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7 Churches Self Assessment Tool Jen nea Sumo Author of I Pursue After You All Because You Are God A 21 Day Devotional This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means electronic mechanical photocopy recording or otherwise without prior written permission of the publisher except as provided by United States of America copyright law Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible Scripture quotations marked NIV are from the New International Version of the Bible Scripture quotations marked AMP are from the Amplified Version of the Bible Scripture quotations marked ESV are from the English Standard Version of the Bible Scripture quotations marked NLT are from the New Living Translation of the Bible Scripture quotations marked NKJV are from the New King James Version of the Bible Jasmine Powell Cover Graphic Artist The scripture illustrated on the cover is from the New International Version Copyright 2022 by Jen nea Sumo All rights reserved Page 2

Introduction What We Know Every believer those who have been saved by grace and confess that Jesus is their Savior and Lord is a part of God s church We are the church individually and collectively As believers we are the billboard for God wherever we go and we must continuously consider whether we are representing Christ appropriately As believers we know that works cannot get us into Heaven Ephesians 2 8 9 Yet our works are observed by God In the book of Revelation Jesus clearly states that He knows the works of the believer Some works that Jesus identifies are good and some are not good Whether good or not good these works may merely be a symptom of what is going on in the heart of the believer Since God looks at the heart 1 Samuel 16 7 it is important for every believer to evaluate their heart posture and to assess the motives of their heart Additionally every believer must make sure they are countinually receptive to sound Biblical teaching God has warned that a time is coming when people will not tolerate sound teaching but will have itching ears accumulating for themselves teachers to suit their own desires and support the errors they hold and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths and manmade fictions 2 Timothy 4 3 4 AMP God desires that His church receive sound teaching and receive the truth of His Word One truth of God s Word that every believer must remember is that the Lord tests the heart and mind of the believer The crucible is for silver and the furnace is for gold and the Lord tests hearts Proverbs 17 3 ESV Prove me O Lord and try me test my heart and my mind Psalm 26 2 For you O God have tested us you have tried us as silver is tried Psalm 66 10 The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick who can understand it I the Lord search the heart and test the mind to give every man according to his ways according to the fruit of his deeds Jeremiah 17 9 10 The Lord tests the righteous but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence Psalm 11 5 Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts Behold I will refine them and test them for what else can I do because of my people Jeremiah 9 7 If you are a believer in Jesus Christ you most likely know that one day we will all stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ Jesus knows each of our works He sees our hearts even the things we attempt to hide Believers should not assume that because they possess some type of anointing or even receive various blessings from God that they are in right standing with God for the gifts and callings of God are given without repentance Romans 11 29 KJV Therefore someone can minister and even demonstrate signs and wonders but their heart may not be with God Page 3

For it is written as I live saith the Lord every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess to God So then everyone of us shall give account of himself to God Romans 14 10 12 KJV God will bring every work into judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be bad In preparation for this encounter God has instructed believers to be patient establish our hearts and be ready for the coming of the Lord James 5 8 Why this self assessment tool In the present day church there are many different denominations ex Methodist Baptist Church of God Assemblies of God etc However in the Bible no denominations are identified In the Book of Revelation Jesus highlights attributes and characteristics of seven churches Ephesus Smyrna Pergamos Thyatira Sardis Philadelphia and Laodicea Revelation1 4 18 and the members of those seven churches represented one body of believers Jesus perspective regarding these various churches remains a vital guide and gauge for believers today This Seven Churches Self Assessment Tool has been created to give believers a means to participate in regular self evaluation regarding church topic areas that are important to God No matter if you are a member of a brick and mortar church an online ministry or do not fellowship with other believers at all this assessment tool is for you You may use this tool to evaluate which of the seven churches you may be a member of Please know that this tool is not intended to bring condemnation Instead the tool is designed to help identify spots and or wrinkles that may be on the gown of church members also known as the Bride of Christ for Jesus is coming back for a Bride without spot and wrinkle Ephesians 5 27 Assessing oneself and repenting of areas were they have fallen short are strategies that the believer can use to keep oil in their lamps and be prepared for Jesus return Mark 25 1 13 God sent this tool because He wants to revive His church and reconcile His church to Himself Jesus is Coming Soon and He wants His Bride ready for His return Next Steps Since God tests the heart and mind of believers it is important that believers also assess themselves When using this tool you may find that you are a member of more than one church Or that the character traits of more than one church apply to you Regardless of which church or churches you may belong to you have an opportunity to become and remain a member of the Faithful Church and or stand strong as a member of the Persecuted Church See the directions on the next page for steps to take to complete this Seven Churches Self Assessment Tool Page 4

