A. Revelation 1:4-6 (READ)
1. One letter, seven churches.
a. Although for the next seven weeks our study will be taken from the Book of Revelation, this will not
be a sermon series on John’s Revelation.
COMMENT:
Even though I have TAUGHT the Book of Revelation several times, I will not PREACH the BOOK itself—mainly because I prefer to TEACH it in a CLASSROOM setting where people can ask
questions.
b. That being said, I do think it is necessary to give an INTRODUCTION to the book as it relates to our study on “THE CHURCH” beginning with the Seven Churches of Asia.
2. The book is written by a man named “John”, which most scholars believe to be the Apostle John.
a. John at this time is in his middle to late 70’s (maybe even older), and he is the LAST living
APOSTLE—all the others have been MARTYRED.
b. John, however, is not RELAXING somewhere on the BEACH of the Sea of Galilee enjoying his
RETIREMENT, he has been EXILED to an ISLAND called “Patmos” by the Roman EMPEROR,
which I believe to be Caesar Vespasian—the same emperor that destroyed Jerusalem in AD 70.
c. Revelation 1:9 (READ and COMMENT)
COMMENT:
The Island of Patmos was a Roman PRISON COLONY where POLITICAL DISSIDENTS and CRIMINALS were BANISHED (PHOTO).
Patmos was a small, barren rocky island that is roughly 10 miles long and about six miles wide LOCATED in the Aegean Sea just a little over 62 miles from the COAST of Ephesus. The Roman historian Tacitus described the sea and the shores around Patmos as “thickly strewn with [the bodies of] exiles … the crags stained with the blood of victims.”
According to Sir William Ramsay, renowned historian, archaeologist and expert on Asia Minor, “John’s banishment would be preceded by scourging, marked by perpetual fetters, scanty clothing, insufficient food, sleep on the bare ground, a dark prison and work under the lash of the military overseer.”
Whether or not John at his advanced AGE was forced to do HARD LABOR, the conditions of the PRISON ISLAND was far from HOSPITABLE.
B. John tells us that the REASON he is there is because of “the Word of God and Testimony of Jesus”.
1. John as the OLDEST living Christian was still PREACHING the Word of God and telling others about
Jesus Christ.
COMMENT:
All of John’s COMPANIONS—his fellow-Apostles and brother James—had been EXECUTED for PREACHING Jesus, but that did not DETER him from sharing the GOOD NEWS of Christ to anyone who would LISTEN—even if it meant BANISHMENT far from HOME, FAMILY and FRIENDS.
Although John’s BANISHMENT was to SILENCE his PREACHING of the Gospel, God was still using John to get the MESSAGE of the Triumphant Christ out to the CHURCHES.
2. One Sunday—“the Lord’s Day”—as John is WORSHIPPING God, he HEARS a loud VOICE like the
sound of a TRUMPET speak to him- Revelation 1:10-11 (READ and COMMENT)
a. The trumpeting VOICE says to John, “I want you to WRITE a LETTER to each of the Seven
Churches of Asia: “Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.”
b. These CITIES are located in Asia Minor—modern-day Turkey (MAP). You can VISIT their RUINS
still today.
c. But why SEVEN? Why not 3 or 5 or 10? There were a lot more churches in Asia Minor than just
these SEVEN.
COMMENT:
If you’ve studied the Book of Revelation, you would know that NUMEROLOGY is an important part of the BOOK, with each NUMBER having specific meanings. The number SEVEN is the number of COMPLETENESS. And, therefore, the reference of “SEVEN CHURCHES” could very well
ENCOMPASS the CHURCH as a WHOLE.
Every CHURCH that had been ESTABLISHED since the inception of the CHURCH on the Day of Pentecost in A.D. 33 can BENEFIT from the MESSAGES to these SEVEN CHURCHES—including every CHURCH in the 21st Century—thus, the reason for this SERMON SERIES.
3. But who is the MESSENGER? Whose TRUMPETING VOICE is speaking to John?
a. We know it’s the TRIUMPHANT Christ, but He is unlike Jesus Christ—the Messiah—that we read
about in the GOSPELS.
b. So let’s take a closer look at the MESSENGER and His MESSAGE to the CHURCHES.
MESSAGE:
I. THE MESSENGER
A. Although this is Christ speaking to John, this is not the same Jesus that you and I IMAGINE.
1. When we think of Jesus, we envision the TINY BABY in the MANGER or the LOWLY CARPENTER
going around FEEDING the hungry, HEALING the sick, WASHING feet. Some still ENVISION
Jesus helplessly HANGING on a CROSS.
