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How can we be a lampstand?

In the book of Revelation, John had a vision of Jesus walking in the middle of seven lampstands. Jesus said that the lampstands were the local churches.

A lampstand enabled the light of an oil lamp to shine brightly in a particular place. God’s plan is for us to enable His light to be seen in our community.

Jesus spoke to the church at Ephesus and threatened to remove their lampstand. What was Jesus’ expectation for a church? What did He require so they could have the privilege of shining His light in their city? There are four things listed in Revelation 2:2-5:

“I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. You have patiently suffered for me without quitting. But I have this complaint against you. You have left your first love! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.”

To be a “lampstand” church, we are:

  1. Doers. We live out our Christianity and minister to the people around us. We don’t follow Jesus in “stealth mode”. As one preacher said, “Our faith wears overalls”.

 

  1. Not quitters. We don’t pull back when the going gets tough. We have “bulldog faith”! When we encounter resistance, we double-down on our determination to shine the light of Jesus in the darkest places.

 

  1. Committed to Truth. We are determined to bring the truth to our city. We will not compromise our message or create a “more palatable” version of Jesus. The light we shine in the city will be bright and clear.

 

  1. Devoted to First Love. We will guard our hearts and ensure we never leave our first love relationship with Jesus. All our actions are an overflow of our vibrant union with God.

 

As we walk in our “lampstand” calling, let's be active in our faith, resilient in adversity, unwavering in truth, and deeply rooted in our love for Jesus. Shine His light brightly in 2024 and beyond!