, and did not become popular until around 1900 when it was promoted by C.I. Scofield in his reference Bible.

But again, we face question as to the importance of what we believe about these things. There are those who maintain that it makes no difference. So what do we do with beliefs about the end of time? Should we make an issue out of such things? If we consider the belief that is being promoted by the “end-times experts” of our day the answer must be, YES! The things we believe and teach about the return of Jesus are important. They affect other beliefs that no serious Christian would consider negotiable. Consider just a few of the things affected by a premillennial belief.

It Is Based On Inconsistency

Those who hold to an amillennial view of the return of Jesus – a view that teaches He comes back on the last day to resurrect the dead and all will be judged at the end – are often accused of “spiritualizing” scripture. We are told that we cannot look at Scripture symbolically, and that it was never intended to be understood that way. The follower of Scofield, Ryrie, or modern day dispensationalists such as John Hagee or Tim Lahaye, will claim that they take the Bible literally as they believe it should be understood. The problem is that the do not.

These teachers claim that the book of Revelation is about Jesus returning to set up a literal kingdom on earth. This kingdom will be composed of the Jews because the church will have been taken away in a secret rapture. But their claim to take the Scriptures literally falls apart on this premise. If the book of Revelation is largely written to the Jews as they claim, they must eliminate the references to the church. They do so by using the 4^th chapter. “After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.’ At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne” (Rev. 4:1, 2). To diminish the importance of the church they will claim that these verses represent the rapture of the church. The words “come up here” are used to show the church being taken to heaven before the restoration of the Jews. But aren’t these the same people who want to take the Bible literally? In fact, they take the majority of Revelation literally. The literal understanding of this would be that John was taken into heaven and saw a vision there. Those who claim to take this book literally use highly symbolic language to accomplish their purpose.

I do not dispute that Revelation is symbolic in nature. We read in the first verse, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants – things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John” (Rev. 1:1 NKJV). The word that translates to signify is semiano, which means to show by sign. The very first verse of Revelation teaches us that it is a symbolic book. But if this is the case it must be understood that way. We cannot pick what we want to be symbolic and what we want to be literal but must understand it as God intends. The problem with the premillennial view is that it teaches inconsistency. It promotes the idea that we can mold Scripture to fit our preconceived ideas rather than allowing the Holy Spirit to use it to speak to us. When this happens we have opened the floodgates for any number of abuses. Scriptures from the whole of the Bible are torn from their context and used to prove fanciful tales of unbiblical things. The Bible certainly uses figurative language, and that is impossible to dispute. But we do not get to choose how we want to take it.

We also find inconsistency in the understanding of symbols that are clearly defined for us. Let us revisit the claim that the church disappears after Revelation 4 and the rest of the book is written to the Jews. Can this be true? Consider Revelation 21:1-2: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” John claims that he saw the city Jerusalem, but look at his description: PREPARED AS A BRIDE ADORNED FOR HER HUSBAND! Who is the bride? It is the church. John makes this “new Jerusalem” synonymous with the church. And he does it again in verses 9 and 10: Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, ‘Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.’ And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem…” Twice John equates the Bride of Christ with the holy city Jerusalem. If the culmination of Revelation is the Bride of Christ then of necessity the book is about the church. But those who hold to the premillennial doctrine will claim that this should be understood literally, and to “spiritualize” it does damage to the text. If that’s the case then we must ask, is it possible to marry a city? What we see is very clearly a symbol of the church. This teaching hinders our ability to consistently understand the Bible.

It Eliminates the Presence of God’s Kingdom

One of the predominant doctrines of the New Testament is the Kingdom of God. “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (Matt. 3:1, 2). After the temptation of Jesus, we read, “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17). The premise of premillennial doctrine is that Jesus came to establish this kingdom but was rejected by the Jews. Its proponents believe that God established the church as an afterthought so reside in this world until Jesus comes back to accomplish what He could not do at His first advent. Can this be true? If it is, what does it say about Jesus?

Even as He prepared to die on Calvary, Jesus maintained that His purpose was to establish God’s Kingdom. “Then Pilate said to him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world – to bear witness to the truth’” (John 18:37). This, along with the previously stated verses, gives us ample evidence that Jesus and John the Baptist believed that Christ came to establish God’s Kingdom.

