STRENGTHEN THE THINGS WHICH REMAIN

 

If Jesus wrote a letter to our churches today, what would He say? I wonder if it would be the same message He sent to the church in Sardis. Jesus told John to write: “I know your works, that you have a name [reputation] 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.” (Revelation 3:1-3 NKJV)

I have attended church all my life, and I thank God for that opportunity and blessing. I have learned much being in fellowship with other believers. I have learned from the Truth that was taught and the errors that had to be corrected. I praise God for people of integrity who are seeking to know more of Jesus and are following Him more closely every day. There is always a remnant who are faithful to the end. But what I see in so many professing Christians today is disturbing. The presence of God seems to be missing in our gatherings. I have been asking myself why, so I ask the following probing questions sincerely, not as a condemnation but as a hope to get back on the right track spiritually, and to strengthen what remains of Christ in His churches before it dies.

How can we set aside what Jesus taught, replacing it with what is more culture-friendly and expect to make a difference in our world? Are we any different from most people? Are we so far from Jesus’ example that few are finding Him in us or in our meetings? Have we lost our influence because we have lost the power and presence of God among us? Have we settled for “good music”, “good speaking” and good fellowship as a replacement for the Holy Spirit? Have we replaced the real moving of God’s Spirit among us for emotional, sentimental feelings? If so, we have lost the heart of Christianity and are going through a form of religion that offers no hope.

My heart yearns for the presence of God among us and a renewal of His people to a true walk with Him. Do we have a reputation of being alive because we are busy and growing in numbers, yet we are dead spiritually because somewhere down the line we took over and stopped allowing the Holy Spirit to lead? Is there real, prevailing prayer in our altars? Is there prayer in our hearts? What do people find in our churches? What do they find in us? Do they find friendly people who make them feel at home and invite them to join in all their activities? Or do they find Jesus and learn to follow Him with all their hearts? Do they find the presence of God noticeably in our midst? Do they find brokenness of heart that leads to repentance and new birth? Are new Christians being taught to be real disciples of Jesus, following His example and teachings, or are we teaching them “church doctrine” like the scribes and Pharisees in Jesus day? We have begun to think of coming to Jesus as adding a wonderful new concept to our lives. But coming to Jesus means He becomes Lord over every part of our lives - our decisions, our finances, our time, our relationships, our careers, our actions, our thoughts, our possessions, our hearts, our souls and our minds. Isn’t that what Jesus said? He cannot be our Savior if He is not our Lord and Master.

Mark 8:34-35 says, “And when He [Jesus] had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.”

Jesus did not die and rise from the dead so we could have a casual relationship with Him, but so we can be formed into His image. He died and rose again to change our hearts to be able to follow Him now in the kingdom of God. When we are born again, we become a whole new creation on the inside. Can people see the difference?

            When God shows us our sins, He is merciful to also tell us how to reverse our condition, just as He did in His letter to Sardis. Let’s look at the guide He gives us to get back on track.

            Be Watchful. There are many warnings in the Scripture for us to be watchful. It simply means to be vigilant, always awake and alert. Matthew 24:42-44 says “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” We need to be consistent in our walk with Jesus, always watchful not to turn aside in any way. We are not to act like the world part of the time and act spiritual at other times. We are to be who Jesus has called us to be. If we are born-again, committed to Christ believers, then that is how we will act.

            Strengthen What Remains. The Amplified Bible says, “strengthen and reaffirm what remains [of your faithful commitment to Me] which is about to die”. When we are newly born again, we feel like the vibrant new creation that we are. We are released from sin and have the Holy Spirit’s power to keep us growing more and more like Jesus Christ. But sometimes that fervor cools. We stop growing and start assimilating back into the world a little at a time. We stop sharing the gospel with others and spend less time in the Word of God and prayer. The things of this world claim our attention and we turn away from God without even noticing it. Maybe it’s time to strengthen what remains of our relationship with Jesus. Maybe it’s time to turn away from the world and put our focus back on Him, His Word, and His Spirit. What remains of your commitment to Christ? Church attendance? daily devotions? Is there anything that remains? If so, strengthen it and watch the pull of the world weaken.

            Remember How You Have Received and Heard. “So remember and take to heart the lessons you have received and heard. Keep and obey them”. Looking back to what we once knew and practiced can sometimes help us renew our covenant with God. Paul tells Timothy how to recall the Truth and stick with it. He says, “O Timothy, guard and keep safe the deposit [of godly truth] entrusted to you, turn away from worldly and godless chatter [with its profane, empty words], and the contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge’… If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine and teaching which is in agreement with godliness (personal integrity, upright behavior), he is conceited and woefully ignorant [understanding nothing]…But as for you, O man of God, flee from these things; aim at and pursue righteousness [true goodness, moral conformity to the character of God], godliness [the fear of God], faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith [in the conflict with evil]; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and [for which] you made the good confession [of faith] in the presence of many witnesses.” (1 Timothy 6:-11-12, 20 Amplified Bible) Maybe it’s time to go back and re-embrace the teachings of Jesus that we used to follow. Remembering what we have been taught will help us understand how to strengthen what remains of our faith.

            Hold Fast. That means to be firmly fixed in place or to stay securely attached. Jesus said in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon [money, possessions, fame, status, or whatever is valued more than the Lord].” When we are reaching for these things, we have to release our hold on the things of God to gain them. So hold fast to Jesus Christ. We cannot vacillate between this world and the kingdom of God.

            Repent. “[Change your sinful way of thinking, and demonstrate your repentance with new behavior that proves a conscious decision to turn away from sin].” When a person repents, it brings about a profound transformation of the whole person – body, soul and spirit. They have made the decision to turn away from this world to embrace Jesus Christ and Him alone. Are we still embracing Jesus or trying to embrace Him and this world? We cannot do both. Maybe it is time to turn back to fully commit everything to Jesus. When God’s people have turned away from Him and His Word, He will only accept true repentance. He wants us to repent from our casual service to Him. He wants us to give up our rights to do as Jesus did when He walked on this earth in human flesh. Without God’s manifest presence in and among us, we can accomplish nothing.

When our Bible study group started to study the teachings of Jesus, I warned them that we better get ready for a real culture shock. What Jesus taught and what we believe and do are often very different. But truth remains when all the beliefs of man fall away. It stands through eternity supreme, and it is the only thing that will truly make us free. When we are faced with truth, we have a choice to make - follow it or turn away to destruction. What about you? What about me? How far are we willing to go to follow Jesus’ teachings and other Bible passages that call us to go beyond what we can comprehend? Will we adjust our lives to be Jesus’ disciples? Or will we attempt to adjust His words to suit us? Don’t let your commitment to Jesus die.

 

“He who has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”