A lot of people have their own opinions about what makes “the best church.” Some say you need to have the right balance of young and old, working and retired, upper and middle class, etc. If you walk into a “Christian” book store you will find dozens of recently published books that are supposed to tell you what the “perfect congregation” looks like. Instead of listening to what they have to say, why don’t we just consult the Authority? If the question is: What kind of church (congregation) does Jesus want…lets just ask Jesus. He has told us exactly what He is looking for in a church, after all.
And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;
The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.Revelation 1:17-20
The next two chapters feature Jesus giving a message to seven congregations scattered around Asia. From those seven messages, let’s consider five attributes that describe the kind of church that Jesus wants.
From the church at Ephesus, notice:
JESUS WANTS A CHURCH WITH A PENITENT SPIRIT
Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;
I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.Revelation 2:1-5
What is the church? It’s not a building; It’s not a location. It is the spiritual institution comprising every Christian and only every Christian. People, therefore, are the church. Flawed people make up the church, people who have sinned and do sin, in moments of weakness, and will probably sin again in the future. And yet, despite our imperfections, we Christians are the church. How wonderful it is that we have a Lord Who recognizes our imperfections. I don’t think its an accident or a coincidence that we start with the church at Ephesus, a church that needs to repent. It highlights to every reader that God understands us. He knows that we sin from time to time; He knows we are not perfect.
And so he tells Ephesus “you’ve done good things…but you have done things that have angered Me…BUT…you can change that.” How? By repenting! What kind of church does He want? Not a perfect church; if we were perfect we wouldn’t need the church because we wouldn’t need to be saved. No, He wants a penitent church, one that is able humbly to recognize its own mistake, and correct them through repentance.
And if we are penitent, if we shun the arrogance that leads to destruction, what will be our reward?
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
Revelation 2:7
From the church at Smyrna, notice:
JESUS WANTS A CHURCH THAT STAYS FAITHFUL IN HARD TIMES
And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.Revelation 2:8-10
Here was a congregation that apparently had a lot of problems, but unlike Ephesus, these were problems that were a little more outside their control. While Ephesus he problem was a heart problem. They had doctrine right, but not attitude. With Smyrna, you have a congregation whose problem is the great amount of persecution they are enduring and on top of that the church is extremely poor. Times are tough, for the Christians in Smyrna and are only going to get tougher, according to the Lord (v10).
Jesus reminds them that he knows what they are going through, He knows of their tribulation and poverty. That is an interesting statement, however, because history shows that Smyrna was a fairly wealthy city and a great ally to the Roman Empire. Yet the brethren there are said to be poor. Probably it is because as Christians, they’d have been against the heathenism that existed in the city. By resisting the wickedness around them they would have been denied many of the finer parts of life that a heathen could enjoy. So to faithless eyes they are poor, but are they? Jesus says they are but then adds “but you are rich!” They are rich spiritually. Whatever they have to endure while here on this earth means nothing because they have the riches of heaven waiting on them.
Still, Jesus has to remind them that they’re not in Heaven yet; tough times are still ahead (v10). Prison could be expected as well as being tried (as in by fire). Extended periods of tribulation were on the horizon, even the possibility of death. And after all that Jesus has said they are going to endure, what does He say He expects of them? What does He want from His Christians at Smyrna? He wants them to be faithful unto (meaning “even to the point of”) death.
He does not want a church that cuts and runs at the first sign of trouble. He does not want a church that, when the going gets tough, they get going to find a new religion. He does not want a fair-weather church, or a fair-weather Christian. He wants a church that will stay faithful in sickness, in poverty, in tribulation, in jail, and when the sword is at the throat. He wants a church that will wear His name and die for Him. And if we do, what is our reward?
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
Revelation 2:11
From the church at Pergamos and Thyatira, notice:
JESUS WANTS A CHURCH THAT DOES NOT STAND FOR FALSE TEACHERS
And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;
I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.
