A Listening Church Series

## INTRODUCTION: A Church Under Pressure—Then and Now

https://reachrightstudios.com/blog/church-statistics-2026/

We live in a time when many people are asking hard questions about the church.

Some say the church has become too weak.

Others say the church is too divided.

Some feel the church has lost its voice, while others feel it has lost its love.

And the numbers seem to confirm that something has changed.

Today, only a small portion of Americans attend church regularly.

Many attend infrequently.

Many no longer attend at all.

More churches are closing their doors today than opening them.

This is not just happening in large cities or distant places. It is happening in small towns. It is happening to faithful congregations.

It is happening to churches that love the Lord and sincerely desire to do what is right.

But the question before us is not simply, “Is the church struggling?”

The question is not, “What kind of church are we?”

The question is, “Are we listening to what Jesus is saying to His church?”

That question is not new.

The churches addressed in the book of Revelation were also under pressure.

They lived in a hostile culture.

They faced persecution, temptation to compromise, spiritual fatigue, and uncertainty about the future.

They were not perfect churches.

But they were real churches.

And in that moment—Jesus spoke.

Not to condemn His church.

Not to abandon His church.

But to call His church to listen, to remember, and to renew.

This morning, we are beginning a study of those churches in Revelation, with a listening ear toward the messages that Jesus spoke to them, and how those messages still apply to the church today. As we are starting this new year, it is good for us as a church to do a bit of self-reflection — to take some time to focus on the renewing message that Jesus had for the seven churches, and ultimately for us today.

Over the next several weeks, we will look at each church, what Jesus had to say to each church, and what Jesus is speaking to us today through that letter. Once we have studied those 7 letters, we are going to take a Sunday of self-reflection, and consider what Jesus might say to us today as His church here on this mountain — in this valley.

But before we get to the letters to the churches, Scripture reminds us of a great promise: blessing comes not to those who argue about Jesus’ words, but to those who read them, hear them, and heed them.

So, let’s begin in that vein, diving into the first chapter of Revelation.

## 1. A Revelation of Jesus, Not a Report on the Church

Chapter 1 begins immediately reminding us of the purpose of the whole letter — because that is what it is. It is a letter that contains the revelation of Jesus, given by God, through Jesus, to John. This letter is not a critique of the 7 churches. It is not meant to confuse the church, frighten the church, or divide the church. It is meant to reveal Jesus to the church. It is a prophecy about what will soon take place.

John wrote:

1 The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John, 2 who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud || the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

4 John,

To the seven churches in the province of Asia:

Grace and peace to you from Him Who || is, and Who was, and Who is to come, and from the seven spirits before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, Who is the Faithful Witness, the Firstborn from the dead, and the Ruler of the kings of the earth.

To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood, 6 and has made || us to be a kingdom and priests to serve His God and Father—to Him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

|| 7 “Look, He is coming with the clouds,”?    and “every eye will see Him,?even those who pierced Him”;?    and all peoples on earth “will mourn

because of Him.”? So shall it be! Amen.

|| 8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1, NIV)

You see, before Jesus ever gets into what is going on in the individual churches, He states His purpose, His position, and His authority. He wants to make it very clear exactly who is giving and sharing this revelation. In just a few verses, John reminds us of whom Jesus is and why He alone has the authority to speak to His church. John says: