Aug 19-25-07 7 Churches

Revelation 1:4 MSG I, John, am writing this to the seven churches in Asia province: All the

best to you from

THE GOD WHO IS, THE GOD WHO WAS,

AND THE GOD ABOUT TO ARRIVE,

and from the Seven Spirits assembled before his throne,

The term "Asia" did not mean in the first century

what it does now, but only the Roman

province called Asia, of which Ephesus was the

capital.

All the seven churches are in that province. It is supposed that SEVEN, the perfect and sacred number, were chosen,

because the seven

were to symbolize the whole Church of Christ.

There were in the province of Asia more

than seven churches at this time,

as we know, Colosse, Miletus (Act 20:17) and

Hierapolis (Col 4:13) being named in the New Testament.

(Peoples New Testament)

Revelation 1:10 MSG It was Sunday and I was in the Spirit, praying. I

heard a loud voice behind me, trumpet-clear and piercing:

11 "Write what you see into a book. Send it to the seven churches: to

Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia,

Laodicea."

12 I turned and saw the voice. I saw a gold menorah with seven branches, 13 And in the center, the Son of

Man, in a robe and gold breastplate,

14 hair a blizzard of white, Eyes pouring

fire-blaze, 15 both feet furnace-fired bronze, His voice a cataract,

16 right hand holding the Seven Stars, His mouth a sharp-biting

sword, his face a perigee sun.

17 I saw this and fainted dead at his feet.

His right hand pulled me upright, his voice reassured me: "Don't fear: I am First, I am

Last,

18 I'm Alive. I died, but I came to life, and my

life is now forever. See these keys in my hand?

They open and lock Death's doors, they open and lock Hell's

gates.

19 Now write down everything you see:

things that are, things about to be.

20 The Seven Stars you saw in my right

hand and the seven-branched gold

menorah--do you want to know what's behind

them?

The Seven Stars are the Angels of the seven

churches; the menorah's seven

branches are the seven churches."

EPHESUS. From the various mention of this church in the Acts and

the Epistles, it is evident that its decline

was gradual.

The mark discerned by Christ was that it had left its first love. The

loss of the true spring and power of

devotedness and service characterizes

the first declension in the church: no one may have observed it but the Lord, yet it is spoken of

as a fall, and repentance is called for,

or its candlestick would be removed from its place. Historically it

represents the church after the departure of

the wise master-builder. (Concise Bible Dictionary)

Revelation 2:1 MSG Write this to Ephesus,

to the Angel of the church. The One with

Seven Stars in his right-fist grip, striding through the golden seven-lights'

circle, speaks:

2 "I see what you've done, your hard, hard work, your refusal to

quit. The manner of life of the church. There

was much to commend. (Peoples New Testament)

I know you can't stomach evil, that you

weed out apostolic pretenders. False

teachers, who made false claims.

Every age of revolution throws up such false

teachers. We often find traces of them in the

epistles. 1 John 4 shows how to test

them.

The Ephesian church had put them to the test and rejected them. 3 I know your persistence,

your courage in my cause, that you never

wear out.

Though called to bear afflictions for Christ they

had not wearied.


4 "But you walked away from your first love--

why? What's going on with you, anyway? 5 Do you have any idea how far you've fallen?

A Lucifer fall!

Note what this exhortation includes: 1.

They had been at a height of excellence.

2. They had fallen from that height;

3. there had been a spiritual declension.

"Turn back! Recover your dear

early love. No time to waste, for I'm well on my way to removing your light from the

golden circle.

How signally this has been fulfilled in the case of Ephesus is

seen in the fact that not one vestige of the

church remains, and of the city itself naught but

mouldering ruins.

What concerns us, however, is that this

warning is addressed to every church which has

lost its first love.

Unless it repents, and does its first works, its candlestick will finally be removed from its

place.


6 "You do have this to your credit: You hate

the Nicolaitan business. I hate it, too. There is

another ground of commendation.

They hate the Nicolaitan business.

Opinions are not agreed concerning this

sect,

but it is probable that the followers of a

Nicolaus are meant who taught that

Christian liberty meant license to commit

sensual sins. (Peoples New Testament)

7 "Are your ears awake? Listen. The

call to solemn attention found at the close of

each epistle.


Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit

blowing through the churches. I'm about to call each conqueror to

dinner.

The Christian life is a battle and must also be a victory. I'm spreading a banquet of Tree-of-

Life fruit, a supper plucked from God's

orchard."

The symbol of eternal life. The tree is seen in Eden, here, and in the

New Jerusalem.


God's orchard, Paradise of God, Since the tree of life is found in both, Paradise and the New Jerusalem

must mean the same.


SMYRNA. Nothing is said here in the way of disapproval; the church

is in a time of persecution, and is

encouraged by Christ in the midst of it.

Persecution may be used to make manifest

what is real, and to draw the soul nearer to

the Lord.

The saints are exhorted to be faithful unto

death, and Christ would give them the crown of

life.