Directions 1 Get in a quiet area putting away all forms of distractions 2 Commit to be honest with yourself and God 3 Ask God to search your heart 4 Review each church assessment summary 5 Review and score the questions in Sections 1 8 6 Complete the self reflection questions 7 Pray to God regarding your assessment results and self reflection responses 8 Ask God to forgive you and deliver you from areas that are not pleasing to Him Ask God to help you persevere in the things that please Him Remember that the ability to repent and receive deliverance are gifts from God Take the time to repent and pray and ask God to receive deliverance where deliverance is needed 9 Read the Word of God and revisit the assessment questions in Section 1 8 as needed If you have not yet accepted Jesus as your Savior and Lord but desire to be saved Repeat the below prayer Lord I know I am a sinner but I also know that you are the Savior Save me forgive me renew me and use me for Your Glory I know that you died but are yet alive I know that you are coming soon and I want to be ready for your return Jesus I invite you to be the Lord over my life I will be just like you and live on the Lord Side living to do the will and please God the Father I give You my life Page 5

Seven Churches Self Assessment Tool Loveless Church You intentionally make effort to do the will of God but God is not your 1 priority You labor for the things of God You endeavor to love God and others Mark 12 30 31 As believers in Jesus Christ we are instructed to Love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind and with all our strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves Mark 12 30 31 In fact the Word of God reveals that anyone who does not love does not know God 1 John 4 8 God is love 1 John 4 16 and He sent His son Jesus as a demonstration of love Believers should labor for the things of God just like Jesus with reverence and great focus and attention on the One who sent us You patiently labor for God s Kingdom agenda You are patient as you labor for the things of God and the fruit of the spirit are visible in your life The Holy Spirit produces fruit love joy peace patience kindness goodness faithfulness gentleness and self control in the life of a believer Patience is a fruit of the spirit that is needed in the life of a believer In fact God requires every believer to be completely humble and gentle to be patient bearing with one another in love Ephesians 4 2 NIV Since God s Kingdom agenda involves other people patiently bearing with one another in love is required for believers to work to advance God s Kingdom agenda You cannot tolerate those who are evil You do not tolerate evil communication and activity Instead you hold tight to what is good The Bible provides clear direction as to how believers should and should not live How believers handle evil and engage in doing good is largely seen in the Word of God In fact a major focus within the Word is about the characteristics of love Love is to be sincere and active the real thing without guile and hypocrisy Believers are to hate what is evil detest all ungodliness do not tolerate wickedness hold on tightly to what is good Romans 12 9 AMP Although believers motivated by love they do not tolerate evil You are discerning You do not blindly follow others but have personal relationship with God and test whether those you allow to lead you are on the Lord s side The Bible tells us that there shall arise false Christs and false prophets and shall shew great signs and wonders insomuch that if it were possible they shall deceive the very elect Matthew 24 24 KJV The Bible demonstrates that the believer should not just follow Page 6

