Life for the Body

Revelation 3:1-6

 

            One morning as I was hunting for turkey I noticed something. I went to the alfalfa field behind my house before daylight and set up my decoys. As the sun began to rise the cars that drove by the field started to slow down to look at what they believed were turkeys in the field. One truck stopped and rolled down his window to get a better view. A young child crawled over into the driver’s seat to see the animals in the field. After a minute or two the truck drove on, but came back a few minutes later. This time the passenger window came down as it stopped and they watched for a little longer. They drove off but came back one more time about fifteen minutes later. They kept coming back to watch the animals in the field, but what they did not notice was that the two turkeys in the field never moved. Each time they came back they were in the same place and even standing in the same position. In fact, what they were watching were not turkeys at all, they were my decoys! The people in that truck believed they were watching wild animals, but what they were actually watching weren’t even real animals. If they had looked a little closer they would have found that things were not what they seemed to be. But this truth is not limited to animals (or what we think are animals) in a field. It happens in our spiritual lives, and happens more often than we should admit in the church.

            The church of Sardis teaches us that everything is not always what it seems to be. Sometimes our perspective is limited and we do not see everything that is happening in the church. From our vantage point it may seem like everything is exactly what it needs to be. It may look like everything is going well and we have every reason to be comfortable, but that is all too often not the case. Nearly everything about Sardis illustrates this for us.

            Sardis was the place where gold and silver coins were first struck. Much of the gold in the Roman Empire was mined there giving the city great wealth. There was a large temple dedicated to Artemis, and a large Jewish synagogue also dominated the social landscape of the city.[1] The people of the city were wealthy, and the church even seemed to thrive in that place.

            Sardis seemed to be a busy church. They were doing all the things that a church is “supposed” to do. If it were a church of our day they would have had a thriving youth program, a dynamic pastor who spent all his time with the people while still maintaining a great devotional life, a top-notch worship leader and the greatest outreach program available at the time. Their reputation in the community was unmatched, and they were respected by all. Everything seemed to be falling together perfectly.

            This is the case for many congregations today. They have everything that the church growth experts recommend, but God is not necessarily blessing their work. From our perspective it may look that way, but in spite of their busyness they are not walking any closer to God than they were last month, or even last year. Things are happening, but not God’s things. The community sees what they perceive as a place of spiritual vitality and life, but what they actually view is an imitation – a fake! They see a church that once served God faithfully, but has fallen asleep to His truth and His ways in favor of the ideas and gimmicks of the world. Lillie McCutcheon commented on such a church when she said, “When Satan puts a church to sleep, the victory is in his hands.”[2]

            When we consider the state of the church today we must remember what Scripture teaches us about the purpose and call of God’s people. We also must remember to whom the church is accountable. God’s people are not measured by the standards of the world, or by their application of the ideas of today’s church growth experts. The church is measured against God’s word, and God’s word alone. Nothing that we invent or produce makes a difference in God’s assessment of the church. It is only God who gives life to the Body of Christ. It is only His Spirit who will bring vitality and revival to this body.

 

Our Works Do Not Give Us Life

 

            The works Christians do are not bad things. In fact, Scripture tells us that our faith must result in good works. “For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead” (James 2:26). Our works are necessary, but they do not bring life to the Body of Christ. Works are a result of our faith; the outworking of God’s work in our hearts. Action should be taken on what we claim God has led us to believe, but our action must be taken in light of this revelation. For a couple of generation it would seem that we have neglected this truth. We do not lack for works in the church, but we do lack Spirit-led, God-inspired, Scripture-fulfilling works that grow out of our faith in God and His Word. We have forgotten that it is not enough for us to do good things, but we must do the very things that we claim to believe.

            The church has no problem sponsoring food pantries or sending money to missions, and these are good things. But the church does have a problem living out the commands of Scripture. The Bible tells us that we are to live a life of holiness, dedicated to God, but the consecrated life is harder to find among Christians. Without the fulfillment of the commands of Scripture in our lives none of our good works mean anything. They are the same as the works of the church of Sardis: incomplete!

            God has not simply called His people to good works, but complete works – the type of works that accomplish His purposes. The people of Sardis were no doubt busy, but God’s work remained undone. This is the problem the church faces today. We feel the need to dictate to God what works His people will do. We decide what needs to happen, or what the church is supposed to do and then demand that God bless our ideas. We cannot claim “perfection” or “completeness” of works if we are attempting to manipulate the power of God through our own devices. Isaiah asked, “Shall the axe boast over him who hews with it, or the saw magnify itself against him who wields it” (Isa. 10:15)?

            The busyness we have accepted in place of God’s works keeps us from experiencing His power. If we are to witness the triumphant church it will be when we replace the works that fill our lives and overwhelm our time with the Scriptural commands of God’s Word. It will be when our works become God’s works, and they become the result of our walk with God rather than a substitute for that relationship. “The problem today is that churches are striving to win their world to Christ without first having been revived themselves. The result is spiritually comatose church members going door-to-door asking unbelievers if they would live to have what they have – spiritual anemia!”[3] If others are to be impacted by our spiritual lives our existence must be just that: spiritual. When our focus is primarily spiritual, the works of the church become spiritual rather than simply good, civic works.

 

Our Reputation Does Not Give Us Life

 

            When our works our spiritual we will need to understand that people will not respond the way they did to our social activities. Sometimes other Christians will look down on what we do. They may tell us that we have become “so heavenly minded we’re no earthly good.” We will not be accepted by those who teach a social gospel, or the movements who have devalued the spiritual aspects of our life. As difficult as these circumstances are for us to accept, it is imperative that we realize that what the world thinks of the church has no bearing on what God thinks of His people.

