The Passion of Christ in the Church...

"To the angel of the church in Thyatira write, 'The words of the Son of God who has eyes like flames of fire and feet like burnished bronze. I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel... But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. Only hold fast what you have until I come." (portions of Revelation 2:18-25)

Thyatira was a blue-collar city made up of a number of different local workers unions. This dynamic created job security for many within the town- chief among them being a thriving metal and fabric dying trade guilds. Obviously, there were a number of advantages that came with this kind of structure, and most people viewed membership in the union as essential for their well-being in the city. The one downside for Christians in Thyatira is that joining up with a local union meant that you needed to participate in the religious feasts for each local "union idol"... meals which often wandered down the path of sexual immorality.

So what was a Christian to do? How could you remain a part of Thyatira's community (and job market) while remaining true to your identity in Christ? Enter "Jezebel" a woman in the church whose status as a prophetess gave her the respect to voice her opinion. She seemed to have advocated a view that salvation was more concerned with the spiritual than with the body- enabling a believer to act however he wanted at these feasts. It was a popular and convenient teaching... likely connected to what what Jesus had associated with the Nicolaitans and Balaam in other towns. Regardless, Jesus opposes her, her followers, and her teaching... instead wanting the church to remember that the church will shine like Christ when it defends what Christ values. In order to shine, we have to remember the gaze of Christ on His church in three ways:

1. The Son of God searches His people: Jesus is described in chapter 1 as having eyes like flames of fire. The "eyes of the Lord" is the phrase from the Old Testament that most accurately portrays the measuring stick by which a person's righteous living was evaluated. David, Noah, and various kings found favor or did right in "the eyes of the Lord." Many kings did not do what was right by this standard. Peter in particular would have seen these eyes after denying Jesus three times; Luke describes it this way: "While he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And Jesus turned and looked at Peter." (22:60-61) The gaze of Christ can be troubling, but it can also be reassuring... as we see in Matthew 6 where Jesus reminds us that God "sees in secret" and will reward our acts of giving, devotion, and self-denial when they're unnoticed. How does the fact that Christ searches our church encourage you? Are there some who have forgotten that Christ sees your small acts of service that you feel others don't notice? Are there some who have forgotten that Christ is aware of our acts of rebellion, even when we don't think that others notice what we've said or seen or done?

2. The Son of God sees the failings of the church. Jesus has little regard for "Jezebel" or her followers (her "children") or for the fact that the church in Thyatira has allowed her sin and influence to continue unchecked within the church. He critiques them for tolerating her effects on the believers who are listening to her, and He warns them that her punishment is coming. Notice three aspects of Jesus' rebuke:

• Jesus' concern is first Godward... He critiques her for her rejection of God, and her embrace of a satanic mentality within the church.
• Jesus' concern is for the effects on the church... He warns her that her doctrine is spreading: she is teaching and seducing others in the church towards idolatry and immorality.
• Jesus' concern is targeted towards repentance... Despite her awful treatment of grace and the effects of her lies about what God values, He waited in executing judgment and He offered to withhold judgment if they would repent.

This makes me wonder why we are so hesitant to bring correction to others when God may want to use us to help others. We're called to be like Jesus: we should be concerned when we see our friends making mistakes about who God is and what He values, particularly when they're influencing others in the same direction. However, this is to be driven by a desire for restoration. In all that, we're not God... we don't see accurately or perceive perfectly. Therefore, we must be humble and cautious. Bring observations about what you're seeing, not conclusions about what drives it. Remember, God may want to bring grace to others through you, and nothing can kill that like a dose of self-righteous arrogance.

