Revelation 2, 3 May 31, 2009
Summer Sermon Series on
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, Part 2
“What the Spirit is Saying to the Churches”
Rev. Meagan M. Boozer
We are in the second week of a summer-long sermon series on the book of Revelation. Last week we looked together at the amazing first chapter, noting that the words in this book are from Jesus, given to the apostle John (while exiled on the Island of Patmos) to write down, for the seven churches in Asia (modern day Turkey). The churches are individually named in verse 11, “Write in a book what you see and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamum, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.” Today, we are going to read what was written specifically about each church listed. Though many weeks of sermons could be preached about what is written to each church individually, we can learn some really important things by combining them – for there are some basic similarities that make for challenging and inspiring lessons for us today.
Let us pray: O Lord of all Creation, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we praise you. We thank you. We bow before you and seek your merciful words of instruction. Silence the distracting voices, stop our wandering minds, focus us as we didn’t know possible, so that your church would be refined by the holy fire of your Spirit. Let us have ears to listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
I want to begin this morning by reminding us of the list of beautiful, wonderful, strong descriptors that John used in chapter 1 as He introduced the real author of the Revelation, Jesus Christ:
the author of grace and peace,
the faithful witness,
the first-born of the dead,
ruler of kings on earth,
the one who loves us
the one who has set us free from our sins by His blood,
the one who has made us a kingdom, priests, to His God and Father,
the one to whom belongs all glory and dominion forever,
the one who is coming again
the Alpha, the Omega, the Beginning, the End, who is, who was, and who is to come,
the Almighty.
Jesus instructs John to send the whole book to the seven churches. So, let’s remember that. Earlier in the New Testament we have letters that were sent to particular churches, like the church in Corinth, or Philippi, or Rome. Jesus instructs John to send the whole book to the seven churches. Each congregation will read what Jesus has to say about their own church, and what he has to say about the other 6 churches – and they will have in their hands all that was written to the last words of chapter 22, “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.”
On Thursday we had a ministerium meeting. There are seven pastors who are active with the local ministerium, and all but one was able to come to the meeting on Thursday. As I was preparing for this message I wondered how we would have reacted if at that meeting someone came into the library and announced that they had a delivery for us. What if this person put a stack of paper in front of each of us on the table and then simply left the room? What would we do? We’d start leafing through the pages, of course – talking among ourselves – wondering out loud where these pages had come from, and why they were delivered to us - maybe even joking, kidding, while we started to read. However, the mood might change dramatically as our hearts were quickened by the Holy Spirit. And who knows what the atmosphere in the room might be when we got to verse 11 and read, “Write in a book what you see and send it to the seven churches, to Amberson U.M., to Shady Pine, to Dry Run Church of the Brethren, to Lower Path Valley Presbyterian, to the Lower United Methodist Parish, to the Upper United Methodist Parish, and to Upper Path Valley Presbyterian.” Would we even be able to breathe at that point? Would we already be on our knees praying for mercy? Or would we begin to say cynical things like, “Come on, where is this really coming from? What kind of a stunt is someone trying to pull?” But my guess is that we would keep reading, because we wouldn’t be able to simply walk away from something that started with, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place.”
Now, having considered being put in their position, let’s read the letters to the 7 churches. I want you to notice several things as we read:
Each letter begins with references to John’s descriptions of his vision from Jesus in chapter 1.
In each letter, the angel (the messenger) of the church is addressed.
In each letter the people are told that Jesus knows who they are and where they are.
In each letter, there are three parts: a statement about the church, an urging to transformation, and a promise.
In each letter, the word conquer (overcome) is used, and becomes a call to repentance.
The Message to Ephesus
1“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands:
2“I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance. I know that you cannot tolerate evildoers; you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them to be false. 3I also know that you are enduring patiently and bearing up for the sake of my name, and that you have not grown weary. 4But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5Remember then from what you have fallen; 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. 6Yet this is to your credit: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To everyone who conquers, I will give permission to eat from the tree of life that is in the paradise of God.
