A message of hope from Jesus Christ
If you have not read [ It's all about money ], do so first to get the backdrop for this week's lesson.
After the article I wrote about two weeks ago, it would appear that I am very critical of the contemporary church. I am, and there are good reasons for that, but there is also hope. The other day someone described me as negative (in a completely different context) because I corrected him in a nice way. I allowed the person to have his say. I noticed in him a reluctance to accept that he also has faults and that he must work on his ministry. To shift the focus away from himself, he accuses me of being negative. This is just how the world operates, even ministers of the Word. Christians also interpret Jesus' message to the seven churches as negative. No one likes to be judged, and it's easy to distance yourself from the advice given.
In each of the seven letters to the churches in Asia Minor, Jesus Christ gives instructions and exhortations for us and for our time. He sees the good and the bad things that happen in the Church, but still tries to encourage the Church. Unfortunately, we live in a time where the media tells you, and misleads you, about how good you actually are. This mentality has spilled over to Christians as well. In each of the seven letters we are encouraged to abandon the self and focus on Him.
Why not focus on the good aspects? Well, the good aspects indicate that you have reached the standard, nothing more. The negative aspects indicate the opposite – you have not reached the standard. It sounds so contrary to what the world would have you believe. If you got 8/10 for your test, the value system of the world wants you to believe that through positive thinking about the eight right answers, you can believe that the wrong answers don't really matter, and you will correct the two wrong answers by focusing on the eight that are right. That is not how it works. Focus on the two that are wrong and fix them. Jesus forces you to focus on the things that are wrong in your own life and correct them. Let us look at them.
Repent and do the first works – Rev 2:5
Jesus mentions to the congregation in Ephesus that they have left their first love. How tragic it is that we have often left that first love, after our conversion. Do you remember when you were converted? You could move the world. Eventually, however, that love waned, and the passion waned. Jesus' advice is to return to how you were as a young believer and do the first things. Perhaps you think that this does not apply to you, and that you are still spiritually strong. This is good but read on.
Be faithful unto death – Rev 2:10
To the congregation in Smyrna, Jesus advises to remain faithful to the end. We often have the idea that if you "gave your heart to Jesus", everything is fine now. However, your race has only just begun. You do not get a prize for how you start, but how you finish. Death is the end, and each of us must cross that line. So, if you are currently strong in the faith, keep at it, until death.
Repent – Rev 2:16
The call to repentance occurs repeatedly. The congregation in Pergamum initially started well, but slowly began to follow other teachings. Jesus' message is that they must repent. To repent means to turn 180 degrees away from what you are doing that is wrong, in the opposite direction.
Hold fast until I come – Rev 2:25
Jesus writes to the congregation in Thyatira that He knows their good works, but that false teachings have crept into the congregation. His advice to this congregation is to hold on to what they have, the first principles of their faith, until He comes. It is therefore the same message that He gives to the congregation in Smyrna. The moment you die, you meet Him, and you see Him as He is. However, you have to persevere in the end. Someone who has completed almost the entire distance of the Comrades Marathon, but gave up shortly before the finish line, is not recorded as having completed the race. Hold on to your first spiritual principles, not the distortions currently being taught in the church.
Be awake, strengthen others, and guard and repent – Rev 3:2-3
Jesus' evaluation of the congregation in Sardis is very negative. They say that they are spiritually alive, but actually they are dead. He urges them to encourage and strengthen those who remain, and to convert them. You may think that you are spiritually "on the road", but on the road to where? Evaluate yourself today and ensure you are still following the right path. If you find that you have gone astray, repent and follow the right path.
Hold on to what you have – Ecclesiastes 3:11
The congregation in Philadelphia is about the only congregation that does not get a bad report. Jesus says that because they kept his Word, He will also keep them from the coming trial. He asks them to hold on to what they have. They kept his Word and did not deny his Name. Hold on to Him. He is all you have.
Buy from Him gold, clothes, and ointment. Repent – Rev 3:18-19
Jesus comes to the last congregation, the one that got the worst evaluation. He has nothing good to say to them. After the beating that this congregation received, He still invites them, because He loves them, to seek their wealth in him (gold); to clothe them with Him (clothes); and get healing so that they can not only see physically, but also perceive spiritually the wrong that is currently going on in the world. Where do you seek your wealth? What do you clothe yourself with? What do you get your spiritual healing through?
Whoever has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches – Rev 2:7; 2:11; 2:17; 2:29; 3:6; 3:13; and 3:22
At the end of each letter is the same exhortation. If you are willing to listen, then listen to what the Spirit says to all the congregations. There is an interpretation of the seven congregations, that they represent seven specific times in the history of the Church. This is true, and we see the clear signs of this in the condition of the congregation in Laodicea, exactly as most churches look today. Yet there is also a message for all of us that comes from each of the letters. For each of us there is a warning. The stuff you did right may have just barely met the standard. It is the things you did wrong that you need to focus on.
The messages
For all of us there are four messages. Maybe you think some things don't apply to you. Then notice the others.
- Repent - Rev 2:5; 2:16; 3:3; and 3:18 (Ephesus, Pergamos, Sardis, and Laodicea).
- Be faithful - Rev 2:10; and 2:25 (Smyrna and Thyatira).
- Hold fast - Rev 2:25; and 3:11 (Thyatira and Laodicea).
- Listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit in the midst of what the world throws your way - 2:7; 2:11; 2:17; 2:29; 6:6; and 3:22).
The overriding message is this: Repent; be faithful unto death; hold on to what you have until He comes; be vigilant while strengthening others; buy from Him what you need; and finally, listen to the Holy Spirit.