There are seven different types of churches listed in the book of The Revelation. They are represented by seven different areas in the major areas in the world at the time of writing. They are Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. The Holy Spirit thru Paul writes of churches that are in good standing, how that these churches are are living what they teach and doing good works for Christ, spreading the Gospel. There are churches that are trying to walk right and there are churches that are churches in name only, not going after the things of God. The Spirit is giving accolades where they are due, but also reprimanding where it is necessary. The Spirit gives some good, some bad, about each represented church, and then gets to the church at Laodicea! My, oh my!
I am going to go out on a limb here. I might crash and fall as I sit on the wrong side of the limb I have climbed out on and start cutting! There are some really good churches left in this country, that follow the Biblical principals laid out in God’s Word, but there are a lot of churches that have left the truths of God to follow the things of men. The church of Laodicea has come to America! As I present this Scripture today I am going to take a liberty that I do not usually take. I am going to substitute the word America for the word Laodicea. That, guys makes this post self-exclamatory and I will not have to say another word at the end of the Scripture. God will have said it, so that will settle it.
Revelation 3:14-22
“And unto the angel of the church of the Americas write; These things saith the the Amen, the faithful and true witnesses, the beginning of the creation of God.”
“I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.”
“So then because thou art luke-warm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”
“Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased in goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:”
“I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of they nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.”
“As many as I love, I rebuke, and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.”
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
“To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.”
“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”
I changed my mind, I will say one last thing – please open that door!
AE
and continuing…
Does your church preach the gospel of Christ, or do they substitute the gospel of Christ for the gospel of “good works?” Is your church redefining terms, and changing the meaning of good works laid out by God in his word for social justice reform? What your church is teaching matters! And just as important what your church is doing matters.
Is your church spending all of it’s time trying to tell people that they are different from other churches. They are more fun, with more programs, youth outreaches, fellowships, and pizza parties? Do your children come from their Sunday School classes excited about truths that they have learned about Christ, or have they colored a picture of Jesus while eating cookies and drinking juice?
Contrary to what most people think children are not stupid, and they can and should be learning deep spiritual life changing truths while in Sunday School. Youth groups should be spending less time playing and more time praying. I’m not against having fun. In fact, I am all for it. But the emotional high of “fun” and the enjoyable atmosphere we find at church cannot and should not be the same thing.
When I leave church I don’t want to feel the same as if I had left an amusement park. I want to be challenged to be a different creature than I was when I walked in the door. I want to spend time contemplating a thought that I had not yet thought about or that had not occurred to me in some time. I want to be thinking about God, and worshipping Him in spirit and in truth. I do not want to pick my children up from some youth meeting and have them tell me about all the games they played, but not be able to tell me one thing that they learned.
Our churches need to be investing time instructing us in the things of God. If this is not your churches main goal you should find a church whose main goal is aligned with that of scripture. I don’t even care if there is no Sunday school, teen group, or “small group.” If the congregation is small but the spirit of God is large that is the church we need to invest our lives in. Our families need to be meeting and worshipping together. We need to be growing together. We need God to change us and to help us want to be like him. It’s not easy to stand against the onslaught of the world, especially when the world has crept into our churches. But it is important to be able to stand for righteousness.
I also know that it is not the job of the church to raise our children. That is our job, but if I spend all week teaching my children about spiritual things, and they go to church on Sunday and play I am not going to want to keep my children in that atmosphere. I want them to know that what Mom and Dad are teaching all week is valid and backed up by scripture. I want them to see their church family also trying to walk in truth alongside them. I want them to see other families excited about serving God.
Church is so vitally important. Don’t neglect it. Find a God fearing, Bible believing Pastor. Don’t ask what your church can do for you. Ask what you can do for your church. Be the light the world needs to see, worship, serve, and grow in and for Christ in your church.
GA
Voice of the Introverts 