Vintage Church: The Voice We Still Need
For the past couple of months, we’ve been listening to the voice of Jesus through seven short letters in Revelation 1-3. Seven churches. Seven snapshots of what Jesus sees, what he commends, what he confronts, and what he promises. It’s been confronting, comforting, and full of gospel hope.
The series has reminded us that Jesus knows his church. He walks among his people. He sees with blazing eyes. He speaks with a sharp, two-edged sword. He knows our faith, our love, our service, and our endurance. And he also knows when we drift, when we compromise, when we grow cold. He sees what others don’t. He knows what even we might try to hide. But in love, he speaks.
Each letter in Revelation 2–3 carries the weight of Jesus’ authority and the warmth of his grace. His words aren’t stale critiques or empty affirmations. They’re the words of the risen Christ, the Lord of glory, who loves his bride and longs for her to flourish. And so, he calls us to repent, return, wake up, hold on, and conquer—not by our own strength but by holding fast to him.
What struck me again and again throughout the series is how relevant these ancient letters are. They are vintage, yes, but not outdated. The challenges faced by Ephesus, Pergamum, Thyatira, and Laodicea are not foreign to us. Lovelessness, compromise, idolatry, spiritual slumber, and self-sufficiency are as modern as they are ancient. And the promises of Jesus are as powerful and precious now as they were then.
Jesus doesn’t just point out what’s wrong. He shows us what is true. And he shows us what is possible in him. That’s why each letter ends with a promise. To the one who conquers… a crown. A name. A white robe. A place at his table. A share in his victory. A future with him forever. These aren’t the rewards of performance but the gifts of grace. We conquer by clinging to Christ, who has already conquered sin and death for us.
And that’s the heartbeat of this whole series: Jesus. Not only as the one who speaks to his church but also as the one who saves his church. The one who loved us and gave himself for us. The one who bore our sin—even our spiritual compromise, our lukewarmness, our pride, our hidden idols—in his body on the cross. He died the death we deserved. And he rose again in victory. So that we, the church, could walk in newness of life.
Every time Jesus calls his church to repent, it is not to shame us but to invite us back to life—real life—life in him. Every warning comes with an open door. Every rebuke is wrapped in mercy because the one who stands among the lampstands is the same one who hung on the cross. His wounds are the proof. His resurrection is the guarantee. And his voice still calls out: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
As we finish this series, I want to encourage us not to walk away and forget what we’ve seen. Ask yourself: What has Jesus said to you? What have you needed to repent of? What encouragement did you need to hear? What promise are you clinging to?
Maybe you’ve been stirred to return to your first love, confronted by compromise or spiritual apathy, or felt weary and just needed to hear Jesus say, “I see you. Hold on. I am coming soon.”
Whatever the case, remember this: Jesus is for his church. He is for you. He doesn’t just tolerate you. He loves you. He disciplines those he loves. He died to redeem you. He rose to give you life. And one day, he will return to make all things new.
Until that day, we keep listening to his voice. We keep turning from sin. We keep walking by faith. And we keep holding fast to Jesus, our Lord, our Saviour, and our coming King.
“To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (Revelation 1:5b–6 ESV)