We read in Revelation 12 about the specific time of the Kingdom’s establishment. “Now a war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon…And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan…And I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, ‘Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God” (Rev. 12:7-10). Many would have us believe that this is a war that was fought during a rebellion of Satan at the beginning of time, but this is simply not true. This event dates itself in verse 10 when it says, “NOW the salvation and the power AND THE KINGDOM OF OUR GOD and the authority of his Christ have come…” We read here that the Kingdom of God came at the same time as salvation. We know without a doubt that salvation was delivered at Calvary! This means that the battle to establish God’s Kingdom must have taken place as Jesus Christ hung upon the Roman cross and gave His life for the sins of man. Matthew’s gospel even makes reference to the gospel message as the Gospel of the Kingdom (Matt. 4:23; Matt. 9:35; Matt. 24:14).

Scripture teaches us the presence of God’s Kingdom. It is not a political kingdom ruled from a worldly throne, but a spiritual kingdom that transcends the political barriers of this world. That is why the Apostle Paul wrote, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 14:17).

The presence of God’s Kingdom places a burden on us. It requires submission to Jesus Christ our King. That is why it is difficult for us to look at the church as a kingdom. In the church people can throw their weight around and get their way, but in a kingdom we submit to our King. There is a great difference between living as part of a social organization and subjects of a kingdom. That is why the premillennial doctrine that diminishes the present reality of God’s Kingdom is dangerous to the church today.

It Necessitates a Defeated Church

Possibly one of the most treacherous aspects of premillennial doctrine is its view of the church. Few would claim that they believe the church is destined for failure, but of necessity that is what this doctrine teaches. It claims that the church will someday be taken away in a secret rapture so that the Jewish nation can be reestablished and do the work of evangelism that the church could not do.

If this is really the case, what should the church be doing today? We preach and teach the great commission, but if we were to hold to a premillennial belief we could easily ignore those aspects of Scripture. This belief treats the Great Commission as nothing more than a naïve dream.

The idea of an escape before tribulation also stands in opposition to the words of Jesus. He told us that in this life we will have trials, and even went so far as to claim that the persecuted are blessed. How do we reconcile such statements with the idea that the church will be taken away before tribulation comes upon the world? Premillennial doctrine discourages the Christian from facing the very trials that build our character and solidify our faith. It does injustice to the promises of God by creating the illusion that we will be delivered from tribulation instead of being sustained through it.  This simply cannot be. Any interpretation of Scripture that does not allow for the maturity of the Christian is not true to the teaching of the Bible.

It Diminishes the Redeeming Work of Jesus

If we examine the premises of premillennialism thoroughly we find that it stands against the presence of God’s Kingdom, and awaits the failure of the church, but this is not the full extent of its dangers. It also diminishes the redeeming work of Jesus Christ. The premillennial teacher believes that Jesus will someday come back to establish a political kingdom in Jerusalem. As part of this kingdom they promote the idea that temple worship – along with animal sacrifices – will be reinstituted. But Scripture teaches us that those sacrifices were not sufficient, so why would they be reestablished? Was the blood of Jesus not enough to provide salvation from sin? Though those who hold to this doctrine claim to believe that there is power in Jesus’ blood, they stand on a belief that leads us to a different logical conclusion.

It seems like everywhere we turn we hear about doctrines that are essential and others that are not. We are told that beliefs about things like the return of Christ just do not matter. But if we consider the premises of premillennialism this simply cannot be true. The Bible tells us that all Scripture is given by God and is profitable. If this is the case we must be sure that we do indeed take all Scripture seriously – even that which relates to the end times.

Visions of Christ

Visions of Christ

Revelation 1:9-20

 

            Every once in a while you read something that leaves a lasting impression; something that forces you to consider it even years after you’ve read it. I read such a book in high school. In 1953 Ray Bradbury’s book, Fahrenheit 451, was published. Bradbury’s story described a society where truth was hidden at all costs and self-centeredness was the rule of the day. The people did everything possible to shelter themselves from the realities of the world. They lived in a self-induced stupor having been intoxicated by their self-indulgence. Bradbury wrote about people whose lives were consumed by their entertainment and were lived vicariously through the televisions that ruled their living rooms.  The people were happy to live in self-delusion with their allusions of joy until they were brought face to face with the harsh reality of war. When the time came that they had to face truth they had no idea how to handle it. They were ill-prepared to face the trials and tribulations of life. As terribly equipped as such a society seem, are we really much different?