Historically this church represents the period of persecution that set in under Nero. The ‘ten

days’ of verse 10 may represent ten different

persecutions,

or refer to ten years’ duration of persecution under Diocletian. In any case it gives the idea of

limitation.

(Concise Bible Dictionary)

8a Write this to Smyrna, … 9 "I can

see your pain and poverty--constant pain, dire poverty--but I also

see your wealth.

And I hear the lie in the claims of those who pretend to be good Jews, who in fact belong to Satan's

crowd.

10 "Fear nothing in the things you're about to

suffer- The church shall suffer, but it need not fear for the reasons

about to be given. (Peoples

New Testament)

-but stay on guard! Fear nothing! The

Devil is about to throw you in jail for a time of

testing--ten days.

It won't last forever. "Don't quit, even if it

costs you your life. Stay there believing. I have a

Life-Crown sized and ready for you.

11 "Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen

to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches. Christ-conquerors are safe from Devil-death."

Those who win the victory shall live forever.

To die the second death is to be sent from

the judgment throne into hell.


PERGAMOS. We have here very distinct indications of the

toleration of evil—first in the allowing those that

held the teaching of Balaam,

which led to corrupt commerce with the world, and then that

there were also those that held the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, hateful

to Christ.

Historically this church probably represents the period when Christianity

was adopted by the world power ("where

Satan’s seat is"),

which led to thousands becoming nominally

Christians, and to the incorporation of

heathen elements and institutions into the professing church.

Satan had altered his tactics, and the dangers were peculiar, but the

Lord looked for overcomers.


12a Write this to Pergamum, … 13 "I see where you live,

right under the shadow of Satan's throne.

But you continue boldly in my Name; you never once denied my Name, even when the pressure

was worst,

Honor and trust in the name of Christ. Still continued firm in the profession of Christ though persecuted.


when they martyred Antipas, my witness

who stayed faithful to me on Satan's turf.

Much as been to the credit of the church, but

there is another side. (Peoples New Testament)

14 "But why do you indulge that Balaam

crowd? Don't you remember that Balaam was an enemy agent,

seducing Balak and sabotaging Israel's holy pilgrimage by throwing unholy parties? 15 And why do you put up with the Nicolaitans, who do

the same thing?

16 "Enough! Don't give in to them; I'll be with you soon. I'm fed up

and about to cut them to pieces with my

sword-sharp words.

17 "Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen

to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches. I'll give the sacred manna to

every conqueror;

The bread of life, the bread from heaven. The

living bread is Jesus Christ.


I'll also give a clear, smooth stone inscribed

with your new name, your secret new name."

Among the Greeks a white stone was a

symbol of acquittal,

as a black stone was of guilt. The white stone implies justification,

innocence and victory. All conjectures

concerning this new name are idle.

It is only given to those who have finally

overcome and cannot be known to us here, but implies their new

relation to God and the Lamb in their

triumphant state. (Peoples New Testament)

THYATIRA. The evil allowed in this church was systematic and

controlling, as indicated by the name of the

woman, Jezebel, who called herself ‘prophetess.’

The result was moral fornication and idolatry;

and children were begotten of the system. The attitude of the Lord

is severe:

His "eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his

feet like fine brass." A ‘rest,’ or remnant, in this

church is recognized and addressed:

and the formula "he that hath an ear to hear"

occurs henceforth after the promise to the

overcomer, indicating that from this point

only those who overcome are expected to have an ear to hear

what the Spirit says unto the churches. The kingdom is brought into view in the promise to

the overcomer.

Historically Thyatira represents that phase of the church’s history

in which the influence of Rome had become predominant in its

tyranny, worldliness, and corruption.

It is not difficult to identify Jezebel with the great whore of chapters

xvii. and xviii.


18 Write this to Thyatira, …19 "I see

everything you're doing for me. Impressive! The love and the faith, the

service and persistence.

Yes, very impressive! You get better at it

every day. Instead of retrograding their works

grew more excellent. (Peoples New Testament)

20 "But why do you let that Jezebel who calls

herself a prophet mislead my dear

servants into Cross-denying, self-indulging

religion?

21 I gave her a chance to change her ways, but she has no

intention of giving up a career in the god-

business.

22 I'm about to lay her low, along with her

partners, as they play their sex-and-religion

games.

23 The bastard offspring of their idol-whoring I'll kill. Then

every church will know that appearances don't

impress me.

I x-ray every motive and make sure you get

what's coming to you. 24 "The rest of you

Thyatirans, who have nothing to do with this

outrage,

who scorn this playing around with the Devil that gets paraded as

profundity, be assured I'll not make life any harder for you than it

already is.

25 Hold on to the truth you have until I get

there. 26 "Here's the reward I have for every conqueror, everyone

who keeps at it, refusing to give up:

You'll rule the nations,

27 your Shepherd-King rule as firm as an iron staff, their resistance fragile as clay pots. This was the gift my

Father gave me; I pass it along to you--

28 and with it, the Morning Star! 29 "Are

your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the

Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the

churches."

SARDIS. One very emphatic sentence

gives the character of this church: "You have a reputation for vigor and zest, but you're dead, stone dead."