But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.Revelation 2:12-14
Before we discuss false teachers and false doctrine, notice the contrast: “These things saith He which hath the sharp sword with two edges…” (v12). That’s of course a reference to the Word of God (Hebrews 4:12). I don’t think it’s a coincidence that just before talking about false teachers Jesus is described (by Himself) as holding the Word of God. The implication is clear: If you follow a false teacher, one who does not teach the Word, you are not following Christ.
And with that in mind we turn to the church at Pergamos. To them Jesus starts with compliments (v13), mentioning how, despite their living in a very wicked part of the world (this phrase “where Satan dwellest” could be translated “Satan’s throne”), they have stayed true to the name of Christ. Like Smyrna, this is a wicked city and the church is right in the middle of it. Jesus mentions how Christians are being killed as martyrs. With the temptation to abandon Christ no doubt very pronounced, it certainly would have been a big boost to their morale to have Jesus commend them as He does.
But (v14)…they had a problem: they had given in to false teaching. Despite all the good they were doing, putting their lives on the line and defending Christ against the world…when it came to defending Him within the church, they weren’t up to the task. See the contrast: When it came to “Christians vs Rome” they were up for the fight; when it came to “Christians vs other Christians (false teachers), however, they apparently wouldn’t fight.
Now this was not the only church in Asia dealing with this. If you keep reading in Revelation 2, you will find the church at Thyatira (v18-20):
And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;
I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.
Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.Revelation 2:18-20
Again, as before, He compliments them on what they are doing right (charity, service, patience). notice the last compliment: “thy works: the last to be more that the first.” The first what? The first church he mentioned: Ephesus. Unlike Ephesus, who had lost its first love, Thyatira’s love for Christ was still strong. Unfortunately that did not translate to a love for His doctrine. They, like Pergamos had harbored false teaching…specifically, a false teacher. Her name is not actually “Jezebel.” That’s a metaphorical description (common for the book of Revelation). Like the real Jezebel, she is a bad influence on God’s people. the church however was not doing anything about it.
So here we have two congregations; both received praise from the Lord (Thyatira moreso than Pergamos, but still…), but that did not excuse them from harboring a false teacher, or from allowing a false doctrine to permeate throughout the congregation. Notice the harsh words by the Lord for the church at Pergamos (v18): “Repent or else I will come unto thee quickly and will fight against them…” Now someone could say “Well Jesus did not say he was going to fight the congregation…just the false teachers.” But wait! Notice what he says to Thyatira (v21-23):
And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.
Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.Revelation 2:21-23
The message is clear: The Lord takes false teachers seriously. But notice the end of v23: “I will give unto every one of YOU according to your works.” In other words, if you do good — you will be rewarded with good. If you do bad (and harboring a false teacher is classified as “bad”), you will be rewarded with bad. Let it never be said that Jesus doesn’t care what you teach as long as its from the heart. I’m sure these false teachers sincerely loved their doctrine. But if it aint Jesus’ words, it aint worth teaching (or listening to). What kind of church does Jesus want? Not the ones he sees here. Despite the good they were doing, if they did not remove the false teachers and the false doctrine, it would be their undoing.
From the church at Sardis, notice
JESUS WANTS A CHURCH THAT IS LIVING AND ACTIVE IN HIS SERVICE
And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.
Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.Revelation 3:1-3
Uh oh. Jesus starts this one not with compliments, but with critiques (v1). He says they have “a name that lives, but they are dead.” In other words, they professed to be living the Christian life but in reality they were spiritually dead. Sure, the casual observer might think that these Christians were faithful to the Lord. But to the God that knows the hearts and minds of everyone, He could see them for what they were: dead.
His message to them is to be watchful and strengthen. Jesus says “Wake up! Get back to work! Stop slacking off as a Christian. You’re not being holy, and if you don’t change you’re about to be wholly dead. Not just spiritually but entirely and completely separated for ever!” Notice the strong rebuke at the end of v2: “I have not found your works perfect.” That’s not to say that God expects perfection as we use the word. This word “perfect” means “complete.” They were, in a sense, only half Christian; they were walking the walk but not talking the talk (or vice versa).
