For the last week or so, I have been meditating on the first several chapters of the book of Revelation. One thing that has stood out to me is the high regard that our Lord Jesus Christ has for the church. I am not talking about the Church universal, but the local church. We see Jesus, in His glory, the first and the last, the living One, who has the keys of death and of Hades, whose voice is like the sound of many waters, walking among seven golden lampstands. These lampstands are the local churches to whom this book of Revelation is written. Do we realize that Jesus sees local churches as lampstands in this world of darkness? Do we know that an angel has been assigned to each of these lampstands? Do we know that Jesus is imparting grace and peace to these churches? All this is found in this first chapter of the book of Revelation.
If Jesus sees the local church as precious, and holy, and full of purpose, why is it that so many “followers of Jesus” view the church with disdain or apathy? Why is it that so many are really not a part of a local church? Some think that “attending church” is being a part of the church. That is one of the most deceptive and destructive lies that is currently circulating among Christians today. The church, according to Scripture, is not a building. It is not a time slot on Sunday morning. It is not an organization. It is not just a teaching or worship point in our busy week. The church is a group of followers of Jesus whose lives are being knit together in Christian agape love. These followers are pursuing a oneness of mind and purpose together. They are actively helping one another grow in their spiritual walks. They are not perfect; but they are seeking to become like Him.
Have we made ourselves a part of a local church that Jesus sees as holy and precious and burning brightly as a lampstand?
