Making A Difference

Acts 3:1-10

 

                The Pro Football Hall of Fame opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963.  On that day 17 of the greatest football players in history were enshrined for the accomplishments over the course of their careers and the difference they have made in the game.  Since its opening, only 267 players have been inducted into the Hall of Fame.  In the modern era of the NFL each team has a 53 man roster each year, as well as a practice squad.  Every season there are 1,696 players in the NFL – a league that began in 1920 and merged with the AFL in 1970.  All these statistics mean little together until we consider the fact that literally thousands of people have had careers in professional football in America, yet only 267 have made a big enough impact to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.  While thousands have played, few have really made a difference.

                In this respect, our Christian lives can be compared to professional football.  Over the course of history countless thousands have claimed to walk with Christ through this life, but how many have made a difference in the lives of people around them?  What percent of Christians today are making a difference in the world around them?  What does it take to make a difference in the lives of others?

                There are Christians who ask these questions each day.  Some become frustrated with their attempts to do the work of God in a way that will impact the people around them.  We wonder at times if the ministry we are doing really matters, and if anyone is really coming into contact with God through the lives that we live.  At times our spiritual walk brings with it great frustration and discouragement as we see the ground gained by this sinful world each day.  But Scripture teaches us that God can use even the most unlikely people to impact the world.  He can change lives with anyone who is willing to allow Him to lift them above the mediocrity that is so often accepted in the church today.

                The book of Acts gives us the antidote to the discouragement that so many Christians face as they strive to make a difference in this world that has been corrupted by sin.  It gives us the answer to a frustrated work, and the hope to defeat our discouragement as the power of God is put on display through the testimony of His work through the early days of His church.  Peter and John did not make a difference in the life of this lame man because they were by nature greater than any other Christian, but because they were willing to allow God to work through them.  This is a choice that each of us has today.  We can live in mediocrity and just play the game – like the vast majority of pro football players – or we can live a life of victory empowered by the Holy Spirit.  This life of victory is the life to which God has called each of us.  We see clearly in this passage of Scripture what it took for Peter and John to make a difference.

               

                The Apostles were not men who stumbled through life hoping they would happen onto some direction from God.  They actively sought out His direction and guidance.  When they found this lame man they were on their way to the temple at the hour of prayer.  They were going to the temple because they were people of prayer.  Peter and John were men who took their relationship with God seriously.  They were not interested in the ritual religion of their time, but in the power of salvation displayed through the work of Jesus Christ.  They needed Him and they were well aware of the need.  They had experienced defeat when God’s will was not done and they understood the importance of making sure they were within that will – which made prayer something of eminent importance to them.  No matter what they faced they met the circumstance with prayer.

                When the early church needed direction and power, Scripture tells us, “All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer (Acts 1:14)…”  After the Holy Spirit came this was a normal part of life for these Christians: “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers (Acts 2:42).”  After their imprisonment for preaching the gospel they prayed for boldness, “And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God (Acts 4:24)…”  And the Apostles would not compromise the discipline of prayer when faced with increasing responsibility of the church: “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word (Acts 6:4).” 

                If we are to make a difference in the lives of the people with whom we come into contact, we must value prayer as the early church did.  Everything they did was done in light of prayer.  They believed that through their prayers the mind of God was revealed to them.  Through the time they spent in prayer they were led by the Spirit of God, and empowered for the work they were called to accomplish.  The difference they made in the life they encountered that day was a direct result of their commitment to prayer.  If we are to be difference-makers we must have the same commitment to prayer.  If the church is to make a difference – and if you and I will make a difference – prayer can no longer take a back seat to other things in our lives.  This seems to be the first thing we are willing to compromise when things start to get busy and life begins to overwhelm us, but it is the last thing that should be put off.  Our victory in a Christian life depends on our connection with God through prayer.

 

                When Peter and John walk up to the temple mount they noticed the man there begging.  This man was carried there each day, and beggars were not uncommon in first century Jerusalem.  It would have been very easy for them to just walk by and ignore one more beggar sitting at the gate, but they did not.  They would not allow their agenda for the afternoon dictate the impact they could make on the life of another.  But how many of us can say we live like that?  What is it that drives us today?  Most often it is the agenda we have.

                We are goal-oriented people.  We have our checklists and keep in the front of our minds the accomplishments we expect to make for each day.  There are some who are distraught if they can’t fulfill the expectations they have placed on themselves.  We wake up early and work late into the night to accomplish the tasks that we feel need to be done.  There is nothing inherently wrong with doing things that need to be done, but is it possible that our agendas and goals lead us right past opportunities to make a difference and do God’s work?  How many times do we go about our business without ever noticing the opportunities that God gives us?  Are you willing to set aside your agenda for the day for ministry?  What if someone comes to talk to you about God as you’re trying to leave for baseball or softball practice?  How do you respond when someone calls to talk about a difficult day they’ve had but your laundry has to get done, or the grass needs mowed today? 

                Peter and John stopped what they were doing and turned their attention to the problem that had been placed before them.  They didn’t just go on into the temple, or convince themselves that this man would be there when they left.  The Apostles of Christ noticed the need.  They were not so driven by an agenda that they ignored an opportunity for ministry.  If we are to be difference-makers it is imperative that we notice what is happening in the lives of others.

 

                We cannot simply notice the problem and stop there, but must also be discerning about the need.  The man asked Peter and John for money, but they had none.  That was alright because the need was not money anyway.  He could have been given money and it would have bought him a couple meals and he would have been back to begging.  God is not interested in patchwork, but wants to meet our needs.  Sometimes God does not meet needs we perceive in the ways we desire because He wants more than for us to simply get by.  He wants to meet our real needs, not simply fulfill our wants.  This is what we see here.  If this man’s real need was to be met he needed to be restored and made whole, and that’s exactly what he was given. 

