In Revelation 1:11 the apostle John is instructed to write on a scroll what he is about to see and then send it to the seven churches located throughout the province of Asia. What was it that these churches so badly needed to see? What was it that churches down through the ages would need to see?What would a church like Lakeside need to see?
What did John see before the revelation from God?
In Revelation 1:12-19 (NIV) John says, "I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 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. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance."
"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. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.' " And then we're offered this interpretation in Revelation 1:20 (NIV). "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."
The imagery of seven stars and seven lampstands.
At first, the imagery of seven stars and seven lampstands strikes us as mysterious. Yet the student of scripture immediately recognizes these symbols. First, there is Jesus' description of John the Baptist in John 5:35 (NIV). "John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light."
Then there is Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV). "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
In Philippians 2:15-16 (NIV) the church at Philippi is challenged to become "...blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life."
The seven churches in Asia Minor were being overcome by darkness.
Tragically, the seven churches in Asia Minor were being overcome by darkness. They needed to be reminded of their purpose. They were to be like golden lampstands, like stars shining in the universe. They were to be luminaries lighting the pathway to Christ for a world darkened by sin, darkened by evil, and corrupted by death.
But they’d lost their identity. They were children of the one who walks among the lampstands, whose eyes are like blazing fire, whose feet are like bronze glowing in a furnace, whose face is like the sun shining in all of its brilliance. They forgot the Jesus of John 8:12 (NIV) who said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." They forgot the words of Paul in Ephesians 5:8 (NIV) who said, "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light."
In Revelation2 and Revelation 3 we find the seven letters John transcribed to the seven churches. I’ve printed these letters for you at the end of this sermon on the bottom of the page. Each letter follows the same structure.
For example, each church is greeted by name. There are churches at Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. John wasn’t writing to nameless individuals. He was writing to real people living in the first century, who were struggling under the persecution of the Roman empire.
Knowing who Christ is.
But notice how each letter opens with a reminder of just who Christ is. He is the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand and who walks among seven lampstands. He is the first and the last, the one who died and came to life again. He is the one who has the sharp, doubled edged sword. The one whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. He is the one who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.
He is the one who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. He is the Amen, the faithful and true witness for God and the ruler of the God’s creations.
How quickly our view of who Christ is gets distorted when trouble comes our way. We stop believing that Christ is near andwalking amongst us. We stop trusting in the power of his word which is sharper than a double-edged sword. We forget that God knows our every thought, every movement of our hearts, and every impulse of our bodies. We forget that God is in control and that from a to z, all things work for the good of those who love God. We forget that Christ’s testimony about God is trustworthy and true and that we can stake our souls on his promise of eternal life.
The churches of Asia Minor forgot the basics about Christ.
Did you notice all of these descriptions of Christ in the openings of these letters come directly from Revelation 1? The churches needed to return to the basics! They needed to remember Christ’s victory over death, his resurrection, and his ascension. They needed to remember who it is that reigns in heaven over every power and authority, visible and invisible! Mostly it’s not a new word that we need. It's just the same old good news that we need.
Knowing what Christ knows about his church.
Notice that each letter progresses to a statement of all Christ knows about each particular church. "I know your deeds, your hard work, your perseverance. I know you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles, and that you’ve endured hardships and have not grown weary."
"I know your afflictions, your poverty, and that you are slandered by evildoers. I know the kind of culture you live in and that you remain true to my name. I know that you have not renounced your faith in me. I know your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did when you first became Christians."
"I knowyour deeds and that you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. I know that you have little strength, yet have kept my word and not denied my name. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot."
Do we realize how intimately acquainted Christ is with every single lampstand which represents each of his churches? Absolutely nothing escapes Christ’s watchful eye. He is the Great Shepherd, the Lord of his Church, and the judge of the whole earth. He knows the secrets of our hearts.
Think of how differently you live and act when you know someone is watching your every move. A little while back I went to lunch with Carl Dahlquist, camp manager at Lake Springfield Christian Assembly. He was driving and whenever we’d come up to a yellow light, he would hit the brakes. Finally I said, "Carl, a yellow light means accelerate rapidly, not stop!" He then pointed to these cameras high atop the traffic lights and said, "They’re watching us Jon. They'll take a picture and send a ticket in the mail." I told him I’d hoped those were just motion cameras to trigger the lights!
Like the churches in Asia Minor, we need to be reminded that Christ knows everything. If we're confident in Christ’s identity, and are aware of his intimate knowledge of our church, it makes sense that we would be mindful of what Christ cares about.
Knowing what Christ cares about.
Each letter to the seven churches continues with a warning. In some cases we might even say that the letters contain a strong rebuke. In its own way, each church was extinguishing its light.
The church at Ephesus had forsaken its first love. When two people first fall in love, they go to extraordinary lengths for one another. They dream together, go on long walks, and talk late into the night. But after time mediocrity can settle in. You lose interest. You stop showing up. Other passions and priorities take hold. You get bored. In our relationship with Christ, our worship wanes. We stop reading our Bibles. Prayer is little more than an afterthought. Bible study is neglected.
The church at Smyrna was getting cold feet. They’d made an initial commitment to Christ, but now fear was settling in. They had begun facing resistance in the world. Was Christ worth suffering for? Was he worth being slandered for, losing friends over? Worth going into poverty over? Worth losing a job over? Because no one would employ the Christian who renounced Caesar. Was Christ worth going to prison over? Worth losing one’s life over? Many in Smyrna were reconsidering the costs.
The church at Pergamum was in the throes of spiritual adultery. Their city was filled with temples and the worship of Greek gods. Oh sure, there were many things they found attractive about Christ’s gospel! But then they were also enticed by the seductive lure of pagan worship. In pagan worship sexual immorality was part of the ritual. Truth was less defined. You could kind of make up your beliefs, values, and virtues along the way. People didn’t speak of wrong or false beliefs. Religious tolerance was pervasive. Anyone with an ounce of creativity could make up their own path to God.
