The 7 Churches of Revelation | A Sermon on Revelation 1:9-20

Introduction
I’m really excited to kick off a brand-new message series with you today.  We’re diving into the Seven Churches of Revelation.  These 7 churches were real communities of believers. Jesus had specific words for each of them. And here’s the powerful part:
He’s still walking among His churches today, just like He was back then.
He holds us in His hand. He sees everything.
And He still speaks with wisdom we need for our lives today.

In this series, we’ll read the seven letters Jesus sent to His people nearly 2,000 years ago.  We’ll listen closely to what those letters say to us as a church called to shine in the 21^st century.  Before we dive in, let me clear up a few things that will help us read Revelation the way it was meant to be read:

First, it’s Revelation, not Revelations. There is no “S” on the end of Revelation. One vision. One message. One incredible unveiling of Jesus Christ. 

Second, this book wasn’t written as some distant, cryptic code about the end times.  It was written to encourage real Christians in the first century who were facing real persecution. Yes, it has layers of meaning that stretch across time and eternity, but it was first and foremost to help first century persecuted Christians.  And they needed real, immediate help—not a book focused on things that would happen thousands of years in the future.  That being said, Revelation can speak to us too, but only if we understand how it spoke to Christians in the first century.

Third, Revelation is full of vivid, powerful symbols. So don’t get stuck trying to picture dragons, beasts, and lampstands as literal things. Instead, look for what they represent. The meaning behind the image is where the real power lies.  OK, let’s dive right in.

Revelation 1:9-20
⁹ I, John, am your brother and your partner in suffering and in God’s Kingdom and in the patient endurance to which Jesus calls us. I was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the word of God and for my testimony about Jesus. ¹⁰ It was the Lord’s Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit.^[a] Suddenly, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet blast. ¹¹ It said, “Write in a book^[b] everything you see, and send it to the seven churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”

¹² When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. ¹³ And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man.^[c] He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. ¹⁴ His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. ¹⁵ His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. ¹⁶ He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance.

¹⁷ When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. ¹⁸ I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.^[d]

¹⁹ “Write down what you have seen—both the things that are now happening and the things that will happen.^[e] 20 This is the meaning of the mystery of the seven stars you saw in my right hand and the seven gold lampstands: The seven stars are the angels^[f] of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

The Author
First of all, who wrote the book? Who received the revelation? It was John. This is a specific John—he is one of the twelve disciples. He is the one who wrote the Gospel of John, the letters of John, and here he is receiving the Revelation of Jesus Christ. John is known as the beloved disciple. He was very close to Jesus while Jesus walked upon the earth. He was in the inner circle along with his brother James and Peter, the leader of the disciples. He was there and saw Jesus being transfigured, with Moses and Elijah appearing beside Him. He was there when Jesus was crucified on the cross. Jesus said, 'This is my mother,' and in a cryptic way, He entrusted the care of His mother to John.

John is also a brother to those to whom he is writing. He’s a brother because he’s a Christian, but also because he has shared in their suffering. He is giving them a word from the Lord to help them through their persecution, but he’s not doing it as someone who has lived a comfortable, cozy life. John has faced troubles and tribulations. He has seen people he loved tortured and killed. He himself is currently in exile on the prison island of Patmos simply because he has testified that Jesus Christ is alive and that He is the Messiah and the Son of God.

As John shares this revelation with the seven churches, he is able to say, 'I know what you're going through—I'm going through it too. I'm a brother.' He received this revelation on the Lord’s Day, which is significant. It shows that Christians in New Testament times were worshiping on Sunday, the Lord’s Day. Most early Christians were Jewish and traditionally worshiped on the Sabbath (Saturday), but they began to worship on Sunday because it was the day Jesus rose from the grave. It became the Christian tradition to gather on the Lord’s Day to worship.

The 7 Churches
John is told to write this down and send it to the seven churches. These are real churches that were located in what is today modern-day Turkey. They were not the only churches at the time—there were also churches in Jerusalem, Rome, and Alexandria—but these seven were chosen to receive this revelation.

The seven churches named are: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.

It’s important to understand that in New Testament times, when they said 'church,' they weren’t talking about a building. They were talking about the gathering of believers. Today, when we say 'church,' we usually think of the building—'I’m going to church this morning'—meaning a location like Pleasant Grove Methodist or Grove Level Baptist.

But literally, 'church' means the gathering of the believers. Each city would have a gathering of believers. They might not have had a church building like we have today. They might have gathered in homes, or even in secret. Still, you would say that is the church in Jerusalem, or the church in Ephesus—it’s all the believers living in that city.

