Redemption Hill Church

Jesus has hard words for the church of Laodicea - that they are neither cold nor hot, but their lukewarmness makes Jesus sick. We will see on Sunday that the historic context of the city of Laodicea opens the way for us to understand Jesus' rebuke. We will also see a call that all of us need to hear as we respond to Jesus' words.

This church felt small and insignificant. Jesus has no criticism for them, though. There is only praise and encouragement. Jesus has opened a door for the gospel in their city, and their faithfulness is more significant than they could possibly realize. The church in Philadelphia helps us to see what it looks like to live missionally in DC, trusting Christ to build His Church.

Sardis was a well known city, maybe even the most storied city in the list. Jesus has nothing good to say about this church, though. He confronts them as the one who has the fullness of the Spirit of God and tells them that though they have a reputation of being alive, they are really dead. We might hope that this kind of church isn't around us today, but that is sadly not the case. It is easy for churches to be consumed with activity and have great reputations but still be spiritually dead.

The church in Thyatira was doing a lot of good work, and Jesus commended them for it. There was a major problem, though. Some of the Christians in Thyatira had embraced a lifestyle that stood opposed to the holiness of Christ. He let them know that He saw their lives and actions, and called them to repent. Christians today face the same kind of pressure. A stand for biblical morality can become a divisive problem outside of the church and can even compromise social and economic opportunities. This is another important text for us.

Pergamum was a government town, which means it had a level of arrogance and a feeling like it was the center of the news cycle - we don't know anything about that here in DC, right? The Christians in Pergamum faced tremendous cultural and political pressure, and Jesus told them that their city was the place where Satan's throne was. While the Pergamites did hold to Jesus' name, they allowed their beliefs to sway to the whims of the pressure they were under. This is a particularly important church for us to see and understand. The pressure to change and adapt the gospel to fit the culture of our time and place is nothing new. Jesus has strong words to say, though, and reinforces the importance of His Word.

Smyrna is one of the only churches of the seven to receive no criticism. This letter is for all of you who are suffering and struggling, even wondering where God is in your life. Jesus has words of comfort and a call to faithfulness even in the face of suffering, but a sweet promise of life from the One who has passed through death to life.

The church in Ephesus worked hard and fought hard. They denied false teachers. They did everything they knew to be the right thing and even worked to distinguish themselves from the world around them. Yet, they lost the love they had at the start. So, Jesus threatens to take away the church. There is so, so much for us to learn here.

In this passage we see a vision of the Risen Lord Jesus Christ. He is the firstborn of the dead and the ruler of kings on earth. John has a vision of him in power, resurrected, reigning, fearsome and holy. We will take time to see the seven characteristics of Jesus Christ that shape what He has to say to the seven churches.

Giving and sharing life is one thing. Giving and sharing the Gospel is another thing. But as we see from 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12, we are called to do both. Pastor Jon shares with us 3 ways how we can do this.

We started the journey through this book back in the fall of 2015 and we will wrap it up Sunday looking at 1 John 5:6-21. The is a tricky passage that if not understood in the context of the book and the whole Bible can be misunderstood and confusing. As John finishes this book, his desire is that the believers would be assured of the salvation and eternal life they have in Jesus. That is something we all desire and so it is very applicable for us today.