Fallen Church

Which of These Churches Have Fallen Away From God’s Purpose?

Church “A”

·         Has many programs that meet social needs as well as counseling and self-help groups to meet spiritual needs

·         Is unflagging in its efforts to accomplish its goals

·         Deals lovingly but firmly with troublemakers and people who insist on living a carnal life, even removing them from the fellowship when necessary until evidence of repentance is produced

·         Has a firm grip on correct doctrine and skillfully exposes frauds and deceptions

·         Bears up under insults and misunderstandings from a hostile world culture, clinging to Scripture’s ancient values

·         Is not ashamed to publicly honor the name of Jesus

Church “B”

·         Invites all manner of worldly groups to use its facilities, as well as tries new philosophies to help its people gain a broader understanding of the spiritual realm

·         Is inexhaustible in its search for new ideas and methods to fulfill its concept of the Great Commission

·         Allows freedom to practice “alternative” lifestyles, even if such lifestyles conflict with Scripture; shuns church discipline

·         Is open to the concept that all faiths lead to the same God; all religions have the same goal—a better humanity

·         Is intolerant of “narrow minded bigots” who believe only their interpretation of Scripture is the right one

·         Has removed offensive terminology from their creeds so as to be politically correct and not make any person or group feel uncomfortable

·         Seldom, if ever, honors the name of “Jesus” in services or prayers, and never publicly

            Church “B” is probably what most of you selected as the apostate church, and you likely only showed up here because I said the answer WILL surprise you; wondering if I had finally gone off the deep end. And you are right—about “Church B” being fallen (not my going off the deep end). However, would it surprise you to know that “Church A” is also fallen away from God’s purpose?

            Yes, both churches are in a fallen state! Fallen from God’s purposes? How can that be? Perhaps many of you saw your own church in the description of “Church A” and patted yourself on the back for finding a good church that revered the Word of God, honored Jesus, helped people spiritually and physically and was striving to impact the world with the Gospel. These are the very things that Christ taught in the Sermon on the Mount; how could being faithful to these premises be considered as “fallen?”

            By now you’re sure I’ve gone off the deep end and are only reading further to see how bad my condition is. But I’m not the one who said a church like “Church A” is fallen; Jesus is. Consider what the Lord said to the leader of the Church at Ephesus:

Revelation 2:1-5 (NASB)
¹ "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this:
² 'I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false;
³ and you have perseverance and have endured for My name's sake, and have not grown weary.

            Ephesus was a church with learned and mature leadership; it tenaciously clung to the Lord’s name even under persecution; it challenged “new interpretations” of the gospel and the false apostles teaching them, exposing their errors; it dealt with sin and sinners gently but firmly, not allowing them into the fellowship unless and until they repented. In short, Ephesus represented many evangelical and fundamentalist churches of today that are trying to maintain their stand against the encroaching immorality of the world and its false religions and philosophies as they try to evangelize and disciple converts.

            I can imagine the Ephesian Church gathered around the feet of their pastor as he began reading John’s letter to them. It sounded as if the Lord was telling them how pleased He was with them; they perhaps felt a little self-congratulatory as their characteristics were mentioned… until:

⁴ ~'But I have this against you,

            “Against?” The Lord has aught “against” us? I see their faces turning pale, lips trembling, people looking at each other, wondering who among them had displeased the Lord and was guilty of bringing His wrath down on them. No doubt the pastor himself, who bore responsibility for the spiritual condition of his flock, gulped and felt an upset stomach coming on.

            What had they done that undid all their positive activities?

that you have left your first love. ⁵ 'Therefore remember from where you have fallen,

            Yes, fallen! All the aforementioned “good” activities done by churches down through the ages, rather than counting toward eternal rewards might merely be the functions of a fallen church. Jesus told the Ephesians they were in a fallen condition even though they had done all those potentially wonderful things. Jesus told them the reason they were in a fallen state: they had abandoned their first and foremost love!

            But… weren’t they doing all those things for Jesus? Isn’t Jesus their first love? Wasn’t it because they loved Him that they did those things? They suffered persecution from idolaters and the Roman Government, they went against their own feelings when they dealt with sin in the congregation, they risked their reputations when confronting false apostles…

 and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent.

