The Church
Bride is a Rock'n Roll band but we have a message to our music.
We have been given gifts and talents by God to write songs and
perform before live audiences. These talents have taken us all
over the world and we have been fortunate enough to find open
doors where we have shared God's sovereign love and have directed
audiences to Jesus Christ every where we have traveled. By us
singing about what God has done for us we feel we are giving and
contributing to God by being instruments ourselves, that he can
work through and build his church. The modern day church can be
found in the pages of the bible in The Book of Revelation. There
are 7 churches represented in Revelations, and they reflect the
attitude and the moral and spiritual conduct of the churches in
these modern times which we live. The reason I am writing this
particular message is so that those who read it will have a
better understanding about the age we live in and what roll if
any God plays in our modern day system of religion. The first
church which John, the author of The Book of Revelations speaks
about is the church of Ephesus. This is found in the second
chapter where John writes; You have forsaken your first love.
Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the
things you did at first. The church in Ephesus had worked hard
and had great perseverance. They could not tolerate wickedness,
they had endured hardships, withstood persecution and had not
grown weary. It sounds like that religiously they were doing all
they could possibly do. Spiritually however they were slack.
They were practicing morality but not spirituality. They
abandoned their first love. When people give their lives to
Jesus for the first time, sometimes they are very excited. They
try their best not to make mistakes and to do everything
according to God's will. As time passes by it is easy to forget
God as they become involved with the functions and activities of
the church. They surrender to the will of the church and not to
the will of God. To make the church stronger a person is to
submit to God's sovereignty and in doing so his/hers first love
is not in question. It is common in the church today to find
people who sit in the same seat or the same pew every Sunday. To
see people who only associates and fellowships with only a
certain group in the church. When a person is born again and
finds a church home there is usually excitement. This new
christian wants to meet people because of their desire to know
Christ more intimately. As this new person in Christ becomes
more a part of the church family it is common that they loose
their focus on God. It is important that our focus and attention
not to be moved from God. If he is our central point then we
will continue doing those things which build the church. A church
is a body of people believing in a common bond. There is
strength in numbers and in unity. The bible says a house divided
against itself can not stand. Do not forsake the church but if
you have lost sight of God, return to your first love today.
The second church which is addressed is the poor but rich
church of Smyrna. This is a humble church that did not realize
that they were indeed rich in Christ. John wrote: I know your
afflictions and your poverty- yet you are rich! This was more
than a statement this was a promise of God to the meek and humble
people of Smyrna. John continued to write warning and
admonishment: Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer,
the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you
will suffer persecution. But be faithful, even to the point of
death and I will give you a crown of life. This is a church who
loved God but they were about to experience and go through
hardship like they had never seen. God comes to the rescue with
a promise and a blessing. Do not be afraid he says, be faithful
and you will receive a crown of life. This little church was
about to be tried by fire. This persecution however would bring
forth reward. I believe this church would overcome because Jesus
was their center point. Many churches today have gone through
scrutiny, hardships, and tribulations. If their church was built
and founded upon the rock, if Jesus Christ was their Cornerstone
then that church would have overcome the days of trouble and the
gates of hell would not prevail against them. If you have been
witnessed to a church falling apart, If you have seen members
leave with hurt feelings to never return, if the pastor has lost
his faith then this church was not on solid ground. Their focus
was not on Jesus but rather on man or pleasures of this world.
In verse 8 of the second chapter of Revelations an example is
provided for the church of Smyrna to increase their faith. John
writes; These are the words of him who is the First and the
Last, who died and came to life again. What that says is this
church would feel the suffocating hand of death upon their face
but that God would not forsake them and would breath life into
them like he did with Adam. If your church is experiencing
perilous times, if things seem to be falling apart, as a church,
in one mind and one accord call on the name of Jesus and he
promises to be there for us.
To the church in Pergamum John writes: I know where you
live where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name.
Pergamum was a very religious city in Asia. It boasted a temple
to Zeus, a temple to a healing god who was worshiped in the form
of a serpent. It was known for it's medical university which
housed a library with over two hundred thousand volumes. The
church here had not renounced their faith even though they were
surrounded by immoral people who worshipped other Gods. There
were people in the church who had allowed sin in, by eating foods
sacrificed to idols and committing sexual immorality. God
commanded them to repent or he would fight against them with the
sword of his mouth. God's warning was not to the false teachers
but to those in the church who tolerated it. These false teachers
were distorting God's truths and the church continued their
association with them without speaking against this evil. The
sword of his mouth is absolute judgment of those who are
disobedient and truth for those who are faithful. If you are
finding yourself in a situation where your church may not be
condoning immoral behavior but allowing it, you must pray that
God will reveal his truth. It is by the Word of God that we
combat Satan and it is by his Word that we will overcome. The
heavens and the earth will pass away but his Word will remain
forever!
To the church in Thyatira John writes: I know your deeds,
your service and perseverance, and that now you are now doing
more than you did before. Here is a church that is actually more
busy than they have ever been but John goes on to write that God
holds something against them. There was a women teaching in the
church false doctrine and she had been misleading some in the
church to practice sexual immorality. God had given her time to
repent but she had been unwilling. God issued a warning that she
would be punished and her children and anyone else who had
committed adultery with her. God was immediately going to
unleash punishment on her and those who followed her teachings.
