State of the Church

(note: this message is an addition to the Revelation Commentary. If you have not read it, you can find it <HERE> )

In the Revelation Commentary we began, at chapter 6, after the Letters to the Churches. But these letters are important, not only in seeing the signs of our times, they have definite insight into the Modern Church. These Seven Churches are types of the seven main divisions among Christianity in our present day. Let's take a look... (Revelation 2)

Ephesus: A good church, a strong church, but a stagnant and legalistic church. They hold fast to purity and truth, but their zeal has turned to the zeal of the pharisee. No longer do they draw others to the saving grace of Jesus (the first love), they attack and drive away the lost as 'unclean' sinners. These are the strong conservative denominations such as the Baptist, and other 'Fundamentalists'.

Smyrna: The Persecuted Church. These are the believers around the world and missionaries who live in cultures opposed to Christ, yet hold strong to the faith. Here there is no condemnation, no warnings, just a promise of comfort and reward.

Pergamos: The lenient church. Here we see the doctrine of Grace taken to an extreme. To them, sin is just a 'concept'. Live and let live. Don't be too judgemental. Here we find the modern 'Mega-Churches' and 'Mega-Ministries'. To them, it is more important to fill the pews (and the plate) than to fill the heart. Their doctrine is one of 'inclusion' and not to offend anyone. This also includes most "mainline" protestant churches.

Thyatira: This church goes one step futher, they embrace sin and call evil good. These are the extremist churches at both ends of the spectrum. Some ultra-conservative hate groups, others, ultra-liberal new age cultists. They have twisted the truth into a lie. They show some good works but their faith is twisted.

Sardis: The dead church. Here orthodoxy and ceremony are everything. There is no life, no spirit left. Only ritual. These are the Catholics, the Orthodox, the Angelican, and many others. But even here, as in all the other churches, there are Saints. They stand on faith, and remain true.

Philadelphia: These are all those within the other churches who have remained true to the faith. We see in each case a remnant, a few that Christ exhorts, after speaking judgement on each church. They are the true CHURCH, the Light shining in the darkness. They are persecuted both by the world and within their own churches, but Christ offers them comfort, and reminds them of His love for them. They are the Underground. The True Church within the churches.

Laodiceans: These are also within all the churches, but they have no faith. They are true neither to GOD nor the church. They attend worship at whim, or in guilt, or on holidays. They give, and get tax deductions. They profess Christ, because it is expedient, and they like to soothe their conscience by being "christian". These are the ones Christ described when He said "Depart from Me, I knew you not."

Now that i have offended every denomination of the modern Church let me offer some explanation. i am not 'anti-church'. Though i am ordained as a non-denominational minister, i am a member and attend a Baptist Church. This is not a call to leave churches, it is a wake-up call to the churches. In each letter Christ exhorts the churches to turn from their fallen ways and return to Him. He has even left the light of His true Church within the churches to lift them up and show them the way. But He also warns that this will not always be the case. There will come a time when the "candle stick" will be removed, the church cast away. At that time His People will be called out. We see this in Revelation 3:8 in the letter to the Church of Philadelphia.
This great 'falling away' of the churches and 'calling out' of the Saints is prophesied throughout Scripture. It is the clearest sign of the imminent return of Christ and the beginning of the final great revival, when Christians all over the world will take to the streets to proclaim Jesus and reap the final harvest. Until then, our place is in the churches, shining the light, drawing together workers for the harvest.

Next, i continue in offending people as we compare the modern church, and modern Christians to the Jews at the time of Christ.

Stay tuned for... Pharisees, Sadducees, and Publicans

until then... BACK to the Archive