            John faced a similar situation. The Romans filled coliseums with countless thousands of people who went to find some kind of fulfillment and happiness. The empire provided all the entertainment people needed through sports and wealth, but they did what was necessary to hide the truth. That’s why John found himself on Patmos.

            Sometimes it seems like the world will stop at nothing to hide definite truth. We see it all around us. We read stories of scientists who are pressured by politics to make sure their studies find what is considered acceptable by the powers that be. There have been college professors who have lost jobs because they refuse to blindly promote unproven theories of evolution in favor of intelligent design. Many dictators have controlled the media of their country, and some have gone so far as to censor what people are allowed to read.

            Suppression of truth is a means of inhibiting the freedom of people as they try to understand life. By directing them to specific, well-chosen information they are led to a conclusion that is desirable for their leaders. This has even happened in the church. There was a day when Bibles were chained to pulpits and the common man was not allowed access to God’s Word. This allowed the rulers to maintain control over the conclusions that people would draw by denying them access to all that is available to them. We see it in the church once again today. The Bible is not kept from God’s people, but they have willfully allowed themselves to live in ignorance of what it teaches, and the result has been leaders who have led the church astray.

            We look around us and see a church that is largely failing in America. Our leaders continue to promote leadership techniques and programs while the church continues to decline. Outreach is the theme of the day, and if we aren’t growing in great numbers we are not successful. Scripture teaches us that the church grew in the New Testament as the Bible became more important to the Christians. “And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:7). When we do not know Scripture we do not know how to deal with life’s circumstances, so we turn to leaders who will give us instruction. Is this not how the Christian life is lived today? We don’t go to the Word, but to some self-help guru for our direction. The absolute truth of God’s Word has been confined to the shadows of the world, and hidden in the dark corners of the church. Over a couple thousand years it seems that some things haven’t changed all that much.

            John, the great apostle who proclaimed God’s truth to the early church, was exiled to Patmos as a way of keeping the truth from people. F.G. Smith explains, “Having confined him to a barren spot [Patmos], the emperor no doubt thought he had effectually cleared the world of this preacher of righteousness…But when men think the truth is dead and buried out of sight, God suddenly gives it a resurrection with thirty-fold greater glory. It was so in this case.”[1] Just when it seemed like the truth of God might be stamped out of existence, the apostle received a vision on the far reaches of the prison of Patmos. He was not given a structure or program that would obscure the glory and power of God. He was not given instruction on where to find the nearest church growth seminar, or tips on the amendment of bylaws.

            When God’s Word was hidden away the church received what she needed most: visions of an all-powerful, resurrected, living Christ! As John contemplated the church on the Lord’s Day a vision of a triumphant church came forth through the words of Jesus. It is in times such as these that we experience visions of the work of Christ. It is when the truth seems to be losing ground to the lies of man that God speaks to His people and directs them back to His Word, and to His revelation. It is in such times that God brings revival to the submissive heart.

            It is important that we understand the victory that God is showing in this vision. There are many who insist on a literal interpretation of what John saw on Patmos, but to look at this in such a way is to take away from the victory won by Jesus. We do not interpret Jesus – or His work – in light of the visions of apocalyptic literature, but we always interpret such literature in light of Jesus Christ and His victory over the powers of hell.[2] It is truth that sets us free, and for that purpose God revealed the truth about a victorious church through the book of Revelation. That purpose must be kept in the forefront of our thought as we read the visions of John. Jesus told us in John’s gospel that He came for the purpose of freedom. “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’” (John 8:31, 32). Paul also told the Galatian church, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Gal. 5:1). God has provided visions in Scripture that will free us from the bondage of worldly ideas. We find ourselves in bondage to the world, but the church need not live in that prison. The truth, if sought and applied to our lives – individually and corporately – will truly set us free.