ministries or ministry leaders but should watch pray and examine leader s fruit character and what spirit they are operating from 1 John 4 1 A believer is discerning has a personal relationship with God and does not blindly follow others You patiently persevered Although you have faced many challenges in life You have been patient in how you have persevered to overcome life challenges and do the will of God Troubles may come but God leads the believer s heart into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ 2 Thessalonians 3 5 You have not grown weary Although you have had opportunities to be weary you remain steadfast fighting the good fight of faith Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior but He is also the believer s example Jesus had every opportunity to grow weary while He walked the earth but He persevered all challenges to complete His assignment in the earth One way that Jesus persevered is through the prayer and intercession He offered up to God In Hebrews 5 7 we see that in the days of His flesh Jesus offered up prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to Him who was able to save him from death and He was heard because of His reverence The believer can persevere by following Jesus example Once the believer perseveres past weariness they can also expect to reap Galatians 6 9 reveals that if believers do not grow weary while doing good in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart You have labored for God s sake You have ministered and continually minister to other believers and or you win souls for the Kingdom of God Laboring for God s sake may be connected to how we minister to others For instance the Bible says For God is not unjust He will not forget how hard you have worked for Him and how you have shown your love to Him by caring for other believers as you still do Hebrews 6 10 NLT Jesus instructed His followers to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature Mark 16 15 He told the original disciples to follow Him because he was making them fishers of man Matthew 4 9 Ministering to others is laboring for God s sake In fact ministering to others is connected to wisdom for those who win souls are wise Proverbs 11 30 You do not tolerate mixture You do not mix the truth of the Word of God with other doctrines and practices God is longsuffering with mankind The Lord is not really being slow about His promise as some people think No He is being patient for our sake He does not want anyone to be destroyed but wants everyone to repent 2 Peter 3 9 NLT The truth is that God does Page 7

not approve of mixture God is not tolerating the mixing of His principles and other doctrines but is giving people the opportunity to repent so that they do not perish Scriptures pointing Loveless Church members back to their first love Come close to God and God will come close to you Wash your hands you sinners purify your hearts for your loyalty is divided between God and the world James 4 8 NLT Jesus expects the believer to hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans those who teach doctrine of compromise Revelation 2 6 Hating the Nicolaitans is not about hating a group of people but hating behavior and practices that present stumbling blocks for believers No man can serve two masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other You cannot serve God and mammon money possessions fame status or whatever is valued more than the Lord Matthew 6 24 AMP Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel If you are returning to the LORD with all your heart remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth pagan goddesses from among you and direct your hearts to the LORD and serve Him only and He will rescue you from the hand of the Philistines 1 Samuel 7 3 ESV Section 1 You labor for the things of God You endeavor to love God and others Mark 12 30 31 You patiently labor for God s Kingdom agenda You are patient as you labor for the things of God and the fruit of the spirit love joy peace longsuffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance are visible in your life Never 1 Rarely 2 Sometimes 3 Often 4 Always 5 Page 8

You cannot tolerate those who are evil You do not tolerate evil communication and activity Instead you hold tight to what is good You are discerning You do not blindly follow others but have personal relationship with God and test whether those you allow to lead you are on the Lord s side You patiently persevere Although you have faced many challenges in life You have been patient in how you have persevered to overcome life challenges and you continue to do the will of God You have not grown weary Although you have had opportunities to be weary you remain steadfast fighting the good fight of faith You have labored for God s sake You have ministered and continually minister to other believers and or you win souls for the Kingdom of God You do not tolerate mixture You do not mix the truth of the Word of God with other doctrines and practices Section 2 True Spending time with God is not a priority You know God but building a relationship with God is not a focus for you Doing the will of God is not your number 1 priority False Page 9

You put other things and or people before God You put other things and or people before God s Kingdom agenda Scoring Add up your score for Section 1 and 2 If you scored 8 to 23 in Section 1 and answered True to at least 1 item in Section 2 you may not be a member of Loveless Church If you scored 24 to 40 in Section 1 and answered True to at least 1 item in Section 2 you may be a member of the Loveless Church Section 1 Score _____ Section 2 How many items did you mark True ______ If in Section 2 you notice that God is not your 1 priority ask yourself who or what is my 1 priority Are you a member of the Loveless Church Maybe _______ No ________ Persecuted Church You suffer for doing the will of God Intentionally make efforts to do the will of God You desire to do God s will and not to be conformed to the things of the world You renew your mind with God s Word The Bible says that the world is passing away along with its desires but whoever does the will of God abides forever 1 John 2 17 Believers entrust our souls to a faithful Creator while doing good 1 Peter 4 19 ESV and intentionally ask the Lord to teach us to do His will Believers are focused on doing God s will despite the present sufferings knowing that it is better to suffer for doing good if that should be God s will than for doing evil 1 Peter 3 17 ESV Believers choose to renew our minds to stay in a place of transformation to prevent ourselves from being conformed to this world Romans 12 2 You experience tribulations You experience life challenges but you are not surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you You know that all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted 2 Timothy 3 12 ESV God has clearly demonstrated in His Word that being insulted for the name of Christ is not a punishment Instead when believers experience insults for the name of Christ they are actually blessed because the Spirit of Glory and of God rests upon that believer 1 Page 10