            We spend lifetimes trying to build a reputation with the world. We do the things the world does, act like the world, and look like the world. We seldom do anything that distinguishes the church in the name of “acceptance.” We have been led to believe that unless the world accepts us we cannot do ministry, but Scripture teaches no such thing. When we look to the world we begin to measure ourselves against their standards making the Word of God something of secondary importance. We live in fear that we may not offer what someone wants, or may not meet each felt need. We become nothing more than a civic organization that helps people feel a little better about their lot in life. The church is no longer a transforming agent in the world when reputation becomes our motivation. Fear takes hold of the hearts of God’s people and they wilt in the face of pressure. The truth is, we have never been instructed to measure up to the standards of the world. And it is actually sinful to fear the world. “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10:28).

            The time has come for Christians to face the reality that the sinful world should not look highly upon God’s church. Jesus said, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers of the false prophets” (Luke 6:26). The church must not have a reputation that aligns her with the world, but one that distinguishes her. A reputation that causes God’s people to stand out as those who have been called out of the world, and into His holiness.

 

Life Comes Through God’s Spirit

 

            Jesus told the church of Sardis that He held the presence of God’s Spirit. He held in His hand the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. The messengers that came to each church were sent by Jesus Christ, and the Spirit who would empower the church came directly from His hand. “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (John 6:63).

            We look to the world today to organize the church. Men and women write countless books on methods and gimmicks to bring growth to the church. We will do almost anything to add numbers to the church, except rely on the provisions made by Jesus Christ. It is through Him that we find direction and power. It is through the Spirit that we find vitality in our Christian lives and the church. The triumphant church looks not within, or around, but to the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit who was sent by Jesus Christ to guide her to victory over the sin-cursed world. Neil Wiseman wrote, “The supernatural is as necessary to the Church as oxygen is necessary for human life. We die without either!”[4]

            The presence of the Spirit is reserved for those who are submissive to God’s will; for those who will spend their time in prayer, seeking and submitting to the will of God. There were some in Sardis who had not defiled their garments. These are the people who will lead the church back to her supernatural roots. It is those who walk undefiled, relying on the power of prayer, the presence of the Spirit, and the working of the Word who will experience God’s reviving power in this day. But the church must be willing to follow them. They should not be the object of ridicule and scorn, but those from whom we seek direction, knowing that they are in contact with the God of Heaven. They stand before His throne each day, and understand what it means to commune with Him.

            It is the realization that God has something supernatural for our lives and our church that brings repentance. “A repenting church is God’s condition for revival, and it is always corporate repentance!”[5] It is repentance that turns us from the world, and its sinful, fallen ways back to the supernatural power of God. Repentance revives and awakens the church because it turns her attention to the one place that it belongs – to God’s throne! “When the supernatural is restored, the church becomes a meeting place with the holy god, who jars us into self-judgment and beckons us to a radical reordering of individual, institutional, and spiritual priorities.”[6] Repentance requires us to turn to the spiritual. It requires a rejection of the worldly, temporal things that consume so much of our focus and a turn to God and His power. This is what we would truly consider a living church. This is what the church of Sardis lacked.

           

            “A living church is a learning church, a church submissive to the teaching authority of the apostles. Its pastors expound Scripture from the pulpit. Its parents teach their children out of the Scriptures at home, and its members read and reflect on   the Scriptures every day in order to grow in Christian discipleship. The Spirit of god leads the people of God to honor the word of God.”[7]

 

            Where does the church of our day look for life? In Sardis they looked to their works and reputation. Today some look to programs and others to gimmicks. Some look to their pastors and many to national spiritual leaders. Life does not come from our works or our reputations, our leaders or their ideas. It comes from Jesus Christ, and His Spirit living among us. It comes from submission to the Spirit’s guidance and discernment of His will. We can do all the works we want to do, but it is the one who holds the seven spirits of God who will revive and awaken the church. A reputation of good works does not make us the church, it is having an ear to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

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[1] Carol Rotz, Wesleyan Commentary (79)

[2] Lillie McCutcheon, The Symbols Speak (26)

[3] Blackaby, Fresh Encounter (18)

[4] Neil Wiseman, The Untamed God (26)

[5] Blackaby, What the Spirit is Saying to the Churches (20)

[6] Wiseman (24)

[7] John Stott, The Living Church (25)

Confessions of a Thankful Heart

Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth.           -Psalm 50:2

We don’t have to look very far in our day to find criticisms of the church.  We need go no further than our local Christian bookstore to read about all the ways the church is “getting it wrong.”  If we aren’t feeling ambitious enough to go to the bookstore we can find this attitude perpetrated on thousands of web sites.  If you type the question, “What’s wrong with the church today?” into Google you will find 76,500,000 hits.  A lot of the criticism deals with the idea that we are too “narrow” when it comes to doctrine, and that the church today is “judgmental” and “legalistic.”  Everywhere we go we are told that doctrine doesn’t matter anymore and we need to change course and focus entirely on the mission of getting people to make a profession of faith, even at the expense of compromising the Word of God.  We call that being “missional.”  Is it possible that in spite of all the criticism, maybe the church isn’t so wrong on some of these things?  I understand that there are certainly issues in every congregation that need to be addressed, but as I consider some of the things we claim to be wrong I find that I don’t think they are all entirely bad.  In fact, I have to confess that I am grateful for some of them.

1)       The Issue of Narrow Mindedness.  We have all struggled with those who will not open their mind to the truth God has to reveal to them, and I understand that this is a problem.  But some people in our day seem to want us to be so open-minded that we will accept things that we know to be wrong.  We are expected to ignore what the Bible says about divorce and holiness.  We are considered narrow-minded if we make the claim that God has called us to live above sin.  I am thankful that there are some who are willing to be true to God’s Word in spite of the unfounded accusations against them.  Some of the greatest influences on my life and ministry are those who have been willing to stand firm in the truth whether it’s popular or not, and for those faithful men and women I am grateful.

