The Church: You Can't Beat the Real Thing

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. She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth.    -Rev. 12:1-2

 

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters…” And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast…The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet and 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 abominations.” And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.  -Rev. 17:1-6

 

In 1991 Coca-Cola released a new slogan, “can’t beat the real thing.” The implication was that other colas are nothing more than a poor counterfeit of the product they sell. They were telling us that we wouldn’t want to drink and inferior copy of their product, and that anything other than what they produced would not bring us the satisfaction of drinking Coke.

 

Coke is not the only thing that others have copied. There is a counterfeit for almost everything. The job of the Secret Service is to keep money from being counterfeited. We get patents and copyrights on our work so that others cannot claim the work we’ve done. In school, and especially in college, students are continually reminded of the dangers of plagiarizing, which is to steal the intellectual property of someone else and portray it as your own. It seems as though there is nothing that someone has not tried to copy, and this is even true within the church.

 

From its establishment, the church has dealt with various claims as to what kinds of doctrine and teaching carry with them the authority of God. Over the course of Christian history we’ve seen the rise of various cults and religious groups, and just as many have faded into oblivion when people came to the realization that they were nothing more than a copy of the real thing. We wonder today as we look around the countless thousands of denominations within the church, “What could possibly be real?” With all the varying views and beliefs is it possible that anyone really has it right? There are countless thousands of people today claiming to be the church.  Many want the benefits of Christianity without the commitment or hardship that comes along with serving Christ. They want to be wealthy and prosperous without having to give of themselves at the altar of God. The apostle Paul told us that in the last days there would be people like this, who love the things of the world and having the appearance of godliness deny its power. Despite their claims. This can never be the real church.

 

There are some who would have us believe that the church is simply an institutional organization. That it is defined by some type of human standards put in place in our manuals and policies within man’s  organizations. They tell us that we have the right to define what membership is in the church and to decide what doctrine we will teach and what standards we uphold. Some even claim that the church is what we make it. They tell us that the activities and functions of the church rise and fall of what we decide to do and how we carry out the ministry.

 

The truth is, it doesn’t matter how we define the church. It doesn’t matter how denominational leaders define the church, or even what society tells us the church is supposed to be. Jesus told us in the 16^th chapter of Matthew and he would build his church. And that church, built by Jesus Christ, is what Scripture reveals to us. The church is not something created by man, but something established within the hearts of men by Jesus Christ through his redeeming work. We look around us today and see great leaders within the church fall, we see congregations close their doors for the final time each week, and we have to wonder, in this society, what can we really believed in?

 

In the Church of God, we used to ask the question, “have you seen the church?” We were not asking if people saw buildings on a street, if they understood the intricacies of denominational structure, or if they were familiar with the writings of the newest and most popular Christian leaders. We were asking if they understood the church as Scripture reveals it; if they had seen a church that transcends all of the denominational structures of the world and all of the organizational schemes of man. We were asking if they were familiar with something far greater than any institutional organization that has ever been created in the history of Christianity. It is this kind of church that Scripture reveals to us, it is this type of church that God intended to create in the 21^st century, just as in the first century. The church you can believe in was planned in heaven, ordained by God through the blood of Christ, empowered by the Spirit at Pentecost, predestined for every good work, prepared and empowered for victory. It is when we leave behind man-made organization that we find this divine institution. This is when we understand what it means to be a part of the church that we can believe that; what we understand what it means to be the real thing.

 

The book of Revelation provides for us in contrast between the real church and all those counterfeits that we’ve seen over the course of history. Let us consider the characteristics of the authentic church:

 

Authenticity is Defined by Apparel

I know it sounds ridiculous to claim that the church is defined by apparel, but the clothing to which I refer is not the worldly things that we buy our local department store. It is not the earthly garments we wear that define us, but the heavenly garments. The 12^th chapter of Revelation tells us that John saw a woman in heaven. He goes on to tell us that she was standing on the moon and she was clothed in the light of the sun. Scripture teaches us that this sun in which she was clothed is Jesus Christ himself. Malachi 4:2 says, “but for you who fear my name, the Son of Righteousness shall rise.”  John tells us in his gospel, “in him was life, and the life was the light of man.”

 

The church is defined by the light which she wears. When we are clothed in the character and witness of Jesus Christ it becomes obvious to the world who we are, and whose we are. It is not for us to decide what the church looks like, or what she wears because the church belongs to God. D.S. Warner and his associates used to travel the country proclaiming the message over and over again that it’s God’s church. It does not belong to man, and is not organized by man. Arlo Newell explains, “while history gives recognition to the prophets of old, John the baptizer, and later reformers in the Christian faith, Christ alone is the true foundation upon which the church ultimately stands.” We do a lot of things to try and control the witness that we portray in the world, but ultimately it is up to God to clothe the church with the witness that he wants her to maintain this world. His desire is to present to Christ a spotless bride dressed in the perfection of beauty - a bride who has no blemish, wrinkle or any such thing.

 

Though we know the adornment of this spotless bride to be the will of God  scripture also provides a contrast. The bride is adorned in what comes from God; in light that only he can create. But on the other hand the 17^th chapter Revelation shows us a great harlot clothed in all the things that the world finds important. John tells us that she was wearing purple and fine linen, dressed in some of the greatest clothes that the world could produce in that day. But the real church is never clothed in things that are valued by the world. She is recognized only by that which comes from heaven. The church you can believe in is a church that does not look like the world. We can offer things that may entice the world, we can do everything that we can to make ourselves appealing, but that does not make us the church that will change the world. There is only one church that can change the world. There is only one that is empowered by the Spirit of God. There is only one that carries the full authority of heaven into the societies around us. That is the real thing. It is the church of God – not one singular movement or group, but the church of the Bible.

 

Authenticity is Defined by Location

Though Scripture teaches us to clothe ourselves in heavenly garments, there is more to the authentic church than apparel. The real church is one that lives and works in the location where God places her. That’s where John saw the church in Revelation 12. The woman is protected from her adversary by fleeing to “a place prepared by God.”

 

The church is the ecclesia of God, or those whom He has called out of the world. We are not simply called away from sin, but to a place where we can be nourished and cared for by God. In the midst of the chaos and turmoil of the world, we are called to a place where God will provide for our needs. We do not need the favor of political institutions because Jesus Christ will provide for His Bride. The church was never intended to wander aimlessly through this world hoping to find the Light of God, but was called to a specific ministry, and a place that was provided by God. It is a place where the church can not only survive, but thrive. It is when we place ourselves before God that we see His power at work within our ranks, and the difficulties of the world are overcome. The church you can believe in is a church that flees the things of the world for the holiness of God. She is clothed in His garments and lives in His presence.

 

John tells us of a contrasting vision of a harlot seated on a beast. Daniel 7 teaches us that this beast represents political institutions and systems. John gives us a description of the origin of this beast in Revelation 13:1: “And I saw the beast rising out of the sea…” He also tells us what this sea represents: “And the angel said to me, ‘The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages.’” These descriptions would lead us to the conclusion that the beast is man-made – it came from his conceptions and institutions.

 

The real church is never a denominational structure. It can never be confined to the thoughts and ideas of man. Though God works through us and uses us we cannot be the church without His power. Though denominations have many who are members of God’s real church, that church cannot be contained by the structures of man. In fact, these structures only serve to hinder the work of God, eventually quenching the Spirit to the point that the work is overcome as the organization grows. R.T. Kendall reminds us, “While some see an emergence of a new denomination as what began in revival, the truth is that the new denomination being formed is more likely the end of the revival. Once people try to organize themselves around a new movement of the Spirit they unwittingly render that movement yesterday’s anointing.”

 

Kenneth Jones explains, “It is not truly helpful to think of the church as an institution, but rather dangerous. It puts the focus on obedience to the human leaders, and detracts from the concentration on the relationship with the triune God.” The purpose of the church is not – and has never been – to maintain some type of organization. Its purpose and mission is always to draw men and women to God. This happens when we live in the place of God’s provision, not something of our own design.

 

Authenticity is Defined by Action

The woman in heaven is prepared to give birth to a male child. This woman represents the Bride of Christ. She has a male child because a male carries on the work of the father. The church you can believe in carries on God’s work in this world. This church represents its Father’s name, and reveals Him to the world around us. Though this witness and work may bring us pain (much like the woman preparing for labor in the vision) God’s work is carried forward nonetheless. Scripture makes no pretense about the idea that God’s people will be persecuted, and will find great difficulty in this life. Jesus said, “Blessed are you when you are persecuted for righteousness sake…” The authentic church realizes that there is a price to be paid if we are to be victorious.

