Letter to Cades?

1
Letter to Cades?

• Jesus wrote letters to churches
• What if He wrote a letter to Cades?
• What would He say to us?

2
Revelation 2 3

• Jesus addressed letters to each of the seven
  churches in Asia Minor
• John is on a prison island Patmos
• Jesus is giving him a message to be recorded
• Revelation 11-2 1 The Revelation of Jesus
  Christ, which God gave Him to show His
  servants--things which must shortly take place.
  And He sent and signified it by His angel to His
  servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of
  God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all
  things that he saw.

3
7 Sections of the letters

1. Greetings
2. Descriptive title for Jesus
3. Insights into the life of the church
4. Criticisms as necessary for individual churches
5. Warnings and instructions
6. Final exhortations
7. Promises and assurance

4
Messages to 7 churches

• Ephesus Jesus holds the 7 candles / 7 stars
• Smyrna Jesus is the first and last
• Pergamum Jesus has a sharp sword
• Thyatira Jesus has eyes of fire
• Sardis Jesus has the 7 spirits of God
• Philadelphia Jesus is holy and true
• Laodicea Jesus is the Amen, Faithful witness

5
Insights to the churches

• Ephesus Know your deeds, perseverance, not
  grown weary
• Smyrna Know your afflictions and poverty, but
  rich in faith and spirit
• Pergamum Live at Satan's throne, you remain
  true to Jesus

6
Criticisms of the churches

• Ephesus Left your first love, drifted over time
• Pergamum Hold to false teaching, ate food
  offered to idols, adultery, putting material
  things above the spiritual
• Laodicea Exaggerated opinion of your
  importance, you are not close to being the church
  you think you are

7
Warnings of the churches

• Same to all churches (except Philadelphia)
• Ephesus It is time to repent, get back where
  you once were
• Sardis time to wake up to reality
• Laodicea time to repent
• Without repentance the church will cease to be
  the church of Christ.

8
Promises to the churches

• To each church there is a promise to those who
  overcome
• Overcome the weakness of faith
• Overcome the drifting away
• Overcome the false teachers
• Overcome the suffering and persecution
• Overcome the immorality
• Overcome the opinion that all is OK

9
If Jesus wrote to Cades?

• What do you think He would say?
• Which of these letters would apply to us?
• THE REAL ISSUE
• What would you do in response to the letter from
  Jesus?
• What changes would you make?