The Candlestick Is Gone

Revelation 2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

If every church in Revelation, including the ones He complimented the most, ceased to exist do not think your church is not able to fail and be closed.

There are a few members trying to keep the doors open because the building is a hundred years old or remembering some heyday decades past. They are wasting their time and money.

When the baptistry is dry, the pews mostly empty or it is a revolving door pulpit it is over. The candlestick has been removed. Close the doors, sell the property and find where God is still moving and seek to re-fire there.

Fellowship may be close in a dying church, but it is far sweeter where the church is in fellowship with Christ and see Him doing a work so the people can do the work of what a church is called to be.

Stop deceiving yourself thinking revival will come. How many years have you said that and yet the pews get emptier and the building keeps deteriorating?

Revelation 3:1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.

If there is a name on a building, but there is no fire or impact you have a name, but are dead. Would anyone outside of the members even notice if you closed the doors? If I asked around about you would I get blank stares and shrugged shoulders? Then you are dead to the community and if they drive by your building they take no more notice than they would a cemetery. You are a mausoleum with a few dedicated visitors.

In a hostile culture, a small dying church will be a good target for towns to exercise eminent domain to take the property or condemn it as has been done. Get out from the burden of keeping a building going for sentimental reasons.

Find a larger church. Start a small group or connection group with the few people you have. Enjoy a greater fellowship without financial burdens and the sorrow that grows each time a member leaves or dies or when the building expense is large making you struggle to pay it.

God did not call us to be enslaved to a building, which something pastors must remember when designing a new one before enslaving people to millions of dollars of debt. We are called to be free spiritually to serve Him willing to change tools or locations as needed to complete His mission, not our agenda.

Romans 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

In times like these, we should not help the works of darkness by keeping old, nearly empty buildings open for the unbelievers to mock and feel like the end is near for Christianity. They do not understand that one church dying does not mean the death of the Church anymore than one person dying means the human race is extinct.

2 Samuel 12:14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.

David conceived the child in sin and adultery and God, in this case, showed mercy on the child allowing him to die. The explanation of that is another sermon.

Many churches are conceived in sin. People split churches for carnal reasons. House churches that are not needed also split the Body. Anything that divides the Body that is not of a biblical nature gives "great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme."

The new church, the child of sin, often dies young because God will not sustain it and though the will of man started it, there is not enough carnal resources to sustain it. When it dies, the unbeliever laughs and feels secure in his unbelief.

Sometimes these churches are started by people with money and abilities so they survive having a name, but are dead. It is like leaving a brain dead person on life support for decades.

Ultimately, another split, a death of or the wealthy member moves on leaving the resources to dwindle leaving a carcass a few cannot part with and finally ends when the building is condemned or enough people die or move to nursing homes. All the while this is taking place, the enemies of God laugh.