In Psalm 2 we are famously told how God has set his king upon his holy hill of Zion to be the supreme ruler of the kings of the earth. In verse 9 we are told that this reign will be forceful, to say the least. "Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel."
Note that this throne is set upon God's holy hill of Zion, which represents the church. We then note Revelation Chapter 2, in the message to the church in Thyatira: "And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father."
This suggests that the church has a share in Christ's rule over the nations. No doubt the complete fulfillment of this promise is for the culmination of all things, but does it have significance for the here and now as well? In the great commission Christ tells us that all power has been given unto him, and that we are to go therefore making disciples of all nations etc., right now, not someday in the future.
Just how is the church supposed to participate with Christ in the rule over the nations in the here and now? When Herod imprisoned Peter, the church made unceasing prayer, resulting in his miraculous release and apparently in Herod's subsequent death. In Revelation Chapter 8 we are given a picture of the prayers of the saints going up to heaven as incense and thunder and lightning coming down to earth as a result.
The picture I see here is that of a church in prayer and worship, coming into the counsels of God, perceiving his will involving current events, praying earnestly in accordance with that will, saying like Jesus "Thy will be done on earth," and seeing God move in current events as a result.
I don't see us acting this way very much today. We go to church to escape current events, not to intercede before God to change current events and thus shape history. What if we are missing a major part of our designated role on earth today? What if our failure to conduct this kind of "worship warfare" is the reason we do not see God moving in our affairs the way we should? What if the reason America is going to the dogs is not because of the Russians or the ACLU but because of the failure of the church to fulfill her part in the government of the earth today? What if the reason we have abortion, same sex marriage and school shootings is the failure of the church to rule in the here and now by our collective focused prayer, worship and intercession?
It seems to me that we need to rethink church.
Note that this throne is set upon God's holy hill of Zion, which represents the church. We then note Revelation Chapter 2, in the message to the church in Thyatira: "And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father."
This suggests that the church has a share in Christ's rule over the nations. No doubt the complete fulfillment of this promise is for the culmination of all things, but does it have significance for the here and now as well? In the great commission Christ tells us that all power has been given unto him, and that we are to go therefore making disciples of all nations etc., right now, not someday in the future.
Just how is the church supposed to participate with Christ in the rule over the nations in the here and now? When Herod imprisoned Peter, the church made unceasing prayer, resulting in his miraculous release and apparently in Herod's subsequent death. In Revelation Chapter 8 we are given a picture of the prayers of the saints going up to heaven as incense and thunder and lightning coming down to earth as a result.
The picture I see here is that of a church in prayer and worship, coming into the counsels of God, perceiving his will involving current events, praying earnestly in accordance with that will, saying like Jesus "Thy will be done on earth," and seeing God move in current events as a result.
I don't see us acting this way very much today. We go to church to escape current events, not to intercede before God to change current events and thus shape history. What if we are missing a major part of our designated role on earth today? What if our failure to conduct this kind of "worship warfare" is the reason we do not see God moving in our affairs the way we should? What if the reason America is going to the dogs is not because of the Russians or the ACLU but because of the failure of the church to fulfill her part in the government of the earth today? What if the reason we have abortion, same sex marriage and school shootings is the failure of the church to rule in the here and now by our collective focused prayer, worship and intercession?
It seems to me that we need to rethink church.
