A Warning To Churches

A Warning To Churches

"Was Our Lord Being Serious?"

What were the last words that Jesus had for His church? Many times people will refer to the “Great Commission” (Matt 28:18-20) as the last words of the Lord for His church; however, that is not true. The last words of Jesus for His Church are found in the book of Revelation. Among these last words, we find seven messages that the Lord directs John to deliver to seven local churches in Asia (Rev 2-3). To five of these churches, the Lord Jesus commands those within the churches to “repent”. These messages are timeless and are just as applicable to local churches in the present day; they are also alarming, and we do well to give heed to the warnings. The words of our Lord are not intended to “beat us over the head”. These messages are sent because the Lord loves us; and as He has said, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” (Rev 3:19). Would the Lord discipline these churches and yet turn a blind eye to our apathy and rebellion? I think not.

Where did these five churches go astray? Let’s consider each of them:

1. Ephesus (Rev 2:1-7). The Lord had many good things to say of the church at Ephesus. They seem to be sound in the faith and diligent in many things. However, the Lord says they have left their “first love”. They have departed from their former devotion to Him.

2. Pergamos (Rev 2:12-17). This church is located in a very difficult place of ministry. The Lord acknowledges this; however, he does not excuse the fact that they have compromised His teachings. He rebukes them for this. He further reproves them for tolerating false teaching. The Lord commands them to purify and discipline themselves.

3. Thyatira (Rev 2:18-29). The Lord has many good things to say about this church. He commends their love, service, faith, patience, and works. However, His message is still one of warning. Why? They have tolerated false teaching and the compromise of truth. The Lord commands those in error to “repent”. He commands those of the remnant to “hold fast” to the truth.

4. Sardis (Rev 3:1-6). Sardis is a prime example of dead orthodoxy. In name, they are alive and well; however, in spirit and works, they are dead.

5. Laodicea (Rev 3:14-22). This church is identified as lukewarm. In their current state, they are worthless. They weigh heavy on the stomach of our Lord and are soon to be vomited out of His mouth. This church is materialistic and self-sufficient. They have deceived themselves into believing that they are right with God. The Lord corrects their thinking in no uncertain terms.

What should we glean from all of this? Well, if nothing else, we need to understand that even though we may view apathy, compromise, dead orthodoxy, and materialism lightly – our Lord does not. The message from the Lord: “Repent”. We are to seek Him in purity and true devotion.

Of the five churches that are rebuked above, we would probably consider the offense of Ephesus to be the least blatant. They are highly commended in many areas and the Lord mentioned only one offense – they had left their “first love”. However, notice the Lord’s judgment for their departure: He warned that He would remove their “candlestick”. They would no longer be His beacon of light. Does that sound descriptive of any church that you know? Does that not alarm you? It should. I tell you with absolute certainty: If the Lord removes the candlestick, it is removed.

Today, we may have many congregations with nice buildings and manicured lawns; many with large numbers in attendance; and many with large operating budgets. I would remind you that there are also many cults with large buildings, large budgets, and large numbers of parishioners. None of these are evidence that the Lord's "candlestick" is still present. These things may impress men; but not our Lord (Luke 16:15).

The question for us to consider is this: Was our Lord being serious? Would He really remove our candlestick (Rev 2:5)? The answer is obvious. The Lord’s words carry no hint of humor. His warning is a certainty “except thou repent” (Rev 2:5).