Tag: Seven Churches

Jesus wants to speak to each of us, and each church, through each of the letters sent to the Seven Churches. He is addressing the corporate life of the church, which is foreign to our individualistic way of thinking.

These churches were also the first audience of the rest of the book of Revelation. We often think about this part as just the prologue that we have to get to to get to the good stuff, but these letters set the audience and context for the whole book.

There is much at can learn from these letters. First, Jesus loves local churches. He walks among them and holds them in His hand. They matter to Him and have always been the method by which that those who love Him demonstrate and effect that love. It is also worth remembering that one of the ways Jesus shows His love is through discipline. Additionally, Jesus is looking for a “return on investment” within each church.

Second, Jesus brings to light that which we would rather keep hidden. He does a lot of things that may make us uncomfortable.

Third, on our side, there is a natural tendency to decline. These churches were all about 40 years old, which is roughly the average lifespan of a church today. Churches, without discrete, specific efforts, generally decline in their fidelity.

So how do we put this all together to avoid or reverse that decline? We must make Jesus’ priorities our priority. Jesus is passionate about truth, about holiness and about love. Some of these churches were succeeding in truth but failing in love. Others failed in truth while being strong in love.

Ephesus was zealous for the truth, but loveless. Smyrna was commended for being rich in faith even though they were afflicted from without. Pergamum was faithful but compromising. Thyatira was growing but compromised – receiving the most glowing commendation but also a stark warning. Sardis was active but spiritually lifeless – but we see that Jesus did not give up on them. Note that Jesus never counsels the faithful in a church to leave and create a new church. This is entirely contrary to our reformation thinking, where if we don’t lie something we just start something new or go somewhere else.

Back to the churches, Philadelphia was weak but hopeful. Finally, Laodicea was smug, yet destitute.

There is, of course, an eighth church: ours. What is Jesus saying to our church? We are working on understanding this through the interim process, using many different tools.

But for all these churches, Jesus has big plans. Everything in our lives is preparing us to reign and rule with Him in eternity. While we don’t know exactly what that looks like, we do know that this is what

There are some analogies between the Seven Churches and today (adapted from Craig Koester’s analysis). The first is persecution. While our churches don’t see any persecution on the scale of the Seven Churches, there are many around the world who are dealing with terrible persecution. Second, complacency – which is certainly an issue for all of us. Finally, assimilation into the culture around us, like a frog being boiled slowly.

There is a pattern in generations of believers, along the line of what we see going from David to Solomon to Rehaboam. We start with the Passion of new believers. The next generation imbibes the principles, but not the passion, and accepts some but not all – more religious than committed. Then comes passivity, and walking away entirely – maybe even while still attending church. Whenever you are on that slide, somewhere between the lifelessness Sardis and the faithful Smyrna, we must always be getting back to that passion, that animating love for our Lord and Savior.

– Sermon Notes, Mahlon Friesen, Seed Church, Lynnwood, WA, July 21, 2019

This may be the most well known of the Seven Letters, with the notion of being “lukewarm” one of the most memorable of the concepts within, as well as Jesus standing at the door vs knocking.

Jesus introduces himself as the “true witness” which is key, because his witness will contradict that of the Laodiceans. He is the “beginning of creation” – not the just created being, but the source, the font, of all creation.

Laodicea was a town at a crossroads, established by Antiochus II and named for his wife. It was known for banking, for medical supplies (“Phrygian powder”, used for the eyes) and its textiles (a special black wool). It was a wealthy city, and when an earthquake damaged the town, it rejected aid from Rome, preferring to rebuild on its own.

Laodicea was also known for its hot springs, which might be what sparks the discussion of water temperature in this letter. It was near both Hierapolis and Colossae, and was mentioned directly in the Epistle to the Colossians, along with a member of the church, Nympha.

Jesus answers three questions that we might ask in this text. First, what makes Jesus sick?

The answer is lukewarm churches. Coffee can be good hot or iced, but nobody likes it lukewarm. Keeping something room temperature takes no effort, only letting entropy take its course. It is the perfect, easy Christian life – just sit back and rely on grace.

What made them lukewarm? He goes on, presenting the witness of the Laodiceans church. They saw themselves as being much like the city they lived in – wealthy and self-sufficient. But Jesus sees them as exactly the opposite: poor, blind and naked.

What they have is not what they need. What they need is what Jesus offers: gold refined by fire, which Peter elsewhere uses as a metaphor for faith, white clothes, meaning the new life in that faith, and salve for the eyes – the new view of themselves and others offered by Christ. Note that each of these mirrors things that Laodicea was known for: gold, textiles and eye salve.