So when we talk about these seven churches, we’re talking about seven different communities of Christians—not buildings, but people—whom Jesus was addressing through John’s revelation.

7 Lampstands
There are a lot of symbols in this passage we’ve read, so let’s go through some of them. The first is the seven lampstands. Jesus tells us in the passage that these represent the seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.

It’s fitting that they are represented as lampstands because they are meant to shine God’s light into a dark world. This has always been the purpose of God’s people. Even in the Old Testament, God said that the Jewish people were to be a light to the nations—a light to the Gentiles living in darkness.

In the New Testament, we see that the Church now fulfills that role. The Church is represented as candles or lampstands burning brightly for Christ, because that is the purpose of the Church. And that is the number one thing we need to receive from this today: if we are part of the Church, what is our purpose? It is to shine the light of Christ.

We sometimes get this wrong. We think the Church is where we come primarily to get fed, to get a blessing, or maybe to celebrate a tradition we love, or even to be entertained by good music or a good message. But those things, while meaningful, are not the purpose of the Church. The purpose of the Church is to shine for Jesus Christ.

Just like it was in the first century, it is for us today as well.

Son of Man
In the passage, it says that the one like the Son of Man is walking among the churches, among the lampstands. Who is this 'Son of Man' figure? It is the Messiah, Jesus Christ. From Daniel 7:13, we learn that the Messiah—Jesus, the glorified and risen Christ—is given authority by God and referred to as the Son of Man.

As we read through the description of this figure, it becomes clear that this is Jesus. He is wearing a long robe and a golden sash—garments that resemble those of a high priest and a king. Jesus is both. He is our great High Priest who intercedes for us, and He is the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Often when we picture Jesus, we think of the baby born in a manger, or the suffering Savior hanging on the cross. But in this vision, we see the glorified Lord—radiant, powerful, and full of majesty. There is nothing weak or broken about this Jesus. He wears the robe and the golden sash as our reigning Lord.

His hair is white, not from age or weakness, but as a symbol of divine wisdom and purity. His face shines like the sun—radiant with overwhelming holiness. His eyes are like flames of fire, meaning He sees into the very soul of a person. He knows the true condition of your heart, your family, your church, and your community.

His feet are like polished bronze—strong, stable, and unshakable. His voice sounds like rushing waters—majestic and authoritative. And from His mouth comes a sharp double-edged sword—not literally, but as a symbol of the power of His words. Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the Word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, able to judge the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Jesus' words pierce deeply. He speaks to the seven churches—and He speaks to us, too. To the discouraged, the distracted, the faithful, the weary, and the wandering: Jesus speaks. We don’t need to guess what He wants. We can hear it clearly in His Word, especially in the letters we’ll be studying throughout this series.

7 Stars
There is also this image: the Son of Man—Jesus Christ—is holding seven stars in His hand. The passage tells us these are the angels of the seven churches. Now, this can be a little misunderstood. What does that mean?

The word translated as 'angels' can mean heavenly beings, but it also means 'messengers.' In the New Testament world, there was an idea that each church had an angel who watched over it. That’s one interpretation. But there’s another, more practical interpretation too. The early church often saw pastors, bishops, or church leaders as the messengers of God to the churches—God’s representatives delivering His Word.

When Jesus holds these stars in His hand, it’s a powerful image. He’s holding the leaders. He’s protecting them. He’s sustaining them. And that matters especially because this letter was written to people facing intense persecution. Guess who faced the most danger? The leaders. Because leaders are the ones who step out front. They’re the ones who get noticed. And when the authorities wanted to punish someone, they went for the leaders.

So this image says something powerful: Jesus sees the leaders. He holds them in His hand. He cares for them.

I can tell you, as one of your pastors—I need your prayers. Being a messenger isn’t always easy. But it’s comforting to know that Jesus holds me in His hand. And not just me—He holds all of us. Because we’re all called to be His witnesses. We are His people, and He is walking among us.

Closing Meditation
Revelation was shared to help persecuted Christians in the first century looks past their immediate experience.  It called believers to recognize God was at work behind the scenes and that His eternal Kingdom was breaking into our world despite the awful things they were seeing the evil kingdoms of the world perpetrate.

As we close, I want to invite you to close your eyes and try to imagine what God is really doing behind the scenes in our own lives.  So, close your eyes…

… and begin to imagine this room—our church sanctuary—as it really is right now.
Not just filled with people… but filled with lampstands.
One for every believer. One for every family. One for our church.