3. The Son of God sees the presence of His grace. For a church so tolerant of sin, Thyatira is not without their strengths... and Jesus is not so concerned with sin that He is blind to their godliness. This is a church whose real care for God and others, whose confidence in God's promises, whose desire to meet others' needs, whose endurance to stand with Christ no matter what are all stronger now than they were early in the church. What a great statement to make! It's easy to be a flash in the pan, but the fruit in this church was maturing. Jesus even makes a strong distinction within the church over those who were resisting Jezebel's influence. How encouraging this is for us who can be so aware of our weaknesses, sins, failings, and feeble faith. We can too easily dismiss others when they say, "I see how God is at work in your life." Be encouraged that Jesus doesn't look at our sins to the negation of our strengths. Take some time before you close to remind each other of the ways you've seen Christ at work in each other. If you're having trouble knowing what to look for, start with the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5) and the gifts of the Spirit (Rom 12, 1 Cor 12, Eph 4). You'll find how encouraging it is for all of us to remember that Christ sees and commends the gifts and strengths He has worked into His people.

Have a great week!

The purity of Christ in the Church...

"To the angel of the church in Pergamum write... 'I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. Yet you hold fast my name and you do not deny my faith... But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam... so also you have some who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore, repent... To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna.'" (portions of Revelation 2:12-17)

Somewhere around 1400 BC an unstoppable force of rebel slaves made their way across the desert toward a group of semi-nomadic kings. Their reputation preceded them: they were an unbeatable military power with a mythical capacity for supernatural conquest... crossing natural land barriers with ease and raining down curses from the sky on their enemies. Many kings fell at their hand, but one succeeded in stopping this army. His adviser recognized that the power of the slave-nation came from their god; so his counsel was simple. Convince them to stop relying on and trusting in their god- then, they'd be as good as conquered.

Sadly, the strategy worked. Balaam (the counselor to the king) knew that if he could seduce the Israelites away from God, then God's people would be unplugged from God's presence and power. (You can read more in Numbers 25.) This same strategy of distract and divert is used over and over by God's enemy against God's people... and we encounter it in the church today. Satan uses the distractions of the world as attacks against purity of the church... dulling us and preventing us from shining forth with the glory of Christ. What we saw on Sunday from this passage was that the glory of Christ is reflected in the purity of the Church. And Christ's passion for our purity was reflected in three ways in this passage:

1. Christ knows our temptations. Jesus told the Christians in Pergamum that their situation was close to His heart. He knew where they lived: Satan's backyard. In the realm of his influence, breathing the air of a culture he had created. And Jesus relates this intimate knowledge in present tense language: "I know where you live." What comfort there is in this. Jesus knows our present struggles. He doesn't simply equip us to fight and promise to meet us on the other end. He walks with us and comforts us in the midst of the daily battles for purity we all face. How this knowledge helps me to read Hebrews 4... "We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses. Instead, Jesus was tempted like us... yet without sin." Christ knows our temptations today because He walked them with us and for us on the earth! His sinlessness doesn't distance Him from us... instead, it qualifies Him to both relate to us and to intercede for us today.

2. Christ opposes our tolerance. Jesus had some harsh words for this church. Despite the encouragement that He could relate to their struggles, Jesus opposed their passivity to a worldliness that was infiltrating the church. Jesus wasn't simply concerned- He promised to come and fight against those who were implementing a worldliness within the church. Like a king welcoming his enemy right into his palace, the folks in Pergamum were allowing Satan access to the church in a way that could lead to their destruction. And Jesus told them that if they wouldn't do something about this, He would. Our church isn't facing an onslaught of teaching that promotes tolerance towards worldliness. To date, we've been handed a great deal of wonderful teaching. What we need is to make sure we're putting it into practice. So on Sunday I suggested that we re-start a conversation about worldliness in our own lives. I suggested that we make it easy for others to ask us questions about the following things:

• Materialism: What are you buying?
• Media: What are you watching?
• Music: What are you listening to?
• Modesty: What are you wearing?
• Mission: What are you pursuing?

