THE CHURCH IN THESE LAST DAYS

The Church In These Last Days
John R. Petrilli


Are we in the last days? Some scholars say that we are in the sense that we’re living in closer proximity to the Lord’s return than ever before. Others believe the last days are a period that began at Pentecost and extend down through the centuries of church history, per Peter’s Pentecostal sermon reference to Joel’s prophecy in Acts 2:16-21. Still others truly believe we are actually in the last years leading up to the second coming of Christ, citing the concurrent world events and conditions outlined by Jesus Himself in his sermon on last things found in Matthew 24:1-34.

Whatever position one takes on the proximity of our times to the visible, personal return of the Lord Jesus, one thing is sure, He’s coming, and He’s coming soon (Rev. 22:12). With this background in mind, let’s take a fresh look at what the church will look like at the time f Jesus return.

Most major Bible expositors and interpreters are in agreement that the seven churches found in Revelation 2 and 3 were not only local churches of John’s day, but also serve to represent the overall condition of the church at large at various stages of church history. For instance, we see the Church at Ephesus as being all caught up in works to the exclusion of a dynamic vital relationship with her Lord. Church history attests to the fact that the body of Christ in the second century following its phenomenal growth went through a subsequent period of spiritual decline. Again, we know for a fact that the period from A.D. 150- 300 was a time of fierce official persecution at the hands of Roman Imperialism under the reign of multiple Caesar’s. These rulers possessed intense anti-Christian sentiment and practiced blatant wholesale, wide-scale harassment and decimation of the body of Christ, which matches up quite well with the early period church at Smyrna and Pergamum (2:7-18).

Next came a long period of multiplied decades of doctrinal and moral apostasy from A.D. 400- 1600. This agrees with the next period illustrated by the churches at Thyatira and Sardis, congregations where the teaching was erroneous and the lifestyles were decidedly immoral. Included in this era would be the infamous departure from purity on the part of one denomination’s clergy, along with the infamous selling of indulgences by John Tetzel. Also this time period saw the infiltration of numerous heresies that challenged the very Person and work of Jesus Christ. The dark ages were so named because the light of God’s truth had been so badly compromise and forsaken that the cultures of Europe and the rest of Christian civilization became seriously darkened due to the lack of Biblical teaching which lightens the mind, heart, and culture of a people. Finally we enter into the period of A.D. 1500-1800, a time of spiritual awakening and renewal when the doctrines of salvation by grace through faith plus nothing as well as the modern missionary movement swept the church transforming it into a living vital force that changed the world instead of allowing the world to change it.

But that stage of renewal and phenomenal growth and worldwide expansion is to be temporary, with the church of the final days seen as Christ-less, gutless, powerless, and self-deceived. That would parallel the church at Laodicea. It’s this church’s characteristics that provide us with insight into the makeup and needs of the church that will be on earth in the last days coming up to the Lord’s return.


THE CHURCH OF THE LAST DAYS WILL BE GENERALLY CHARACTERIZED BY SPIRITUAL COMPROMISE AND SMUG COMPLACENCY. (Rev. 3:14-16)

“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot … you are lukewarm!”

John’s vision of the Risen and Glorified Christ leaves him nothing short of face-down and overpowered by the blazing glory and unblemished purity of the Lord Jesus Christ. He now sees the Lord Jesus, the Chief Shepherd of the Church performing an on the spot inspection of each of seven local churches. Being a prophetic book, I believe it’s safe to say that these churches do, indeed, represent the state of the church at large over the centuries of church history. Following this paradigm, the last final stage of church history is represented by the Church at Laodicea.

We understand from archeology that Laodicea had a six-mile long aqueduct that passed through the city. The water passing through this aqueduct was known for its tepid condition. Because it was neither hot nor cold, its usefulness was non-existent, it was good for nothing, and possessing no practical usefulness whatsoever.

This analogy Christ uses informs us that the church there was steeped in a spirit of compromise. It didn’t take a tsand for righteousness, nor did it take a stand against sin. It was neutral, a position Jesus said was impossible to maintain for those who would follow Him (see Luke 11:23).


