A degenerative vision
President Obama’s recent State of the Union address, together with Governor Mitch Daniels’ response, offered us yet another reminder, as if we needed one, of what the American vision has degenerated to in our lifetime.

President Obama and Governor Daniels both played the role of cheerleaders for a materialist utopia. The only real difference between them was in the way they proposed to achieve more jobs, more money, and more stuff.

“Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.” Genesis 3:7

In what the Baptist Press has called the “most significant broadcast indecency case since 1978”, the Supreme Court has been in the process of deciding how much autonomy to allow the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) when regulating displays of nudity and indecency in films.

Renewing the Church (10)

The third letter
We want to examine the third of seven letters in Revelation 2-3 which Jesus evaluates His church. The first letter that Jesus dictated to John the Apostle concerned the church of Ephesus. Jesus declared that the Ephesian church had lost its first love. The second letter, on the other hand, to the church in Smyrna, is one filled with praise. That church, beset with persecution and poverty, remained faithful even under pressures that could well lead to the martyrdom of some of its members.

Renewing the Church (9)

The second letter
The letter to the church in Smyrna is the second of seven letters in Revelation 2-3 describing what Jesus thinks of His church. His first letter, to the church of Ephesus, explained that they had lost their first love. The vision of the resurrected and exalted Christ, sitting on the same throne as the Father (Rev. 3:21) in full majesty and glory, should be the focus of the Christian’s life. The willingness to follow Christ’s example of humble service (Phil. 2:5-11; John 13:1-11) should be the pattern which the Christian should follow. Love of God and love of neighbor are the compelling force of faithfulness.

Renewing the Church (8)

Letters for all time
In the seven letters to the churches of Asia Minor (modern day Turkey), we have a divine assessment of the church composite at any given time. Depending upon historical and cultural pressures, one of these seven models is likely to be more predominant than another for a season or two in a given region, but all seven models will always be present.

Renewing the Church (7)

Jesus’ view of the Church
In previous articles in this series, the discussion of the vision, mission, purpose, and practices of a local church set the stage for this next series of articles which encourage the local church to reform and conform so that it is in accordance with Christ’s standards for a revived, healthy, and spiritually maturing assembly of believers.