Revelation 2:14

[The risen Lord said:] “But I have a few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel.”

These letters to the churches in Revelation are wonderfully straightforward and personal. The risen Lord didn’t beat around the bush! He identified that the Christians in Pergamum had much to commend them. They had been loyal to the Lord in the face of great opposition, but they weren’t perfect. They were living in a society that was full of idolatrous practices and they weren’t standing up against them in the way that they should have been.

I wonder what the risen Lord makes of your church. What would he be commending, and what might his complaints be? Your church, good as it may well be, isn’t perfect. It has room for growth, and every church needs to be willing to hear the truth so that it can come up with a plan for its development. Over the years, I have been involved in a number of consultation processes to help churches to stand back from their life and hear how they could move forward. In my experience, this needs to be done with the help of people from outside the local church. Those who know a church really well can rarely make honest and objective observations. If a review is done in a loving and encouraging way, it can be rejuvenating for the life of a local church.

Many of us are inclined to get settled into a pattern of life and become very defensive when someone suggests we should change. I recall a church which met at a very unusual time – I think it was 10:15am. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I found it curious, so I asked why. It was related to the time that the train arrived at the nearby railway station. Good answer, apart from the fact that the train hadn’t come at that time for about 30 years!

We all need to listen to the truth, however sharp its edges. We need to be gracious enough to receive the words of encouragement but, at the same time, humble enough to hear how things need to be changed.

Question

What do you think the risen Lord would want to say to you today about your life and the life of your church?

Prayer

Loving God, thank you that you always speak to me with love and grace. Help me to be willing to listen to you and bring my life in line with your will. Amen