                The society we live in looks at the church as an organization that simply meets financial needs, but this is not always the case.  When God works through His people He wants to make a difference in the lives they live.  He wants to transform their lives and renew their hearts.  We work hard to help people meet financial needs, but we see in Scripture an explanation of a greater need – the cure for sin.  The problem at the root of all others is the fact that we live in a world that has been cursed by sin.  We could meet the financial need of every person on earth, but will make no difference until we meet the need of sinners.  We are charged with carrying the testimony of the work of Jesus Christ into the world.  This is the answer to the greatest problem the world has ever encountered.  It is the only antidote to the sickness that man faces and the epidemic that drives us toward the depths of hell. 

                Just as the Apostles discerned the need of the people they encountered we must understand that the need of man is Jesus Christ.  This has to be our focus and purpose in all that we do.  When we look back on the difference-makers we have seen through history, we see people who have a focus on Jesus Christ above all else.  Their daily agendas and personal goals took a back seat to God’s work.  They wanted nothing more than to experience His presence and transforming power as they journeyed through this life.  You may have little to give in the way of material, or great wealth to share, but you still stand in the same position: You can give nothing greater than the testimony of the work of Jesus in your life.  Peter and John were witnesses of this work.

 

                After recognizing the need of this man Peter and John did something that we too often fail to do.  It’s not hard to turn our attention to a problem, and it’s not even all that difficult to remember that Jesus is the answer to our difficulties.  These guys did not just stop there, they responded – boldly!  This man had not walked for 40 years, yet they told him to stand up and walk.  He sat at that gate every day, and they had likely seen him there before, so they knew they were asking him to do something that was impossible, but their faith was greater than even the most terminal of physical ailments. 

                Peter and John were willing to do what many would consider taking a great risk.  They didn’t just pray for him and ask if he felt better.  They didn’t try to ease into the situation, or tell him to try to stand up.  They claimed the victory of God as soon as they had spoken the name of Jesus Christ!  They didn’t settle for anything less than the power of God because they understood that God can do more than all that we ask or think.  They believed that they serve a Savior who is backed by the full power of heaven and refused to claim anything less in His name.  The church today stands in a weakened state because we are willing to claim so little in the name of Jesus.  How many of the things we claim when we employ the name of Jesus are actually worthy of His name?  Do we honestly believe that they are?  We are good at doing things half way and making sure we do no more than we think we can accomplish because we have convinced ourselves that we have to protect God.  We wouldn’t want to put Him on the spot or make Him look bad, so we claim that our work was done in His name.  We can be part of a church that is completely dead and still claim the name of God in our work because we refuse to ask God for the life that He really wants to give His church.  Martyn Lloyd-Jones commented well on our situation:

 

                “Though we must know the theory and have the understanding, we must never forget that first and        foremost the Christian faith deals with life and living; it is the most revolutionary power the world has ever known.  A dead church is a contradiction in terms.  It is a dead something – call it what you like – but not a dead church.  The church is life, and it is power, and it is vigor.”

 

                When we ask God to meet a need, can we really say that we have been bold about it?  Difference-makers are people who stand for Christ boldly, and claim the power of God just as boldly.  Peter and John incited the anger of the religious authorities because of this boldness, but they were bold nonetheless.  Where are those who are willing to do something bold today?  Where are the people who are willing to go to prayer and not leave until it’s answered?  Where are those who are willing to bring up Christ to complete strangers?  Where are those who are willing to ask this dying world if they are prepared to meet Jesus Christ? God will work through boldness.  He wants to use us to display His power, not ours. 

 

                It is when we are bold enough to believe that God can use us to make a difference that we see the church become what God has called her to be.  People recognized the work of God in this lame man.  They had seen him sit there day after day; some may have even given him money on occasion.  This day was different, on this day the man who they had passed day after day stood among them praising God.  Miracles take place for a specific purpose.  They show the work of Jesus Christ on display in the world.  Luke explained in the first verse of Acts his reason for writing, “In the first book, O Theopilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach (Acts 1:1)…”  The work of Jesus did not end when He ascended to heaven, but began with His ministry on earth.  It was carried on through the Apostles and the early church and continues today through those who are willing to allow Him to make a difference. 

                Our belief that we can never really make a difference shows a disbelief in the power of God.  There will be times when we feel like we are making no difference whatsoever, but that does not mean that it can’t be done.  We excuse the things that happened in Scripture by saying, “That was a long time ago,” and we put off the power we see at work today by claiming it was “extraordinary circumstances.”  God never intended this, and when we talk with people about these things we don’t argue with them about miracles or power, but we talk to them about God.  Too many people worship a god who is much smaller than the God revealed to us through Scripture.

                We cannot settle for being anything less than difference-makers.  When we do not experience the power of God and see His work we lack the wonder and amazement that should motivate and empower the church.  The work of God done through the people of God always draws a crowd. 

 

• “And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language (Acts 2:6)…
• “Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles (Acts 5:12)…
• “And Stephen, bull of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people (Acts 6:8).

 

                Some are people who just want to see a show, but others have longed and waited to see God’s reviving power.  The church today is in desperate need of the work of God.  If we are to influence the lives of people in this world we must resolve ourselves to be difference-makers.  We must look at the problems of the world in light of the work of Christ and be bold about responding to them, even if we know we can’t do it alone. 

 

                Some people make it their goal to be professional football players.  These people will never be difference makers for their teams.  It is those who are determined to make a difference who are enshrined among those elite few in the Hall of Fame.  God is looking for those who will make a difference today, people who will risk everything to accomplish the miraculous.  Will He find such people among us?

                The opportunities to experience God’s work through our lives are all around us.  Each day we come into contact with people who desperately need to experience the power of a living God.  The discouragement and frustration we face is not because of a lack of opportunity, but apathy toward God on our part.  In our busyness we so seldom stop to look around.  Look at your life.  Where might God be calling you to make a difference? 