Each lampstand is glowing because God has given it His own light to shine…
And now, look—Jesus is here…  The risen Lord. The Son of Man.
His robe flows with heavenly majesty… His sash gleams with golden light.
His eyes burn with compassion and truth. His face shines like the sun.  And He is walking…

Jesus is here.  He is not pacing in anger… not rushing by…
But gently, purposefully, walking among us, His lampstands.

He pauses beside you.  He sees you.  He knows your name.
He sees the burdens you’ve been carrying…
He sees the faith no one else noticed…
He sees the doubt you've tried to hide…

He knows your weariness.
He knows your prayers.
He knows your joy.
He knows your sin.

And still… He lays His hand on your shoulder…  and says to you,

“Don’t be afraid.  I am the First and the Last.  I am the Living One.
I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever.  I died for you, because I love you.
I rose for you, so you can live forever with me. 
And now I reign forever, and my Kingdom lives in you.”

Stay with Jesus in this moment.
Let Him speak.
Let Him comfort.
Let Him correct.
Let Him restore.

Now, in a moment, we’ll open our eyes…
but may we not forget what we’ve seen.
Because Jesus is still walking among His churches.
And He’s walking among us.

Amen.

 

The Wonder of His Return | A Sermon on Matthew 25:14-30

Introduction
It's been my privilege all week long to be the storyteller at Vacation Bible School. We did four days, Monday through Thursday, and there are five lessons, so we wanted to finish up this fifth lesson today during church. You'll get to get a taste of what the kids have been learning, and I hope that it's something that will speak to your heart as well today, because it really is something that we all need to remember.

As we've been doing Wonder Junction and we've been wondering about Jesus all week long, we've been learning about His life from beginning to the end. Our theme verse, as Summer said, for the week has been Psalm 113:3: "From the rising of the sun to the setting, the name of the Lord shall be praised." That's a fitting verse because we've been learning about Jesus and His life from the beginning to the end, and then today we're going to be learning what happens after that.

Day one, we learned about Jesus being born in a manger, and we learned that the Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us. On day two, we learned about Jesus when He was 12 years old—just about the time that a lot of the kids are finishing up Vacation Bible School and going into the youth program. Jesus went to the temple, and He was full of God's wisdom because He knew the Word and He was able to sit in the temple and talk with the priests, and they were amazed at His wisdom.

Then on day three, we learned how He showed His power in one particular story where the disciples and Jesus were in a boat out on the water on the Sea of Galilee. The wind and the waves began to crash, and even though Jesus was there in the boat, He was asleep. The disciples cried out to Him, "Lord, Lord, don't You even care? Why are You sleeping?" He woke up, calmed the storm, and they said, "Even the wind and the waves obey Him."

And then on day four, we learned about the greatest rescue plan of all time. Jesus came and He gave Himself for us on the cross at Calvary. He laid down His life so that we can be forgiven of our sins and be welcomed into the Kingdom of God and receive eternal life if we will follow Him, turn away from our sins, and follow Him.

So that's what we've been learning all week long. Today, we're going to learn how Jesus is coming back one day. We're going to wonder at His return. Today we're not talking about what He did in the past, but we're looking at what He's going to do in the future.

This story comes to us from Matthew chapter 25, verses 14–30. I want to read that to you. This is a parable that Jesus told, and He's telling it again to us today:

Matthew 25:14-30
¹⁴ “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. ¹⁵ He gave five bags of silver^[a] to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip.

¹⁶ “The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. ¹⁷ The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. ¹⁸ But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money.

¹⁹ “After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. ²⁰ The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’

²¹ “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!^[b]’

²² “The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’

²³ “The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’

²⁴ “Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. ²⁵ I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’

²⁶ “But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, ²⁷ why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’

²⁸ “Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. ²⁹ To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. ³⁰ Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

The Basics of the Story
Now this is a parable Jesus told. It's a story full of symbols. He's not really talking about servants and farmers and masters—He's talking about us, the people on this earth. The master in the story is Jesus the Lord. The servants in the story are each of us. And the talents, the silver, is our time, our gifts, our influence, our resources.

Each one of us has been given by God time, gifts, talents, resources. All that we have comes from the Lord. It's not ours—it was given to us by the Master with the purpose of using it for His glory to do His work while we're here on the earth.

And the story is telling us also something very important: Jesus is going to come back. He's gone now, but He's coming back. And when He gets here, He wants to see what we've done with what He gave us.