3. Christ offers the treatment. The good news in this passage is that Jesus doesn't simply diagnose our problem and call for change, He offers the cure to our problem. Our appetite for the world's value system isn't easily combated unless there's a stronger pull on our hearts. And Jesus offers the strongest of all: being with Him. "To Him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna." Jesus in John 6 tells us clearly that He is the fulfillment of an Old Testament picture of provision. God sent bread from heaven for His people in the wilderness, but only Christ truly satisfies. He is the true bread from heaven. Only this message helps me fight for an enduring purity. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for their shall see God." I want to overcome and triumph in this fight with the present and future blessing of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

So, I think I'll get a bit more acquainted with the questions above... cause I'm gonna need some help from my friends. And when we all pour ourselves into this, we'll shine forth with the glory of Christ because the glory of Christ is reflected in the purity of the Church.

The faithfulness of Christ in the Church...

"To the angel of the church in Smyrna write, 'The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer... be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.'" (Revelation 2:8-10)

Like the long time friend of a newly crowned celebrity, Smyrna was a faithful friend to the city of Rome. When Rome took power as an empire, Smyrna came along as part of the gang. One of the perks of being a favored city was that Smyrna was among the first to popularize emperor worship... even to the point of giving out certificates for burning incense at Caesar's temple. Trouble is, Christians wouldn't do that... they couldn't recognize Caesar's lordship or deity. So Smyrna became a dangerous place for Christians. Sadly, persecution was the norm- especially defined by financial and physical suffering. And to them Jesus brings the encouragement that the church will shine like Christ when it suffers like Christ. This encourages us as we see three things in the passage:

1. Christ sees His suffering church. The One who is the first and the last saw the mess sin had made of His creation and entered in to creation to save it. But the Savior suffered the loss of comfort, of popularity, even of His life in order to save us. But Jesus isn't just the One who died... He is the One who died AND came back to life (v 8). Jesus' resurrection changes everything! It means suffering isn't eternal, it means Jesus didn't suffer in vain, and it means that we don't suffer in vain. But suffering tempts us to believe that God has forgotten us, and we must remember that Christ sees us in our suffering. He knows our tribulation. In what ways are you tempted to believe that God has forgotten you in the midst of your latest trial?

2. Christ redefines the impoverished church. In a day when it was legal to steal Christian's property because of their faithfulness to Christ, poverty takes on a new definition. The believers in Smyrna weren't lacking luxuries, they were lacking everything. Food was scarce, businesses were ruined, the future looked bleak. And the believers were tempted to believe that their wealth was tied up in their current circumstances. But Jesus reminds them and us that "it is not poverty to be poor." Instead, our status as those forgiven our offenses against God and destined for the riches of an eternal kingdom trumps everything. Whether rich or poor in earthly standards, the only lasting assessment is the richness of our soul. When we remember this, we don't have to fear the loss of anything on earth. Each trial or loss reminds us to fix our eyes on things that are unseen and declare, "we are rich." How have you been reminded lately that your wealth is not bound up in what you possess on earth? What specific things have you done lately that remind you of the richness of the gospel?

3. Christ rewards the faithful church. When you read verse 10, it's amazing to see the two realities Jesus addresses: 1. the church doesn't need to fear AND 2. the church will suffer. Jesus says, "Do not fear WHAT you are about to suffer." Suffering for them meant the devil would bring about the imprisonment of some of the church leading to their death. But Jesus says, "Be faithful..." which makes me wonder, "What does faithfulness look like?" But faithfulness unto death is only possible if we love Jesus more than life. Otherwise, I'll be faithful to preserving my life instead of faithful to preserving my testimony. This was simple in Smyrna: don't bow to the emperor. This is more complex in the US- but I think there are still some simple questions:

• Do I love Jesus more than I love my comfort?
• Do I love Jesus more than I love my reputation?
• Do I love Jesus more than I love my money?
• Do I love Jesus more than I love my life?