The Church Grows In the Word

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

 

Church growth is a hot topic within the world of Christianity today.  As many congregations decline in size pastors and laity alike continue to search for answers.  Why do we struggle in this postmodern world?  What is keeping people away from the church?  Why have we lost our influence and authority in this nation?  We commission market studies and research to help us find the methods that will attract people and convince them to join our ranks.  Local congregations of our day will seemingly try any method or program that might bring the masses to them. 

 

Sometimes, as I read books about methods and programs, I wonder where we find all this in Scripture.  If the church described in the book of Acts is our model then why do we not follow their example?  Have we considered the fact that with all of our modern innovations, and our life on the “cutting edge” of ministry we are failing miserably while that small band of fishermen so many years ago set the world on fire?  Those men and women of the early church turned a pagan world upside down.  Their influence was so great that the pagan government of the time could not help but stand up and take notice of the work that God was doing among them.  Where is that power today?  Why do we not see such a work?  Even churches that are growing tremendously do not see the power of God at work within them like the apostolic church. 

 

There are many differences we could point out between that church and the church of our day, but we would be better served to look at what drove their ministry, and where their attention was focused.  They were not looking at the most recent sociological studies, but at the Word of God.  Acts 6:7 tells us that the number of disciples grew as the Word of God INCREASED.  With each passing day the doctrines and teaching of Christ became more prominent in their lives and within the church.  “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching [doctrine] and the fellowship, the breaking of bread and the prayers (Acts 2:42).”  These were people who desperately wanted to know Christ through His teaching.  They wanted to make Him, and His work, the object of their being.  The talked about doctrine with one another, and lived it in everything they did.  For the early church, things like sanctification and holiness were more than simply a theory, or an exercise in intellectual gymnastics.  These teachings were a way of life and a part of their very being.  For them, to know Christ was to learn of Him through His work in their lives.  To understand what He taught and did among them.

 

For many among the church in this day, doctrine is not longer a matter of importance.  People are continually telling us that doctrine does not matter as long as people are getting saved.  We allow any number of heresies (and we need to call them what they are) to be spread throughout the church as long as a few more people show up this Sunday than last.  Those who desire to stay true to the Word of God are accused of loving doctrine more than Jesus.  To briefly consider things like this shows the fallacy on which they are founded. 

 

Doctrine simply means teaching.  A doctrine is something that Scripture teaches us.  If Jesus Christ embodied the truth of God (John 14:6) then what He did and taught are doctrine.  Jesus’ work and teaching cannot – and should not – be separated.  To love Jesus is to love His teaching, and therefore, to love doctrine because it is an explanation of His Holy character, and teaches us the truth behind the works that He did.  The apostles looked at the teaching and work of Christ in this way.  In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began TO DO AND TEACH… (Acts 1:1)”  In their minds, to do the work of Christ was to live the doctrine of Christ.  That Is why John wrote, “Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the TEACHING OF CHRIST, does not have God.  Whoever abides IN THE TEACHING has both the Father and the Son (2 John 1:9).”  One cannot and does not truly know and love Jesus Christ without continually gaining an understanding of doctrine.

 

While considering the importance of doctrine in our personal lives, we cannot forget its importance in the church.  The church was multiplied only as the Word of God increased.  As it was taught and took a position of prominence.  As Jesus’ teachings were passed on to the disciples who followed the lives around them were touched and even changed.  They were changed because this doctrine, and this Word are not without power.  “For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).”  The apostolic church did not simply teach a theory or a method.  They lived in submission to God and allowed His Word and His Truth to live in them.  They did not work to explain it away, or to excuse themselves from its commands, but they taught and understood it so that Jesus Christ (the Truth) would become a part of their innermost being.  So that it was Christ who lived through them. 

 

The power contained in the doctrine of the Word is why they worked so hard to maintain purity in their teaching.  If the doctrine taught by Christ and inspired by the Holy Spirit multiplied the number of disciples, false doctrine – and those who promoted it - would be the greatest threat to the young church.  John wrote to the church, “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching [doctrine], do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works (2 John 10, 11).”  Have you ever thought about how much we have changed since those days?  We have gone from not even greeting one who bears false teaching to promoting them to the highest positions of leadership because their “gifts” are more important than their beliefs.  Jesus Christ Himself even rebuked this false teaching in His letter to the Church of Thyatira:  “But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants… (Rev. 2:20)”  The truth is that there is no place in all of Scripture that condones false doctrine.  But beyond that fact is the truth that there is no verse anywhere that teaches us that doctrine is not important.  In fact, most of the epistles give some type of instruction to seek the Truth. 

 

By continuing to look away from God and to things of the world for direction, the church is missing the power that is available to her.  We continue to suffer from our power outage as we seek the ways of the world, and try everything in our power to win souls.  We try in vain because soul winning and discipleship are not in our power.  Martyn Lloyd-Jones teaches us that Christianity is “not something that we take up or put down, but something that God does in our lives.”  When His Word moves in our lives discipleship takes place.  When the Word becomes a part of us outreach takes place.  “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself (John 14:32).”  It seems that we are making the commission given to us by Jesus Christ much more difficult than it should be.  We are not called to come up with slick marketing strategies and ingenious ploys.  We are simply called to submit to God and allow His Spirit to work through us. 

 

The need of the world today is not another program.  The need of the church is not more organization and structure.  The need is the power of the Spirit of God working through the Word of God.  As the world closes in all around us, what the church needs – and what the world needs – are preachers and teachers who take doctrine seriously.  We need those who, as the Old Testament prophets, can boldly proclaim, “The Word of the Lord came to me.”  The church needs those who will not compromise this Word for all the wealth of the world or the favor of its people.  A.W. Tozer once wrote, “I do not know what the future holds.  But I know one thing: Rather than betray the sheep of God, rather than lie to them and deceive them and keep them agitated and stirred up with all kinds of popular topics; rather than take my material from Time magazine, I’ll preach the Word to empty seats and sigh and cry for the abomination that is in the earth.” 