Peter 4 12 14 If Jesus was persecuted because of the Spirit of Glory believers should not be shocked when they experience persecution But instead rejoice insofar as the believer shares in Christ s sufferings they may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed 1 Peter 4 13 You have experienced hardships Although you have experienced hardships you know what true riches are and you partake in those riches Faith is the currency of heaven and being heirs of the Kingdom of God is where true riches are found Believers have access to true riches The following scriptures demonstrate the truth of God s Word regarding experiencing hardship but possessing true riches Listen my beloved brothers has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he has promised to those who love him James 2 5 ESV For the sake of Christ then I am content with weaknesses insults hardships persecutions and calamities For when I am weak then I am strong 2 Corinthians 12 10 ESV I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted and will execute justice for the needy Psalm 140 12 ESV Section 3 Intentionally make efforts to do the will of God You desire to do God s will and not to be conformed to the things of the world You renew your mind with God s Word You experience tribulations You experience life challenges but you are not surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you You know that all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted 2 Timothy 3 12 ESV You have experienced hardships Although you have experienced hardships you know what true riches are and you partake in those riches Never 1 Rarely 2 Sometimes 3 Often 4 Always 5 Page 11

Scoring Add up your score for Section 3 If you scored 3 to 6 in Section 3 you may not be a member of Persecuted Church If you scored 7 to 15 in Section 3 you may be a member of the Persecuted Church Section 3 Score _____ Are you a member of the Persecuted Church Maybe _______ No ________ Compromising Church Not completely on the Lord s Side Surrounded by evil and opportunities to compromise You live work and or play in places where evil practices take place giving you the opportunity to compromise Godly behavior for ungodly activity Since exposure to evil practices activity is a part of the enemy s plan to devour the church believers must stay alert and watch out for the enemy In fact the Bible tells us to stay alert and watch out for your great enemy the devil He prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour 1 Peter 5 8 NLT Staying alert and watching out for the enemy includes being careful to avoid compromising behavior Surrounded by evil but still call on Jesus Although you are surrounded by evil and negativity you hold fast to God by calling on Jesus in trouble and calling on his name through praise and worship Believers are not of this world but are in this world John 15 19 In the world there is darkness Believers praise and worship God even though they are surrounded by evil Believers give thanks to the Lord call upon His name make known His deeds among people Psalm 105 1 You confess Jesus is Lord You believe in Jesus and confess Jesus in front of others even if they are unbelievers Believers know in their hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead and openly declare that Jesus is Lord Romans 10 9 Jesus said Therefore whoever confesses Me before men him I will also confess before My Father who is in Heaven But whoever denies Me before men him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven Matthew 10 32 33 NKJV You create stumbling blocks Aspects of your character or behavior create stumbling blocks for you or other believers Page 12

A person who creates stumbling blocks draws attention away from God They encourage behavior that is not in line with God s will ex encouraging sexual immorality strife unforgiveness stirring up conflict But He turned and said to Peter get behind Me Satan You are a stumbling block to Me for you are not setting your mind on God s interests but man s Matthew 16 23 When people are stumbling blocks for others they are being like Satan not setting their mind on God s interest Instead of stumbling blocks God desires His people to be built up and every obstacle to be removed out of their way Isaiah 57 14 Tolerate compromise There are aspects of your character or behavior that demonstrates that you tolerate compromise and the mixing of God s principles with other doctrine God is not ok with believers mixing the things of the world with the things of the Kingdom God hates the deeds of Nicolaitans and expects every believer to also hate Nicolaitans deeds You do not Hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans those who teach doctrine of compromise making it seem as though it is ok to mix Biblical truths with other beliefs and doctrines Revelation 2 15 Section 4 Surrounded by evil and opportunities to compromise You live work and or play in places where evil practices take place giving you the opportunity to compromise Godly behavior for ungodly activity Surrounded by evil but still call on Jesus Although you are surrounded by evil and negativity you hold fast to God by calling on Jesus in trouble and calling on his name through praise and worship You confess Jesus is Lord You believe in Jesus and confess Jesus in front of others even if they are unbelievers Never 1 Rarely 2 Sometimes 3 Often 4 Always 5 Page 13