COMMENT:
What John is getting ready to DESCRIBE is not in the same FORM as the Christ that he faithfully FOLLOWED in Galilee for three years. This is the TRIUMPHANT Christ who is ready to WAR against the ENEMIES of His church.
2. When John finally TURNS to see the ONE who had been SPEAKING to him, he is PETRIFIED-
Revelation 1:12-17a (READ and COMMENT).
a. How would you REACT if you saw what John saw?
COMMENT:
He sees Jesus like he had never seen BEFORE in all of His MAGNIFICENT GLORY. His FACE shined like the BRILLIANCE of the SUN. His HAIR is solid WHITE. His EYES were like BLAZING FIRE. His FEET like burnished BRONZE (symbol of judgement). And a DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD was protruding from his MOUTH (“the Word of God”- Hebrews 4:12).
b. If PEOPLE have a problem LISTENING to the “GENTLE and HUMBLE” Savior as Jesus described Himself in Matthew 11, then prayerfully they will LISTEN and GIVE HEED to the
WORDS of the MIGHTY and POWERFUL Christ of Revelation.
3. John FALLS at the FEET of this MAJESTIC BEING like a DEAD MAN.
B. But then Christ does something that, undoubtedly, was very FAMILIAR and COMFORTING to John.
He REACHES OUT and places his RIGHT HAND on John and says, “Do not be afraid.”
1. Let’s READ ON- Revelation 1:17b-20 (READ and COMMENT)
a. There’s no doubt—this is Jesus the Son of God: the One that LIVED among the people DOING GOOD, the One who was put to DEATH upon the CROSS and ROSE again on the THIRD DAY to LIVE for EVERMORE.
b. Jesus DEFEATED death once and for all, and has the “KEYS of DEATH and Hades” to prove it.
2. Christ holds in his hands “seven STARS and is encircled by seven GOLDEN LAMPSTANDS.”
a. Jesus explains that “the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches…”
COMMENT:
Scholars cannot definitively say who these “angels” are. Some believe that God has placed GUARDIAN ANGELS over every church (I don’t know of any other Scripture reference to such).
The Greek word for “angel” simply means “messenger”, which has led others to believe that these were merely MESSENGERS sent out to deliver John’s REVELATION to the churches of Asia.
However, if you notice, each LETTER is addressed to the “angel” or “messenger” of each church (i.e. “To the angel of the church of Ephesus, write: etc.). Therefore, many scholars tend to believe that each LETTER is actually addressed to the ONE who is appointed to deliver MESSAGES in those churches—the PREACHER (I told my wife that I was an ANGEL, and she didn’t believe me). We do know that Paul refers to Titus and other preachers as being “representatives to the churches”- 2 Corinthians 8:23.
b. Jesus then said that “the seven lampstands are the seven churches.”
COMMENT:
The idea of the church being a “LAMPSTAND” quickly brings to MIND that the church is to
be “the LIGHT of the WORLD” reflecting the LIGHT of Christ.
However, as we STUDY these individual CHURCHES, we will learn that not ALL of them are REFLECTING the LIGHT OF CHRIST and letting their LIGHT SHINE. And, therefore, Jesus threatens to “REMOVE their Lampstand” (the church) unless they REPENT and RETURN to Him.
C. As we study these LETTERS, I want you to keep in MIND whose MESSAGE it is that John is writing to these CHURCHES—that of the MAJESTIC and ALL-POWERFUL Christ who SITS on His THRONE.
II. THE MESSAGE
A. So John is asked by Christ to write a LETTER to the Seven Churches of Asia Minor.
1. Typically, we like getting LETTERS or CARDS or EMAILS from people we LOVE.
a. And to get a LETTER from Jesus . . . how SPECIAL is that?
ILLUSTRATION:
These are LETTERS from Jesus, but they are not what you THINK. Some people are like . . . “Oh, a LOVE LETTER from Jesus. How wonderful.” …ALL SWEET AND LOVEY DOVEY!
b. Well, these are LOVE LETTERS from Jesus, because He CARES for these CHURCHES and every single MEMBER, thereof. In fact, He CARES enough to TELL them NOT what they WANT to HEAR, but what they NEED to HEAR.