 

By contrast, the harlot is not involved in work or labor. She is seated on a beast, drunk with the blood of the saints. The harlot works only to eliminate that which confines and exposes her immorality. The false church rejects the truth of God’s Word for a life of comfort, ease, and pleasure. This church does what feels good and will be accepted by the society. It rejects the work and mission to which God has called us for leisure and enjoyment in the sinfulness that has crept into her midst. This church has forgotten what Bill Konstantopoulos reminded us, “The greatest bondage in life is not being physically captive to someone, but to be free to do as you please and in your freedom you reject truth, God, His Word and His will.” When we place man’s preferences above God’s truth we sacrifice doctrine and righteousness on the altar of the ever-changing whims of pop culture and the fickle penchants of society.

 

The authenticity of the church is defined by the work she carries out.

 

Authenticity is Defined by Children

The woman in heaven gives birth to a male child who is “caught up to God.” The home of this child is the throne room of God. This child walks daily in the presence of the Almighty, and finds rest in the shadow of His wings. These are the children who realize that they are pilgrims and travelers passing through this world looking for a more permanent home. “If this earth were our eternal portion, then our treasure should be laid up here. But since it is temporal, we are commanded to lay up our treasures in heaven. Though we may be poor in this world’s goods, yet if we serve God we ‘shall have treasure in heaven.’”

 

The focus of the harlots offspring is directed entirely to earth. The counterfeit church knows nothing greater than what will take place on this earth. It denies the miraculous and seeks what will bring fleeting feelings of happiness in this life. It teaches us that God wants us to have great wealth and prosperity while never having to face persecution or difficulty. If chooses only the passages of Scripture that make us feel good about ourselves accept the sin of the world.

 

The authentic church has a completely contrary focus when compared with the counterfeit. Anything that tells you that we must look like this world is not the church. Anything that tells you that God’s desire is simply your happiness and wealth, or that Christianity is easy is not the real thing. The church is not structured and directed by man, but is always the creation of God. Prepared before time in His heavenly plan, ushered into the world in the power of Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and anticipating the coming of her Groom, Jesus Christ. This is the church.

 

“Those people whom God has used throughout the centuries have had a great and glorious conception of the Christian church. She is not just a human institution. She is a spiritual society, a church of the firstborn. And it grieves their hearts to see her in rags and in worldliness and in utter confusion. Do we have this concern for the honor and the name of the Christian church? And do we long to see her functioning as a church, uttering no uncertain sound but the certain sound of the gospel and clothed with might and power and honor and glory?”

Walking An Ancient Path

Thus says the Lord: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.  But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’”           -Jeremiah 6:16

 

            Have you ever looked around the places where you store old things?  It could be a basement, an attic, or maybe even a barn or storage shed.  I would imagine that as you look at the things that fill those places you would very likely find a lot of things that are completely obsolete – technology that is no longer in use and things that, while once very useful, have become little more than relics from days gone by. 

For years I refused to buy a digital camera.  My wife used one, but I would not.  I had a number of 35 millimeter cameras, and even a darkroom to develop film.  I was sure that those cameras would not be completely replaced.  To this day the resolution is better than all but the very best (and most expensive) digital cameras, but at some point I had to admit that the technology I was using was obsolete and needed to be replaced.  This is a normal part of life. 

We live in a day when the rate of advancement in society is unmatched in all of human history.  From the cars we drive to the computers we use there is not a year that goes by that something of value to us is not replaced with something more efficient, more powerful, or just better.  Things are happening today that were unthinkable only a few years ago.  Most of us keep track of much of our life with smartphones that have more powerful computers than those on board the Apollo space missions. 

Some of the advancements we see are great, many are helpful in the things we do each day, but in the midst of all the excitement about what our society can do or achieve, it is important that we make sure we are not losing things of great importance in the middle of all the changes that are taking place around us.  I do not mean things like cameras or cars.  It seems that in this modern day we have lost something much more important.  As we use what’s available to us to continually accomplish more – and do it better – with the limited time we have it is easy to forget about the things that go beyond our society that places so much value and emphasis on human ingenuity and achievement. 

We get so caught up in the advancements of the world around us that we forget about the things that exist and go beyond this world.  In our day it is possible to be better and more efficient in our work, our hobbies, our sports and almost every other aspect of our worldly life.  But for all that man has done, he has never – and can never – come up with an invention or device that will bring us closer to God.  He cannot conceive of anything that will forgive sin, or restore the relationship that God wants to have with Him.  It is easy to lose sight of this fact as we immerse ourselves in the society in which we live. 