God had issued his last warning. There are those in today's
churches who have been warned time and time again to repent of
their sins. Not only does sin effect a person on a personal
level but many times it is contagious and spreads like a disease
to others. There is pleasure in sin for a season the bible says,
but the scripture goes on to say "the wages of sin is death". God
is a God of patience not wanting any to perish never the less
because of mans foolishness, pride and direct rebellion God will
execute punishment and judgement upon the children of
disobedience. To those who were faithful and had not held the
teachings of this treacherous women God says: Hold on to what you
have until I come. To him that overcomes and does my will to the
end, I will give authority over the nations. There is always a
reward for those who can endure to the end. Always a blessing for
those who are unmoved in their faith when tragedy hits.
The next church is what we call the dyeing church. The church of
Sardis John writes: I know your deeds; you have a reputation for
being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains
and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in
the sight of God. Sardis was one of the richest cities of its
time. Over time this church with so much great potential to
influence a city became stained and tarnished by the city. Jesus
declared his warning to this hypocritical church to wake up, get
their eyes off the things of the world and on him. This as a
church which had the appearance of being spiritual. They looked
alive from the outside but within they were dyeing. There was
little spirituality remaining and what had survived would not
stand much longer. God went on to instruct John to write that if
they did not repent and wake up that he would come to them like a
thief. This is a clear indication that what little they had left
keeping the church afloat, God was about to strip them of it and
let them sink. God always gives the church many warnings and
sounds many alarms before the storm. Sometimes the church is so
caught up in itself that they have removed themselves far from
the voice of God and are out of range of the warning sirens.
Church functions like picnics, roller skating parties, basketball
games etc are not evil in itself but when they take the place of
God and of worship and praise, God will not tolerate such
behavior. Once again we find God turning to those who love him
and God promising to those who overcome that they will be dressed
in white, he will not blot their name out of the book of life,
but will acknowledge their name. Jesus knows his own and his
sheep hear his voice.
The next church is the most talked about church within the
religious community. It is the church of Philadelphia. This is
the most revered church because every church wishes for God to
view them the way he does this loyal church. John writes: Since
you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep
you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole
world to test those who live on the earth. This church of
Philadelphia for some is the bride of Christ who will be under
Gods great protective hand during the tribulation. While others
suffer and churches around them are falling this church remains
impregnable. God promises that no one will take their crown. In
verse 8 of the 3rd chapter the scripture says that God has placed
them before an open door which no one can shut because Jesus
holds the key. This open door could be one of two things. It
could mean that there is an open door for God to bring his
blessings into the church or an open door for escape of these
perilous times which will befall all mankind. By keeping God's
word and not denying the name of Jesus this church is not
violated by wickedness surrounding them. In Romans chapter 10
verse 9 it reads That if we confess with our mouth "Jesus is
Lord" and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the
dead, you will be saved. You see these other churches we have
mentioned confessed Jesus with their mouths but their hearts were
far from him. They were lovers of pleasure more than lovers of
God. Takers and not givers. Jesus said that he did not come
into the world to be served but to serve others. This is the
example that the true Church of Jesus should follow.The churches
business, and undertaking is to give to the community, be a light
house in a city being struck by darkness.
The last church to consider is the church in Laodicea.
This
church may be in fact the most despicable church of them all.
They are indecisive on their belief, luke warm, swaying beliefs
with every doctrine. Being a christian to this church was a
hobby. It was about recreation not salvation. The Lord calls
them, wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. They did not
have the covering of Christ or the armor of God. They had no way
to defend themselves if attacked by Satan. This would mean that
Satan came in and out of their doors as he pleased. He warned
them that because they were neither hot nor cold that he would
soon spit them out of his mouth. Then as Jesus always did as he
walked the earth he turned to them and said: Those whom I love I
rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I stand at
the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door
I will come in and eat with him and he with me. Jesus was on the
outside of this particular church. They sang about him, preached
about him, most likely did miracles in his name but had never
invited him into their church. Ironic to think that people would
go to all the trouble of getting dressed for church in the early
hours on the sabbath, make the trek to the church, go through the
motions of worship and praise but never allow the one the speak
of to enter. This was a church in need of a complete overhaul.
Instead of conveniently aborting it Jesus said I love you, "if
you will" let me in, I will not only fellowship with you and
commune with you but I will allow you to get close to me. The
bible says draw close to God and he in turn will draw close to
you. Jesus made the first step toward us when he left his home in
glory to live as God's Son on earth. To place himself upon the
cross in my place and erase away my sin by the shedding of his
blood was a long stride in my direction. This was a church that
merely went through the motions of having church. They were not
able to do anything spiritual because apart from God we can do
nothing. Somehow they managed to exist as a church of the God of
Abraham without ever knowing whom they claimed to serve. God
made a way for the wicked when he sent his Son to take the place
of sinful man upon the cross of Calvary thus providing a way for
this church in Laodicea to repent and be forgiven. History
records that this church did indeed fall and lies deserted and
ruined today.
To the church which is the body of Christ and to the individual
which makes up the church God invites everyone to share in the
hope of salvation through faith by grace that Jesus brought to
the earth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says
to the churches.
Dale Thompson
Return to Message Page
Return to BRIDE Home Page