 

It Is During Tribulation That We See Christ

 

            We cannot deny that the church of John’s day was facing tribulation. This has often been a result of the world’s response to the faith of God’s people. Faith in the Word of God offends the sinful hearts of the world and brings conviction to their souls. When we place our trust in the moral standards set forth by God it gives us a hope that the world does not possess. By putting our trust in God’s Word we are making a clear statement that the testimony of His Son will be the example by which we live. We will not settle for the relativity of the world, or the universalism that has become a part of the beliefs of so many. John was sent to Patmos for this faith. Many Christians have lost their lives for the same type of faith. God’s people have been martyred, exiled, beaten, imprisoned and publicly shamed for their commitment to something greater than the government rulers of this world.

            It is during these times of great trial that the church has historically risen to new heights as men and women of God come together to support one another as they endure hardship. In verse 9 John claimed to be partnered with the church in tribulation, the kingdom, and patient endurance. We experience the presence of Jesus today during these times as His body lives in harmony with one another. As we encourage and carry one another we see God at work. This is what John meant when he said he was their partner in the kingdom. We live together in mutual submission to God’s reign even under the most sever tribulation. “Just as Jesus suffered in order to establish his rule so must believers. Those who put themselves under the lordship of Christ open themselves to tribulation in this in-between-time before Christ’s return and the final consummation and destruction of all evil.”[3] History proves that Satan will do anything to keep God’s people from submitting to His reign. We will face trial, tribulation, difficulty and obstacles, but God will overcome all these things through His people living together as His kingdom. Visions of our King remind us of the One whom we serve as we face this opposition of the Devil.

            God has not left us alone to face difficulty. It is during this time that we experience the work of Christ. We see Him move through His church, and in the lives of His people. We experience His peace and comfort, His love and mercy. If our faith remains steadfast in Jesus, we will never face a trial without a “partner” in tribulation. When we meet obstacles we see Christ work.

 

It Is When We Are In the Spirit That We See Christ

 

            It is no coincidence that John was “in the Spirit” when he saw a vision of Christ. The Spirit is the one who reveals Christ to us. He testifies to the work of Jesus. “He will glorify me, he will take what is mine and declare it to you” (John 16:14). Since the Spirit reveals Christ to us we see Him most clearly during the times when we are led by the Spirit. John Stott pointed out, “It is only logical. If Christian maturity is maturity in our relationship to Christ, in which we worship, trust and obey him, then the clearer our vision of Christ, the more convinced we become that he is worthy of our commitment.”[4] Stott went on to say, “For the discipleship principle is clear: the poorer our vision of Christ the poorer our discipleship will be, whereas the richer our vision of Christ, the richer our discipleship will be.”[5]

            It is the Holy Spirit who allowed John to look to the heavens and see the vision of Christ rather than to his immediate circumstances of difficulty. The testimony of Christ that we see in Scripture helps to teach us that it is never our circumstances that should dictate the way we live, but the Spirit of God. When we become bitter over troubles we face visions of Christ are more difficult to see. The church has been called to live in a world that is hostile to her culture, but we must live in light of the visions of Christ that Scripture reveals to us. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom. 12:2). If our witness is to stand, we cannot afford to respond to adversity in the same way the world responds. We can’t allow ourselves to live in panic and worry over what is going to happen. Jesus said, “Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:34).

            The Spirit of God will always direct us to Christ. When it is the Spirit who is guiding our decisions and responses we will always respond in light of our vision of the work of the Son of God. It is from this position that John sees the vision of Christ and His triumphant church.

 

It Is Among the Churches That We See Christ

 

            John did not simply see a vision of Jesus. He saw our Risen Lord walking among seven golden lampstands. In fact, the text would lead us to believe that John the first thing John saw after hearing the voice of Christ were these lampstands. We are not left to guess what these lampstands must be; Jesus told John exactly what they are: “As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches” (Rev. 1:20).

            It should come as no surprise that we find Jesus among the congregations of His church. Jesus told His disciples, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” (Matt. 18:20). He also reminded them before He ascended to heaven, “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20).

