Four Points Church

Mixtape in the Psalms - Psalm 11

Our fourth point of Four Points Church is Legacy: Love Lives On!

Our third point of Four Points Church is Passion: We Love Others!

Our second point of Four Points Church is Devotion: We Love God!

Our first point of Four Points Church is Love: God Loves Us!

Laodicea is one of the most ancient cities in the Lycus valley. Archeological evidence can accurately prove that people lived in the city more than a thousand years before the writing of Revelation. Historical records show previous names of the city as Rhoas and then Diospolis (which means City of Zeus). The name Laodicea did not come into use until the 3rd century BC when Seleucid king Antiochus II renamed the city after his wife Laodice. The provenance of Laodicea—its origins, importance, and history—helped it to remain a free city even when it was annexed into the Roman Empire in 133 BC. As a free city, Laodicea enjoyed electing its magistrates, running its government, and minting its own coins apart from Roman control. These luxuries help us understand why the city refused Roman funds to help rebuild after a devastating earthquake occurred in AD 60-61. Laodicea did not want to be in Rome’s debt, preferring to remain as free and independent as possible.

Philadelphia was located about thirty miles inward from Smyrna and the Aegean Sea, sitting on high ground on the south side of the Cogamis River. Its fertile land is well-suited for growing grapes, leading to an economy based mostly on agriculture and some industry. Because of this vine-growing ability, worship of the Greek god Dionysus—the god of wine— was a major pagan cult. Philadelphia had a strategic location at the intersection of several trade routes, making it a very prosperous city and earning it the name “the gateway to the East.” Unfortunately, its location also made it susceptible to earthquakes, and in AD 17, an earthquake destroyed the city of Philadelphia, along with several other cities. The Roman Empire played a huge role in the rebuilding of the city of Philadelphia, solidifying the city's devotion to the imperial cult. Just like in the city of Smyrna, those citizens who refused to worship the Roman emperor drew the persecution of the Roman devotees. Yet the Christians of the church at Philadelphia kept God’s Word and did not deny the name of Jesus (v. 8). This is a church that remains faithful to Christ in the face of multiple types of opposition.

Sometimes major cities are so close geographically that it is customary to mention them together. Minneapolis-St. Paul, Dallas-Forth Worth and Tampa-St. Petersburg all share such proximity that they are like one large metropolis. The name of ancient Sardis is a plural noun, representing two neighboring places, one an impregnable fortress on a hill, and one a thriving trade city at the bottom of the hill. Sardis was the capital of the Roman province of Lydia. At the time of the writing of Revelation, the city’s glory days had long since passed. The decline of the spiritual condition of the church at Sardis mirrored the city’s fallen status. In this passage, the risen Christ calls the church at Sardis to remember, to wake up, and to repent. Jesus’ words are gracious, stirring the dying embers of a church whose flame is all but extinguished.

The church in Thyatira seems to have a similar problem to the church in Pergamum, whom we met in the last section. It seems that sexual immorality and pagan practices have begun to sneak into the church unchecked (Revelation 2:20). Knowing the grave danger that lies ahead for this church if this continues, the risen Jesus appears to John in a vision with a message for the Thyarians, which is also a message for us today. His message speaks to the purity of the Church, His Bride, which has been neglected. This desire for purity is displayed as John highlights Jesus’ flaming eyes and burnished bronze feet. Then Jesus speaks His words of commendation and correction to the church of Thyatira (v. 18).

Pergamum was a major city in the province of Asia, and a significant religious center. Behind the city was a large cone-shaped hill on which there were many temples to Greek gods, including a large altar to Zeus. Most significantly it was a center for the religious worship of the emperor. Christians would have been encouraged to offer sacrifices or incense on an altar to the emperor as a symbol of their patriotism and loyalty to Rome. However, no Christian in good conscience could participate in the worship of created things (Exodus 20:3; Daniel 3:16-18; Romans 1:25). The earliest Christian creed, “Jesus is Lord” (Romans 10:9; 1 Corinthians 12:3) meant no compromise of loyalty to Christ was possible. The church in Pergamum was sorely tempted to “accommodate” Rome, and Jesus’ letter to the church challenges her to remain devoted to the Lord.