You create stumbling blocks Aspects of your character or behavior create stumbling blocks for you or other believers Tolerate compromise There are aspects of your character or behavior that demonstrates that you tolerate compromise and the mixing of God s principles with other doctrine Scoring Add up your score for Section 4 If you scored 5 to 12 in Section 4 you may not be a member of the Compromising Church If you scored 13 to 25 in Section 4 you may be a member of the Compromising Church Section 4 Score _____ Are you a member of the Compromising Church Maybe _______ No ________ Corrupted Church Have some good works but also dishonor God You endeavor to love God Joshua 23 11 applies to you You diligently take note of the importance of Loving the Lord your God The Bible clearly shows us that we demonstrate our love for God by keeping His commands John 14 15 God desires every believer to be steadfast immovable always abounding in the work of the Lord knowing that their labor to serve God is not in vain 1 Corinthians 15 58 ESV Believers understand that it is important to Love God and serve God You serve God You consider what great things God has done for You You also fear God and serve him faithfully with your whole heart 1 Samuel 12 24 ESV Believers who have a deep reverence for God who He is and what He is capable of doing are positioned to properly serve Him The Bible warns the believer that the lack of the fear of the Lord is present amongst believers Still today many believers are following their former ways instead of sincerely worshipping the Lord and obeying the instructions He has given 2 Kings 17 34 This lack of reverence is a major concern as the fear of the Lord is a requirement for authentic service Page 14

You have faith You trust God You have confidence that God will do what He promised Faith is needed for authentic service as faith the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen Hebrews 11 1 is required to please God Hebrews 11 6 Faith is also required to do great things for God For the Bible shows us that believers who know their God will do great exploits Daniel 11 32 It is the faith in God and not in ourselves that qualifies us to do great things for God You are patient You are longsuffering showing patience despite troubles you experience because of others believers and unbelievers God desires for every believer to be equipped with a sound mind 2 Timothy 1 7 Thus believers are not to be quick to become angry Ecclesiastes 7 8 but instead be patient with others 1 Thessalonians 5 14 ESV God desires the believer to rejoice in hope be patient in tribulation and never cease in praying Romans 12 12 Last works are greater than the first You serve God have faith and are patient but more attention can be paid to how you love God It is good to serve God have faith and be patient Yet believers must remember that everything that is done should be done out of love for God God does not look at the outward appearance of a person In fact He has rejected those who in man s eyes outwardly look faithful to God Believers must remember that God does not see like man He not only sees what the believer does but also the motives of the believer s heart Therefore believers must remember that nothing is hidden from God Since God looks at the heart 1 Samuel 16 7 it is important to reverence God from the place of love such that all motives point back to the love the believer has for God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Spirit Unkept commandments You are partially obedient to the things that God has called you to There are some commandments or guidance from God that you are not following Jesus said If you love Me keep My commandments John 14 15 Yet there are some commandments that believers may not be following For instance God has instructed the believer not to have any other God besides Him and not to have idols but some have put the spirit of Jezebel before God because they allow Jezebel to teach and seduce other believers to do things that are not of God like commit sexual immorality and partake in things that are connected to idolatry This behavior will not go unpunished as Jesus Page 15

has confirmed that those who commit adultery with Jezebel will take part in great tribulation unless they repent of their deeds Revelation 2 21 22 God desires for everyone to repent and return to Him 2 Peter 3 9 There are some in the Corrupted Church that do not follow after Jezebel and have not allowed the enemy in The remnant of believers in the Corrupted Church who do not have unkept commandments will not experience the tribulation appointed for those who have unkept commandments and do not repent Section 5 You endeavor to love God Joshua 23 11 applies to youYou diligently take note of the importance of Loving the Lord your God Never 1 Rarely 2 Sometimes 3 Often 4 Always 5 You serve God You consider what great things God has done for You You also fear God and serve him faithfully with your whole heart 1 Samuel 12 24 ESV You have faith You trust God You have confidence that God will do what He promised You are patient You are longsuffering showing patience despite troubles you experience because of others believers and unbelievers Last works are greater than the first You serve God have faith and are patient but more attention can be paid to how you love God Unkept commandments You are partially obedient to the things that God has called you to There are some commandments or guidance from God that you are not following Page 16