Then we get to Jesus response to this utter disaster of a church. He wants in. He wants to not just enter in, but to eat a meal with us. The sharing of a meal held much deeper significance in this era than it does now, and the Lord’s Supper is a picture and implementation of that.

So what makes Jesus sick? We can. What makes

The letter ends by describing what happens to those who conquer – but any conquering we do is within and a piece of what Jesus did in order to conquer: namely, die and rise again. And as that conquering is a piece of Jesus’, so to is the reward, as we will reign with Him on His throne. All we do is preparing for that promotion.

Church transformation begins within each of us. Jesus’ words shift very quickly from the corporate criticism to personal salvation, coming directly into the hearts of those in the church who are willing to get off the lukewarm couch and open the door.

– Sermon Notes, Mahlon Friesen, Seed Church, Lynnwood, WA, July 14, 2019

All seven of the churches written to in Revelation were unaware of something that Jesus was aware of, and Pergamum was no exception. In this case, there were problems. Something we should consider in all these cases is, if we were at this church, would we be part of the problem or part of the solution?

Pergamum was a cultural center, home to a major library, and major temples to a number of gods including Asclepius, the god of healing. Pergamum was also the home of Galen, the preeminent medical expert of the Roman Era.

There was also a temple to Zeus high above the city on the acropolis, which may be what Jesus is referring to when he mentions “Satan’s throne”. It certainly would have been a reminder to the Christians of the city that they were a tiny minority at the mercy of the surrounding culture and government.

But Jesus tells them that he knows all about what they are undergoing, that he knows their faith and perseverance. He knows by name those who suffered and even died, such as Antipas. Today, while we in general are safe and comfortable, there are numbers that indicate that more Christians are being martyred globally today than in all history previous. Crises like this are certainly tests of where our relationship with Christ ranks in our lives, but the ranking itself happens long before a crisis. But the church at Pergamum is commended for doing this well.

But it’s not all positive. They are falling prey to a teaching that Jesus relates to the story of Balaam, who encouraged the Israelites to participate in pagan festivals and rituals. This is much the same as what the Nicolaitans were encouraging, in the context of loosening moral boundaries especially in regards to pagan rituals and their sexual components.

This is particularly relevant to us. We and the church at Pergamum both live in a culture that devalue the sanctity of marriage, and where sexual immorality is easy and available. Jesus warns them and us that if they do not stop this, he will “war against them” – and we should consider if some of the scandals and problems coming up in various churches today are not in fact Jesus going to war. We know that God’s love means discipline, just as the love of a parent means discipline.

So we should consider what in our lives Jesus may be unhappy with. How have we been compromising? What do we need to change and repent of?

But if we do repent and persevere, Christ here promises manna – the heavenly feast to replace the pagan festivals – and a white stone, privileged access to the throne of God, high above the throne of Satan.

– Sermon Notes, Mahlon Friesen, Seed Church, Lynnwood, WA, June 16, 2019

The letter to the church in Smyrna forces us to wrestle with something we may not want to wrestle with: the fact that following Jesus may itself bring suffering. We prefer the verses about Christ being our peace or his burden being light. That’s true, but so is suffering. Especially today, the problem of human suffering is something that often drives people – especially Western people who are themselves not intimate with suffering – away from the church. See Bart Ehrlman for one example.

Smyrna, today called Izmir, was a large port city about 50 miles north of Ephesus, very loyal to Rome. There was a patriotic ritual of loyalty to Rome involving putting incense into fire and declaring “Caesar is Lord”. This presented a challenge to the Christians at Smyrna, and this letter makes it clear that there would be suffering that would ensue.

Christ here introduces himself as “the first and the last,” a title given to God originally in Isaiah. He adds “who died and came to life” – both titles are there to give confidence to the church. Christ is greater than Caesar and greater than death.

Next comes the evaluation. Smyrna gets no criticism. Instead, he acknowledges their tribulation and their poverty. They may have been poor because the converts there originally came from the poorer classes, or as a result of persecution. Either way, the “health and wealth” gospel was not working for them. But to Jesus, their poverty was in fact wealth. Even in their material poverty, in the midst of the material wealth of Smyrna, it was the church that had the eternal advantage.

Next we hear about the “synagogue of Satan” – which can sound antisemitic to our ears. But recall that everyone involved in this conversation is, in fact, Jewish. It seems that there was a wealthy Jewish community that was making life difficult for the Christians in Smyrna, and here Christ is saying that their group is not, in fact, pointed to the living God, but rather Satan the accuser. This is the same way Christ rebuked Peter treats before – anyone who opposes the work of God is, in effect, on the side of Satan.

