The Business of the Kingdom

Luke 19:11-27

 

            Max Gualke once wrote, “The Kingdom of God exists first and always to articulate the true nature of God and his righteous rule among men…The entire object of God’s Kingdom and rule is to save men from sin.”  This is the type of kingdom that took the world by storm when Jesus Christ entered the scene.  He came with the full power of heaven and the spiritual resources to fundamentally change the fallen race of mankind, and his intent was nothing less than transformation of hearts, lives and the culture of the people who would bear his name.  This purpose is what Jesus taught when he told this parable in the 19^th chapter of Luke. 

            Jesus Christ came to replace the hard hearts of man with a new heart; a heart that is sensitive to the work of the Spirit whom Jesus sent to write the law of God’s Kingdom on our hearts.  Consider the prophecy of Ezekiel, “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you.  And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh (Ezek. 36:26).”  In his book, The Message of Holiness, Derek Tidball writes, “When a country is taken over by a new power, wholesale changes often follow: cities are renamed, signs are redone, customs are reconsidered, and sometimes even the language is replaced.  So it is with the Holy Spirit.  He works both to secure a new position for believers and a new practice in their lives as well.” 

            Jesus taught his disciples of a master who went into a far country to receive a kingdom.  While he was gone he left his servants with a sizable amount of money and the command, “Engage in business until I come.”  But what kind of business was Jesus talking about, and what does this instruction mean for those of us who serve him today?  In our lives, what does it mean to engage in Kingdom business?

 

            The business to which Jesus called his people was a commerce that would change the world they were invading – not by revolutionary force – but by the spiritual investment made by their master.  He did not simply send empty-handed servants into this foreign land, but invested in the work he sent them to do.  Despite the defeatist attitude taken by many in the church today, God prepares His people to succeed in their endeavors for the Kingdom.

            The investment made in our lives by God is eternal in nature.  It will have effects that last far beyond our own lifetimes.  Events that took place long before I was alive have affected my own spiritual life.  In 1914 a young man named Blair Radaker was saved during a revival service in Middle Run, Pennsylvania.  Blair was my great-grandfather.  He felt God’s call to begin preaching as a teenager and the influence of that ministry was felt for generations to come.  I preach the word of God for the fourth generation because of the investment God made in the life of that teenage boy a hundred years ago.  Blair accepted the invitation God gave him to do the business of the Kingdom and lives continue to be affected because of that investment so many years ago.  Henry Blackaby explained this call, “God’s call is His invitation to invest in eternity by making our lives available to God when He calls and letting God work His eternal purposes through our lives, for God’s glory!”  The lives of many who have come before will affect countless generations through all eternity.  The investments made in Moses and the prophets, the Apostle Paul and the disciples have paid great dividends in the Kingdom of God.

            The investment God has made in these lives – and continues to make in our lives – is not something that limits the success of His work in our lives.  Like the master in the parable of Jesus, God has given us more than we need to do His work.  “A mina is the equivalent of about one hundred days’ wages…Because of exorbitant interest rates in the Greco-Roman world and because only a few had significant capital, those doing business could quickly multiply their investments (Keener).”  The amount of money given to the servants was more than enough to have an immediate impact on the local economy of a poor kingdom.  This is the type of investment God has made in each of us.

            The only thing that limits the work of God in our lives is you and me.  When we doubt His goodness and His power we will never see the fullness of God’s investment of power in us.  The Spirit sent by Christ inhabits our hearts and instills within us the full authority of our King and creates the image of that King in our character.  His blessings bring with them the strength to influence the world that is being invaded by Heaven’s Kingdom.  None of the servants were given minas for their own pleasure, but for the work of God.  Likewise, we are given the blessings of God so that His influence can be felt through each of us by a world that has largely forgotten Him.  Investment was not optional for the servants in the parable, and it is not optional for the servants of God today. 

 

            When you give your money to an accountant for investment what do you expect?  Most of us would not give it to them for safe keeping.  We don’t even put money in the bank for that reason, but we always shop around for the place that will give us the highest interest rate.  We make every effort to expand our investment portfolio and broaden the influence of our money.  We buy shares of businesses so that the money will be taken and used to expand the scope of the business.  Then we will gain from the profit of that expansion.  The investment of God is not that much different.

            The investments of God are given for a specific purpose.  During the time of the Roman Empire it was a common practice for someone of influence to go to the emperor to ask for permission to rule a province or kingdom.   The servants in this parable were sent ahead to influence the people of that place and testify to the people on behalf of their master.  They would influence the lives and economy of that place with what they had been given and provide a preview of the rule of that specific person.  His influence began to expand before he ever arrived.

            The work of God is called to continually grow and expand.  We have never been given instruction to settle and stay where we are, but to continue onward and upward as the influence of heaven works across the earth.  Jesus instructed us, “Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations…”  The purpose of God’s investment is the same today as it was all those years ago, to see His Kingdom brought from heaven to the hearts of those who are desperate for His holy reign over their lives.  Simple maintenance of what He has given us is never an option, the call is always for expansion as a return on His investment.

 

            God has also called His people to the business of stewardship.  Wrapping money in something perishable like a handkerchief was considered one of the most irresponsible things one could do with it.  This servant believed that as long as he still had the investment when his master returned he would be accepted, and maybe even commended.  This was not the case, the master wanted more.

            One of the greatest hindrances to the work of God is the idea that we can take what He gives us and just hope to maintain.  We have forgotten the purpose of God’s investment, and we have allowed this to happen in the name of stewardship.  If we are honest with ourselves we will admit that much damage has been done in the church over the years under the guise of stewardship.  We take the resources God has provided and save them for presentation the day our master comes back, but when Jesus returns he will not be looking for large bank accounts.  Jesus will want to know what we have done with what he invested in us, and how we have used it to minister to the lost around us.  “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand more (Luke 12:48).”  Dennis Kinlaw said, “The greatest enemies to God in our lives are the gifts and the goods He has given us.  There is where the competition is.”  We must be stewards of these gifts without allowing them to keep us from forging ahead in the work of the Kingdom. 