COMMENT:
Jesus POINTS OUT the things they are DOING WELL, and ADMONISHES them where they are FALLING SHORT. He COMMENDS those Christians who remain FAITHFUL in their WALK with Him, and CONDEMNS those who FOLLOW the PATH of the WORLD.
c. His MESSAGE is often HARSH, but always HOPEFUL.
2. Christ tells John in v. 19- “Write what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.”
a. Some of these churches were undergoing severe PERSECUTION for their FAITH.
COMMENT:
Jesus urges them to REMAIN strong and faithful despite their SUFFERING, even if it leads to their DEATH. Because it is in DEATH where they will be greatly REWARDED with their HEAVENLY HOME.
b. Furthermore, Christ WARNS them that their SUFFERING will get WORSE before it gets BETTER
COMMENT:
However, Christ’s greatest concern for these churches was not their PHYSICAL SUFFERING, but their SPIRITUAL WALK with Him. The call to “REPENT” will be REPEATED throughout
these LETTERS.
Christ wants every MEMBER of these churches (and every church) to be with Him in HEAVEN, and that’s why He PLEADS with those within His church to “repent and return” to Him.
B. What if Jesus wrote Garfield Christian Church a LETTER, what would He say to us?
1. What would He say about our PASSION for God? What would He say about our FAITH, our
OBEDIENCE, our PERSEVERANCE in TRIALS?
a. Would He say, “Well done!” “Keep up the good work!” “Hang in there!”?
b. Or would He ask, “What’s going on?” “You started out well, but what happened?” “Are you losing your faith?” “Are you being compromised by the culture?” “Are you living more for the world than for Me?”?
2. This SERIES on “THE CHURCH” couldn’t be more RELEVANT for the times in which we LIVE.
COMMENT:
Our WORLD, our NATION is in a state of CULTURAL CHAOS, which has NEGATIVELY
IMPACTED the 21st century church.
a. Christianity is increasingly under ATTACK, while CHRISTIANS are increasingly LEAVING
the FAITH.
b. Some Churches today have replaced CONVICTION with COMPROMISE, as their LEADERS and many of their MEMBERS progressively LOOK more like the WORLD than like JESUS.
3. The MESSAGE to the Seven Churches of Asia is the same MESSAGE that Christ wants us to HEAR
and OBEY today.
COMMENT:
So, as we delve into this series on “THE CHURCH” and take an honest look at the SEVEN CHURCHES and, more importantly, the GARFIELD CHRISTIAN CHURCH, remember that the MESSAGE is not from ME but from the One who STANDS among the CHURCHES and speaks the TRUTH out of LOVE for His BRIDE that He left on this EARTH for us, and will one day RETURN to CLAIM her.
CONCLUSION:
A. The underlying theme of each LETTER from Jesus to the SEVEN CHURCHES is: “I LOVE YOU!”
1. Even as Jesus WEPT over the city of Jerusalem because of their refusal to turn to Him, He WEEPS for His
CHURCH.
a. We will see in this study how PATIENT Jesus is with these CHURCHES despite the IDOLATRY, the IMMORALITY, the FAITHLESSNESS, the COMPLACENCY of many of those who MAKE UP these CHURCHES.
b. And Jesus Christ is still PATIENT today.
2. 2 Peter 3:9- “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
a. Peter wrote these words because some Christians were wondering if the Lord was really going to
RETURN for His CHURCH—His BRIDE, and, if so, WHEN?
COMMENT:
Only 30 years or so had passed since Jesus ASCENDED to Heaven, and they’re wondering when will He RETURN. It has now been nearly 2,000 YEARS since Christ’s ASCENSION, and He is yet to RETURN. . . . Tell me that He’s not PATIENT with us!
b. But REVELATION reveals that there is a TIME coming when Christ quits being PATIENT, and will JUDGE those who REFUSE to REPENT and RETURN to Him.
COMMENT:
Brothers and sisters, if you have any INFLUENCE over ANYONE who is NO LONGER coming to WORSHIP or have completely TURNED AWAY from Christ and LIVING for the WORLD, will you please INVITE them to come HEAR these MESSAGES from Christ to the SEVEN CHURCHES or, at least, LISTEN to THEM when I email out the AUDIO RECORDINGS?
PLEAD with them, if you must. And, most certainly, PRAY for them, because these MESSAGES from Christ to the SEVEN CHURCHES are ETERNALLY IMPORTANT!
