Seven Stars and Seven Churches, 2

SEVEN STARS AND SEVEN CHURCHES, PART 2
TEXT: Revelation chapters 1-3

I. THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH: VISION OF THE SON OF MAN.
II. THE MEANING OF THE CHURCH. John's message was to be sent to local, visible churches, pictured as golden lampstands with Christ Himself walking in the midst of them (Jn. 20:21; Mt. 28:20).
III. SEVEN LETTERS TO SEVEN CHURCHES. The letters are written:
--to the angel of the church.
--to specific local churches.
--to individuals within the church.
--to the visible church as a whole.

A. Two "Successful" Churches, Smyrna (2:8-11) and Philadelphia (3:7-13).
--Truthfulness.
--Poverty.
--Adversity.

B. Three Disordered Churches.
--Ephesus, the doctrinal church in decline (2:1-7).
--Pergamus, the mainstream evangelical church (2:12-17).
--Thyatira, the mystical "establishment" church (2:18-29).

C. Two Dying Churches.
--Sardis, the dead denominational church (3:1-6).
--Laodicea, the "emerging" or "progressive" church (3:14-22).