So you missed hearing what Jesus had to say on His seven-church circuit in Revelation chapters two and three … not a problem. Here’s a quick summary:
- Ephesus: Return to your “first love” relationship. Jesus wanted them to be characterized by the wonderful sense of joy and enthusiasm that first marked who they were as believers.
- Smyrna: Don’t be afraid to suffer for my sake. No normal person purposely chooses a life of suffering. But sometimes that’s our lot. If so, we are to be faithful even to the point of death, knowing that Jesus will honor us even more than we do Him.
- Pergamum: Beware of compromises that sidetrack you spiritually. Basic spiritual principles should never be surrendered, because it opens believers to great endangerment.
- Thyatira: Stop tolerating sexual immorality. One would think that churches would be places immune to sexual temptations, but obviously they’re not. Hopefully scandals are the exception rather than the rule, because when they surface, they do incredible harm.
- Sardis: Wake up spiritually! Know anyone whose spiritual reputation doesn’t agree with reality? He or she is supposed to be such a great Christian, but God knows better. Like an alarm clock in the morning that says “time to get up,” Jesus sends a wake-up call to this church.
- Philadelphia: Keep on keeping on. In spite of pressing problems, these Christians continued to grow spiritually, and that positive characteristic was not missed by Jesus in His evaluation.
- Laodicea: Face reality, you’re not as great as you think. Some people in the church are too hard on themselves. This congregation was just the opposite. They assumed they were a terrific church, when in reality they weren’t anywhere near as phenomenal as they thought.
Now—if Jesus were to pick one of these seven sermons that He felt you personally needed to hear, which one would it be?
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Please click here to visit David Mains’ Sermon-Coach.com website.
You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Please click here.
