LISTEN TO WHAT THE LORD IS SAYING TO THE CHURCHES

 MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES

Before we delve deep into the messages for the churches, I think it's important to establish the meaning of the church.

What is a church?

The church is also referred to by many names: the body of Christ, believers, the bride of Christ, the flock, sheep and so on just to mention a few. the origin of the Church or its definition can be found in Matthew 16:18 "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it." Jesus is the founder of the church. The first church that ever existed can be found in Acts 2 on the Day of Pentecost after Jesus' resurrection and the disciples receiving The Holy Spirit. 

Contrary to modern day beliefs and idea, a church is not a building but rather a congregation of believers who believe and profess that Jesus died and resurrected and that He is Lord. This can be found in Matthew 18:20.  The church cannot exist outside of Jesus as he dwells among His people (the church).

Who is the church comprised of?

The church first and foremost is under the leadership of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit then believers. However, the church has leaders chosen and ordained  by God to lead(shepherd) fellow believers ( the flock) in their walk of faith. These leaders can be classified into five categories which are commonly known as the fivefold ministry and all categories are required for the church to operate most efficiently and for the glory of God. They also make up the body of Christ together with believers in serving God. They can be found in Ephesians 4:11-16 and they are the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. each ministry however, has different roles to play in the larger body of Christ. However, the believers who are not appointed to be leaders (shepherds of the flock) also have their own role / mandate to play which is referred to the "Great Commission" that Jesus ordained to every Christian / believer who professes Jesus as his/her Lord.  In Luke 9:49-50, 10:1-12, Matthew 28:18 and John 14:12-14, we get to see some of the mandates Jesus gave to his followers/ disciples and what we can still apply to date as we are also Jesus' disciples.

Why is the church important?

Having established the church to be the body of Christ and the fellowship of believers, the church is not only important in spreading the gospel but it is important to fellowship with one another to hold each other accountable, strengthen and exhort one another, pray together, partake of the holy communion together , glorify and worship God together  and serve one another in humility and diligence while dwelling together in unity, harmony and being of the same mind knowing that we are called to be set apart from this world ( 1 Corinthians 12, Hebrews 10:25, Matthew 18:15-20, James 5:14-16, 19-20, Psalms 133, Philippians 2:1-4 and Romans 12)

Having explained in depth what the church is, we'll move on to the main topic which is what the Lord Jesus Christ is saying to the churches and this can be found in Revelation 2 and 3

1. The Loveless Church ( Revelation 2:1-7)
2. The Persecuted Church ( Revelation 2:8-11)
3. The Compromising Church ( Revelation 2:12-17)
4. The Corrupt Church ( Revelation 2:18-290
5. The Dead Church (Revelation 3:1-6)
6. The Faithful Church ( Revelation 3:7-13)
7. The Lukewarm Church (Revelation 3:14-22) 

We are going to look at each church taking a look at their works/performance(errors/ reproof/good deeds, commendations/corrections), what to expect( testing/warnings ,promises/rewards).

The Loveless church 

This is the church in Ephesus.

Good deeds:  

 

They had good works, they labored for His name's sake faithfully, they discerned and tested spirits and teachings and adhered to true teaching and were patient.

Errors 

However,  they left their first love. (Our first love as a  church/ a believer is Jesus Christ/ God/ Holy Spirit. We are called to love the Lord with all our heart, soul and mind  for this is the first and greatest commandment Matthew22: 37-38 )

Correction and warning: 

They were instructed to remember where they've fallen, repent and do their first works or else Jesus would remove their lampstand from its place unless they repent. (This shows that God values true repentance .A good example of a prayer of repentance can be found in Psalm 51 and in that Psalm, it highlights what sacrifice God delights in which is a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart which reflects what true repentance is; being broken over your own sin, praying and asking for forgiveness in sincerity and completely turning away from your sin and leading a sanctified  and holy life with help from the Holy Spirit. This also means returning to your first love, Jesus Christ. Whenever, we return to God and repent of our sins sincerely, he returns to us as well and dwells with us. the following verses support this; Malachi 3:7, Zechariah 1:2-4, Jeremiah 24:7, John 15:4 and 2 Chronicles 7:14) 

