Friday, January 18
Read Ellen G. White, “The Revelation”, pp. 578-592, in The Acts of the Apostles.
The seven messages to the churches show spiritual decline in the seven churches. The church in Ephesus was still faithful, although it had lost its first love. The churches in Smyrna and Philadelphia were largely faithful. Pergamum and Thyatira compromised more and more until the vast majority of believers in those churches had completely apostatized from the pure faith of the apostles. The church in Sardis was in a very serious condition. The majority of Christians in this church were out of harmony with the gospel, while Philadelphia represented the faithful few. The church in Laodicea was in a condition of such spiritual lethargy and complacency that there was nothing good to be said about that church.
In concluding each message, Jesus makes promises to those in the churches who accept His counsel. One might observe, however, that along with the evident spiritual decline in the churches, there is a proportionate increase in promises given. Ephesus, to whom Jesus gives the first message, receives only one promise. As each church follows the downward spiritual trend, each one receives more promises than the previous church. Finally, the church in Laodicea, while given only one promise, receives the greatest promise of all: to share Jesus’ throne (Revelation 3:21).
Discussion Questions:
How does the increase in promises to each successive church, along with the spiritual decline in the churches, reflect the statement that when sin increases, grace abounds even more (Romans 5:20)? Think of that promise in light of the statement that “the church, enfeebled and defective though it be, is the only object on earth on which Christ bestows His supreme regard. He is constantly watching it with solicitude, and is strengthening it by His Holy Spirit”. - Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, book 2, p. 396.
Often Christians say that it is hard to be a Christian in industrial, commercial, and metropolitan cities. In the prosperous cities in Asia there were Christians who remained loyal to the gospel and unswerving in their allegiance to God amid the pressures exerted upon them by their pagan environment. What can we learn from this fact? Think of those Christians in Asia in light of Jesus’ prayer in John 17:15-19. How does the concept of being in the world but not of the world apply to Christians today, particularly those living in metropolitan cities?
How can we, as Seventh-day Adventists, better heed the words given to us in the message to the Laodiceans?