Now I want you to understand something. A lot of times when we talk about Jesus coming back, we think about something that's going to happen far off in a distant time—maybe decades from now, maybe hundreds or thousands of years from now. But I want you to understand, each and every one of you, that Jesus is coming back for you in your lifetime one way or another.

The belief in the Christian faith is that one day Jesus is going to come on the clouds for all the earth. That may happen in your lifetime. But even if that doesn't happen in your lifetime, I want you to understand: you're going to take your last breath at one point in this life, and when you do, you're going to come face-to-face with Jesus. So He's either going to come for all of us at once or He's going to come for you individually. And when He comes, He's going to want an account, just like He did of these servants in the parable.

Jesus didn't save us just so we could sit in the shade napping with our hats pulled down over our heads. He came and saved us so we could saddle up and ride for His Kingdom. We are on a mission with God to save the world. And He's given each of us different talents, different gifts. Just like He did in the story—He gave some ten bags of silver, some five bags of silver, some one—He gave each and every one of us different talents, different abilities, and differing amounts. But each and every one of us has something that the Lord has given us.

Oftentimes we're afraid to use it. We want to dig a hole, put it in the ground, and bury it. We don't want to step out. We don't want to be the tall blade of grass that gets cut off. We just want to fit in, hide in the crowd. But Jesus calls us to step forward, to step out in faith, and to serve.

What It Means to Be Ready
We’ve got to be ready for when He comes—because He's coming, and we're going to see Him in our lifetime. Being ready doesn't mean that you stand there and look up at the sky and wait for Him to come all your life. It means living as if He's coming—doing what He wants us to do, what He calls all of us to do: love others, be compassionate like He was, be honest and tell the truth like He did, share Jesus and talk to others about what He's done in our life and what He means to us. Be a witness about the kind of Savior that we serve and what He's done for us to save us. He's calling us to be kind as Jesus was kind and compassionate—helping those that are in need, not only thinking of ourselves but thinking of others and even being giving to others sacrificially, to the point that it hurts. Be faithful in work, faithful with our family, in our church, in our community.

Use the gifts that God has given us. He's given each one of us a little something different. One of the joys in life is discovering what kind of a gift God gave you. Are you a singer? Are you a preacher? Are you a teacher? Are you a helper behind the scenes?

Throughout this week of Vacation Bible School, we saw so many different people serving in so many different ways—from Summer, who's standing up in front of everybody talking, to the people who were registering people as they come in to make sure their kids were safe, to the people who were putting up decorations or bringing donations. Everybody had a part. This is a good image of what we have in life: there are so many things that have to be done throughout our world and in our community, and each one of us has got a different gift, and we're called to use that for the glory of God—not to hide that talent in the dirt.

It means that we have to live with a sense of urgency. This parable says that the master's coming back, and we don't know when the master's coming back. But we do know that He is coming back, and it's going to be when we least expect it. So we ought to live and we ought to serve out of a sense of urgency.

I don't know about you, but sometimes I feel like I'm a procrastinator, and I just put things off—"Well, I can do that tomorrow," or "I can do that later." But this parable reminds us that you can't live a life of procrastination. Because what if Jesus comes back? What if the master comes back and He calls for an account? You're going to feel really silly when you say, "Well, I was going to get to that tomorrow," and He says, "But you've had your whole life to do and to use what I've given you. What have you been doing with what I gave you?" And don't you want to be able to give a good account? I know I do.

Living in the Wonder
So when you think about your life and you think about what this message is saying to us, ask yourself the question: What would you do differently this week if you knew Jesus was going to be coming back on Friday? How would you live your life differently if you knew you're going to have to give an account to the Master on Friday? But you know what—you might not have until Friday. You might have to give an account tomorrow. You might have to give an account this afternoon.

So it gives us a sense of urgency to get to work doing what He's called us to do. If there's someone you need to talk to, do it. Don't put it off. If there's something in your heart that you need to get right with the Lord, do it. Don't put it off.

We live with a sense of hope and a sense of wonder and a sense of expectation as Christians. Now some people might hear this story and it might put in their heart a sense of dread. But we're not called to live as Christians with a sense of dread or fear, like a doom-and-gloom belief that the world is going to end. We know the world is going to end, but that's not a bad thing if we are walking with the Lord. If we're doing what He's called us to do, then when the world ends or when Jesus comes back, that's going to be a good thing. Because what did He do for the faithful servants? He said, "Come on, let's celebrate together."

