In this series, we are going verse by verse through the first 3 chapters of the book of Revelation.
September 20, 2020
Where are the “closed doors” in your life? Do you often say to yourself, “Well, that door is closed to me now.” The one without much money, says, If only I had more money, then this opportunity would be open to me.” The one without an education says, “If only I had gotten a college degree, this promotion would be open to me.” The one without much talent says, “If only I could sing, play an instrument, repair automobiles, play sports…, then this door would be open to me.”
What if there was someone who had the keys to the doors that seem locked to us? What if there were someone who could open doors? In Revelation 3:7-13, Jesus told the church of Philadelphia that He had opened a door for them. We can trust Christ to open doors for us.
September 13, 2020
In the real world, we often put up a front to hide our reality, because we first of all don’t want to realize it ourselves and then we most definitely don’t want the rest of the world to realize it. Why do we hide and cover our reality? Because our reputation is more important than what’s real.
This was the nature of the church at Sardis; they valued reputation over reality. In Revelation chapter 3, Jesus corrected the church at Sardis for appearing to be alive when they were really dead. Someone is listening today, in-person or online, and if you’re honest with yourself, you see that in reality, something in you too is either dead or dying. As we discuss this chapter, we will see that we can receive Christ’s correction and experience real life in Christ through the three ways that the text gives.
September 6, 2020
Is tolerance automatically a bad thing? Should we tolerate some things and stand firm on others? How do we come to a biblical understanding of tolerance?
In his letter to the church in Thyatira, Jesus commanded them to hold fast to His truth in the face of excessive tolerance. We can hold fast to God’s truth in the face of excessive tolerance.
August 30, 2020
We rarely dive into the deep end of sin. We tend to slide into the shallow end, slowly inching ourselves deeper until it’s over our heads and we start drowning. No one sets out to be an addict or an alcoholic, they make a series of compromises that lead them there. No one plans on being unfaithful in their marriage, divorce was never the plan, but they make a series of compromises that lead them there. No one decides to reject Jesus in order to put money or material things or some other pursuit their god, but they make little compromises that lead them there.
We tend to do better with big challenges, but it’s the little compromises that erode our lives and our souls over time.
That’s what was happening in the church of Pergamum, compromise was eroding their faith. But Jesus had a word for them. In the book of Revelation, Jesus told John to write a letter to seven churches in Asia Minor. To the church of Pergamum, Jesus told John to write a letter calling them to uncompromising faith. We can have uncompromising faith.
August 23, 2020
Are you facing suffering today? There are many aspects of human suffering, or pain in the broader sense. There is psychological suffering: depression, anxiety, loneliness, grief from a death, a divorce or a broken friendship. Maybe that’s where you are today. You have emotional pain. Then, there is physical suffering: sickness, injury, declining health, sleep deprivation, even the pain of hunger, thirst and shelter for the impoverished. And the minute we put suffering into these two categories of psychological and physical, we have to understand that one affects the other. The pain of the body affects the mind, and the suffering of the mind affects the body. We all want to avoid suffering don’t we? But isn’t suffering and pain inevitable in this life? And since it is, wouldn’t you like help in how to face suffering when it comes?
That’s where the believers in Smyrna were. They were suffering tribulation and poverty and Jesus sent a letter to help them face it. In the book of Revelation, Jesus told John to write a letter to the church of Smyrna to help them with the suffering they were facing. We can receive Christ’s help when we face suffering.
August 16, 2020
Jesus wrote a letter to His churches. The first letter went to the church of Ephesus. It was a love letter. He wanted to know why they no longer loved Him as they did at first. Isn’t that amazing? That the Lord Jesus would care whether we love Him or not? Don’t we all need to hear this today? You may be listening today and you feel lonely and unloved. You may wonder whether the Lord is even aware of your situation. Does He even care?
Hear this: Jesus loves you. And he wants to know whether you love Him back. In Revelation chapter 2, Jesus told John to write a letter to the church of Ephesus, calling them to always put their love for Him first. We can answer Christ’s call to put our love for Him first.
August 9, 2020
The apostle John recorded how the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to him while he was exiled on the isle of Patmos and told him to a write letter to the seven churches of Asia Minor on His behalf. That’s what the book of Revelation is, it’s a letter from King Jesus to His Church containing what He wants believers to know about Him, the Church and about the future events in the world and in heaven leading up to His return.
In the first chapter of Revelation, the apostle John described how believers might receive the blessing of the revelation of Jesus Christ. We can receive the blessing of the revelation of Jesus Christ.