            Jesus walks among His people today – just as He walked with the church in John’s day – to fill the role of high priest. “But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come…” (Heb. 9:11). In Old Testament times it was the responsibility of the high priest to trim the lamps in the tabernacle. “And Aaron shall burn on it incense of sweet spices; every morning when he trims and fills the lamps he shall burn it” (Exod. 30:7 AB). The lamp was put in place to light the holy place in the tabernacle. Without the light of these lamps the tabernacle of God would be dark, so twice a day the high priest filled the lamps with oil and trimmed the wicks. This kept deposits from building up that would eliminate the light that was given. Jesus fulfills the same role in God’s New Testament tabernacle.

            The churches give off the witness of God’s power and glory. Jesus walks among the congregations to tend their lamps. It is through visions of Christ that the witness of the church is carried into the world. As we see His revelation in Scripture it trims and removes deposits from the wick that lights God’s lamps today. He continually works through His Spirit to empower the church to do His work in the world today. As we are built up into a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:5) we see visions of Jesus walking among His people to fulfill His role as our high priest maintaining the work of God within our lives. It is the presence of Jesus that makes this tabernacle the church. It is this presence that allows us to rightly consider ourselves the temple of God. John was given a vision of one who trims the lamps.[6]

 

It Is In Humility That We See Christ

 

            It is important that we see Christ through His Word and His church. We must understand the work He does through His church. We must also respond to these visions. John responded to the presence of God’s Son as many have reacted throughout history. His response mirrors that of Ezekiel, “Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking” (Ezek. 1:28). Moses removed his shoes and bowed before God (Exod. 3:5).  Even the Apostle Paul fell on His face before the Risen Christ, “And falling to the ground he heard a voice” (Acts 9:4)…

            A real vision of Jesus Christ should give us a sense of inadequacy, and should leave us standing in wonder and awe of our God. As we begin to understand what God reveals to us through such a vision it reminds us that even the brightest and best of our day cannot compare to the wisdom of Jesus Christ, and His power working through His people is unmatched by anything that is spawned within the finite mind of man. This revelation of the mind and will of God is what has drawn His people back to Him in times of revival over the course of history. Dennis Kinlaw commented, “I am convinced that every great revival in the history of the church has started when God’s people began to seek ‘the mind of Christ.’ When they set aside the normal human way of thinking about the world and allowed Christ to direct their lives, the world has been turned ‘upside down.’”[7]

            For decades the church of our day has stood as a darkened tabernacle, not knowing whether or not our high priest stands among us. We have turned to programs, gimmicks and fads to light the lamps of the church once again, but nothing has reignited the fire among God’s people. Visions of Jesus Christ serve to reignite the passion of God’s people. These visions bring revival to the church. As long as we continue to look within ourselves for guidance we will never be the lamps that burn brightly in the dwelling place of God. It is through visions of Jesus, and the revelation of the mind of Christ that the church moves in power in this sinful world. We experience God’s power when we respond to visions of our Lord as Isaiah, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” (Isa. 6:5). Our trials are not overcome by our own ingenuity, but by visions of Jesus Christ and His plan for a triumphant church.

 

            It is during eras of difficulty that apocalyptic literature was written by the Jews before the time of Christ. It is in the same kinds of circumstance that John was given this vision. “Here is the meaning of the vision: A living, holy, majestic, omniscient, authoritative, powerful Christ stands in the midst of the churches, holds their destiny in his hand and says: ‘Stop fearing. I was dead. I am alive forever. More than that, I hold in my hand the keys to death and the grave. You should not fear to go to any place to which I hold the key. You may be persecuted to death but I am still your king.”[8] It doesn’t matter what we are facing today – individually or corporately – we are kept by our risen Lord. The Apostle Paul’s words still hold true today:

           

            "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died – more than that, who was raised – who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall     separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Rom. 8:31-37).

 

            Do we live in light of a Scriptural vision of a risen, victorious Christ? One who stands amid a Spirit-led, triumphant church?

