Whose Church Is It Anyway?

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

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

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

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

The Foundation of the Church

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

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

The Builder of the Church

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

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

The Purpose of the Church

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

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

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

Visions of Christ

Visions of Christ

Revelation 1:9-20

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

It Is During Tribulation That We See Christ

 

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

 

It Is Among the Churches That We See Christ

 

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

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

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

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

 

It Is In Humility That We See Christ

 

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

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

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

 

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

           

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

[5] Ibid, 47

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

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

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

Access to an Open Door

Revelation 3:7-13

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

Jesus Opens the Door to Heavenly Power

 

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

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

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

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

 

Jesus Opens the Door to Victory

 

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

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

 

Jesus Opens the Door to Perseverance

 

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

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

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

 

Jesus Opens Doors In the World Through the Church

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

           

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?