Ephesus was a stronghold for idol worship in those days. The Nicolaitans are those identified as immoral, who worship idols, and hold to the teachings of Balaam. Balaam, as a sorcerer and as a false prophet becomes a continual symbol in Revelation of false teaching. Believers in Ephesus were sliding, or maybe had already hit bottom, having moved away from the truth they had first believed about Jesus. Perhaps they had become “too cool, or too intelligent” to believe something primarily by faith. Perhaps their murky living had gradually pulled the veil over the clear teachings they had heard when they first heard the truth about Jesus.
Here’s a scenario painted in Earl Palmer’s commentary on Revelation for us: The “Ephesus problem” happens quietly and by gradual, imperceptible shifts of focus. It might happen like this: Perhaps a man or woman is united with the Christian church because of having discovered and believed in Jesus Christ and His love. After a few years of being a Christian, tht person becomes a leader in the church with very heavy responsibilities for the fellowship. But something happens along the way. That person who, because of giftedness and hard work may now stand at the vortex of church politics and decision-making, experiences a subtle shift in style of life. That person is adrift as a disciple and finds himself or herself motivated and nourished by the organization or by controversy or by ambition to hold power. The first love has been replaced while perhaps no one was aware of the replacement. The first love has been abandoned and in its place is the starchy, high cholesterol diet of activity and church work that will never nourish the human soul.”
Now, some might hear that and think, “That’s what I’m talkin’ about. That’s why I won’t become a member of this or any church, or why I won’t agree to serve as a leader when I’m asked. I don’t want to lose my first love. I don’t want to be distracted by the work of the church.”
Here’s what I think Jesus is doing in each of these letters: Jesus is throwing cold water on something that’s been sleeping. “Wake up! he calls.” “Pay attention!”
It’s like this: Let’s say you had a hotdog for lunch. On your hotdog, you had ketchup. Let’s say you ate at 12:30 p.m., then you go back to work, or go to several stores to do errands. At 4:45 someone says to you, “Hey, did you know that you have ketchup on your face?” “What? Where?” You find a mirror. There it is: a big red smear on your cheek. How many people saw that since 12:30 and inwardly (or outwardly) laughed at you? How many could have told you about it? But only one cared enough to say, “Hey, did you know you have a mess on your face?”
Jesus loves the church. He died giving birth to the church – a community of people filled with the power of the Spirit to overcome the power of evil in the world - who would share his love with those walking in darkness. Jesus hates that the church is laughed at because of the messes we make. But because of his love for the church, he loves it enough to tell us what we’re doing wrong, if we will have ears to hear.
The Message to Smyrna
8“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of the first and the last, who was dead and came to life:
9“I know your affliction and your poverty, even though you are rich. I know the slander on the part of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Beware, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have affliction. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Whoever conquers will not be harmed by the second death.
The Message to Pergamum
12“And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword:
13“I know where you are living, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you are holding fast to my name, and you did not deny your faith in me ◙ even in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan lives. 14But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the people of Israel, so that they would eat food sacrificed to idols and practice fornication. 15So you also have some who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16Repent then. If not, I will come to you soon and make war against them with the sword of my mouth. 17Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To everyone who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give a white stone, and on the white stone is written a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it.
The Message to Thyatira
18“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze:
19“I know your works—your love, faith, service, and patient endurance. I know that your last works are greater than the first. 20But I have this against you: you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet and is teaching and beguiling my servants to practice fornication and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 21I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her fornication. 22Beware, I am throwing her on a bed, and those who commit adultery with her I am throwing into great distress, unless they repent of her doings; 23and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am the one who searches minds and hearts, and I will give to each of you as your works deserve.
I want to stop here for a couple of minutes. This is a troubling one, isn’t it? Well, obviously the prophetess Jezebel was around this church in Thyatira – and she was a false prophet. The imagery of being “in bed” with this prophetess is probably literal and symbolic. The words are harsh – but who else but someone who loves you fiercely will tell you the truth? Is Jesus trying to “scare” the believers into obedience? Personally, I don’t think Jesus is “into” scare tactics. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. He is the truth – and knowing and walking in his way brings freedom in our lives – freedom from fear and internal chaos. Jesus tells the truth. If you are led astray by false prophets, and literally allow their teaching to “lie with you,” to “get into you,” you’re going to suffer beyond what your imagination can consider. It’s called tough love. Jesus is very good at tough love – because after he toughly reveals the sin, he opens the door in love.
