How to Be a Faithful Church
Series: Will the Real Church Please Stand Up?
Sept. 17, 2006
To start out this morning, I want to ask you, what you think of when I say the word, “Church”? Some people think of an organization – maybe a denomination like the Baptists, or the Lutherans…Maybe, when you think of the word, ‘church’, you think about a building or an event.
I heard about a family who went to church for the 1st time in a long time… Mom, Dad, their 11 year old daughter, and 7 yr. old son. It was the 1st time the little boy had ever been in church, so he watched everything intently. He kept his eyes on his parents so he could know when to stand, when to sit and when to pray. As the offering plates was passed that morning, he was amazed to see people putting money ‘in’ the plate, but that nobody was taking it ‘out’. He watched as his dad carefully took a dollar bill out of his wallet, creased it down the middle and put it in the offering. On their way home, the Dad began to complain about the service “The music was too loud… the preacher preached too long… the piano was off key!” The little boy listened and then piped up… “But dad, you have to admit, it wasn’t a bad show for a buck!”
More than we’d like to admit, that’s the way a lot of people think of church. It’s an hour-long event that happens on Sunday, and when it’s over, you go on your merry way. Now the Sunday morning worship service is important… but the church is more than an event! A building may be where a church meets… but the church is more than a building. The truth of the matter is… YOU are the church. You and I, (if you’re a follower of Jesus Christ this morning) make up the church of Jesus.
It’s important to know that, because if we don’t really understand what the church is, we can’t be all that God calls us to be.
Some people wonder, “Why is the church so important anyway? Why can’t I just have a relationship with Jesus, and forget about the church?” Let me see your hands, how many of you know someone who consider themselves to be a Christian, but aren’t a part of a local church? As I listen to them, I think they give some pretty irrational reasons for not attending. To point out the weaknesses of their excuses, someone came up with a humorous list called “Ten Reasons Why I Never Wash.”
1) I was forced to wash as a child.
2) People who wash are hypocrites – they think they’re cleaner than others.
3) There are so many kinds of soap, I could never decide which was right.
4) I used to wash, but it got boring.
5) I wash only on Christmas or Easter.
6) None of my friends wash.
7) I’ll start washing when I’m older.
8) I really don’t have time to take a bath.
9) The bathroom isn’t warm enough.
10) People who make soap are only after your money.
The reasons people don’t attend church are really pretty silly, and the reason you can’t just have a relationship with Jesus and ignore His church is because the bible says… that the CHURCH is His Body! To love Jesus but ignore His church is like saying to your wife… “I love you honey, but I can’t stand your body!” (Men, don’t try that at home!) What I’m saying is that it’s impossible to be in right relationship with Christ, if you’re not in right relationship with His church! It’s true!
The church is Christ’s bride and He’s madly love with her. You can’t just write “her” off and think everything’s right with Him! It doesn’t work that way! If you said to me, “Chris I like you, but I can’t stand your wife.” I’m sorry, but we’ve got a relationship problem here! You don’t understand! We’re a team…and you can’t reject my wife… and still think everything’s hunky-dory with me! The same is true with Christ and His church!
Since the beginning of history God’s been trying to gather the people who really love Him together. He tried it with Israel, but after 1000’s of years of patiently working with them, they ultimately rejected Him and were unfaithful to His promises. God’s plan finally succeeded when He sent His Son, Jesus… Through His death and resurrection, He brought together people who would totally belong to God. Those people are called His church! READ I Peter 2:9. That’s us! If you’ve given your heart to Christ this morning, and responded to His love and forgiveness… you are chosen by Him, and you “belong” to Him! Why? So you can tell other people about this great God we serve!
The church is Jesus’ pride and joy! She’s His bride and He loves her so much that He died for her! So you can’t just flippantly dismiss the church, and refusing to be part of it because you have a personal problem with what somebody said or did, or because the church services are inconvenient for your schedule. I wonder sometimes, do Christians who say they love Jesus but ignore His church, really know what they’re saying? I hope not! Christ’s church is bigger and more important than our trivial excuses, opinions and feelings!
Now, am I saying the church doesn’t have her problems? Not at all! In fact, last week we started to look at Christ’s bride from His perspective. In Rev. 2-3, He walks among His churches, and like a “divine quality inspector”, He points out inadequacies and weaknesses He sees. Not because He hates His church… but because He loves her too much to allow her to be anything less than what He created her to be!