Commendation: 

However, they were commended because they hated the deeds of the Nicolaitans which God also hates.( the Nicolaitans believed the doctrine of  once saved always saved and that sexual immorality doesn't affect one's salvation in God which is false according to 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. As believers getting saved alone isn't the only requirement of  having eternal life. we are called to lead sanctified, holy and pure lives, devoting ourselves to the truth and hating what God hates while loving what He loves. hating the deeds of the Nicolaitans earned them a commendation because those who love the Lord hate evil and this can be supported by Psalms 97:10 and Proverbs 8:13)

One of the biggest lies/deception the devil has caused even Christians to believe in is "that once saved always saved and that God only checks our hearts and we are under grace and not the law and there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus". While all these are facts, we should  always remember the devil is a deceiver and even twists Scripture/ the Word of God to deceive a s many as possible as he first did in the garden of Eden(Genesis 3) and also remember that God is just and righteous and will repay each one according to his deeds (Romans 2:6, Psalms 62:12, Proverbs 24:12) and if you're righteous continue being righteous (Revelation 22:11) because once you sin, your righteousness is forgotten and grace is not a license to commit sin/ licentiousness (Romans 6:1-2, Jude 1:4-5) because when we abuse grace we will have no cover/atonement for ourselves in the day of judgement(Hebrews 10:26), and we are also called to workout our own faith with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). Let us also not forget that JESUS CHRIST DID NOT COME TO ABOLISH THE LAW BUT TO FULFILL IT (Matthew 5:17) ,so in as much as we are under grace, we should still obey God's law and commands(Matthew 22:37-40, John 14:15) .In addition to that, the assurance of your name being in the Book of Life is based on your conduct so if you were righteous all along then eventually sinned and died in your iniquity, your righteousness will be forgotten and instead your sins will remain (Ezekiel 18:24). Finally, grace doesn't dismiss the law but it grants us dominion over sin(Romans 6:14).

Promise/Reward:

To him who overcomes, they will be given to eat from the tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.

The Persecuted Church

This is the church in Smyrna.

Commendations:

They are commended for their works, tribulations and Jesus refers to them as rich despite their poverty and their perseverance despite being plagued and blasphemed by people who refer to themselves as Jews but aren't but instead they're a synagogue of Satan. (Personally, I think the synagogue of satan parading itself as Jews but aren't may refer to false churches, teachers or doctrines that persecute  and blaspheme the real church/bride of Christ founded on Jesus  while posing as a true church but its foundation is based on the world and satan dwells among them.)

Test to expect:

They were encouraged to be strong even in the face of persecution/tribulation that they were about to face which would last ten days( The Bible refers to those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake as blessed Matthew 5:10-12) 

Promise /Reward:

Whoever is faithful unto death, will receive the crown of life(James 1:12, Philippians 1:21) and He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death (Romans 6:22-23).

The Compromising Church 

This is the church in Pergamos.

Good deeds/commendation:

They held fast onto Jesus' name and held onto the faith despite dwelling where satan's throne is and a faithful martyr being killed among them (Hebrews 10:23).

Correction and warning: 

Among them however, there are those who hold on to the doctrine of Balaam and Nicolaitans which He hates. They are instructed to repent or else he will come to them quickly and fight them with the sword of His mouth.  (Balaam was known for his evil deeds that were both full  of unrighteousness 2Peter 2:15 and greed  Jude 1:11. Balaam sold his gifts, made false prophecies, disobeyed God, promoted sexual; immorality and idolatry i.e. baal worship. The Nicolaitans teachings a s discussed earlier promotes sexual immorality. These deeds are among what the Lord hates as they are wickedness Proverbs 6:16, Revelation 22:15 Lack of repentance would lead to judgement as God's enemy since we are called to forsake works of darkness as we are children of light Ephesians 5:8-11 and we are supposed to seclude ourselves from the world Romans 12:2.)

Promise and Rewards:

To him who overcomes, he will be given  some of the hidden manna to eat , a white stone and on the stone a new name will be written on it that only he who receives it knows.( Isaiah 62:2)

The Corrupt Church

This is the church in Thyatira.