24But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call ‘the deep things of Satan,’ to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden; 25only hold fast to what you have until I come. 26To everyone who conquers and continues to do my works to the end,
I will give authority over the nations;
27 to rule them with an iron rod,
as when clay pots are shattered—
28even as I also received authority from my Father. To the one who conquers I will also give the morning star. 29Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
The Message to Sardis
1“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars:
“I know your works; you have a name of being alive, but you are dead. 2Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is on the point of death, for I have not found your works perfect in the sight of my God. 3Remember then what you received and heard; obey it, and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. (Remember that I said in the beginning that for each church, Jesus clearly indicates that he “knows them?” Sardis has an odd history. Twice, it was totally surprised and humiliated by military defeat. On both occasions, the city was taken by surprise in a nighttime attack by soldiers who quietly scaled the steep fortress walls of the city. The people of Sardis would know exactly what Jesus means when he talks about coming like an unexpected thief.) 4Yet you have still a few persons in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes; they will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5If you conquer, you will be clothed like them in white robes, and I will not blot your name out of the book of life; I will confess your name before my Father and before his angels. 6Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
The Message to Philadelphia
7“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
These are the words of the holy one, the true one,
who has the key of David,
who opens and no one will shut,
who shuts and no one opens:
8“I know your works. Look, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but are lying—I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. 10Because you have kept my word of patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth. 11I am coming soon; hold fast to what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. 12If you conquer, I will make you a pillar in the temple of my God; you will never go out of it. I will write on you the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem that comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. 13Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
The Message to Laodicea
14“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the origin of God’s creation:
15“I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot. 16So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17For you say, ‘I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing.’ You do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 18Therefore I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich; and white robes to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen; and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. 19I reprove and discipline those whom I love. Be earnest, therefore, and repent. 20Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me. 21To the one who conquers I will give a place with me on my throne, just as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”
The Sunday school class I’m leading right now is all about what it means to be lukewarm. Francis Chan, a pastor in California, writes this: “If Jesus just showed up (literally) and said, “Follow me,” with no explanation and no direction, how many of us would follow him? You could follow Him straight up a hill to be crucified. Maybe He would lead you to another country, and you would never see your family again. Or perhaps you would stay put, but He would ask you to spend your time helping people who will never love you back and never show gratitude for what you gave up. Consider this carefully – have you ever done so? Or was your decision to follow Christ flippant, based solely on feelings and emotions, made without counting the cost?
What scares me most are the people who are lukewarm and just don’t care. I think that if I did a poll of readers of this book, many of you would say, “Yeah, I am definitely lukewarm at times, but I’m not really at a place to give more to God.” Many of us believe we have as much of God as we want right now, a reasonable portion of God among all the other things in our lives. Most of our thoughts are centered on the money we want to make, the school we want to attend, the body we aspire to have, the spouse we want to marry, the kind of person we want to become . . . But the fact is that nothing should concern us more than our relationship with God; it’s about eternity, and nothing compares with that. God is not someone who can be tacked on to our lives.”
Jesus says, “Look! I’m standing at the door of your life, and I’m knocking! Don’t tell me you can’t hear me knocking! Every time you go against my instructions, don’t you hear me knocking? Listen! I’m standing at the door, and I’m knocking. I want to come in. I want to sit down and settle in with you. I want to eat with you, and I want you to eat with me. I want us to be in communion with each other.”
Dear friends, I don’t know what Jesus would write specifically to our congregation or to Lower Path. I don’t know what he would write to Shady Pine, or the Methodist churches, or to our Brethren believers. But I know this: we all need more of Jesus. We need to be filled, and refilled with the Holy Spirit.
We all need to repent of the ways we resist freely expressing our love for him,
we all need to repent of the ways we neglect our mission of seeking and saving the lost – often because we hold most dear our own comfort.
We need to take an honest look at our lives and quit blaming others and making excuses for the messes we’re in.
We need to repent.
If we have continually straight-armed the messenger who comes to ask if we would serve the church as a leader, we must examine our hearts, and listen to God’s call.
We need to stop – turn around – and start walking the narrow pathway.
We need to open up our lives and let his holy fire burn away all the dross.
We need to pray for mercy and for the discipline to live holy lives that bring glory to God in every way.
By God’s grace, we need to return to our first love, remembering that we love, because Jesus first loved us.
“Let anyone who has an ear,
listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”
“The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.”