 

2)       The Issue of Legalism.  Scripture teaches us that we are called to be holy, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy (1 Peter 1:16, 17).”  Don’t mistake this, I’m not condoning that we become tyrannical about the way people dress or look.  I don’t believe that those things make us holy, but I do find a standard in Scripture for God’s people.  There are some things that Christians just should not do.  And there are some things in Scripture that are very clear and should not be compromised.  This postmodern idea that truth is different for everyone and each person should use the Bible as they see fit has no basis in the revelation of God that we have in Scripture.  Countless thousands are misled today by those who teach that we can live however we want to live as long as we claim to be a Christian.  We have lost the glory of God that comes through the transformed lives of those who are truly saved.  I am grateful for those who will uphold and teach the standard set for in Scripture of Christlikeness. 

 

3)       The Issue of Judgmentalism.  I’m not saying that we are free to tell everyone we meet everything they’re doing wrong.  I am saying that I am grateful for those who are close to me, and their willingness to tell me when I am off base.  I am grateful that they will tell me when I am not thinking clearly and can do so without fear of me telling them they are “judging me.”  We claim we want to be submissive to God, but the fact is that, at times, we deceive ourselves and are blinded to things in our lives that need to be pointed out. 

 

4)       The Issue of Truth.  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.  Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them (Hebrews 13:8, 9).  We are told that everyone has a different doctrine, so it is not worth our time to study it.  In a world that does not recognize definite truth I am thankful for direction and guidance from God’s Word.  We do not have to stumble around in the darkness trying to find direction.  God has called us to a life lived in His light!  This keeps us from being subject to the constantly changing whims of man, the trends of the world, and the fads embraced by the church.  It is truth, Jesus told us, that will set us free!  When other search for some foundation in this sin-cursed world, we build on the truth of Jesus Christ.  What greater gift could God have given us than Jesus, the embodiment of His truth and character?  I do not claim to know every truth in all the world, but we can stand firm on what God has revealed to us.  It is unchanging, uncompromising, and definite.  I am thankful that we can sing as we did in days past, “When the voice of heaven sounded warning all to flee, from the darksome courts of Babel back to Zion free, Glad my heart to hear the message and I hastened to obey, and I’m standing in the truth today.”

 

The world around us teaches that the church is irrelevant to our modern culture, and if God’s church is to survive “everything must change.”  Despite the constant rhetoric, some of these things are not wrong.  In spite of the difficulties we face today, the church is still God’s city.  The church remains a place where God provides for, and empowers His people.  We talk a lot about the things that aren’t going well in the church, but I remain grateful.  Grateful for the people God has placed around me to share this journey of faith.  Grateful for the truth of His Word and those who have made it their life’s work to carry that truth, clergy and laity alike.  Maybe we would be better served if we quit worrying so much about what we think is wrong, and spend our time doing what God says is right.  My ministry has never been without trial.  There have been difficulties and frustrations, but as I reflect on the church, I do so with a grateful heart.

When God Moves In

Have you ever gone somewhere that you had not been for a long time?  Every time I go back to the town where I was born it seems to have changed somehow.  The changes I see are not just small changes, but major ones.  Factories have shut down and stand vacant.  Restaurants and storefronts have changed hands and become something different.  Nothing stays the same.  While these changes seem significant and drastic to me, those who live there seldom notice.  Things change so gradually that they pay little attention.

            This is not only the case in the world around us, in our towns and community.  It happens in our spiritual lives.  We go to church each weak (ideally) and do the things we have always done, but after a time things just seem different.  We have become so accustomed to the things we are supposed to be doing “for God,” and so focused on those things that when we step back to look at the landscape within the church we notice that God is not even a part of the scenery, much less the focal point.  I can’t help but wonder if this is how Jesus felt that day when He walked into the temple.

            The people of Israel built the temple as a place for God to dwell among them.  For a time He did.  They saw the fire and smoke and new that God was there.  But over time things changed.  Worship became ritual, and eventually the manifest presence of God disappeared – and the people never noticed!  For hundreds of years things went on in the temple without the presence of God.  And then, after four hundred years, Jesus came onto the scene.  When He walked into the temple the presence of God was there once again.  But what He saw was not what had been intended when Solomon built that place for the people to worship Him.

            Since the last time God had inhabited the temple man had changed things.  When Herod rebuilt the temple he strayed from the plan God had given originally.  To carry political favor, he added a courtyard for the Gentiles.  They were allowed to go no further than this courtyard, and as far as they understood, could get no closer to God.  The high priest, Caiaphas, had established a market in the Gentiles’ courtyard to compete with those on the Mount of Olives.  Of course, the temple inspectors would turn down any sacrifice bought outside, and these ones were sold for up to 200 times more than those outside the temple.  This place that sold sacrifices for the people would be the equivalent of our local congregation opening a drive-thru baptism and communion service.  The Saducees required that the temple tac be paid with Tyrian coins which bore pagan images rather than Greek or Roman coins.  The money-changers charged a 15% interest rate to make the necessary exchange.  The income from all this would be the equivalent of 40 to 45 thousand dollars today, which would have been an unimaginable amount of money in those days. 