 

It is not an easy task to hold true to the doctrine of God’s Word.  It will bring criticism and skepticism, but in the end, it is the truth that will set people free.  The church has been entrusted to teach and proclaim the Word of God.  And we are told that it will not be popular.  “And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake.  But the one who endures to the end will be saved (Matt. 10:22).”  James Earl Massey speaks of the difficulty of holding true to the Word in his book Stewards of the Story, “A trustworthy stewardship as preachers demands courage to preach in these times when religious pluralism influences the public mind and postmodernism has emboldened many to question our message and the necessity of our work.”

 

The call to hold to the doctrines of Scripture is not always easy, and is seldom popular.  But it is our charge nonetheless.  The book of Acts gives us an example of a viable, growing church.  It is a church where doctrine was not only important, but imperative.  If we are to “be the church,” we must hold to the doctrine that has been entrusted to the church.  If we are to experience a renewal of God’s works and power in this day when the world pulls us in a thousand different directions, it will be when doctrine once again becomes a priority in the church.

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Called Out of Babylon

Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!  She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast…Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share In her plagues (Rev. 18:2, 4).

It seems like every time I hear reference to that Scripture someone is very quick to say, “We need to quit preaching the ‘Come out of Babylon’ messages in the Church of God.”  To preach on this passage is often looked on as divisive and “behind the times.”  We are told that sermons on this text have caused too much dissension over the years, so therefore, it should simply be ignored.  And we have largely done that for the past few decades.  I am 29 years old and can count on one hand (and would only need two fingers) the number of sermons I have heard on that passage of Scripture that was at one time so prominent.  My purpose is not to discuss the messages that we preach specifically on this text, but to point out the dangerous position in which we have placed ourselves when we decide that there are verses in Scripture that we should simply quit preaching and teaching. 

Every time I hear someone claim that we should quit preaching messages on this topic I ask myself, “Should we really be in the business of eliminating verses from the Bible?”  Especially when we read in Revelation 1:3, Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.  The introduction to the book of Revelation would lead us to the conclusion that the truth contained in this final book of the Bible is important.  I realize that all Scripture is important, but that is my point.  If it is all important to our Christian lives and spiritual maturity why would we leave some of it out?  And who do we think we are to do so?

The word “Babylon” is used throughout Scripture to represent confusion, and it would seem that some of our methods and desire for scholarship have led us precisely to that end.   Education is not something that is inherently bad, but look at what we are doing:  We show those who will be leading local congregations every possible view of Scripture, and then, rather than endorsing the truth of which we have been convicted, we tell them to decide what they like best.  We have turned the objective truth of God into something that is very subjective, and the result is that we live like the people of Israel during the time of the judges - everyone did what was right in his own eyes (Judges 17:6). 

The church of our day mirrors our pluralistic society where whatever truth seems to “fit” us best is that which we will follow, and the only conviction we ever voice is that nobody should ever voice a firm conviction.  The last things anyone (even pastors in many cases) wants to discuss are theology and doctrine because they are really not a priority to us anymore.  We are more interested in “vision” and “mission” than we are in simply knowing the God of Heaven, and understanding more of the fullness of a relationship with Him.  The importance of our mission to win the lost cannot be disputed and SHOULD NOT be given a place of diminished importance.  But the greatest command still remains, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart (Matt. 22:37)…  In the third chapter of Mark we read about the reason Jesus called the apostles: And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) SO THAT THEY MIGHT BE WITH HIM and he might send them out to preach (Mark 3:14).  Before they were ever sent out to preach, the priority of Jesus was that they would be with Him.  He wanted to know them, and for them to know Him personally.  God’s desire for us to know Him has not diminished in our modern day.  He still wants to reveal Himself to us through His Word.  THAT IS DOCTRINE AND THEOLOGY!  It is God revealing Himself to mankind through the Word that He inspired for us.  We are sanctified, not simply through a few good ideas, or some sound advice, but through the very Word and Truth of God.  Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth (John 17:17).  There is a reason that John taught in his second epistle, If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching [the teaching of Christ], do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works (v. 10, 11). 

By becoming more “accepting” of every idea and doctrine that people want to believe and promote we have become exactly that from which we were called out: Babylon!  It is possible to go from congregation to congregation without EVER hearing consistent teaching on the doctrines of the Word of God.  As if it is not enough to have eliminated Scriptures from Revelation we live in a day when we can go years on end without ever hearing a sermon on the command to live a sinless life (John 5:14, 8:11), or the call of God to be sanctified (1 Thess. 5:23; John 17:17).   We may go lifetimes without being reminded of the authority of God’s Word, or that  sometimes Satan does indeed attempt to counterfeit God’s work (2 Cor. 11:14).  When faced with so much divergence on issues that were once considered sound doctrine and held as conviction given by the Holy Spirit, what are people supposed to believe?  Where should they be expected to stand? 

Before firing squads are formed for my execution or the accusations of divisiveness begin to fly let me clarify this.  I am in no way advocating that we form our own sect where people who do not believe exactly like me have no access.  I do not claim knowledge of all truth, or an exclusive access to the mind of God.  I do, however, find in Scripture that the Holy Spirit does indeed guide us into truth. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak (John 16:13)…  While it is impossible for us to learn the full extent of the mind of the Living God – even in a lifetime – the Holy Spirit does know His will and His ways, and this same Spirit will speak to us the truth of God.  If Jesus told us that the Spirit would deliver the truth to us, then why is it so easy for us to compromise on doctrine that is inspired by our all-powerful, immutable, omniscient God?  There are things taught in Scripture that we know for certain because they are taught so clearly in the Holy Word of God.  To compromise on those truths is to lead people from the New Jerusalem – God’s holy church – to Babylon, a land filled with confusion and strife. 

