What the Spirit Says to the Churches - June 9, 2019
June 9, 2019 • Wayne Braudrick • Revelation 1:9–20
Jesus (re)introduces Himself to John, now seen as the Glorified Son of Man. He commands John to take a message spoken for each of seven churches in the Roman province of Asia. These messages are the middle part of the revelation (what is), following the presentation of Jesus as God (what you have seen) and preceding the presentation regarding the tribulation and following eras (what will take place after this). Though clearly grounded in that time and place, each letter has direct correlation and application to churches and Christians today, like all NT epistles.
Love and Endure - June 16, 2019
June 16, 2019 • Wayne Braudrick • Revelation 2:1–11
Jesus speaks to Ephesus, and all subsequent churches, pointing out the first concept in victory – love. By loving Jesus, a church is positioned to do more than maintain doctrinal integrity. It is positioned to live out Jesus’ commission, to see the love for Jesus overflow into love for others, and to let all know that these people are followers of Christ. In His missive to Smyrna, the Lord calls Christians to endure affliction, poverty, slander, and imprisonment. Through Ephesus, the Lord reminds churches that they can be punished if they build poorly and are unrepentant. Through the two churches, He assures Christians of the millennial and eternal blessings that will be ours.
Stay Pure - June 23, 2019
June 23, 2019 • Wayne Braudrick • Revelation 2:12–17
Jesus addresses the church at Pergamum, home of a massive Askleptorium (hospital complex). This city was renowned for its progressive sense of worship. In 29 B.C., Pergamum became the first city in Asia to build a temple for the worship of a living human king. The temple of Zeus and its magnificent altar attracted crowds as one of the 7 wonders of the world. But most of all, they venerated the god Asklepios. His huge complex of buildings brought massive riches to the city. Learning special “secrets” from the gods formed the core of Asklepios’ worship, a journey assisted by sexual promiscuity and hallucinogenic drugs.
This proud city has pressured Christians to conform, but they have stood strong even to death. However, they are now showing signs of compromise in sexual impurity and spiritual syncretism. Jesus warns them to repent and stay pure, reminding the church that His people will eternally possess the true and great secrets of God’s grace.
Work - June 30, 2019
June 30, 2019 • Wayne Braudrick • Revelation 2:18–29
Jesus reveals Himself as the God who is awesome and empowers work. He expects His followers to labor for good, as many in Thyatira are doing, seeing later deeds that outshine the earlier ones. That requires a desire to repent and perseverance to keep working out our salvation with fear and trembling.
Wake Up! - July 14, 2019
July 14, 2019 • Wayne Braudrick • Revelation 3:1–6
Jesus excoriates Sardis for being sleepy in the sense of 1 Peter 5:8 and Ephesians 5:14 (which may itself have been a hymn based on many Isaiah passages). They are warned that if they continue their somnambulant slide, Jesus will remove them. The needed response is to repent, be alert, strengthen ministry, shma what has been received – in a summary phrase, to “wake up!” the one who awakens in time will be rewarded by fellowship with Jesus and sanctification represented by walking in white. In a similar way, all Christians should remember the blessings that are ours through our placement in the Great Overcomer Jesus: white clothes, permanent place in eternal life, and commendation before the Father.
Keep the Word - July 21, 2019
July 21, 2019 • Wayne Braudrick • Revelation 3:7–13
Jesus is the holy, authentic, and sovereign Lord, the promised one of David. He commends the church at Philadelphia for keeping both scriptural fidelity and their witness to Christ, and doing so by grace (little power of their own). As reward, the church is granted an open door, ostensibly for evangelism. As a crossroads city, Philadelphia had been so employed centuries before – spreading Hellenism into the interior of Asia Minor. Now they get to do so again, for something much greater than Alexander. Further, the church will be rewarded with removal from the worldwide testing to come. While most see this as Tribulation language, there is no indication of certainty that such is in view. This could be instead a particular temporal reward. (For example, Philadelphia held out har longer than any other city in Asia Minor when the Arabs & then Turks swept all the known Mediterranean world. It wasn’t until 1390 that the Ottoman Turks took Philadelphia, as which point the Christians had fled to safety in Russia. The non-Christians left behind were slaughtered so thoroughly that Timur built a wall of their corpses. [A fragment of the wall is preserved in the library of Lincoln Cathedral.])
Jesus then reminds that He will return soon, according to His measure, and exhorts them to keep what they have that no one takes their stephanos crown. He finishes by reminding Christians that in Him they overcome and are thus promised permanence of place in God’s eternal temple. What a blessed reminder for Christians so often displaced! Jesus adds as well that Christians will be tattooed (or at least Sharpied) with three names – the Father, Son, and New Jerusalem, depicting breathtaking closeness, acceptance, and unity.
Open the Door - July 28, 2019
July 28, 2019 • Wayne Braudrick • Revelation 3:14–22
Jesus is the “So be it,” the true and faithful witness, and the Creator (see Colossians). He addresses Laodicea, the last Asian church to receive a letter. It is intriguing that the two cities sharing the same broad valley – Colossae (which though small received two Pauline epistles) and Hieroplois (which was a large and powerful church) – are unmentioned. Laodicea is wasting their time in the sewer, their work rejected because of complacent unawareness re: own sins. Jesus encourages a return to grace where dependence on Christ alone leads to true riches and growth. In fact, His fellowship, which includes loving discipline and all provision, is ever-ready for those who open the door by repentance. Jesus closes by reminding all Christians that will reign with Him in the millennium as a result of being in Christ.