            Jesus walked into a temple that had been intended to bring God closer to man, but it had become a place that widened the gulf that separated man from their King.  When Jesus overturned the tables, and ran the money-changers off He was cleansing the temple of things that kept man from God.  On that day, God showed once again that His desire is for people to draw near to Him, and to live in His presence.  But too often, the priests and religious leaders of the time had forgotten this.  They used the temple of God for their own gain, and for selfish purposes.  That’s why Jesus said , But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces.  For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in (Matthew 23:13).  Men had used what God had given them to suppress one another, and restrict access to their creator.  But when God walked through the temple door on that day things changed.  What would happen if God walked through the door of the temple of our hearts today?  What changes might be necessary in this temple built without hands?  Consider with me what happens to the church when God moves in.

           

            When God walked into the temple embodied by Jesus Christ sinful things were cleansed.  Those things that bore pagan images and took the focus from God were removed.  It was not things that were happening in the Holiest Place that angered Him, but things that were happening even in the outermost courtyard.  Because of the things happening out on the fringes of the Temple Jesus compared that place to the dens and caves inhabited by thieves outside of the city.  The priests had turned this into a place to hold the riches they stole from those who were seeking God.  They had become the embodiment of the prophecies of Ezekiel, Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves…you do not feed the sheep.  The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed (Ezekiel 34:2, 3)…

            Jesus would tolerate a system that excluded people from the service of God.  He would not allow those of influence to keep others from making the sacrifices they had been called to make in favor of their own sinful preferences.  These people believed that sin would benefit them personally, so they tolerated in in this outer courtyard of the temple.  When men and women who earnestly wanted to know the presence of God came in, they found a temple devoid of Yahweh.  God had promised years before, The Lord is with you while you are with him.  If you seek him, he will be found by you (2 Chronicles 15:2)… 

            Often we tolerate sin when it builds our pride or benefits our pocketbooks.  The priests did both.  Jesus cleansed the temple of these things to show that God desired man to come to Him.

 

            When Jesus walked in the temple and began to drive away the sinful things God’s power became evident.  Those who were there did not form a mob to try and stop him.  They simply stood by and watched.   The power of God working through the people of God cannot be stopped.  We look around us today and see the church – God’s people – stumbling powerless through the world.  The people of Israel had done things their way four centuries, but the power of God was always missing from their efforts.  The church today practices the same futility.  We work on our five-year plans and form our long-range vision committees.  The longer I study Scripture the more I am convicted that anything more than the revelation of God and the guidance of His Holy Spirit is wrong for the church.  We have spent the better part of half a century trying to do things our way in the church and we have seen little progress.  But history proves again and again that when God moves in we know without a doubt that He is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work (2 Corinthians 9:8). 

            When we look around the church, we shouldn’t have the great talent and skills of people to talk about and glorify.  The most talented people on earth cannot compare to the work done in the power of God.  When God moves into His temple the work that is done is far greater than anything we could design, orchestrate, or administrate.  We will not be able to take the credit because God’s work is beyond what we could ever do.  Even the children noticed this in the work of Jesus.  The children would never have been allowed to speak in the temple, but when the power of God began to work their joy and praise could not be contained.  God’s power brings judgment on the corrupt religions of our society that try to manipulate Him and show His glory to those who humbly seek Him.

 

            When God moved into the temple in Jesus, the hearts of the people were captured by His holiness and purity.  They were consumed with His power and they sang out to Him, Hosanna to the Son of David!  They turned their attention from the sacred attire and formal rituals of the priests to the power of God at work right there among them. 

            At time we seem to convince ourselves that we can continue on without God’s presence and conjure up the appearance until He shows up again.  We tell ourselves that if we just keep doing what we always do (the epitaph of many dying churches) God will eventually honor our cold, dead ritual.  There are always people who see through that ritual and simply seek the presence of God.  There will always be those who are unimpressed with big budgets, and professional-looking program and our little skits and plays.  They want to see God, and will do anything to experience a revival of His works.  Those who understand the revelation in Scripture realize that we are blessed, not for performing ceremony, but for drawing near to God as Scripture commands.  Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts!  We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple (Psalm 65:4)!  God honors those who know, A day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.  I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness (Psalm 84:10).

 

            It is exciting to image God’s people overwhelmed by His presence and the joy of being close to Him overflowing from their hearts.  But as uplifting as this thought is, there will always be some who meet God’s presence and power with indignation.  We would expect this from the people of the world because they do not know God.  But all too often it’s the religious leaders who respond this way when God moves into His temple.  Verse 15 tells us this.  The leaders of the religious structure of the time were more interested in the integrity of the structure than they were the presence of God, and they were not alone.  We use rivers of ink and mountains of paper to publish writings about how we should structure the church.  There is nothing inherently wrong with the necessary organization, but it cannot become the focal point of our ministry.  The more organization we create the more control we have, and this violates the government of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit taught in Scripture. 

            The presence of God is unwelcome to some because it threatens our control.  The people who were seeking God began to praise Jesus and ceased to look to the religious leaders in that day.  Their faith was turned away from those who had controlled the functions of God’s people.  Some, even in our day, will stop at nothing to keep this control.  They have placed the church in the same bondage in which the Jewish religion found itself in the time of Christ.  Too many times we find ourselves in bondage to the creation of man to the extent that it becomes difficult to do ministry.  We are obligated to ministries that no longer accomplish what they were intended to do and in bondage to the tradition that we have established.  After a time these things begin to take the place of God as we convince ourselves that if we just keep doing these things God will honor them.  We plan and budget around them whether God has moved or not, and we seldom – if ever – voice a prayer to ask God if it is still within His will for us to do these things.  We just assume that God will submit Himself to our will, and wonder why some of the things we do struggle along and will not go. (This is not a commentary on the Bible studies and church services missed by those who choose sports or hobbies first, we know those are God’s will because Scripture tells us so.)