Scoring Section 5 Are you a member of the Corrupted Church Add up your score for Section 5 If you scored 6 to 17 in Section 5 you may not be a Score _____ Maybe _______ member of the Corrupted Church If you scored 18 to 30 in Section 5 you may be a No ________ member of the Corrupted Church Dead Church Believe you are being used by God but do not obey God s truth You have a name that you are alive You do many things where it seems that you are alive in Christ Believers may serve minister to others pay tithes prophesy give to the poor may even operate in miracles signs and wonders but still must remember to pray search me O God and know my heart test me and know my anxious thoughts Point out anything in me that offends you and lead me along the path of everlasting life Psalm 139 23 24 There is coming a time when some believers will say Lord Lord have we not prophesied in Your name cast out demons in Your name and done many wonders in Your name And then the Lord will say to them I never knew you depart from Me you who practice lawlessness Matthew 7 22 23 NKJV Believers must remember that showing signs of being alive does not mean that God sees them as being alive in Him You practice lawlessness Lawlessness may come in many forms such as having unrepentant sin contentiousness not obey the truth obeying unrighteousness having indignation and wrath Romans 2 4 KJV God is clear on His view regarding believers practicing lawlessness God said that those who practice lawlessness and keep on sinning do not belong to Him but to the devil God said when people keep on sinning it shows that they belong to the devil who has been sinning since the beginning But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil Those who have been born into God s family do not make a practice of sinning because God s life is in them So they cannot keep on sinning because they are children of God So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God 1 John 3 8 10 NLT Page 17

Section 6 You have a name that you are alive You do many things where it seems that you are alive in Christ Never 1 Rarely 2 Sometimes 3 Often 4 Always 5 You practice lawlessness Lawlessness may come in many forms such as having unrepentant sin contentiousness not obey the truth obeying unrighteousness having indignation and wrath Romans 2 4 KJV Scoring Section 6 Are you a member of the Dead Church Add up your score for Section 6 If you scored 2 to 5 in Section 6 you may not be a Score _____ Maybe _______ member of the Dead Church If you scored 6 to 10 in Section 6 you may be a No ________ member of the Dead Church Faithful Church You are faithful to God and do what pleases Him You have an open door The door of salvation remains open to you You are invited to abide in the Kingdom of God as a child of God Jesus said that He opened a door that no one can shut Revelation 3 8 but also warns believers to hold fast and to not leave oneself open to having their crown taken This steadfast focus is important as there are crowns promised for believers who persevere and Jesus wants us to know that crowns can also be lost This warning to hold fast is direction for believers to persevere while living in this world and to stay focused on the things of the Kingdom Being a child of God is evident in how a believer lives Jesus said that whoever does the will of God the Father is His brother and sister Matt 12 50 Thus since Jesus is the Son of God and gave His life for the believer to be reconciled to God the Father all those that confess Jesus to be their Savior and Lord and do the will of God are also children of God Salvation is an open door but once saved God requires every believer to do His will If God required Jesus to do His will surely He requires all those who have been saved by grace through faith to also lay aside their will for His will Ephesians 2 89 Page 18