Summer Sermon Series on
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, Part 2
“What the Spirit is Saying to the Churches”
Rev. Meagan M. Boozer
We are in the second week of a summer-long sermon series on the book of Revelation. Last week we looked together at the amazing first chapter, noting that the words in this book are from Jesus, given to the apostle John (while exiled on the Island of Patmos) to write down, for the seven churches in Asia (modern day Turkey). The churches are individually named in verse 11, “Write in a book what you see and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamum, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.” Today, we are going to read what was written specifically about each church listed. Though many weeks of sermons could be preached about what is written to each church individually, we can learn some really important things by combining them – for there are some basic similarities that make for challenging and inspiring lessons for us today.
Let us pray: O Lord of all Creation, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we praise you. We thank you. We bow before you and seek your merciful words of instruction. Silence the distracting voices, stop our wandering minds, focus us as we didn’t know possible, so that your church would be refined by the holy fire of your Spirit. Let us have ears to listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
I want to begin this morning by reminding us of the list of beautiful, wonderful, strong descriptors that John used in chapter 1 as He introduced the real author of the Revelation, Jesus Christ:
the author of grace and peace,
the faithful witness,
the first-born of the dead,
ruler of kings on earth,
the one who loves us
the one who has set us free from our sins by His blood,
the one who has made us a kingdom, priests, to His God and Father,
the one to whom belongs all glory and dominion forever,
the one who is coming again
the Alpha, the Omega, the Beginning, the End, who is, who was, and who is to come,
the Almighty.
Jesus instructs John to send the whole book to the seven churches. So, let’s remember that. Earlier in the New Testament we have letters that were sent to particular churches, like the church in Corinth, or Philippi, or Rome. Jesus instructs John to send the whole book to the seven churches. Each congregation will read what Jesus has to say about their own church, and what he has to say about the other 6 churches – and they will have in their hands all that was written to the last words of chapter 22, “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.”
On Thursday we had a ministerium meeting. There are seven pastors who are active with the local ministerium, and all but one was able to come to the meeting on Thursday. As I was preparing for this message I wondered how we would have reacted if at that meeting someone came into the library and announced that they had a delivery for us. What if this person put a stack of paper in front of each of us on the table and then simply left the room? What would we do? We’d start leafing through the pages, of course – talking among ourselves – wondering out loud where these pages had come from, and why they were delivered to us - maybe even joking, kidding, while we started to read. However, the mood might change dramatically as our hearts were quickened by the Holy Spirit. And who knows what the atmosphere in the room might be when we got to verse 11 and read, “Write in a book what you see and send it to the seven churches, to Amberson U.M., to Shady Pine, to Dry Run Church of the Brethren, to Lower Path Valley Presbyterian, to the Lower United Methodist Parish, to the Upper United Methodist Parish, and to Upper Path Valley Presbyterian.” Would we even be able to breathe at that point? Would we already be on our knees praying for mercy? Or would we begin to say cynical things like, “Come on, where is this really coming from? What kind of a stunt is someone trying to pull?” But my guess is that we would keep reading, because we wouldn’t be able to simply walk away from something that started with, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place.”
Now, having considered being put in their position, let’s read the letters to the 7 churches. I want you to notice several things as we read:
Each letter begins with references to John’s descriptions of his vision from Jesus in chapter 1.
In each letter, the angel (the messenger) of the church is addressed.
In each letter the people are told that Jesus knows who they are and where they are.
In each letter, there are three parts: a statement about the church, an urging to transformation, and a promise.
In each letter, the word conquer (overcome) is used, and becomes a call to repentance.
The Message to Ephesus
1“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands:
2“I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance. I know that you cannot tolerate evildoers; you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them to be false. 3I also know that you are enduring patiently and bearing up for the sake of my name, and that you have not grown weary. 4But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5Remember then from what you have fallen; 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. 6Yet this is to your credit: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To everyone who conquers, I will give permission to eat from the tree of life that is in the paradise of God.
Ephesus was a stronghold for idol worship in those days. The Nicolaitans are those identified as immoral, who worship idols, and hold to the teachings of Balaam. Balaam, as a sorcerer and as a false prophet becomes a continual symbol in Revelation of false teaching. Believers in Ephesus were sliding, or maybe had already hit bottom, having moved away from the truth they had first believed about Jesus. Perhaps they had become “too cool, or too intelligent” to believe something primarily by faith. Perhaps their murky living had gradually pulled the veil over the clear teachings they had heard when they first heard the truth about Jesus.
