A Church of Pure Gold

God's Blueprint For The Local Church

In my last post, we found out that the churches are represented in Revelation chapter one as seven golden lampstands. These are not representing the global church, but the local churches. We know this for a couple of reasons:

One - Jesus used the term "churches" - a plural term that ONLY applies to local congregations in the New Testament. When the Bible is talking about the worldwide church, it never uses the plural term. There's an obvious reason for this: There is only one church. If the Bible mentions "churches", it's always referring to local congregations that are a part of the church of God. 

Two - The specific local congregations named by Jesus all existed together. They were not seven "church ages", as is sometimes claimed. Each of these churches operated side-by-side as the Book of Revelation was being written. These weren't seven future periods of time...they were seven local assemblies of believers. 

It is important to know this: every local church is represented by the symbol of the Golden Lampstand. This is the same Golden Lampstand that we read about in Exodus 25:31-39. In this passage, God gave Moses instructions that we can now consider God's blueprint for the local church.

"You shall also make a lampstand out of pure gold; the lampstand shall be of hammered work. Its shaft, its branches, its bowls, its ornamental knobs, and flowers shall be of one piece. And six branches shall come out of its sides: three branches of the lampstand out of one side, and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side. Three bowls shall be made like almond blossoms on one branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower, and three bowls make like almond blossoms on the other branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower - and so for the six branches that come out of the lampstand.

"On the lampstand itself four bowls shall be made like almond blossoms, each with its ornamental knob and flower. And there shall be a knob under the first two branches of the same, a knob under the second two branches of the same, and a knob under the third two branches of the same, according to the six branches that extend from the lampstand. Their knobs and their branches shall be of one piece; all of it shall be one hammered piece of pure gold.

"You shall make seven lamps for it, and they shall arrange its lamps so that they give light in front of it. And its wick trimmers and their trays shall be of pure gold. It shall be made of a talent of pure gold, with all these utensils."

Each of these physical details in the lampstand are also symbolic features of a true local church. Knowing this, we should pay careful attention to what's being said here!

See To It!

Jesus said in Matthew 16:18, "I will build My church." Around the world, He is doing just that. Jesus is building a global ekklisia, a community of "called out ones". To build this church locally, He is using His ministry gifts - that is, the leadership in the local church.

Paul explained this to the church of Corinth in 1 Corinthians 3:9-10 - "For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it."

In context, Paul was speaking of himself and other ministry gifts that arose in Corinth after he left. As a ministry gift that was given by Jesus Himself (according to Ephesians 4), Paul began the work of building the Corinthian church. After he laid the foundation, other ministry gifts were given to continue the work - building on the foundation that Paul laid.

This is how it still works in local churches today. In order to build His global church, Jesus sends ministry gifts to establish and build local churches. Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastor-Teachers - these are all sent to build the churches. And every ministry gift needs to pay careful attention to that last sentence in verse 10 - "But let each one take heed how he builds on it." 

Both pastors and congregations need to be clear on this: These are not your churches to build your own way. These are His churches, and must be built the way He designed them. And He doesn't leave us in the dark about His plan for the local church. As we read the instructions for the Lampstand, God shows us His blueprint for every church. And when we read Exodus 25:40, we see the same divine warning repeated - "And see to it that you make them according to the pattern..."

Unmixed and Uncontaminated

I believe this is why Moses was instructed to make the lampstand out of "pure gold". It had to be uncontaminated by lesser materials. In the craftsmanship of the lampstand, "pure" had two meanings:
1 - The gold couldn't be corrupted by impurities.
2 - The gold couldn't be alloyed with other metals.

What does this mean for your church?

First, the local church cannot allow the impurities of the world around it to infiltrate. The local church should have absolutely no compromise with the behaviors, customs, and values of this godless age. There should be a clear difference between the unbelieving culture outside the church, and the atmosphere of purity inside it. In a world full of filth, our churches should be pure. 

Second, there should be no man-made "church growth" strategies substituted for God's plan. Listen, I don't have a problem with having a coffee shop in church. I don't see any problem with programs and events that are targeted at the community to draw them in. Schools, food pantries, community outreaches, modern music, contemporary dress...none of these things are wrong by themselves. They become a problem, though, when they are substituted for prayer, for the ministry of the Word, and for the power of the Holy Spirit. When we try to mix our own schemes with God's plans - then our churches are no longer pure. 

My friends, this is always the first step of building a local church: "What does God want us to do? And how can we accomplish His plan for this region?" If the church's driving goal is to give God glory, then the rest of the blueprint becomes easier to follow. But if there are contaminations and mixtures in the material, then you'll find that the church will drift further and further from the pattern as it continues on.

Both Pastors and Congregations alike need to recognize this:
True churches will keep themselves uncontaminated from the world around them. True churches will not let man-made strategies become substitutions for God's Word or for the Holy Spirit. True churches are pure gold.