Part 1 The Seven Churches in Revelation… A Case Study of Love Grown Cold
The Seven Churches In the Book of Revelation... An Explanatory Case Study of Love Grown Cold
Tuesday April 8, 2025
Revelation 1:9-20 NKJV
I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. [10] I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, [11] saying, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last," and, "What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea." [12]. Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, [13] and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. [14] His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; [15] His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; [16] He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. [17] And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, "Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. [18] I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. [19] Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this. [20] The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.
Romans 8:35,38-39 NLT
Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? [38] And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow-not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. [39] No power in the sky above or in the earth below-indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The seven letters to the seven churches in the book of Revelation, chapters 2 and 3
Import:
The 7 churches show the seven states/conditions the body of Christ can be found in, both at corporate and individual levels.
The recorded condition of each individual church is an accurate historical depiction of where they were at a point, like a snapshot. It does not mean they were permanently stuck at that point.
Taken together, the snapshot-conditions of all the churches represent a character arc, a development, a progression showing what would happen next if one gets on and continues along a particular trajectory.
This progression is not inevitable. At any point, if the church repents and returns to its first love, the decline can be stopped.
Jesus either credited them or He rebuked them for their condition. This indicates that we, the church, are each responsible for our own spiritual condition.
Approach:
We will first take a broad overview of the 7 churches and then return to an individual study of each church.
As recorded, we see the order of the churches as Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamon, Tyathira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.
Each church has a tag assigned to her, drawn from the major thing Jesus said about her.
The arc of the church/individual Christian
For the purposes of our study, to help us see the progression in its proper consequential flow, we will start off with the 6th church, (Philadelphia), followed by the 7th church, (Laodicea), go to the first church church, (Ephesus) and then continue in sequential order.
The Church in Philadelphia… the faithful church
(Revelation 3:7-13)
Problem: Little in strength, yet faithful
Revelation 3:8 I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have little strength, have kept My word and have not denied My Name.
The church of Jesus started faithfully… with faith in Jesus and with faithfulness to His teachings.
The Church in Laodicea… the lukewarm church
(Revelation 3:14-22)
Charges: neither hot nor cold, prideful, exposed and blind
Revelation 3:15-17 I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. [16] So then, because you are neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. [17] Because you say “ I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing— and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked…”
Over time, we may unwittingly allow our love to wax cold. We are not completely cold yet, but we are no longer hot either. Jesus says He would spew such lukewarmness out of His mouth.
The Church in Ephesus… unloving church
(Revelation 2:1-7)
Charge: Left first love
Revelation 2:4 Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
Then the church loses its love completely. It still has a relationship with Jesus but, not really. Much like being legally married but without any excitement or joy in the relationship.
The Church in Smyrna… persecuted Church or Christian
(Revelation 2:8-11)
Problems: tribulation, poverty, impending imprisonment
Revelation 2:9-10 I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you're rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. [10 ] Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days….
Persecution has always besieged the church but when the church herself becomes weak, she will be unable to stand strong in the face of persecution.
The church in Pergamos… the liberal, compromising church. (Revelation 2:12-17)
Charge: tolerant of heresy
Revelation 2:14-15 But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. [15] Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which things I hate.
To compensate for its weakness, and to appease its persecutors, the church begins to lower its standards and compromises the truth.
The church in Thyatira… the depraved church or Christian.
(Revelation 2:18-29)
Charges: gross immorality encouraged, non-repentance.
Revelation: 2:20-21 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. [21] And I gave her time to repent off her sexual immorality, and she did not.
If compromise is not stopped, it will increase until the church becomes unrecognizable by its level of depravity. This grieves the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
The church in Sardis… the dead church or Christian.
(Revelation 3:1-6)
Problem: reputed to be living, while in fact, dead.
Revelation 3:1 … I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.
At this point, the church is as good as dead. It may still have its buildings, its teeming membership, its traditions and doctrines, but without the ministry and power of the Holy Spirit, it is as good as dead.
John 6:63 It is the spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you, they are spirit (pneuma) and they are life (Zoe).
The conditions of the 7 churches show the seven states/conditions the body of Christ can be found in, both at corporate and individual levels.
The recorded condition of each individual church is an accurate historical depiction of where they were at a point, like a snapshot. It did not mean they were permanently stuck at that point.
Taken together, the snapshot conditions of all the churches represent a character arc, a development, a progression showing what would happen next if and when one gets on a particular trajectory.
This progression is not inevitable. At any point, if the church repents and returns to its first love, the decline can be stopped.
Jesus either credited them or He rebuked them for their condition. This indicates that we, the church, are each responsible for our own spiritual condition.