Christ may one day bring suffering to the US like the believers in Smyrna knew. But today, the answer to those four questions sets me on a trajectory that will lead to future faithfulness as well. How we address suffering that challenges my comfort, reputation, financial peace of mind, fashion sense, choice of friends... all of those answer whether I love Jesus more than I love my life. And when I do love Him in the face of suffering, when we all do, our church will shine with Christ's glory. So encourage each other to be faithful in the midst of the suffering we face.

Have a great time in CG!

the Love of Christ in the Church...

"But this I have against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent." (Rev 2:4-5)

On Sunday, we turned in Revelation 2 to Jesus words to the church in Ephesus- the first church (the "lampstands" that surrounded Jesus in chapter 1). The Ephesians were an important church in an important region. They had an amazing church history: After three years of hearing Paul preach, watching him perform miracles, many of the people in the church had been so amazed by the gospel that they gave up everything to follow Jesus. Their love for Jesus was so compelling that the entire region around them was radically affected by the good news... the word of God was spreading!

But over the next thirty years, that young church had to fight some real battles over what could be taught in the church. Paul had warned them that after he left, men from their church would teach "twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them." As the church fought those battles, two things happened: 1) the church was well cared for and grew into a safe haven for helpful doctrine, and 2) the church drifted towards knowing about God more than really knowing Him. So as Jesus addressed this church in Revelation 2:1-7, God addressed us this Sunday as we saw ourselves in this church. We saw three things together:

1. We are commended for guarding the Truth. Jesus turns His attention to the Ephesians in v 2-3 and said, "I know your works..." The One who sees clearly with eyes of fire saw this church and was pleased with their "toil and endurance." He knew about the growing list of men with untested ideas who cared more about getting a following than serving the church. And Jesus knew that the Ephesian leaders had guarded the church well from teachers whose ideas looked helpful but were ultimately poisonous to the flock. And Jesus said, "Well done."

In a similar way, it's helpful to look back on our history and remember that God is pleased with our church as we have grown in a fuller understanding of who God is and what He values. God has seen the hard work of all those over this past decade how have served well: our Sunday School teachers (who've raised a decade of kids on the truth), our youth-parent leaders (who have sought to help our teens think biblically that they could have faith for an uncertain future), our community group leaders and worship leaders (who have found creative ways of helping us to celebrate and apply the gospel)... Jesus has seen our desire to grow in the Truth and we are commended for guarding the Truth.

2. But we are critiqued for failing to love. The danger Ephesus faced was that they'd become more excited about studying God and what He values than loving God and what He values. Their early years were marked by a passion to know God... and doctrinal precision was the overflow of that love. Sadly, they'd fallen from those heights- warm towards truth and cold towards God. Pursuing truth is supposed to be the means to knowing God... knowing the One who created, loved, redeemed, and saved us. When we study what God values without loving those He values, we're in danger of losing our mission as a church. This danger was expressed by Jesus with the words, "Repent and do the works (the expressions of real love) you did at first. If not, I will come to you and will remove your lampstand from its place."

What a threat! If we guard the truth and have a carefully worded missions statement but fail to love God and others, our church might not last the next decade. If we can speak like angels, prophecy with power, explain the toughest riddles, believe the hardest promises, give til it hurts, and endure til the end... but we forget to love- our church is nothing (see 1 Cor 13). And Jesus won't allow a group like that to represent Him in this region. Because the light of Christ is reflected in the love of the Church. So the question we have to ask ourselves is, "Are we still marked by love?" Do we love God or love knowing about Him? Do we love people or just tolerate them? If we're like Ephesus in this, we might want to keep reading because...

3. We're called to remember and repent. Jesus prescribes two cures for the Ephesian church. In light of His victory over sin (to the extent that He will even allow us back in the "garden" again at the Tree of Life... Rev 22), Jesus enables us to do two things: remember what it was like in the early days of knowing God and repent. We need to be reminded of our early life with Christ... to remember both through our memory and our shared memories with those who remember better than we do. We need to be reminded by sharing the gospel and seeing the blessing of new believers in the church whose passion for God is shining brightly. And when we remember, we need to dream up both old ways and new ways to show God and others our love.

