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Message
Revelation 2:1-3:22
“The Broken Church In This Broken World”.
In a moment we are going to read through two chapters in Revelation – the chapters which contain the letters to the seven churches. Now, before we do so, let me make a few quick points. The first point comes by looking at a map.
(Get a map off Google Images)
From this map it becomes very clear what is happening with regards to the letters. John is on the Island of Patmos and writes the down the Revelation that he sees. The order in which the seven churches appear is actually a circular route following the path of delivery.
Ephesus; Smyrna; Pergamum; Thyatira; Sardis; Philadelphia; Laodicea
Which helps us understand the particular order in which they are mentioned. Basically it is the shortest route.
I also want you to also see that each letter has the same basic structure.
They all start with a description of Jesus who is writing to them.
Each letter usually then lists the strengths of the church – some positive encouragement from Jesus.
Each letter usually lists the weaknesses of the church – some warnings from Jesus.
Each letter then lists a promise of blessing for faithfulness.
Basically that is the structure. So with that as the introduction let’s read.
Revelation 2:1-3:22
The big temptation at this point is to ask:- which church do you think best represents our church? Our church is like …
Maybe the next temptation is to try and label other churches.
The Baptist Church on Musgrave in Banyo is like …
The Anglican Church on Froude Street is like …
The Uniting Church on Earnshaw Road is like …
Let me tell you right now that this is not the point of these verses. It isn’t about pointing our fingers at other churches and saying “tutt-tutt look how bad they are”. . Nor is it about looking at ourselves in the mirror and going “look at me, I’m so handsome”.
Because that is what we do, don’t we. It is so easy to look around us and see the faults in everyone else. To see churches which have poor teaching, or bad fellowship. To identify dying churches, and churches where compromise has taken place. But when we look at ourselves we would very quickly point out all our strengths. And probably we would make all sorts of excuses for our own weaknesses – and would get very offended if someone suggested that we somehow had got it wrong. But in all of this we need to have a reality check.
Put your left hand up to the side of your face.
Now your right hand to the other side.
What do you feel there? (ears)
Keep your hands there for a moment.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Despite what is written to each individual church each letter ends with exactly the same words. (You can put your hands down now)
Notice John doesn’t say “let them hear what the Spirit says to this church”, but what the Spirit says to the churches.
This is a message for us … now. A very important message.
The first message we get out of this is that, in many ways, the church is broken.
In Ephesus they have fallen into what we call “dead orthodoxy”. The members knew their Bible and they could sniff heresy from a mile away. They don’t like it when people are not truthful when it comes to teaching about Jesus – and they make their displeasure very clear. It is important to protect the truth and defend the truth.
BUT … in Ephesus … it was all about knowledge. They had forgotten about their relationship with Jesus. They had lost their first love.
The 10 commandments had become the 10 suggestions.
Their longing to worship God had been replaced with a longing to watch a movie, or sports, on television.
Sacrificial giving had been replaced with gathering material possessions.
Grief over sin had been replaced with trying to push the boundaries.
Dead orthodoxy breaks the church.
In Pergamum they had endured great persecution for Pergamum was a centre of pagan and emperor worship – the place was absolutely full of temples. They would not renounce Jesus even when they were threatened with death. But they were “minimising sin”. You see Satan is a very cleaver little devil. Blatant persecution wasn’t working, all it did was make the church stronger. So Satan uses Balaam’s technique.
Balaam is from the Old Testament. He is helping Balak fight the Israelites who are in the move from Egypt to the promised land. Balak is losing every battle so Balaam suggest sending a whole heap of beautiful women to the Israelite camp. While under the seduction of these women the men forgot their allegiance to the LORD and began to offer sacrifices to the pagan god Baal. In all some 24,000 Israelite men made sacrifices – and as punishment they were put to death.
There is no point being successful in the big spiritual battle … like persecution … if you fail in the small spiritual battles … like sexual temptation. Minimising sin breaks the church.
In Thyatira the town was ruled by trade guilds – kind of like an ancient version of a union, but much worse. A baker didn’t bake, and a painter didn’t paint, and a shoemaker didn’t make shoes, unless they belonged to the local guild. So, if the Christians in Thyatira wanted to work they had to be part of the guild. Which doesn’t sound so bad, except it meant you had to compromise for commerce.
You see belonging to one of these guilds demanded tremendous commitment because you had to be committed to the “god” of that union. And that meant commitment to pagan rituals – to idolatry – to pagan feasts which often involved prostitution and orgies. Which isn’t really a Christian activity. But what was the option? Either you join the union and do as they do … or you don’t have work. It is a powerful argument. But compromising for commerce breaks the church.
In Sardis the church appears to be alive and well. It does lots of good community activities and was well organised. The congregation faithfully attends worship. The people are busy in the church and kingdom. They had done great things in the past. They had all the plaques and monuments to prove it. Of the seven churches of Asia Minor it was the one that people would join first; it was the one filled with vitality. But the church is spiritually dead. The word on the street is that the church at Sardis is alive and going places; but Jesus sees through all the smoke and mirrors. The spirituality of this church, her works, her faith, her love, her religious activities, they are all outward. Her Christianity is only formal and external, and not inward.
Acting like the city coroner, he issues them a death certificate. You are dead; spiritually dead. It’s a very sad conclusion to make about a church.
Being spiritually dead breaks the church.
Over at Laodicea the church reflects the geography of the town. Laodicea had no central water supply. The nearest water supply was some world-famous hot springs which were located 8km south of the city. To get the water the city engineers of Laodicea constructed a rather ingenious aqueduct of stone pipes that brought the water from the hot springs into the town. The water came out of the ground very hot. But by the time it travelled through those stone pipes and reached the city of Laodicea, it had become lukewarm. Just like the church which is also lukewarm.