            Those who are determined to maintain the integrity of the social club that we have built cannot allow the presence of God to fill His temple.  Then the attention of the people is turned from some of those things to the will of God.  His power is sought and the people begin to understand the words of Jesus, It is written, “My house shall be called a house of prayer…”  The temple Jesus cleansed had been put in a position where people could not even come to seek God’s will through prayer.  There was so much commotion and noise from the things of man happening that God would never be found there; His still, small voice would not be heard.  We cannot allow ourselves to forget the purpose of the church.  It is the dwelling place of God.  When we come together it is not first and foremost for social gatherings.  There is nothing wrong with building relationships, but we have often sacrificed the presence and power of God in favor of those social functions which have become sacred to us and taken center-stage in the church.  Bill Konstantopoulos tells us, “There are times we get so engulfed in the organization that we confuse our ways with God’s ways and have the tendency to assume the role of the Holy Spirit and ignore the instructions of God’s Word.”  He reminds us further,

 

“As unpopular as it may appear in our days, I believe that legalistic, dry, self-centered organizations keep the church in many localities in bondage, hinder the freedom of the Spirit, deny the authority of God’s word, and have turned the people of God into a social club with human rules and regulations, erasing the distinct mark of the people of God.”

 

            We have lived for countless decades without the presence of God – in His church and in our personal lives.  Isn’t it time we put off all of our own ideas and let God move in?

            If the people of Israel were ever going to experience the presence of God, the tradition of man had to be overcome.  Jesus knew this.  Those who needed a fresh experience, something more than ritual, met God with praise and adoration.  They rejoiced at the fresh outpouring of power they witnessed in the temple that day.  It was those who were happy with the status quo, their influence and affluence, and their sense of power who despised the presence of God.  The Lord showed up for the first time in half a millennium, and they were so focused on themselves that they missed it.  What might keep us from experiencing the presence of God today?  When God moves, how do we receive His presence?

The Nature of the Beast: It Denies the Truth

And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority.      -Rev. 13:1, 2

I recently read a blog written by a professor from Warner University. He was commenting on a book that was written in defense of creation, and explaining that the authors of the book did not have the academic credentials to write authoritatively on such a topic. He asks how the authors are competent to address college biology instruction since they do not possess master’s degrees in biology. That is a fair question if our concern is primarily college degrees, but when do we forget about such things in favor of seeking the truth? The fact that this professor challenged the credentials of the authors rather than the assertions they made raises such a question. Are we really looking for truth, or do we simply take the word of those who have worldly credentials?

Scripture reminds us that God is not subject to the standards, or the wisdom of the world. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God (1 Cor. 1:27-30). God told the people of Israel, For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isa. 55:9). If we believe these statements to be God-inspired truth, why do we continually measure truth against the standards set in place by man? Those who continue to seek God’s truth find themselves in the same position as Christians in the first century. We stand in opposition to a beast.

Historically, the Church of God has interpreted the symbols of the 13^th chapter of Revelation in one of two ways. F.G. Smith and many of the early teachers of the movement taught that the first beast in chapter 13 represents the man-made Roman Church. (I make no pretense about the fact that I believe this interpretation to be true.) Others believe that this beast represents some form of emperor worship. My contention is that regardless of which interpretation we follow, we find ourselves standing against the same type of beast today. Whether we consider the beast Papalism, or worship of the government of man, we are in a position where the standards of man oppose God’s Word.

There is nothing wrong with education, and certainly nothing wrong with pursuing the knowledge of God. However, it seems that sometimes we value the things we have put in place so much that we forget that God’s truth is greater than our ideas. We forget that God’s truth is eternal, and is to be discovered by His people, not created by them. Os Guinness wrote, “With postmodernism teaching that truth is ‘created, not discovered,’ the premium on the ‘best and brightest’ increases and the prize becomes the triumph of intellect over reality” (A Time for Truth, 60).

We may not admit it, but God’s truth is reality even when it is contrary to our opinions and ideas. We can make every attempt to rationalize and explain it away, but we cannot change the truth any more than we can change God Himself. To attempt to do so is to follow the way of the beast. And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words…It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them (Rev. 13:5-7).  The word “blasphemies” literally means “vilification.” So the beast that man has created vilifies the work of God. It vilifies the truth of God, and makes war on the saints who live in light of this truth. Is this not what is happening when those in positions of influence attack the credentials of those who are brave enough to stand upon God’s Word even in a hostile environment? The desire for truth has largely given way to the rationalization of man’s structures. Guinness explained the results of such an occurrence, “In short, rationalization not only quenches the true Christian spirit, it helps turn the revolutionary into the routine, the insight into the institution” (The Last Christian on Earth, 142).

The beast in John’s vision must have been an awesome sight: and they worshipped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?” (Rev. 13:4). The institutions we have put in place today are no less impressive. Man stands in awe of his own creation as it leads us into the wilderness. It turns our attention from the source of all truth, and speaks blasphemies as it teaches us to deny the Word of God. We look back on history wondering how man could be misled by some of the tyrants who have appeared through the course of time. We wonder how we could be so gullible as to accept some of the ideas that we have put in place, and how we could have denied what God had taught so clearly in His Word. We see the results of man’s rule in the world, and in the church, but we seldom seem to learn from history. The people of God were oppressed when the “church” decided that they were not adequate to read the Word and apply it under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. When the common man had nothing to offer God, and the Word was given only to those in positions of man-made authority dark times ensued.

Are we really that much different today? By whose authority do we live? Where do we look for truth? There is nothing wrong with books, and those who write them. There is nothing inherently wrong with our institutions of education. But are they really the final word? Are they an avenue to find the revelation of God’s truth, or have we elevated them to the position of a beast?

