AW

 

Seven Churches of Revelation

 

1. Ephesus, Revelation 2:1-7.
   1. They were orthodox, creedal, and active, but had lost their zest or enthusiasm for relationship with the Lord and the Christian life.
   2. Christ commanded them to recall their earlier spiritual enthusiasm and to recapture their love for Christ through confession of sin, faith application of the Word, and conscious faith dependence and loyalty to Christ.
2. Smyrna, Revelation 2:8-11.
   1. Satan tried to get them preoccupied with themselves, other people, and things so that they would become unfaithful to Christ.
   2. Christ commanded them to not fear (occupation with world system, suffering, and Satan) and to remain faithful to Him (faith application of Bible doctrine, especially occupation with Christ).
3. Pergamum, Revelation 2:12-17.
   1. They tried to live in both the plan of God and the world system at the same time with the result that they compromised the plan of God, were a stumbling block, and committed idolatry and immorality.
   2. Christ commanded them to confess their sin and replace occupation with details of life with genuine faith dependence and loyalty to Christ.
4. Thyatira, Revelation 2:18-29.
   1. They were weak in doctrine, active in Christian service, and tolerated a self-proclaimed prophetess so that many believers compromised the Christian way of life with the current-day social and religious practice.
   2. Christ commanded those involved to repent (change their viewpoint, intent, and will). Those not involved are to take great care to maintain their advance in the Christian life.
5. Sardis, Revelation 3:1-6.
   1. They were unfaithful to the grace deposit (salvation and the plan of God for believers) so that they lived out of fellowship with the Lord (Christian life death) and produced much human good.
   2. Christ commanded them to remember God’s grace deposit to them and to practice it, beginning with recovery of fellowship, and then reestablish the production of divine good according to God’s plan.
6. Philadelphia, Revelation 3:7-13.
   1. They understood God’s power and their human weakness, they applied the Word of God, and they remained faithful to Christ, with the result that they faithfully identified and carried out God’s opportunities for ministry even when under pressure.
7. Laodicea, Revelation 3:14-22
   1. They were occupied with themselves and things so that they had no experiential fellowship with Christ and forgot their spiritual wealth, had doctrinal blindness, and lacked experiential sanctification.
   2. Christ commanded them to ask and take from Him spiritual wealth and divine good production, Christian life sanctification, and knowledge of His Word. He wanted them to begin these necessary changes by opening the door to Christian life fellowship with Him through confession of their sin to God the Father and genuine faith dependence and loyalty to Himself.