Church: Past, Present, and Future –
The raising of the Church of overcomers.
Almost every week, a very creative person approaches my wife or me with a brilliant idea of how he or she will revolutionize the city.
I always ask how the church plays a part in the revolutionary plan. Usually, the answer places the church aside as an attachment to the plan. It is never the main protagonist. At most, the person asks for a little help from the church.
This happens for many reasons. Maybe because of the over-individualistic culture of the West. Maybe because of past disappointments with the church leadership. However, the main reason is the fact that it is complex and challenging to walk together, to be a body, and to play in a team and suffer because others did not play their part.
My sister was a professional athlete for many years. She played on Brazil's national team and competed worldwide with the water polo team. After many years, she said to me. “It is hard to play as a team.” She moved to Triathlon. Think about it. For her, it was easier to swim alone, cycle solo, and run by herself than to count on a team and to work in a team again. Why? Because it is hard.
I am not suggesting you do the same. One reason it is not worth it is that you do not know with whom to share your victory.
The ultimate reason is that God does not accept any work outside His body. He is the head. You, individually, are a member. But together, we are the body. Therefore, I’m sorry if this bothers you. There is no edification, ministry or kingdom impact outside the church.
As hard and challenging as that can be, you must understand Christ is coming back for his corporal church.
Today, we will unfold the complete view of Jesus on the church in the book of Revelation.
Revelation chapters 2 and 3 reveal how each church symbolizes a stage of the Church’s history—its historical context, its present-day reality and its eschatological preparation for Christ’s return.
I have heard many times about those churches. Most of the expositions had a negative aspect. But today, you must understand that the groom, before getting married to the bride, does not see any defects in the church. He loves her and is eager to meet her in intimacy.
Ephesus – The solid Church.
Paul planted and taught in Ephesus (Acts 19–20); Timothy pastored there.
Revelation 2:2“I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance…”
This was a church that worked, toiled, and had patient endurance.
Refusal to bear with those who are evil. They learned how to distinguish false apostles. That means they learned the gospel of grace and were not seduced by the “super-apostles” that Paul talked about in 1 and 2 Corinthians.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.
What a compliment to be known as a church that has endurance for Christ’s name without growing weary.
Revelation 2:3 “I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for My name’s sake, and you have not grown weary.”
This is considered by many scholars to be the early church. That was the past.
Eventually, that church got the love it had received first and stopped loving the Lord passionately.
Revelation 2:4, ESV “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.”
1 John 4:19, ESV “We love because He first loved us.”
Why do we lose our love for God, the things of God? They had abandoned their first love. A loveless church is a saltless church. Ineffective.
Matthew 5:13, ESV “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.”
For that church, the warning is for us now.
Revelation 2:5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.
The message is ecclesiological, not soteriological (relating to salvation). The church remained orthodox but lacked love. The issue is loss of fellowship and honest relationship, not salvation. First, love refers to intimacy with Christ, not eternal destiny.
The promise of the Tree of Life speaks of participation in the Kingdom and eternal reward for those who overcome.
Revelation 2:7 7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’
Not all believers will have access; this is the conditional reward.
Revelation 22:2, 14 “On either side of the river, the tree of life…
… Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life…”
Only those who return to their first love will partake in the Tree of Life in the paradise of God. A passionate love for Christ will sustain the Church as it awaits His appearance.
2. Smyrna – The rescued Church.
Smyrna (modern-day Izmir, Turkey) was a wealthy, culturally sophisticated, and fiercely loyal city to Rome. The town was a center of emperor worship, and Christians who refused to confess “Caesar is Lord” were exposed to economic deprivation, social exclusion, and legal persecution.
Revelation 2:10, ESV “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
The martyrdom of Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna and a disciple of the Apostle John (ca. AD 155), may reflect the fulfillment of Christ’s warning and the ongoing persecution of this church.
"the crown of life” does not mean that eternal salvation is contingent upon faithfulness. Eternal life is a free gift given by grace through faith. The “crown of life” is a reward, not synonymous with eternal life itself. “crown” (stephanos) consistently refers to rewards given to believers for victorious Christian living, not salvation itself.
