Revelation 2:1-3:22 Seven Tests of a Healthy Church

Revelation 2:1-3:22 Seven Tests of a Healthy Church

These words in Revelation 2-3 are the last words Jesus speaks to the church. He spoke about the purpose of the mission in Matthew 28:19-20. He spoke about the direction of the mission in Acts 1:8. Here, Jesus evaluates the church. He tells them what they did wrong and what they did right. He points them in a direction to keep them on track, to keep them going. In these special messages to the seven churches in Asia Minor, the Lord gave each assembly an “X ray” of its condition. But He intended for all the churches to read these messages and benefit from them. ¹

Between now and Easter, we will spend time in these two chapters, learning from each and all of these churches. On Sunday evenings, we will continue through the book of Revelation. For Sunday mornings, I want to take the time to encourage and challenge this church as we look at what Jesus said to the churches then, and what He says to our church today.

As the map shows, these letters were addressed to seven real churches, which are located in modern Western Turkey. These were seven churches which the apostle John started. The letters are addressed in this order because this was the mail route. From Patmos, one would send mail in a clockwise order.

Each letter follows a certain form. There are seven parts to each letter. Not every church has all seven parts, but all seven parts are used to address each church.

Indeed, it is hard not to see in the basic structure of most of the Letters, a seven-beat rhythm which echoes the broader rhythm of the Scene as a whole. In the first Letter, for example, it runs thus: (1) To the Ephesians (2) speaks the Holder of the seven stars: (3) I know certain good things about you, (4) but a bad thing too, (5) so repent. (6) Hear what the Spirit says; (7) the victor shall eat of the tree of life.²

These parts of the letter to each church include:

SEVEN PARTS OF THE LETTER TO THE CHURCH

1. Address

Each church is addressed separately. The Hebrew and Greek term for angel can mean messenger. It could refer to (1) the pastor (cf. Mal. 2:7); (2) the angel of the church (cf. Dan. 10); or (3) the unique spirit or character of the individual congregations.³

1. Depiction of Jesus

Christ’s first words to each of the seven churches (2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14) repeat the same images used of Christ envisioned in John’s commission.⁴ This integrates them with the vision in Chapter 1.⁵

1. Commendation or Praise

Jesus starts with saying good before He says something bad or His criticism. Jesus is showing us the proper way to critique someone. Start with the good and go to the bad. Then you end with how it can be better.

Not every church receives praise. One receives a rebuke.

1. Condemnation or Rebuke

Not every church receives condemnation. One receives praise.

1. Exhortation

The exhortation is based or rebuke. In each case, Jesus expects the church to grow and change. No church is perfect. There is always room for improvement. Every church, and every Christian needs to repent of some sin, or find something in their life that doesn’t match up to what God wants you to do. God loves you the way you are. But He doesn’t want you to stay that way. This leads us to the next part of the letter – the call to pay attention to the Holy Spirit.

Jesus did not write any of these churches off. He said the day may come when he would write them off—make war on them with the sword of his mouth, come against them like a thief, bring them into sickness, and, if necessary, take away their candlestick—put them out of existence. But not yet. He gave them all time to repent.⁶

1. Call to pay attention to the Holy Spirit (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22)

Seven times, the Spirit speaks to the churches. The seven-fold Spirit has a seven-fold word to the church. He is the One speaking to us and reminding us how we should be in the world.

Although all of the churches encountered different circumstances, they were all called to listen and obey the Holy Spirit. Listening and obeying the Holy Spirit is a test of hearing because in order to follow God, we have to listen to His instruction on a matter. Jesus said: “My sheep know my voice.” It is critical that we learn to listen and obey the Holy Spirit. He is our gift to us as a church. He will help build unity in the church if we listen Him as the same source. The Holy Spirit magnifies Jesus. He never contradicts the Word of God. He encourages, convicts, and leads us to follow God.

Every church and every Christian is called to listen and obey the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit leads us to repent, to change, to turn. The Holy Spirit leads us to move forward, to grow, to expand our influence.

