A Tested and Triumphant Church

If I am honest with you this is very intentional. Due to the nature of what Revelation is we can’t escape that it is full of symbolism and this leaves it open to a wide variety of interpretation and often misinterpretation.

This is why it is so important we have a strong understanding of the Foundation of what this book is about.

Week 1 we saw that it is the Story of Christ. The Lion of Judah is the slain lamb and he died for our sins so that we could be redeemed.

Week 2 we talked about this is the fulfillment of God’s Mission. That God’s plans are coming to fruition and that they are for more than just our redemption but for the redemption of all creation and he is worthy to be worshipped because of who he is and he is Holy.

Today Let’s talk some more about the book and then we will begin to look at who this book was written to.

The Break down of the Book

Chapters 1-3—Opening

Chapters 4-5—Theological Heart

Chapters 6-20—Judgments and Interludes

Chapters 21-22—Grand Finale

The Opening.

John introduces us to the main characters, God, Jesus, God’s people—the 7 churches.

Theological heart—The heavenly throne room. The defining vision of God on the throne and the slaughtered lamb, and the worship of God by all creation.

Judgement and Interludes

Moments of Symbolism and imagery of the same event often overlapping each other and building on their intensity, and ultimately leading to the defeat of Satan and God’s final judgement on Evil. With Small interludes sandwiched between each of them with a picture of God’s people worshiping God and lamb in anticipation of what is to come.

Gran finale

New heaven and new earth. The climax of the story of God’s mission, when God makes everything new and restores all creation as it was intended to be.

Each of these sections provide us a glimpse of what we have already been talking about and more of what is to come.

It is also this framework that can help us to place individual passages and keep within the overall plot line of the book.

There is another aspect that we often forget about and overlook when reading the book of Revelation. Yet, it is an essential element that we must maintain in our interpretation and reading of the book.

The Audience

We can’t ever forget that this is a book written to a specific set of people in a specific time. It is a letter after all.

Chapters 2 and 3 help us to put this in to context of who John is writing to. When he addresses each of them.

Each church facing their own unique challenges and issues. In fact while we often get caught up in how it is all going to end when we remember who the audience is we find out we learn a lot about the church and what we believe about the church.

It reminded me of a story from a professor who once shared about a time he was traveling with some colleagues in the south. They stopped at a local restaurant for some breakfast. One of the professors friends was from the North and if you have spent anytime in the south those of us from the North stick out like a sore thumb when it comes to food.

His friend had ordered some bacon and eggs a good old traditional breakfast when the waitress asked him if he wanted any grits.

Unfamiliar with this Southern food he paused for a moment and replied.

I am not sure I like them, so I’ll start with one grit.

With a broad smile on her face, the waitress shot back, “Honey, they don’t come by themselves.”

That is one of the beautiful things about the church is we all are a little bit unique.

We see that contrast all the time. Not a week goes by and I don’t hear some comment by someone (myself included) about life out here and life in Bloomington.

Yet, there are churches in Bloomington and believers in Bloomington. The message that they need is different than the message we need out here.

However, both of us belong to the church. We both exist in the same body of Christ and we are different parts but we make up the same whole and we all are in pursuit of a the same mission.

We can’t forget after all Christians and Church don’t come by themselves.

Let’s look at some highlights than of the churches John is addressing.

Revelation 2:2–4 NIV

2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. 4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.

Ephesus

Ephesus lost love. They lost their first love. While John does not mention what that is specifically.

It may have been their single minded love for the Lord. It might have been a loss of intensity for Christian fellowship. They may no longer been expressing their love for the world by witnessing to it.

All three of these center on the loss of love for Christ which leads to the loss of love for one another.

The Church and Smyrna faced a different issue.

Revelation 2:9 NIV

9 I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.

Smyrna

This is a church who was materially poor and afflicted. They faced the hostility of the Jews in their city. They needed the encouragement and reminder that if they endure they will recieve the victors crown.

The Church in Pergamum

Revelation 2:13–14 NIV

13 I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives. 14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality.

