The Message to the Churches
Chapter two and three of Revelations addresses letters to the seven churches in Asia. Many volumes of books have been written about the meanings behind these letters and what these historic churches symbolize. These letters serve as examples to be praised, failures to avoid, instructions for the believer and consequences for neglecting God’s purpose. When instructing the churches, Jesus followed the same pattern I am using to break down this study. He praised the churches for what was in order, He pointed out their areas of disobedience, He instructed with promises of their eternal reward and then warned against neglect that leads to failure. God never has allowed a middle ground. There are only two ways. Obedience to righteousness or sin unto death (Romans 6:16). There is no such thing as partial obedience. Either we trust God and submit or we don’t believe God and live in disobedience. When we obey, we do so out of faith, not obligation. True obedience is always out of faith. I obey because I believe His promises and know that His plan for my life is perfect. I believe His word completely – both the promises and the judgement. Disobedience is the opposite. I willfully choose a sinful lifestyle because I don’t believe God will keep His promises to satisfy and fulfill my life and I don’t believe He will really judge my actions. From the beginning, God has always given the same instruction – choose the blessing or the curse. In God’s presence is fullness of joy and at His right hand are pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11). Or choose as Psalm 112 warns, the wicked shall be grieved, he shall gnash his teeth and melt away and he will see his desires perish. Deuteronomy lays the groundwork of God’s principle of choice. Deuteronomy 11:
26 " Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse:
27 "the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you today;
28 "and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known.
Instead of breaking down this study to examine each church, I am going to examine these four areas of instruction – Praise, Failure, Instruction, and Rewards or Consequences.
Praise
Jesus praises the churches that are striving to fulfill His commands. If you take the time to read Revelation chapter 2 and 3 you will notice that not all of the churches receive praise for their efforts. Jesus straightway warns the churches that are living in total neglect of their purpose. The churches and people that are trying to live the Christian life are praised and then instructed. The instruction is necessary because it is far too easy to lose sight of the reason we have our faith and lose sight of the purpose of God’s call. I believe this is why Jesus always begins with praise for those living for Him. Here is what you are doing right but to fulfill the call these forgotten areas need new focus. We can’t see God’s plan. We can only see our narrow point of view. The word of God was written to be our guide so we are directed to God’s purpose. I can’t see how trials, events and benefits fit together until after the fact. For that reason, I have to trust God if I am to stay the course. God honors our efforts to please Him and directs us to His purpose. God knows that we are finite and shortsighted. Because of our human limitations, we can only see the command but often can’t see the reason behind it.
To encourage the church to continue the race, Jesus begins with praise for what is being done. The church is praised for its works, labor, patience, intolerance of those who are evil, testing those who claim to be God’s messengers and apostles, perseverance, and especially for enduring persecution and not denying His faith (vs. 2:2-3, 13, 19, and 3:10). Every deed, sacrifice, suffering and act that is done in faith and love for Christ will be rewarded and will not go unnoticed. Jesus said that what God sees in secret, will be rewarded openly (Matthew 6:4). God measures success differently that the world. It is easy to think that good works have to be seen, but God says that when we receive praise for our works, we have our reward already. God rewards labor that is done out of love and not for fanfare. The same is true for wealth. In Revelation 2:9, Jesus said, “I know…your poverty, but you are rich”. Then in 3:17 Jesus condemns the Laodicean church by saying, “you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing' -- and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked”. The Smyrna church was suffering from tribulation and poverty, but God praised them and called them rich in spite of the poverty. The Laodicean church was comfortable, wealthy and at ease and God called them wretched, poor, miserable, blind, and naked. Laodicea was living for the ‘here and now’ but Smyrna was living for the hope of heaven and the eternal rewards of God. Those with an eternal perspective are always praiseworthy and those who love the world are always under condemnation (1 John 2:15).
Failure
As mentioned earlier, it is essential to point out the failure so that correction can be made. Failure due to neglect and disregard for God’s word are condemned. We live in a culture that is offendiphobic. There is a fear of offending anyone. So much so that we would rather let someone die and go to hell than to risk sharing the hope of salvation and being called intolerant or offensive. Only those believers and churches willing to take a stand and be beacons of light will make an impact on this culture. The so-called tolerant churches are having little if any impact on our culture. Those who obey the command to share the truth while also obeying the command to ‘pursue peace with all men’, will see God open the doors and work through their ministries. To be effective we always must align ourselves and our churches with the purpose God is blessing. If a church departs from God’s will, the door will be closed. If a church seeks God first and then seeks to fulfill His will, the door will be opened. Look at Revelation 2:7-8:
7 " And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ' These things says He who is holy, He who is true, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens":
8 "I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.
Those who “have kept His word and not denied His name” will have the open door. Those are the people and churches that will make an impact. They may not be liked, but God will open the door. Even persecution and war against the church cannot shut the door God opens. Those who don’t stand on His word and deny His name through their actions and disbelief will not see God’s hand working.
The failures of these churches were – and still are – they left their first love; allowed the gospel to be polluted by false doctrines; and lukewarm Christianity.
You have left your first love.
Look at Revelation 2:
4 "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
5 "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place -- unless you repent.
Love comes from the word agape. Agape is unconditional, self-giving, sacrificial love. Agape is always a reference to God’s love. Whenever we see the English word ‘love’ given as a command in scripture, it is agape. The other words we translate into love are Philia, which means warm affection or friendship and Eros, which means passion. Eros is never translated as love in the scriptures, but in the English language we call Eros love. God’s love is a command because we must allow God to love through us. We are not capable of agape love outside of God’s will. We are to become conduits of God’s love and this love becomes a willful choice. We love God because we choose to submit to His love.
First in this passage means ‘first in rank’. This church was praised because they were doing the work God called them to do and their actions showed that they were careful to do all they had been commanded. They were patient; they labored; they did not tolerate evil; and they tested those who presented doctrine. However, they failed to put God first. The works became more important than their Savior. God was not first place in their hearts. They forgot the most important commandment ever given. In Matthew 22 we are told:
37 Jesus said to him, “ 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'
38 “This is the first and great commandment.”
The only works that honor God is what is done out of self-giving love for God. Self-serving works mean little. When God shows us that we have drifted from that agape love for Him, we are commanded to remember from where we have fallen and repent. We put God in His rightful place – first in our life.
Lukewarm Christianity
Revelation 3:
15 "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.
16 "So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
17 "Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing' -- and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked --
18 "I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
19 "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.
The Bible warns that in the last days many in the church will have a form of godliness but denying its power. Jesus warned that a lukewarm church would not be tolerated but would be ‘vomited out of His mouth’. A cold church is one that is living in complete opposition to scripture. There is no doubt where they stand. A person who is cold and not living by any scriptural standard can come to the knowledge that they are living without hope in Christ, be convicted and repent. A person on fire for God is living their life for God’s purpose and the hope of their future home in Heaven. But the lukewarm person is not living for God and because they have religion they can’t see their sins because everything can be easily justified. They can always do a deed here and there to make themselves feel spiritual. The lukewarm person or church has just enough godliness to feel spiritual so they don’t see any need to pursue God. Anyone who is at room temperature is dead.
(End of Part I)