 

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[1] F.G. Smith, The Revelation Explained, 36

[2] Richard K. Eckley, Revelation: A Commentary for Bible Students (Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2006), 57

[3] Carol Rotz, Revelation: A Commentary In the Wesleyan Tradition (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 2012), 59

[4] John Stott, The Radical Disciple (Downer’s Grove: IVP Books, 2010), 42

[5] Ibid, 47

[6] David Ravenhill, The Jesus Letters (Shippensburg: Destiny Image, 2003), 33

[7] Dennis Kinlaw, The Mind of Christ (Anderson: Francis Asbury Press, 1998), 19

[8] Ray Summers, Worthy Is the Lamb (Nashville: Broadman &Holman Publishers, 1951), 105

Access to an Open Door

Revelation 3:7-13

 

            Philadelphia was a city of instability. It was devastated by an earthquake in 17 A.D., but this was not the lone occurrence of such a disaster. The volcanic activity in the area caused multiple earthquakes leaving the people to wonder when the next disaster might take place. The citizens also lived in a city which had changed names over the years. There was very little that seemed steadfast to people who dwelt in such a place. Even the church must have been affected to some extent by this instability.

            The Philadelphian church faced persecution from the local Jewish community. While the Jews seemed to tolerate the pagans in the society around them they persecuted the Christians. They would not allow this new sect to threaten their stability, or the security they had found in their ritual and routine. Christians were cast out of synagogues and their corporate worship hindered as the Jews attempted to keep them from God.

            This seemed like an unlikely place for the church to thrive, yet even today there is a Christian presence in that place. Historically, it is under the most intense persecution that God’s church has thrived. This has happened because it is in these circumstances God’s people learn some of their most important lessons. They learn what it means to walk by faith, and follow the guidance of God’s Holy Spirit. They have neither the resources nor the numbers to carry out God’s work on their own. All they can do is trust in their Savior to give them the opportunity to submit to His work through them. The church that seems to live in the direst circumstance is one of only two that receive no criticism or condemnation from Christ.

            The letter to the Philadelphians is the only one of the seven letters that does not refer directly to the vision of Jesus in the first chapter of Revelation. Each of the other letters refers to one of the aspects of John’s vision, but this one refers to the one who holds the “key of David.” This is a reference to the prophecy of Isaiah.

 

            Thus says the Lord God of hosts, “Come, go to this steward, to Shebna, who is over the household, and say to him: What have you to do here, and whom have you here, that you have            cut out here a tomb for yourself, you who cut out a tomb on the height and carve a dwelling for yourself in the rock? Behold, the Lord will hurl you away violently, O you strong man. He will seize firm hold on you and whirl you around and around and throw you like a ball into a wide land. There   you shall die, and there shall be your glorious chariots, you    shame of your master’s house. I will thrust you from your office, and you will be pulled down from your station. In that day I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and I will clothe him with your robe, and will bind your sash on him, and will commit your authority to his hand. And he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open” (Isa. 22:15-22).

 

The key of David refers to the judgment that had been pronounced on one who had misused his position among God’s people. He worked before the king, but used that status to his own advantage, much like the Jews during the days of the early church. The Jews had once been the chosen people of God, but no longer carried the keys to the kingdom. They had been cast down from that position and replaced by the church established by Jesus Christ at Calvary. The Jews cast Christians out of their places of worship, but they had no authority to keep them from God. Access was not based on genealogy, but relationship to God’s Son. It was not held by man, but the door to the kingdom was set in place and opened by Jesus – the one who held the keys.

            They key of David is given by one who has the power to provide us an open door to the kingdom of God. Jesus set such a door before the people of the church. There is no man who has the ability to control our ability to walk through the open door of Jesus Christ. It is only through our supernatural experience of salvation that we access God. “The revelation had started with a vision of Christ with ‘the keys of death and of Hades’ in His hands (Rev. 1:8). Having such keys, Christ is able to open doors that have been barred to mortals.”[1] The church is not limited to worldly methods and ways. She is not limited by finite understanding and logic. God’s people stand before a door that gives them access to the throne room of their King. They stand before a door that ushers them into the very presence of Almighty God, creator of the heavens and earth, and One who has promised to provide and care for His people. It is from this position that the church must approach every obstacle, each trial, and all of her difficulties. It is from this place that the church of this world becomes the victorious church of God.