The Nature of the Beast: It Cannot Be Tamed

The twelfth chapter of Revelation shows us a picture of God’s church as the pure bride of Christ. And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars” (Rev. 12:1). We see the bride of Christ exalted in the heavens, but she is not without opposition. John tells us of a great dragon waiting to oppose her; a dragon who would be followed by a series of beasts.

 

Chapter 17 draws a contrast between this woman who represents God’s holy church and another woman who represents the false church of this world: …and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast…The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and was adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abomination” (Rev. 17:4-6). If the woman from chapter 12 represents the pure church of God, this woman draws a sharp contrast. She is clothed in all the things that are valued by fallen man. She represents the riches and prominence that catches our attention. But our present purpose is not to consider this woman, but the beast on which she rides because it is this beast that shows us the danger of false religion in our day. It is this beast that carries the woman into the wilderness away from the purpose and direction of God.

 

What could such a beast represent? We need not speculate because Scripture reveals the answer. The seventh chapter of Daniel gives an account of a vision. Daniel saw four beasts rising out of the sea. The interpretation defines these beasts as representative of political systems, or kingdoms. These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth (Dan. 7:17). The beast referenced in chapter 17 has the same origin: And I saw a beast rising out of the sea (Rev. 13:1)… This beast in the thirteenth chapter has the same characteristics as the beast in the seventeenth chapter. The woman (the false church) rides on this same political system that we find in chapter 13. And the seventeenth chapter provides the place of origin of this great beast: And the angel said to me, “The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages” (Rev. 17:15).  The beast originated with man!

 

By now you’re wondering what this has to do with the church today. Why would we spend the time to consider visions of beasts and prostitutes? We study this symbolism because it shows us the opposition we face today. Not only opposition from the sinful things of the world, but opposition that comes from those who claim to be the church! Though Scripture teaches us what the church is supposed to be, and defines the role of leaders we find ourselves living in a day when Scripture no longer seems to be adequate. We always want something more: more structure, more control, more planning, more gimmicks, more bureaucracy. We place people in positions that were created by man rather than God; they lead us in worldly directions that were never intended by Jesus Christ when he established the church. The most dangerous opposition to the church today comes from the direction we are being led by the political systems and structures that we have put in place. Look where they led this prostitute: INTO THE WILDERNESS!

 

We tell ourselves that without our devices and programs the church will never succeed. Without our ideas and control we will never see people won to Christ. Without the authority of man the church can never be all that God called her to be. So we spend year after year doing God’s work in our own authority, but to pursue these futile endeavors is to place ourselves on the back of a beast. And that beast continually leads us away from God. It cannot be tamed, and we have put ourselves in a place where there is no control. We find ourselves in a situation that is little different from a secular government. We create and establish what we think we need, and it grows beyond our control as it carries the church out into the wilderness. We create and release these beasts into the world with no idea what the consequences may be. Many of them are the greatest opposition to God’s church today.

 

When man takes control, the very establishment that was supposed to be God’s vehicle to bring the gospel to a fallen world becomes little more than opposition to His work. C.E. Orr commented on this situation, “Christianity should be full of interest to all mankind, She not only cools the heated brow, cheers the drooping heart, and strews life's pathway with flowers of peace, but she deals with man's eternal destiny.  She will smooth the rough places all along his journey of life, and when he has come down to the end, it is she that will bear him across the valley and welcome him to the home prepared for his eternal inhabitancy.  Since the day of her nativity she has had a bitter obstinate foe, Satan, and wicked men have combined to bespoil her white robes and mar her fair form.  They have struggled long and hard to bring her low.  The have endeavored to extinguish her radiant light and defame her true character.  We have only to take a stroll through the halls of denominationalism to learn how far they have succeeded.  To many pews and pulpits our virgin has no excellence or beauty.  In the pulpit orator's exposition of her she is not exalted one whit above the coarse, vulgar world.   Satan has succeeded in veiling her fair form and true virtues from the hearts of many.  In the opinions of many she is reduced to a mere nothing.  Angels weep to see her fair robes trailed in the dust.  Those who pretend to love her have brought her to shame” (The Gospel Day, 10-11).

 

Have you ever wondered why we don’t see God move in great power today? Why the church seems impotent in the face of persecution and opposition? It’s because we have wrestled control away from God and climbed onto the back of a beast that is leading us away from Him. God will not settle for the position of consultant, He wants nothing less than His rightful place: King! Kyle Idleman explains, “God declines to sit atop an organizational flowchart. He is the organization. He is not interested in being president of the board. He is the board” (Gods At War, 23). Is this really the case in the church today? Can we honestly say that God is the one who sets the agenda? Does He reveal the direction? Does He dictate the doctrine we teach and the sermons we preach? The church can never live up to her God-given potential unless we can answer these questions with a resounding, “yes!”

 

Just like the prostitute, we value the things of the world. We look to the halls of academia and their sophisticated philosophies for direction. We pursue the business models of the world, and the methods of their leaders. We compromise the truth of God for the world’s version of success and find ourselves with little influence and no power. This is to be expected when our attention is turned from God. The beasts on which we ride never pursue His purposes, but always lead in a contrary direction. They take us to a place where we wander aimlessly hoping to find something that will give us a purpose and a vision. We peer hopelessly through the darkness expecting to find the Light from whose presence we have been carried. We largely buy the current lies of the world when they tell us that if we do not change we will “lose our brightest and our best.” Os Guinness wrote, “With postmodernism teaching that truth is ‘created, not discovered,’ the premium on the ‘best and brightest’ increases and the prize becomes the triumph of intellect over reality” (Time for Truth, (60).