They are not firmly in the camp of the non-believers. But they are not really excited about their Christian faith either. They don’t want a Christianity which is hard, and make demands, and which costs. When the town’s people ask if they are Christians they look down to the ground and avoid the answer, but if they get an invitation to the local pub they are much more excited.
Being lukewarm breaks the church.
Jesus has a message for these churches – in one way or another five out of the seven are broken. Two of them, Sardis and Laodicea, are so broken that Jesus only focuses on their weaknesses. The others are have a mixture of weaknesses and strengths. It is not a good picture is it? But it is a very realistic picture.
As it was in the days of John the church is still broken.
The modern church can lose its first love for Jesus just as easily as the elders in Ephesus.
The modern church can minimise sin just as quickly as the people in Pergamum.
The modern church can completely compromise just as the tradies in Thyatira.
The modern church can be as spiritually dead as the sinners in Sardis.
The modern church can remain as lukewarm as the leaders in Laodicea.
I could give you example after example of this being the case – but let me tell you two stories that really make the point.
The first story comes from England. A few years ago an elderly lady was took a tour of Westminister Abbey – a famous church in London. The tour-guide knew she was not your ordinary tourist.
She listened to all of his explanations of everything.
She looked at every stone.
She read every inscription.
But there was something in her eye that told the tour guide that she just wasn’t impressed.
Eventually she interrupted. Gesturing to the whole of Westminister Abbey, that great stronghold of Christian heritage, that storehouse of things commemorating the mighty acts of God and Jesus Christ, that little old lady said, "Young man. Stop your chatter and tell me something really important. Has anyone been saved here lately?"
The second story comes from the Netherlands.
In the 1950’s and 60’s more than 90% of the population went to church. Even in small towns there would be 2 or 3 large churches to cater for the spiritual needs of the people. But over time the church lost its way. Today only about 15% of the population are Christian. Many of the old big churches have been turned into shopping centres.
As someone one commented at least the people who go there are still being feed. But they are not being fed the Word, they are being fed the Religion of materialism.
But we don’t need to look oversees for stories like this. We just need to look in our local area. Once thriving churches with many people are now home to 20 or so old saints – and some of the buildings are completely empty. Why?
Because of compromise.
Because of wrong priorities.
Because of apathy.
Because of lukewarmness.
Because of mixed commitments.
Because of shallow spirituality.
Because of poor leadership.
Because of pathetic preaching.
Because of short-sighted planning.
Because of fear.
Because of biblical illiteracy.
There are a whole range of reasons why it happens, but the outcome is the same. The broken church is having real problems bringing Jesus to this broken world.
Which could cause us to become very discouraged. Except for another truth which comes out of these chapters.
Jesus can still work in this broken world, despite the broken church.
The reason for this is simple.
Jesus continues to work with His church despite her weaknesses.
You see the same pattern at the beginning of each letter don’t you. Each of the churches receives a Word.
From the One who holds the seven stars in His right hand.
From the First and the Last.
From the One who has the double-edged sword.
From the One with eyes like blazing fire.
From the One who holds the keys of David.
From the Ruler of God’s creation.
From this One; the Lord Jesus Christ who, despite what is happening to the churches, is still standing among them.
The churches of Smyrna and Philadelphia – they have no weaknesses. Jesus is among them.
The churches of Ephesus, Pergamum, and Thyatira – they have both strengths and weaknesses. Jesus is among them.
The churches of Sardis and Laodicea – they have no strengths. Jesus is equally among them.
The lesson is clear isn’t it. The effectiveness of the ministry of the church is not based on:-
- our size.
- our income.
- our faithfulness.
- our programs.
- our ability to meet needs.
- our resources.
- our spiritual maturity.
- our lack of sinfulness.
- our determination not to compromise.
- our enthusiasm.
Or any other factor we might want to mention. The effectiveness of the church is based on one question … and only one question. Is Jesus among us?
When we are falling into the trap of dead orthodoxy – when our initial excitement about knowing Jesus is crushed by the business of everyday life. Do we allow the reviving Spirit of Jesus to be among us and give us renewed enthusiasm?
When we find ourselves facing affliction and poverty – perhaps because we have stood up for our faith – do we hold onto Jesus knowing that the riches which are to come far outweigh any difficulties we have to face?
When we discover that we have been compromising with the world because we favour possessions and materialism more than faith. Do we, in those times, allow Jesus among us to rebuild our integrity and our standards of faith?
When we have fallen into sin, and maybe even stayed in it for a while because we have minimised its impact. Do we allow Jesus among us to bring forgiveness and repentance? Allowing Jesus to direct us onto the road of obedience.
When we discover that we are spiritually dead – having a reputation for being faithful, but really being empty. Do we allow Jesus to come among us and resurrect us from our spiritual apathy? Allowing Jesus to give us a greater purpose.
When we feel like we have no strength because the whole world seems to be against us – perhaps we are at the point of giving up completely. Do we allow Jesus come among us and pick us up and carry us? Knowing that in His arms is the safest and strongest place to be?
When we are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – and we are making the stomach of Jesus churn. Do we allow Jesus to come and give us the vigour of a real and vital relationship with Him? Allowing Jesus to fill us with His Spirit.
Is Jesus among us?
Do you want to be an effective church?
These two questions go hand in hand.
For when Jesus is among us – among His church – then the church will be given …
No matter who they are they will be given … great promises.
To be in Paradise.
To avoid the second death.
To have a white stone with a new name.
To have authority from the Father.
To be dressed in white.
To have God’s name written on them.
To sit with Jesus on His throne.
He who has an ear let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches …
To us.
Prayer
