Over the past several weeks, we have examined the declining churches in the book of Revelation. Jesus rebukes the churches with urgency and specificity. But He does not leave the churches without direction. He guides them away from decline and toward victory once again.
In other words, he provides a path to revitalization.
This path involves three primary steps:
1. Listen
2. Repent
3. Hold Fast
First, the call to listen to Christ’s exhortation is loud and clear. Every letter to the churches includes the phrase, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” One cannot begin down the road to conquering and revitalization without hearing the Word of God. Listening as the Spirit of God speaks through his Word is vital. Next, a step that is not always primary should be considered. In both the letters to Ephesus and Sardis, Christ calls the churches to remember. For some churches in decline, looking back on their rich history of faithfulness to see how far they have fallen is incredibly helpful. Often Satan can encourage doubts of salvation during times of conviction, thus remembering can encourage a church as it sees God’s previous work among them.
The second primary step toward conquering is to repent of the sins that led to decline. All five churches that have experienced decline are called to repent. Recognizing sin is not enough. Churches must turn from that sin and toward Christ.
Once a church has genuinely repented, they have officially taken steps in faithfulness again. Now, they must continue in that faithfulness by holding fast. As discussed earlier, an essential part of conquering is persevering in faithfulness. In order for revitalization to have a lasting effect, churches must not only listen and repent, but also hold fast.
Brandon Moore 