Giving Thanks
For The Church Of The Christ Of Revelation
By Rick Shrader
I look forward to my regular reading of Revelation 1-3 as
much as any portion of Scripture. The description of The Lord Jesus
Christ in chapter one ought to become familiar to any believer who is
waiting for His return—for that is how He will appear when we see Him.
And we ought to desire to become like Him because, as John wrote
earlier, when he shall appear, we shall be like him for we shall see
him as he is (1 John 3:2). We will not see Him as He was in His
earthly flesh, for Paul has written, yea, though we have known Christ
after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more (2 Cor
5:16). We will see Him as John saw Him on the isle of Patmos, in all of
His eternal glory and splendor.
The purpose for Christ’s appearance to John
was that His manifest presence would be the gauge by which the local
churches would measure themselves. Each letter to the churches begins
with a selected characteristic of Christ’s eternal appearance which is
applied to the condition of that church. Each letter ends with an
admonition to overcome the problem by striving for eternal rewards
awaiting the believers in heaven.
The local churches at the end of the age,
existing at the time Christ returns, are going to be fraught with the
problems of these seven churches of Revelation 2 and 3. They will not
be expecting the Lord’s countenance to be as He pictures it in these
chapters, as He takes the pastors in His hand and searches the works of
each congregation. They will not be expecting to see those eyes that
appear as flames of fire!
We need churches today that want to convey
the character of Christ to the world, not amalgamate with the world. We
need churches today that offer the lost a place of change. I agree with
A.W. Tozer when he wrote, “Our meetings are characterized by cordiality,
humor, affability, zeal and high animal spirits; but hardly anywhere do
we find gatherings marked by the overshadowing presence of God.”1
I am thankful for the local New Testament
Church. I think the Christ of Revelation 1 would be pleased with the
church that strives to be like Him and is uncomfortable when the likes
of Balaam, Jezebel and the Nicolaitans feast with them, feeding
themselves without fear, teaching unsuspecting believers to sacrifice
unto idols and commit spiritual fornication. Such churches have left
their first love and are in need of renewing the first works of
ministry. The churches of Christ can be salt and light in their
generation, they don’t have to become sand and glitter.
The Christ of Revelation 1 is seeking local
churches that will reflect His own attributes. His words to the
churches of Revelation 2 and 3 are sometimes loving and sometimes harsh
but His instruction to them is left without recourse. They are
overcomers or they are not. I find at least seven characteristics of
this heavenly Christ which He expects to find in each church that calls
itself by His name.
A church of modesty
and propriety
And in the midst of the seven candlesticks
one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot,
and girt about the paps with a golden girdle (Rev 1:13). Both the
churches of Pergamos and Thyatira allowed believers to be drawn into
fornication. Familiarity and nakedness is opposite to the fully clothed
Christ. Spiritually the church at Laodicea was wretched, and
miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked (3:17). They were to buy
of their Lord pure raiment that thou mayest be clothed, and that the
shame of thy nakedness do not appear (3:18).
It is because physical nakedness and
immodesty is sin that it is a fitting analogy for spiritual nakedness
(see Rev 16:15). Today’s church sanctuaries are filled with uncomely
parts which have need of more abundant comeliness (1 Cor
12:23). We spend more time defending David’s naked dancing than we do
condemning our own shamefulness! In a day when nakedness is becoming a
national sin,2 I would think that believers would want to be
even more modest than we are. Cyprian once wrote, “It is evident that
there true patience cannot be, where there is found the insolent daring
of a claim of liberty and the immodest forwardness of an exposed and
uncovered [believer].”3
The overcomers in the church of modesty and
propriety will sit with the Christ of Revelation 1 in the holy place of
the Father’s throne (3:21).
A church of
conviction and judgment
His eyes were as a flame of fire; and his
feet like unto fine brass (1:14-15). When Jesus addressed the
worldly church at Thyatira He used these symbols of His character to
point out, I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest
that woman Jezebel (2:20). This false doctrine was led by false
women prophets who seduced the people of the church. The Lord’s
righteous anger and judgment are evident from His words, And I will
kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am
he which searcheth the reins and hearts (2:23).
Though the Lord will do the ultimate judging,
it is the church’s responsibility to judge sin and false doctrine in
their midst. When the Corinthian church failed in this, thinking their
slackness was actually a loving spirit, Paul wrote, ye are puffed up,
and have not rather mourned . . . . Your glorying is not good (1 Cor
5:2, 6). True love builds the erring brother, pride of knowledge puffs
up the church (1 Cor 8:1).
A church of
pastoral leadership
And he had in his right hand seven stars .
. . . The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches (1:16,
20). In Ephesus they had fallen prey to the Nicolaitans, Pergamos to
Balaam and the Nicolaitans, Thyatira to Jezebel. Sardis sought a name
for themselves and Laodicea trusted in their riches alone. The Lord
addresses the “angel” of each church with these problems of leadership,
and the Spirit witnessed to whoever had ears to hear.