Good deeds:

Their works, love, service and faith are known and as for their works, the last are more than the first. 

Error:

They allowed Jezebel who called herself prophetess to teach and seduce and seduce His servants to commit sexual immorality and eat of things sacrificed to idols. Furthermore, she was given time to repent but did not.( this goes to show the nature of Jezebel/ the Jezebel spirit. Jezebel was king Ahab's wife and she was known for many of her evil deeds which involved killing God's prophets1 Kings 18:4,13, idolatry 1 Kings 18:20-40, 19:2-3, sexual immorality associated with idol worship, envy, covetousness and murder 1 Kings 21:7-16. She was unrepentant for her sins and even vowed to kill prophet Elijah)

What to expect- judgement:

Because of being unrepentant, Jezebel's children would be killed with death and all the churches would know that He is who searches the minds and the hearts and each one of us will be given according to our works (Jezebel in this case is referred to in a spiritual sense and her children are all who walk in her ways. However, in the old testament, Jezebel was judged and died a brutal death as recorded in 2 Kings 9:30-37 and her son who walked in her ways was also judged and eventually died as recorded in 2 Kings 1:17. In the same way whoever walks in the evil ways similar to Jezebel that is in idolatry, sexual immorality and having an unrepentant heart, will not have eternal life as stated in Revelation 22:15. Jesus remains faithful and true even unto His own Word when He says that He searches the heart and mind and will repay each one according to his works as stated in Jeremiah 17:10

Exhortation and warning:

 Many of those who have not held on to those false doctrines of the Jezebel and other satanic doctrines, they will have no other burden added onto them but are instructed to hold fast until Jesus returns. However  those who commit adultery with Jezebel and do not repent of their deeds will be cast into a sickbed together with her and great tribulation.( This is a clear warning to the church to forsake the ways of Jezebel and repent to avoid facing God's wrath and harsh judgement. Jesus also calls for the undefiled and faithful believers to hold on to the true teachings faithfully until He returns as we are urged to do in Matthew 24:42-46)

Promise and Rewards :

He who overcomes and keeps the works of Jesus until the end will be given power over the nations as He has received from His Father and will be given the morning star.( This promise is also found in Psalm 2.  We are promised to be joint heirs with Jesus and reign together in Him if we persevere and remain faithful even in our trials Luke 22:28-30, Romans 8:17, 2 Timothy 2:11-13)

The Dead Church 

 This is the church in Sardis.

Error:

They have a name and are known to be alive but they are dead. ( This implies that their outward appearance portrayed a healthy church but they were spiritually dead.)  

Correction:

They were urged to be watchful and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die for their works were found imperfect before God. ( Each ones work will go through the fire for the foundation to be tested and only good works will remain according to 1 Corinthians 3:13-15. in addition to that, God who is also a consuming fire will shake up the heavens and the earth and anything  that can be shaken will be removed Hebrews 12:25-29. Lastly, we are called to be perfect just as our Heavenly Father is perfect Matthew 5:18) . They were instructed to remember how they received and and heard, hold fast and repent.

Warning:

If they failed to be watchful, Jesus will come upon them like a thief and they would not know what hour He would come upon them.(We are instructed to always keep watch and pray because we do not know when Jesus would return Matthew 24:42, Mark 13:32-36 and the Day of His return would come like a thief in the night  1 Thessalonians 5:2. However as children of God, we re children of light and the Day should not surprise us a thief  1 Thessalonians 5:4 because we would be already keeping watch like the five wise virgins in Matthew 21:1-13  and be diligently washing and keeping  our garments ahead of His return  Revelation 16:15).

Promise and Rewards:

To those who have not defiled their garments, they shall walk with Jesus in white for they're  worthy. To he who overcomes, he shall be clothed in white garments and his name will not be blotted form the Book of Life, but his name will be confessed by Jesus before His Father and His angels ( This promise can also be found in Matthew 10:32-33. This goes to show the faithfulness of Jesus Christ in keeping His Word. Everyone who confesses Christ before men, He will also confess them to His Heavenly Father and everyone who denies Him before men, He will deny him before His Heavenly Father. This promise should encourage us to boldly confess Jesus as our Lord and also do and obey what He instructs us to do because faith without actions is also dead James 2:17)

 The Faithful Church

This is the church in Philadelphia.