You do not have a lot of strength but you remain faithful to God You may have a variety of challenges but you remain faithful to God You do not attempt to do things on your own Your strength and help come from God The Bible warns that there are terrible times in the last days 2 Timothy 3 1 In fact we are currently living in evil days People are lovers of themselves lovers of money boastful proud abusive disobedient to their parents ungrateful unholy without love unforgiving slanderous without self control brutal not lovers of the good treacherous rash conceited lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God and having a form of godliness but denying its power 2 Timothy 3 2 5 Although believers live amongst the ungodly in a fallen world and many times feel weak we can remain faithful to God In fact God s grace is sufficient for the believer 2 Corinthians 12 9 and because the believer s hope is in God we have renewed strength and do not faint Isaiah 40 31 You have kept God s Word You are a hearer and doer of God s Word The Bible instructs every believer to be a doer of the Word and not a hearer only In fact the Bible demonstrates that those who are hearers only are in deception James 1 22 Therefore any believer hears the Word but does not do the Word is deceived Believers must be careful to hear know and do the Word of God A believer should spend time in God s Word to know the Word but knowing the Word is not enough A believer must be intentional in daily doing the Word For man shall live by every word that comes out of the mouth of God Matthew 4 4 You have not denied God s name You have had opportunity to deny God but you refuse to deny God s name You remember the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross and do not crucify Jesus afresh Believers who know God and are known by God Galatians 4 9 are positioned to not turn back to the world way of doing things Not denying God s name is aligned with staying faithful to the things of God In this world we have opportunities to backslide and crucify Jesus again with our thoughts and actions If believers fall away they are to be renewed again unto repentance seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh and put Him to an open shame when believers fall away Hebrews 6 6 Continuously keep God s command to persevere You have had opportunities to give up but you continue to strive to do what is right despite the troubles you face The Bible clearly directs the believer to patiently endure This phrase patiently endure means that God s holy people endures persecution patiently obeying His commands and maintaining their faith in Jesus Revelation 14 12 NLT Page 19

Section 7 You have an open door The door of salvation remains open to you You are invited to abide in the Kingdom of God as a child of God Never 1 Rarely 2 Sometimes 3 Often 4 Always 5 You do not have a lot of strength but you remain faithful to God You may have a variety of challenges but you remain faithful to God You do not attempt to do things on your own Your strength and help come from God You have kept God s Word You are a hearer and doer of God s Word You have not denied God s name You have had opportunity to deny God but you refuse to deny God s name You remember the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross and do not crucify Jesus afresh Continuously keep God s command to persevere You have had opportunities to give up but you continue to strive to do what is right despite the troubles you face Scoring Add up your score for Section 7 If you scored 5 to 18 in Section 7 you may not be a member of the Faithful Church If you scored 19 to 25 in Section 7 you may be a member of the Faithful Church Section 7 Score _____ Are you a member of the Faithful Church Maybe _______ No ________ Page 20

Lukewarm You know God but are not passionate for Him You are neither cold nor hot God wants you to be hot for him but you are not cold or hot If you were cold you would have no interest in God but you are lukewarm which means you have an interest in God but are not passionate for Him or for the things of God The Bible instructs believers to examine ourselves 2 Corinthians 13 5 and make sure that we walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which we have been called Ephesians 4 1 ESV God desires that every believer be a burning one such that our hearts burn for Him Luke 24 32 God desires that our fire and passion for Him never burns out Leviticus 6 13 You trust in your riches You expect to be safe and secure because of your riches and resources and not because of God The Bible illustrates that those who trust in riches and wealth are actually wretched miserable poor blind and naked Revelation 3 17 KJV Believers who are financially rich should never fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches but on God 1 Timothy 6 17 You believe that having financial resources means you are wealthy You do not consider the fact that financial riches and resources are not true wealth In the Book of Mark two very important questions are raised a what does it profit a man if he gain the whole world but lose his own soul b And what shall a man give in exchange for his soul Mark 8 36 37 KJV This comparison between profit wealth and safety of one s soul helps the believer see that true wealth is not financial but eternal and spiritually obtained through God In fact God desires believers to have financial wealth but does not want financial wealth to have the believer For instance God promised that the wealth of the wicked is laid up for the righteous Proverbs 13 22 but Jesus also told the disciples that it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven Matthew 19 23 Therefore wealth is good but wealth and obedience to God is best You do not seek God regarding obtaining true wealth You do not inquire of God regarding what true wealth is and where it is found God desires every believer in Jesus to understand that all riches and wealth come from Him 1 Chronicles 29 12 He also wants the believer to listen when He calls to counsel regarding true wealth Jesus said I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire Page 21

