Jesus’ message to the churches of Revelation and what it says to the Church today
This past Sunday began our fall sermon series, “Seven Churches.” This eight-week overview of the book of Revelation will invite our church to hear Jesus’ message to His people today and call us to respond with courageous faithfulness together.
The Bible’s final book is in the form of what is called “apocalyptic literature” (the Greek word translated Revelation in verse 1:1 is apocalypsis). This form, seen in other places in the Bible such as portions of Isaiah, Daniel, and Zechariah, uses symbols and images—beasts, dragons, a slain lamb, and a woman clothed with the sun—to communicate greater truths and reveal reality in a vivid way.
The book is about the conclusion of a cosmic war that has been unfolding since the beginning of human history. It not only paints a picture of the world to come but also casts light on the present world, revealing its true nature. Overall, Revelation presents a counter-vision of reality intended to inspire courage and faith in believers in every era.
It is also a prophecy (verse 1:3) given to the Apostle John for seven historical churches in Asia Minor, in modern-day Turkey. These churches were likely connected by a major travel route through the region’s population centers. These historical congregations represent the churches of all ages, making this book a prophetic message for us today.
In chapters 2 and 3, the glorified Jesus speaks a unique message of warning and encouragement to the seven churches. Each church is called to engage in the eschatological battle—the end-of-history conflict described in the central chapters of the book (chapters 6–20).
This battle is a spiritual conflict that has been the backdrop of human history and is portrayed here in the Bible’s final book as a tale of two cities. The cities called Babylon—a stand-in for Rome—and the New Jerusalem represent two kingdoms: the kingdom of man and the kingdom of God. As ancient Babylon stands behind Rome, Rome stands in for the imperial order itself, the pattern of power that corrupts and persecutes.
“Revelation allows no neutral perception: either one shares Rome’s own ideology, or one sees it from the perspective of heaven, which unmasks its pretensions. The empire is a system both of political tyranny and of economic exploitation. The two major symbols for Rome are the sea monster or beast and the prostitute.” —Richard Bauckham
In each of the churches addressed, the call is to overcome and be victorious. It is a summons to engage the spiritual battle revealed throughout the rest of the book. In this sense, Revelation is a book about Christian discipleship in difficult times, not merely a book about the end times.
The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
Revelation 1:20
Revelation teaches that history is moving within an awesome and consequential conflict between God and Satan, good and evil. Believers are called to side with God and resist compromise with evil, trusting in a reward that exceeds our highest hopes.
For that reason, this series will move from the vision of the risen Christ in Revelation 1 to His specific words to each of the seven churches, helping us hear both the warning and the hope of Revelation as a call to faithful discipleship today.
Although each church receives a warning, the overarching purpose is to inspire courage and faithfulness in a world opposed to the things of God.
We are living in an age marked by anxiety, outrage, fear, and cultural instability. But because Jesus has been victorious and ultimate judgment is sure, we can live with confidence rather than fear. We are not victims of history; we are participants in God’s redemptive work.
This series will run for eight Sundays from September 6th through October 25th.
We are not victims of history; we are participants in God’s redemptive work.
How to best engage the series
Over the weeks of this series, we encourage all small groups to use the sermon-aligned group guides. These guides include specific prayer prompts for us and for our church. Our hope is to see the church grow together in spiritual strength and unity. Small group leaders will receive an email containing the group guide every Friday, in advance of the Sunday message. Additionally, you can find the group guides on our app or on our website at browncroft.org/sermons.
Our Family Ministry is also encouraging parents and elementary-aged children to pray together through the Spirit Shaped Family Challenge. If your family would like to participate, please sign up using this link.
To go deeper, consider reading Revelation alongside the following resources, which reinforce the series theme of overcoming through faithful discipleship:
The Theology of the Book of Revelation, Richard Bauckham. This is not a commentary on Revelation but a short, rich treatment of the book’s theology, literary structure, and composition.
The Overcomers: God’s Vision for You to Thrive in an Age of Anxiety and Outrage, Matt Chandler. This is also not a commentary on Revelation, but an overview of its central message as seen through the charge given to each of the seven churches to overcome.
Together, let us attend faithfully, engage the guides, pray with our groups and families, and hear Jesus’ call to overcome with courage, endurance, and hope. We look forward to celebrating the start of our new program year this Sunday at Fall Kickoff. And, if you’re available tomorrow (Friday) evening, we are holding an hour of corporate prayer. Gather with us in the sanctuary at 7:00pm to lift up our church, our community, and our world. No better way to begin this season and series.
Pastor Rob