Commendation: 

An open door was set for them that no one can shut because despite having little strength, they kept God's Word and did not deny His name.( This church was already enjoying benefits of being faithful to God as an open door was opened for them. It is very important to note that this is the only church that Jesus totally commends  finds them perfect and flawless and the only church that is recorded to be the one He loves as they are faithful in keeping His Word and he loves them in return. This is also supported by John 14:21 as God loves whoever loves him and the true marker of loving God is keeping His commandments)

Promises, Exhortation and Rewards: 

Those who lie to be Jews but are of the synagogue of Satan will be made to come and worship before the feet of the faithful church  and they will know that Jesus loved the faithful church(This will fulfill the promise found in Isaiah 60:14 where those who afflict the faithful would come and worship at their feet  and call them the City of the Lord.)

Because they kept Jesus' commandment to persevere, they would be kept from the hour of trials that will come upon the whole world to test those who dwell on earth. Jesus further urges them to hold fast to what they have that no one may take their crown. To him who overcomes, he will be made a pillar in the temple of God, will have the name of God, the name of the city of God(The New Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from God) and the new name of Jesus written on him.( This goes to show God's faithfulness. The faithful church will enjoy the promise of  God's divine protection that can also be found in Psalm 91 and  they will also not face God's wrath as written in 1 Thessalonians 5:9. However, they/we are urged to faithfully continue in God's work while continually sanctifying ourselves with the help of God, that we may not lose our reward and crown  and in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, we can also see this described precisely and beautifully. In Revelation 12:13-16, we can see how the faithful church is kept from trial while the other churches might be tested as we can see in the next verse in Revelation 12:17)

 The Lukewarm Church

This is the church in Laodicea.

Errors, warning and what to expect (judgement):

They are neither hot or cold and Jesus wishes that they would be either hot or cold. Because of their lukewarm nature, Jesus will vomit/spit them out of His mouth. They profess they are wealthy and lack nothing but they are indeed wretched, miserable, poor blind and naked. ( This is a very profound warning as this church is portrayed to lacking a clear stand on whether or not they believe in Jesus. Their nature is best described in  James 1:8 they are double minded and unstable in all their ways. Jesus has also warned them of their double mindedness as they are urged to pick one master as written in Matthew 6:24. Romans 6:15-23 further explains that we can only be slaves to one master that is righteousness or sin. Claiming to serve both is recognized as unbelief and sin and is highly condemned. In addition to that not doing the sin but  the mere approval of the sin makes you guilty of the sin as well and this is clearly described in Romans 1: 18-32. In that scripture, you can also see some traits of the lukewarm Christians/believers.    

this might be a detour but it has to be said concerning this generation that we live in which I have to admit is very wicked. We really have to wake up because the majority of Christians lie in this category of lukewarm believers but we like to pretend we are faithful and I just want to condemn a sin we often do, because we often sympathize with sin in the name of love and a loving God would never bla bla bla but be warned LGBTQ+  is one of the gravest sins that plague us combined with unbelief and grieving the Holy Spirit. This alone is a whole topic on its own but its for another time. I'll just highlight this because, as Christians we are failing terribly in fact, since not everything should be accepted no matter how much we love our fellow brothers and sisters. We should highly condemn this sin and save our brothers and sisters. Do everything in love of course as led by The Holy Spirit but this area requires tough love. This sin by itself will drag those who engage in it to the pits of hell and not only that, it might also drag us to hell right along with them by knowing the truth and still entertaining this lie and sympathizing with it in the name of love Remember, you cannot be God's bride and the devil's side piece.And in case you don't know, you cannot outlove a fellow human more than God loves them so its time to get out of that high horse and knock out our brothers and sisters from that horse as well and accept the truth  and repent. I mean this with all my heart and with all my love. Let's be real and stop breaking the Father's heart to avoid breaking our loved one's heart. I'd rather to rebuke your loved one to heaven than to love them to hell. But the choice is all yours. Also remember, God has called us to come as we are but not stay as we are. The more we draw near to God the more we find ourselves changing to better version of ourselves and all for His glory. Let's always keep in mind 1 Corinthians 5:1-21 and take on the nature of Christ and he new creation because whoever gets born again is a new creation and is also expected to conduct themselves in a new creation's manner and not the old ways or a mix of the two Romans 13:12-14.)

