Reading
Revelation 2:1-29
Drawing Near
1. In the vision, Jesus instructs John to write letters to various churches. If Jesus were to send a message to your local church, what things might He commend your church for? Rebuke you for? Why do you think so?
2. How would you define the term "Christian"?
The Context
In his book The Mark of the Christian, theologian Francis Schaeffer once observed, "The meaning of the word Christian has been reduced to practically nothing...Because the word Christian as a symbol has been made to mean so little, it has come to mean everything and nothing." The term Christian in contemporary usage can mean anyone who is not Jewish, anyone who lives in a "Christian" nation (as opposed, for example, to a Buddhist or an Islamic one), or anyone who claims any kind of allegiance to Jesus Christ. Though the world may be confused about what a Christian is, the Bible is clear. Christians are those who are united to God through saving faith in Jesus Christ and thus are members of His family.
The seven churches addressed in chapters 2 and 3 were real churches when John lived. Five of the seven churches were rebuked for tolerating sin in their midst, not an uncomon occurrence in many churches. The problems in those churches ranged in severity from waning (fading) love at Ephesus to total apostasy (abandoning of the faith) at Laodicea. They weren't living like real Christians should. It is important for readers to understand that any church in any age can have a mixture of the sins that plagued these five churches...or it can persevere and be commended as were the churches at Smyrna and Philadelphia.
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7 comments:
1. In the vision, Jesus instructs John to write letters to various churches. If Jesus were to send a message to your local church, what things might He commend your church for? Rebuke you for? Why do you think so?
commend...mmmim not sure. good testimony in the publics eye, but he might rebuke us for not sharing the word when we are in the midsth of sinners.i think that because we are to quick to hold our toungues in fear of being offended or offending others.
2. How would you define the term "Christian"?
One's who have repented for their sins, have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ into their heart and strive to do as the word sais COMPLETELY and studies and meditates it as to not take it out of context, and also do not give way into idolitry or false gods as do some catholics with their saints and virgin mary.
1. i think he would tell to be witnesses for him he would rebuke us for not sharing the word in our schools i think this cause we do not do it.
2. one's who repent their sins and are baptisted.
WHO"S KITTY???!!!
Kitty is Katy Wright!
1. He will commend us for our faith, and our willing heart for missions. Unfortunately he ould probably rebuke our youth group specially, because we haven't been doing a good job at bringing more visitors. I thinks that is an area in which most of us have failed to acomplish.
2. Little Christ, which is basically act like Christ. Always follow his path and do what God wants you to.
you are funny Gerson.
1.i think that God would commend us for volenteering a lot and serving people. i think he would rebuke us for like kind of being too clicky and too much gossip. because i hear it all the time.
2.follower of God.
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