Here’s a scenario painted in Earl Palmer’s commentary on Revelation for us: The “Ephesus problem” happens quietly and by gradual, imperceptible shifts of focus. It might happen like this: Perhaps a man or woman is united with the Christian church because of having discovered and believed in Jesus Christ and His love. After a few years of being a Christian, tht person becomes a leader in the church with very heavy responsibilities for the fellowship. But something happens along the way. That person who, because of giftedness and hard work may now stand at the vortex of church politics and decision-making, experiences a subtle shift in style of life. That person is adrift as a disciple and finds himself or herself motivated and nourished by the organization or by controversy or by ambition to hold power. The first love has been replaced while perhaps no one was aware of the replacement. The first love has been abandoned and in its place is the starchy, high cholesterol diet of activity and church work that will never nourish the human soul.”
Now, some might hear that and think, “That’s what I’m talkin’ about. That’s why I won’t become a member of this or any church, or why I won’t agree to serve as a leader when I’m asked. I don’t want to lose my first love. I don’t want to be distracted by the work of the church.”
Here’s what I think Jesus is doing in each of these letters: Jesus is throwing cold water on something that’s been sleeping. “Wake up! he calls.” “Pay attention!”
It’s like this: Let’s say you had a hotdog for lunch. On your hotdog, you had ketchup. Let’s say you ate at 12:30 p.m., then you go back to work, or go to several stores to do errands. At 4:45 someone says to you, “Hey, did you know that you have ketchup on your face?” “What? Where?” You find a mirror. There it is: a big red smear on your cheek. How many people saw that since 12:30 and inwardly (or outwardly) laughed at you? How many could have told you about it? But only one cared enough to say, “Hey, did you know you have a mess on your face?”
Jesus loves the church. He died giving birth to the church – a community of people filled with the power of the Spirit to overcome the power of evil in the world - who would share his love with those walking in darkness. Jesus hates that the church is laughed at because of the messes we make. But because of his love for the church, he loves it enough to tell us what we’re doing wrong, if we will have ears to hear.
The Message to Smyrna
8“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of the first and the last, who was dead and came to life:
9“I know your affliction and your poverty, even though you are rich. I know the slander on the part of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Beware, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have affliction. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Whoever conquers will not be harmed by the second death.
The Message to Pergamum
12“And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword:
13“I know where you are living, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you are holding fast to my name, and you did not deny your faith in me ◙ even in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan lives. 14But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the people of Israel, so that they would eat food sacrificed to idols and practice fornication. 15So you also have some who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16Repent then. If not, I will come to you soon and make war against them with the sword of my mouth. 17Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To everyone who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give a white stone, and on the white stone is written a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it.
The Message to Thyatira
18“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze:
19“I know your works—your love, faith, service, and patient endurance. I know that your last works are greater than the first. 20But I have this against you: you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet and is teaching and beguiling my servants to practice fornication and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 21I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her fornication. 22Beware, I am throwing her on a bed, and those who commit adultery with her I am throwing into great distress, unless they repent of her doings; 23and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am the one who searches minds and hearts, and I will give to each of you as your works deserve.
I want to stop here for a couple of minutes. This is a troubling one, isn’t it? Well, obviously the prophetess Jezebel was around this church in Thyatira – and she was a false prophet. The imagery of being “in bed” with this prophetess is probably literal and symbolic. The words are harsh – but who else but someone who loves you fiercely will tell you the truth? Is Jesus trying to “scare” the believers into obedience? Personally, I don’t think Jesus is “into” scare tactics. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. He is the truth – and knowing and walking in his way brings freedom in our lives – freedom from fear and internal chaos. Jesus tells the truth. If you are led astray by false prophets, and literally allow their teaching to “lie with you,” to “get into you,” you’re going to suffer beyond what your imagination can consider. It’s called tough love. Jesus is very good at tough love – because after he toughly reveals the sin, he opens the door in love.