It was a name that should carry life, but

was in Sardis identified with spiritual death.

There had been escape from the corruptions of

Rome,

but the truth in its purifying power was

lost. Yet there were a few who had not defiled

their garments. The coming of the Lord ‘as a

thief’

reminds us of the character of His coming to the world as seen in 1 Thessalonians 5:2 MSG You know as well as I

that the day of the Master's coming

can't be posted on our calendars. He won't call

ahead and make an appointment any more than a burglar would.

Historically Sardis presents Protestantism, after it had lost spiritual

power and become worldly and political.


Revelation 3:1a,f MSG Write this to Sardis, …

"I see right through your work. You have a

reputation for vigor and zest, but you're dead,

stone dead.

2 "Up on your feet! Take a deep breath! Maybe there's life in

you yet. But I wouldn't know it by looking at

your busywork; nothing of God's work has been

completed.

Your condition is desperate. 3 Think of the gift you once had in

your hands, the Message you heard

with your ears--grasp it again and turn back to

God.

"If you pull the covers back over your head

and sleep on, oblivious to God, I'll return when

you least expect it, break into your life like

a thief in the night.

4 "You still have a few Christians in Sardis who haven't ruined

themselves wallowing in the muck of the

world's ways.

They'll walk with me on parade! They've proved

their worth! 5 "Conquerors will march in the victory parade,

their names indelible in the Book of Life.

I'll lead them up and present them by name to my Father and his Angels. 6 "Are your ears awake? Listen.

PHILADELPHIA. There is nothing of evil

charged to this church. Christ presents Himself as The Holy, the True… opening doors no one can lock, locking doors

no one can open-

and He says, You don't have much strength, I know that; you used

what you had to keep my Word. You didn't deny me when times

were rough.

The Lord Himself has with them the prominent place, and the church is kept out of the hour of

tribulation which is coming on the whole

earth.

The historical development of the

church may be said to close with Thyatira; and Philadelphia represents in the latter times of the

church’s history on earth

faithfulness to the Lord Himself, on the part of those who are seeking to stand morally in the

truth of the church. (Concise Bible Dictionary)

7 Write this to Philadelphia... 8 "I see what you've done. Now see what I've done. I've opened a door before you that no one can

slam shut….

You don't have much strength, I know that;

you used what you had to keep my Word. You didn't deny me when

times were rough.

9 "And watch as I take those who call

themselves true believers but are

nothing of the kind, pretenders whose true membership is in the

club of Satan-

-watch as I strip off their pretensions

and they're forced to acknowledge it's you

that I've loved.

10 "Because you kept my Word in passionate patience, I'll keep you

safe in the time of testing that will be here soon, and all over the

earth,

every man, woman, and child put to the test. 11 "I'm on my way; I'll be

there soon. Keep a tight grip on what you have so no one distracts you and steals your crown.

12 "I'll make each conqueror a pillar in the sanctuary of my God, a permanent position of honor. Then I'll write names on you, the

pillars:

the Name of my God, the Name of God's

City--the new Jerusalem coming

down out of Heaven--and my new Name.

LAODICEA. This church is characterized, not by any definite evil

either of doctrine or practice, but by pride of

acquirement and by self-sufficiency,

accompanied with indifference to Christ. While boasting itself in being rich and in need

of nothing, it was wretched, miserable,

poor, blind, and naked.

Man in his self-satisfaction is the main feature, and Christ is

not appreciated. It represents the arrogance of rationalism

and higher criticism in the latter days of the

church on earth: Christ is outside but still

appealing, knocking for admission to the individual heart. (Concise Bible Dictionary)

14 Write to Laodicea,…15 "I know you

inside and out, and find little to my liking. You're

not cold, you're not hot--far better to be either cold or hot!

16 You're stale. You're stagnant. You make me want to vomit. 17 You brag, 'I'm rich, I've got it made, I need nothing

from anyone,'

oblivious that in fact you're a pitiful, blind

beggar, threadbare and homeless. 18 "Here's what I want you to do:

Buy your gold from me,

gold that's been through the refiner's

fire. Then you'll be rich. Buy your clothes from

me, clothes designed in Heaven. You've gone

around half-naked long enough.

And buy medicine for your eyes from me so

you can see, really see. 19 "The people I love, I call to account--prod and correct and guide so that they'll live at

their best.

Up on your feet, then! About face! Run after

God! 20 "Look at me. I stand at the door. I

knock. If you hear me call and open the door, I'll come right in and sit

down to supper with you. 21 Conquerors

will sit alongside me at the head table, just as I, having conquered, took

the place of honor at the side of my Father.

That's my gift to the conquerors! 22 "Are

your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the

Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the

churches."

Now it is up to you!Do you see your life or the Lindley Christian

Church reflected in any of these 7 Churches?

If so, What needs attention?

Aug 19-25-07 7 Churches

Economy & Finance

peoples new testament

church of christ

ephesian church

new jerusalem

christian life

right hand

asia province

province of asia