Last week we saw as Christ inspected His church, he noticed something… almost imperceptible, but if you’re in a intimate relationship upsetting. Ever notice that your spouse notices things about you that nobody else notices?
Is there something wrong?
NO.
REALLY?
NO. There’s nothing wrong!
Are you sure?
YES! I’m sure!
Okay, but I could swear there’s something wrong! (and usually if we’re honest, there is!)
Well, Jesus noticed that something was wrong in His church. He sensed that she didn’t love Him like she used to. That the intimacy they once enjoyed was gone. Jesus pointed out that it’s fine to be active and busy serving Him… as long as that activity is coming out of a heart of love. So, He asks us to evaluate our motives, and then, as a church and individuals… to return to that 1st love we had for Him at the beginning of our relationship. To go back to our ‘honeymoon period’ with Him, and recapture the passion, the joy of those early days. Last week we talked about “How To Be a Loving Church”. How to regain our 1st love.
This morning we move to the 2nd Church that represents the 2nd major issue that every one of His churches will have had to deal with throughout history. The issue of faithfulness. So today, we want to talk about “How to be a Faithful Church”. Of the 7 cities listed in Rev.2-3, Symrna was the most beautiful. It was called, “The Crown of Asia”. It was the birthplace of many famous writers. The most famous of them was “Homer” (not Homer Simpson), but Homer the great poet. I want you to look at how Jesus presents Himself to the church in this city… (READ Rev. 2:8)
Wow! That’s a pretty big claim to make, because the only other person to say that…was God! Jesus is echoing the words that God spoke to Isaiah… READ Isa.44:6 In otherwords, Jesus is telling the followers in Smyrna that He’s God! And as God… nothing ever happens that’s out of His control. In otherwords, whatever trials we face in our lives…Jesus is the first and last word. Our lives have brackets around them… Jesus knew what was coming… and He’s going to be there at the end! Meanwhile everything in between is under His control!
Now, in every message to each of the 7 churchs of Rev., Jesus starts out by…
1. Identifying who He is in a way that that particular city would understand best.
2. Then, He tells them what He knows about them… and lastly,
3. He reveals what He has against them.
But in the case of Smyrna… Jesus doesn’t have anything against them! In otherwords, the people at Smyrna were doing exactly what Jesus wanted them to do! This is a model church. Lets read about this church in Rev.2:8-11 (READ) Of the 7 messages Jesus gives to His churches, the message to Smyrna explains why it’s so hard to stay in love with Christ. It has to do with pressure and stress. The Smyrna church was under a lot of pressure and persecution. And they’re the same sources of pressure that we as members of the church of Jesus Christ are under today.
The 1st source of stress, was…
1. The pressure of CONFORMITY…
Smyrna was a city that lived by the motto, “Rome 1st in all things”. In 195 B.C. they were the 1st city to build a temple to Dea Roma, the goddess of Rome. In 23 A.D. they built a temple to Caesar Augustus. In 25 A.D. they built another temple to Emperor Tiberius, and another one to Empress Lydia, and another one to the Roman Senate. This city was sold out to do whatever Rome wanted them to do… and the Christians of Smyrna felt the pressure to conform. If you’re a Christian today, living in the U.S. you feel it too! You feel the tension everytime you go out to party with your friends. You feel it everytime you turn on your T.V., or go to a movie… the pressure to conform to the attitudes & values of the world. To laugh at what the world laughs at, to act like the world acts. The question that Jesus has for you and me this morning is… “Are you going to conform? Will you cave into the culture?” Ask yourself this morning… “If I claim to be a Christian, is there anything different about me? What is it that distinguishes me from a person who doesn’t even claim to know Christ?” If you can’t think of anything, then maybe you need to listen to last weeks message and come back to Christ.
The 2nd pressure that the Symrnite Christians faced, and that we also face is…
2. The Pressure of COMFORT
Smyrna was a very wealthy city. Their economy was booming. No one should have been poor, but yet Jesus says in vs. 9… “I know your poverty!” You know why they were poor? Because the Romans refused to do business with them! Christians in Smyrna were ostracized and boycotted. Their shops were confiscated and their homes were ransacked. They were discriminated against, to the point that nobody would give them a job…so they were poor, doing the jobs nobody wanted to do. But, even though they suffered financially, they weren’t willing to deny Christ in order to make money. As I read this, I wondered… “What would I be willing to do to keep my job?” I mean if it came down to denying Christ, would I stand strong, or would I give into the pressure to conform and be comfortable? It’s a question all of us have to ask. What are we willing to put up with to follow Christ? Would we be willing to suffer financially if all the sudden we were singled out for being a Christian?