            As we live in stewardship of this investment we must always remember the gravity of this work to which we are called.  God wants to multiply His work through our stewardship so much that He even commanded us to test Him.  “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.  And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need (Mal. 3:10).”  God’s work is carried out on the blessings of the people whom He has called.  It is done through their financial blessings, their time, their efforts and energy.  These things are powered and moved by the greatest blessing of God, the Holy Spirit.  If we will turn our God-given resources over to God’s Spirit and allow Him to work.  This is real stewardship: that we submit to God all that we have.  “We can live our days out in fearful hesitation and second-guessing, or we can ‘let go and let God.’  God’s plan for us is not about who we are and what talents we bring to the table.  It’s about the resources and grace God has promised us (Cymbala).”  This stewardship is not something to be taken lightly.  The way we handle what God gives us will have an effect on eternity.

 

            The business to which we have been called is one that requires accountability.  We will be held accountable on the day that our master returns to collect the interest on his investment.  We understand the expectations that are placed on us by understanding the One who has called us.  This is where the servant erred in the parable of Jesus.  He believed his master to be the kind of man who would condemn him for losing what was entrusted to him, but this misconception caused judgment he had not expected.  Charles Childers explained the situation in The Beacon Bible Commentary:

 

            "The servant represents the man who has allowed a spirit of resentment and bitterness to displace love and loyalty.  He has become a self-appointed judge of his lord’s methods…He also represents the man who thinks that stewardship consists solely in not stealing his lord’s money.  His ‘goodness’ is negative, not positive.  He does no harm (so he thinks), but neither does he do any good.  In reality he is a thief in spite of his illusion of self-righteousness, for in being useless he has robbed his lord of the gain he might have had."

 

            The business we conduct for the Kingdom will be directly affected by our ideas of God.  We must know who He is and what he is like if we are going to stand before Him and answer for the business we have conducted.  Dennis Kinlaw said, “If your concept of God is wrong, the more religion you get, the more dangerous you become to yourself and everyone else.”  Our business is done for one with whom we live in relationship.  We do not follow vague commands, but the instruction of One who we know and love.  It is within this relationship that the work of the Master is done through our lives. 

            Whether or not we acknowledge the fact, we will one day stand before our Master and answer for what we have done with what He has given us.  The master in the parable went to gain permission to rule the kingdom, but he did indeed return.  When he came back he had expectations of what had been done with the funds and investment he left.  This return teaches us of the imminent return of Jesus Christ.  His coming is a fact and cannot be ignored.  “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him (Rev. 1:7)…”  Jesus said, “Then the Son of Man will appear in heaven…and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory (Matt. 24:30).”  The Apostle Paul taught, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God (1 Thess. 4:16)…”  

            The purpose of Christ’s return is for judgment.  When he comes back it will be to see the results of what his servants have done with his investments.  Jesus said in Revelation 22:12, “Behold, I am coming quickly, and my reward is with me to give to each according to their works.”  Will he find our works worthy of His Kingdom? 

            Leonard Ravenhill reminds us, “God has nothing more to give to this world.  He gave His only begotten Son for sinners; He gave the Bible for all men; He gave the Holy Ghost to convict the world, and equip the Church.  But what good is a checkbook if the checks be unsigned?”  God has provided us with the power to make a difference in the world around us.  But that will require an investment in His Kingdom.  A Kingdom can be costly, requiring financial support as well as time and energy.  It can require great sacrifice at times.  God has called you to conduct the business of such a Kingdom.  How are you conducting that business?  When Jesus comes to gather His people what return will he find on his investment in you?

The Power of Resurrection

Philippians 3:1-11

 

            There are numerous events that have shaped society and the world we live in.  Wars have been fought and won throughout all of human history.  Nations have risen and then fallen; the impact and culture of some lasting long beyond their own existence.  But of the thousands of events that have impacted the race of man one stands out above all others.  Whether you are the most devout atheist, or have walked with God for your entire life, there is one man, and one event in His life that has somehow affected you.  The laws of our society, and the ways that we relate to one another, our sense of morality and human decency are based on His teachings and life.  Every person who lives in this country today has in some way been affected by Jesus Christ.  But it is more than His teachings that have affected those who know Him today.  For His followers, the focal point of His life and ministry, the culmination of His work took place on top of a hill called “Golgotha” as He was crucified on a Roman cross between two criminals.  The sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and the events surrounding that crucifixion have the power to give us more than a civil society and a good sense of law.  Those events – even 2,000 years later – can be life changing for you and I as they were for the Apostle Paul.

            Look at the life Paul had lived.  He did not need the work of Christ at Calvary that day to live a comfortable life of ease in this world.  He was a devout Jew.  He had followed the law for his entire life and zealously defended the Jewish religion and law – persecuting the church as every good Jew would have.  Paul was well respected and had the potential to live a life of relative ease.  But when confronted with a choice between these things and the life that God called him to live through Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul not only gave these things up willingly, but COUNTED THEM LOSS.  His lineage, education, social status and every worldly achievement were put off by this great man of God because even the greatest things the world has to offer pale in comparison to the power of God working in the human life through Jesus Christ.  In fact, Paul believed that these things would KEEP HIM FROM GOD if he had not been willing to put them off and seek a greater power than he could have gained through the political religious system of the Jews.

            That may sound extreme to us, but that’s because so few of us really understand what Paul was suggesting here.  He was not teaching a half-hearted Christianity.  Paul was promoting and instructing the Philippian Christians to live a life that required them to sell themselves out to God.  He was not interested in getting them free admission to heaven through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.  The Apostle Paul wanted them to live in the SAME POWER that resurrected Christ on this earth! 

