EPHESUS: A STATUS-QUO PREACHER, PREACHING STATUS-QUO SERMONS, TO A STATUS-QUO CHURCH - 2:1-7
The church in Ephesus would be called a "faithful" church today and would be written up in papers across the land as an example to us all. But God defines faithful in a far different way than we do. Faithfulness is loving Jesus, and this church had stopped loving Jesus. They worshiped doctrine instead of HIM! They had hot heads and cold hearts. Law-keeping took precedent over people's feelings. They majored in minors and minored in majors. They were duty bound instead of devotion bound. All they did, they did because they were afraid not to. Oh, they worked, and they worked hard. But their efforts were not motivated by love for Christ. This church had stopped loving Jesus Christ, most likely because they stopped loving one another. Jesus does not find any fault in their practices. If we visited there, we would find visitation, senior, youth, benevolent, and evangelistic ministries. But the one ministry you would not find is a hugging ministry - a "loving one another" ministry. They were still preaching, teaching, praying, eating the Lords Supper, and singing, but they had lost the most important thing - love. The answer to their problem? Jesus! Or better yet - overcome their lack of love for Jesus. If they do they are promised a blessing.

SMYRNA: A FIERY PREACHER, PREACHING FIERY SERMONS, TO A FIERY CHURCH - 2:8-11
This is a persecuted church. It is symbolic of every persecuted church. There is no condemnation. Persecution could have made them just wither away, but most of the time it strengthens the strong and puts to flight the fearful. This church had to resist the temptation to "go along to get along." They were willing to be good citizens and rendered unto Caesar what was Caesars, as long a Caesar would allow them to render to God, what was Gods. Before long, Rome would not do that, and that is where the trouble started. Jesus knew the struggles this church was going through, and he knew their faithfulness to Him. He comforts them that the trials will not last for long. They are told to be faithful in the face of death. If they do, they are promised the victory crown.

PERGAMUM: A COMPROMISING PREACHER, PREACHING COMPROMISING SERMONS, TO A COMPROMISING CHURCH - 2:12-17
This church was a compromising church, in the sense that they did not hold the high standards that they once did. Their compromising was done under the guise of LOVE. A false love to be sure. They loved so much that they didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. Their idea of love was to tolerate anything and everything. The truth was that they don't love at all. True love will not tolerate sin. Jesus is not condemning the church for teaching false doctrine, but in tolerating those who did. Not for their practice, but for what they permitted. There are those things which we cannot compromise. There are some things we may compromise on (Romans 14), but those are not the things that affect the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Any teaching that would lessen the Lordship of Christ or the holiness of a Christian - we must say "This cannot be tolerated!" They are warned of what will happen if they do not overcome the temptation to compromise with error. If they succeed, they receive a blessing. If they do not succeed they will receive a curse.

THYATIRA: A LIBERAL PREACHER, PREACHING LIBERAL SERMONS, TO A LIBERAL CHURCH - 2:18-29
Here is a church that was growing, going, serving, and on the move. In spite of all they were doing they had a problem. Their problem was moral compromise. This "Jezebel" claimed to have divine knowledge, so they listened to her. She was a woman preacher. She taught that you must KNOW what sin is in order to counsel the sinner. This church got involved in sexual immorality, which led to compromise with the truths of Gods word. Today they would be the churches who ordain women and homosexuals. Jesus tells the few who were not compromising that if they cannot do anything about it, at least hold on to what they had. At least there will still be a candle shining in Thyatira when people are looking for light. If they overcome the sin of immorality, they are promised a blessing.