 

There was a day when great preachers of God’s Word called us to flee from such beasts. They called us away from the rule of man, and the wilderness to which it leads. They called us to the purity of the gospel, and the authority of God’s word. They invited us to leave the things we control, and give ourselves up to the Spirit of God. Some may scoff at us for teaching such a message today, but Scripture has not changed. We need not wander through the wilderness because God has called us to something better, something more. Christianity delivers us, not only from the penalty of sin, but to the very presence of God. When the church is truly the church, our faith places us in complete harmony with God’s will and we experience the power of heaven. This is what led Martyn Lloyd-Jones to write, “Anything controlled by us, whether lifeless or lively, is not Christianity.  Christianity is that which controls us, which masters us, which happens to us” (Authentic Christianity, 22).

 

From where I stand the church needs direction today. We have forgotten who we are, whose we are, and where we’re going. But Lillie McCutcheon reminded us, “Confusion and chaos are the results of man's ignoring God.  God alone knows the pattern for the world created by His hand.  When man excludes God from his plans, it is as disastrous as flying a plane with only one wing.  Until we learn that the wing of materialism must have a balance-wing of spiritual strength, we shall continue going in circles and heading for calamity.  This is true politically, socially, scientifically, economically, and most of all religiously.  The Bible has the answer for our mixed-up world” (The Symbols Speak, 121).

 

We must remember that beasts only do what their nature leads them to do. We create them and try our best to tame them, but God has already provided all we need. The church does not need another structure or political system. The church needs the Word of God. It is only there that we will find the direction we need. It is only through the Word that we become the pure bride of Christ. Christ died that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish (Eph. 5:26, 27). Are we part of such a church?

The Realities of Christ

I had an English teacher in high school that used to tell us, “It is not reality, but one’s perception of reality that defines our actions and behavior.” In many circumstances that statement is true, and we see it illustrated all around us. When I was growing up my family never locked the doors of our home. There was little need to do so. We lived in a small town and crime was generally not something that was a great concern for us. We felt safe and trusted that God would protect us in our home. I had a friend who lived a few miles away whose family held the opposite perception of the town we lived in. Not only did they lock their doors when they left the house, they kept their doors and windows locked when they were home. They faced the same reality as my family, but perceived it in a different way. It is not my purpose to comment on the correctness of either perception, but to point out that our perception affects the way that we live.

            Perception affected the church of John’s day just like it does in our era. From the perspective of the early church there was little hope. The last apostle was in exile on Patmos, and the empire of Rome worked to stamp out their existence. As John considered the state of the church and wondered how God would work in such a hostile world his perception met reality. Jesus Christ revealed a vision that reminded John who established and sustains the church. He saw a vision of the glory of the one who built God’s church in this world; a vision that reminded him of the work that Jesus continued to do among God’s people. John wrote this vision to the church so that they could forge ahead into a hostile world with confidence that the reality of their situation was more hopeful than the common perception. Whether it was a church that considered their circumstances dire, or the Romans who believed that they could overcome God’s work, the reality was that Jesus Christ still carried out the work of God.

 

Jesus Walks Within the Church

 

            “Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the mist of the lampstands one like a son of man…” (Rev. 1:12, 13). No matter what the church faces, Jesus walks among His people. From the beginning of time God has desired fellowship with those who place their faith in Him. In the Old Testament we read about the construction of the tabernacle in the wilderness, and later, the temple in Jerusalem. God commanded the building of these structures so that He could live among His people. When John saw this vision of Jesus He was walking among His people – the place where we commonly expect to find God.

            Jesus does not simply walk among the church, but He does so in purity. William Barclay explains that the vision of His head and hair reveals the eternal purity of Christ to us. “The snow and the white wool are emblems of stainless purity.”[1] The Son of God walks within His church to establish the purity that defines Him among the people who represent Him. His purpose is to set them apart and purify them. “So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood” (Heb. 13:12).

            To sanctify the people, Jesus set them apart for one purpose. He overcomes the double-mindedness of those who seek to serve Him and the world simultaneously and turns our attention solely to God. He works to set the people apart so that the works of the world no longer distract from God’s work and witness through their lives. As God’s people interact with family and friends, go to work and school, and live with a testimony of their priorities, God is seen through the things they do. God does not want a church that serves Him as they work toward other things, but people who will put Him above all else. He looks for people who will act as if they represent Him in all aspects of their lives – because they do. That is why James wrote, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:8).

            In this vision of Christ, John saw One who is pure as well as one who is able to discern the purity of others. His eyes of fire pierce the depths of the soul and reveal the purity of our motives. As the church carries on the business of God’s kingdom it is necessary for us to assess our motives. People can speculate as to the motives of others, but no other person really knows. Nobody can really be positive why any of us do what we do, but Jesus Christ who walks among us always knows. He is aware of the reasons for our service to God. That alone should be enough to help us to be honest with ourselves about purity of motive.

            He does not simply stand within His church to judge His people, but walks among the lampstands of the temple and makes intercession for God’s people. “[His garment] is a description of the high priest…Jesus is our High priest, even in heaven.”[2] As we strive to live within God’s will Jesus stands before God on our behalf. “The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:23-25). No matter where God’s people find themselves, or what He calls them to do Jesus Christ stands as our eternal high priest. “He was girt about with a golden girdle, the breastplate of the high priest, on which the names of his people are engraven; he was ready girt to do all the work of a Redeemer.”[3]

 

Jesus Holds the Messengers to His Church

 

            The motives that seem to be called into question most often are the ones whom Jesus holds in His right hand. He tells us that the seven stars He holds are the angels of the seven churches. The term angel means messenger. Many scholars agree that this refers to the pastors of these congregations. Their ministry and fate lie in His hand of power (the right hand).

