## 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:
Jesus is. Jesus was. And Jesus is to come.
He is the Faithful Witness.
He is the Firstborn from the dead.
He is the Ruler of the kings of the earth.
In many ways, all of Scripture is summarized in those declarations—who Jesus is, what He has done, and why He alone has authority.
You see, Jesus is living today. He always has been, even before there was time. He always will be, even after time ceases.
He is the Faithful Witness. Jesus came to bring to us first-hand accounts of God Himself — to be a witness to God’s mercy, God’s grace, and most importantly God’s love. Jesus is the only one who has ever been with God, who came to share with us the first-hand knowledge He had of His Father.
In our day, if we ever wanted a witness to an event, we want someone who was actually there, who could explain and share what they personally saw.
Jesus does not speak about God from a distance. He speaks as One who came from the Father and reveals the Father.
Jesus is there. He was there. And He will always be there.
But Jesus was also the Firstborn from the dead. In the gospels, we see Jesus several times bringing the dead back to life — people like Lazarus (John 11:1-44), the widow of Nain’s only son (Luke 7:11-17), and Jairus’ daughter (Matthew 9:18-26). But unlike these three, Jesus would never die again. Those whom Jesus raised returned to mortal life. Jesus rose to eternal life. Jesus is the firstborn from the dead, never to suffer death again.
He has the power to overcome death — to remove our sin — to give us the promise and hope of eternal life. Only Jesus has that kind of power and authority.
And Jesus rules over all. The world is kept by His power. The seasons continue to change by His authority. Life continues because He is the source of all life.
Before Jesus gets to what was going on in the churches, He level sets it all. He is the foundation upon which everything is. The church can only listen rightly when it remembers who Jesus is.
So before there is correction in the letters, there is revelation.
Before there is instruction, there is assurance.
## 2. The Blessing of Listening
In verse 3, John calls out the response we should have to this revelation of Jesus Christ. After all, the whole point of the revelation of Jesus is to listen to what Jesus says and allow His Word to shape and transform our lives.
And John says that when we listen and act upon what we have heard, there will be blessings.
Verse 3, again reads:?
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. (Revelation 1, NIV)
This verse becomes the lens through which we will base our entire study. This is what we are called to do after hearing the message of the revelation.
And there are three blessings about which John speaks:
### 1. Blessed Is the One Who Reads
Originally, these letters would have been distributed to each of the seven churches. A leader in the church would stand before the congregation and read the letter aloud to those who were present.
John says that this reader is blessed.
But it goes beyond just the person reading scripture before the congregation. It is also very personal. Blessed is the one who reads God’s word — who has intentional engagement with God’s Word daily.
We cannot know God’s revelation apart from the Word, because the Word IS God’s revelation to us.
Renewal comes from getting into the Word.
Blessings come from letting the entirety Word of God flow over, through, and around us each and every day.
### 2. Blessed Are Those Who Hear
“He who has an ear, let him hear.”
A phrase that is repeated throughout the New Testament.
A phrase that reminds us that God has always been more concerned with listening hearts than hearing ears.
You see, each time, it is a call to not just let the words go into our ears. We are not to do what my grandpa always said — let it go in one ear and out the other. No, it is a call to truly listen — to internalize — to accept and believe what is being said. Each time Jesus made this statement, He has given us something challenging to consider — lessons He taught in His parables, warnings about what was to come, calls to faithfulness, and calls to endurance.
Not everyone who hears the truth understands it. But blessed are those who do.
Are we humble enough to listen?
God is speaking. Are we listening? We are blessed if we do.
### 3. Blessed Are Those Who Heed
It’s not enough, though to just read and hear, even understand. The message of God must make a change in our lives.
John says blessed are those who heed the Word that has and will be spoken. Blessed are those who respond to the message.
Blessed are those who obey.
Blessed are those who repent.
Blessed are those who live out the Word faithfully.
Blessed are those who are transformed by the Word that they have received. This letter of the revelation of Jesus is not a bunch of speculation. It is about transformation.
### **Series Refrain**
As we work through these seven letters to these seven churches over the next few weeks, let us keep these three blessings in mind. Blessed are those who:
Read it.
Hear it.
Heed it.
Revelation was given not to inform the curious, but to transform the faithful.
## 3. Why These Seven Churches?
As we continue reading the letter from Jesus through John, we see John’s instructions spelled out:
9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 11 || which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.” (Revelation 1, NIV)
Now why did Jesus pick out these seven churches?
Commentators make all kinds of suggestions around why. Some of the common thoughts are these.
### A. These were real churches with real struggles.
Each of these churches is mentioned elsewhere in the New Testament. Some of which Paul would have visited. Some had a special place in John’s heart.
But by the time John was receiving this revelation and writing it down, being exiled on the island of Patmos, these churches were beginning to come under fire from the Romans. Persecution was ramping up. Cultural pressures were squeezing them on every side.
They were facing temptation, fear, compromise, and weariness.
These are many of the same things that churches today are feeling.
Stand up for the Word of God, and the church is called names. Speaking up for the right brings cultural condemnation. The temptation to give in and give up grows and the pressure to surrender mounts with each passing day.