            It was not simply the death of Jesus that makes a difference in our lives, it is the fact that He overcame that death, and stepped out of the grave victorious over the very things that man had tried in vain to overcome for all of his history: sin and death.  Paul had so much faith in this power of resurrection that He told us in verse 11 he wanted to take part in it “BY ANY MEANS.”  Can you imagine such a thing?  Something so powerful that one of the most prominent, powerful men in that society would stop at nothing to experience it.  This is what the cross was all about.  It’s what the entire life of Christ was about – the power of God BRINGING NEW LIFE! 

Consider the profound affects the power of resurrection had on Paul’s life, and can have in our lives today:

 

Resurrection Overcomes the Deficiency of Human Achievement

 

            In ancient times, Israel built some of the greatest structures that man has ever seen.  They built a tabernacle in the wilderness with the wealth that they brought with them out of Egypt.  This was no simple tent, it was the greatest temporary structure the world has ever seen.  The contents were lined with gold, and the structure itself was made with the most desirable material of its time.  It was impressive to say the least, especially for a structure built by a band of nomads. 

            After having settled the land God gave them in Canaan they built the temple in Jerusalem.  They took that tabernacle that had been built in the wilderness and escalated the craftsmanship infinitely.  Everything about it was made to honor a God that transcends all that man has to offer. 

            As impressive as the accomplishments of Israel were, they were nothing without the presence of God.  The greatest thing about these achievements was not the craftsmanship or the architecture.  It was the presence that inhabited these buildings.  It was the fire that filled the Holy of Holies and the voice of God that thundered from that place.  Without that presence those things were simply buildings.  They had earthly value, but where are those structures today?  The tabernacle faded into obscurity thousands of years ago, and even the temple in Jerusalem is nothing more than ruins on top of the temple mount today. 

            There is really nothing that man can achieve that will outlast God’s work.  That’s why the book of Ecclesiastes says, There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after (1:11).  And, For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten (2:16).  Even the most impressive works of man are temporary.  The pyramids in Egypt have stood for thousands of years, but, given enough time, the elements and weather will even wear them away.  Those buildings of the Old Testament have faded into obscurity, but God’s work still goes on in the world today.  It goes on through His people as His power works in their lives to influence the world. 

            From the time of His crucifixion and resurrection there has never been a time when Jesus Christ – and His followers - did not influence the world in some way.  The power that resurrected Him from the dead has worked in the hearts of man and been passed from one generation to the next.  People have experienced His love through those who know Him and walk with Him and it has transformed lives.  It has provided the only lasting legacy that we can ever leave in this world.  Our education and knowledge will someday pass away.  Our wealth and property and the small kingdoms we try to build ourselves on this earth will someday pass away into the forgotten annals of history, but the love of Jesus Christ, and the power of His resurrection will continue to work.  It will work through our lives – if we will submit to the power of God – and influence countless lives through the years to come.  At the end of human history we will see the results that the same power that resurrected Christ has had in our lives to shine the light of God into a darkened world. 

There is no human achievement that will outlast the resurrecting power of God.  There is no life that is too dismal, no sin too great, and no person too far from God to experience this power if they will surrender to God’s Spirit.  But the work of God does not stop at our achievements or with the legacy we will leave.

 

Resurrection Overcomes the Futility of Trying to Earn Righteousness

 

            Everyone seems to have some sense of morality or ethics.  We all feel some accountability to God somehow.  That’s why we feel guilty about some of the things we do and the ways that we have lived.  We can spend a lifetime trying to overcome that guilt and shame, but no matter how good we are, or how much we help others it just never seems to go away.  It seems like there is nothing we can do about it.  We are doomed to struggle through a life of disappointment because we just cannot get away from sin.  But the power of resurrection will deliver us from this guilt that nothing else will take away.  It will take us from that life of wandering through a spiritual wilderness looking for direction to an adventure where God’s Spirit guides us through everything that we will face and leads us away from the snares and traps that the devil has laid before us.

            We so often wander with one another and use those around us to help us feel better about our failure to live a righteous life.  As long as the people around us are worse (or what we perceive as worse) than we are everything will be alright.  We measure ourselves against one another and figure that God has bigger problems to deal with than me, so I don’t have anything to fear.  This is why it offends us when someone close to us starts to get committed to God.  Someone who is a nominal “Christian” gets upset when their children or their spouse gets committed to God because it threatens our subjective sense of ethics and morality.  When someone around us lives a better life then God has one less problem to worry about and we move up on His list.  It’s scary.

            In reality, we are only deceiving ourselves with all this.  We can never live a righteous life under our own power.  We can’t earn favor with God because we can’t make up for the things we have done.  All we can do is hope to be obedient.  But Jesus overcame all of this through His resurrection.  He rose, not to take on our burden of sin like He had done at Calvary, but to live a new life, free from the penalty that we had laid on Him.  Jesus did not only die for sin, but He OVERCAME IT and delivered us from the world of sin to a RESURRECTED LIFE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS!  The kind of life that places us securely in the presence of God as we journey through this life.  We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life (Rom 6:4). 

 

Resurrection Give Us Confidence In the Victory of Jesus

 

            For too long we have promoted the mistaken idea that Jesus died to take away our guilt from sin.  This is true, but it is only part of the story.  We look at Jesus as having simply appeased God, but not really having won a significant victory.  We give the impression that people can live however they would like to live as long as they acknowledge what Jesus did for them. 

            Jesus did not come to deliver “cheap grace” to man.  On the day that He walked out of the tomb outside of Jerusalem sin was defeated.  He had taken on our iniquity and our lawless works, He had received the sentence and penalty that had been reserved for us, and Jesus Christ walked out of the tomb victorious.  Sin no longer had dominion because its power had been overcome.  Jesus died so those sins would be forgiven, and those who were forgiven then became suitable dwelling places for God’s Holy Spirit.  For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s [Jesus] obedience the many will be made righteous (Rom. 5:4).