In Revelation 17 this confusion called Babylon is not only seen as a city, but as a living, breathing being.  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 I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names…And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: ‘Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations (Rev. 17:1, 3, 5).’”  This provides for us an alarming commentary on the results of our compromise on almost every revealed truth.  Those compromises and shifts made to conform to popular opinion REPRODUCE.  As if it were not enough that the message to John show imagery of the confusion of God’s people by a false religious source, we must deal with the fact that SHE HAD CHILDREN.  The heresies created to gain favor with those who do not consider biblical doctrine important never stops at compromise in one area, or on one teaching.  As the convictions that we hold begin to work together to lead us to an understanding of God, these (seemingly small) compromises begin to permeate and infiltrate the whole of our theology.  At the end of the day all of these things turn our attention away from a God who is continually trying to reveal Himself to us. 

A.W. Tozer tells us in his book, The Knowledge of the Holy, “I believe there is scarcely an error in doctrine or a failure in applying Christian ethics that cannot be traced finally to imperfect and ignoble thoughts about God.”  Do we realize what this means?  If our compromise in convictions turns our attention from God, then our attention turned away from God leads us to further misconceptions of the character and work of God.  Each step leads us farther away from the one whom we claim to love and serve.  The confusion that we not only allow, but create, serves to realign our spiritual direction – not toward our heavenly home, but toward the worldly confusion of Babylon.

Every time we consciously decide not to stand firm on a conviction given to us by the Holy Spirit of God we, like the “great prostitute” are climbing onto the back of a beast.  Like the counterfeit church in the book of Revelation we place ourselves in a position where we no longer have a choice in the path that we take, but are led by a power that we no longer control.  In our drunkenness (see Rev. 17:6) we sit on our beast and allow it to take us wherever it will go.  It may lead us to the furthest depths of hell (yes, some of us still believe in that too) but at least we get along with everyone during this life. 

I am not promoting that we remove ourselves from fellowship with everyone.  But the time has come where theology must once again be something of great importance, something held sacred by the people of the church.  For far too long we have used our study of the Holy God to promote our own ideas, our own agendas, and even worldly forms of scholarship.  We have used Him to advance our own self-interests and have forgotten that above all His revelation is to guide us into a closer relationship with Him, not into a position of prominence in this world.  If we are to “come out of Babylon” theology can no longer be our means of promoting the most modern speculation or philosophy, it must be an earnest search for a deeper understanding of God.  It must be the vehicle that helps lead us into a life in the “Holiest Place” at the foot of the mercy seat of our Lord. 

Pastors and teachers continue to bemoan the messages of the past, but as we eliminate the Scriptures that teach us the importance of strong convictions led by the Holy Spirit we continue on a journey right back into the confusion from which God has called us.  With each compromise and each attempt to appease man rather than please God we have taken part in a modern movement that is leading the church away from her groom and back into Babylon – a place of confusion, disorientation, and spiritual starvation.  A place that is “fallen” (not falling, but fallen from its beginning) and has become a haunt for every unclean spirit, unclean bird, and detestable beast.  God is calling us to something more than that place.  He is calling us to something far better, and something far more pure.  We can eliminate the message from our local congregations and the words from our vocabulary, but Scripture still proclaims to us that God calls His people out of that demonic place.  Ceasing to preach and teach this truth makes it no less true in our day than it was in days gone by.  In a day of diverse and divergent doctrine, spiritual plurality and weak conviction, God continues to call His children OUT OF BABYLON.

Our Declarations of Peace

They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, “Peace, peace,” when there is no peace.                  -Jeremiah 8:11

When we approach Scripture what kinds of things are we looking for?  Do we want something that will make us feel good about ourselves or our circumstances?  Do we want to find something that will make us feel like we are right where we need to be in our walks with God?  This is often the case.  We want to find a Scripture that will give us reassurance that the lives we are living and the place where we have found ourselves is exactly what God wants.  There are times when we want to do this so badly that we are guilty of stretching the truth of God’s Word – if not completely ignoring it – so that we do not have to change the way that we are living.  God talked about this through the prophet Jeremiah, and again through Ezekiel (Ezek. 13:10). 

The people of Israel faced the judgment of God on more than one occasion.  They rebelled against their Lord and Deliverer continually.  But it always seemed that no matter how far they strayed they were always able to find for themselves teachers to suit their own passions (2 Tim. 4:3).  There were always teachers who would proclaim peace to “God’s people” even in the face of the obvious judgment pronounced on them by God Himself.  We do not know all the reasons that this happened, but we could speculate that they wanted to carry favor with Israel and enjoyed the prominence that this constant positive “self-help” message would bring.  But what the message would not bring is favor with God.  It would never bring real, lasting peace – peace given by God – to the people of Israel.  It only brought the inevitable.  As the people continued to live in rebellion against God (because they were taught that it was alright) His anger was kindled and the people learned that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Heb. 10:30).

People have not changed much.  We like to feel good about ourselves and the way we are living.  We don’t like to be challenged and pushed toward God.  We would much rather find teachers who will tell us what our “itching ears” want to hear.  But what peace do we gain from that?  Does focusing on only what we perceive to be the “positive, uplifting” parts of Scripture really draw us closer to God?  It may draw us closer to what we want to believe God to be, but it never really gives us a complete picture of the God we serve, or His Son, Jesus Christ.  We begin many of our conversations with, “My God would not…” or “My Bible never says…”  The reality is that any God that is not revealed through Scripture is not really God.  Are we trying to find the God of Heaven, or our god?  Do we not read the same Bible?  Why do the ones read by some seem to be missing so many pages?