3rdly, the Smyrna Christians were under…
3. The Pressure of CONFLICT.
Do you believe in the devil? According to one survey, 45% of Americans DON’T. But Jesus believed in the devil! In fact, while he was on earth, he saw him and talked to him! In vs.10 Jesus tells the Christians at Smyrna that the devil is real! In fact, “The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you.” –Rev.2:10 (NLT) What’s Jesus talking about here? Is He saying that a guy in a red suit, pointed tail, & carrying a pitch-fork is going to go around throwing people into jail? No. Jesus is just reminding them that when persecution comes physically… there’s really something going on behind the scenes spiritually. Listen, there’s more going on in this world than meets the eye! Satan is alive and well, and behind every effort to resist or eliminate God’s people… he’s in the shadows pulling the strings! Paul warns and reminds us in Eph.6:12… READ
Mark it down…
· Behind the growing moral darkness in our society is the “Prince of Darkness”!
· Behind the escalating violence in our world, and in our neighborhoods is the “Lord of Violence”!
· Behind all the murders and thefts and lies you hear about on the nightly news… is the author of murder and theft and lies. Jesus said that he was a murderer and liar from the beginning!
And he’s putting the pressure on people who are standing up for God. In fact, if you decide to follow Christ… you automatically become a target! Jesus is the real target, but since he defeated Satan at the cross and with an empty tomb… he can’t hurt Him anymore. So guess who he’s trying to hurt now? That’s right! If you can’t hurt Jesus, hurt what’s closest to Him… His church!
So Jesus knows about these pressures we’re under… in fact in 2:9, he states… “I know your tribulation!” Another version says,”I know your affliction” In otherwords…”I feel your pain!” See, Jesus understands the trials, the afflictions, the pain we experience better than anyone else can, because HE experienced them! And He has the scars to prove it! The grk. word John uses for ‘affliction’ is the word, “thlipsis”, and it lit. means… “crushing pressure”. It’s the kind of torturous pressure you’d feel if you were run over by a loaded cement truck!
But even though Jesus has experienced and understands the tremendous pressure we may be feeling, did you catch what He says He’s going to do about it? The reason you didn’t catch it, is because it isn’t there! Jesus doesn’t offer any solutions or relief! I wish He’d say something like, “Ohhh, poor Chrissy Poo… let me protect you from those problems and trials! My follower shouldn’t have to put up with those mean people. Here, you just go sit over there in the Jacuzzi… I’ll take over from here!” But that’s not what He says is it? Instead he says to them…”Don’t be afraid of what you’re about to suffer”. Oh boy! That helps a lot Jesus! That makes me even more afraid! It’s like the doctor saying as he reveals that 10inch needle… “Don’t worry, this won’t hurt a bit!” (stab like Pscho!)
Now ask yourself this question… “What had the Christians at Smyrna done to deserve this crushing pressure?” I mean had they done anything wrong? Were they bad people? No! In fact the very opposite was true! Remember, we said that Jesus didn’t have anything against them… not one word of criticism or correction. The disciples of Smyrna were doing everything right! They were sold out to Jesus Christ… and that’s the point! When you’re doing what Jesus wants you to do…
· YOU WILL experience attacks from the enemy.
· YOU WILL experience persecution…
· YOU WILL be ostracized, mocked, tempted.
It comes with the territory! Jesus said in John 15:20. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. –John 15:20 So why are we so surprised when it happens to us? In fact, if it never happens to you, it might be a sign that you’re not really standing up for Him! Paul told Timothy in II Tim.3:12… READ. The disciples in Smyrna were experiencing tribulation not because they were being jerks, not because they were going out of their way to offend people… but simply because they were living godly lives, & making godly choices… and the people around them didn’t like it. They still don’t!!!
In fact that word ‘thlipsis’ was never used to talk about the normal frustrations of life, but it was only used in connection with the coming of the kingdom of God. ‘Thlipsis’ is the pressure you experience when you stand up for God and His values. That’s why Jesus didn’t say, “Hey, I know your ‘thlipsis’, here let me take it away”… because to follow him means it’s inevitable. You WILL experience trials and tribulations! And so, in a sense, the worst possible thing you could do is take it away! It means you’re doing something right! And that’s why Jesus commends the disciples at Smyrna.
