We look out the window and see nothing but blue. Actually, we look in the chairs next to us and see nothing but Blue as well J We are currently racing to Ephesus, in modern day Turkey. Turns out, all teams currently have the same travel plans – the cheap ferry! So we are sitting down in the bottom of our boat, looking at a beautiful ocean, laughing with the Blue Team.
One of our tasks for this race is to blog on the letters to the 7 churches in Revelation. We are headed to see where these physical churches existed, so we are reflecting on Revelation 2 and 3.
Almost every letter is set up in the same way… Good points and bad points. We will highlight the points that really speak to us. As we dive in to each characteristic, we pray the Lord will teach these things to our hearts
Ephesus:
Ephesus, fortunately, has more good than bad! The first characteristic is really awesome. They are said to patiently endure. What does it look like to patiently endure? Endurance is one thing. In middle school, students endure a math test. This kind of endurance includes lots of complaining, grumbling, and looking for the bell to ring. The goal of this kind of endurance is to just make it through. But when you add the word patience on, you get a different picture. When I think of a patient person, grumbling and complaining are far from my mind. A patient person recognizes that the end will come and sees that end with hope. However, a patient person also lives in the present. Fully completely present in the here and now without grumbling or complaining. Wow.
Smyrna:
Smyrna actually has nothing held against her! What an honor… to have the Creator of the Universe write a letter to you that says “I hold nothing against you.” In fact, Smyrna is challenged… they will go through many many trials. Some will even be in prison. However, we are promised in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that God will not test us beyond what we are able to bear. Therefore… for the Lord to say you will be greatly tested, means that you are really strong in Him, able to withstand until the end. Though no one hopes for persecution, we pray that God will create that perseverance in us as well.
Pergamum:
Pergamum is fairly balanced between good and bad. They are said to dwell where Satan’s throne is. Could you imagine that? Imagine the worst place you can imagine in the world. Now imagine living there, day in and day out, never escaping. Could you imagine the connection these believers must have? Meeting together had to be their only escape from the evil of their city. We have all surrendered our lives to wherever the Lord wants to take us… but I pray that my new home isn’t Satan’s throne!!!! However… Pergamum had let in some of their city. Christ says that there are some present who hold to the teachings of Balaam and the Nicolaitans. The very thing Christ loved about Ephesus – that they hated the Nicolaitans – He holds against Pergamum. They have become tolerant in their churches. They have false ideas that they haven’t addressed. It’s not like these false things are being preached in the church. It’s just the beliefs that some people hold. Hello modern day church! How many churches do we have that just don’t preach about certain passages because they know it would cause division? Christ is encouraging Pergamum here… Address these issues! Do we honestly believe that His word is perfect and 100% accurate? Do we honestly believe that all Scripture is God-breathed and profitable (2 Tim 3:16)? If so, then all topics must be addressed. Otherwise we go the way of Pergamum – the sword of Christ’s mouth will be against us as well.
Thyatira:
The letter to Thyatira starts with an encouragement of The Top 5 – Love, faith, service, patience, and endurance. These are incredibly similar to Ephesus. Isn’t it incredibly how you can travel halfway around the world and find a church similar to yours? God truly doesn’t dwell in temples made by man (Acts 17)! His Spirit dwells among all the nations and no matter where you go, you can encounter Him. This year has truly opened our eyes to see that truth in a whole new way. It’s one thing to sit in your hometown, sing your songs in English, and say that He is God of the Universe. It’s a whole new thing to sit halfway around the world, singing the same songs in a new language, and know that He is God of the Universe. That’s worthy of worship.
Sardis:
This is a beautiful call to salvation! How many “Christians” sit in our churches today, believing they are set right with the Lord when they have actually never truly surrendered their hearts? Multiple times Christ warns of this. Matthew 25 tells the story of the ten virgins. Only five of them made it to the feast, but all of them were virgins. Looks like that means they were all in the church and all expected to be in heaven, but not all arrived. And again, Matthew 7:21 says that not everyone who says Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom. These people were not ignorant of the Gospel… they knew to call on God at the end of the age. But they too didn’t make it in. Christ is calling Sardis to make their salvation sure. And then comes the most amazing promise! Those with a sure salvation will never have their name blotted out!! Once someone
truly accepts Christ… their salvation can never be taken away! It will NEVER be blotted out! Christ regularly encourages us to be assured of our salvation. Not because our salvation comes and goes, but because the peace that comes from being truly assured of your salvation is better than anything else in life!
Philadelphia:
There seems to be a regular theme of what God loves about these churches. Patient Endurance. Philadelphia is encouraged that they have kept God’s word through patient endurance. Maybe God is trying to make a point?? Patience and endurance are no joke to Him. He is spending two chapters of the greatest Revelation ever given to remind us that we are all called to patiently endure! It’s as if Christ is standing here saying Listen up! I mean it!
Laodicea:
Welcome to probably the most quoted passage of Revelation! I don’t know how many times I have heard verse 16 – “So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth” – quoted as an encouragement to be tolerant. Talk about taking a verse out of context! God never calls us to be tolerant… He calls us to be hot for Him. He said that He loves that Ephesus
hates the Nicolaitans and He holds it against Pergamum that they don’t hate them! You can also see how God uses those who are completely cold. I mean… look at Paul. He was radically against what God was doing and God radically changed him so that he became radically for the Lord’s work! It’s those who are in the middle who He says COME ON!!! Get with the picture!
Praise God for revealing Himself in such a wonderful way to John. We pray that as we continue to journey through Paul’s footsteps in the heart of Bible Story Land, we will continue to understand these things more and more.