Next, Jesus gives counsel. He does not tell them that he will rescue them, but he does tell them not to fear what they are about to suffer. Specifically, they are about to suffer, with many of them thrown into prison. Prison was not the penalty, but rather the holding tank until the penalty, whether death or slavery. They are called to be faithful unto death. Smryna itself means “myrrh” – the incense that releases its aroma only when crushed.

This calls to mind Paul’s prayer that Christ remove the thorn in his flesh. Christ answered no: “my grace is sufficient for you.” We love grace, but do we love it when that is all there is?

The letter closes with a promise that they will, ultimately, be rescued from the final suffering.

We aren’t undergoing the same persecution as the Smyrnans, but remember that they were not persecuted because of what they believed, but because of how they lived it out. What would you do if your faith and duty to Christ brought you into conflict with your duty as a patriotic American?

What does it mean to be faithful unto death? First, to be confident in Christ’s sovereignty. You may not have all the answers, but if you have confidence that Christ was what he said he was and did what we are told he did, that is a firm foundation, even in the midst of the suffering that we are promised will come.

Second, being faithful to Christ means being convinced of Christ’s care. Even when it feels like He is silent, or even at against us. Eventually, Jesus will be all any of us have, as we walk through the dark river of death. Seek to make Christ alone enough, because at some point that will be ask we have.

Finally, we should be contented with Christ’s promises. Those promises are relatively simple: life everlasting and immunity from the second death.

One of John’s disciples was Polycarp, who eventually became the bishop of Smyrna. The persecution of the church in Smyrna continued, and Polycarp was eventually captured and given the opportunity to recant. Polycarp replied:

86 years have I have served him, and he has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?

He was then martyred. He would have been a young man when this letter was originally read, and it is likely that these words of Christ in his ears. He knew early on that the plan of Christ includes suffering. We have the same message – are we prepared?

– Sermon Notes, Mahlon Friesen, Seed Church, Lynnwood, WA, June 2, 2019

Jesus sees beyond the superficial and sees the “congenital heart defects” of both people and churches. Here, he specifically looks at the church at Ephesus.

Ephesus was a large city, a quarter million people strong, and a popular site for religious tourism because of the Temple of Diana or Artemis, one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World. It was a site of refuge for criminals, vs and once been a port city before the harbor silted in.

The church had a large number of high profile leaders. Paul was there for three years, the longest anywhere, along with Timothy, Aquila, Priscilla, Apollos, Tychicus, John – a “Who’s Who” of the early church. The books of 1 and 2 Timothy were written to Timothy while he was pastoring there.

Ephesus also features prominently in the book of Acts. The teaching of Paul began impacting the sale of silver idols, and so a silversmith named Demetrius stirred up the people to riot against the Apostles. All this to say, it was a prominent, important city and church.

The letter to the Ephesians here has the same format as those that follow. It starts with an introduction, describing Jesus in the context of the vision that John has just had. In this case, Jesus uses the vision of stars and lampstands to explicitly remind the church at Ephesus that, no matter how large, prominent and important it was, that they were a part of something even greater and broader.

Next comes evaluation. It starts with praise for the hard work and perseverance, as well as their discernment. Years before, as described in Acts 20, Paul explicitly warned the elders of the church to care for their flock and to protect them from the false teachers that would emerge, even from within their own body. The seem to have taken the warning seriously based on this praise. They have endured patiently and not grown weary. When considering that this church was essentially founded in the midst of a riot, this endurance is no small thing.

But Jesus goes on. They had abandoned, released, let go, even divorced themselves from the “love they had at first.” Mark Galli, editor of Christianity Today recently described how this sort of thing emerged in his own life:

It may have been as the result of hearing a sermon, or perhaps reading a book. But I distinctly remember thinking that my Christian life was sorely lacking in the love of God. I didn’t have any affection for or yearning to know and love God. I wasn’t angry with him. I didn’t doubt his existence. I wasn’t wrestling with the problem of evil. I was being a faithful Christian as best I knew how. But it occurred to me that I didn’t feel any love for God…

I was living as a practical atheist, meaning my personal relationship with God did not really affect much inside me. I was at the time managing editor of Christianity Today, so naturally I edited and wrote a lot of things that were Christian to the core. But I realized that if I never prayed again, that I could still be a very good editor at a Christian publication, and a very good church member at my local parish. I knew how to get along with others, to manage staff, to work with my superiors, to work with fellow church members, and to write on Christian spirituality. But prayer wasn’t necessary to do all that. These other matters were all learned skills that had more or less become good habits. My personal relationship with God really didn’t make any difference.