 

Jesus Opens the Door to Heavenly Power

 

            The people of Philadelphia had “but little power.” The church was likely small in number, and would not have the political influence of the Jews of their time. They would not have won the favor of the local government, or the society in which they lived. They had no possible means through which they could open the door to any of these things. If the church was to represent God in a place that was hostile to them it would only be through the supernatural power of God. Carol Rotz commented, “Christ opened the door for the Philadelphian church because they were too weak to open it themselves…their weakness may refer…specifically to the size of the Philadelpian church or to their insignificance against the synagogue leaders.”[2]

            In a world where the political powers seek to eliminate the name of God from every part of society and the religious order continually turns to worldliness for answers there remains only one way for the church to be the vessel through which God’s Heavenly Kingdom invades the world. It is through the supernatural power of Jesus Christ working in us each day! Jesus told us explicitly that He is the door that provides access to the throne of God: “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture” (John 10:9). As we walk in relationship with Him we are delivered into the very presence of God. We find ourselves in a place where our prayers are answered, not simply because we voiced them, but because they came from an offering of our own hearts giving God a place from which to work. Entrance through this door brings us face to face with God, and provides an avenue for His Holy Power to invade this sinful world.

            For countless generations the Jews awaited the presence of God. They believed He would set up a kingdom in Israel and restore them to prominence, but the presence never came. They carried on their rituals year after endless year and many never even noticed that God was not there. They had ritual and law, but like the church of our modern day, they lacked God’s supernatural power. When this power finally did come they did not notice. They did everything in their power to suppress it and hinder the work of God. But the power that threatened their comfortable religion was the full force of Heaven invading earth through the door Jesus opened for the church. “It was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two” (Luke 23:44, 45). As Jesus Christ hung on the cross of Calvary, the divide between man finite works and God’s infinite power was bridged by the One who took our sin on Himself and died on the Roman cross. It overcame the wall that sin had built keeping man from experiencing the work of God in His life, and among God’s people. On that day the keys of God’s kingdom were torn from the hand of the Jews and the door was forced open by the Son of God. In the climax of God’s redemptive plan, God’s power once again came to earth.

            It is this power that delivers the church through tribulation. Man can never do God’s work in his own power, or by his own authority. God has revealed the power through which difficulty is overcome. When the Jews returned from exile they faced the daunting task of rebuilding the city and the temple of God. Where would they turn? What resources would they use? How would they face opposition? The answer came to Zechariah: “Then he said to me, ‘this is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts’” (Zech. 4:6). It is not through our own wisdom, or sheer determination that the church endures and triumphs in this world. It is by the Spirit and the Word of God! We spend a great deal of time devising plans and schemes to overcome the obstacles of this world, but God has promised to lead us in His way. His Spirit will lead us as He is revealed through the Word. We may  face our trials in our own way, but our wisdom and strength always pale in comparison to what we find inside the door opened by Jesus Christ.

 

Jesus Opens the Door to Victory

 

            It would do us well to remember that even in a place like Philadelphia, the gates of hell will not prevail against God’s church (Matt. 16:18). Many Christians today look to the Jews to carry out God’s ultimate will, but that is not God’s plan. His plan is, and always has been, nothing less than victory. The Jews had political influence and access to places of worship, but their power could not overcome the church. The Jews were forsaken by God because of their failure to walk in covenant with Him, and His plan is to be carried out through the church. That is why Jesus said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together…and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you desolate” (Matt. 23:37).

            The church of the first century faced a battle that should not have been won. From a worldly perspective, they were outnumbered, outmatched, and had no resources with which to stand. But they stood before a door that would lead them to victory. They stood before the world with access to God. The door Jesus opens before us is never one that leads to defeat. While countless congregations close their doors for the final time each week, we find in Scripture that this is not the church of prophecy. The church established by God was built for victory, and nothing less. When will we learn that we do not have what it takes to overcome the world? We cannot stand against the powers of hell, but we serve one who has already defeated them. We need not fight the battle alone.

 

Jesus Opens the Door to Perseverance

 

            The promise of Jesus was not simply given to those who claim allegiance to Him, but all those who will live in light of this victory; the men and women who will stop at nothing to see God work in, and through, their lives and churches. Promises of stability were given to a church that lived in an unstable place. Today, those promises are given to a church that also lives in an unstable world. We see bombings like the one at the Boston Marathon, and stand on the brink of nuclear war on the Korean Peninsula. We read of war, crime, and carnality with each passing day, but Jesus places the door of victory before the faithful – those who will persevere in His ways. “Without faith it is impossible to please Him” (Heb. 11:6)…