1 Corinthians 9:24-25 24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.
2 Timothy 4:8 – Paul speaks of a “crown of righteousness” awaiting him for finishing the race.
James 1:12 – “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial… he will receive the crown of life…”
We are called to suffer not to be saved but because Christ is worthy, and their reward in the Kingdom will be great (Romans 8:18).
Romans 8:18, ESV “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
We can see Smyrna as an example of faithfulness under pressure, knowing that Christ is not calling for performance to earn salvation but for loyalty out of love, which He will richly reward.
Pergamun - The Intimate church.
It was home to numerous temples, including the Great Altar to Zeus, and major centers of emperor worship. Jesus refers to it as the place “where Satan’s throne is” (Revelation 2:13), a powerful demonic presence through false religion, imperial cults, and idolatry.
Revelation 2:13 “‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
Are we not in the same place, surrounded by idol worship everywhere? Money, celebrities, influencers, politicians…
We don’t know who Antipas was; historical tradition says he was maybe a Bishop of Pergamum, placed by John, burned in a bronze bull-shaped altar for refusing to worship Caesar.
Antipas received the same title as Jesus Himself.
Revelation 1:5 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood
I want to be fully identifiable with Jesus. Don’t you?
Your commitment is rewarded and our negligence is disciplined.
Hebrews 12:6 “For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son whom He receives.”
Christ’s discipline in this life and may imply the loss of eternal rewards, but that is all part of His loving care.
Revelation 2:17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’
The promises of hidden manna and a white stone with a new name are not about salvation but motivations to pursue holiness, faithfulness for the sake of Kingdom honor.
Hebrews 9:3-4 Behind the second curtain was a second section called the Most Holy Place, 4 having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant.
One omer of manna was preserved in a golden jar and placed inside the Ark as a testimony to future generations (Exodus 16:33–34).
The hidden manna means intimate, personal fellowship with Christ. It is a call to our priesthood; this reward is the exclusive communion and spiritual nourishment available to the overcomer.
Jurors in Greek courts cast black or white stones to deliver their verdicts. A white stone meant favorable judgment.
Do you have a name that only you and your loved one know? The new name written on the stone is a personal and exclusive mark of Christ’s approval, known only to the one who receives it
Thyatira – The Shining Church
Thyatira likely faced social and economic pressure to conform to pagan rituals tied to trade guilds. Thyatira was a small but prosperous city known for its trade guilds, especially dyers, metalworkers, and textile merchants
(Revelation 2:19, ESV) I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first.”
“Jezebel” points to a spiritual influence over the church, like the OT queen who promoted idolatry and immorality (cf. 1 Kings 16:31; 21:25). "A prophetess” with false spiritual authority that seduces believers into compromise.
1 Corinthians 11:32 32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.
Unlike Ephesus, the church in Thyatira had not abandoned love.
Revelation 2:25-29 25 Only hold fast what you have until I come. 26 The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, 27 and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. 28 And I will give him the morning star. 29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
Christ Himself is “the bright morning star” (Revelation 22:16), indicating deep intimacy with Christ.
Revelation 22:16 16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
The “light” is the outworking of Christ’s presence and truth in our lives. The ultimate goal is not our personal recognition but that God receives glory when people witness your transformed life.
Matthew 5:16 (ESV) “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
Out light is like the fly-trap that draws the lost to Christ. Yes, even the “dying" aspect is valid here in this comparison because those who are in Christ are made a New Creation.
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
This bright start also speaks of levels of glory in the coming kingdom.
1 Corinthians 15:41-43 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.
42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.
Sardis – The Honoring Church
Sardis was a wealthy, prominent city known for its military acropolis and textile industry.
Sardis receives no commendation for faithfulness, only a call to wake up.
Revelation 3:2-3 2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.
Thief imagery is symbolic of sudden judgment or correction. It is the gathering of the overcoming church, the rapture. This is not the Second Coming in judgment on the unbelieving world.
