| Nowadays, men have more of a say than they | | | | roof in youth-oriented ministry that blows right |
| used to in the design and layout of the houses or | | | | past 12 noon with no one even noticing. |
| apartments in which they live. When I grew up, | | | | The point is, unless a congregation has so blown it |
| "everybody" knew that the interior design of the | | | | (like Ephesus) that God's "removed its lampstand", |
| house tended to be the prerogative of the "little | | | | then every church in my community has a |
| woman". (Yes -- I'm that old!) In fact, one of my | | | | strategic opportunity given to it by God that is |
| friends, years ago, used to complain that two or | | | | different from every other congregation. It does |
| three times a year, he'd come home from work | | | | raise the question, though, about what might |
| only to find his wife in a frenzy, redoing the | | | | cause God to move the topos away from any |
| interior of the house. My friend griped that she | | | | given church. |
| not only had him moving the furniture but the | | | | In Revelation 2.4, the Ephesian congregation is |
| walls as well! | | | | warned that they have lost their first love. The |
| Well, all I can say is, that's nothing to what can | | | | word "first" in its original Greek, can mean either |
| happen when God starts to move the furniture. | | | | "first in time" or "first in position". Either way, it |
| Move furniture? You ask, "Does God move | | | | clearly refers to Jesus. At the beginning of our |
| furniture?" And the answer is, "Yes -- even | | | | spiritual lives, when we first encounter the |
| though He gets the angels to help." | | | | fantastic Love of Jesus, we also are |
| In Revelation 2.5, John the Revelator refers to | | | | overwhelmed by that Love. He Loves us and we |
| seven churches in Asia Minor as if they're golden | | | | are in Love with Him. |
| lampstands. The "lampstand" is one of the pieces | | | | Yet, as time passes, it's not unusual for the |
| of furniture in the Tabernacle and the Temple. | | | | "things of this earth" to begin to take precedence |
| And this passage talks about God "moving" the | | | | in our hearts over "the things of Heaven". |
| "lampstand" -- and you better watch out! | | | | [Colossians 3] We begin to "lose our first love". |
| Each of these seven churches in Asia which | | | | Have you ever seen a local congregation go way |
| received prophetic words here in this chapter, | | | | off track? I've seen congregations which are |
| were given encouragement or opportunities to | | | | organized around things that are not Jesus Christ. |
| repent from one or another sins. One church, the | | | | Maybe they center themselves on political or |
| one at Ephesus, is warned that if its people don't | | | | social concern. Maybe they center on running a |
| repent, Jesus is going to "remove its lampstand | | | | Christian school or on being the socially elite people |
| from its place". To me, since the lampstand in the | | | | in a community. I've even seen one church which |
| Temple signified the oil and fire of the Holy Spirit, | | | | primarily centered on a multi-level, sales |
| it's safe to infer that God's warning that He may | | | | organization. The entire congregation was the |
| remove His Spirit from that church. | | | | Pastor's "downline"! |
| But the word "place" is interesting. In Greek, it's | | | | But with these churches and others like them, it's |
| topos, and though it's commonly used for "any | | | | fair to ask if they've "lost their first love". And it's |
| space marked off from surrounding space", it also | | | | fair to ask if God's about to start moving their |
| refers to "a strategic location" or "a window of | | | | furniture. |
| opportunity". For example, this word topos is used | | | | But the other meaning of "first love" is "first in |
| by Paul, the apostle, when he says that Believers | | | | position". Do you see that the churches described |
| are to control their anger so as to "not give place | | | | above may have left their chronologically "first" |
| to the devil". [Ephesians 4.4.27] | | | | love, as well as their positionally "first" love? |
| Warning us to not "give place to the devil" | | | | This is the same warning that Jesus gave to His |
| essentially says that in unrighteous anger, we can | | | | disciples when He said that before anyone ever |
| give the devil a strategic position from which to | | | | thought of following Him, they had better "count |
| attack us. In other Greek writings, the word | | | | the cost". That's the infamous passage in which |
| topos is used of an army which tries to get into a | | | | He said that if a person didn't "hate his father and |
| strategically advantageous position before a | | | | his mother, his brother and his sister, and even his |
| coming battle -- such as gaining the "high ground" | | | | own life", that he could not be His disciple. Jesus' |
| if that is available. | | | | never intended for people to "hate" their family in |
| To say that the local congregation in Ephesus has | | | | order to follow Him -- but He was saying that to |
| a strategic position or a window of opportunity | | | | be His follower, people's love for Jesus has to be |
| stirred a marvelous idea in my mind: Does every | | | | greater than their love for anything (anything!) |
| local congregation have a topos -- a strategic | | | | that the world has to offer. |
| position or a window of opportunity -- in its | | | | And that whoever has allowed their love for |
| region? | | | | Jesus Christ to "slip" into a lower position than |
| If you look in any city or region at the variety of | | | | family, friends, material wealth, pleasure or |
| godly churches scattered about, it's not at all hard | | | | whatever this world offers -- that person can not |
| to appreciate the existence and ministry of | | | | be a follower of Jesus Christ. |
| every, Christian congregation. But only a few | | | | Now, if this happens to a group of people, an |
| churches believe that they and they alone are the | | | | entire congregation, it's fair to ask if God's about |
| only true church in an area. Most Christians can | | | | to start moving their furniture. |
| agree that in fact, every church or congregation | | | | Removing their topos. |
| in particular is good at some ministry to a | | | | But even more important is this -- what happens |
| community. One church might be very good at | | | | to a local congregation if God does not move its |
| ministering to the public welfare through | | | | "lampstand". What happens if He does not |
| benevolence. Surely this is a part of the Good | | | | remove its topos? |
| News of Jesus Christ (unless you think giving a | | | | If that's the case, then I suppose there's a good |
| cup of cold water is somehow NOT part of Jesus' | | | | chance that that church may yet shine in its |
| concern...re: Mt 25.35!) | | | | community, effectively fulfilling a divine |
| Another church might be very evangelistic, | | | | opportunity which no other church shares, to |
| winning the lost. Another might minister to those | | | | impact its region for God. |
| whose taste in worship is traditional (hymns, 20 | | | | © 2008 by Emil B. |
| minute sermons, etc.) and yet another raises the | | | | |