The One Who Walks Among The Lampstands (Revelation 2-3) Series

He Who Walks Among the Lampstands (Revelation 2-3)

Good morning. Please open your Bibles to Revelation 2.

If you stayed for our lunch and learn last Sunday, you heard from Larry Hyche, who talked to parents and students about some of the defining characteristics of the different generations. And as I've processed this week, I noticed something pretty amazing— a common thread that is running through every generation. And here it is:

In every generation, a blue cartoon dog rises up to guide that generation through its childhood.

Think about it: If you are a Boomer, you had Huckleberry Hound. He taught you to hum your way through life, and to not be ashamed of your Southern accent.

If you are a Millenial or Gen Z, Blue taught you how to sit down in your thinking chair and think, think, think.

Gen Alpha, you actually got two: Chase from Paw Patrol— no problem too big, no pup too small (though if you are a purist, you’ll argue that only Chase’s uniform is blue, not Chase himself.) But no worries. You also have Bluey, who reminds you that your family is always there for you.

Now you notice that GenX didn’t get a blue dog. Gen X just got… Scooby-Doo.

And come to think of it, that’s kind of on-brand for us. No cool headquarters like Paw Patrol. No comfy home like Blue. No siblings or parental figures like Bluey— just a bunch of latchkey kids, piled into a creepy van, wandering around in the dark and bumping into monsters that turned out to be adults wearing masks.

No wonder we have trust issues.

And maybe that’s why our generation in particular has leaned into the idea of Revelation as one big mystery to be solved, full of monsters we bump into in every chapter.

But instead of squinting blindly at Revelation like Velma when she loses her glasses, we ought to look at it like Steve and Blue from Blue’s Clues. Because in every episode, Mailbox pops through the window and delivers a letter to Steve and Blue. And they sing— “We just got a letter… wonder who its from?”

And that’s the book of Revelation! In Revelation 2 and 3, seven churches just got a letter—from Jesus Himself. And every one of those letters ends the same way:

‘Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

So today we’re opening the mail. We’re going to look at the letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2-3. Then we’re going to sit down in our thinking chairs and think, think, think. Because each of these seven letters has a word of wisdom for our church now. And the focus isn’t just on the letters—it’s on the One who sent them.

You’ll notice when you look at these letters that they follow a distinct and similar pattern:

• A description of Christ drawn from Revelation 1

• A word of commendation — what they are doing right

• A Criticism for what they are doing wrong (“I have this against you”)

• A correction— an action step for how to get back on track

• A consequence if they fail to make the correction

• A promise for the church that overcomes.

Now, there are two churches that Jesus doesn’t have anything bad to say about, and one church that He doesn’t have anything good to say about. But all seven letters contain the phrase, Whoever has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Raise your hand if you have ears. Great. So this is for you. Let’s stand if you are able to honor the reading of God’s Word. We will read the first one so you can see the pattern.

1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. [Christ, and here’s the commendation]] 2 “ ‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, [here’s the criticism] that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; [correction] repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.[consequence] 6 Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. [Finally, look at the conquering promise] To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’