And when we do- God (whom nobody can see) will become visible in the church. (1 John 4:12). What a joy and privilege both to stand up for God and to showcase His love in our midst!

Looking forwards to decades together,

Darren

"Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man." (Revelation 1:12-13)

This past Sunday, we had the opportunity to "see" Jesus as He is through the words John recorded in Revelation chapter 1. John was writing from a barren stretch of rock to encourage a group of churches who were suffering under Roman oppression. It wasn't an easy time for any of them... but more than anything else, they needed to see Jesus' glory because the beauty of the church comes from beholding the glory of the Son.

As we looked and saw Jesus with John yesterday, we noticed three things:

1. Jesus is glorious! Using Old Testament imagery, John described Jesus' splendor with words that felt inadequate but were attempts at portraying Christ's value in pictured form. Jesus is more valuable and worthy than anything and this was evident from his feet (shining like "burnished bronze" to his hair "white like wool and snow.") Even his face shone brightly as if you'd look straight at the sun in its unfiltered glory! John had seen Jesus' glory when He was transfigured, but most of the time Jesus appeared like an average guy to John. He hid His glory in the tent of a human covering. Familiarity with Jesus kept him from seeing Jesus' true honor, and the same can be true of us. Has familiarity with Jesus kept you from being amazed by His glory? How can this affect the way we approach our devotions or our times of coming to worship God on Sundays?
2. Jesus is victorious! In Revelation 1:13, John calls Jesus the "Son of Man"... a title that comes from Daniel 7 where God strips authority from other nations and gives it exclusively to the Son. John shows us Jesus' victory over sin as our victorious High Priest and his authority to speak His Word decisively and with authority... see verses 14, 15, 16. All these things reveal not what Jesus "looks like" but what He "is like". How encouraging this way to John as he was in exile and to the churches as they faced persecution! But why did Jesus only show Himself to John rather than the churches? Because they were to "see" Jesus in John's words... and so are we. So, is this the way you read your Bible? Do you long to wake up and "see" Jesus in His Word? Can you share some ways you've learned to do this well that would encourage others? How can others help you in your struggle to see Jesus?
3. Lastly, Jesus is among us! Not only do we see Jesus in His glory and triumph, Jesus is standing "in the midst of the lampstands!" He isn't distant and far-off... He's present with us, like the OT priests- maintaining and trimming and re-supplying the churches with what they need. He sees us with perfect vision (v 14) and supplies all we need. Though we would fall at his feet along with John as though dead (v 17), the good news is that Jesus' words "Fear not" apply to us as much as to John. Jesus is the One who has triumphed over death and hell... He died for us and lives for us. In Him, we have all we need to endure struggles, to fan into flame the gifts He's given, and to be a church that shines for Him like a lamp in the dark and a star in the night. So, in what ways do you need to remember that Jesus is "among us" and stands in our midst as a church? How can we pray for you as you go?

Have a great community group this week!

Starting up the old blog again...

Every Spring, I wonder what will happen when I dig the mower out of its state of hibernation, change out the old oil, and pull the cord for the first time. Smoke? Fire? Nothing? Well, now that we've finished out DVD series (Prodigal God by Tim Keller) that went along with our "parable" series from Luke, it's time we pull the blog out of its resting state and see what happens. Hopefully, we'll be able to get it running again.

As you might remember, here's the way things worked: each Monday morning, I'll post a follow-up to the sermon- either for clarity, ideas for application, or with some questions that can help your Community Groups discuss the text that week. Please feel free to let me know if there are ways I can improve what we're doing.

In addition to the blog, you'll see some new things happening at the site... and by "new" I mean, "not the old highlights from February. (We aim high around here.) So- thanks for your patience... let's see what this thing can do again!