Monuments of Empty Churches
“Then the glory of the Lord departed from over the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim. While I watched, the cherubim spread their wings and rose from the ground, and as they went, the wheels went with them. They stopped at the entrance of the east gate of the Lord’s house, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.”
Today’s Text: Ezekiel 10:9-22 (Living Life Daily Devotional)
Ezekiel describes the mysterious and symbolic movement of the wheels and the cherubim (angelic beings) that accompany the presence of God’s glory. The wheels are radiant and full of eyes, representing God’s all-seeing nature and sovereign power. These wheels move in perfect coordination with the cherubim, who themselves only move as the Spirit of God directs them. As the vision unfolds, the glory of the LORD rises from the threshold of the temple and comes to rest above the cherubim. Then, the cherubim lift their wings and ascend from the temple, heading eastward. This movement is a powerful symbol of the Lord’s complete departure from Jerusalem, a judgment against the people's sin and idolatry.
Two years ago, I planned a short vacation to Tennessee and Georgia to visit a few friends. In that visit, I was able to stop by the then-headquarters of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee. It was great to meet with the leaders of our convention and to learn more about the history and structure of the SBC. On the way from Nashville down to Atlanta, I stopped by Chattanooga in Tennessee. The reason I stopped by was to check out the buildings of what used to be Tennessee Temple University and Highland Park Baptist Church.
Dr. Lee Roberson was the founding pastor and founder of both the university and the church. It became one of the largest and most influential churches in America during the mid-century. Highland Park grew exponentially, thousands attending weekly services, young people were trained for ministry, and missionaries were sent all over the world. Dr. Lee Roberson always mentioned the importance of “Three to Thrive” which is attending church for Sunday morning, Sunday evening (family worship), and Wednesday night (prayer service). The church and school were known not for flashy methods but for their firm stand on biblical truth, fervent prayer, and a strong emphasis on evangelism.
After Dr. Lee Roberson retired and passed away, the church and school experienced changing hands. This is when subtle compromises began to sweep in. Over time, the ministry shifted focus where the preaching was no longer expository, prayer was not a priority, and evangelism was no longer necessary. Eventually Tennessee Temple University had to close their doors and the once-thriving Highland Park Baptist Church sold its property. The buildings still stand but the glory of God has obviously departed.
Similar to what we are reading here in Ezekiel’s vision, the structure of the building remains but the presence of God had withdrawn due to a spiritual drift. Dr. Lee Roberson often is quoted saying “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” He understood that staying close to God was essential not just for personal growth but for sustaining God’s blessing on an entire ministry.
This is the unfortunate circumstance and picture of many churches in America today. I believe firmly that the glory of God’s presence has withdrawn from many churches across our nation today. What are the reasons? Mainly because the leaders and people have not kept the right priorities and turned to methods for church growth, attendance, and reputation.
Here are three areas the church must never compromise on:
Expository Preaching: the method of preaching which drives the church is when the biblical text becomes the main point of the sermon. We must let God speak to us through His Word, rather than using the Word to support what we want to say.
Earnest Prayer: someone has once said, “A powerful church is a prayerful church.” When churches begin to lose power and people, one of the main reasons is because they are not praying enough. Churches focus on methods such as worship styles, events, programs, etc. but they never seem to prioritize prayer. Nothing is more important in a church than prayer amongst God’s people.
Evangelistic Priority: the church has a purpose and mission which is to make the sharing of the gospel a central focus of Christian life and ministry. This priority will help shape how we pray, how we live, how we lead, how we do ministry, recognizing that every single person matters to God and the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20 is our mission. We must put eternity first, proclaiming Christ to this broken world.
God’s glory doesn’t remain just because a church building is full or a ministry has a great reputation. It remains where hearts are humbly prioritizing the Lord, Scripture is honored, and sin is repented of. We ought to prioritize seeking the presence of God above everything else for God blesses and moves. When we drift from God, even the greatest ministry or church became merely a monument to what it once was.
Let us examine our hearts and our church and ask if we are living in a way that welcomes God’s glory. May we recommit to these essentials so that the presence of God may dwell richly amongst us continually for days to come.
