If Jesus Visited Your Church

If Jesus visited your church and walked discreetly around your worship, your ministries, into corners of the church where church leaders discuss things, in rooms where children were gathered, and near the coffee pot and donuts (where much is revealed), how would He evaluate your church? If He was given five minutes after your worship service to speak, what would He say?

This is sobering question. But it is a question that must be asked and answered every day. The church belongs to Jesus. He is the head of the church, the senior pastor, the point of having church, the sustainer, the provider, the focus, the originator and the only one worthy of our worship.

Jesus, what do you think about our church?

After all, the church is the bride of Christ. The church is required to submit to Christ in everything. He wants His bride to be presented to Him in splendor (held in esteem or honor, of high repute).

Jesus did address the seven churches in the Book of Revelation. He had some affirming and admonishing things to say about them. You will find some similarities to the state of the church today. I have categorized them into four groups:

1. THE IDOLATROUS AND LIBERAL CHURCH
Pergamos (Rev. 2:12-17) was characterized by pagan temples, prostitution and academic idolatry. They allowed false doctrine and sinful conduct to become prevalent in their church.

Thyatira (Rev. 2:18-29) had become a liberal church because it tolerated sin (especially sexual) and false prophets. They did good deeds, had persevered and had a growing ministry but were about to be punished for their unfaithfulness.

2. THE LOVELESS AND LUKEWARM CHURCH
Ephesus (Rev. 2:1-7) had become habitual in their beliefs and unloving in their relationships. They had served faithfully and had endured sound doctrine but they left their first love. They were more in love with their ministry than they were in love with God and with people.

Laodicea (Rev. 3:14-21) was a proud and wealthy city whose church had become lukewarm about their pursuit of God. Jesus warned them to repent of their smug, self-sustaining approach to the church and to the Christian life.

3. THE FAITHFUL AND PERSECUTED CHURCH
Smyrna (Rev. 2:8-11) was an important port city in Asia. Jesus praised them for their spiritual richness in spite of being financially poor and for their works of faith while enduring persecution.

Philadelphia (Rev. 3:7-13) was a wealthy trade center in Asia and remained faithful as a church. They worked hard for God, endured hardship, were slandered and remained patient. Jesus praised them for keeping His word and proclaiming His name and promised to protect them from trials and to demonstrate His love to them.

4. THE DEAD CHURCH
Sardis (Rev. 3:1-6) was a highly immoral community that was infested with pagan worship and was considered by Jesus to be a dead church. They had experienced some success on a worldly scale and thus did not know they were already dead. Nevertheless, they had some among their body who had remained unspotted from their degradation and would be rewarded by God. They must repent immediately or be obliterated as a church. Jesus notices those individuals who are faithful to Him even if their church is not.

Most churches do not seek to be liberal or unfaithful. It happens over time through a series of mini-decisions that moves them away from Jesus and away from the truth. No church wants to be dead, even if they aren’t aware of their own death. The churches that have lost their spiritual fervor are aware this has happened but are fighting through it and are hoping things will change—as long as nothing changes! But to be a faithful and persecuted church takes a resolved decision and many re-decisions along the way.

His admonition for those who have fallen away from the truth is to repent. But how do you get an entire church to repent when they can’t agree on the acceptable color of paint in the church bathroom? I don’t have that answer—but I know it starts with the leaders repenting with deep humility. The church that is willing to be persecuted and will remain faithful to truth is the church that truly incarnates Christ. And Christ will reward those with a crown of life.


Scott Thomas
Director
Acts 29 Network