Many of the things around us serve to turn our attention from the things of God to the things of the world, and as time goes by we forget what it means to walk the “ancient path” that leads us to God.  Our obsession with the modern world has obscured our view of the One who has provided for, and sustained man since ancient times.  We are not much different from the people of Israel during the time of Jeremiah.  We (yes, even Christians) have become so enamored by the world around us that we have forgotten the one who transcends this world.  We believe we have moved beyond the need for Scripture as a rule for the church and have replaced it with marketing strategies and business models – every invention of man that may provide us the modern shortcut we are looking for to entice people to be a part of the church.  While many look to these “sophisticated” methods of “doing church” we must always keep in mind the place to which those things have led us:

• 43% of Americans believe it doesn’t matter what religious faith you follow because they all teach the same lessons.
• 50% of Americans believe God will save all people no matter what they do.
• 41% of Americans are unable to identify an individual who they consider to be a strong Christian example or leader

 

We may have all the technology we could possibly need, but when it comes to knowing the Living God we are completely lost.  We have forgotten that no matter how advanced we become the platform from which we approach Him is still one of holiness.  We no longer seem to remember that the mind of God is still revealed through the Scriptures and that God’s power is still appropriated through our prayers.  Year after year we look in vain for the work of God in His church but see nothing more than the limited results achieved by the weak methods of man.  We have lost our way to God and His power.  The Christians of America today who spend their time and efforts groping hopelessly for something to hold onto and some way to find even a little of God’s power can be described by Rudyard Kipling’s poem, The Way Through the Woods:

 

They shut the road through the woods seventy years ago.

Weather and rain have undone it again,

And now you would never know

There was once a road through the woods.

 

            As the church flounders in this country, and we struggle to see the work of God among us, we have to wonder if we are more like the Israelites than we realize.  God asked through the prophet Jeremiah, Have you not brought this upon yourself by forsaking the Lord your God, when he led you in the way (Jer. 2:17)?  As we have allowed all of our modern conveniences to take over our lives we have decided to use the extra time we have found to pursue more worldly pleasures, and given up our pursuit of the “ancient path” to God.  We become enslaved to our hobbies, our lifestyles, our sports and jobs and forget that God has more for us.  If we were only willing to step back from the busyness of this life and assess the way we live in relation to God we may see that God has set before us and ancient way that leads us – not to stress, and an early death from hypertension – but a “good way” that leads us to His peace.  It provides a rest to our souls and a joy that the world can never offer.

 

The Description of the Path

            Scripture tells us that this is an “ancient path.”  It goes against many of our modern ideas and priorities.  The world tells us to value the materials that are offered here while the path God has set before us is one that leads to righteousness.  It does not always give us the things that are valued by this sinful place, but shows us how to walk in harmony and fellowship with the one who transcends all these things.  The world tells us to pursue human achievement while the “ancient path” shows us that all we may achieve pales in comparison to what God can do through our lives if we will surrender to Him.

            We are not talking about restoring the traditions created by the generation or two that came before us, but restoring something that came long before that, something that was given by God Himself.  Too often we convince ourselves that if we make the church the way it was when we got saved everything would be better, and we would see God move once again.  That is not what the Bible is teaching when it calls us to walk in the ancient way.  We are looking to go beyond all of the things that have become distractions, all of the inventions that man has added to the church throughout its history and get back to a vibrant relationship with our Holy Creator.  Back to the path He created for us when Jesus Christ fulfilled His proclamation that I will build my church.  No modern invention or method that we have devised can ever replace the fact that the church was bought with the blood of Jesus Christ.  It belongs to Him, and if you are to bear the name of His church – the Church of God – then you belong to Him.  He paid the price for your soul and ransomed you from all these modern things to which we are so willing to place ourselves in bondage. 

            Look at the history of the people of God and you will see that the church is at its best when the society around us (and even our modern conveniences) affects fewer of her decisions.  When the desire of God’s people is to seek His will and follow it the church thrives.  On the other hand, when man decides that his modern inventions have become good enough to take the place of the power of God and the guidance of His Word and Spirit we always see the same result: APOSTASY!  Every time we stray from the “ancient path” we see a fallen church, one that is not fit to carry the name, nor the power of God. 

This is why this path that God has provided us is called the “good way.”  It originated with God, completely independent of the flawed, errant reasoning of man.  Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go (Isaiah 48:17).”  In contrast, the Bible teaches that even what seems to be the best of man’s advancement is not necessarily God’s way.  A man’s ways are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit (Proverbs 16:2). 

If we are EVER to see God work in power within the church it will be when we look beyond our modern conveniences to the “ancient path.”  God will move when we put Him before the things that have overtaken our lives, the hobbies, sports, activities and general busyness.  We will see His power when we seek it above all the technology and advancement the ingenuity of man can offer.  The Bible tells us of this path, and then tells us how to get there.