If all the above activities weren’t indications of their first love, what was? The Lord supplies a clue to what that first love is: it had something to do with the very beginning of the Church, back in Jerusalem, back to the Day of Pentecost. They were to repent—not of all the aforementioned good things they were involved in, but rather because they had moved on beyond what they considered to be the primitive (first order) state of the Church. “Do the deeds you did at first.”

The word used here for “first” is “protos” (protos) as in prototype, meaning of “foremost importance.”

The word used for “deeds” here is the Greek word “ergon” from which we get the word ergonomics, i.e. how a workplace and the equipment used there can best be designed for comfort, efficiency, safety, and productivity. In short, “ergon” in this sense means the power behind the mechanical tools that brings about results. In the case of Pentecost, the “equipment” used were the apostles, the power using the equipment to produce results was the Holy Spirit. This was the “deeds you did at the first”, availing themselves to be used by the Holy Spirit.

To really love God foremost is to let Him have full reign in us as individuals and corporately as the Church via His Holy Spirit. The Ephesians apparently had begun doing all those potentially good deeds in their own strength, assuming that once they learned the pattern of “how to have church” they could perform all the necessary duties without waiting on His empowerment, instruction and timing. In doing so, they fell from God’s high calling and purpose, even though externally it still looked like they were being the Church.

How often, dear Believer, have you left a church service less blessed than when you went in? Sometime during the meeting your joy drained away, as did your sense of God’s presence and your communion with other believers? No doubt you assumed it was you, that something in your walk before God wasn’t right. That may be the case, or it may be, if others have had the same experience week after week, you may be attending a “fallen church.” Perhaps you yourself are very busy performing various Christian duties in your own strength and not daily taking time to invite the Holy Spirit to fill and use you. We as individuals and as churches tend to get so busy in performing our duties that we rely on our natural abilities, talents and acquired skills because it seems to “waste” so much time “getting in the Spirit”, yet that is the only work the Lord will accept and reward, because then it is in His love actively done in us via the Holy Spirit, as it was at the first.

Peter hadn’t prepared a sermon when he preached on Pentecost, he was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God. The other apostles hadn’t studied foreign languages when they communicated the gospel to Jews from various nations on Pentecost, but spoke as the Spirit gave them utterance. The work of love done at the birth of the Church Age was by the fullness of the Holy Spirit using the yielded-ness of those who loved Jesus.

That is not to say that talents, natural abilities and acquired skills are not to be used, but the danger comes when we go off in our own abilities without seeking (drawing on) the Spirit’s empowerment in the utilization of them.

How is “Church A” to repent of her fallen status and not have her lampstand removed in this generation? We as individual believers and corporately as churches need to quit paying lip service to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to manifest His presence and Jesus’ glory in us. How do we do that? By seeking to be baptized (the word scripture uses despite its supposed negative usage) and then constantly be re-filled with His Spirit. We need to utilize the gifts of the Spirit to produce the spiritual effects needed to combat the forces of the demonic enemy overtaking the world. Then as we (individually and corporately) grow in usage of the Spirit’s indwelling power and presence, we will find the fruit of the Spirit becoming manifest in our lives and works.

⁷ ~'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.'

Presidential Dilemma

We are admonished in the Word of God to not even give anyone who brings a different gospel a "God Speed", i.e. wish them well on their journey (to either a place or achievement of a goal) II John vs. 10.

Now the problem before us is this: do we vote for a secret Muslim who seems intent on bringing America to its knees, or an overt Mormon who brings a false gospel to the fore? If Romney takes the White House, undoubtedly many will join Mormonism... and those who voted for him will be partaker of his "evil" deeds.

On the other hand to vote for Obama will be even more detrimental to America, and Christianity as well. Voting for the lessor of two evils is still voting for evil!

I, for one, Thanks to the GOP producing yet again another bland candidate, cannot vote in this year's presidential election.

I wish that the Santorum or Bachman campaigns had stayed alive long enough to at least get to the convention; who knows what might have happened?

I share this musing with you all, because upon realizing this spiritual principle, I am now responsible before God to share it. Your part is to examine and pray about your response.