            It is easy to pray, but it is difficult to pray faithfully. We begin expecting God to answer, but as they days, or months, or sometimes years, go by we find ourselves less devoted. We turn our attention and focus to the things of the world to answer the prayers for which we once trusted God. If we are to persevere faithfully we must realize that, like the Philadelphians, we have “but little power.” We must understand that faith is not simply the desire to ask God while acting on our own, but the belief that He will do what He has promised to do. H. Ray Dunning wrote, “Faith is not, as many suppose, a self-generated desire for certain things to happen. Rather, faith is a believing response to a divine promise…”[3] Are we really responding to situations in faith when we ask God for direction without waiting for His divine response? Sadly, we have conditioned ourselves to believe that as long as we pray for God to bless our ideas they must be His will. This cannot be.

            The open door is promised, not to those who help themselves, but those who persevere and overcome in the power of Jesus Christ. Leonard Ravenhill said, “God honors not wisdom nor personality but faith…Faith links our impotence to His omnipotence.”[4]

 

Jesus Opens Doors In the World Through the Church

 

            We live in a world where people have become increasingly disenfranchised by the church. We can’t go anywhere without hearing the stories of how someone was “hurt” by the church, or how the people acted like hypocrites in one way or another. We can’t discount all of those things, but we must also remember that God works through the church. This is not considered politically correct in our modern world, but the church is a necessary part of the Christian life. It is through the church that we find fellowship among others with whom we serve. This fellowship cannot be found in any other place. If our families are not Christian it can’t take place with them. If our friends do not know Christ we do not know fellowship. There is no relationship through which we fulfill the commands about our relationships with one another except the church.

            When we experience salvation we find ourselves face to face with this open door. If we are to walk with God, we have no choice but to enter into relationship with Him through that door. We cannot choose to be a Christian, but not part of the church. Scripture tells us that, “The Lord added to their [the churches] number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). If God has added us to the church, who are we to remove ourselves? Yet thousands of people do so each year. We cannot walk in relationship with Christ without also finding ourselves in love with His Bride.  The door to God is opened to all. It is not limited by denomination, heredity, or ritual. This door is opened to all who will place their faith in Jesus. This makes us a member, not of “a church” but “the church.” The one true church of God. “He who is a member of the church anywhere is a member of the church everywhere, for church membership is a spiritual experience accompanying salvation. Church membership may be likened to citizenship.”[5]

            Those who enter this door do not only become part of the church, but “pillars” in God’s New Testament temple. They have the promise of stability that would have been meaningful for a city devastated by earthquakes in ancient times, and is just as meaningful for a church devastated by a sinful world in modern times.  This city was also given a heavenly name, “New Jerusalem.” The city that had changed names multiple times over the decades, confusing the identity of its citizens, found in the church a heavenly name, one that could not be changed by worldly forces or overcome by sinful powers.

            These promises are offered to the church today. The promises of stability and identity. The promise of fellowship with God, power from heaven, and victory over sin. We do not walk through this door by human ingenuity, but by faith in God. Faith in His power, and His victory. In our search for stability and identity the church looks to numerous sources today, but we need look no further than Jesus Christ, the one who holds the keys to the door before us.

 

            The church of Sardis was left with the threat of the coming of Christ. The church of Philadelphia was encouraged and found hope in the same event that demanded the repentance of others.[6] “Many miss the commendation of our Lord because of prayers they leave unuttered, service they will not, commandments they refuse to keep, tithes they will not render, and souls they fail to win.”[7] Because of their faithful perseverance a door had been opened before them. Jesus Christ can open that same door before us today. He can empower His church to do anything that is within God’s will. He can overcome any opposition and deliver us through every tribulation. Jesus stands before the church as the gateway to the heavenly city of God. He is the only gateway. Is it through Him that we will choose to enter?

           

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[1] Richard K. Eckley, Revelation: A Commentary for Bible Students (78)

[2] Carol Rotz, Revelation: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition (83)

[3] H. Ray Dunning, Abraham (52)

[4] Leonard Ravenhill, Why Revival Tarries (73)

[5] A.F. Gray, Christian Theology(126)

[6] Ray Summers, Worthy Is the Lamb (123)

[7] Lillie McCutcheon, The Symbols Speak (27)