Stay Focused On The Lord

In our modern “Christian” society, people look up to various megachurches and their pastors as the examples Christians should be following.  Churches and pastors who do not follow those examples are viewed as not being really sincere about serving God or building the church.  As Solomon tells us, there is nothing new under the sun.  The church at Sardis was much like those mega churches to day.  Notis what the Lord told them in Revelation 3:1-5.  “And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.  Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.  Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.  Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.  He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” 

The church at Sardis was growing in numbers, and active in many areas, so that other people were impressed and trying to follow their example, the Lord said that in reality, they were dead.  The things they were doing were not what God wanted.  If they were going to please God, they needed to go back to the beliefs and practices that the church had started with.  Failure to go back and focus on those old principles and beliefs would result in God’s judgment.  Fortunately, there were still a few in the church who were following the Lord, and those who listened to them could receive the same blessings. 

The problem is that we begin to compare our accomplishment to those of other people.  In II Corinthians 10:12, Paul wrote, “For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.”  As he explains in I Corinthians 4:3-4, it is not wise to use each other as a standard because we don’t really understand what God wants and thus cannot even judge our own effort properly.    “But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.   For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.”   II Corinthians 10:18 warns, “For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.” 

Out of the seven churches listed in Revelation, only two were really pleasing to God.  The church at Philadelphia was growing a little despite opposition from false teachers.  The church at Smyrna wasn’t even growing, but was just holding on to what they knew to be true.  All of the others had serious problems that God was prepared to judge if they did not correct them, even though they appeared to be doing more than either Smyrna or Philadelphia.  Our ideas of what matters are not the same as God’s.  It is with this in mind that Romans 14:4 asks, “Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.”

Instead of judging how others are serving God, we need to make sure we are not doing anything to interfere with their service, according to Romans 14:10-13.  “But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.  For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.  So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.  Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.” 

Instead of telling others how they ought to copy us or some well-known church or pastor, we need to make sure we are not encouraging them to do things that contradict scripture or place the emphasis on human effort and techniques rather than God’s power.  As Jesus told peter, when he asked what John would do, in John 21:22, “… If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.”  It doesn’t matter what others are doing, our job is to follow Christ.