THE CHURCH OF THE LAST DAYS WILL BE CHARACTERIZED BY MISPLACED CONFIDENCE IN MATERIAL WEALTH. Rev. 3:17a

“You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ ”

There’s not much anyone can do for an individual who thinks they have everything they need and don’t want or need the help of others. Note that their self-assessment focuses on the external assets they had, rather than their internal spiritual health. They made the fatal mistake of evaluating themselves on the basis of the external condition alone. They were rich, oh so rich! God MUST have been pleased with them, otherwise why in the world would He be blessing them out of their socks at the material level? But such appraisals are usually errant. Man appraises his state of affairs based on the image he projects, the outward appearance of things. But God always sees past the external façade and peers deep into the inner life of an individual or a church (Hebrews 4:13).


THE CHURCH OF THE LAST DAYS WILL BE CHARACTERIZED BY TOTAL SPIRITUAL BANKRUPTCY. Rev. 3:17b

“You do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.”

There’s few things more embarrassing than going through the checkout counter only to discover that you’ve already maxed-out your debit card or credit card, and have no money to pay for the times you’ve placed in the shopping cart. Here we find the church in Laodicea in just such a frozen state. They weren’t moving forward or backward, but literally frozen in spiritual time. This church period will see a rise in churches that boast vast material resources, but woefully lack the vision, zeal and Great Commission aggression that makes losing churches into winning ones. They needed the revival fires that would bring them out of their spiritual doldrums and awakened to their spiritual senses.

God’s appraisal is that they are spiritually bankrupt, not rich in the things of the Spirit. They are “blind” unable to see life from a spiritual perspective. The Laodiceans are wretched, not finding true joy in spite of their material prosperity. Their “nakedness” is perhaps a reference to their having the righteousness of Christ in their spiritual wardrobe, yet never wearing it in public.


THE CHURCH OF THE LAST DAYS WILL BE IN NEED OF AN EXTREME MAKEOVER. Rev. 3:18

“I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so
you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.”

The program “Extreme Makeover” has a following that’s been sustained and growing with each new season. People love to see the old and decrepit revamped into a thing of beauty and usefulness. Here the church saw themselves as A-OK and just fine, but God says that they were in a state of spiritual oblivion and total denial as to their true spiritual condition. They desperately needed a total makeover to bring them back to a place where they could once again see themselves and the world around them in a clear light. As they followed Christ’s prescription for escaping their dangerously precarious position of spiritual blindness and self-deception.

One commentator observes that the city of Laodicea was known for its beautiful black cloth, thus God advises a wardrobe change, replacing their black cloth with the white robes of Christ’s righteousness. The city also produced and exported “Phrygian powder”, an eye medicine, as well as an ointment that healed various ear ailments. Jesus counsels them to trade these commodities in for His eyesalve that will restore their lost spiritual vision. What wonderful things could God do in the church of our generation if we listened to His Spirit’s evaluation of our condition, then acted on the remedial directives He would have for us? Imagine what the “new” church would look like after the Son of God performed a complete spiritual makeover on it?


THE CHURCH OF THE LAST DAYS WILL BE CALLED ON TO RENOUNCE HER ATTITUDE OF SELF-SUFFICIENCY AND RENEW HER FELLOWSHIP WITH HER LORD. Rev. 3:19

“Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.”

The Laodiceans thought they had it all together spiritually, but God laments their state of spiritual disconnection and spiritual non-productivity. They believed they had it all together, but God’s Son takes them to task for their horrible state of indifference and preoccupation with things material, at times to the exclusion of things spiritual. This is what was taking place at the Laodicean church, and I felt a burden to lift the curtain over this little church and see what God can do even in the midst of public failure and far-reaching loss of credibility.
They were on the verge of implosion and needed emergency surgery in the form of Spirit-born revival.

