Rise and Fall

An Individual Fall

I want you to imagine someone who was raised as a Christian. This person was in church every single Sunday, went to Sunday School, was confirmed, went to youth group, was a volunteer in different roles in the congregation, and even had the habit of inviting other people to worship and church events regularly. This person wasn’t perfect, but they tried to live as best they could according to God’s design. This person is a living, breathing testimony to the work of God.

But at some point, maybe it was in high school or in college or just as a young professional, this person starts to decide that they would have a lot more fun or be a lot more popular or have an easier time if they left the whole Christianity thing behind. They started to sleep in on Sunday, started to celebrate behavior they would have once called sinful, started to abuse alcohol and sleep around. If you asked this person how they felt about the shift, they would get a big smile and say it was great. They would go on about how much better their life had become now that they were calling the shots and had left the faith behind, even going so far as to call the Christian faith childish or archaic or hypocritical or bigoted or stupid. They rejoiced and celebrated because they viewed their old faith as a torment.

Maybe you know someone like that. Maybe that story hits a little too close to home because it sounds like you or like one of your kids or like one of your friends. Someone who lost their faith and now almost seems to be dancing on its grave.

The Decline Around Us

You can find a similar kind of arc with the ministry of some churches. Just picture so many of the churches in this country. Fifty, seventy five years ago there were churches all over the country. The laws to some degree reflected Christian ethics, stores had limited hours on Sunday, and most everyone (at least nominally) belonged to a church. And during that time, more and more people heard the Gospel. The Holy Spirit did incredible things working through churches and Christians. People came to faith that saves, people became more serious disciples, people grew in the faith and knowledge and practice.

But somewhere along the way, that started to change. Christians became less zealous for their faith. Church became optional and consumerist. People started to be more worried about what practical benefits they could get from church more than they worried about God’s design. Inconvenient or uncomfortable parts of the faith were dismissed or ignored. Christians stopped talking with their friends, families, and neighbors about the Gospel - following the insane rule that you shouldn’t talk about religion in polite company. And if you ask the world around us how they feel about that shift, many would celebrate it and say it was for the best. Songs have been written imagining there is no heaven and hell, excited about people just living for today. People see churches closing and the faith declining as a great direction for society, celebrating the loss of Christianity’s influence and the rise of all of those things that those hateful, boring Christians said we shouldn’t do. They rejoiced and celebrated because they viewed the Church and it’s testimony as a torment.

Maybe you see that. Maybe your heart is breaking for all of the incredible communities of faith that are shadows of their former selves, buildings that used to see hundreds or thousands in worship now being closed or sold off. Or maybe thinking about it makes your blood boil. Maybe you’re terrified about the direction we seem to be headed or maybe you’re mourning the loss and you’re sad for all the people who are now suffering and being led astray.

The Cosmic Arc

Both of these are places we see the truth of Revelation on display. When we hear the words in Revelation 11, the image is depicted of two olive trees and two lampstands. These symbolize the church, the collection of God’s saints on earth. These symbolize you and me, these symbolize the Christians that have gone before us and those who will follow. Brighton writes “what is symbolized by the two witnesses can also be applied to a particular church or congregation, or even to the life span of an individual Christian.” Revelation speaks to the incredible ministry that these witnesses will do, the testimony they will give, and the hard message they will share in an effort to bring people to Christ. But Revelation also speaks to their fall, it speaks to their death, to the disrespect the world around will show to their bodies, and to the celebration of that fall. And all of that can lead us to fear, to keep our faith to ourselves, and to be quiet with the truths we know.

But that death is not the end. In the beginning of this chapter, John is told to measure the temple of God. God is saying, “you can measure it now, because nothing is going to happen to it.” It’s an image used by prophets in the Old Testament to proclaim God’s divine protection. Even in the face of everything going on, God’s protection is on His people. And after some time, God breathes life back into His witnesses and they will go up into heaven where there is victory and celebration and praise. In your own life or in the lives of those close to you, even when faith seems to waiver or die, know that God can work in incredible ways. The Holy Spirit can use you as a witness to them, can use their friends or coworkers or siblings or parents to remind them of the truths of the faith and resurrect them from the death they face in their trespasses. In the life of the church, we don’t need to fear that it will die or disappear. The Holy Spirit will work and bring revival, God’s Word and truth will go out into the world, and God will raise up champions that will lead His Church to bear incredible testimony to His grace in Christ Jesus. For you and for me, death is but a passing thing that Christ has overcome. Whether it is metaphorical or literal, we know that Christ has overcome it on our behalf, there is nothing left to fear.

We are confident, we are bold, we are fearless in Christ Jesus. We are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that we may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. Amen.