            Jesus became our “Sacrificial Lamb” at Calvary, but three days later He did something that man had been unable to do since he was cast out of the garden of God in Eden.  Jesus Christ overcame the one thing man seems to fear most – the penalty of sin – death.  That’s why people have such a hard time with the work of Christ.  That’s why we deny His sacrifice on the cross and even His resurrection.  It offends our sense of pride and our self-image.  It brings us face to face with the reality that we stand before God as those who need mercy because there is NOTHING WE CAN DO to overcome sin.  We cannot save our lives.

            BUT JESUS CAN!  The lives that we had lived were not fitting for the presence of God.  We could not walk with Him, we could not experience His presence.  All we could do was try to fill the void with things of the world.  But Jesus was resurrected to lead us into a greater life; something greater than even the most successful have been able to create for themselves.  Jesus raised us to a new life, something different, something free from sin and shame.  He brought us from the spiritual death of separation from God to an experience of His presence and a relationship with Him.  Do not present your members to sin as instruments for righteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and you members to God as instruments of righteousness (Rom. 6:13).

            When the resurrection power of Jesus Christ becomes a part of our lives, we can say with the Apostle Paul that all those things we trusted in before are “counted loss.”  We can leave behind all the things that have distracted us and consumed so much of our existence.  We can turn our attention to God and the relationship that He wants to have with us.  We are confronted with the idea that God wants to walk with us, to lead us, to guide us, and to care for us.  God wants to create a life for us the likes of which we could have never imagined.  God wants to resurrect our wandering souls to the most vital, fulfilling relationship we have ever known; a relationship that begins here and culminates in eternal life.

            But it took a cross to bring the power of resurrection.  Jesus took on our sin, and died to that sin so that He could be resurrected to a new life.  Not a life that was destined to die for sin, but a life of victory over it.  That’s the life He has called us to today; a life that overcomes all the trials, and the hardships, the difficulties and the obstacles of this world.  We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.  For one who has died has been set free from is (Rom. 6:6, 7).

            We stand in need today of more than the sacrifice of Jesus Christ at Calvary – though we cannot get by without it.  He was put to death by the sins and guilt that have brought spiritual death upon us.  We need His blood to atone for the sins we have committed, but we need more than that.  We need the power of God that brought resurrection; the power that kept Him from being contained by the grave; the power that could not be held captive by death; the power that is not subject or prisoner to sin; the power of God that raises us above the sins of the world and the guilt and the shame and the lonely life apart from God.  What we celebrate today is the power that resurrects us to new life!

            We celebrate it and talk about it, but have we really experienced the power of resurrection?

The Problem With Lukewarm Living

Revelation 3:14-22

Have you ever been confronted with something with such gravity that time seems to slow down as you consider its magnitude? These types of things consume your thoughts and can sometimes be life-changing events. We have all faced such things. Sometimes the circumstances of life and the reality of what we face seem to affect us this way.

            I have spent many nights considering such events. From God’s call to ministry to things that would affect my life forever, there have been a number of them. But in spite of situations that seem overwhelming at times, the longest night I ever spent was in early March of 2003. The specific day has faded from my memory over the years, but I think it was the 8^th. That was the night that I came face to face with the reality that my walk with God was lukewarm.

            That evening I was in my dorm room, in Dearborn Hall at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. I was there to study music, but I did all the things a good Christian is “supposed” to do. I read my Bible every day and prayed before my meals, but that was the extent of my Christian walk. I was involved in a lot of activities and stayed pretty busy. I had every excuse in the world not to be involved in God’s work. But that night, as I read the third chapter of Revelation I confronted the words, “because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” What would cause such a rejection by God? Surely it must be the result of a terribly sinful life. But the very next verse showed me that this is not the case. “For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing…”

            That verse is a precise description of the way I was living. Everything was great. I was in college pursuing what I wanted to do with my life. My goals were beginning to fall into place and everything was going just as I had hoped. There was nothing more I needed. But was this really true? Could I really go about my business expecting God to bless my plans without any input on His part? I fully expected to live that way, but that night the gravity of this letter to the Laodicean church was more than I could bear. The words of God’s rejection of this lifestyle, and His judgment on those who live this way became overwhelming. I looked back at the opportunities I had been given over the course of my short life. I had taken advantage of every chance to advance as I studied and pursued a career in music, but I avoided situations where I could serve God like the plague. I didn’t want to be bothered with them because they did not fit my plan. As I considered these verses I began to wonder how many lives were affected by my unwillingness to submit to God.

            The epitome of lukewarm living is not some terrible sin. It is not characterized by pornography addictions, or abuse. It is simply a refusal to take part in God’s work. It is when we are willing to wholeheartedly do everything but His work. Sadly, I was not the only person who has ever lived this way. This Laodicean attitude continues to affect the work of God’s church, and the lives of His people today. Lillie McCutcheon commented on the situation, “The striking comparison between Laodicea of Asia Minor and the Laodiceans of the twentieth century is too close for comfort. Our materialistic world must learn that money may buy houses, but not homes; science may produce medicines but not health; nuclear weapons may exert power but fail to bring peace; religious formality may salve the conscience, but only true salvation can save the soul.”[1] Like the Laodiceans, we must learn that it is not the things of the world that are worth pursuing, but the work of God.

