The Church: An Organism

Entertainment is an important part of life.

Whether we’re reading a good novel, a short story, or poetry, we can gain pleasure from our reading.

If we have favorite television programs, we might look forward to seeing them and being entertained.

From the rom-com to the action thriller, movies capture our imagination and keep us engaged. Whether it’s a classic like “Casablanca” or a modern sci-fi, we are entertained by our favorite films.

Music does indeed speak to our soul. If can be the lonesome sound of a bluegrass ballad, a smooth love song from the charts, a country line dance tune, some smooth jazz or rhythm and blues, a moving classical piece, or that good old rock n roll, but whatever genre, it’ someone’s favorite that stirs the soul.

There’s something special about the theater where one can see a “live” production with actors and sets and, perhaps, an orchestra that captures our attention, and keeps us enthralled throughout the entire production.

What’s your favorite type of entertainment? What music to do you prefer? What novels do you prefer? Do you have a favorite poet? Do you have a favorite type of music?

Entertainment is a multi-billion-dollar business. This past summer, the singer Taylor Swift attracted over 70,000 fans in one night to her concert in Pittsburgh. That’s one entertainer, in one night, in one working class city in America.

We do love our entertainment.

It’s exciting, stirring, thrilling, heart-stopping, soul-moving, tear-jerking, and so much more.

Entertainment feels so alive.

So, it’s no wonder that we are enamored with mega-churches that feel so alive. There are lights and music, power-points, and every service is a production, with the speaker having a dynamic message. The theater seats are filled. There’s applause and laughter and tears.

At the church down the road they’re struggling to keep the lights on while trying to do ministry in the community. The old piano is a bit out of tune, and the few that sing in the choir aren’t always on key. Some Sundays the preacher struggles to deliver his message in such a way as to keep the attention of people who have been entertained all week.

There’s the church that declares they, and only they, have the right theology.

There’s the church that hastily judges sin and knows who to declare a sinner.

There’s the church that preaches as much politics as they do the gospel.

There’s the church that is satisfied with sending money, but don’t want to be involved.

There’s the church that refuses to welcome those who are in any way different.

There’s the church that focuses as much on the demonic as they do on the gospel.

There’s the church that spends its time putting down others.

There’s the church that allows cliques to thrive, and others are left out.

There’s the church that, in the name of God, ruins people's lives.

And there was the church at Sardis. (See Revelation 3:1-6) It was one of the seven churches to whom John was to send the Revelation that he was told to write down.

“I know your works…” Let’s stop and let that sink in for a moment. When all the arguing and debating is done, and when all the dust settles over our pews or theater seats, and when quiet comes to the sanctuary, the risen Christ knows our works.

“I know your works; you have a name of being alive…” It’s a great church with wonderful music and a dynamic preacher.

“I know your works; you have a name of being alive, but you are dead.”

The church at Sardis, like so many churches, was/is an organization, but not a living organism. (Sometimes churches are guilty of organizing themselves to death. In some churches it takes so long to make a decision that by the time the decision is made people have forgotten why they made it.)

May I remind us all again, “Indeed, the word of God is living and active…” (Hebrews 4:12) The living and active word is relevant for all times and all places. As sure as the word of God is living and active, the church of God is also a living organism, not an irrelevant organization.

Churches die because they choose not to live. They choose to become an organization that espouses theology, politics, philosophy, entertainment, and/or judgments, or their focus becomes accumulating wealth instead of doing the great work of the kingdom of God.

Once a church focuses on keeping the lights on and the doors open, it is a dead church. It’s only a matter of time. We are not a church to keep a building; we are a church to do the work of the kingdom—to proclaim the gospel in word AND deed.

The word of God is a living word for a living church.

The risen Christ has advice for the “dead” church at Sardis, the church that had a name for being alive: “Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is on the point of death, for I have not found your works perfect in the sight of my God.”

“Wake Up!”

“Remember then what was received and heard; obey it, and repent.”

What if we look alive with our lights and music and power points and so much more, but are actually dying because we are not doing the work of the kingdom of God?

What if we debate and argue the theology to get it right, but in the process lose those trying to find their way to salvation?

What if we declare our judgments and condemnation on people, but in the process fail to show them the way to salvation. (See John 3:17.)

What if we persuade people how to vote, and for whom to vote, in our democracy, but, in doing so, cause them to lose their own soul?

Today, we give the risen Christ of the Revelation the final word:

“If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.”

“Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”