LETTERS TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES (PART 2)

Text: Revelation 1:1-end

Scriptural References:        Gen 3:9                  II Corinth 5:10                      Matt 5:15

                                                1 Thess 1:3            Matt 25:33-46                      Matt 26:8

                                                Matt 10:22            Isaiah 6:9                               Acts 28:26

COMMON STRUCTURES IN THE LETTERS TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES

Last week, we extensively started the introduction of the letters to the seven Churches. Today, emphasis will be placed on the common structures to the seven churches. These structures are:

1.       Address                 2. Attributes        3. Approval

4.       Accusation           5. Advice               6. Assurance

5.       Appeal

Address

Address is a place where a person or organization can be found so as to be communicated to. In life you must have an address and this address must be the one God has given you. In Genesis 3:9, God called out to Adam asking “where art thou”. God was not looking for Adam because He didn’t know where Adam was, God was looking for Adam because he was not where God placed him.

 
Most times, in our walk with God, we tend to be the one dictating the pace; we tend to decide how we want to serve God, and where we want to be. But we cannot enjoy God that way; we cannot be the one dictating to God and expect to enjoy His blessings. When you are in the wrong address, it will be difficult for you to hear the voice of God and receive His directions for your life.

Has God placed you where you can minister to Him in songs, or has He placed you to be a teacher of the Word; has He placed you to be a gospel writer; has He placed you to be an intercessor? Wherever God has placed you, remain there for it is only in that place that you can enjoy His blessings.

Attributes

In the letters to the seven churches, Jesus did not introduce Himself directly with His name. He used an aspect of His character to introduce Himself and in each of the letters, the attribute He used to introduce Himself varied. This tells us that there was something unique about every church and the aspect of character He emphasized indicated what that Church needed to consider and what they had the tendency to forget.

Some key lessons we can learn from these are:

1.       We must all have a personal revelation of God. This revelation cannot be gotten from Newspaper publications, rumours or hearsays but can only be gotten through a personal encounter with God.

2.       There is no basis for rivalry, comparison or competition. There is something unique to everyone. We have all been given different assignments, which we are supposed to accomplish in different terrains as such there is no basis for comparison.

3.       What God reveals to us points to what He will judge. Thus our attention must not be on others or what they have achieved. Rather, our attention should be on what God has revealed to us personally because this is what He will use to judge us.

4.       There is what is common to us but there is something that is unique to each and every one of us. We must be able to differentiate between these and apply them to our lives accordingly.

Approval

God is totally aware of both our internal and external state. His judgment is always honest and just. God does not operate based on hearsay or what He thinks; He operates based on what He knows. That is why in the letters, He will always say, “I know thy works”. This means that God is taking note of all actions, activities and even thoughts.

The works of our hands begin counting to God after we have become born again. Thus, as Christians, what we are doing or not doing counts before God as we see in II Corinthians 5:10. It is our works that God will approve so the question is, how are you living your life? Can God look at the things you are doing and approve of them?

In Matthew 25:33-46; God used a story to emphasize the need for us to be hospitable, caring, show concern for one another and identify with each other. Life is a sacrifice and from the story in the above scripture, we can deduce that God is watching and marking all our actions and He will reward us both in the now and in the time to come.

Accusation

In as much as God commended the Churches, He also accused them of their wrong doings. But of all the churches, there were two churches that God had nothing against. This means that with God everything is possible. Many believe that we cannot live a life void of flaws; some think that there must always be a sin attached to us that God can use against us. But from the letters to the churches, we see that two churches were void of accusation from God. This means that you can overcome whatever habit or sin you are struggling with and come to that point where God can say, I have nothing against you my child.

Advice

In the letters, we also see that God gave every one of the churches advice. Anybody that finds it difficult taking the advice or counsel of God is causing harm to himself. What advice is God giving you; what has He been telling you to do that you have not done; which word has He given you that you are yet to obey? Please take heed to obey for it is only that way you can be blessed.

Assurance

After every advice, God gave assurances of things He will do when they take His advice. In our lives, we can only enjoy God’s blessing when we follow His instructions. You cannot be living contrary to the way God has instructed and expect Him to pour out His blessings upon you. Even if He does that, there is a very high tendency for you to misuse the blessings. So if we want to enjoy God’s supernatural blessings and favour, we must be ready to listen to His advice and instructions which may come in different ways especially the one He tells us personally.

Appeal

God closed the letters to the seven churches with the words “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches”. These words are more like an appeal from God. He emphasized this so that we will not just only hear or read the word, but understand it, respond to it and take heed. God expects us not to just hear the words of these letters but for the words to become revelation to us; He expects the fruits of these words to show forth in our lives.