So… what are you supposed to do, (if not by your own obnoxiousness), but just as a result of trying to live a consistent Christian life… you’re targeted for persecution? In the time we have left this morning, let me give you a few pointers for “putting up with being put down”! These are attitudes that we need to adopt if we’re going to successfully cope with rejection that comes from serving Christ.
1. RECOGNIZE the source
According to Eph.6:12, we said there are invisible forces at work in this world that out to destroy the works of God. We need to realize that the #1 enemy of the Christian is not other people. You know, we want to blame it on someone we can see, but… (let me say it again)… other people are not your enemies! The #1 enemy of the Christian is the Devil. The devil hates God! He hates God with a passion! His problem is that He can’t get at God… so He takes it out on His kids! If you’re a parent, what better way to get at you, than through your kids?
If you’re a Christian this morning, you’re a ‘child’ of God and so the devil hates you, and will do anything possible to make your life miserable and shut you up! What some people don’t realize is that they’re unwittingly being used as the devil’s pawns in an all war against God and his people. Rev.12:10 calls the devil ‘the accuser of the brothers’. A ‘brother’ is anyone who is a Christian in the bible…and so if you’re being attacked and accused for being a Christian… what do you expect? No matter who’s lips the words are coming from…consider the source!
2ndly, if you’re going to be victorious when the pressures on…
2. REFUSE to retaliate
READ Rom.12,17,19 Listen, if at anytime, you strike back… if you insult people who insult you… then you’ve just proved their point! You really aren’t any different from them! You’re reacting the same way they’d react …and they know it! BUT… if you refuse to retaliate… refuse to seek revenge… refuse to strike out… then your Christianity has just moved from ‘theory’… to fact! Write this down…”You never get ahead by getting even!” Jesus told us in his famous Sermon on the Mount in Mt. 6 to ‘love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us!” Jesus prayed forgiveness for those who were killing him. Stephen the 1st Christian martyr, died praying for those who were stoning him in Acts 7. Is it an easy thing to do good and pray for your enemies? NO WAY! But believe me…it works! According to Romans 12:20,21… when I respond to the intimidation, investigations and insinuations with acts of love, it’s like heaping burning coals on my enemies head! Paul says, “Like burning coals the ‘shame’ people will experience when you react to their attacks with love, will keep them awake at night wondering what makes you tick!” But if you return evil for evil, criticism for criticism, insult for insult for insult, and lie for lie… it’ll only escalate the conflict. Instead, when you’re in a conflict… refuse to fight fire with fire and instead choose to fight fire with water! If you do, you might just win them over! (Neighbor at Tawny Court).
3rdly… when you’re being persecuted, Jesus tells us to…
3. REJOICE over it!
In Mt. 5:12, Jesus gives us some great advise when it comes to being persecuted for His name. READ Now is Jesus telling us to be masocists? “Hurt me! I love it! Do it some more!” Of course not! He’s not telling us to rejoice IN the pain… but to rejoice BECAUSE of the pain!
Richard Wurmbrand in his book “Tortured for Christ” tells of the way communists imprison and torture Christians. He writes…
“On the threat of being severely beaten, preaching to other prisoners was severely forbidden. He said, “A number of us decided to pay the price for the privilege. So we accepted their terms – a brutal beating for preaching. It was a deal! We preached and they beat us! We were happy preaching; they were happy beating us! So everyone was happy! He said, “The following scene took place more times than I can remember…
One time a brother was preaching to the other prisoners, when the guards suddenly burst in, surprising him halfway through a phrase. They hauled him down the corridor to their ‘beating room’. After what seemed an endless beating, they brought him back and threw him bruised and bloody –on the prison floor. Slowly he picked his battered body up, painfully straightened his clothing, and said, “Now, brothers, where did I leave off before I was interrupted?” He then continued his message about Jesus.
When you’re persecuted for righteousness sake, it means you’re doing something right… not something wrong! It means you’re approaching the lifestyle of Jesus… otherwise you wouldn’t be experiencing persecution! According to Acts 5:41… it also means that God can trust you! Read with me how the apostles responded after being beat to within an inch of their lives… (READ) Believe it or not, your ‘worth’ as a Christian witness is determined by your ability to suffer persecution successfully. If you have the basic attitude of, “Hey, I don’t have to put up with that!” You’re right! But just don’t consider yourself ‘worthy’ to be called a follower of Christ either!