It seems like an attractive prospect to look for the things we want to read in Scripture.  It seems just as attractive to focus on the attributes of God that make us feel good, but to do this is to sell ourselves short.  We miss an understanding of the fullness of God.  We will never know the extent of God’s love unless we begin to understand His jealousy.  We will never know how far He is willing to pursue us until we understand His judgment and the reasons for it. 

We can convince ourselves that it would be far better for us to spend more time on the “positive” parts of Scripture, but the price of doing this is far greater than we realize.  We put ourselves in a place where we feel secure, not in God, but in sin.  We also set an example for other Christians that our own vices are alright and do not need to be overcome.  When this happens others look at the witnesses we have become, and they do not see those who are determined to live for God, but those who “declare peace when there is no peace.”  When Christians become comfortable with our life in this world, and our association with worldly things and worldly views on Scripture, we have taken the place of the prophets in the days of Jeremiah.  God’s desire has always been to have a people who are different from this world (Lev. 11:45).  Are we willing to be those people?

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A Godly Vision of the Church

When you think about, or talk about the church what do you envision?  Some think of a building, and others an organization.  For some, corporate worship comes to mind, while still others think of some of the difficulties that take place within the church.  We all have ideas of what the church is supposed to look like, and how it is supposed to work.  We know what we think Christians should do, and how they should live together and we spend great amounts of effort and resources to see those ideas brought to fruition.  But is it possible that sometimes we forget what God envisions when He thinks of the church?  Has His vision and His plan been lost among all of our ideas and organization?

            The book of Revelation is the vision of the church that the Apostle John received from Jesus Christ Himself.  Through the imagery employed by the beleaguered preacher we see the difficulties that the church should expect to endure, but also the heights to which God will raise His people.  When it comes right down to it, that’s what this seemingly mysterious book of the Bible is about – God raising His people, and His church up to be what they could not be apart from Him.  It is about God receiving glory through you and me, and every Christian who has wholeheartedly served their God throughout history. 

            We spend time in our congregations and even in our personal lives looking for vision and trying to understand where God is leading us.  We like to use the verse from Proverbs 29:18 that tells us, “Where there is no vision, the people perish,” but many scholars teach that a more accurate translation of that verse is, “Where there is no revelation people cast off restraint.”  Is it possible that the church lacks power and authority today because our vision comes from the wrong places? 

            A lot of the conversation we hear today regarding vision is focused on being “practical” in the things we do within the church.  We want people to readily understand everything we teach and preach and try to avoid things that will require more thought than can happen during a Sunday morning service.  While there is nothing wrong with trying to ensure a better understanding of doctrine contained in Scripture, many times those teachings are compromised or left out altogether in the name of pragmatism.  But what consequence could this be having on the church?  If Scripture is God’s revelation, we are missing a great deal of His heavenly vision because we are not willing to search the Scriptures for it.  We consider doctrine impractical and hindering, but when we come to the Bible looking for God’s vision for His church that same doctrine becomes that which delivers us to the heights at which God has called us to live and function as the church.  We see these visions throughout the Bible.  If we will take the time to prayerfully seek the direction of His spirit we will find that God has not left us alone to come up with “our vision” for the church.  Pastors and laity alike are lifted to new heights by subscribing to the descriptions of the way God sees and empowers His church.  That’s what we see when we read John’s description of the “New Jerusalem” coming down from heaven.

 

            Despite the claims of what we hear on television and read in popular culture, the visions of this 21^st chapter of Revelation are visions of God’s church - the culmination of a thriving, victorious church.  This is the vision God has put in place for the church.  John tells us in verse 2, “I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”  Though many claim that someday God will open up the sky and a city will fall out, John makes the bride of Christ (which we know represents the church) and New Jerusalem synonymous.  And it does not only happen once, he reiterates the same thing in verses 9 and 10.  This is clearly something more than what we are so often led to believe.  This is the church!  It is the vision that God sustains for His people, and the beauty in which He sees them. 

Many Christians look at the church as a failed institution, something that needs to be radically altered to fit our modern culture.  They spend their time looking for “new vision” and something different.  The radical alteration that the church needs today is not one that will cause us to fit the worldly culture, but one that allows us to bring the world a different culture.  We need to catch the vision that God provided to John so many years ago, a vision of a great movement that will bring the culture of heaven to earth.  The purpose of the church has never been to conform to worldly culture, but to bring into a lost world a great counter-culture known as the Kingdom of God.  We see, through God’s vision of the church, the capital city of that kingdom, a triumphant people and a benevolent king.  God has NEVER called His people to stumble through this world in mediocrity trying to “find” some vision and direction; He has created us, and called us out of the world into His holy light to be a triumphant, victorious church - a church that has overcome the world and all of its sin and despair.  That’s why Jesus said, “On this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Matt. 16:18),” and why the Apostle Paul reminded us that we are “more than conquerors through him who loved us (Rom. 8:37).” 

We sit through meeting after meeting looking for direction when Scripture is filled with examples of those who have – through a humble heart – come to know the power of God.  But there is a stark contrast between the lives we live for God and those of the heroes of the faith: We concern ourselves with the earthly they concerned themselves with the heavenly.  We concern ourselves with leading, they concerned themselves with submission.  We spend our time looking for the practical while they spent their time looking for the unimaginable.  These were men and women who did not limit themselves to what they knew they could accomplish because their human accomplishments would never compare with what God can do.  They approached God, not to find approval for their vision, but to seek His vision and allow Him to lift them to greater heights than the world had ever known.  They weren’t looking for worldly things to help them get by for a few years until the culture around them changed again, they looked ahead for what God wanted to do in the world THROUGH THEM.  “If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return.  But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, A HEAVENLY ONE.  Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city (Heb. 11:15, 16).” 