24But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call ‘the deep things of Satan,’ to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden; 25only hold fast to what you have until I come. 26To everyone who conquers and continues to do my works to the end,
I will give authority over the nations;
27 to rule them with an iron rod,
as when clay pots are shattered—
28even as I also received authority from my Father. To the one who conquers I will also give the morning star. 29Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
The Message to Sardis
1“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars:
“I know your works; you have a name of being alive, but you are dead. 2Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is on the point of death, for I have not found your works perfect in the sight of my God. 3Remember then what you received and heard; obey it, and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. (Remember that I said in the beginning that for each church, Jesus clearly indicates that he “knows them?” Sardis has an odd history. Twice, it was totally surprised and humiliated by military defeat. On both occasions, the city was taken by surprise in a nighttime attack by soldiers who quietly scaled the steep fortress walls of the city. The people of Sardis would know exactly what Jesus means when he talks about coming like an unexpected thief.) 4Yet you have still a few persons in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes; they will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5If you conquer, you will be clothed like them in white robes, and I will not blot your name out of the book of life; I will confess your name before my Father and before his angels. 6Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
The Message to Philadelphia
7“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
These are the words of the holy one, the true one,
who has the key of David,
who opens and no one will shut,
who shuts and no one opens:
8“I know your works. Look, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but are lying—I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. 10Because you have kept my word of patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth. 11I am coming soon; hold fast to what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. 12If you conquer, I will make you a pillar in the temple of my God; you will never go out of it. I will write on you the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem that comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. 13Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
The Message to Laodicea
14“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the origin of God’s creation:
15“I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot. 16So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17For you say, ‘I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing.’ You do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 18Therefore I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich; and white robes to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen; and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. 19I reprove and discipline those whom I love. Be earnest, therefore, and repent. 20Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me. 21To the one who conquers I will give a place with me on my throne, just as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”
The Sunday school class I’m leading right now is all about what it means to be lukewarm. Francis Chan, a pastor in California, writes this: “If Jesus just showed up (literally) and said, “Follow me,” with no explanation and no direction, how many of us would follow him? You could follow Him straight up a hill to be crucified. Maybe He would lead you to another country, and you would never see your family again. Or perhaps you would stay put, but He would ask you to spend your time helping people who will never love you back and never show gratitude for what you gave up. Consider this carefully – have you ever done so? Or was your decision to follow Christ flippant, based solely on feelings and emotions, made without counting the cost?
What scares me most are the people who are lukewarm and just don’t care. I think that if I did a poll of readers of this book, many of you would say, “Yeah, I am definitely lukewarm at times, but I’m not really at a place to give more to God.” Many of us believe we have as much of God as we want right now, a reasonable portion of God among all the other things in our lives. Most of our thoughts are centered on the money we want to make, the school we want to attend, the body we aspire to have, the spouse we want to marry, the kind of person we want to become . . . But the fact is that nothing should concern us more than our relationship with God; it’s about eternity, and nothing compares with that. God is not someone who can be tacked on to our lives.”
Jesus says, “Look! I’m standing at the door of your life, and I’m knocking! Don’t tell me you can’t hear me knocking! Every time you go against my instructions, don’t you hear me knocking? Listen! I’m standing at the door, and I’m knocking. I want to come in. I want to sit down and settle in with you. I want to eat with you, and I want you to eat with me. I want us to be in communion with each other.”
Dear friends, I don’t know what Jesus would write specifically to our congregation or to Lower Path. I don’t know what he would write to Shady Pine, or the Methodist churches, or to our Brethren believers. But I know this: we all need more of Jesus. We need to be filled, and refilled with the Holy Spirit.
We all need to repent of the ways we resist freely expressing our love for him,
we all need to repent of the ways we neglect our mission of seeking and saving the lost – often because we hold most dear our own comfort.
We need to take an honest look at our lives and quit blaming others and making excuses for the messes we’re in.
We need to repent.
If we have continually straight-armed the messenger who comes to ask if we would serve the church as a leader, we must examine our hearts, and listen to God’s call.
We need to stop – turn around – and start walking the narrow pathway.
We need to open up our lives and let his holy fire burn away all the dross.
We need to pray for mercy and for the discipline to live holy lives that bring glory to God in every way.
By God’s grace, we need to return to our first love, remembering that we love, because Jesus first loved us.
“Let anyone who has an ear,
listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”
“The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.”
