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Daily Devotional by Tommy Tenney, based on his book Finding Favor with the King

Which Are You?

God has this incredible idea that church is about Him.
Finding Favor with the King, p. 94

Scripture Reading
Revelation 3:1-6 and 2:8-11, the Lord chastens the church in Sardis for claiming to be alive when they were actually dead. He also commends the church in Smyrna for being rich even though it's poor.

If God decided not to show up at your church next Sunday, would anyone notice?

Would He be missed? Would the congregation immediately enter a time of corporate soul-searching and prayer to find out what was wrong? Or would you be able to go merrily on your way as if nothing had happened?

Many churches continue their routine business week after week completely unaware that the Master of the house is not even there. It is like attending a party and having a great time but never even seeing or speaking to the host.

This was the problem of the church in Sardis . Christ, the Master of the house, had no words of commendation for Sardis because He found nothing commendable there. He told them, "I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead." No doubt the church in Sardis was very busy. They probably had a full range of ministries and services to their community. Undoubtedly their worship was proper and correct and perhaps even lively and entertaining. They had a good reputation and may even have had money and prestige in the city.

The church in Sardis had the form of godliness; the appearance of life. They thought they were alive and well - the rest of the city thought they were alive and well. Their only problem was that the Holy Spirit had departed and they never saw Him go. They were dead and didn't even know it!

Contrast this with the church in Smyrna , which received no condemnation from the Lord; only commendation. Of this congregation Jesus said simply, "I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich)..." Whatever the Smyrnan Christians lacked in material wealth they made up for in spiritual riches. They may have been poor in the things that the world values but they were rich where it counted—they had the King!

Where does your church fit? Sardis ? Smyrna ? Or somewhere in between? Even more important, where do you fit? God has this incredible idea that church is about Him. Yet so often we try to make it about us . We try to turn church into our own private "bless–me" club. Our entire focus centers on how many chills, thrills and goose bumps we get and on how well we are entertained. Rarely do we even think to ask what our King wants.

It doesn't matter how big your church is or how rich. It doesn't matter how many programs and ministries you have. It doesn't matter how exciting your worship is or how eloquent your pastor. Without the King you have nothing!

Don't settle for artificial worship and dead formalism either for yourself or for your church. You have a choice: Sardis or Smyrna . Which are you? Which do you want to be?

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Prayer  Lord, forgive me for my artificiality and pretense. Forgive me for those times when I forget that church is about You and not me. Renew my spirit with your ever-flowing life. Renew my church. May we both reflect the spirit of Smyrna.

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Jane, this makes me want to cry.  I know it hurts our King's heart to see that church can be run without Him.  But then again.......it isn't really "church" is it?
I mean when it's like that.

Thanks for posting this.   You already know how I feel about the gift in Tommy Tenney.   Nita