The church has always been these faithful men and women who will seek God’s will and God’s vision above everything else.  It is not the doormat that so many of us want to make her as we talk negatively about the church and try to hide our association with her.  The church is described as something beautiful, in fact, Psalm 50:2 goes a step further by saying, “Out of Zion, THE PERFECTION OF BEAUTY, God shines forth.”  Are we looking for the same thing God is looking for?  The Apostle Paul reminded us that Christ died for the church, “so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish (Eph. 5:26, 27).”  Many Christians in our day don’t even look at a life of holiness as a possibility, but that was GOD’S VISION when Jesus hung on the cross and died at the gate so His people could be sanctified.  If this is God’s vision, why are we so willing to settle for less?  Why do we no longer insist on transformation of lives through the power of the Holy Spirit?  Why is a sanctified life no longer a necessity for the Christian, but some type of optional addition to our faith?  That is not what God intended.  God does not want us to drag His work down into the gutters where we live, but He wants to raise us to the heights of holiness and the altitudes of heaven itself.  That’s why John tells us in verse 10 that he was carried away to a “high mountain” to view God’s vision of the church.  That’s the only place from where you can really see such a thing.  And this vision is given freely to us today if we will allow God to raise us up to new heights through our submission to His Spirit and His will.  There is nothing that keeps us from experiencing the fulfillment of this vision of God except for us.

 

Look what God is teaching us about His church:

 

The origin of God’s city is ALWAYS Heaven.  That is as true today as it was nearly two thousand years ago.  If we are to experience God’s work it will always be when we turn our attention away from the sinful things of the world and toward heaven.  Scripture teaches us that the voice of God rings out from heaven, “The Lord thundered from heaven, and the Most High uttered his voice (2 Sam. 22:14).”  God’s salvation came from heaven when Jesus Christ came to earth to dwell among us.  His power came from heaven when the Apostles and disciples heard the sound of a rushing wind and the Spirit filled and empowered the church.  And God’s city, the New Jerusalem, is seen “coming down out of heaven from God.” 

            God has a vision for His church, and this vision can never be accomplished by means that originate with man.  Only those things that come from heaven are sufficient to accomplish the will of God in the world.  That’s why Scripture places such emphasis on knowing the mind of God.  Because, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isa. 55:9).”  Scripture continually teaches us that God’s work must be done His way, and His way always comes from heaven.  It never comes from a board meeting, a policy, bylaws or bureaucracy.  The things of God originate with God in heaven!

            John was even shown the difference between the things of God and the ways of man in this book of Revelation.  Chapter 13 verse 1 tells us, “I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten [crowns] on its horns and blasphemous names on its head.”  John saw visions of beasts that would be worshipped by the people.  These are systems that draw man away from God, just as the beasts in the book of Daniel represent ungodly political systems.  The problem we face is that man has a way of climbing onto the back of these beasts and going wherever they happen to go. 

Even the church does this at times.  John goes on in the 17^th chapter to show us this.  In contrast to the pure bride of Christ we see in Scripture he saw something completely different.  “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 that was full of blasphemous names…The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls…And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: ‘Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abomination (Rev. 17:1-5).’”  If a pure woman represents the church established by God, this prostitute represents a false religion, one that takes people away from God.  She is adorned with all the things valued by the world, jewelry, gold, scarlet.  But look at the position she has placed herself in:  She is SEATED ON A BEAST!  When we see visions of Jesus in Revelation the “Son of Man” is seated on a horse.  Horses can be domesticated, and they will listen to the one who rides them and take them where they want to go.  YOU CANNOT CONTROL A BEAST!  It will go wherever its nature takes it.  This woman has placed herself in a position where she is not in control of her destination.

How does this all apply to us today?  Revelation 13 said the beast rose up out of the sea.  Revelation 17:5 tells us, “The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages.”  This false religion is built on something that rose up from man.  This woman is seated on something that man created and subsequently lost control of.  We spend our time devising structures and programs that we are sure God will bless, though we have spent little time seeking His direction.  We get together with other Christians to talk about ideas, potential and vision without much thought given to prayer and study of God’s word.  We cast a vision that turns into 5 and 10 year plans that have come entirely from our own knowledge and limited earthly wisdom, and then we CLIMB ON TO THE BACK of that beast and go wherever it leads us.  We create programs that are supposed to lead us toward God and what we have really done is set loose another beast that will carry the people of God further and further away from the city of God. 

The works of man are NEVER a substitute for the work of God.  The method Scripture teaches us of discipleship and building of a relationship with God comes not from studies and statistics, but submission and prayer.  The revival in God’s church that so many long to see comes from a submission to the word and the will of God.  A desire to see Him glorified through the church and a willingness to pay whatever cost may come with that.  God’s ways come from heaven and will lead us to His city, and His vision of what the church should be, while man’s ways lead away from that very thing. 

“After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven….and he called out with a mighty voice, ‘Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great (Rev. 18:1, 2)!’” Consider what this angel was proclaiming:  Babylon IS FALLEN!  It does not say that Babylon is falling, or has fallen.  It says it “is fallen.”  From their beginning, the ideas of man that are substituted for those of God are fallen.  They were never pleasing to God, and could never really accomplish His purposes.  When we take our live into our own hands and cease to look to His Word and Spirit to direct us we have placed ourselves at the mercy of a beast that was fallen from its start. 

When we begin to see this vision of God’s church, and the lives that her people live, then that prayer life that we have been neglected suddenly becomes important again.  The opportunities to hear the proclamation of God’s word suddenly become vital and “practical” and the fallen works that have replaced them are no longer so important.  We begin to understand – just as God’s people have understood in days gone by – that the church has never been built on the works and thoughts of man, but on the doctrines revealed by God.