            Laodicea was a wealthy city, known for the fine purple linen they made. It was also known for its hot springs. These familiar springs are what Jesus used to relay His message to the church. The springs burst up from the earth, but the water had to be used close to its source. If it was carried back to the city it was lukewarm by the time it was used. It began to smell of sulfur, and was nauseating. It was better to use this water cold than lukewarm. Incidentally, the risen Christ says the same thing of the Christian life. It is better to be cold than to be lukewarm. He would rather we be hot, fired by a heart that cannot be quenched in its love for Him, but even cold is better than lukewarm. Unfortunately, if there is anything that characterizes the church in our day, it is this Laodicean infection of lukewarm living for God. Many congregations struggle to find teachers, volunteers, and people who are willing to take time away from other pursuits to do the work of the church. As Diane Leclerc wrote, “Christian pastors and teachers find themselves increasingly in the position of the first-century apostles. Their task is not simply to convert pagans or to indoctrinate converts. It is to Christianize the Church.”[2]

            It would seem to us that this lukewarm lifestyle would not be extremely detrimental to the church, but Scripture teaches otherwise. Not only is it unhealthy for the church, but it is a disease that will eventually drag our spiritual life to an unexpected death. Consider the character of lukewarm living:

 

Lukewarm Is an Easy Way to Live

 

            I spent that long night in college considering the fact that I had consistently raised the bar in the things I wanted to do. I pushed myself to be a better musician every day. But my spiritual life had been the same for a long time. I learned little, and seldom did anything new for God. I was comfortable, just like the people in that first century church. I knew what the Bible said, but I didn’t know what God was revealing through what it said. My lukewarm life required no commitment to God’s word. I knew about a life of salvation in theory, but did not live such a life.

            There are countless thousands of Christians today who claim a belief in God, but do not live in light of His word. They are committed to the idea that God is there to provide our needs, bless us and take us to heaven, but they seldom examine their own lives against the Scriptures. This superficial mindset dominates the lukewarm life. In a society that pushes us to raise the bar in our education, at the workplace, and even in our sports and hobbies, the bar is seldom raised in the Christian life. Children go to school and memorize multiplication tables – among many other things – but we will not ask them to memorize the Beatitudes, the 23^rd Psalm, or the Ten Commandments. The fact is, many adults don’t know these things. We don’t want to overload anyone, but have no problem filling our lives with every other worldly activity we can find. In our lukewarm state we never even stop to think what priorities we are modeling to others.

            As we live lives consumed by the world, our Christianity slowly fades into oblivion. It is not opposition or suppression that will kill Christianity in this country, it is apathy. Consider the words of John Oswalt, “If Christianity ever dies in North America, it will not be because a jack-booted commissar steals it from us. Rather, it will be that we blithely let go of the realities of our faith as we reach for the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Then when we are prodded by some pressure, be it political, social, or ethical, our faith will be revealed as a husk, hardly worth the pain to defend.”[3] Ray Dunning commented further on our state of mind in the American church, “You can take away our jobs, you can close down the churches, you may tear apart our families – but don’t ever try to restrict the play time of Americans. Many adults devote greater concentration and efforts to making the most of their leisure hours than they commit to their productivity on the job. Our philosophy and practices related to leisure activity explain much about American perspectives on life, happiness and values…Little League games, soccer competitions, and similar activities that take children and parents out of church can weaken the witness and spirituality of a congregation.”[4]

            The Christian whose life is fully focused on leisure and enjoyment is one who was described by the Apostle Paul as, “having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power” (2 Tim. 3:5). In our desire to live like the world and enjoy all that it offers, we have forgotten the power of a life lived in light of Scripture. We have been blinded to what God will do through prayer. Our minds have been numbed to the power of heaven that God’s Kingdom brings to our lives.

            Scripture tells us that it is through trials that we see the character of our Christian lives. In fact, we are told that trials are something in which we should rejoice. A lukewarm life will not pursue the work of God if it costs something. This life will not give up social activities, hobbies, or anything else to carry out God’s call. This is an easy life to live, but it is hardly what Scripture teaches us is a Christian life. The life I lived for so many years was easy, but it did not draw me any closer to Christ. It gave me nothing eternal.

 

Lukewarm Living Is Rejected By Christ

 

            The Laodicean lifestyle was rejected by Christ because it does not provide an accurate portrayal of His work in the world. The people of that church relied on their riches and wealth. The relied on the things they produce, but not what God wanted to provide. They did not model a reliance on prayer, or a dependence on God’s power, but a desire to live up to the standards of the world. The responsibility of the church is to show these things to the society around us, but this cannot happen when we are lukewarm.

            It is the spirit-filled life that models the nature and work of Christ. This life in the Spirit can never be lukewarm. It is the Spirit that lived in Jesus Christ who inhabits our lives and overcomes our depravity by teaching us what it means to love God with all our hearts. Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18). A Spirit-filled life cannot be rejected by Christ, but in spite of this fact many claim the infilling of the Spirit while living a life apathetic to God and His purposes. Lukewarm Christian and Spirit-filled believers are two mutually exclusive things. “Now if some are compelled by their doctrinal positions to insist that the Laodicean Christians were actually full of the Holy Spirit – because they insist that to be a Christian is automatically to be filled with the Spirit – then what they are saying is this: Jesus was vomiting Spirit-filled, Spirit-controlled believers out of his mouth. If that’s the case then lukewarmness means nothing and the words of Scripture become meaningless.”[5]

            Not only do the lukewarm fail to exemplify the work of Christ in the world, they do not even show His work in their lives. Jesus told the church, “I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by the fire…and white garments…and slave to anoint your eyes…” Lukewarm living hides our purity in our efforts to look like the world. It compromises our witness as we fail to stand for God’s truth. It blinds us to the realities of the work God does through our faith. We trust more in ourselves and the sin-cursed world in which we live than we do in God’s power working through us.

            The fact is, Jesus wants us to live a life filled with His power. He wants to display God’s glory to the world through you and I. He came so that we could live as His sanctified, holy people. He sent us into the world to witness a commitment to His truth. He wants to reveal the eternal mercy and love of God through each of our lives as a victorious church marches boldly through this world with hearts set ablaze for the work of Jesus Christ.

