Is Your Church Open?

Read Isaiah 21, 23, 35, 2 Chronicles 28
 
2 Chronicles 28:24-25 King Ahaz took the various articles from the Temple of God and broke them into pieces. He shut the doors of the Lord’s Temple so that no one could worship there, and he set up altars to pagan gods in every corner of Jerusalem. 25 He made pagan shrines in all the towns of Judah for offering sacrifices to other gods. In this way, he aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of his ancestors.
 
AHAZ was a very evil king of Judah. He spiritually and literally sold himself, Judah and even the LORD’s Temple furnishings to Damascus. He feared Assyria’s power, so he tried to bribe his way to safety. Ahaz had forgotten that God had repeatedly saved Judah from invasion. Perhaps he broke the Temple articles into small pieces because his faith in God was broken and useless. Instead, Ahaz obeyed a foreign government. He worshiped its idols and succumbed to their tyranny. Did Ahaz think if he agreed with his enemies he would be safe with them?    
   Maybe these two verses would be good memory verses for the church as a whole. Through this past year, many Christians and their churches quickly closed their doors. We were afraid death threatened us with every breath we took. Churches bowed down to governments that had no business directing its affairs. Too many of us quietly broke our faith into small pieces to protect us from the powerful “enemy” around us. We didn’t want people to think we were trusting God more than the “experts”, did we? No worries – we weren’t. After all, we must agree with our enemies to be safe with them, right?
   But wait. When did being practical, focusing on fear and obeying enemies ever advance the Kingdom of God? Everything about the Christian faith, beginning with Abraham, is a step forward in faith toward God’s kingdom promises. But too often the oppression is most dominant in our minds. We think of all the reasons we dare not do what God has instructed. We want to appease the enemy, so we stay where we are.
   Yes, the fearful mindset can seem to be very practical: “In the interest of public safety, you can’t meet this week.” Or “It’s okay to stay home and do church by yourself. You don’t need fellowship.” Or “We’ll just wait until we feel comfortable.” In many cultures, the enemy is more direct and terrifying. Believers face separation from family, prison for leaders and suffering for many. Thank God these persecuted don’t wait to feel comfortable before they advance the gospel.
   It’s true. The threats in our world are many. Our only response is to turn our minds to Christ and step into his purpose. The King of heaven is greater than any enemy. He has triumphed over all enemies, even death: 1 Peter 2:24 He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.
   God has called his church to faithful to his message. Remember, Jesus prayed for you to keep his church wide open. John 17:14 I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 15 I'm not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one.