Paul reminded the Galatians that they had
received him as an angel of God (Gal 4:14), but he scolded the
Corinthians for allowing false teachers who appeared as angels of
light (2 Cor 11:14-15). The climate at the end of the age will
require ministers of unusual insight and courage. Vance Havner wrote,
“Any preacher who shows signs of being original in this assembly-line
age will be frowned upon and viewed with suspicion by all operators of
ecclesiastical armories. ‘Ready-made clothes are for those of average
size.’”4
A church of Biblical
priority
And out of his mouth went a sharp
two-edged sword (1:16). Pergamos was a church with serious
doctrinal error and Christ addresses them as he which hath the sharp
sword with two edges (2:12). They had allowed some to come in and
do as Balaam had done, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock
before the children of Israel (2:14). That is, this church had
allowed teachers from outside to teach the church to sin by idolatry and
fornication. They also allowed the Nicolaitans to spread their
doctrine, God says, which thing I hate (2:15).
Last Sunday morning a generic-named
evangelistic team I did not know at all, walked into my church and asked
if they could teach my people that night in the evening service! The
air is thick with pestilences that spread biblical error. Not long ago
I heard a man from a well-known organization recommend to pastors a
writer who has taught many wild and unbiblical things. Such
“Balaamizing” can come from any direction.
The book of Hebrews says the Word of God is
like a two-edged sword that pierces the heart, and neither is there
any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked
and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do (Heb 4:13).
The Christ of Revelation 1 sees these doctrinal errors and will fight
against them with the sword of [his] mouth (2:16).
A church of heavenly
and worldly contrast
And his countenance was as the sun shineth in his
strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead
(1:16-17). Even though the Lord assured John he did not need to fear
Him, it would be better for our churches today to begin with holy fear
and find assurance, than to begin with self-confidence and find
holy displeasure. J.S. Whale said, “Instead of putting
off our shoes from our feet because the place we stand is holy ground,
we are taking nice photographs of the burning bush from suitable
angles.”5 C.S. Lewis wrote, “The man who has never even
wanted to kneel or to bow, is a prosaic barbarian.”6
In too many ways the new Post-Modernism is
actually a Neo-Paganism. There ought to be a definite heavenly/worldly
contrast about the church as there is about the Christ of Revelation 1.
It ought to draw us to bowed heads and bended knees. Let us have
grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly
fear: For our God is a consuming fire (Heb 12:28-29).
A church of eternal
perspective
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and
the ending (1:8). Fear not; I am the first and the last
(1:17). The book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ is all about
perspective! John, like apostles and prophets before him, is allowed to
see the bigger picture. He can see the throne of God as well as the
altar of the local church. He can see the unholy trinity of the dragon,
the beast and false prophet and well as persecuted believers whom the
devil will cast into prison and unto death.
The Laodicean church had lost its
perspective. It boasted, I am rich and increased with goods, and
have need of nothing (3:17). But the Lord said, thou art
wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked (3:17).
Like many churches today, they needed trial (gold tried in the fire),
purity (white raiment) and eternal wisdom (eye salve, that
thou mayest see). To poor, despised Smyrna the Lord said, I know
thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, but thou art rich (2:9).
Indeed, through His poverty, the church has been made rich!
A church of
baptismal identification
I am he that liveth and was dead; and
behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of
death (1:18). Local church congregations consist of saved, baptized
believers. They have identified with their crucified, buried and risen
Lord in the watery grave of baptism. It has buried their attachment to
this world and has raised them to walk in newness of life. This picture
of the crucified and risen Lord is given to the church of Smyrna who
will have to face death for their faith. The Lord said, fear none of
those things . . . Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give
thee a crown of life (2:10).
It will be said of future Tribulation saints,
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of
their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death
(12:11). The Lord said to Smyrna, He that overcometh shall not be
hurt of the second death (2:11). Believers baptized in water have
also committed to a baptism of blood (see Matt 20:22-23). So now
also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by
death (Phil 1:20).
And So . . . .
The Christ of Revelation 1 says,
I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these
things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the
bright and morning star.
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come
(22:16-17).
Notes:
1. A.W. Tozer, Worship and
Entertainment (Camp Hill: Christian Pub., 1997) 30.
2. For example, the American Association
of Nude Recreation claims 50,000 members.
3. Saint Cyprian, “On the Benefit of
Patience,” Orations from Homer to McKinley, M. Hazeltine, ed
(NY: Collier, 1902) 1115.
4. Vance Havner, In Times Like These
(Old Tappan: Revell, 1969) 40.
5. Quoted by Robert Wenz, Room For God
(Grand Rapids: Baker, 1994) 195.
6. C.S. Lewis, Present Concerns
(New York: HBJ, 1986) 18.
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