Scripture Texts: Revelations 2-3

Jesus’ letters to the seven churches recorded in the Book of Revelation considers how Christ’s message speaks to the church today. The apostle John, who wrote Revelation, was in exile on the prison island of Pátmos. While on the island, John was given an astonishing vision of God’s final victory over evil and sin. It all began with a majestic vision of Jesus in his glory, recorded in Revelation 1:9-20

Let's examine the Letters to the seven Churches

1. The Church of Ephesus- The Church that Has Abandoned Its Love for Christ and His Teachings (Revelation 2:1-7): In the church at Ephesus, Jesus finds a lot to praise, but his heart is broken by one glaring absence: love.

2. The Church of Smyrna- The Church that Remains Faithful Amidst Persecution (Revelation 2:8-11): The church at Smyrna was under persecution for their faith. As Jesus speaks to these men and women, he reminds them that he is greater than any suffering—greater even than death.

3. The Church of Pergamum- The Church that Compromises Its Beliefs (Revelation 2:12-17): Jesus calls the city of Pergamum the place “where Satan has his throne” (Revelation 2:13). You might think that such a church in such a place would be a persecuted church, but that was not the case. Satan’s tactic against the church was much more effective than persecution; he sought to corrupt the church from the inside.

4. The Church of Thyatira- The Church that Follows False Prophets (Revelation 2:18-29): Jesus expresses anger at the church at Thyatira, coming to them with a rod of judgment and a sword to cut them apart. He gives them time to repent, but if they refuse his grace, he says he will come in swift judgment.

5. The Church of Sardis- The Church that is Spiritually Dead (Revelation 3:1-6): The church at Sardis had the reputation of being alive—vibrant, Spirit-filled, open to God’s work, obedient to God’s Word. But as Jesus looked at this church, he saw a deeper reality. The church was not wicked or immoral, but dead, unresponsive to Christ.

6. The Church of Philadelphia-The Church that Patiently Endured Despite Weaknesses (Revelation 3:7-13): The city of Philadelphia (in Asia Minor) was a door for the Greek language and culture to spread into the surrounding region. In this letter, we see a new door of opportunity was wide open in Philadelphia for the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was open to a small band of seemingly weak and uninfluential Christians, a band of Christians very much like us.

7. The Church of Laodicea- The Church with a Lukewarm Faith (Revelation 3:14-22): This is the Church that makes Jesus sick. Jesus says that the church in Laodicea is lukewarm, neither cold nor hot and would spit them out of His mouth. In this letter, Jesus expresses his desire for this church to see the reality of their own condition and of the world around them.

Cue, Promises and Warnings!

With these thoughts in mind, we should read these letters with a pair of lenses, not one. The first lens should ask the question, “How can our church learn from the message Christ gave to each of these seven churches?” The second lens should ask, “How can I learn from the message Christ gave to each of these churches?” We cannot emphasize this second question strongly enough because though we can diagnose the spiritual condition of a congregation as a large, single group, we can only change as a group (whether for good or bad) one person at a time. It is useless to diagnose the spiritual weaknesses of your church, for instance, if you make no progress in overcoming your personal weaknesses as a member.

Overcomers are True Believers
The preferred identification for these overcomers mentioned at the end of end of these letters is those followers of Christ who persevere in their faith to the end of their lives. No matter how many trials they face, even if they face martyrdom, they do not recant. They do not just start out by claiming to have faith in Christ. They demonstrate the reality of their faith in Christ by finishing their lives, as well, as followers of him.

Near the end of Revelation, John writes, “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be my son” (Rev 21:7). The context that precedes this statement indicates that John is referring to all believers, not just a small group of those who’ve experienced a special level of victory which others have not. In Rev 21:3, he says that God will dwell among his people. In Rev 21:4, he says that God will wipe away all tears from their eyes. In Rev 21:5, he said that God will make everything new. As you can tell, these are the eternal blessings that God will give to every believer, not just some. To make this even more clear, the following verse contrasts this group of people with those who will be cast into the Lake of Fire, which are those who are outside the born-again family of God. There is no third group of people who are rescued from the Lake of Fire on one hand but denied the blessings of God’s eternal kingdom on the other. Either you’re an overcomer or you’re cast into the Lake of Fire. According to John, every believer is an overcomer.

Some of the rewards previewed in these letters clearly refer to rewards given to all believers, not just some.

Those who overcome, for instance, will not be “hurt by the second death,” which is a reference to the Lake of Fire (Rev. 2:11; cf. Rev 20:6, 14; 21:8.
They will also be allowed to “eat from the tree of life” (Rev 2:7; cf. Rev. 22:2, 14).
What’s more, they have assurance that Christ will not “blot out their names from the Book of Life” and Christ will “confess their name before the Father” (Rev 3:5; cf. Phil 4:3; Matt. 10:32; Luke 12: 8.

What Do You Need To Do To Be an Overcomer?

- Be born again
- Accept Christ into your heart and make Him Your Lord and Saviour.
- Ask God to forgive your sins to behold His Glory.
- Accept the peace of God in your hearts
- Stand for the gospel of Christ.
- Walk by faith not by sight.
- Acknowledge that you cannot do anything in your own strength expect through Christ's.
- In the face of opposition stands for Christ.
- Remains faithful no matter the cost- chose Christ over what the world offers.
- See spiritual victory as more important than physical prosperity.
-Know that a victorious and is one who may experience suffering and even physical death but will not experience separation from Christ.

If you would like to give your life to Christ, just say this short prayer:
"Lord Jesus, I come to You today, come into my life, take control of my life and change my world. I say bye-bye to the devil, I enter into the Kingdom of Light. Thank You Jesus, in Your name I pray, amen".

Congratulations!!!

God bless you.

Peace!