Diagnosing the Sick Church

It is very evident from the scriptures that the local churches, yes; those wonderful bodies of believers can sometimes become ill. Jesus Christ, the great physician walked between the golden candlesticks in Revelations 2 and 3 and there exposed the various maladies that had attacked the churches of Asia Minor. In Ephesus, this once red hot, on fire for God, church had lost its fervor. Because of the great persecutions, the Smyrnians had lost their self worth and were laden down with a martyr complex. Those in Pergamos had allowed divisiveness and false doctrine to be fed into the life stream of its people. The false doctrine that seeped into the blood streams of those in Pergamos had now become like a cancer. A false religious system, which lasts even to this very day, became entrenched in the church of Thyatira. Denial was the poison that was sapping the life out of the church in Sardis. Jesus said that imminent death was nigh if they did not seek out His medicinal potion. Lukewarmness, self-sufficiency and pride had literally locked the Lord of the church outside of His church in Laodicea. The last scene was the Lord standing on the outside, knocking on the door, and seeking to be admitted back inside! This church even made the Lord Himself sick!

It was not until Philadelphia that our Lord found a truly healthy local body. It was the church that Jesus said had an open door that no one could shut! This door of evangelism, power, miracles and favor are as rare today as back then. This means that less than 15%, one out of seven, really walked in blessings and favor. What does that say to us today? Could it mean that most of our churches are in poor spiritual health? That is not an accusation but rather an observation!

This scriptural approach is noteworthy today. "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" (II Cor. 13:5) The scriptures further tell us "if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged." (I Cor. 11:31) How does a church begin? Quite simple.

(1) Begin with prayer and fasting. If the church needs to rediscover anything today, it is the awesome power of prayer coupled with fasting. Nothing quite aligns the heavenlies like these two forces.

(2) Add the ingredient of repentance. Remember that Jehovah told His people not just to pray, but "turn from their wicked ways." (II Chron. 7:14) It was then and only then that Jehovah said he would "hear from Heaven."