 

John tells us that the God-given vision of New Jerusalem revealed a city that was built on the foundation of the Apostles.  “And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb (v. 14).”  We talk a lot about what is essential and what is not essential in the Christian life, but if we are to live a life that sees the heights to which God would raise us it must be built on the doctrine we see in Scripture.  When God began to add to the church in the book of Acts we read, “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ DOCTRINE and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in prayers (Acts 2:42).” 

This revelation shows us the relationship God wants with us.  It clarifies and fulfills the revelation in the Old Testament.  John tells us that there were twelve gates surrounding the city and the twelve had the names of the tribes of Israel.  When John saw God’s light in the city he pointed out that these gates were always opened.  Too many times, we stumble around in the darkness of this world trying to “find God.”  The truth is, we stumble around in vain.  He has revealed Himself, AND CONTINUES to reveal His will.  God has a vision for our lives, and for His church, and that is shown to us as we begin to study, and allow the Spirit to guide us into, the depths of His word. 

When we allow doctrine to begin to work in our lives we experience something more than what we could create for ourselves.  We don’t have to wander aimlessly through the dark anymore, but are led into an ever-closer walk with God as we follow the light that He reveals to us.  We see God’s grace and vision in ways that we may never have imagined.  We look back at the Old Testament and see a God of judgment that causes us to tremble and fear.  But when we look at it in light of God’s vision we see something greater.  We see the depth of God’s mercy when we look at the sin of Adam and Eve in the garden.  We understand when we look at God’s perspective that they were not cast out as punishment, but they were removed from danger.  God eliminated the possibility of them eating from the tree of life and living eternally in their fallen state.  The flood of Noah shows us the lengths to which God will go to preserve His people.  The flood restricted the evil that had spread across the earth like a cancer and allowed His followers a new beginning.  Even the tower of Babel shows us the protection that God sometimes gives us from ourselves when he confused the languages to keep man from building a structure that would have turned their attention away from Him.  (Sound familiar?)

As we grow in our Christian walk, and look for direction for the church, it is imperative that we remember that God had a plan for us, and for His church before we ever came along.  That plan is eternal, and the beauty of the works He wants to do in us and through us exceeds any life we could ever create, or church we could ever organize.  God’s plan originates in heaven and it is built on nothing less than the eternal wisdom of our all-powerful God.

 

When we think about God’s vision for the church we see a city built on what He has revealed.   We also see a city with a specific purpose: to be a “Light to the nations…”  The God-given responsibility of the church is to reflect the light of God’s presence into the world around us.  If this is to happen, God must first live among us.  In John’s vision we see the city where God lives among His people, and is an active part of their lives.  He provides for their needs and displays His power through their lives.  The greatest part of this vision of such a city is that God is BUILDING THAT CITY TODAY among His people.  He is working through His church to shine His light into a darkened world from a city that transcends man-made divisions, race, geographical boundaries and every other barrier that has ever kept His people apart.  That’s why John tells us “the sea was no more” in verse 1.  Remember what the sea was?  It was “nations, tribes, people and languages.”  In God’s city there are no more nations, there is simply one nations: the Kingdom of God.  We are not divided by various cultural influences because we are all a part of one culture, the culture of heaven that has come to earth through the work of Jesus Christ in our lives.  You see, culture is what this is all about.  God’s vision is not to call people out of the world who will spread a program, or an organization.  God has called people together from every part of the world to live and spread a culture, maybe even a counter-culture that reveals a greater set of values, and a higher world-view than anything promoted among man.

This culture of God stands out from the world and shows the lifestyle to which God has called us.  That is why Jesus said, “You are the light of the world.  A city set on a hill cannot be hidden (Matt. 5:14).”  The church is responsible to shine ALL the light she receives from Jesus Christ.  He lives among us and instills within us the values held by all the hosts of heaven.  C.E. Orr taught us, “He was the light of the world in his incarnation, and now the church, his body, is the light of the world.  Incarnate he was a light because of his purity and power, and he lives the same pure life and manifests the same marvelous power in his body, the church…”  We wonder why we see so little of the power of God at work in the lives of His people today, but we so seldom allow His culture (taught in Bible doctrines) to permeate our lives.  But God’s intention goes much further than that.  This culture must become so much a part of our lives that it follows us everywhere we go.  The culture of heaven should be the culture of our homes, the culture of our workplace, the culture of our relationship, and yes, even the culture of our congregations.  That is why Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.” 

Jesus did not come to establish a culture of independence from God’s word as some are teaching today.  He did not come to usher in a culture of independence from God’s holy standard.  But He did come to show us something more, something greater.  He came to raise us to the heights of heaven during this life on earth.  He came to live the culture of heaven here among man, and to empower us to live that very same culture everywhere we go.  He taught us through His nights spent in prayer a culture of dependence on the power and provision of God.  He taught us in His work with His disciples a culture of perseverance.  He showed us through miracles and healing a culture of empowerment.  And He displayed through the resurrection a culture of victory.  The church has been left with the charge of carrying this culture into all the world, and creating it wherever we go.  Is that happening?

We spend a lot of time praying for our needs and our personal relationship with God, and we should, those things are very important.  But how much time do we spend looking at, and praying over God’s vision for all of us together – the church?  As we search for direction and vision it is imperative that remember what God has already revealed to us.  We spend so much time trying to re-invent the wheel, and so little time looking for a great move of God through which He will establish His vision.  In a day when we literally have the world at our fingertips, and unmatched potential for personal and corporate growth, we must be continually more careful to make sure that the vision we are pursuing is a vision that comes from God.  The church can no longer afford to release uncontrollable beasts into the world.  How long has it been since you have spent time at an altar praying for something bigger than yourself?  As the world speeds on at a torrid pace toward hell, are you willing to cast yourself at an altar and pray for the one hope, the body of Christ – the church?