1. Promise to the overcoming Christian

If we look at all of these seven letters as a whole, we notice some provocative patterns. For instance, only five of the seven were commended; two had nothing good said about them. Five of the seven were admonished; two had nothing bad said about them. It is extremely provocative that every one of them were surprised: those that thought they were doing well were not. Those that thought they were not doing well, were doing better than they thought. All of them were exhorted to improve.⁷

Most contemporary commentators understand the letters as integral to the Revelation. Dispensational writers see them as real letters, but also as a preview of church history in a downward spiral toward ineffectiveness.⁸ Still other scholars argue that there is not the slightest hint in the text that the seven churches are to be understood in such a way. In fact, it is only a very forced and erroneous reading of church history that can make the letters to the seven churches appear as prophecies regarding seven epochs of world history.⁹

Other scholars find different patterns in the letters. For example, Robert Morris finds another compositional pattern in chapters 2 and 3 that is worth noting in this regard. After calling attention to the importance of a “sevenfold arrangement” which organizes this section of John’s composition for him, Morris goes on to comment that “churches 1 and 7 are in grave danger, churches 2 and 6 are in excellent shape, churches 3, 4 and 5 are middling, neither very good nor very bad”¹⁰

Thus, we read Revelation in the same general way that we would read Paul’s letters to the Corinthians. That is, after doing our best to understand the historical situation of and the inspired message to the intended, first-century audience, we then seek, as a people who continue to stand under the authority of God’s Word, to apply the ancient message to our lives and situations today.¹¹

There are seven parts to the letter to each church. If you put all of these letters to different churches together, a church can see a fuller picture of the kind of church Jesus is looking for from us. I believe that there are seven tests that reveal a healthy church.

SEVEN TESTS OF A HEALTHY CHURCH

1. Keeping Christ as my first love – Ephesus (Revelation 2:1-7)

Test of commitment

The question is not whether you will fall in love with Jesus, but whether you will stay in love with Jesus. Jesus will always stay committed to you. That is why you are guaranteed eternal life. The question is how will you keep your commitment to Jesus.

1. Suffering for Christ’s sake – Smyrna (Revelation 2:8-11)

Test of difficulties

Every Christian is going to encounter persecution of some kind. Some will have difficulty at work. Others will have family and friends who don’t understand the faith. We go through trials to produce perseverance and this perseverance gives us hope.

A physical body goes through trials to make the body strong. The church (Christ’s body) also goes through trails to make the church strong.

1. Keeping God’s truth – Pergamum (Revelation 2:12-17)

Test of faith

Will I trust God with what He has said to me in His Word? That is the test of faith. Will I keep believing in what He has given me? That is a test of faith. I can choose to ignore God’s truth or I can choose to obey it. This test is related to suffering because when the tough times come, we sometimes want to dismiss God’s truth about a matter. We like to take shortcuts. We want to find the easy path.

1. Living a holy life – Thyatira (Revelation 2:18-29)

Test of obedience

If I am going to suffer for Christ’s sake, and keep God’s truth, then I am trying to live a holy life. Living a holy life means that I put God before other priorities. It is a test of obedience because other people are watching. Will I do what God tells me to do? Will I obey him or dismiss Him?

1. Staying spiritually alive – Sardis (Revelation 3:1-6)

Test of energy

Sardis is considered a dead church. There is no life, no energy in the church. If a church is going to be effective, it has to have energy. Energy is shown when the church is reaching out to young families, when the church is growing new leaders, when the church is multiplying its effectiveness.

1. Persevering in difficult times – Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-13)

Test of endurance

Philadelphia is the only church to receive a praise. The praise is because the church is enduring persecution. Persecution grows the church. It is a quality of endurance. When things are tough, the church learns to get innovative. We learn how to reach out to others.

1. Retaining a Passion for Christ – Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22)

Test of purpose

Being lukewarm is playing the middle ground. A cold drink of water can be refreshing. A hot tub of water can be soothing. But lukewarm serves no purpose. If I am going to be passionate for Christ, I need to show it by the way I live.

God wants us to be a healthy church. He wants us to reach out to the lost. He wants to change us and mold us to be the people He has called us to be. Join me from now until Easter as we go through a spiritual examination of our church’s health. Let’s learn how to be a better church by listening to the Spirit and Jesus’ instruction. He wants to make this church better and He wants us to be better Christians by growing in spiritual health.