Correction:

They are urged to buy gold that is refined from the fire from Him  and white garments that they may be clothed and clothe the shame of their nakedness so that it may not be revealed, anoint their eyes with eye salve that they may see. As many as He loves, He rebukes and chastens. They are therefore urged to be zealous and repent.( the decrees of the Lord are precious than gold Psalm 19:9-10 and His wisdom is better than fine gold and choice silver Proverbs 8:19 We should also know that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom Proverbs 9:10. We should be careful so that we can be found clothed upon the return of Jesus 2 Corinthians 5:3-4, always be clothed by putting on the full armor of God as in Ephesians 5:10-18 and putting on Christ as written in Galatians 3:26-27. We should also keep in mind that God clothes us who believe in Him and are faithful with garments of salvation and robes of righteousness Isaiah 61:10.In addition to that, Jesus Christ is the only One who is able to purify us and our garments to become white as snow by washing us in His blood as its written in Isaiah 1:18 and Revelation 7:14. Jesus Christ/ the Word of God is the only one who is able to open our eyes that we may see and this is evident in John 1:4,9:39, Psalms 119:105,119:18, 2 Peter 1:19. God is a loving father and He chastens all those whom He loves and considers as sons/His children Proverbs 3:11-12, Hebrews 12:3-11)

Promise and Rewards:

Behold, Jesus stands at the door and knocks and whoever hears His voice and opens the door, He will come into him and dine with him  and he with Him. To he who overcomes, he will be granted to sit with Him on His throne as He also overcame and sat down with His Father on His throne.(In Luke 12:35-38, we can see Jesus explaining this principle. Whoever will keep watch and the Master finds him dressed and waiting for Him and open the door upon His return will join Him at His table and He will serve him. 2 Timothy 2:12 also highlights this promise of reigning together with Christ if we persevere until the end. I think it's also imperative to ask ourselves this question, why is Jesus knocking outside the door to be let into the church? This should point out that Jesus is not present in the lukewarm church at all. Remember our God is a Jealous God Exodus 20:5-6, 34:14 and wherever He is not appreciated or fully worshipped with devotion and in spirit and truth He eventually leaves and can only return when there is repentance and a change of ways and heart. A good example can be found in Ezekiel 10 when the glory of God departed the temple because of the idolatry committed by the Israelites.)

Saving this for last, it's important to note that this is the only exhortation that Jesus universally gives to all the churches;  " He who has an ear, let  him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches".  (This is because, the church cannot exist  and function effectively without the presence and the help of the Holy Spirit. The disciples of Jesus who formed the first church were even instructed to wait until the Helper/ Holy Spirit who was promised to them was sent before they set out to spread the gospel Luke 24:49, John 15:26-27. The Holy Spirit is important as he convicts us of our sins, gives us the fruits and gifts of the Spirit grants us discernment and many more. [I think the role / ministry of the Holy Spirit will be a whole article by itself ]. The best indicator of a true church and the best instrument to know the health of the church is the presence of the Holy Spirit. We should always be careful not to grieve the Holy Spirit at all times Ephesians 4:30)

 Conclusion

 In conclusion, as the church and the larger body of Christ, we should examine ourselves individually and as a whole, the body and work on our weaknesses while correcting and strengthening one another before the return of our Master, Jesus Christ as He is coming for a blameless church and a bride that does not have a spot on her garment. We should always be in a state of genuine repentance and total submission to God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit while working on our salvation with fear and trembling as written in Philippians 2:12.  Also, we should refrain from relying on our own strength and understanding instead live by God's standards and His Word as well as base our foundation on the Word of God.  God bless you and with the famous remarks of Apostle Paul, may the grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ be with us all.🙂