HE WHO HAS AN EAR LET HIM HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT SAYS TO THE CHURCHES

02-09-25

He who has an Ear

Let him Hear what the Spirit says to the Churches

Revelation 3:1–22 (ESV)

¹“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “ ‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. ²Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. ³Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. ⁴Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. ⁵The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. ⁶He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

⁷“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. ⁸“ ‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. ⁹Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. ¹⁰Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. ¹¹I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. ¹²The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. ¹³He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

¹⁴“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation. ¹⁵“ ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! ¹⁶So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. ¹⁷For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. ¹⁸I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. ¹⁹Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. ²⁰Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. ²¹The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. ²²He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ ”

• Sardis
  • Christ
    • The seven spirits and the seven stars
  • Commendation
  • Condemnation
    • You are dead
    • Your are incomplete
  • Warning
    • !
    • Strengthen what remains
    • Remember… keep it and repent
  • Commendation
    • A few have not soiled their garments

Daniel 12:10 (ESV)
Isaiah 1:18–20 (ESV)
Daniel 7:9 (ESV)

• • • They are worthy
  • He who
    • Will be clothed in white… I will never blot his name out of the book of life.

Genesis 7:23 (ESV)
Isaiah 43:25 (ESV)

• Philadelphia
  • Christ
    • Holy and True, Holds the

Isaiah 22:20–23 (ESV)

• • Commendation
    • You have little power
      • Yet
      • Have not my name
  • Condemnation
    • None
    • I will show your persecutors I love you
    • Because you kept my word and I will keep you from the trial that is coming on the whole world

Matthew 24:21–27 (ESV)

• • Warning
    • Hold fast so that no one may

James 1:12–14 (ESV)

Revelation 2:10 (ESV)
¹⁰Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

• • He who conquers
• Laodicea
  • Christ
    • The Amen, witness, beginning of God’s creation

2 Corinthians 1:20–22 (ESV)
Colossians 1:15–17 (ESV)

• • Commendation
    • None
  • Condemnation
    • You are
  • Warning
    • Buy from me
      • Gold so that you may be rich

Matthew 6:19–21 (ESV)
Psalm 104:1–2 (ESV)
Isaiah 6:9–10 (ESV)

• • • To those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so and

Looking at this thematically

• The Good
  • Some of you have not soiled your garments (Sardis)
  • Kept my word, didn’t deny my name (Philadelphia)
  • Looking back
    • Thyatira: Love, faith, service, endurance
    • Pergamum: Holding fast, faithful
    • Smyrna: Faithful unto death
    • Ephesus: Not bearing with those who are evil
  • Purity & Endurance
• The Bad
  • You are dead, your works are incomplete (Sardis)
  • You are lukewarm (Laodicea)
  • Looking back
    • Thyatira: Tolerating that woman Jezebel
    • Pergamum: Allowing teachings causing others to stumble
    • Ephesus: Lost love
  • Not bearing fruit & Tolerating False Teachings
• Warnings
  • Wake Up!
  • .
  • Buy from me.
• Conquering
  • Looking back
    • Thyatira: Eat of the tree of life
    • Pergamum: Not hurt by the second death
    • Smyrna: Hidden mana and a white stone
    • Ephesus: Authority over the nations
  • Honor
• Bringing it all together
  • We
  • Priest… Temple… Judge
  • Not the Monarch
  • There are of our station

1 Peter 2:9–12 (ESV)
1 Corinthians 3:16–23 (ESV)
1 Corinthians 6:2–3 (ESV)
Matthew 7:21–23 (ESV)
Matthew 25:31–34 (ESV)