Revelation 3:21

Revelation 3:21 - the one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne

What an awesome promise in the midst of one of the most devastating letters to a church. The love of Jesus for his church was being demonstrated through "reproof and discipline". Jesus was trying to get into "his" church and the people of Laodicea didn't even know He had left. He was standing outside the door and knocking to get in. Jesus desired fellowship and relationship with his people, but they had grown cold to his affection and his presence. They had begun to trust themselves, their ingenuity, their appearance...instead of the Holy Spirit and his infinite supply of resources.

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches"

Are we listening?

The Power of the Gospel

From Oswald Chambers this morning:

"The gospel of God creates a sense of need for the gospel"

"It is God who creates the need of which no human being is conscious until God manifests Himself"

"Nothing can satisfy the need but that which created the need. This is meaning of redemption--it creates and it satisfies."

We don't even know we need the gospel until God creates that need in us. Then, with great love and grace, he supplies for the need that He himself created in us. "Salvation belongs to our God..."

Were it not for the grace of God to create my sense of need, I would never know the one who could meet my need.


"Oh to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be
Let your goodness like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to thee
Prone to wander, Lord I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here’s my heart Lord, 
Take and seal it
Seal it for thy courts above"

Strengthened and weakened churches

I read the following in my bible study this morning:

"What makes a strong family? When siblings recognize clearly their commonalities in having the same heritage, and also honor their distinctive differences as individuals. What makes a strong church? When believers acknowledge their common faith, and enter into a giving and receiving relationship with others, when it comes to the function fo their life empowered by the Holy Spirit. What weakens a family? When siblings regard one another as rivals, never fully believing that the parents love each child equally. What weakens a church? When members begin to compete against one another, striving to gain more spiritual power or influence." (Blackaby)

The games of jockeying for position of influence and power and control within "institutionalized" churches played by many members are a detriment to the body of Christ. It reflects a "selfish ambition" and an "ownership" mentality that the Apostle Paul would condemn (cf. Philippians 2:1-11). This kind of mentality disrupts the unity of the church and distracts the church from her primary purpose to "make disciples". Oftentimes, these attitudes are couched in language that seem to express "love" for the church or done in the name of "good leadership", but in reality this language is deceptive and manipulative so as to keep hold of one's "sway" & "control" over the members of the church for selfish gain.

What's the cure? Humility and repentance, from pastors who think they own the church they serve with a bull in a china shop mentality and from members who think "membership" or "family lineage" means "ownership".

What is the Spirit saying to the churches? (cf. Revelation 1-3)

Reflections from Malachi 3

"Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years.
(Mal 3:1-4)

What does the Lord need to "refine" in our lives that we might be a "pleasing" offering in his sight? What does the Lord need to "refine" in our churches that we might be a "pleasing" offering in his sight? (i.e., Ephesians 5:26-27)

In order for the "dross" and the "impurities" to be eliminated from our lives, the fire must be at right temperature. We must trust the one who sits as the refiner who makes sure the temperature is just right. Sometimes the process is painful, but it is necessary for us to be "recreated" in the image of Jesus. At times it involves the judgment of God, the conviction of the Holy Spirit over our sin, and the response of confession & repentance from us. The process involves moving deeper into the gospel. This applies not only to individuals, but also to local churches (i.e., Acts 5:1-11). We are God's people through whom God desires to work and reach the nations.

Remember the words of Job 23:10 - "but he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold"

Then, Malachi 3:16-18 - Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name. "They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him. 

Where am I in this process of refining? Where is my church? What is the Spirit saying to the churches?

 

Reflections from Malachi 1

"A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, 'How have we despised your name?' By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, 'How have we polluted you?' By saying that the LORD's table may be despised. When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the LORD of hosts.
(Mal 1:6-8)

Though we do not offer blood sacrifices any more because is the "once for all" sacrifice for our sins, we are called to offer our bodies as living sacrifices according to Romans 12:1-2. Everything we do, say, and think is an act or expression of worship to God. Therefore, in the same way that the "sacrifices" in the OT were expressions of worship and the offering of blemished or less than the best of one's flock to God was condemned by God, how can we think that God is pleased today when we "offer ourselves" in expressions of worship in such a way that does not reflect the greatness and worth of Jesus Christ?

Because of the worth and value and supremacy of Jesus, He deserves our very best. He deserves that we strive for excellence in everything we do as Christians and everything we do as a church. Does that mean perfection? No, because we are fallible humans, but that is not an excuse for us not to give our very best to the one died in our place and for our sins as an offering of worship to His great name. It is not an excuse to fulfill our calling in life with a half-hearted commitment. It is not an excuse for us to "do ministry" with an "oh, well" attitude.

Though giving our best effort in following Jesus does not earn the favor of God, the intensity of our effort and the motivation for our effort certainly does reflect what we think of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us.

Is Jesus not worthy of our best as a response of worship to His sacrifice for us?