 

Lukewarm Living Creates a False Sense of Security

 

            In my lukewarm days, I believed everything was alright. I thought I lived a normal Christian life, but as Henry Blackaby wrote, “Christians can grow so accustomed to spiritual barrenness that we no longer realize how desperately we need fresh dewdrops.”[6] We rely so much on the wealth and comfort of this world that we forget about the power of heaven. Leonard Ravenhill reminded us, “The New Testament Church did not depend on a moral majority, but rather on the holy minority. The Church right now has more fashion than passion, is more pathetic than prophetic, is more superficial than supernatural.”[7]

            A lukewarm life leads us to believe that we stand in the proper place when, in reality, we have not grown closer to God at all. We lead ourselves to believe that as long as we are content everything is alright while forgetting about the glory that God has called us to show the world – His glory!

            The Old Testament teaches us that the glory of God followed the Ark of the Covenant. When the Ark was brought to the temple the presence of God settled in that place. As the years went on, the people became so accustomed to the presence that they ceased to notice it. They came to believe that it was their ritual and routine that displayed God’s glory. And when the glory left many never even noticed! The Laodicean church did the same thing. “They did not have enough piety nor zeal to cause them to do anything for the honor of Christ and his cause, neither were they open enemies. They were merely lukewarm, insincere friends, and, as such, were in a position to do the greatest harm.”[8]

            The Apostle Paul taught to the contrary. He wrote to the Ephesians that all glory should be ascribed to God. “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (Eph. 3:20, 21).

 

Lukewarm Living Distorts Our Perception of Reality

 

            We live our lives based on what we believe about reality. When we are on fire for God, and actively seeking His will we see the realities of His power. When we are lukewarm we see only the reality of the temporal world. Jesus told the church, “you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing.” It is this attitude that leads us away from Christ. “The lukewarmness of Laodicea is the worst condition to which a church can sink. It is worse even than Sardis, where a glimmer of life remained. The only good thing in Laodicea is the church’s thoroughly good opinion of herself – and that is false.”[9] Our word is never the final word. It is always against God’s word against which our lives, our ideas, and our actions, and our commitment to Christ are measured.

            When we assess the realities of our lives there are always things that we do not know. Jesus pointed this out, “Not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.” God sees things that we do not. When we walk in relationship with Him these things are revealed to us. When we rely only on our own understanding we make decisions that are not based on reality.

            Pastors generally receive complaints. Sometimes people voice them privately, and other times they come up in public places. Scripture tells us that if we have an issue with someone (including pastors) we should first go to that person. The reason is because we do not know all the circumstances surrounding things. It seem like complaints in the church often come from people who are involved in the church work the least. They don’t know why decisions are made, or what circumstances surround them, but they have no problem voicing them publicly. The reason Jesus said to go to the person with whom you have the trouble first is because it gives us a chance to better understand circumstances. It keeps us from jumping to conclusions, or getting other people unsettled, before we know the facts.

            Lukewarm lives tend to be lived based on a distorted reality. Facts are not necessary, and perception is the driving force behind action. Those who hold a staunch commitment to Christ will heed His word and obey His commands out of love for Him, and for His work.

            When we look to the world for our reality, we find ourselves using worldly methods to carry out the supernatural work of God. The reason a triumphant church can never be lukewarm is because they understand that no worldly works will ever adequately substitute for God’s heavenly power.

 

Lukewarm Living Drowns Out the Voice of Jesus

 

            The church of Laodicea, like every other church of their day and this day, was called to “hear what the Spirit says…” To hear carries with it the implication to act on the call of the Spirit. We act on a lot of things, but how often is it the voice of God’s Spirit? It is never enough to simply hear the words, but we must understand how God is teaching us to act. Failure to discern this leads us to say “amen” when we listen to sermons but disregard them when we go to meetings. It leads us to weep over the revelation of God’s word while ignoring our opportunities to apply it.

            It takes effort to discern the voice of the Spirit. The type of effort the lukewarm are not willing to make. It takes fervent prayer, persistent study, and discernment through consideration and meditation on Scripture. This is the greatest hindrance to the lukewarm, they cannot hear the voice of the Spirit! They do not hear the call of Christ as He knocks at the door of our hearts! They hear only the countless voices of a sinful world as they vie for our constant attention.

 

            In spite of all the things that draw our attention, Jesus Christ stands at the door today, knocking and calling out to us. His Spirit longs for our attention and commitment. God desires our love and waits patiently to show us His mercy and grace, but we go on, day by day, consumed with worldly interests. We acknowledge God in a token effort to ease our conscience and soothe our soul, but peace and power will never result from lukewarm Christianity. It comes only from a soul that burns to know God.

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[1] Lillie McCutcheon, The Symbols Speak (28)

[2] Diane Leclerc, Discovering Christian Holiness (71)

[3] John Oswalt, Where Are You, God? (24)

[4] H. Ray Dunning, Abraham (110)

[5] Jim Cymbala, Holy Spirit Rising (39)

[6] Henry Blackaby, Fresh Encounter (5)

[7] Leonard Ravenhill, Why Revival Tarries (57)

[8] F.G. Smith, The Revelation Explained (66)

[9] Michael Wilcock, The Message of Revelation (57)

The Importance of Purity

Revelation 2:18-29

 

            The church of Thyatira was unique among the seven to which Jesus spoke. There is no mention of external opposition to this congregation, but the major threat to their well-being came from within. Though this may seem like something that should have been easily handled by God’s people, we must remember that the most dangerous foe always comes from within. Lillie McCutcheon wrote, “Truth is ever the same. Inward foes of evil cause decay and death more rapidly than outward foes of persecution. The longest letter of the seven is written to this church with the least outward danger.”[1] It is not physical danger that threatens the church most – in that day or this day – but compromise of the integrity of the truth. It is when the attention of God’s people is turned away from Him that we see judgment begin within the ranks of the church. “For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God…” (1 Peter 4:17).

            I have been asked to compromise God’s word many times over the course of my short ministry. There are pastors who have been asked to compromise countless times throughout the years. If you were to ask them who most often asks them to do this you would most likely find that these requests come from those who profess to be Christians. I have never been criticized by an atheist for anything except for my belief in God. No atheist has ever criticized the doctrine of holiness of lifestyle. They have never given me much trouble about eschatology or Bible typology. I have received complaints, and even requests to compromise on all of these, but each time those conversations have taken place it has been with people who are a part of the church.

