REVELATION 3:1-6
2
(3:1) Jesus Christ—Minister—Church: there is the speaker, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. A lifeless and dying
church needs to look at Jesus Christ, at two things in particular.
1. Jesus Christ has the seven Spirits of God. This is a reference to the Holy Spirit of God.
a. The number seven means the sevenfold ministry of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ Himself spelled this out in
the upper room where He revealed who the Holy Spirit was to be:
g159 He is the Comforter, the other Helper (Jn.14:16).
g159 He is the Spirit of truth (Jn.14:17).
g159 He is the personal presence of Christ (Jn.14:18-20).
g159 He is the very special manifestation of Christ within the believer (Jn.14:21-22).
g159 He is the abiding presence of the Trinity (Jn.14:23-24).
g159 He is the teacher (Jn.14:25-26).
g159 He is the peace of Christ (Jn.14:27).
Some commentators point out that this is a reference to the sevenfold ministry of the Holy Spirit found in
Isaiah.
“And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and under-
standing, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the
LORD” (Is.11:2).
g159 The Spirit of the Lord
g159 The Spirit of wisdom
g159 The Spirit of understanding
g159 The Spirit of counsel
g159 The Spirit of might
g159 The Spirit of knowledge
g159 The Spirit of fear
b. The number seven also means completeness, fulness, or perfection in the Bible. Therefore, the seven Spirits
means the Holy Spirit in all His fulness.
The point is this: what a lifless and dying church needs is the Spirit of God.
g159 A lifeless and dying church needs to seek Christ for the Spirit of God.
“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more
shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? (Lk.11:13).
“And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glori-
fied in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. If ye love me, keep my
commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that
he may abide with you for ever” (Jn.14:13-16).
g159 A lifeless and dying church needs to seek the quickening of the Spirit.
“But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised
up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in
you” (Ro.8:11).
g159 A lifeless and dying church needs to seek the convicting power of the Spirit.
“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not
away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you”
(Jn.16:7).
g159 A lifeless and dying church needs to seek the fruit of the Spirit.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Gal.5:22-23).
g159 A lifeless and dying church needs to seek the guidance of the Spirit.
“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he
shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will
show you things to come” (Jn.16:13).
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Ro.8:14).
g159 A lifeless and dying church needs to seek revival, the Pentecostal fire of the Spirit.
“I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is migh-
tier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost,
and with fire” (Mt.3:11).
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