that you may be rich and white garments that you may be clothed that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed and anoint your eyes with eye salve that you may see Revelations 3 18 22 NKJV True wealth is found in God alone Section 8 You are neither cold nor hot God wants you to be hot for him but you are not cold or hot If you were cold you would have no interest in God but you are lukewarm You are interested in God but are not passionate for Him or for the things of God Never 1 Rarely 2 Sometimes 3 Often 4 Always 5 You trust in your riches You expect to be safe and secure because of your riches and resources and not because of God You believe that having financial resources means you are wealthy You do not consider the fact that financial riches and resources are not true wealth You do not seek God regarding obtaining true wealth You do not inquire of God regarding what true wealth is and where it is found Scoring Add up your score for Section 8 If you scored 4 to 11 in Section 8 you may not be a member of the Lukewarm Church If you scored 12 to 20 in Section 8 you may be a member of the Lukewarm Church Section 8 Score _____ Are you a member of the Lukewarm Church Maybe _______ No ________ Page 22

Self Reflection Questions 1 Based on your answers to the above questions which church es do you believe you may belong to Mark X for the church es you may be a member of Churches Brief Description Loveless Church Persecuted Church Compromising Church Corrupted Church Dead Church Faithful Church Lukewarm Church You intentionally make effort to do the will of God but God is not your 1 priority You suffer for doing the will of God You are not completely on the Lord s Side You have some good works but also dishonor God You believe you are being used by God but do not obey God s truth You are faithful to God and do what pleases Him You are interested in God but are not passionate for Him Identified Church es 2 Are you pleased with your church membership s Do you want to change church membership ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ 3 What characteristics from your identified church membership s please God ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Page 23

____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ 4 Are there areas within your identified church membership s that do not please God If so what are those areas ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ 5 If based on your assessment results you may be a part of the Loveless Compromising Corrupted Dead or Lukewarm Church what steps do you plan to take to no longer be a member of or hold on to character traits from these churches ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ Page 24

Final Thoughts Conducting a self assessment using this Seven Churches Self Assessment Tool may not be an easy task Changing thoughts and behaviors that are not pleasing to God may also be challenging but as believers we have help and we are not expected to do things on our own Isaiah 41 13 Today and everyday you can pray and ask God to cleanse you and renew a right spirit in you Psalm 51 10 12 If you are a member of the Faithful or Persecuted Church we pray your strength in the Lord and decree and declare that the Power of His Might is your portion We pray that you always are fully dressed in the armor of God so that you can stand against the enemy s schemes Ephesians 6 10 12 We pray your strength and protection and we pray for unyielding grace and provision Most of all we pray that you forever remember that Jesus lives to make intercession for you Hebrews 7 25 To the Loveless Compromising Corrupted Dead and Lukewarm church members remember there is more to being a believer than merely being saved by grace and or ministering to others God is not like man He is holy and He looks at the heart We pray that you surrender heart matters that have hindered your full faithfulness to God We pray that your repentance is done in word and deed We pray that you pursue the heart of God and build and strengthen a relationship with Him God is after the heart of man and longs for a relationship with mankind all those who confess Jesus as their Savior and Lord should pursue the heart of God and build a relationship with God The fact is Jesus is coming soon and all believers must continually examine ourselves and make sure that we are fully present on the Lord s Side living to do the will of God and to please God the Father Just like Jesus Paul encourages every believer to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who works in us both to will and to work for His good pleasure Philippians 2 12 13 So what exactly is God s good pleasure I believe God s good pleasure is illustrated all throughout His Word and can be summed up in one phrase God s good pleasure is that believers choose the Lord s Side through choosing God s will I believe that in the time we are living choosing the Lord s Side has several requirements Believers must 1 make sure to pray for and support one another remembering that we are all on the same team Team Jesus 2 remember that we are all one Body and our Father desires that we are one just as Jesus and God the Father are One Team Jesus requires Unity 3 be diligent in allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us 4 acknowledge deliverance is a gift and get deliverance where needed 5 and remember to try every spirit by the Holy Spirit 1 John 4 1 5 For what is to come Doing the Will of God Advocating for Unity in the Body of Christ Being Led by the Holy Spirit and Operating with Discernment are requirements for every believer Page 25

Recommended Books Seven Churches Companion Guide coming soon I Pursue After You All Because You Are God A 21 Day Devotional Jen nea Sumo A Map From the Womb to Eternity Lisa Clayton Consecration Intimacy with our Lord Monica Venable Page 26