Revelation 3:5-6 5 The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
It does not imply that unfaithful believers will be erased from the Book, but that faithful ones will be honored.
Revelation 3:5b, ESV “I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.”
It is a reward of honor, recognition, and eternal commendation, not a condition for salvation. It is not a private affirmation but a public declaration of loyalty and approval.
Luke 12:8, ESV “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges Me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God.”
Philadelphia – The completely owned Church
Revelation 3:8, “I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept My word and have not denied My name.”
Philadelphia—its very name means “brotherly love.” It was a small city, strategically placed along a major Roman trade route in Asia Minor, a gateway city. But more than its location, this city tells us something about God’s heart for the Church: a people who live in faithful relationships, who remain loyal in love, and who are unshaken in trial.
Philadelphia stands out. It is the faithful church, the one for whom Jesus has no rebuke. And that should make us listen more carefully.
Jesus, the One who opens doors that no one can shut. What He places before us no one can steal. That is the confidence we must have.
The church had little strength—that’s what He says. Not much worldly power, not much influence. Maybe that’s how you feel at times—insignificant, weak, unknown.
Revelation 3:9 9 Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you.
There is no greater glory than to brag about the love and the favor of God on your life.
Romans 8:33-35 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Revelation 3:11-12 11 I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. 12 The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.
The promise of three names written on the overcomer—God’s name, the name of the city of God (the New Jerusalem), and Christ’s new name—represents three affirmations of identity and reward. To bear God’s name is to be marked as one who belongs forever to the Father; to receive the name of the New Jerusalem is to be granted a permanent place in the eternal Kingdom as a citizen of the heavenly city; and to receive Christ’s new name is to enter into a unique and honored relationship with the risen Lord, a distinction reserved for the faithful who walk in obedience and overcome through loyalty to Him.
Not to all believers, but to those who overcome will receive rewards—access, rulership, honor. The three names are not about salvation but about receiving recognition and fellowship.
7. Laodicea – The most loved Church
You open the letter to Leodicea and wonder, where is love ther?
Revelation 3:15-16 15 “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.
Laodicea was a wealthy, influential city in Asia Minor—today's modern-day Turkey. A booming banking industry—Laodicea was so wealthy that when an earthquake destroyed the city in AD 60, it refused financial help from Rome. They rebuilt it themselves. It was known for fine black wool—exported widely, a symbol of fashion and pride. It was home to a famous medical school, known especially for a healing eye salve that brought sight to many.
But the city had one glaring issue: its water supply. Unlike its neighbors—Colossae, with its cold, refreshing springs, and Hierapolis, known for its hot healing waters—Laodicea’s water was lukewarm by the time it reached the city. Neither hot nor cold, it was unpleasant to drink. It made people gag.
Jesus wasn’t speaking about their temperature—He was speaking about their spiritual uselessness.
“You are not cold and refreshing, nor hot and healing. You are lukewarm—and I am about to spit you out of My mouth.”
That’s not the voice of a stranger. That is the voice of a Savior grieved by the apathy of His people.
Revelation 3:19-21 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.
He loves you. He loves the prodigal. He loves the backslidden. He loves the cold of heart. He is calling you again.
Revelation 3:20-21 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. 21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.
Christ is not threatening to throw the Laodiceans into hell—He’s warning them that their spiritual apathy will result in loss of fellowship, loss of fruitfulness, and ultimately loss of reward.
But the invitation remains open:
“Open the door. Let Me in. Fellowship with Me again. And if you overcome, I will share My throne with you.”
The common phrases are:
"the one who conquers"
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
The message has a broader application and is not limited to the original audience.
In Revelation 13:9, a similar phrase appears in a different context.
(Revelation 13:9, ESV) “If anyone has an ear, let him hear:”
This verse is addressed during the Great Tribulation. The Seven Trumpet calls attention to the severe consequences of the Beast’s rise. The phrase “what the Spirit says to the churches”, is not there, likely because the Church is no longer on the earth at that point.
It is time to hear the voice of the Spirit now.
