A Practical and Devotional Study of the Book of Revelation
Part 1 – Things Seen and Things Said
Week 3 – The Messages to the Churches Part 1
Rev 2

Series Key Truth – In Christ We Win!

Rev 2:1-7

2 “To the angelf of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of him

These are the words of him

“To the angelf of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among
the seven golden lampstands.

2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot
tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are
not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships
for my name, and have not grown weary.
4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider
how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not
repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6 But you have
this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
7 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one
who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the
paradise of God.

The Loveless Church in Ephesus

Takeaway #1 – What we do in this life matters to Jesus.

Takeaway #2 - Love reigns supreme.

The Lenient Church in Pergamum

Rev 2:12-17
12 “To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:
These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. 13 I
know where you live—where Satan has his throne.

Takeaway #1 - Some places are more difficult to remain faithful in than others.

Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me,
not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in
your city—where Satan lives.
14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you
who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites
to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual
immorality. 15 Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the
Nicolaitans.

Takeaway #2 – Jesus opposes compromise with pagan culture.

16 Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight
against them with the sword of my mouth.
17 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To
the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give
that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the
one who receives it.

The Tolerating Church in Thyatira

Rev 2:18-29
18 “To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:
These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and
whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19 I know your deeds, your love and
faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than
you did at first.

20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel,
who calls herself a prophet.

By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the
eating of food sacrificed to idols. 21 I have given her time to repent of her
immorality, but she is unwilling. 22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and
I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they
repent of her ways. 23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches
will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of
you according to your deeds.

Takeaway #1 - God is intolerant of false teachers and their followers.

Take away #2 -There will be a judgement of works, and it won't be all bad.

24 Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her
teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not
impose any other burden on you, 25 except to hold on to what you have until I
come.’
26 To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give
authority over the nations— 27 that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter
and will dash them to pieces like pottery’g—just as I have received authority
from my Father. 28 I will also give that one the morning star. 29 Whoever has
ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Key Truth- there's no such thing as a perfect church.