            The world wants God’s people to compromise, we can make no pretense about that fact. But when God’s people turn their attention to worldly things we find that they want compromise and “tolerance” as much as the sinner who is convicted by the Word of God. We live in a day where our secular society does not need to overwhelm the church to defeat her, but simply stands back and watches as God’s people willingly give up the clear teaching of Scripture. Many accept homosexuality today, and some even support the theory of evolution rather than the Biblical account of creation. The tolerance of our day has given free rein to every “Jezebel” that Satan has placed in the midst of God’s people. We accept almost every conceivable form of idolatry because of our need to please the purveyors of political correctness.

            The dangers of this tolerance are embodied in the name of one who had misled the people of God many years before the church of Thyatira was established: Jezebel. “It is improbable that Jezebel was her real name; but she was a Jezebel in character, named in this letter after King Ahab’s wicked wife, who killed the Lord’s prophets, seduced her husband into idolatry, and fed the priests of Baal at her own table.”[2] This woman turned the attention of the people of Old Testament Israel from God to the desires of the world. God’s inspired law ceased to be the standard by which people lived. This is much the same as the church we see today. Rather than looking for direction in God’s word we look to the business models of society. Some look within to their own ideas, while others look to the mega-churches and their methods. The work of Satan was taking place in Thyatira, a church where God’s word had been abandoned in the name of tolerance. People were living by the standard of “understanding” which is little different from what Jesus called the “deep things of Satan.”

            The remedy to such a sickness in the church was established by God through Jesus Christ. It is holiness. When the church returns to God’s word we find a purity in belief and doctrine, a oneness of motive that drives our actions and thoughts. There is no reason the church cannot live with such purity today, except that we do not want it. The church of the modern world, much like the one in Thyatira, would much rather live with the favor of the world than that of God. However, the triumphant church is never a church that bows to political correctness. It is never a church that gives up the word of God for acceptance by any worldly or ecumenical organization. The victorious church is, and always has been, a holy church. The triumphant church does not seek the methods or materials of the world, but the purity that emanates from the heart of God. This is the mark of victory in the church no matter what age or society in which she finds herself.

 

Purity Provides Us a Consistent Vision of God

 

            When so many people are seeking something spiritual, why is it so difficult for them to find God? Though He continually pursues their lost souls it seems like they cannot find their way to Him in the dark. Why is this? It is because the church has compromised the Word that reveals God to man. When we water down the Word we find that God is harder to distinguish from all the idols of the world. God is no longer consistent, unchanging, and infallible when we refuse to live in light of His Word. This is a dangerous God to portray. It affects more than our own lives. It has an impact on the lives of each person who hears our profession of faith and looks to us for some revelation of God. Dennis Kinlaw was right in saying, “If your concept of God is wrong, the more religion you get, the more dangerous you become to yourself and everyone else.”[3]

            Despite popular opinion, it is not tolerance of acceptance we must show the world around us. It is God! It is His holiness and purity shining through the Christian life that fulfills the Scripture that says, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (John 12:32). We have never been given the charge to define God for ourselves, or in light of our culture. We have only the call to lift up Jesus Christ as He is revealed to us in Scripture. Some Christians like to say, “my god would never judge anyone, condemn anyone, or even become angry with sin.” But to worship “my god” is nothing more than idolatry. We commanded to worship “the God”, creator of heaven and earth, not some distant figure of our fallen imagination. Without purity and holiness we cannot even find consistency in our vision of God.

            The consequences of wrong ideas about God go even further. Without purity in our pursuit of Him we can never really know what we are following. Some Christians follow those who preach and teach the prosperity gospel and find themselves chasing worldly things rather than their Heavenly God. Jesus told us, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8). It is when our heart is taken by love for God that we are willing to devote ourselves to His Word and truly seek His face. Our motives cannot be defiled by any other pursuit or interest but God’s will. This is how He is revealed to a fallen world. God’s people seek Him to such an extent that His character of holiness becomes a part of them. The world sees a very distinct God working through their lives as He transforms their lives, and conforms them to His holiness. This defines God for them. It is when the Word is not simply a living and active entity in theory, but living and active in our lives. It is only the uncompromised Word of God that gives us clarity on who He is.

 

Purity Averts God’s Judgment

 

            The doctrinal impurity in Thyatira would have wreaked havoc in the church. Jesus told them that if there were no repentance he would cast this woman onto her sickbed, and her children also. This is a reference to those who followed her teaching and had become her spiritual children. Teaching what is false about God is without a doubt a serious offense. It is one that needs to be understood by all who teach and preach. “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness” (James 3:1). The tolerance of false doctrine not only affected the lives of those who promoted it, but also those who heard the teaching.

            Ultimately, false teaching would affect the entirety of the church. When it is allowed to spread it works like a cancer metastasizing within the body. It grows to the point that it will eventually overtake the body. Eventually some of those who follow this false teaching would become leaders, and make decisions that would affect the church and her witness to the world. People would begin to be a part of the church because of the attractiveness of what is false. They would seek any number of things, but the Kingdom of God would no longer be one of them as this teaching overtook the church.

            This Jezebel-like spirit continues to affect the church today. “This is the real Jezebel – the spirit of tolerance and compromise, one we have allowed to infiltrate the Church rendering her impotent of all spiritual life, and diverting her energy into carnal pursuits, rather than advancing the Kingdom we are supposed to love.”[4]  Jesus told us that if we love Him we will “keep His commands” (John 14:15). We often claim a love for Christ, but tolerate things that are contrary to His commands.

            This tolerance, if allowed to continue, will surely bring about the judgment of God. The Apostle Paul wrote about this judgment:

 

            "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth…For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but became futile in their thinking, and their foolish   hearts were darkened…Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity…And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased   mind to do what ought not to be done (Rom. 1:18, 21, 26, 28)."

