But what does it mean? Where is our place of safety? Where can the people of God, saved by the blood of Christ, find relief from the dragon? It is found in our distinctive New Testament culture, which God has given to us, of worship and obedience to the word, fellowship together, and prayer to God. It’s found in the culture that we follow as a church. Like the wilderness it’s a place of glorious sunshine for us, where God shines upon us, where his word comes to life before us, where we relate to him worship him, where he blesses and strengthens and guides us. It’s a wonderful place. A worldling wouldn’t get on in our culture. He doesn’t like it. He or she comes into church, and sees our simple worship and our focus on the invisible God. They know nothing of him, and they don’t understand the book that we read from and study, and even the hymns that we sing which are so wonderful to us and move our hearts. This wilderness is the most dreary and even damaging place to the unbeliever. But for us it’s a place of safety. The unbeliever comes into church and he says, ‘Why don’t you liven things up and get rid of that groaning organ, and have a band on the platform and some drums and rhythm and dancing, and imitate the melodies and the music forms of the world’s sinful culture. Why don’t you dress like them, and behave like them? Why don’t your preachers turn themselves into rock stars and performers, and applaud and behave in that way? The worldling needs that. He needs all the flesh. Without it, he is in a wilderness. The unsaved Israelites didn’t like it, and they moaned to Moses and they said, ‘We wish we could have the leaks and the garlic of Egypt. We don’t like this light miracle bread.’ For us it’s a place of safety, and glorious provision, and supernatural sustenance, fellowship and help. This is the illustration here.
Don’t make your home, just like a worldly home where everything is comfort and luxury and expense, and wonderful things to show off to any guests, things which are much too good. Yes, let it be a place that is comfortable and nice for you, a place that you appreciate, but don’t go to the world’s extremes. It may weaken you. It may not be a safe place. It may not be place where God likes to be present, to feed you, and support you. It’s not his kind of place. He’s appointed a wilderness. Surround yourself with the trappings of this world, the things of this world, and you may lose your spiritual taste; you may lose your affection and delight in spiritual things and the pursuit of Christ. Those things take over as your priority and your objective. We keep things pretty simple in the church. We love to worship, not have pop concerts. We love to think, to read, to study, to be lifted up by the Spirit of God. But if you make it a place on which you can feast your eyes and marvel at expensive furnishings and architecture, I believe the Spirit of God withdraws. He has a place appointed for you in the wilderness – the pattern church, the culture of the New Testament – and it’s wonderful. It’s true of individuals; it’s true the church.