Letters From the Lord: "Hear What the Spirit Said to the Churches"

Introduction:

We are continuing our series in Revelation 1-3 today.

In chapter 1, we got a very detailed description of our glorified Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

As we enter into chapters 2-3, we begin reading the seven letters to seven churches, authored by Jesus and written down by the Apostle John.

The letters from the Lord were for the churches of that day but they still apply to us today.

In these letters we see what Jesus desires for His church.

We learn what things in the church make the Lord glad and bring glory to Him and what things in the church grieve Him.

Jesus has some good things to say about His church but also some hard things that can sting. But He tells them and us these things because He loves us and wants the best for us.

We’ve read all the letters to the church...Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis , Philadelphia and Laodicea.

Today we are going to look at a common phrase in every single one of the seven letters.

Revelation 2:7 (NASB)

7 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes...

Revelation 2:11 (NASB)

11 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches...

Revelation 2:17 (NASB)

17 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches...

Revelation 2:29 (NASB)

29 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Revelation 3:6 (NASB)

6 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Revelation 3:13 (NASB)

13 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Revelation 3:22 (NASB)

22 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ ”

How did the Spirit speak to the churches?

Words right out of the mouth of Jesus.

How does He speak to the church today?

Through the Holy Spirit Inspired Scripture.

How do we hear what the Spirit says?

Through the Holy Spirit living in us!

What did the Spirit say to the churches then and what is He saying to the churches today?

Suffering is inevitable.

Key phrase:

“...He who overcomes...”

The churches in Asia Minor suffered.

“Overcome”

Ephesus:

Revelation 2:7 (NASB)

7 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’

Smyrna:

Revelation 2:11 (NASB)

11 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.’

Pergamum:

Revelation 2:17 (NASB)

17 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.’

Thyatira:

Revelation 2:26–28 (NASB)

26 ‘He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations; 27 and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces, as I also have received authority from My Father; 28 and I will give him the morning star.

Sardis:

Revelation 3:5 (NASB)

5 ‘He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

Philadelphia:

Revelation 3:12 (NASB)

12 ‘He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name.

Laodicea:

Revelation 3:21 (NASB)

21 ‘He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

5/7 suffered because of their faith.

Ephesus:

Revelation 2:2–3 (NASB)

2 ‘I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; 3 and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary.

Smyrna:

Revelation 2:9–10 (NASB)

9 ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 ‘Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

Pergamum:

Revelation 2:13 (NASB)

13 ‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.

Thyatira:

Revelation 2:19 (NASB)

19 ‘I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance...

Philadelphia:

Revelation 3:10 (NASB)

10 ‘Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.

Sardis wasn’t currently suffering, but they would be because they were told they were going to need to overcome (.

Laodicea was suffering because of their sin...

Revelation 3:17, 19 (NASB)

17 ...you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked…

19 ‘Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.

Sin is intolerable.

Key Phrase:

“...I have this against you...”

Jesus addressed the sin in the churches. 5/7 were called to repentance and specific sin was called out. Smyrna and Philadelphia are excluded.

Ephesus:

Revelation 2:4 (NASB)

4 ‘But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

Revelation 2:5 (NASB)

5 ‘Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent.

Pergamum:

Revelation 2:14 (NASB)

14 ‘But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality.

Revelation 2:16 (NASB)

16 ‘Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth.

Thyatira:

Revelation 2:20 (NASB)

20 ‘But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.

Revelation 2:22–23 (NASB)

22 ‘Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. 23 ‘And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.

Sardis:

Revelation 3:1-2 (NASB)

1 “To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 2 ‘Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God.

Revelation 3:3 (NASB)

3 ‘So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.

Laodicea:

Revelation 3:15, 17 (NASB)

15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot...

17 ‘Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,

Revelation 3:16 (NASB)

16 ‘So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

But there is good news…

Jesus saves His church from sin.

AND, that...

Salvation is infinite.

Key phrase...

“....I will...”

The church was saved from their sin in Christ.

Revelation 2:7 (NASB)

7 ‘...I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’

Revelation 2:10–11 (NASB)

10 ‘Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.’

Revelation 2:17 (NASB)

17 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.’

Revelation 2:26–28 (NASB)

26 ‘He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations; 27 and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces, as I also have received authority from My Father; 28 and I will give him the morning star.

Revelation 3:5 (NASB)

5 ‘He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

Revelation 3:12 (NASB)

12 ‘He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name.

Revelation 3:20 (NASB)

20 ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

Jesus provides all we need in salvation...

Revelation 3:18 (NASB)

18 I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.

There was nothing they would face that Jesus couldn’t and wouldn’t ultimately save them from.

Memory Verse of the Week:

Revelation 3:22 (NASB)

22 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ ”

Also Revelation 2:29, Revelation 3:6, or Revelation 3:13.

Discussion Questions:

What does this Scripture teach us about God?

What does this Scripture teach us about man?

Do you see any commands to obey or principles to apply?

Do you see any promises to claim or blessings to enjoy?

Do you see any truths to meditate on or Gospel messages to share?

Did anything else in the passage stick out to you?