Summary Sermon: Revelation 2-3: Christ's Letters to the Church(es)

A SUMMARY of Christ’s Letters to the Seven Churches

7 LESSONS FROM 7 LETTERS:

1. CHRIST IS ALL HIS CHURCH NEEDS to be prepared for any conceivable future

Revelation 1:12-16

12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.

2. CHRIST KNOWS HIS CHURCH PERFECTLY, both what is commendable and what needs rebuke

-NOT CONDEMNED: Smyrna, Philadelphia

-NOT COMMENDED: Sardis, Laodicea

Revelation 2:2 Ephesus

2 “‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false.

Revelation 2:4

4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.

Revelation 2:19-21 Thyatira

19 “‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. 20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality.

3. CHRIST LOVINGLY DIAGNOSES the need for REPENTANCE and DEFINES the specific shape that repentance should take

Revelation 2:5 Ephesus

5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 

Revelation 3:18-19 Laodicea

18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.

4. CHRIST’S LOVE and GRACE are seen everywhere in these letters:

-His letting the churches know what is wrong is an act of grace and love.

-His warnings of the consequences for not responding are grace.

-His promises for those who respond and conquer are grace.

-His identifying of Himself as the one who is all they need is grace.

-His constant appeal to the most lifeless of all the churches, Laodicea, and promise to enter in forgiveness, to fellowship, is astounding...

5. THE CONSEQUENCES CHRIST WARNS against are sobering and meant to be taken seriously, leading to repentance.

-Ephesus: remove your lampstand from its place

-Pergamum: if not, I will come to you and war against them (who hold the false doctrine) with the sword of my mouth

-Thyatira: I will throw her (Jezebel) onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation

-Sardis: I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you

-Laodicea: I will spit you out of my mouth

6. THE REWARDS OF CONQUERING are massive and eternal and meant to motivate the church to persevere in faithfulness. The rewards consist of 

-eating of the tree of life: Rev 2:7b

-intimacy with Christ forever: Rev 2:17

-authority and rule: Rev 2:26,27; Rev 3:21

-perfect righteousness: Rev 3:5

-a permanent place with God and Christ forever: Rev 3:12

This is to cause us to be FUTURE ORIENTED...living now with eternity in our minds...

7. THE CHURCH (all true churches of Christ of all time) NEEDS TO LISTEN TO WHAT CHRIST has to say through the Spirit, and respond. This keeps the church pleasing Him in the present and prepared for any and every future scenario.

These letters are to all the churches of Christ in all the ages, which is based on the fact that there are 7 letters to 7 churches and the #7 is used in Rev of completeness or perfection...

SO WHAT CHRIST SAYS TO THE CHURCHES HE IS SAYING TO OUR CHURCH...TO US! AND WHAT HE COMMANDS IN EACH OF THE LETTERS IS THAT WE HEAR HIM. To hear Him obviously mean to listen carefully and obey.

He identifies Himself to each, as the ONE who is qualified to judge and to supply what they need to be faithful to Him...WHO HE IS is critical to their faithfulness to Him in light of what they are and any repentance that is needed and what they will face in the days ahead...

What the church has needed in all ages and will need especially at the end of the ages is TO KNOW HER LORD.

APPLICATION: We should be putting consistent effort into knowing our Lord...for He speaks and He judges and He is coming!

He knows all churches and all individuals in the churches...their faithfulness and faithlessness. And He responds to them in commendation and rebuke according to His perfect knowledge of them...

He takes both faithfulness and faithlessness SERIOUSLY...He is not afraid to commend or to condemn...

Revelation 2:19

19 “‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first.

Revelation 2:14-15

14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. 15 So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

NOT CONDEMNED: Smyrna, Philadelphia

NOT COMMENDED: Sardis, Laodicea

He both COMMANDS & DEFINES what repentance will look like for them.

Revelation 2:5

5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

He defines what consequences will look like for them if they do not repent

HE EXPRESSES HIS LOVE AND PATIENCE with them. It appears everywhere in these letters...

-His letting the churches know what is wrong is an act of grace and love.

-His warnings of the consequences for not responding are grace.

-His promises for those who respond and conquer are grace.

-His identifying of Himself as the one who is all they need is grace.

-NOTE the astounding love expressed to Laodicea...”Behold, I stand at the door and knock...”

The most CONSISTENT PROBLEMS Christ identifies are:

-Loss of first love: Ephesus, Laodicea

-False teaching: Pergamum, Thyatira

-Immorality (either spiritually with the world or physically): Pergamum, Thyatira, 

-Compromise with the culture: Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Laodicea

The most CONSISTENT SOLUTIONS Christ identifies are:

-Repent: Ephesus, Pergamum, Thyatira, Laodicea

-Wake up: Sardis

That is...address the sin that exists in your body/lives...

But he tells the churches WHAT REPENTANCE MUST CONSIST of:

-Ephesus: remember from where you are fallen, repent, and do the works you did at first

-Sardis: wake up and strengthen what remains and is about to die...remember, then, what you received and heart. Keep it, and repent.

-Laodicea: buy from Me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes...

To the two churches He commends only, His exhortation is:

-(Smyrna) do not fear...be faithful unto death (Rev 2:10: tells them what is coming so they will be ready...)

-(Philadelphia) hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown

The CONSEQUENCES for not repenting are sobering.

-Ephesus: remove your lampstand from its place

-Pergamum: if not, I will come to you and war against them (who hold the false doctrine) with the sword of my mouth

-Thyatira: I will throw her (Jezebel) onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation

-Sardis: I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you

-Laodicea: I will spit you out of my mouth

The PROMISES for conquering and being faithful are massive.

Derek Thomas:

-many of the churches COMPROMISED rather than COMMITTED.

-a concern for REPUTATION in Sardis and Laodicea...caring more for how the world thinks of it than for how Christ thinks of it

-contentment with MEDIOCRITY...Ephesus & Laodicea...forsaken their first love (Rev 2:4)...neither hot nor cold...zeal gone...

“Their approach to discipleship had become minimalist. “How little can I get away with?” Rather than “What more can I do?”

NOTE: for all, the challenge and command comes: “To him who overcomes...” see also Rev 21:7...