Now that we’ve studied each of the churches in Revelation, here are reflection questions drawn from the four messages you’ve heard covering the 7 churches in Revelation 2–3.
Don’t just read through these questions. Use them. Take your time with them. Bring them with you into your time alone with Jesus. Read the passage again. Sit with each question. Write down your honest answers. Talk with Jesus about what He is showing you.
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you see what Jesus sees. Where you see faithfulness, thank Him. Where you see sin, repent. Where you see weakness, ask for grace. Where Jesus is calling you to act, take a specific next step.
The goal is not simply to know what Jesus said to the seven churches. The goal is to hear what Jesus is saying to you.
EPHESUS: Have I lost some of my love for Jesus?
1. What am I tempted to love, serve, or prioritize more than Jesus?
2. What specific practice, relationship, attitude, or obedience needs to be restored because my love for Jesus has grown cold?
SMYRNA: Will I remain faithful when following Jesus is costly?
1. What am I afraid I might lose because following Jesus is costly? Comfort, approval, reputation, relationships, security, opportunity, or something else?
2. How could I respond to my present suffering if I really believed that Jesus is with me in it and that my suffering is not final?
PERGAMUM: Whose voice shapes what I believe?
1. Where am I most vulnerable to either peer pressure or platform pressure, believing what the group says or trusting what a respected leader says instead of asking, “Does the Bible actually say that?”
2. What teaching, influence, relationship, or cultural pressure have I allowed to weaken my commitment to biblical truth or to make compromise seem acceptable?
THYATIRA: Am I tolerating what Jesus tells me to confront?
1. What sin in my life have I become comfortable tolerating because confronting it would be difficult, costly, or disruptive?
2. What is one area where I need to keep doing what is right, even when compromise would be easier?
SARDIS: Have I left some Kingdom work undone?
1. Where have I become sleepy, comfortable, distracted, passive, or merely going through the motions while appearing spiritually alive?
2. If the most serious sin in my life isn’t something I have done, but something I have failed to do then what good work, act of obedience, or faithful responsibility has Jesus given me that I have left undone?
PHILADELPHIA: Am I faithfully walking through the doors Jesus has opened?
1. Where has Jesus opened a door for me that I need to walk through rather than hesitate, make excuses, or wait for something easier?
2. Where am I tempted to give up, and what would faithful perseverance look like for me until the day I die?
LAODICEA: Am I depending on Jesus or myself?
1. Where am I most tempted to say, without actually saying it, “I’ve got this”?
2. When I recognize a spiritual need, how will I learn to turn to Jesus rather than immediately start figuring out how to handle it myself?
The Spiritual Progression
As you work through these seven churches, notice the progression:
Ephesus: Do I love Jesus?
Smyrna: Will I trust Jesus when following Him hurts?
Pergamum: Will I believe Jesus rather than the voices around me?
Thyatira: Will I obey Jesus rather than tolerate compromise?
Sardis: Am finishing the work Jesus has given me?
Philadelphia: Will I hold fast until the day I die?
Laodicea: Will I truly depend on Jesus?
And the question for all seven churches and for all of us is ultimately the same: Am I really listening to Jesus and proving it by responding to what He says?