Many churches have virtually jettisoned the practice of church discipline for doctrinal and moral failure. But the Church’s Head, Jesus Christ, is still in the business of exercising loving and firm discipline. Christ tells this assembly (and all churches of every age) to repent of their sins, and return to Him with all their heart and soul. Such action would win them back to a place of full fellowship with Him as He renters the church He Himself founded. What would happen to our churches of our day if we had the same kind of spiritual revolution?


THE CHURCH OF THE LAST DAYS WILL TRAGICALLY LEAVE JESUS CHRIST OUT OF ITS LIFE. Rev. 3:20a

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.”

Out in the cold; that’s where most of us have found ourselves oat one time or another. Freezing on a doorstep is not a happy place to be at all. But worse yet is to be left outside of the heart and life of a family you are the head of. This is the moving image that the Risen Lord gives of the last days' church. With a focus on programs and carefully laid plans for expansion and growth, the leaders of this assembly completely lost touch with their Head. So much so that He’s no longer a part of their deliberations or celebrations. He’s, once again, left outside the camp of God’s people … what a tragic picture of a bridal church that’s forgotten who she is and she belongs to! Christ counsels this assembly to listen long enough to hear His knuckles pounding upon the door of their holy huddle. Imagine that! The Church so preoccupied with their well laud plans that they are oblivious to the very One Who bought them with is own pr3cious blood and wants so badly to fellowship with them… how amazingly pathetic! The honeymoon is long over, and this bride’s on her way down.


THE CHURCH OF THE LAST DAYS WILL BE UNIQUELY POSITIONED FOR HEAVEN-SENT REVIVAL. Rev. 3:20b

“If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he
with Me.”

In spite of the Church’s state of spiritual poverty and inertness, the living Lord still loves her and wants her back in His loving embrace. He counsels with her, strongly advising that she take immediate steps to repent, do a spiritual about face, and return to the One Who alone can make her into everything she was meant to be. His love drives Him to discipline Her in hopes that She will return to the Lord Who wants only to enjoy her fellowship and exclusive love. As they do so, they will experience the joy of renewed and intimate fellowship with Christ Who has responded to her humble invitation for Him to return home and enter back into their heart and life as a church … what a beautiful picture!



THE CHURCH OF THE LAST DAYS CAN BE RESTORED TO A PLACE OF VICTORY AND GREAT BLESSING. Rev. 3:21

“To him who overcomes I will give the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I overcame and sat down with My Father
on His throne.”

Jesus doesn’t seek out the church for His own benefit, but for her best good and richest blessing. Jesus is seen here pleading like an estranged husband who wants nothing more and nothing less than to be reunited to his beloved wife and children. He’s missed the company of His Bride, and is driven to do everything in is power to regain that relationship. If they take Him up on His gracious offer, they will experience newfound spiritual victories and a share in a future inheritance that He has reserved in Heaven for them. Following in His train of victory over the world, the flesh, and the devil, Christ now invites them to take a seat on His Throne. Best of all, obedience to His call to restoration will be equivalent to responding to the quiet yet unmistakable leading of the Spirit of God Himself.

So is it safe to say that we’re the Church of the last days? Perhaps yes, and perhaps no. Only time will tell. But in the meantime, regardless of our place on the divine clock, we are called to the role of simple, unassuming servanthood to a world captivated and enslaved by individual professional advancement and endless personal acquisition of material wealth. Compromise is an almost endemic problem in many churches and denominations, with frequent struggles over the fundamentals of the faith coming under attack and often being tossed aside.

Our generation of Christianity also presents evidence of that self-sufficient attitude, and that’s abundantly clear by the dismal turnouts at any services beyond the Sunday morning worship time. The wholesale departure from corporate prayer is crystal clear evidence of an attitude of self-sufficiency and smug complacency. Let us not mistake material prosperity for spiritual integrity and overall spiritual health. Some of the most vibrant and productive churches in history were poor in this world’s goods but rich in faith and serious about the Great Commission. The living church has Christ inside its walls, directing its leaders and membership in a relationship that is characterized by maximum intimacy and cooperative effort. Such a church will enjoy victorious service in time and rich rewards in eternity.