 

The Directions to the Path

            Jeremiah did not simply tell the people of Israel to walk the ancient paths when they found themselves distracted by the idols and culture of the people around them.  He told them to stand by the roads.  The people of God were specifically told to put themselves in a position to find the direction of God.  We sometimes act like God will just strike us with a divine revelation of His Word.  We get the idea that, like John on Patmos, God will show us great miraculous visions of His will.  But if your name is not John and your home is not Patmos it is very likely that you need to put yourself in a position where God will speak to you through His Word, and His Spirit.  We have forgotten how great the Word of God can be in directing us toward His will.  This is His revelation to us, and it shows us the way that He relates to, and works in the lives of man.  It shows us what He has done throughout history, and it reveals what we can expect from God in the circumstances that we face as we journey through this life.  If we take the time to search God’s Word we will find the answers to many of the questions we face in this life.  That’s why Solomon said, Hear, my son, and be wise, and direct your heart in the way (Proverbs 23:19).

            We also hear the Word of God when we are part of Bible studies, Sunday School, and even listening to a sermon.  God will speak through those whom He has called to teach and preach the Word.  By being a part of the gathering of God’s people we are putting ourselves in a position to begin to see the “ancient path” that God has placed before us.  We cannot separate ourselves from the places we know God will speak and expect to see the path. 

            Jeremiah also told the people that they had to look.  Through prayer and meditation on Scripture we discern God’s will.  We have come to the point today that we have almost lost these spiritual disciplines among all the modern gadgets of the world.  Why pray when the answer to every question we could possibly have is on Google?  Do I need to go to God when I have a problem?  I can just ask my iPhone. 

            Jeremiah also told the people to ask.  We seem to convince ourselves at times that God is trying to hide something from us.  We act like He really doesn’t want us to walk with Him, so He is working to obscure Himself.  We struggle to find God’s way while forgetting that James told us, you do not have because you do not ask (James 4:2).  God is revealing Himself all around us, even in nature the Bible tells us.  We just don’t see it because we are caught up in other things.  We have set our sights on a destination that is contrary to that of this “ancient path.”

 

The Destination

            There are people in this country today who are wearing themselves out trying to keep up with the torrid pace of this world.  They are determined to do everything they want to do, anything that might be even a little bit fun or exciting.  They are sure they need to have 25 hobbies and their children need to play every available sport and join every club.  They want to experience everything the world has to offer.  There is nothing wrong with enjoying this life, and enjoying it, but we will someday pay for this attitude that we can never be fulfilled unless we have everything we want.  We try to fulfill this expectation at the expense of the rest that God promises for our soul. 

            When Jesus told us, Take my yoke upon you…for my yoke is easy, and my burden light, He did not mean that He was giving us an excuse to fill our lives with every worldly pleasure we can imagine to the neglect of our relationship with God.   Jesus did promise that He would take our burdens on Himself and help us along this “ancient way.”  But He did not tell us to create unnecessary burdens to place on Him.  Jesus has empowered us and enabled us to carry our cross, and do God’s work in this world.  He has saved and sanctified us for this end.  He has provided us with a better way to walk through this journey; a way that ultimately leads to eternal life.  But we must remember that this “ancient path” leads to a destination where all those worldly things will do no good.  When we arrive at the gate at the end of the path we cannot carry with us our achievements.  Our hobbies and worldly activities will not pass through that way.  That’s why this path is for a specific kind of traveller; one who seeks God’s presence and His goodness above all else.

 

The Travellers

            The “ancient path” about which the prophet spoke seems to be one that goes contrary to all the things the world values today.  It leads in a completely different direction than the paths of man.  But though this road looks difficult – maybe even impossible – we must remember that it is the same path that has been trod by the saints of all the ages.  For John came to you in the way of righteousness (Matthew 21:32)…  He [Apollos] had been instructed in the way of the Lord (Acts 18:21)…  Throughout the ages countless men and women have sought and found this ancient path.  They chose to give up some of their worldly ways and follow an ancient path that rises above all the turmoil and struggles of this world.  It transcends the progress and ingenuity of humanity and rises to the very heavens and presence of the God who inhabits them. 

 

            The way of God is laid out before us.  It continues to wind its way through the lives of men and women.  If we will seek His way out from among all the ways of the world, we will find a good and better way.  We will find rest for our souls.  God calls us today to an ancient path.  Will we follow that path, or will we – as Israel – say, We will not walk on it?