What a wonderful thing—that we get to celebrate, and we get to see the world being recreated, and everything that is wrong in it being made right. And even within ourselves, the things we wish were different—He's going to make them different and right and perfect. So it's a wonderful thing to look forward to. It's not a sense of dread; it's a sense of wonder and of hope and of expectation, so long as we're living for Him, doing our best.

Here's the thing too—the Christian hope: our Master is not a harsh master. He's a gracious and kind and merciful Master. He understands that we try and we mess up. He'd rather you try and stumble than not try at all. He doesn't want you to bury your gifts in the sand. He wants you to step out and try. And if you step out and fail, that's okay. He's going to be proud that you tried, and He's going to let you try again. That's the wonderful hope we have as Christians—a merciful Master.

But if you're not living for the Lord, if you're only living for yourself and doing what makes you happy without any care for what the Master wants, well then that's something to worry about. That's something to get right with the Lord instead of waiting and putting it off. He wants you to get that right.

The trail of the Christian doesn't end at the cross. The trail ends when Jesus returns and makes everything right. Jesus comes back, and we get to ride into glory with Him.

Conclusion and Invitation
If Jesus came back today—for all of us, or for you individually—would you be ready? What have you done with the time and the treasures that He's given to you?

Another wonderful hope for the Christian is we don't have to be discouraged if we look back on our life and think, "Man, I should have done this. I should have done that," or "I haven't even done anything at all." Even if you failed so far, there's forgiveness, and there's always a chance for a fresh start. You can start today, right this moment, moving forward following the Lord. And the Savior honors that. He honors that and He welcomes that.

So if you've never done anything, if you've not been following the Lord, today you can start brand new and fresh. And for Christians who have been following the Lord, we can always look back and think about things we could have done better. But that's okay. The Savior is gracious and He invites us to renew our faith and our commitment to follow Him and move forward in a new day.

As we come to the close of the lesson today, I want to invite you—if you've not decided to follow the Lord, you can follow Him from this day forward. Make that commitment today. And if you're a Christian and you're following the Lord, you've been trying, I would invite you to renew your faith in Him and your commitment to follow Him.

Now as we close, I'd like to do something special. I'm going to give parents and their children a chance to come forward to the altar. We're not going to do anything crazy; we're not going to have any crazy religious ceremonies. But I would like to give a blessing to all the kids and all of the parents who come forward and receive that. I promise—it'll just be a prayer, but it'll be a time for us to feel Christ surrounding us and a time to bless Him.

Would you come forward to receive a blessing? Come on forward if you would. I don't want to pressure you—if you don't want to, that's okay. But you won't be standing alone. It looks like we’ve got a lot coming forward. Thank you, thank you for coming. Thank you for being part of Vacation Bible School all week long.

All right. Let's pray together:

Thank You, Father, for the wonder of this week—for the laughter and the learning and the love. Thank You for every child who came through our doors, for every volunteer who gave their time, for every heart in this room today that's been praying for Vacation Bible School and for all of the wonderful things that You've done.

And now, Lord, as we stand together, young and old, we remember the greatest promise of all: You're coming back. And when You come back, Lord, You're not coming back as a baby, but You're coming back as the King of Kings. We desperately want to be ready. We want to do our best. We want to be fruitful as Your servants here on this earth.

So Lord, we ask that You help us to live every day like it matters. Help us to experience the fullness of this life and the joy that You want to give. Help us to make a difference as we laugh and love together.

Lord, we want to love You more, and we want to serve You more, and we want to trust You. So even when the trail gets rough, help us. We're not perfect, Lord, but we know You didn't come for the perfect. You came to rescue us and redeem us and to walk with us until You return.

So today we stand here not because we've got it all figured out, but because we want to follow You. We want our kids to know You. We want to be a church that keeps looking up—keeps living in the wonder of Your return.

So Lord, we offer ourselves to You, and I ask Your blessings upon these children, upon their families, and upon their futures. May it all be for Your glory. Through the name of Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.

Thank you so much for coming and being a part of this service today and our Vacation Bible School.

I know that we all want what's best for our kids, for our families. We care about our community. One of the best things we can do to make a difference in our lives and in the lives of our families and our communities is to be part of a loving church community—a faith community. I know the church is not perfect. We make mistakes. And it's because we're filled with imperfect people. But I haven't seen a better option. If you want to make the world a better place, if you want to make your life a better place, be a part of a church family.

We would love to have you as part of ours here at Pleasant Grove. Like I said, we're not a perfect church—we're just real people, which means we have real problems. But we work through them together and we move forward, and we become better. It's all by God's glory. We'd love to have you as part of our family. So thank you for being here today.