Sermon Central
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Listening To Jesus: Letters To The Churches
Contributed by David Dunn on Jan 28, 2026 (message contributor)
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1. Pergamum: When Faithfulness Is Misplaced
Contributed on Jan 28, 2026
Living near power, Pergamum remained faithful yet misdirected loyalty, until Christ’s word called repentance, restored authority, and promised hidden sustenance and identity.
Pergamum is the third letter to the seven churches in Revelation, and by the time we arrive here, the pressure has changed again. Ephesus dealt with something that faded quietly. Smyrna faced pressure that came from the outside, loud and unmistakable. Pergamum is different. The danger here is ...read more
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2. Smyrna: When Faithfulness Isn't Safe
Contributed on Jan 28, 2026
Faithfulness does not deny suffering; it refuses fear’s authority, trusting Jesus with loss, future, and life itself when allegiance becomes costly.
Smyrna is the second letter, and it immediately feels different from the first. Ephesus dealt with something quiet — love thinning over time. Smyrna deals with something loud — pressure that does not pretend to be gentle. This letter is not about erosion from within; it is about weight pressing ...read more
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3. Ephesus: When Faithfulness Outlives Love
Contributed on Jan 26, 2026
Jesus speaks to faithful people whose love has thinned, not to shame them, but to invite a return to relationship.
– First Part: Listening Posture Most of us don’t think of ourselves as drifting. Drift is what happens to other people — people who stopped caring, stopped believing, stopped trying. Drift feels dramatic from the outside. From the inside, it feels responsible. It feels like showing up, doing what ...read more
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4. Thyatira — When Faithfulness Is Subverted
Contributed on Jan 31, 2026
Thyatira warns that faithfulness can be redirected when tolerance replaces discernment and Christ’s authority is quietly shared with other voices.
By the time we arrive at Thyatira, something has already changed in us. Ephesus taught us that love can cool without rebellion. Smyrna taught us that faithfulness can be costly without being fragile. Pergamum taught us that proximity to power can quietly rearrange loyalty. So when we come to ...read more
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5. Sardis: When Faithfulness Is Assumed
Contributed on Feb 2, 2026
Sardis warns that faith can survive in name and form while losing responsiveness, calling believers to awaken and listen again.
By the time we arrive at Sardis, something subtle has happened to us. Ephesus taught us that love can cool without rebellion. Smyrna taught us that faithfulness can be costly without being fragile. Pergamum taught us that proximity to power can quietly rearrange loyalty. Thyatira taught us that ...read more
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6. Philadelphia: When Faithfulness Is Protected
Contributed on Feb 2, 2026
Philadelphia reveals faithfulness without strength: Jesus sees quiet obedience, keeps His people near, opens doors by grace, and promises permanent belonging forever.
By the time we arrive at Philadelphia, we think we’re on familiar ground. The city of brotherly love. We’ve heard the phrase before. We know how it’s supposed to sound. No Quakers. No Liberty Bell. No 76ers or Eagles. No cheesesteaks. This Philadelphia is older than the phrase as we use it—and ...read more
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7. Laodicea: When Faithfulness Is Managed
Contributed on Feb 3, 2026
Jesus confronts competent faith that no longer waits, revealing self-sufficiency, inviting renewed dependence, restored fellowship, and shared life through opening the door.
PART I: The Cost of Staying Upright I know you. This isn’t the casual familiarity of an acquaintance; it is the knowledge that comes from watching you quietly, over time. I know how your life fits together and how the pieces hold. I recognize the immense strength it took for you to get here. You ...read more
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8. God’s Presence — When Faithfulness Is Rewarded
Contributed on Feb 3, 2026
Heaven unveils God enthroned, faithfulness at rest, endurance unburdened, worship as recognition, and presence as reward, not payment, for staying near end.
---000--- PART I: The Door Is Already Open There are moments when the most faithful thing we can do is stop being examined. For several weeks now, we’ve been listening carefully. We’ve leaned in, paid attention, and allowed ourselves to be addressed. We’ve heard words of affirmation and words of ...read more