The church at Thyatira was the morally compromised, worldly church. This church had developed a tolerance for sexual immorality and other evils prevalent in her culture. This church refused to speak with a clear voice about right and wrong, good and evil, and sin and righteousness. Though the church could be described with words like loving, believing, serving, or persevering, it couldn’t be described as holy.
The church at Sardis was thriving in attendance, activities, and programs. They were a bundle full of energy, racing around doing everything under the sun in the name of Lord. On the surface they had all the trappings of a fully alive church. However, just beneath the surface the church was dead. They weren’t preaching the gospel. They weren’t repenting of their sins. They weren’t obeying Christ. They were no different than other social clubs in their city.
The church at Philadelphia was a church facing extraordinary opportunities to further the mission and work of God’s kingdom. Their greatest need was for continued boldness, to have the guts to embrace the open doors of opportunity God was opening up all around. They needed to hold on and stay the course, faithfully carrying out Christ’s mission until his glorious coming.
The church at Laodicea was self-sufficient instead of Christ-sufficient. Their wealth provided them with everything they needed. This was the city that declined Rome's financial assistance after facing a major disaster. They were proud. They were wealthy. They were educated. They lacked nothing, or so they thought.
Temptations that we face today are similar to what the early believers faced.
In a moment of honesty, you would probably identify the similarities between what these early believers faced and what you face every single day.
The temptation to let our love for Christ grow cold.
The temptation to get cold feet and not pay the costs of discipleship.
The temptation to embrace the beliefs and values of other religious systems.
The temptation to morally compromise ourselves, for pleasure.
The temptation to drown ourselves in a flurry of activity and commitments that have little spiritual purpose or value.
The temptation to allow opportunities to share Christ slip away for lack of courage.
The temptation to be self-sufficient instead of truly trusting Christ for our sustenance.
Knowing what Christ promises.
Each of these letters ends with a reminder of what Christ promises those who overcome. To the church at Ephesus, Christ promises the right to eat from the tree of life, the paradise of God. To the church at Smyrna, the promise not to be hurt by the second death. To the church at Pergamum, access to hidden manna that would truly satisfy their souls in a way no pagan god, or false pursuit, or religious system ever could!
To the church at Thyatira, the promise of absolute victory over evil. To the church at Sardis, the promise to be purified and to have their name permanently etched in the book of life. To the church at Philadelphia, the promise to be established in a heavenly dwelling for eternity, to proudly wear the name of God, to partake in the New Jerusalem, the holy city of God. To the church at Laodicea, an invitation by Christ himself, to sit on his throne.
To light our world is to know who Christ is, know what Christ knows, know what Christ cares about, and know what Christ promises. Then we should let this knowledge change us from the inside-out.
To the church at Ephesus.
Who is Christ?
Revelation 2:1 (NIV) says, "These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands."
What Christ knows about the church at Ephesus.
Revelation 2:2-3 (NIV) says, "I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary."
What Christ cares about in the church at Ephesus.
Revelation 2:4-6 (NIV) says, "Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate."
What Christ promises to the church at Ephesus.
Revelation 2:7 (NIV) says, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God."
To the church at Smyrna.
Who is Christ?
Revelation 2:8 (NIV) says, "These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again."
What Christ know about the church at Smyrna.
Revelation 2:9 (NIV) says, "I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan."
What Christ cares about in the church at Smyrna.
Revelation 2:10 (NIV) says, "Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life."
What Christ promises to the church at Smyrna.
Revelation 2:11 (NIV) says, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death."
To the church at Pergamum.
Who is Christ?
Revelation 2:12 (NIV) says, "These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword."
What Christ knows about the church at Pergamum.
Revelation 2:13 (NIV) says, "I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives."
What Christ cares about in the church at Pergamum
Revelation 2:14-16 (NIV) says, "Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth."
What Christ promises to the church at Pergamum.
Revelation 2:17 (NIV) says, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it."
To the church at Thyatira.
Who is Christ?
Revelation 2:18 (NIV) says, "These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze."
What Christ knows about the church at Thyatira.
Revelation 2:19 (NIV) says, "I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first."
What Christ cares about in the church at Thyatira.
Revelation 2:20-25 (NIV) says, "Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan's so-called deep secrets (I will not impose any other burden on you): Only hold on to what you have until I come."
What Christ promises to the church at Thyatira.
Revelation 2:26-29 (NIV) says, "To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— 'He will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery'— just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
To the church at Sardis.
Who is Christ?
Revelation 3:1 (NIV) says, "These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars."
What Christ knows about the church at Sardis.
Revelation 3:1 (NIV) says, "I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead."
What Christ cares about in the church at Sardis.
Revelation 3:2-4 (NIV) says, "Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy."
What Christ promises to the church at Sardis.
Revelation 3:5-6 (NIV) says, "He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
To the church at Philadelphia.
Who is Christ?
Revelation 3:7 (NIV) says, "These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open."
What Christ knows about the church at Philadelphia.
Revelation 3:8-10 (NIV) says, "I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth."
What Christ cares about in the church at Philadelphia.
Revelation 3:11 (NIV) says, "I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown."
What Christ promises to the church at Philadelphia.
Revelation 3:12 (NIV) says, "Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
To the church at Laodicea.
Who is Christ?
Revelation 3:14 (NIV) says, "These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation."
What Christ knows about the church at Laodicea.
Revelation 3:15 (NIV) says, "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot."
What Christ cares about in the church at Laodicea.
Revelation 3:15-18 (NIV) says, "I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see."
What Christ promises to the church at Laodicea.
Revelation 3:19-22 (NIV) says, "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."