Which
Church Would You Join?
Chapters two and three of Revelation
contain messages by Jesus Himself to seven local churches located in
Asia Minor within a fifty-mile radius of each other. The Lord issued
appropriate commendations and rebukes to each congregation, and
followed up His admonitions with a command to repent. The only church
that needed no repentance was the church at Smyrna, the suffering
church. Jesus pronounced this church spiritually rich in the midst of
devastating poverty. He revealed Himself as the dead and risen Lord,
and promised crowns of life, and immunity from the second death, to the
faithful who overcame.
By the way, it is doubtful that this
church could afford to pay the salary of a full-time pastor. He was
probably bivocational, and persecution may have cost him his job.
Nevertheless, the analysis of Jesus destroys the myth that there is a
direct relationship between Holy Ghost power and the size of the
offerings.
These messages also contain a
prophetic element. Many see the seven churches of the Revelation as
representing seven kinds (types) of churches that would characterize
the church age. In addition, the seven churches are seen as
representing seven distinct and successive periods of the Church age
beginning at the first century and ending at His Coming. In this
interpretive view, the last period is the Laodicean. No doubt we are in
that period!
The word Laodicea is a combination of
two words. The first is laos,
meaning people.
The second is dike,
meaning right
or justice.
Together they signify a people’s justice, or rights of a people. The
Laodicean church age is one in which the people determine what is right
and just, and likewise defend their personal rights.
The fundamental issue is one of
authority, and who calls the shots. The New Testament model is a
Christocracy, where the Lord Jesus calls the shots. His pastors and or
elders are called to proclaim His authoritative Word, and to provide
spiritual leadership under His authority. The Laodicean church is a
democracy, where the people constitute the final authority, and call
the shots. I was made aware of a church situation recently where the
members retained the services of legal counsel to help them oust their
pastor. Why? He was calling too many shots. Please pray for the new
pastor. When the honeymoon is over, they will no doubt put him on a
leash to ensure that the shots that count are
theirs.
In contrast to the poverty-stricken,
God-anointed church at Smyrna is the cash-rich, spiritually
impoverished church at Laodicea. Its lukewarmness made Jesus sick to
His stomach. The invitation offered in Revelation 3:20, "Behold, I stand at the door, and
knock," indicates that a significant portion of
its membership was still unregenerate, dead in trespasses and sins. Do
you suppose their pastor was full-time?
Which of these two churches would you
join? What does it say about a church when the absence of cash flow
raises more red flags than the absence of Holy Ghost power?
Top
|