            Many Christians today have taken the fate of pastors into their own hands. They make judgments as to the motives and purposes of pastors.[4] As we consider the work of pastors it is important to be familiar with at least a few of the Scriptures that address the response of people to God’s messengers.

 

            During the time of Isaiah we read, “For they are a rebellious people, lying children, children             unwilling to hear the instruction of the Lord; who say to the seers, ‘Do not see,’ and to the           prophets, ‘Do not prophesy to us what is right; speak to us smooth things, prophesy illusion, leave        the way, turn aside from the path, let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel” (Isa. 30:9-            11).

 

            We read in Jeremiah, “Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the men of Anathoth, who seek       your life, and say, ‘Do not prophesy in the name of the Lord, or you will die by our hand’ –    therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Behold, I will punish them…’” (Jer. 11:21, 22).

 

            Amos wrote, “Now therefore hear the word of the Lord. ‘You say, “Do not prophesy against           Israel, and do not preach against the house of Isaac.” Therefore thus says the Lord: “…you       yourself shall die in an unclean land, and Israel shall surely go into exile away from its land”’”          (Amos 7:16, 17b).

 

            There is an authority given to those whom God has sent to His people as messengers. They are under a great burden to speak only God’s word and no others, but they possess this authority nonetheless. God could have sent heavenly beings to each congregation in this world. He could have thundered His direction from the highest mountain, or from the very throne room of heaven, but He did not. He chose to use those whom He has called to preach His word. Jesus Christ holds them in His right hand so that this word might be proclaimed clearly to the people of God. The Apostle Paul recognized this call when he wrote Romans: “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching” (Rom. 10:14)?

            It is imperative that the church of this day make every effort to understand the importance God places on this. “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe” (1 Cor. 21). When the rich man in Hell asked for one to be sent to his brothers the response from Abraham was, “They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them” (Luke 16:29). There are those who have been called by God to deliver His word, and Jesus Christ holds them in His hand. This is not to say that pastors are infallible, but far too many have lost sight of the fact that Jesus Christ has called them, and will protect them when necessary. There are times when it must be recognized that God will speak to them, and we must take heed.

 

Jesus Provides Everything Needed to Sustain the Church

 

            God has given us more than messengers of His word to sustain the church. It is no coincidence that each of the characteristics of Jesus in John’s vision are listed in the letters written to the churches in chapters two and three of Revelation. They see the Son of God as the One who provides for every need that they face, and today we live with the reality that He provides for all that we need.

            Jesus Christ stands among the people with feet “as burnished bronze.” When John saw these feet of bronze the vision of Ezekiel would have come to the forefront of his memory. Ezekiel saw four creatures bearing the throne of God among His people in exile. Ezekiel 1:7 tells us, “Their legs were strait, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf’s foot. And they sparkled like burnished bronze.”

            These beings that Ezekiel saw revealed the throne of God. They surrounded Him, and His light came from their midst. Jesus walks within the church as the one who brought the throne of God into the midst of man. He came into the darkness of the world to walk among man and restore his fellowship with the Holy Creator. No matter how much resistance we face from the world, God’s throne is still among those who will submit to Him. Through persecution and trial, tribulation and difficulty God’s presence is with us. This is a promise that the church carries into a hostile world.

            God’s throne is the place from which His word proceeds. Jesus bears the throne of God in the New Testament temple, and from this place proceeds the sword of His mouth. The word of God comes into the world through the church. When our perception tells us that we face overwhelming obstacles, God gives us a word that will overcome all enemies. “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb. 4:12).

            This sword of God’s word brings conviction that will cause the sinful world to stand exposed before God. It will work in each heart, and place each soul before the measuring rod of our Lord: “So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (Isa. 55:11).

            God’s word always carries power with it. That’s why John heard the voice of Jesus that was “like the roar of many waters.” Matthew Henry commented, “His voice was as the sound of many waters, of many rivers falling in together. He can and will make himself heard to those who are afar off as to those who are near. His gospel is a profluent and might stream, fed by the upper springs of infinite wisdom and knowledge.”[5]

            Just like a rushing river the word of God cannot be held back. Man may put a dam in front of it to slow its progress, but the power of God builds behind it until it cannot be contained. It will always burst forth into the world with the full power of heaven. It can be suppressed, but never contained, slowed but never stopped. Jesus spoke to the church in such a way as the world could not overcome the wisdom and power delivered by the Son of God. If our words, once spoken, cannot be taken back, how much harder would it be to stop what has been spoken by God about the church? Can anyone stop His promises, or hope to inhibit His power? No power on earth, or from hell, can keep God from carrying on His work through the willing, submissive soul. Our perception may tell us that things are hopeless, but the reality we live is that we serve a God whose very word cannot be overcome. It will work when it becomes a reality in the lives of His people.

 

            There are thousands of directions the church can look today for something that will sustain God’s work. We can consider each circumstance we face and the felt need of each person, but how can we possibly act on so many different perceptions of reality? The reality the church faces today is the same as the one John faced. Jesus Christ walks among us; holding the fate of those He has called; testing our motives and purifying us; interceding on behalf of God’s people; redeeming lost souls; speaking the word of God and overcoming enemies. We base our view of reality on a lot of different things, but shouldn’t it be on only one? Shouldn’t the church live on the reality of Jesus Christ?

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[1] William Barclay, Daily Study Bible, 49

[2] Adam Clarke, Commentary 973

[3] Matthew Henry,  Commentary 904

[4] I cannot discount that there are pastors who do not carry out their biblical responsibilities, and each one must be measured against Scripture. It seems that in our current social climate pastors are far more often judged based on the consumer mentality of man.

[5] Matthew Henry, Commentary 904