The Message to the Churches in Ephesus, Smyrna, & Pergamum
Revelation 2:1-17
- What did it mean to the original reader or original audience?
Summarize the main story: Describe the events of the scriptural story in your own words.
Review and retell the story.
#People = John, Jesus Christ, The church in Ephesus, The Nicolaitans, The church in Smyrna, The church in Pergamum, Balaam, The church in Thyatira, Jezebel
#Time =
#Place = Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum
#Obedient faith =
#Sin =
#Key Idea =
To the Church in Ephesus
2 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.
2 “‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 6 Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’
To the Church in Smyrna
8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.
9 “‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’
To the Church in Pergamum
12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword.
13 “‘I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. 15 So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. 17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’
- To the Church in Ephesus 1-7
- To the Church in Smyrna 8-11
- To the Church in Pergamum 12-17
- God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
- We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
- I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How can I apply it to my life this week?
- What transformative move needs to be made?
- You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.
Take Away Challenges
What has the Holy Spirit revealed to you in this passage? How will you apply it to your life this week?
Whom do you know who needs to hear this?
What is God bringing to your attention in this discussion? What beliefs, thoughts, or actions need to be addressed or changed?
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BE THOU FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH
Jesus challenged the saints of ancient Smyrna to be faithful unto death if they hoped to receive the crown of life (Rev. 2:10). There are four areas in which this sacred charge is applicable to us today.
I. There is the personal component. Every Christian must be faithful unto death We must be faithful to Christ our savior and lord (Rom. 10:9-10). We must be faithful to the Bible which is his teaching. We must be faithful to his church for which gave his life (Acts 20:28). Our personal faithfulness will be demonstrated in the way we live our lives (Tit. 2:12-13), and in our commitment to his church. A faithful disciple will stand up for Christ and his cause when they are attacked by His enemies. Faithfulness is a very personal thing. It will not count for me that my parents, my mate or my children were faithful. To receive the crown, I must be faithful!
II. There is the congregational component. It was to a congregation that Jesus said, "Be thou faithful unto death." A congregation is a band of Christians, collectively serving God in a particular community. Congregations can be corrupted like that in Corinth, dead like the one in Sardis (Rev. 3:1) or lukewarm and disgusting like the one in Laodicea (Rev. 3:15-16). A faithful church will be true to Christ by making every effort to conform to his teaching. Each disciple should seek a faithful church with which to worship!
III. There is a doctrinal component. Both individual saints and congregations have a responsibility to be careful to know and obey the instructions given us by the Savior (Matt. 28:20). There is a pattern of spiritual truths about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, salvation, worship, the polity of the church and other sacred themes (2 Tim.1:13). This pattern we must honor. From the beginning, there have always been disciples who wanted to go onward and not abide in the teaching of Christ (2 John 9-10). Christ expects us to avoid false teachers with their false doctrine. Paul warns, "Let no man beguile you" (2 Thess. 2:3).
IV. There is a practical component. We must faithfully worship as Christ has ordained. We must be faithful in fulfilling his Great Commission by teaching the lost the Savior's way of salvation (Matt. 28:19-20). We must be faithful in helping our fellow Christians who are discouraged and overcome by sins (Gal. 6:1-2). We must assist our brothers and sisters in growing up in all things unto Christ (Eph. 4:11-15). We must be considerate and helpful to those around us who are weak, ill or suffering (Gal. 2:10; James 1:27). To fail to meet these expectations will leave us among the unfaithful who have no promise of reward.
Are you a faithful follower of the Lord Jesus?
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