Apr. 24, 2022

The Church in the City -- BTS 24 Apr 22 – Pastor John Custer

Introduction - This lesson concerns the working of God in a large settlement of people we commonly call a city.  Our understanding of church needs to grow to understand the scale of God’s working in the earth.  We are gaining an understanding of church in the home, and our “church” which is a collection of small churches in the home, but we have a limited understanding of the church in the city, or region.  To be successful in pleasing God, we need an understanding of these larger works of God so we can cooperate with them.  

Revelation 2;1-7. Write this letter to the angel of the church in Ephesus. This is the message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lampstands: 2 “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. 3 You have patiently suffered for me without quitting. 4 “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! 5 Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches. 6 But this is in your favor: You hate the evil deeds of the Nicolaitans, just as I do. 7 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give fruit from the tree of life in the paradise of God.

It is evident in Revelation 2 and 3 that God deals with whole cities, actually the church in an entire city, seeing it as a unified body.  There had to be many Christians in towns like Ephesus, Smyrna, Philadelphia, Laodicea, Pergamos, Thyatira,and Sardis.  Notice how God speaks singly to the church in each place.  We are to pay attention to this and profit from it.  

Our present consciousness of ministry is almost entirely contained within “our church.”  We really know almost nothing of the churches around us, and certainly less of the churches in the entire city.  We are very divided up by denomination, by belief, by church size, by color of skin, etc.  It is like some churches are franchise chains marketing a particular brand of religious experience.  In most of these local congregations, we are most conscious of our congregation’s own needs, and we prioritize personal needs at the top of everything.  God’s interest’s (not ours) were things like: resisting evil, adhering to truth, ferreting out false apostles, and, most important of all, staying with or returning to, our first love.  

We must ask ourselves what is highest priority of our one congregation?  What do we devote most of our time, energy and money to? If it is our own needs, how do you think God looks at that?  

Conclusion - it is evident that our first priority as the church in an entire city is to love Jesus!  He must become our best friend, the Person with whom we communicate constantly, the one we seek to please, the One we give our lives up for.  No doubt we have a great task ahead to unify the city.  We must begin praying for the apostles and prophets who will lead us into it.