Seven Churches - Recap
In worship we've been opening up God's Word in Revelation. In Revelation 1:11 we're told of 7 historic churches in the Roman province of Asia (modern day western Turkey). These 7 churches each received personal messages from Jesus as transcribed by the Apostle John in Revelation chapters 2 & 3. In this discussion I wanted to give a brief recap of some things we should as Christians today take away from these messages.
1. These messages were not TO us, but they are FOR us.
Each of these seven messages has unique components within them specifically meant for a first century audience. The vision which John received was written down and then distributed (1:9-11). This Revelation was to be read, listened to, and obeyed (1:3). This message had immediate application with soon and near consequences (1:1, 2:16, 3:11, 22:6-7, 22:12, 22:20). We cannot read Revelation through the perspective of our current events and think we will arrive at anything close to the original intended meaning by Jesus through John to first century churches. Don't think that Revelation chapters 4-22 are the "meat" and "heavy" parts of Revelation with application for us today. The seven messages TO the seven churches are very much FOR us today.
We should not despair or bemoan that this book was not originally written to us. Was the letter from Paul to the Corinthians written to us? Were the letters to Timothy and Titus written to us? Was the letter from James to the churches written to us? Were the letters from Peter and Jude written to us? None of those letters were written TO us, yet they were written FOR us. We receive a tremendous blessing as we are a secondary audience taking to heart what God's inspired Word has to say. We would not throw away or discount any other portion of God's Word as being any less applicable to us today just because it was addressed to another first century audience. We should therefore treat the book of Revelation, and the seven unique messages to the seven historic churches as instructive, formative, useful, and a blessing just as we would the rest of Holy Scripture.
2. Jesus knows. Take heart!
Jesus knew the trouble of the churches. Jesus knew that some Christians were dying for their faith (like Antipas in Pergamum 2:13). Jesus knew that some would experience persecution soon (like the believers in Smyrna 2:10). Jesus knew the false teachings that were being spread (like the Nicolaitan heresy in Ephesus and Pergamum 2:6 & 2:15). Jesus knew the inappropriate sexual conduct of some that were following a false teacher in Thyatira (one named Jezebel in 2:20). Jesus knew the inner hearts of those who outwardly seemed to be doing well, but inwardly had no love towards the Lord (like those in Ephesus 2:4 and Laodicea in 3:15). Jesus knew the history of each of these churches, often making mention of specific cultural landmarks (Like the water in Laodicea 3:16, the multiple names and renaming of Philadelpha). Jesus knew the unique encouragement and rebuke each church needed. Jesus knew the warning and the promise to give to each unique church.
Jesus knew all of this for these seven churches. Jesus knows what we are going through individually. Jesus knows what we are going through together as a church. Jesus knows exactly the challenges we face. Jesus knows exactly the rebukes we need. Jesus knows exactly the encouragement we need. Jesus knows exactly the warnings to send, and the reminders of his promises. Jesus knows. That is a tremendous comfort that we can take from these seven messages to these seven churches.
Dear Christian friend, what are your wounds? What are your sins? What are your regrets? What are your hopes? What are your desires? What are you weary of? What makes you sick? What excites you? What tempts you? What attracts you? What do you long for? What are you afraid of? What do you flee from? What do you run towards? Jesus knows. Take comfort dear friend. Jesus knows. Do not try to hide from him. Take yourself to him. Jesus knows. Take courage! Jesus knows.
3. Jesus is in charge.
In each of the seven letters Jesus is introduced with language that is abounding in nobility, dignity, authority, and majesty. If you've read these letters, you cannot come away from them thinking "well...I'm in charge of my church". There is only one person in the church who has the right to say "my way, or the highway". It isn't a church staffer, a huge church donor, a long time volunteer, an officially recognized leader, or a group of a "vocal majority". The only one person who has ultimate authority in the church, whose preferences always should be heard and followed is Jesus Christ.
This means that all the seven churches were engaged in doing came under the loving and all-knowing view of Jesus. When a church was out of line, Jesus loved enough to rebuke and correct. When a church was due for persecution, Jesus loved enough to prepare them and equip them for the trials ahead. Jesus gave warnings when those he loved were straying far from his ways. Jesus gave promises to every single church that as they listened and obeyed him they would be tremendously rewarded. Jesus is in charge in our churches and we must seek to follow him. We will follow what we love. Let us love the one who is in charge.
