In Revelation, Jesus gives messages to seven different churches. But what message would He give to the American church today? In this video, Juan Sanchez answers that question and explains how we’re not much different from the same churches Jesus was talking to in Revelation.
Dr. Juan Sanchez is Senior Pastor of High Pointe Baptist Church in Austin, Texas.
The entire video is above, and the complete transcript is below.
Having preached through Revelation, I was amazed by the message of encouragement that Revelation is. It’s written to seven specific churches that I think are representative of all churches.
In Revelation 2 and 3, Jesus gives messages to seven different churches. Rebuke and encouragement. And if the Lord were to do that today for us, here who live in the United States of America, you know, it’s easier to wonder what one message would He give to us? What rebuke? What encouragement? What challenge? What correction? And frankly, I think all seven of them. He would write the same letters to us because nothing has changed. There’s nothing new under the sun.
We have brothers and sisters who are faithful, who are under persecution and pressure and being threatened to deny the faith. We also have pastors and church leaders who are proud and want to have perfect churches and want to dot all their doctrinal “i’s” and cross all their ecclesiastical “t’s” and really lead a church to legalistic lovelessness.
And so anywhere in between, from persecution to the threat of maintaining the faith. To materialism and worldliness like in church in Laodicea. To the church that is small, that doubts their existence and doubts their importance.
Jesus would write the same messages to all of us today and encourage us to persevere. Encourage us to put our trust in His name, not in our name. Warn us from pride and arrogance. Warn us to love, but also to maintain the truth and to persevere in faithfulness.
So there’s nothing new under the sun. The same messages are applicable to us today.
Want to see more from Juan Sanchez? Check out his other LifeWay Voices posts.
What Should We Believe and How Should We Believe It?
We All Have Theological Blind Spots
Young, Restless, and Reformado: Praying For A Reformation In The Spanish-Speaking Church
Check out more of Pastor Juan’s resources here.
