I remember quite a few years ago, my mom and dad were studying the book of Revelation with their small group.
I admired their passion, as many churches are silent in matters of eschatology. My mom created study notebooks for participants with charts, commentary and tools to help remove any fears toward apocalyptic literature.
As the weeks progressed, I heard great reports of how it blessed participants with renewed hope in the future. It’s the only book that says, “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy.” If we stop reading after Jude, we truly do not know how God’s story ends.
During COVID-19 restrictions, I felt led to ask Mom for that notebook she compiled, and I started to dig into the messages given to the churches in Revelation, while contemplating church life/worship with the new restrictions.
These real, ancient city churches — Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea — were in a spiritual battle; and though there were specific instructions for each one, all of these local churches were to heed to each rebuke and exhortation.
Each letter has a general exhortation, “he who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says” (Rev 2:7). The commands of Christ required the congregation to listen to the Spirit’s voice. These exhortations transcend time and meet us now in the 21st-century church.
The church is meant to play an important part of God’s redemption story, though she isn’t the whole story. In fact, the church age is only a small portion of history when we consider the whole timeline. As the early Christians believed, “Jesus is coming soon,” so should we live with such hope. Expectancy breeds readiness and self-examination.
The church in Ephesus was commended for doctrinal vigilance but rebuked for the loss of her first love. Smyrna received no rebuke and was encouraged to continue to persevere through persecution.
This body of believers was described as spiritually rich. Pergamum held fast to Christ’s name, but allowed false teaching to compromise God’s Word. Thyatira was recognized for growing in their love for the Lord through acts of service, but these believers lacked discernment and tolerated heresy.
The church in Sardis was falling asleep and the charge was to wake up, to be aware of their dead works. Philadelphia did not receive a rebuke. She was commended for patiently enduring, keeping God’s word, and never denying His name. Laodicea received no words of affirmation from the Lord, but rather was rebuked for spiritual blindness and for being lukewarm.
This city was a commercial center and thriving in medical and textile industries. Their prosperity blinded them to their true condition. Though they boasted in their wealth, the Lord called out their spiritual poverty, nakedness, and moral bankruptcy. These chapters are important to help us understand where is the modern church in the biblical narrative?
Nothing has changed, really; we are all seven of these churches. We are warned at large against the dangers of losing our first love, which I think, generally speaking, marks the American church. As disciples, we are supposed to be willing to suffer for the Gospel, to not fall prey to doctrinal compromise, to fight off spiritual deadness, and to detest lukewarm worship.
Like Laodicea, do we have a wrong perception of our spiritual condition? Yes. Have we collectively neglected our personal relationship with God for outward religion? Yes. Are we Thyatira, the worldly church, who allows the spirit of Jezebel to lead hearts toward idolatry? Yes.
As the Body of Christ is made up of many members, how we answer these questions impact the amount of light we expel to the world and who will join the countless multitude at His throne of worship (Rev 4):
“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come!
…Worthy are You, our Lord and God.”
Is He worthy, church? He is worthy if we must suffer for a while. He is worthy if we are called to endure persecution. He is worthy if we lose all our wealth as a nation.
The Lamb slain for the salvation of humanity is worthy of trial of faith. Any other conclusion is attached to the temporal world. The overcomer testifies to these things: “Behold, I am coming soon.”
Genesis and Revelation are the bookends of the Bible. Judgment is coming, but so is a new day when He has total reign and the persevering saints are invited to co-reign as in the days of Eden. These letters promise a victor’s reward, “the right to eat from the tree of life” and protection from the second death (see Ge 2-3).
Why should we fear how God’s story ends? The end is the beginning. Eat this book and be blessed.
— Tracey D. Lawrence is an adjunct faculty for biblical studies at Colorado Christian University.
"story" - Google News
May 31, 2020 at 07:32PM
https://ift.tt/2Mc06Dk
Tracey D. Lawrence: The end of God’s story is just the beginning - Greeley Tribune
"story" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2YrOfIK
https://ift.tt/2xwebYA
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Tracey D. Lawrence: The end of God’s story is just the beginning - Greeley Tribune"
Post a Comment