September 27, 2020 |
Revelation 3:14-22 |
exposition
How are you doing in your spiritual life today? Would you say that you’re passionate and on fire for God? Or would you say you’re more lukewarm? You know, not too hot, nor too cold. A lot of us like it that way, don’t we? I mean, we don’t want to be considered fanatics, right? It’s comfortable being “lukewarm.” It may be comfortable being lukewarm, but it isn’t Christlike. And Jesus warns against it!
In Revelation 3:14-22, Jesus told John to write a letter to the church of Laodicea warning them about their lukewarm spiritual condition. We can heed Christ’s warning about being spiritually lukewarm.
September 20, 2020 |
Revelation 3:7-13 |
exposition
Where are the “closed doors” in your life? Do you often say to yourself, “Well, that door is closed to me now.” The one without much money, says, If only I had more money, then this opportunity would be open to me.” The one without an education says, “If only I had gotten a college degree, this promotion would be open to me.” The one without much talent says, “If only I could sing, play an instrument, repair automobiles, play sports…, then this door would be open to me.”
What if there was someone who had the keys to the doors that seem locked to us? What if there were someone who could open doors? In Revelation 3:7-13, Jesus told the church of Philadelphia that He had opened a door for them. We can trust Christ to open doors for us.
September 3, 2020 |
Revelation 2:12-17 |
exposition
We rarely dive into the deep end of sin. We tend to slide into the shallow end, slowly inching ourselves deeper until it’s over our heads and we start drowning. No one sets out to be an addict or an alcoholic, they make a series of compromises that lead them there. No one plans on being unfaithful in their marriage, divorce was never the plan, but they make a series of compromises that lead them there. No one decides to reject Jesus in order to put money or material things or some other pursuit their god, but they make little compromises that lead them there.
We tend to do better with big challenges, but it’s the little compromises that erode our lives and our souls over time.
That’s what was happening in the church of Pergamum, compromise was eroding their faith. But Jesus had a word for them. In the book of Revelation, Jesus told John to write a letter to seven churches in Asia Minor. To the church of Pergamum, Jesus told John to write a letter calling them to uncompromising faith. We can have uncompromising faith.
August 23, 2020 |
Revelation 2:8-11 |
exposition
Are you facing suffering today? There are many aspects of human suffering, or pain in the broader sense. There is psychological suffering: depression, anxiety, loneliness, grief from a death, a divorce or a broken friendship. Maybe that’s where you are today. You have emotional pain. Then, there is physical suffering: sickness, injury, declining health, sleep deprivation, even the pain of hunger, thirst and shelter for the impoverished. And the minute we put suffering into these two categories of psychological and physical, we have to understand that one affects the other. The pain of the body affects the mind, and the suffering of the mind affects the body. We all want to avoid suffering don’t we? But isn’t suffering and pain inevitable in this life? And since it is, wouldn’t you like help in how to face suffering when it comes?
That’s where the believers in Smyrna were. They were suffering tribulation and poverty and Jesus sent a letter to help them face it. In the book of Revelation, Jesus told John to write a letter to the church of Smyrna to help them with the suffering they were facing. We can receive Christ’s help when we face suffering.
August 16, 2020 |
Revelation 2:1-7 |
exposition
Jesus wrote a letter to His churches. The first letter went to the church of Ephesus. It was a love letter. He wanted to know why they no longer loved Him as they did at first. Isn’t that amazing? That the Lord Jesus would care whether we love Him or not? Don’t we all need to hear this today? You may be listening today and you feel lonely and unloved. You may wonder whether the Lord is even aware of your situation. Does He even care?
Hear this: Jesus loves you. And he wants to know whether you love Him back. In Revelation chapter 2, Jesus told John to write a letter to the church of Ephesus, calling them to always put their love for Him first. We can answer Christ’s call to put our love for Him first.
August 9, 2020 |
Revelation 1:1-20 |
exposition
The apostle John recorded how the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to him while he was exiled on the isle of Patmos and told him to a write letter to the seven churches of Asia Minor on His behalf. That’s what the book of Revelation is, it’s a letter from King Jesus to His Church containing what He wants believers to know about Him, the Church and about the future events in the world and in heaven leading up to His return.
In the first chapter of Revelation, the apostle John described how believers might receive the blessing of the revelation of Jesus Christ. We can receive the blessing of the revelation of Jesus Christ.