This lack of love itself may have been a result of their dogged opposition to heresy. Did they perhaps get so good at hating what was evil that they forgot to love?

Next, Christ offers counsel – repent, turn, change. There is a threat there, too: if they do not change, their lampstand will be removed.

Then an aside – after calling out their lack of love, they get praised for hating properly. The Nicolaitans were a heresy that said that personal behavior and morality were unimportant. To love well, we must know how and what to hate (note that they hate the works, rather than the people themselves). We must hate threats to our children if we are to love and protect them.

Then it closes with the promise that those who conquer, those who reclaim their first love, they will be restored and eat from the tree of life, a restoration of the cosmic story of Eden.

Some lessons we can take from this. First, love discerns. It seeks the best for others but does so thoughtfully and

Love fades. If it is not kept powered from some other source, like entropy in any system, it will decline. We must go back to the source of love.

Finally, love revives. When we do go back to that source, we can find ourselves revived. Going back to Mark Galli, his prayer was “Lord, help me to want to love you.”

– Sermon Notes, Mahlon Friesen, Seed Church, Lynnwood, WA, May 26, 2019

A reason to love these chapters, the letters to the churches, is that they are about the lordship of Christ over his churches. That is where we have to start if we are talking about church vitality or other issues of that sort.

One of the things Jesus is doing here is setting up a vision and understanding of himself that shows that he is greater than Caesar, greater than the Roman governors of military – and in our time greater than the media, the culture or a political power.

John had this vision while exiled to the island of Patmos. The first thing he sees are these seven stars and lampstands, representing seven churches sequentially. They were all along a 300 mile route, about equivalent to driving from Lynnwood to Yakima and then back across the mountains to Chehalis.

The lampstands are easy – these are the churches, as Jesus said. The stars are more confusing. Jesus calls them “the angels of the churches”, which the early church fathers interpreted as the Bishops or the pastors of the churches. Others take it more literally – it says angels and must mean angels, heavenly beings, like in the rest of the book, and be some kind of guardian angel. Whatever it means, it is a representation of the church as a whole, because that is who the letters are addressed to.

Each church gets a specific introduction to Jesus that references a piece of John’s vision of Him. Each church is told “I know you,” and each church gets a review of sorts.

There is a mix of commendation and criticism for the churches. Two get no commendation and two get no criticism, and there are some surprises in terms of which churches get which. What would a letter to Seed Church look like?

After the introduction and evaluation for each church comes advice. For five of the seven, the word is relatively straightforward: repent. You are doing what you should not, and must change. Each piece of advice is tailored to each church.

Also tailor-made is the next part, the promise made to each church.

While all of this is tailored to these churches, we must pay attention to all of it, because we don’t necessarily know what stage or situation we are in.

One lesson we can take from this is about handling conflict. Sometimes in a church or friendship or other relationship, one person, A, has a problem with another, B. Assuming it is not something small enough to move past, there are options. A could go directly to B. Usually, though, A will go to C, often under the guise of a “prayer concern”. Then C goes to D and F goes to E and F and so on and so forth. This is typical of any small community, and social media of course has exacerbated it.

This is called “triangulation” can lead to what Jim Van Up calls “Death by Triangulation”. We must be careful about how we “pray” for people.

What we are called to, instead, is healthy confrontation. We see this in these letters – Jesus does not drag other churches into the letters, but rather addresses each honestly ABC directly.

These letters are to seven specific churches, at a specific moment in history, but there is an eighth church. Ours. So as we go through these letters, consider what we can take away from it as that eighth church.

One thing we can take away from it is that Jesus cares about each Christian – individually and as a church. Jesus cares about congregations. “If you love me, you will love the church.” Where does John find Jesus? In the midst of the churches. The only direct, written communication we have from Jesus is to churches. Salvation is a group project. “Do not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing.”

Second, we can know that Jesus cares about our busyness. He knows and cares about our service. But he also cares about our holiness. No matter how busy these churches were, Jesus looked at their hearts and called them out on their wrong motives or toleration of sin in their midst. If there is an area of your life where you are tolerating sin that you should not, today would be a good day to confess and repent.

Third, these letters tell us that Jesus cares about our trials, and about our triumph. The churches are constantly called to overcome. Jesus does not give up on us.

The same Jesus who walked among those seven lampstands walks among our churches now. Is he encouraged by what he sees?

– Sermon Notes, Revelation 1:17-20, Mahlon Friesen, Seed Church, Lynnwood, WA, May 19, 2019

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