 

            When we turn our hearts from God, He will not simply strike us dead, but will give us up to our own desires. He will allow us to pursue our worldly passions, and turn us back over to the sin-cursed world. The same is true for the church. God will not allow the church to live under His power, or experience His presence when they have turned from Him. Holiness is not an optional addition to our faith, as some believe today. It is absolutely necessary for the church if she is to live in the favor of God. Without holiness “no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14). And without holiness no one will escape the judgment of the Lord. “How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?” (Heb. 2:3).

 

Purity Helps Us Understand Repentance

 

            Purity also does more than keep us from judgment. It also helps us to understand what it means to repent from our former lives so that we may walk with God. We seem to have lost sight of the truth in the modern church, but the call of Jesus remains: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17). It seems that one of the first things we compromise when we turn from the truth is the need to repent, and change our lifestyle from a worldly one to a godly one. To repent is literally to turn from what we were facing, and to face in another direction. Without a consistent doctrine that reveals God to us we may find ourselves following any number of worldly things. That is why doctrine remains so important. That is where we define the God to with whom we are called to walk.

            Repentance is more than turning away from sin. It is also turning to God. It means that we look through all the distractions of the world to see the heavenly prize before us. Our lifestyle becomes one that seeks God above all else. A life that emulates His character and is marked by a love for Him. This is why purity and holiness are so important. This Jezebel about whom Jesus speaks taught people to eat what was sacrificed to idols. She set an example that taught acceptance of the pagan worship of their time. Such an example can never lead us to a Holy God. It will only hide His face from us. Doctrine has always – and will always – dictate the direction we face. Based on the purity, or lack thereof, of what we teach, we will either face God, or the world. There is no third option.

 

Purity Defines Authority for Us

 

            Purity in doctrine does not simply tell us how to live as a part of the church. It outlines for us the way the church is supposed to work as it submits to God’s will. We live in a society that does not like authority. In fact, we have much less respect for authority than generations that have come before, but this popular opinion does not exempt us from submission to God’s authority, and that which He puts in place. Many churches around the world (and especially in America) take it upon themselves to establish authority in any way they would like. This, however, is not the way God establishes authority. He does not do it according to the methods of the world, He does not take a vote, and He does not poll public opinion. He establishes it through His Word. He speaks His Word through those whom He wishes to influence His people. He uses those who submit to His will. Watchman Nee commented, “Spiritual authority does not come through man’s attainment. Rather, it comes through God’s selection. Spiritual matters are entirely different from worldly principles.”[5]

            God does not put those in leadership who are the best business men, the most educated, or even the most respected. He uses people who will submit to His will no matter how unlikely it may be. God used Moses to part the Red Sea. He told Elijah to proclaim that the rain would cease. Even Jesus came to earth and modeled a life of submission to the authority of God the Father. Why should we expect any different in the church today? The Acts of the Apostles gives us an example of the act of sending someone into ministry to do God’s work. “While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off” (Acts 13:2, 3).

            False doctrine opens the door to many kinds of false authority. It allows man to turn from God in pursuit of his own work and ways. It outlines for us the authority that is established by God so that as we submit, we see the work of our King take place through our lives. It is imperative that we measure authority by Scripture alone if this is to happen. If we are to see God’s work and hear God’s message through leaders, it will be when Scripture defines their authority and position.

            The message of Jezebel may have attracted untold masses to the church, but it was not a message of authority. There are many modern-day teachers and preachers who teach the same compromising doctrines. Their churches are large, but God does not dwell among them. It is only a message from God that has the power to transform lives and impact the soul. We find such messages unpopular at times, but we must heed the Word of God nonetheless. There are days we leave worship services thinking, “I can’t believe my pastor said that,” but if what was said is biblical there is no room for complaint. Many church could grow to great numbers if we were willing to teach the doctrine of Jezebel and compromise God’s Word, but that is not the triumphant church that overcomes opposition and rules over the nations. That is not the church that has come face to face with the Morning Star, Jesus Christ. The message may not make us comfortable, and sometimes may actually make us mad, but when God speaks it is important for His people to listen, realizing that this message comes with authority.

 

            "Theodore Epp, founder of Back to the Bible radio ministry, realized something was wrong when he stopped receiving critical mail. Convicted that he was not challenging the flock enough, he changed his preaching. “I’m afraid that when I’m pleasing everybody, I’m not pleasing the Lord,” he later said, “and pleasing the Lord is what counts.”[6]

 

            We must realize that God’s Word, even as it is spoken by teachers and preachers, carries with it the full authority of heaven. “No prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20, 21). The criteria for a message is Scripture. If it conforms to what the Bible teaches, it is a message from God – even if it is sometimes proclaimed in a way that offends or upsets us. Our happiness or comfort can never be the measuring rod against which we judge the Word. There are thousands of Jezebels among us teaching people what they want to hear, but there is only one God, and His message, if applied, will change our lives. This is the Word that sustains us, and brings us into an ever-growing relationship with God. What the church needs today is not another program or gimmick, but the unfettered Word of God. It will not be accepted by the word, or even all those who claim to be the church, but it will bring us into fellowship with God.

 

            The world tells us that everything is relative; that there is no definite truth. Society continually draws us toward compromise of the principles God has set forth for us. But it is the voice of the Spirit speaking to the churches that leads us into God’s presence. It is a voice that calls us to purity; a voice that calls us to holiness; a voice that calls us out of the sin and darkness of the world. The triumphant church listens to such a voice today. He who has ears, hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches.

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[1] McCutcheon, the symbols speak (25)

[2] F.G. Smith, revelation explained (53)

[3] Kinlaw, the mind of Christ (27)

[4] David Ravenhill, the Jesus letters (112)

[5] Watchman Nee, Submission and Authority (29)

[6] Colson, The body (121)