Lukewarm in Laodicea: Words for a Proud Church
You might recognize Jesus’ invitation: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with Me.” That’s a promise held out by Christ in the text for this sermon, Revelation 3:14–22.
An Open Door in Philadelphia: Words for a Witnessing Church
This sermon brings us to a refreshing text, Revelation 3:7–13. We’ll be hearing Jesus’ words to the church at Philadelphia, a church that was enduring persecution with a sturdy witness to Jesus Christ. Jesus says, “I have set before them an open door.” In other words, this is church is a passageway for the world into heaven. For this faithfulness they have the assurance of the eternal and irrevocable presence of Jesus Christ forever. Listen in and join us as we continue our series, The Seven: Jesus’ Words to His Churches in Revelation.
Waking Up in Sardis: Words for a Near-Dead Church
With this sermon we’ll turn to Revelation 3:1–6 for Jesus’ letter to a church with a great reputation in the community. They probably have a beautiful building and polished, bustling programs. But they’re near-dead. How can that be? We’ll explore that question and heed Jesus’ warnings. Listen in as we continue our series, The Seven: Jesus’ Words to His Churches in Revelation.
Searching the Heart at Thyatira: Words for a Tolerant Church
Jesus writes to a church in a small industrial town called Thyatira. This town was a robust commercial center with trade guilds which included idolatry and immorality. This presented Christians with a problem: join the guilds and flourish economically or stay out and embrace poverty. The church at Thyatira was not entirely faithful, and Jesus issues some hard words.
Wielding the Word in Pergamum: Words for a Compromised Church
Jesus’ letter to the church at Pergamum, found in Revelation 2:12–17, will be the heart of this sermon. This church was located in the religious capitol of Asia, a church that had been faithful even to the point of martyrdom. Yet she was compromised in a deadly way. Listen in to find out her remedy in Christ.
Dying Well in Smyrna: Words for a Persecuted Church
In this sermon we will open up Jesus’ second of seven letters to seven churches, His letter to the church at Smyrna found in Revelation 2:8–11. This church was persecuted for her allegiance to Jesus Christ over Caesar, and the heat was about to get turned up further. The comforts of this letter are for all of us as we experience the cost of Christianity in this world, and as we prepare ourselves for what difficulty may lie ahead.
Loving Jesus in Ephesus: Words for a Distracted Church
In this sermon we will open up Jesus’ first of seven letters to seven churches, His letter to the church at Ephesus found in Revelation 2:1–7. This church was embedded in one of the ancient world’s most prominent cities. Under cultural pressure for doctrinal collapse, this church held strong in every important way, except one. Listen in and continue our series, The Seven: Jesus’ Words to His Churches in Revelation.
A Vision that Sustains the Church
The Book of Revelation is an often avoided part of our Bibles, by readers and by preachers alike. There are good reasons for this, including its obscure ancient history and its extinct apocalyptic genre. But with a little bit of work, this book will yield blessing for the church in this world—strength to endure in difficult times. With this sermon we begin our series, The Seven: Jesus’ Words to His Churches in Revelation. But before we get into the letters Jesus wrote for these first century churches, we need to behold Christ in majestic glory, a vision that sustains the church.
