The Good, the Bad & the Lukewarm - The Seven Churches

Whether the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3 are physical churches, church types or church eras, different characteristics are discussed that we as individuals can learn from. There are certain behaviors and attitudes that we should adopt and emulate and some we should do our best to avoid.

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The Good
Patient

Cannot bear them which are evil

Tried false apostles and found them to be liars

Labored for the Lord and not fainted

Hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans - The Nicolaitans taught the community of wives, that adultery and fornication are okay, that eating meats offered to idols was lawful; mixed several pagan rites with Christian ceremonies, and turned the grace of our Lord into licentiousness. We should hate men’s evil deeds, not hate the men themselves.

Poor, monetarily, but rich in the grace and favor of God

Holdest fast Christ's name

Hast not denied His faith

Charity

Service

Faith

Putting self last rather than first

Watchful

Not defiled their garments - fine linen, clean and white, which is the righteousness of the saints

Hast a little strength

Hast kept Christ's word

Hast not denied Christ's name

The Bad

Forgotten where you came from - what wretched state you were in when the Lord called you

Need to repent and do the first works - Resume your former zeal and diligence; watch, fast, pray, reprove sin, obey God, walk as in his sight, and rest not till you have recovered all your lost ground, and got back the evidence of your acceptance with your Maker

The blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan - Jews by national descent, professed Christianity in words, but in works denied it; men of bad principles and practices, blaspheme the ways and doctrines of Christ, and
by their opposition and unbelief, have become the synagogue of Satan

Hold the doctrine of Balaam - teach substantially the same doctrine which Balaam did such as eating meat sacrificed to idols and committing fornication

Tolerate false prophets - pretensions to religion and holiness, gaudiness of worship; idolatry, whoredoms, and witchcrafts

Defiled their garments - become unrighteousness

Liars

The Lukewarm

Thou hast left thy first love - your zeal for the love of the truth
Neither cold nor hot - indifferent to your calling

Lukewarm - to be spued from His mouth

Saying you are rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing

Knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked

The Reward
To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

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Ref. The Church Jesus Built