Ask yourself this morning, “What am I willing to suffer for my Christian beliefs?”
· Some subtle criticism?
· A few sarcastic remarks?
· Some mild persecution from co-workers?
· The loss of my job?
· How about death?
Someone once put it this way… “You’re not ready to live until you know what you’re willing to die for…” Millions have been tortured, even killed for the very beliefs we tend to take so casually. Everyone of Jesus’ 12 disciples died a martyrs death because they refused to deny Christ.
· James & John… the “Thunder Brothers” (as Jesus nicknamed them) both had their heads lopped off.
· Thomas (the doubter), after seeing the living Lord, ended up in India and was slain by a deadly dart while preaching Christ.
· Simon (the zealot) was crucified.
· Bartholomew was beaten with sticks in Armenia. After being tortured he was crucified and beheaded.
· Andrew the brother of Peter went to Ethiopia and was crucified after confronting the Ruler Aegeas re: his idol worship.
· Matthew (the former tax-collector) got run through with a spear for preaching about Christ.
· Phillip was crucified and stoned to death.
· Peter was condemned to die on a cross, but refused the ‘honor’ of being crucified like his Lord, so he was crucified upside down.
· The Apostle Paul, (once a persecutor himself) eventually gave his head to the cause of Christ, decapitated by Emperor Nero.
Only the Apostle John (who wrote this message to the church) died of old age, but only after being boiled in a huge vat of hot oil, and banished to hard labor as a prisoner on the Isle of Patmos… and you thought you had it tough at work! One of the best known Christians in the early church was probably sitting in the congregation when this letter was read. His name was Polycarp. He later became Smyrna’s bishop and was martyred about 160 AD. At his trial he was commanded to curse Christ. He refused and responded, ”I have served the Lord for 86 years and have received only good from him, how can I forsake my king now?” That’s so true! God has been faithful to us… now He’s asking us to be faithful to Him, even unto death!
Lastly, if you’re going to stand up to being put down…
4. REMEMBER the rewards
Jesus promises in vs. 10c,11… that people who endure will receive the ‘Crown of Life” and “immunity from the 2nd death” (READ). The word for crown is lit. ‘victors crown’… He’s promising eternal life! He doesn’t promise we won’t experience the 1st death… (the death of our bodies)… but He does promise we won’t experience the 2nd death… the living death of eternal hell. I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of a better reward than that! The rewards of living for Christ, far outweigh a little persecution in this life.
We forget that this life is going to end. It’s 70-80 years (if you’re fortunate) on this side of heaven vs. eternity on that side of heaven! It’s like E.V. Hill (a powerful black preacher) used to say, “Those who are born once… die twice. Those who are born twice, die once.” If you’ve been born physically, and then ‘born again’ spiritually… you only have to worry about dying once! That’s why Jesus said in Luke 12:4 (READ) Question: Why fear His wrath, when you can share in his glory? The bible says in Prov. 29:25 that “the fear of man is a trap”. If you can’t stand up for your belief in Christ this morning….
- You’ll never free to be yourself…
- You’ll always be paralyzed by what others think, which can lead to all kinds of trouble.
- You’re a prisoner to peer pressure.
God wants to break our ‘approval addiction’… because when we fear God, more than we fear man, we’ll be set free!
As leave this morning, ask yourself these questions…
1. What is my faith costing me? Anything? To a lot of Christians around
the world, it’s costing their lives. What’s it costing you?
2. What would it take for me to deny Christ?
3. How many people at work know that you’re a Christian? If not very
many… why not? Are you afraid might be seen as a hypocrite? Or that you might be persecuted?
Did the disciples of Smyrna overcome fear and keep the faith? They sure did! How do you know? Because of the 7 churches Jesus spoke to, only the church of Smyrna still exists! In the center of modern day ‘Izmir’, Turkey… (smack dab in the middle of hostile Islam), is a vibrant Eastern Orthodox church. The church of Smyrna! Still being persecuted, and still going strong!
If you don’t want to experience the pressure of living for Christ, there’s an easy way out… don’t get serious, go with the flow of culture, just settle in for a comfortable, run of the mill, watered down kind of Christianity… that way they’ll be no pressure… and I might add… no rewards! But when I remember that the reason I’m experiencing this pressure is proof that Jesus is still Lord of my life, then I can keep on going forward, and even have a strange sort of joy about it! PRAY