Jesus exhorts the brethren of that church family to remember their conversions and repent of their dead spirituality and inactivity. That’s interesting to me. Jesus’remedy for these Christians is: “Remember how thou hast received and heard, hold fast, and repent.” Generally when you hear these words its usually “Remember the things you have heard and received…” But Jesus does not say “the things that you received;” He says “how you heard and received those things.” What had the brethren heard and received? The Gospel of Christ. How did they receive it? With obedient hearts, ready to do the Master’s bidding, no matter what.
Remember how you felt when you first obeyed the Gospel? Remember that euphoric feeling like you could save the world? That’s the zeal they had lost and needed to find again. Without it they have become complacent, inactive and dead. If they can find it again they will be the kind of church Jesus wants, one that is living and active in His service. And if they do…
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Revelation 3:5
Finally, from the church at Laodicea, notice:
JESUS WANTS A CHURCH THAT IS ON FIRE FOR HIM
And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, 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 lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art 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 thy 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.Revelation 3:14-19
Jesus’ words to these brethren begin without His usual compliments. In this case there there were no positives for Laodicea. There was nothing for which they deserved commendation. They were apparently unfaithful, unrighteous, unholy and unChristian. What was their sin? What had they done which had do angered the Lord?
Jesus says “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot…” They were indifferent. Blah. Meh. They were apathetic and as a result they were on the verge of absolute condemnation (v16).
Yet to the brethren at Laodicea, things weren’t that bad. They looked at themselves said “I’m rich…I’m getting richer…I’ve got everything I could ever want…Life is good.” But when Jesus looked the Laodiceans He saw a people that was “wretched…miserable…poor…blind….and naked.” They thought things were great because they were taking counsel in all their material possessions. They were comfortable; too comfortable with the world and so they became apathetic to spiritual things. Notice that Jesus does not condemn their wealth. Instead He condemns the attitude they developed because of their wealth. There’s no sin in having money (“rich” is highly relative term). The sin comes when you love your money!
It is interesting what Jesus says to them: “I wish that you were either hot or cold.” No we can understand why Jesus would want us “hot” (“zealous” or “commited” to Him). But why would he wish they were “cold”? Isn’t cold worse that just lukewarm? Remember that this is just an illustration by the Lord, but it seems as though Jesus is saying “If were cold (cold being unsaved), at least you would have a chance to be warm (to be saved and ready to work for God)…but a lukewarm Christian (an uncaring Christian) is not going to respond to anything because of his apathy.” Obviously Jesus does not want a person to be unsaved, but if He had to choose between an unsaved person interested in salvation and a fallen away Christian with no interest in repenting, He is going to choose the former, though obviously the best case scenario is the third option: not cold, not lukewarm, but hot.
What kind of church does Jesus want? He wants one that is on fire for Him. If the brethren want to be truly rich (spiritually rich) they need to be tried in the fire (v18). They need to start caring about spiritual things again, and be willing to suffer for them again. They need to wear white raiment (a reference to when He said they were spiritually naked). Such clothing stands out, and attracts attention. It draws enemies to us and entices them to attack, but a Christian on fire for Him will face the attacks and keep pressing on.
There is, however, one church that we left out: The church at Philadelphia (ch3:6-12). This was the only church that received nothing but praise from the Lord. This is the church that Jesus wants. They were penitent when they made mistakes; they were faithful in hard times; they did not stand for false teachers; they were living and active in His service, and they were on fire for Him.
Of course, individual Christians make up a congregation, and one Christian’s weakness can rub off on his brother and cause both to stumble, until eventually an entire congregation is doomed. On the other hand, one Christian’s strength can rub off on his brother, and cause both to be strong, until eventually…
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.Revelation 3:20-22
What’s his message to our congregation? What’s his message to me, personally? Am I being the kind of Christian Jesus wants? Am I being the kind of “congregation-member” Jesus wants?
Think about it!
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