Church through the Eyes of Jesus: The 7 Churches of Revelation and the Contemporary Church

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS INCLUDED FOR EACH CHAPTER (Great for Sunday School and Small Groups)

What has happened to the church we once held so near and dear? Was the church that believed the Bible to be the inerrant and infallible Word of God wrong? Did we make a mistake in insisting that what God said was true and the truths shared in His Word were meant to be believed and followed? Are we incorrect in believing that God still considers sin to be sin, and that there are black and white answers to most of our questions about what is, and is not, acceptable behavior?

Have you ever considered what your church looks like through the eyes of Jesus? I think for most of us that isn't something that would ordinarily be on our minds. While we cannot know exactly what He sees or thinks, I don't think it would be too hard to gather a basic idea, knowing what we do of His character and teaching from Scripture.

And doesn't it make sense, given the fact that the church is the creation of Christ, that we would want to know how things look from His perspective? I believe for those who claim to be His disciples, it would be of utmost importance.

The good news is that while Jesus didn't directly reveal to us what He thinks of "First Community Church" (feel free to insert your church's name) we can examine what Jesus had to say to seven churches that existed over 2,000 years ago in the book of Revelation. While there is some debate over what these churches stand for, and various interpretations concerning them, we can safely say that these seven churches were actual churches that existed in history, just like yours does today. I believe that these churches serve as representatives of all churches that would follow them, and that by closely examining them, we can learn how Jesus sees our churches today.

Over seven chapters we will look at these churches and see what Jesus had to say to them, and also learn how what He says applies to our churches today.