These letters could have just as well be written to the church today. Truth be told, Jesus’ message to these churches was written for us today.
### B. These churches form a connected circle.
These churches were basically a central hub in what is today known as Turkey. If you were traveling in this region, making the round trip from Ephesus to Laodicea was a natural journey. There were some other outlying churches that were within walking distance of these seven churches. The letters would have easily been circulated among these churches.
It would have reminded these churches that they were not standing alone — isolated in a dark world. They belonged to something greater — the global church of Jesus. Jesus never intended His church to face pressure alone.
### C. The number Seven as completeness.
Another thought stems from the repetitive importance of the number seven in the revelation. Seven figuratively means wholeness, completeness, and perfection.
Many suggest, and rightly so, that these letters were never meant only for these seven churches. In reality, they were given for the whole church, the collective church.
Just as all of scripture has been given to us, and still speaks to us today, these letters were Jesus speaking to these individual churches, but was also speaking to the church across all time.
**Key idea:**
It really does not matter why Jesus chose to call out these seven churches. These letters still speak with clarity today, because Jesus still speaks to His church.
## IV. Remembering Our Place
John continues in the letter to explain the vision that he is seeing. Picking up in verse 12, John describes what he sees:
12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as || white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in || all its brilliance.
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and || Hades.
19 “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. 20 The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven || lampstands are the seven churches. (Revelation 1, NIV)
What an amazing and most powerful description of our risen Lord Jesus!
In that description, we see that Jesus is walking among the seven lampstands that are used to represent the seven churches that will be receiving a letter.
Additionally, Jesus is holding in His hand the angels or messengers for each of the seven churches.
This is a powerful picture that reminds us of an important truth: we are the lampstands. We are not the light.
Let me say that again — the church is the lampstand. The candlestick.
We are not the lamp. We are not the candle. We are not the light.
We are here to reflect and share the light.
Jesus alone is the light of the world.
As the church, we are to reflect and carry Jesus’ light into the darkness of the world.
It often feels, though, that the church sometimes has forgotten our place. We begin to think that we are the light. We try to replace Jesus with good vibes. Or we try to hide the light altogether.
When that happens, we risk having the light removed from our stand—not because Jesus is cruel, but because the church has forgotten its purpose.
It also reminds us that Jesus is always walking among us. He is always with us. Always. In the times of struggle. In the times of success. In the times of persecution. In the times of celebration. He is always here.
At the core, this picture of Jesus walking among the churches, being the light we are to reflect, reminds us that faithfulness matters more than size.
Obedience matters more than influence.
Dependence on Him matters more than programs and presentations.
Listening matters more than survival strategies.
The church reflects the light best when it listens closely to the One who is walking among it.
## V. Why Do This Study Now?
And, that is a very good question.
As we have started a new year, as we said a few weeks ago, this is traditionally a time where we re-evaluate our focus, our motives, our lives.
And while I do not believe we need resolutions to make needed changes, we do need times of reflection and renewal.
And when you look at where our world is today, as a church we can always use a little encouragement.
Over the next few weeks, we are going to be reminded that:
Jesus still knows His church
Jesus still walks among His church
Jesus still speaks to His church
As we study these seven churches, we are not going to be pointing fingers.
I pray, instead, that we will open our ears and our hearts.
Renewal does not begin with answers. It begins with listening.
I pray that we will remember to listen again—together.
## CONCLUSION: The Call to Listen
This letter of revelation was written to seven churches, but it was never meant only for seven churches.
They are the words of Jesus to His church—then and now.
They were spoken to churches under pressure.
They were spoken to churches facing fear, fatigue, compromise, and uncertainty.
They were spoken to churches trying to remain faithful in a difficult world.
And they are spoken to us.
Throughout this opening chapter of Revelation, we have been reminded of something essential:
Before Jesus corrects His church, He reveals Himself to His church.
Before He instructs, He assures.
Before He speaks about what the church is doing, He reminds the church of who He is.
He is the One who is, and who was, and who is to come.
He is the Faithful Witness.
He is the Firstborn from the dead.
He is the Ruler of the kings of the earth.
And He is walking among His churches.
The promise of Revelation is not that the church will be perfect.
The promise is that Jesus is present.
The promise is that Jesus speaks.
The promise is that Jesus still cares deeply for His church.
And the blessing, Scripture tells us, does not come to those who argue about His words. It does not come to those who analyze them from a distance. It comes to those who are willing to listen.
### **Weekly Hook**
The question is not, “What kind of church are we?”
The question is, “Are we listening to what Jesus is saying to His church?”
Over the coming weeks, we will hear words of encouragement. We will hear words of warning. We will hear words that challenge us. And we will hear words that comfort us.
But if we are willing to listen—
If we are willing to open our ears and our hearts—
If we are willing not just to read and hear, but to heed—
Then renewal is possible.
Because Jesus still speaks to His church.
And the church that listens is the church that is renewed.
So may we be a people who are blessed—
Blessed as we read His Word.
Blessed as we hear His voice.
And blessed as we heed what He says.
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
