The risen Jesus brings a message of comfort and hope to those under pressure and a wake-up call to the compromised.
Part of the Good Book Guides series.
What message would you give your local church if you had their undivided attention? What message would you give the wider church? What do you think is the most important thing Christians today need to hear?
In Revelation 2 – 3 we find out what the risen Christ had to say to seven specific churches. Some of them were facing persecution – just as many Christians today face hostility. But many of these churches were fatally compromised.
To each church Jesus says: "Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches." These seven messages are rooted in the particular challenges faced by each congregation. But they are not just what the Spirit spoke to one church back then. Through these messages, the Spirit also speaks to the churches of our day, who face the same challenges and temptations now as they did then.
Jesus brings a message of comfort and hope to those who are under pressure. He brings a wake-up call to those who are compromised. In love, He speaks of the love that matters most. He tells us what is truly important. He offers great resources to those who remain faithful. He promises great rewards to those who overcome.
Introduction
1. Ephesus: the centrality of love (Revelation 2 v 1-7)
2. Smyrna: the pressure of persecution (Revelation 2 v 8-11)
3. Pergamum: the importance of truth (Revelation 2 v 12-17)
4. Thyatira: the challenge of consistency (Revelation 2 v 18-29)
5. Sardis: the emptiness of reputation (Revelation 3 v 1-6)
6. Philadelphia: the pain of exclusion (Revelation 3 v 7-13)
7. Laodicea: the danger of self-reliance (2 Timothy 4)
Leaders' Guide
| Contributors | Jonathan Lamb, Tim Chester |
|---|---|
| Format | eBook |
| Language | English |
| No. of studies | 7 |
| Publisher | The Good Book Company |
The Good Book Guides have been developed to ensure that each session not only seeks to uncover the meaning of the passage and see how it fits into the big picture of the Bible, but also leads people to apply what they have learnt to their lives. Flexible and practical, the Good Book Guides are ideal for small groups, or individual study.
"The format is very user-friendly and the content is rich and accessible."
- Justin Taylor, Gospel Coalition blogger and Vice-President of Editorial, Crossway
"God-centered, application-oriented, and driven by the text throughout, this resource is a gift to God’s church."
- Matt Smethurst, Gospel Coalition reviewer and Master of Divinity student at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Here at Covenant Life Church, we have greatly benefitted from the small group resources from The Good Book Company. Many small groups in our family life ministry have used "Colossians: Confident Christianity" in their study of scripture. Additionally, our youth ministry has used "Romans 1-5: God and You" in their small groups. Both resources were very easy to use, helped the reader engage directly with the scriptures, and had a wonderful pastoral emphasis demonstrated in all the questions.
- Dave Brewer, Youth Pastor at Covenant Life Church, Maryland