4. What we do individually has an impact on what we do together.
In some of the seven messages individuals or small groups or factions are specifically mentioned. We see that these individuals are not singled out apart from the church, but rather they are addressed within the message to the church. The deeds of only a few could have an impact on the entire church. It was Jesus' expectation that these seven churches would remain faithful to him. How would they remain faithful to him? In three primary ways:
First, the seven churches needed to remain faithful to Jesus against the external and outside pressures. For these seven churches (particularly Smyrna, Pergamum, and Philadelphia) there was external sources trying to bring down the witness of the church. Persecution, mistreatment, and slander all were weapons used against the early first century church. One way the churches were encouraged by Jesus to remain faithful was to overcome the temptation to forsake their testimony of Jesus, or compromise with external pressures. We today must cling with loyal faithfulness to our testimony of Jesus and make no compromises with sources of external pressure which tempt us away from following Jesus.
Second, the seven churches needed to remain faithful to Jesus against the internal and inner false teaching. For these seven churches (particularly Ephesus, Pergamum, and Thyatira) there were those inside the community of faith that were leading people away from following Jesus. Whether it's a doctrine (the teachings of the Nicolaitans), a form of false worship (sexual idolatry), or an activity (inappropriate intimacy) the churches needed to be on guard. Jesus takes his call to his people to follow him very seriously. His expectation was for the seven churches to deal with their "in-house" problems by repenting of these false doctrines, false worship, and false activities. We today must cling with loyal faithfulness to our testimony of Jesus and make no compromises with sources of internal teaching which tempt us away from following Jesus.
Third, the seven churches needed to remain faithful to Jesus against a temptation to forsake their deeds. For these seven churches (particularly Ephesus, Sardis, and Laodicea) there was a lack of heart, passion, zeal, and commitment to the Lord. It was becoming easier and easier in these churches to simply not care, grow apathetic, display carelessness for one another and the lost. The fire of affectionate devotion to Jesus was waxing cold. It's as though these churches were in a conversation with Jesus. When asked to do something instead of a firm "Yes" from the church, more and more the answer was "maybe?", and then eventually that maybe became "No" in response to following Jesus. We today must cling with loyal faithfulness to our testimony of Jesus and make no compromises with things which sap our love for following Jesus.
5. The letters were written to the churches - not to the pastor, staff, or church leaders.
Do you notice that in each of the messages to the seven churches Jesus speaks to the churches? Jesus doesn't say "this is a private message just for your local church leadership". Some emails nowadays come with a little sentence at the bottom saying "this is private and please don't pass along or distribute to anyone else without permission". The book of Revelation is just the opposite and so are the seven messages to the seven churches! Instead of a request to "please don't pass this along", this vision to John came with the explicit instruction to get the word out and spread it to the churches (1:9-11).
We should be alert and watchful together as we encourage one another, bearing one another's burdens and seeking to follow Jesus together. At different times in our Christian walk we may be part of a group of Christians which is in need of strengthening against outside pressures, or is in need of cleaning up "in-house" false teaching, or that has lost it's first love of Jesus. Each of us has a role to play in this! These messages to the seven churches is a reminder that we all, young and old, new to following Jesus, and long time veterans, all have a role to play as we follow the Great Shepherd and Lover of our souls. Church is not primarily about you, or me, church leadership, or minority or majority voices. The church is primarily about Jesus who has made us as a people together - redeemed for his glorious present and eternal purposes.
6. Don't take it personally, take it seriously.
When we read from God's word, we are reading messages from God to His people and for his people. We ought not to get offended when God's word has something to say about us either collectively, or individually. We rather ought to be encouraged that God knows us! He knows when we need a call to repent, and an encouragement. We ought not to be offended as though we've been personally singled out. Insisting on taking something personally means we will succumb to bitterness and resentment against the God who is always working out what is best for His people (Romans 8:28). Instead of taking God's messages to the seven churches personally, we ought to take the messages seriously.
Taking God's word seriously means taking time to think how the Word of God applies to us today. Taking God's word seriously means earnestly pursuing God's ways, changing what needs to be changed, and holding on to what must be held onto. The church today should very seriously consider the messages of Jesus each of the seven historic churches who originally received this letter. At times in my life, I know I've been in some churches that had more pressures and temptations from outside, and at times I've been in some churches that had more in-house false things to deal with. I've even been a part of a few churches that simply "went through the motions" and had lost their affectionate devotion to Jesus. I'm thankful that thus far in my Christian walk I've gotten to see how God has worked in some of these different churches to bring reformation, revival, repentance, and renewal. I'm also thankful that I've gotten to witness some churches which refused to take the warnings of God's word seriously, and thus suffered gravely.
As someone that has been through both reformation, and judgement, I pray that moving forward the churches I'm a part of reject taking God's word "personally" by becoming bitter, and instead take God's word "seriously" through repentance, renewal, and reformation.