Pergamum

Pergamum was doing good and bad. They were standing Strong yet, some were giving in to the view that they should keep the peace by taking on practices within their local society.

There was a sense of accommodation that just wanted to all get along. I love how John opened up verse 13 to them.

I know where you live. Don’t forget we are to be set apart is his reminder here.

The Church Thyatira

Revelation 2:20 NIV

20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.

Thyatira

Thyatira was plagued by false teaching. One person who was trying to lead the church down a path that was wrong. She faced the challenges of church discipline.

It is important to note here that while in general we view the idea of how one person acts is between them and God because he is the Final Judge. That does not mean we don’t have a responsibility to each other. The church is not made up of individuals but is a community bound to each other.

Yet, when we confront each other we need to make sure we are examining ourselves through the lens of Christ first. Penetrating us deeply so that we may also confess any offensive way and seek forgiveness.

The Church of Sardis

Revelation 3:1 NIV

1 “To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.

Sardis

The church and Sardis exists but is about to die. It is on its last breath if it doesn’t embrace the deeds that it has been called to. They are in danger of being complacent and before they know it they will be destroyed.

The Church of Philadelphia

Revelation 3:10–12 NIV

10 Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth. 11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12 The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name.

Philadelphia

I am sorry the beauty of this church being from Philadelphia and what they are in need of is encouragement to stand strong. always amazes me.

I Can’t help but get the Rocky vibes out of my head. Just hold on you can’t make it. One more round. Just keep fighting. The pay off is coming.

This city of faithful followers just needed that boost to keep fighting the good fight.

The Church of Laodicea

Revelation 3:15–17 NIV

15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.

Laodicea

The Analogy of the lukewarm water here was not only an attack against the complacency of the church in Laodicea but a direct reference to the city. The city was prosperous but they had to pipe in their water supply from a spring six miles away. This distance would cause the temperature of the water to be consistently lukewarm.

This was a reference and direct realization of who and what they had become and if they weren’t careful Christ would spit them out.

Not only that they knew they had wealth and they were proud of it and they had smug attitude that kept them from seeing their true nature. This church was on a path that would lead to bad things.

Whoever has Ears

Each church had its own challenges and issues. Some shared similar problems but each was unique to their own context.

7 churches. 7 Targeted Messages.

How then are we to understand these Communities and how we engage what was spoken to them, in today’s world?

Context Matters

First, Revelation shows a concern for both the local and the universal in addressing God’s People.

The prophetic message both commend when needed and confronted when demanded but it was done with the concrete circumstances of where, each of these churches were and their spiritual condition.

The message for Sardis doesn’t fit in Smyrna.

This is why we need to also be careful in applying Laodicea to us today. We may have similarities but it isn’t perfect. We can utilize these passages to show us and to guide us and to caution us but we need to seek the Spirit of God to truly understand what the message God has for us.

Repent and Change

Oh no not the C word. No one wants to change. I am willing to bet many of us will focus first on that word instead of the the first command.

We are called to Repent and Change will be a natural result of that Repentance.

This change doesn’t mean change for the sake of change either it means a deep heartfelt recognition that we need Christ and the Holy Spirit to guide us in who we are and how we are to live our lives. We are called to be a Holy People and that is only possible when we embrace Change.

Take To Heart

Did you notice that the message to all the churches was shared with all the churches. There was not private mail for each church. All 7 church got to see your mail in this letter.

It is a good reminder that we are in this together. The church can learn from each of our experiences and we can grow together. What might be a call for change in one church may be a reminder to stay the course.

This is where the message of these churches still speaks to us today.

Where does this leave us?

What do we do with this?

How do we take the stories of these churches and we let it inform us about what the church is and where the church is going? That is the challenge.

It is what I hope that we begin to address next week.

The Mission of the Church

We learned a lot about the nature of church today and how we impact each other but we can’t separate the nature and the mission of the church. Let’s pray that this week we can spend time thinking about and looking to what the mission of the church is. In fact I am going to give you some homework.

Take some time and read this Passage of Scripture and pray over it and let God speak to you about it.

Revelation 7:9-17 I

For now though let’s Pray.

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