Burning Down the House
A February 9th article by James C. McKinley, Jr., reads, “Arsonists are to blame for a
series of fires that has left at least seven churches in ruins in small East Texas towns over
the last five weeks, federal investigators said Tuesday.Skip to next paragraph The fires
have enraged and puzzled residents of Athens, Tyler and several smaller towns southeast
of Dallas. “To people here it’s just an incomprehensible and unconscionable act,” said
Mayor Randy Daniel of Athens, a town of 12,000 where three Baptist churches were
burned down in the first two weeks of January. “It’s hard for them to take.”
Dozens of federal agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms have
flooded the region, joining the Texas Rangers and local officials to hunt for those
responsible.
Investigators say the arsonists…have attacked…Methodist, Baptist, Christian Scientist
and nondenominational (churches)…Many congregations have hired security guards or
have asked their members to stand guard at night. The talk around dinner tables and at
social events has focused on a single question: Who would do such a thing?”
Who would burn down a church house? This is NOT what Jesus meant by, "I am come to
send fire on the earth." No Christian would do this. There is something worse, though,
than burning down a church building. How about burning down a church from the inside
out? In Jesus’ letter to the Seven Churches of Asia (Turkey), He tells five of them, in
effect, “Your house is on fire. If you don’t make some changes, you’ll burn down the
house!” We want to take these messages to heart so when it comes to us, we don’t burn
down the house, but first enjoy our song…
The Scriptures offer many reasons to protect and promote the church. The church is the
precious institution that Jesus claimed as His own and promised to build (Matthew
16:18). He purchased the church with His blood (Acts 20:28). The Holy Spirit calls the
church the body of Christ (Ephesians 1) and the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5). The Holy
Spirit also says in Ephesians 5 that Jesus is the Savior of the body, the church. Later the
Spirit says in I Timothy 3:15 that the church is “the pillar and ground of the truth” and
again in Hebrews 12:23, “to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are
registered in heaven…” The church, of course, is not the building, but the people who
gather for worship in the building.
Unfortunately, whether they intend to or not, many allow the Adversary to use them to
destroy the church. Before the conversion of the apostle Paul, he was one such man. We
read in Acts 8:3, “Saul…made havock of the church.” Several translations say, he “tried
to destroy the church.” This was certainly Saul’s original goal. Sadly, many today are
burning down the house and aren’t even aware of it. Consider the following quote from
D. A. Carson:
“The ways of destroying the church are many and colorful…Taking your eyes off the
cross and letting other, more peripheral matters dominate the agenda will do it admittedly more slowly than frank heresy, but just as effectively over the long haul.
Building the church with superficial ‘conversions’ and wonderful programs that rarely
bring people into a deepening knowledge of the living God will do it. Entertaining people
to death but never fostering the beauty of holiness or the centrality of self-crucifying love
will build an assembling of religious people, but it will destroy the church of the living
God. Gossip, prayerlessness, bitterness, sustained biblical illiteracy, self-promotion,
materialism - all of these things, and many more, can destroy a church. And to do so is
dangerous: ‘If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is
sacred, and you are that temple (1 Cor. 3:17).” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of
the living God.”
This is a meaningful list, but we want to hear directly from Jesus’ address to the Seven
Churches of Asia in Revelation 2 & 3. Jesus commends the church at Smyrna and
Philadelphia, but the other congregations were issued a sober warning, “Repent or
else…”
A few facts before we go on. Let’s read Revelation 1:9-11, 20 “I, John…was on the
island that is called Patmos for the word of God...10I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day,
and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 11saying, "I am the Alpha and the
Omega, the First and the Last," and, "What you see, write in a book and send it to the
seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to
Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea …The seven stars are the angels of the seven
churches, and the seven lamp stands which you saw are the seven churches.”
So, Jesus is sending this message through the apostle John who is imprisoned on Patmos
just across the water to the west from these seven churches. The seven lamp stands or
candlesticks are the seven churches. Then, we learn from Revelation 2:1 that Jesus
“walks in the midst of the seven golden lamp stands.” How sobering to know Jesus is
walking amidst the churches. No wonder, he says so frequently in these letters, “I know
thy works.” Jesus is in his churches today. So, it does matter what we are doing or failing
to do. Jesus gives each congregation a report card and five are failing. These two chapters
reflect the unique identity and personality found within different congregations.
EPHESUS
Great leaders borrow Jesus approach with these churches. He commends where he can
before confronting error. Solomon says in Proverbs 3:27, “Withhold not good from those
to whom it is due, When it is in the power of your hand to do so.” That includes actions
and words.
Jesus tells the angel or messenger of the Ephesus church in Revelation 2:2 "I know your
works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you
have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and
you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name's sake and have
not become weary… But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which
I also hate.” Wow! This congregation was strong in so many ways: they were tough, hard
working, patient and persistent; they hated false doctrine and rejected false teachers. It’s
great to hate false doctrine and evil. David, the man after God’s own heart, sang a psalm
(Psalm 119) in which he said twice, “I hate every false way.” The apostle Paul tells us in
Romans 12:9, “Abhor that which is evil.” The problem at Ephesus: they knew how to
hate, but forgot how to love – Christ and one another. Jesus was saying, “Where’s the
love, Ephesus?” It’s not good enough to dot all the “I’s” and cross all the “T’s”. We must
be motivated by love or we burn down the house. Hear the Lord’s rebuke in Revelations
2:4-5, “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember
therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to
you quickly and remove your lamp stand from its place--unless you repent.”
A congregation cannot rest on its laurels. You cannot simply say, “We believe in Jesus,
read the bible, pray and sing hymns.” Jesus says, “What have you done for me lately?”
To avoid losing its candlestick, a church must do the right things AND do them for the
right reason.
The Lord of the lamp stands tells the church at Ephesus, despite their rich history, their
labors and their tenacious defense of the truth, their lack of love is about to do them in.
“You left your first love. Remember, repent, restore or else be removed.” Remember the
love you once had for Christ, one another and the lost. Repent – change your mind about
what matters most. Repeat – do the first works. Go back to the way you used to be “or
else I will come …and remove your lamp stand.” The house is on fire. If you don’t
reverse course, you will burn down the house!
Never forget the Spirit’s words in I Corinthians 13, “the greatest of these is love.”
“Without love, I am nothing; without love, I have nothing.” Love is the priority. Jesus
says in John 13:35, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for
one another."
PERGAMOS
After commending them for what they had done right even in the face of persecution,
Jesus tells the church at Pergamos in Revelation 2:14-16, “But I have a few things against
you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to
put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to
commit sexual immorality. Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the
Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight
against them with the sword of My mouth.”
The Christ of the candlesticks says moral and doctrinal compromise torched the church at
Pergamos. They allowed the world’s influence to dictate their thinking and lifestyle.
Some at Pergamos actually held to the very doctrine Jesus commended Ephesus for
hating. What an awkward position. Any church that goes soft on doctrine or tolerant on
morality needs to understand that Jesus’ responds, “Repent or else!”
So, it’s urgent to understand that not just any church will do. We noticed that a loveless
church like Ephesus doesn’t stack up in Jesus’ eyes, but neither does a church that does
not uphold the doctrine of Christ. We read in 2 John 9, “Whoever transgresses and does
not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of
Christ has both the Father and the Son.” If Jesus rejects a church that does not uphold
faithful teaching, dare we embrace it?
THYATIRA
Notice in Revelation 2:18 that Jesus is not presented as a baby in a manger, a lamb led to
the slaughter or helpless victim tortured on a cross. No, the Bible says, "These things says
the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass…” This is a
much more imposing and intimidating description than we find in the gospels – a Jesus of
judgment.
Revelation 2:19-23 "I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for
your works, the last are more than the first. Nevertheless I have a few things against you,
because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and
seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. And I
gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. Indeed I will
cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation,
unless they repent of their deeds. I will kill her children with death, and all the churches
shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one
of you according to your works.”
What was going on at Thyatira was a far cry from what we read in I Timothy 2:11-12,
“Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. 12And I do not permit a woman to
teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence.” The leadership at Thyatira
allowed this ungodly woman to take over. As a result, the church was on fire. She called
herself a prophetess, not Jesus. Paul wrote in I Corinthians 14:34-35, “Let your women
keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be
submissive, as the law also says. And if they want to learn something, let them ask their
own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church.” It’s not okay to
ignore these clear words of inspiration. Sadly, some do.
What she taught made it even worse. She promoted idol worship and sex outside of
marriage. This includes adultery, fornication (sex before marriage), polygamy and
homosexuality. More and more churches today defend immoral practices condemned in
Scripture. It’s not okay. The Lord of the lamp stands, the Christ of the candlesticks says,
“Repent or else!”
SARDIS
The Lord of the lamp stand tells this church that he adds to and takes away names and
churches from the rolls and says only the faithful will keep their names in the Book of
Life.
Revelation 3:1-5 "I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you
are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I
have not found your works perfect before God. Remember therefore how you have
received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come
upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. You have a
few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with
Me in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments,
and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life…”
When Jesus says that only “a few names in Sardis have not defiled their garments” that
indicates that many had. Their souls were in danger. Jesus said bluntly, “You have a
name that you are alive, but you are dead.” He then tempers that evaluation saying, “Be
watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not
found your works perfect before God.” In other words, the church at Sardis was burning.
They were on life support and if they do not do an about face, their recognition as a
faithful congregation would soon expire.
“You have a name that you are alive.” This church carried Christ’s name, but they had no
life. They were going through the motions. They were playing church. They were asleep
at the wheel. They had no energy, no zeal. They were sluggish, asleep. You know how a
church gets that way? When one member goes to sleep, then two, three, then twenty,
thirty. A dead church is made up of dead Christians. If that’s your condition, the Christ of
the candlesticks says you need to wake up; you need to come to life lest you imperil the
church. A little leaven leavens the whole lump.
LAODICEA
Despite their arrogance, when Jesus says, “I will vomit you out of my mouth,” perhaps
He’s trying to tell us that Laodicea is the most pitiful of these seven churches. Listen to
Revelation 3:15-19, "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish
you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will
vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, "I am rich, have become wealthy, and
have need of nothing'-and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and
naked - I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and
white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be
revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I
rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.”
The Lord of the lamp stands says that this church was “wretched, miserable, poor, blind,
and naked” despite their conceited complacency. They were self-satisfied. Laodicea was
lukewarm. Did you know that there was such a church? Did you know that some
churches make Jesus vomit? I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to attend that kind
of a church, much less be a member. Do you? The Christ of the candlesticks says not just
any church will do!
What went wrong at Laodicea? We don’t have many details, but we know they were
wealthy and satisfied. They weren’t cold. They didn’t totally abandon Jesus and the truth.
They didn’t stop meeting, but yet they weren’t hot either. They weren’t passionate about
the things that mattered. They took their eyes off the Lord and set their affections on the
things of the world.
May we heed the warning issued by the Lord of the Lamp stands and make sure we do
not start a fire that burns down the house. If the church is on fire where you are and no
one will help put out the fire, get out of that house and find a church approved by the
Lord. If you’d like to get a copy of this message, grab a pen and paper and we’ll tell you
how after our song…
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of the apostle Paul when he wrote in Romans 16:16, “the churches of Christ salute you.”
Until next week, goodbye and God bless.